Page 2 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

I was watching the busy nightclub across from me when it hit me! It was intoxicating, a scent like no other. Ancient and floral but with the hint of something else; it was mouth watering as my fangs itched to descend and saliva filled my mouth.

Gazing down at the club line I tried to figure out what it could be as it clouded my mind, distracting me from the prey I was supposed to be seeking.

"What is it, Adrina?" Tilly asked as I leaned even further forward, "are they here?"

"No, something else." I muttered barely hanging on to any rational thoughts as my fangs elongated, digging into my bottom lip, while I searched for whatever the hell smelt so damn good.

Below our perch the line kept moving with more and more people heading inside, as others came outside to smoke or go home. My eyes narrowed on the newest group to have joined the end of the line. Four women. Three of them looked young enough to be new students, except the tallest of them, she looked older.

She kept a little distance between herself and the other three as her long dirty blond hair drifted in the wind. One of the others kept leaning back talking to her,but I couldn't hear what they were saying from up here, even with my sensitive hearing. Frowning I continued to stare, drawing Tilly's attention to the small group.

"Dina what’s going on?" she asked, staring down at the women below.

"I don't know." I answered honestly, surprised that she’d used my preferred nickname rather than trying to rile me up.

"When was the last time you got laid?" she suddenly burst out, making me look at her in shock. Tilly knew almost everything about me and she knew that I didn't casually have sex often like a lot of our kind did.

"What has that got to do with anything?" I muttered grumpily at her, my brows drawing together.

"Well, with the way your scent just changed, I'd say a lot." She laughed before turning her attention back to the street below. "Hmmm, that's strange," she stated, drawing my eyes back down, but I couldn't see anything different.

"What is?" I asked, taking the damn bait.

"They’re all women." She pointed out before breaking into hysterical giggles as the bouncer let them inside Club Salvation and they disappeared.

Other than the small blip earlier, the night was passing much the same as others had recently, me and Tilly sitting like statues, waiting and watching. We knew the bastard was in the city somewhere, one of Tilly’s contacts had predicted their arrival and the killing of their first victim. That’s one of the problems with Seerers; they only saw what “fate” allowed them to see, so they never got the full picture. I’d just settled in for a long night of nothing, when Bam! It stole through the night, that fucking mouth watering scent. I stiffened as it filled the air and automatically rose up on alert.

On the street below stood the older woman from earlier, her dirty blonde hair wafting in the wind that carried her scent up to our perch, as she glanced one way then the other. The woman stretched, shaking her head as if to clear it, before walking off down the street towards the nearest bridge that would cross intothe city centre.

Why is she alone?I wondered before I could stop myself.Why am I even bothered?I berated myself.

“Dina?” Tilly broke into my thoughts as I leaned even further over the edge of the building without realising what I was even doing.

This isn’t like me,I scold myself before glancing at Tilly’s green eyes, shuddering at the concern I see reflected there.

“She’s human Adrina,” Tilly states.

“I know Tilly but…” However, there is no but, she’s human, her life would be but a blip in my existence. I’d seen far too many Vampires go berserk after losing their human companions, if they didn’t kill them while trying to turn them. I’d sworn to myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t condemn another to my own fate. I should let her go, let her disappear into the night and forget all about her, but her scent swirls around me again and I can’t think straight.

“Dina, just go,” Tilly says, resigned to the fact that one way or another I was going to follow that scent, “get the little human out of your system, I’ll finish up here tonight.”

That was all I needed as I nodded and jumped off the side of the building, falling down the four storeys and landing lightly on the pavement before stepping out of the shadows.

I followed the human’s scent like a bloodhound as it wound through the City. Street after street my focus was unwavering as my mind tried to place that ancient flower she smelt of. I’d never, in over three hundred years, been attracted to another woman, until now. I could feel my desire coursing through me, as I let her scent invade my nostrils more and more until I could taste her on my tongue.

What the hell is wrong with me?I scold myself again, walking down another deserted street behind York Saint John university.

Turning right I follow the scent of…Gardenia, that’s what she smells of, my mind suddenly supplies as I drag in another lungfull of the sweet and zesty fragrance that’s slowly disappearing from the air. Letting my nose guide me I walk past door after door until I’m standing, facing a nondescript blue one. The scentof Gardenias is stronger here than anywhere else on the streets so far and I knew, without a doubt, that my unwitting prey was just behind this door.

Itching to see her again my hand presses into the wood, aching to push harder and break down the pathetic barrier between me and her. But I pause, knowing that would make me a monster, just like the ones I hunted.

Would I really violate her privacy, like mine had been violated all those years before?

Memories try to rise up of that night so long ago, but I shove them back down to the depths in which that night belonged.

NO!I couldn’t do that to another, no matter how much I wanted to see her again. Forcing myself away from the door I glance up and down the street, making sure no one is watching from the dark windows before launching myself up onto her roof. Where I perch until the morning sun rises, tinting the sky a pale pink.

Just before I’m about to leave my perch the door below opens, and out walks the human woman who’d unwittingly captured my attention. Her long dirty blonde hair is now scraped back in a high ponytail that looks painfully tight and the jogging outfit hugs her curves leaving nothing to my imagination as I stare down at her. I watch the blood rushing through her veins, just below her creamy skin and everything about her screams breakable to me as every protective instinct I have goes on full alert. She takes off jogging down the deserted street and I follow, intrigued to see what she’s up to, it’s barely five in the morning.

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