Destiny Awaits

by Shaw, Jaidis

  I awoke the next morning feeling much better. My body wasn't nearly as sore as the night before and in all honesty, I felt amazing. Stretching, I sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room for Jayden. Of course, he was nowhere to be seen, so I got up and headed for the bathroom to freshen up. Upon returning to the bedroom, Jayden was waiting on me.

  “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I feel great. My body isn't sore at all, it’s amazing,” I said as I went to the closet to find something to wear.

  “We need to be careful about how we go about things. Since I'm not sure what powers you received, we will need to be cautious until we are sure. Darren left at daybreak to return home and fill my parents in about what happened so I'm sure they will be contacting me soon. Also, I don't think Gavin knows what happened, but he will most likely be back to try and finish the job. During the day we should be fine, but once the sun starts to set we need to be on guard.”

  “So it doesn't have to be completely dark for vampires to come out? I thought they couldn't be out in sunlight?”

  “That's just a myth. Vampires prefer total darkness but they can come out at dusk. Just so long as they aren't in direct sunlight they are fine. Gavin is often out at dusk because more people are out and on their way home for the night.” Nervous about the sunlight, I took a step inside the closet.

  “How do you think the sun will affect me?”

  “I'm not sure but I think you will be okay. The sun streaming in the window this morning didn't seem to affect you but we can easily test what will happen.”

  “No! What do you expect me to do? Walk outside and then turn to ash?”

  “Oh come on, it’s not like that. Just walk out and see. You won't turn to ash instantly, though you may get burned a little.”

  “Why does everything bad always happen to me? I can never catch a break.”

  “Things could be worse. Why don't you get dressed and then we can test a few things out.” Jayden said as he stood and started to walk towards the door.

  “Jayden?”

  “Yes?” Jayden said, turning to look at me.

  “I don't know if I’m brave enough for all of this. I've just been through too much. I don't know how much more I can handle,” I said as I looked at the floor.

  “You're stronger then you think, Alayna. Look at all that you have already been through. Isn't that proof enough that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for?”

  “I just don't know Jayden. I don't know what to believe anymore.”

  “I'm here so you don't have to go through anything else alone. I'll help you,” Jayden said and he turned and left me standing alone with my thoughts.

  Settling on a floral sundress, I headed down the hallway to find Jayden. I couldn't go back and change what happened so I may as well embrace the future and try to accept what would be thrown my way. Deciding to go ahead and get things started, I walked past Jayden and headed for the front door. Bright sunlight streamed through the door as I opened it and I kept walking before I could change my mind.

  “Alayna! What are you doing? Stop!” Jayden yelled as he ran forward to try and catch me before I made it all the way out. Before he could reach me I was standing in the driveway, eyes closed and arms stretched wide, as the hot sun bathed my body in its warm embrace. Expecting pain, I waited for something, anything, to happen. Opening my eyes I looked at my hands, not really knowing what I was supposed to see.

  “Alayna, seriously, what were you thinking? You can’t be so careless,” Jayden said as he came to stand beside me.

  “I had to do it before I changed my mind. I don’t want to live in fear. That’s no way to live, always looking over my shoulder. Look, I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

  “Thankfully. Do you feel okay? Are you getting hot?”

  “No, not any hotter then I normally would. This is all nonsense, let’s just go inside,” I said, walking back into the house. As I entered the house, the phone began to ring.

  “I wonder who that could be? I haven’t given out my number to anyone.”

  “Hello?” I said into the phone receiver and listened to the voice on the other end ask for Jayden.

  “Umm, yeah. It’s for you Jayden. I’m going to go cook something,” I said as I handed the phone to him. I walked into the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator. I wasn’t sure what I was going to cook but I did know that I was starting to get hungry. I spotted a pack of steaks in the crisper drawer and decided to cook them. Pulling them out of the fridge, I walked to the stove and began to prepare them. After a few minutes, Jayden walked into the kitchen.

