Page 15 of Fated

And, against all logic, I also wanted to.

Chapter 4

Ifollowed the man out of the station as we approached a sleek black car with black tinted windows, parked out front. The dark-haired man walked to the backseat door, opened it, and motioned for me to get in. I hesitated, staring at him, about to object but he raised an eyebrow as if to say,do I need to make you?

What choice did I have? Walk back into the police station where I was a wanted criminal for the murder of my own mother? Maybe, if I followed this man, there might be answers—answers I so desperately needed about what was happening to me and how my mother had died. Finding those answers was all I had left. Reluctantly, I lowered my head and climbed into the backseat.

The scent of new leather filled the car as I took in the pristine interior, cold and immaculate, just like the man who had led me here. The door closed behind me and the black-haired man slid into the passenger seat while another man sat in the driver’s seat.

The second man’s body was angled toward me, his eyes studying me. Like the dark-haired man, he too was handsome in an almost otherworldly way. His striking light blonde hair was styled slightly messy, giving it a voluminous effortless look, framing a youthful face.

Every feature was symmetrical, almost too perfect, from the sharp angle of his jawline to his high cheekbones that gave him a sculpted appearance.

His eyes—dark gray, nearly black, just like the other man’s—held an intense gaze as he stared at me, his broad smile revealing a flawless set of white teeth.

“Ash, are you sure you got the right girl? This one doesn’t look like she could hurt a fly,” the blonde man said with a chuckle.

The dark-haired man had a name—Ash.

Ash didn’t even glance at his friend as he replied, his tone flat, “Drive.”

“All right, all right, grumpy ass.” The blonde flashed a playful smile at Ash before turning back to me.“I’m Calyx.”

Had he not been my kidnapper and had my entire world not just shattered into a million pieces, I might have found Calyx charming, and his smile contagious.

“Calyx,” Ash warned in a low and dangerous tone.

Calyx dramatically rolled his eyes and turned back in his seat. “Lighten up, Ash; we did it, we found the girl.”

Ash said nothing.

I reached for my seatbelt with jittery hands, pulling it over my lap. At the sound of the click, Calyx chuckled, his eyes meeting mine in the driver’s mirror.

“Today, Calyx,” Ash muttered before the car started moving.

Who were these men? Had they been sent to rescue me or kill me? I leaned toward the latter. Maybe I deserved to die. If I’d somehow killed my mom—or was otherwise responsible for her death—then I wanted them to kill me. In fact, I would beg for them to do it. Chewing on my lip, I squeezed my shaking hands together, desperately searching for the courage to speak.

“Where are you taking me?” My voice was quieter, far softer than intended.

Calyx turned his head slightly, glancing at Ash. But Ash remained silent, his expression unflinching. They were not answering questions, then.

The throbbing in my head still pulsed relentlessly, and my swollen eyes burned with exhaustion. I didn’t know where I was going or how long it would take to get there, but I was dangerously close to breaking point. My body felt hollow, every last ounce of strength wrung out of me. I leaned against the door, the cool glass pressing against my forehead.

Then I closed my eyes, welcoming the sleep calling to me.

***

As I began to wake up, every part of my body ached, my limbs heavy and sluggish.

I desperately wanted to stretch to relieve the stiffness, but stayed perfectly still, listening to the two men arguing in the front seat.

“Come on, man. It’s not like she’s going anywhere. Once we get to the door to Gardonia, we won’t have anything fresh to eat for who knows how long,” Calyx said.

“If he even suspects we have possession of the girl and we don’t bring her straight to him, he’ll have our heads,” Ash replied in a sharp tone.

Calyx pressed, “But hear me out; the girl has days before she settles. Until then, she smells more human than not, and when we bring her into Gardonia, we could very well have a fight on our hands. Don’t you think we should keep our power at full strength?”

“The very fact she does only have a few days before she settles is a testament to how fucking close we’ve cut it. If we don’t get her to him before then, who knows what she’s capable of? Not to mention the fact that her power could already be manifesting.”

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