Page 43 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

“The vampire from under the bridge?” Ally questioned, showing that she remembered him just as well as we did.

“How?” Charleene whispered, her frightened eyes not leaving mine.

“We don’t know, he must have help…” I told her honestly, before she interrupted.

“Why? Who am I to be worth all of this trouble and effort?”

“We’re going to find out babe.” I state, grabbing her hand and squeezing, “the Coven thinks you're powerful. Maybe that’s why he’s after you?”

“What if he catches me before we find the Nicnevin Coven?” Charleene whispered brokenly.

“I won’t let that happen!” I told her, unable to even contemplate anything else happening.

“But what if?” Charleene asked again on a sob that almost tore me in two.

“Ssshhhh, I’ll die before I let that bastard touch you.” I watched as tears gathered in her eyes, but she tried putting on a brave face for us all.

“We’ll help too,” Ally suddenly declared with a quick glance across at Jace, before she continued, “And you’ll be able to protect yourself before long, Jace will knock us both into shape.”

“Damn right I will,” Jace confirmed confidently.

“And I have contacts up in Scotland who can help hide us and look for your Coven,” I told them all, grateful for their input as Charleene’s shoulders lost some of their tension.

“Hey it could be worse,” Ally said from the front seat, drawing both of our gazes.

“How?” Charleene whispers.

“You could be in love with the man hunting you,” she said, as though not really thinking about what she’s saying. Ally glances warily at Jace, but before he can say anything Charleene’s voice fills the car.

“That’s true, is that what’s happening to you?” She asked, a little colour filling her cheeks, and gaining Ally’s attention.

“You don’t love him Ally, you don’t know him. If you did you’d hate him.” Jace interrupted, disregarding Charleene’s question, his voice filled with anger about whoever they were discussing. If I had to guess, I think it was in regards to the Shadow Fae who’d protected Ally from me back in York. But if the Shadow Fae had protected Ally, why would Jace look murderous anytime he came up?

“Maybe,” Ally agreed, cutting the conversation short as my own thoughts turned to how I could best protect Charleene from the Rogue hunting her.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realise Charleene and Ally had fallen asleep until Ally’s soft snore filled the car and monopolised my attention. The sound of it wasn’t particularly loud, but irritated me either way. I still hadn’t forgiven the Council or Tilly for turning me into the babysitter of the errant Fae, but I also couldn’t argue that the faster they left, the better off we’d all be. Their appearance here could only mean bad things, and my churning gut told me that Charleene and I were going to be placed smack bang in the middle of their drama.

Huffing out a sigh, I turned my head watching as cars flashed past, wondering where they might be headed. Thinking about nothing in particular, memories of my human life invaded my head. I remembered listening to my baby sister singing on our small front porch, or helping Mother with the washing. Things I hadn’t thought of in a very long time, because they’d become too painful.

At first I hadn’t really understood what I’d become, when I’d followed Alasdair from my family’s porch and into the dark night. He’d taken me to another house on the edge of town, one that had been abandoned for a long time. Ever since Widow Ava had died when I was around seven. I’d just stepped over the threshold when my neck had been torn open and his heavy hand had covered my mouth, smothering my screams until only the two of us could hear them. It hadn’t taken long for blood loss to claim my consciousness, however before the darkness claimed me I felt something soft press heavily against my lips and wetness coated my mouth with an iron tang.

When I’d woken, my throat felt tight and my mouth was so dry like it was full of sand. Rushing from the pile of sheets I’d been laid on, I ran for the door wanting to get outside to the well and sate my thirst. My hand had just closed over the round handle when Alasdair’s laugh made me freeze.

“Going out there will do you no good child,” he’d scoffed, drawing my attention to him as my head whipped around. His unnaturally grey eyes had looked me up and down as a cruel smile turned his lips up.

“I need to go home. Mother and Pa will be wondering where I am.” I’d managed to whisper through the dryness.

“Aye, they are lass, but you canne go near them now.” He’d laughed, cold and cruel.

The car swerved to the left, pulling me from the old memory, but Alasdair’s laugh rang in my mind, still haunting me to this day. Shaking my head as though that would clear all thoughts of my sadistic sire, I wished more than anything I would one day stumble upon him so I could end his sorry existence. Glancing out the car windows, I wondered where Jace was going, we weren’t meant to stop until we reached Gladys’ houseand safety.

“Where are we going?!” I growled, not liking surprises and letting it show in my voice as Ally’s soft snore filled the car as her head turned away from my harsh tone.

“To grab some food, you might not need to eat but the rest of us will,” he explained as the big yellow ‘M’ for McDonald’s rose above the treeline, “and you don’t want to be trapped inside a car with a hangry Ally, trust me.” He joked, his head jerking in her direction before quickly turning back to the road.

“Fair enough, order Charleene whatever you're getting Ally,” I grumbled.

Jace ordered food and drinks for all three of them as I sat silently in the back. I'd never needed to go through one of these drive-thrus the humans were so fond of, but even I couldn’t argue against their efficiency. No more than twenty minutes later we were merging back into traffic on the motorway, after Jace had inhaled his own food.

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