  “Who was on the phone? Nobody has this number.”

  “I gave the number to Darren so they could reach me. That was my father on the phone.”

  “Your father? How’d that go? You haven’t talked to them in a while right?”

  “Yeah, it has been a while. And not to be the bearer of bad news, but he and my mother are on their way here,” he said as he sat at the table and hung his head in his hands.

  “Here? To my house? Why?”

  “They want to see you for themselves. Nothing like this has happened before. If word gets out about you, then there will be a huge power struggle for you. I mean think about it Alayna. If someone was to find out what allows your blood to mix with both shifter and vampire blood and try to recreate it, they could create a powerful army. Hopefully we can keep this quiet but it’s not going to be easy.”

  I laughed. “So you want me to meet your parents already?” I said while I began to plate the steaks I had cooked for Jayden and myself. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”

  “I would love for you to meet them Alayna, but I have to admit, I would rather it be under different circumstances. I should have returned home long ago to claim my spot in the group but I just couldn’t face them. Of course they have sent others out here to try and talk me into going back, not to mention arranging a mate for me,” Jayden mumbled as he shook his head.

  “A mate? Like an arranged marriage?” I shook my head. “This really is all too much. Can we just eat and worry about this later?” Jayden and I sat in silence as we ate; an awkward silence looming over us. It was apparent that we were both preoccupied with our thoughts. After eating, I carried our plates to the sink and began to wash them.

  “I think I’m going to go and cut some fresh roses for the house, especially if I’m going to be entertaining guests tonight. When do you think your parents will arrive?”

  “I don’t know...soon most likely. Why don’t you let me go and get the flowers and you just stay in here and rest,” Jayden said as he got up and headed towards the front door.

  “No, please let me. I just need to get some air for a bit and just try to clear my head.” Walking past Jayden, I headed for the door before he could try and stop me. Once outside, I quickly walked around the house and entered the garden, breathing in the strong aroma of roses. It felt good to be embraced by their fragrance. I went to the fountain’s edge and lay down on the cool stone, staring up at the clouds above. Willing my mind to be still, I tried not to think about anything at all and just enjoy being alive, which was an alien thought for me because there had been so many times in the past months that I wished I could join my family again. But in this moment, I really was happy to be alive. As I stared at the clouds drifting by, my eyelids began to feel heavy. To keep from falling asleep I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Peering into the fountain’s clear water, I jumped as the image of a fight broke out on the surface. An exotic beauty with luscious black hair was facing me within a crowded circle. I did not recognize the woman but knew that she didn’t want to play nice. In an instant her skin melted in liquid motion as black fur covered her skin. Where the beautiful woman once stood a large panther paced, amber eyes zeroed in on me. I tried to scream but choked on the sound as she stalked, moving closer as if she sensed my fear. I glanced around the faceless crowd but saw no way of escape. A large paw swiped a
cross my face, bringing my attention back to the matter at hand. Why did this panther want to attack me? I raised a tentative hand up to my face, wiping at the blood as it dripped to the thirsty ground below. The copper aroma filled my nostrils and my stomach tightened in eager anticipation to see if the nectar tasted as sweet as it smelled. The vision vanished before me as I held my cheek on the fountain’s edge.

  Just then, Jayden walked into the garden and came to my side and I quickly lowered my hand from my face.

  “You okay?” Jayden asked as he came to stand before me.

  “Of course. How long was I out here?”

  “About an hour. I came out to check on you and to also let you know that my parents are here.”

  “Already? But I'm not ready. I haven’t even gotten the roses yet.”

  “It’s fine but we really should be going inside. My parents are quite anxious to meet you.” Jayden grabbed my hand and we headed back towards the house.

  “I guess there is no better time than the present. Let’s get this over with,” I said as I went to meet the strangers waiting for me, pushing the recent vision out of my mind.

  ***

  “So, you must be Alayna. We've heard so much about you,” Jayden's father said as he walked towards me. “I’m Julian and I am Jayden’s father, as I’m sure you could have guessed.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, although it may have been nicer to meet under different circumstances,” I said as I reached out to shake Julian’s hand.

  “Indeed different circumstances would have been better, but we are still glad to meet you and I must admit we are interested as well,” he said.

  Jayden’s mother spoke up from the sofa. “You’ll have to forgive my husband for his rude manners. He is always forgetting to introduce me. My name is Sofia,” she said with a sparkle in her eye as she glanced over at Julian. With that single glance I knew that Jayden’s parents were very much in love and worshipped each other. I couldn’t help but smile when Julian walked over and sat next to Sofia and gently grabbed her hand in his. Walking over to the chair opposite the sofa, I wondered what all was in store. For some reason I really wanted them to like me. I suppose it had something to do with Jayden and the confusing feelings that I was starting to have for him. Looking over at Julian, I could see where Jayden got his looks. The same black hair, the tall and muscular body, even the same green eyes. Jayden was in fact just a younger version of Julian and it left me wondering what traits he got from Sofia. Sofia was probably the best example of an opposite. Sofia was rather short, barely coming up to Julian’s broad shoulders. Her long blonde hair looked like the shining sun next to the darkness of Julian’s black hair. Even her eyes were different, although I couldn’t really tell what shade they were as they seemed to change with every blink.

  “So how long will you guys be staying in town? You’re more than welcome to stay here if you need. There is plenty of extra space,” I said trying to start up the conversation.

  “That’s very kind of you Alayna. We are not sure how long we will stay for. I assume it will depend on what all happens. I’m sure Jayden has informed you that you seem to be an anomaly of sorts. There is no telling what is in store for the future.”

  “He may have mentioned it a couple of times,” I said with a smile as I glanced at Jayden who had come to stand beside my chair.

  “There is no doubt that Gavin will be back at some point to see if he succeeded in killing you, that is if he doesn’t already know. Once he realizes that you are still alive, he will try to finish the job. But if he happens to smell both bloodlines in you, he may just try and enslave you. There is no telling what powers you possess,” Julian said as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants leg.

  “What are you not telling us Father?” I looked back at Jayden and his face held a very suspicious look.

  “Your mother and I have been talking and we think it’s time for you to come back and take your place as my second in command. We need to show our unity, especially if this gets out. We would also be able to provide protection for Alayna if she wishes.”

  “I can protect Alayna. I’m not going to let Gavin, or anyone for that matter, take her away from me,” Jayden said as he put his hand on my shoulder and gave a protective squeeze.

  “Julian, no offense, but I am staying here. Whether Jayden goes or not is his choice but as for me, I am staying here. I just bought this house and I’m not going to leave it now.”

  “That is understandable, Alayna, and I admire your courage to stand your ground, but we don’t know what we are going to be up against. We would love to have you on our side, especially since Jayden seems to be so fond of you, but frankly there are other matters that need to be dealt with.”

  “Like what, Father? Just spill it.” Jayden walked around the chair to confront Julian.

  “If you must know, you have a bid for a mate. Whether you stay here with Alayna or not, you need to acknowledge the bid.”

  “A bid? Is Jayden on auction?” I asked in ignorance.

  “He isn’t up for auction. Females in the clan can put in bids to be his mate. All bids are considered and then a duel is held to see which female is superior. The winner is then first in line to become his mate.”

  “Who put in the bid? I haven’t been home in forever,” Jayden said as his voice trembled.

  “Olivia Browning. She is by far the strongest female in the clan, so strong in fact that nobody will put up a bid against her.”

  “Olivia? Olivia! You have got to be kidding me! I would need an ice pick just to begin chiseling the ice from around her cold heart! There is no way that is going to happen! Plus, it’s not Olivia that I want.” Jayden’s eyes softened as he looked down at me. Although I had no right to feel jealousy, I did feel a twinge at the thought of Jayden being bound to someone whom he didn’t choose. He had become a part of my life and now a stranger wanted to rip him away. I was uncertain if the feelings flickering to life within me were genuine or if I was so desperate to fill the emptiness that I was using Jayden as a cure to end my loneliness. By the look in his eyes it was obvious that he cared for me and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.

  “How does someone go about putting in a bid?” I asked Julian, trying to hide the emotions that were raging inside of me.

  “Simply letting me know that they want to put in a bid works. If another bid is received then Olivia would be notified and a time would be set up for the duel, with the clan as witness.”

  “Then I’m letting you know that I would like to put in a bid.” Butterflies were swirling in my stomach in waves of nerves, not because of the bid, but because Jayden would now know that I had feelings for him. Suddenly Jayden was kneeling in front of me, grabbing my hands in his.

  “Alayna, you would put a bid in for me? Are you sure that’s what you want?” In all honesty I wasn’t sure as the doubts began to bubble to the surface but changing my mind now would mean losing Jayden and I wasn’t sure I could survive that just yet.

  “Yes Jayden, I’m sure. I do not want to see you with anyone else, especially if you don’t want them.” I gazed at Jayden and I could feel the tears start to collect in my eyes. I couldn’t bear the thought that he would leave me, not after we had just found each other. Just then I heard Sofia’s soft voice.

  “Alayna, I don’t think that you can put in a bid. The duel would be as shifters and we don’t even know if you can shift.”

  The recent vision rushed forward and I understood what the fight was about. The woman must have been Olivia and she was challenging me for Jayden. A shudder ran through me as I knew this was the path I was supposed to take.

  “Is there another way?” So many feelings were running through me. There had to be some way that Jayden and I could be together. I didn’t know if Jayden and I stood a chance but I at least wanted to give it a try.

  “I’m afraid there is no other way. The bid has already been placed. There has to be a duel in animal form.” Squeezing my hands in an atte
mpt to reassure me, Jayden turned to his father.

  “That’s not completely true Father.”

  “What are you talking about? You know the laws Jayden. There is no other way.”

  “I don’t have to remain part of the clan. If I remove myself from the clan, then Alayna and I can stay here together, all we would have to do is announce we are starting a new clan here.”

  “What?! You can’t be serious! You have a responsibility to me and the clan to come and take your place. I’m not going to let you throw it all away for someone you don’t even know.” Sofia reached out and grabbed Julian’s hand.

  “Julian, dear, it is our son’s choice. If he wishes to start a new clan then he has our support. Now sit down before you make an ass of yourself.” A faint noise coming from the driveway grabbed my attention.

  “Do you hear that? Someone is here,” I said as I got up and started walking to the door.

  “Alayna, nobody is here. I would have heard them by now,” Jayden said as he reached for my hand to stop me from going to the door.

  “You seriously don’t hear that? Listen. There is a car pulling up.”

  “Alayna there isn’t....wait....she is right.” Jayden and Julian got up and headed for the door as if preparing for battle.

  “Calm down,” Sofia said, “It’s just Dominic. I wonder why he is dropping by.”

  “He came by after the incident but Alayna was still unconscious. I told him she was sick with the flu. He said he would stop back by to see how she was feeling,” Jayden replied as the tension loosened from his shoulders. I went to the door and opened it to look out and sure enough, there was Dominic pulling to a stop in the drive way.

  “So she lives!” Dominic smiled as he got out of his car and began walking towards the house.

  “She does,” I boasted from the door way. “It is so nice to finally meet you face to face. Thank you so much for getting the house all ready for me.”

  “It was my pleasure. Thanks for such great business. Hello Jayden, how are you?”

  “I’m good, thanks for asking. Much better than the last time we spoke. I believe you remember my parents,” Jayden said motioning to his parents who were standing behind him in the doorway.