Marked by Destiny

by May, W. J.

  “I will.”

  “Or I’ll bug Michael and use him as a phone.” She ruffled her brother’s hair as she ran by him. “Chat soon, big bro.”

  Michael watched her go with wide eyes. “What’d I do now?”

  “Nothing!” she called back, nearly at the house.

  He shook his head and turned to me and grinned. “You ready?”

  “Almost. Just want to empty the fridge into a cooler for us.”

  Michael had the back of the Jeep packed and organized by the time I had finished the kitchen and tidied the pool house. While he left to load the cooler into the Jeep, I had one last walk around. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of change, the feeling that had been missing during graduation. It bothered me that I was so apprehensive about the future and that I would miss this place so much; that the next time I came back here things would be very different. I was worried the cloud I felt over my head wasn’t just common, every-day bad luck, but more a sense of doom about what I would learn about myself. All I wanted was answers. How could that leave me with such a sense of foreboding?

  Michael came back to the pool house, to find me standing at the entrance. He stood silently beside me for a few moments, and then put his cool hand into mine. “Rouge, whatever happens, whatever you learn, it’s the past. It’s not who you are right now, who you spent the last eighteen years discovering. It isn’t going to change who you are inside. You’ll still be you – the girl who I love, and who, strangely enough, just happens to know how to talk to wolves.” He squeezed my hand and led me outside.

  We walked around to the front of the house where the Jeep sat parked beside Grace’s little Beetle.

  Sarah was waiting by the cars for us. She came over the moment she saw us. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” She hugged me and said nothing more. She waved to Michael.

  “Thanks, we’ll see you soon and let you know if we find anything.”

  She nodded and headed inside.

  I went around to the passenger’s side of the jeep. Caleb stood leaning against the door. I had hoped he wouldn’t be around to see us off, but there was no avoiding him now.

  “Hello Caleb,” I said trying to appear indifferent.

  I stood awkwardly, not sure what to say or do when he didn’t reply.

  Michael broke the silence, “Caleb, I’ll see you in a week.”

  A week? Hadn’t we planned to be away for three or four weeks?

  Caleb nodded and moved to open the door for me. “Let me know if you learn anything important from the book. If you are able to figure out a way to decode it, have Michael call me. I’m sure whatever you learn will help us—I mean you, it will help you.” He leaned over to speak directly to Michael already inside the Jeep. “Watch yourself. I’ll send Seth, just say the word.

  That set off my internal alarm bells. Something was up. And it had nothing to do with me. I resolved to get answers out of Michael as soon as we were on our way.

  He closed my door and walked toward the house. It was June and he still wore a long tan coat, its tails flapping in the wind behind him. He still had the presence of a seventeenth century lord and often dressed the part. The interesting bit was that it suited him and made him look very classy, instead of ridiculous. I hated myself for being fascinated and terrified of him at the same time.

  Michael started the Jeep and drove down the driveway towards the road. He handed me the GPS. “I put some maps under your seat if you want to follow them.”

  “What’s Caleb concerned about? Has there been any trouble?” I watched his face, searching for some clue to show he might be hiding something. “The wolf kind?”

  Michael looked at me and then turned his eyes back on the road. “There have been a few problems along the south-east coast. It seems that there is a pack of wolves that have been attacking a number of cities. They are obviously looking for something or someone, but Caleb, I mean the Higher Coven, is unsure of what, or who. It is nothing to worry about, as a few scouts have been sent out to try and determine what the problem is. It has nothing to do with us.”

  By the carefully neutral tone of his voice, I immediately knew it was a much bigger deal than he was making it out to be, but I didn’t push him to tell me more. We had a long drive ahead of us. He’d talk about it when he was ready.

  As we pulled onto the highway and drove away from Port Coquitlam, Michael began to talk. “Did you read any of the Bentos’ journal last night?”

  I leaned over the seat and grabbed my backpack. Pulling the Wolf book out, I set it on my lap. “I did. Let me read it to you.” I read the passage I had read last night out loud. When I was done, I sat quietly for a moment, waiting for some reaction. When none came, I asked, “What do you think of him?”

  “Madman. He was evil the day I met him. All he wanted was power and control. That wasn’t something learned. It sounds like he was like that since he could think and reason.” He took one hand off the wheel to squeeze mine. “You may have his gift, but everything else in you was given to you by your mother.”

  I wanted so desperately to believe him. However, there was a part of me, hidden deep inside, that screamed for that power that Bentos had written about. I had spent so much of my life powerless to control what happened to me, like Bentos had. I feared that it might one day consume me as it had done to Bentos, and then, I would be no better than him. The only thing I had that Bentos had lacked, was love. Michael had shown me how to love, and how to be loved. Whatever was going to happen, he would never leave me. Bentos had no understanding of that concept.

  We headed down the main highway that would take us out of the State, on our route towards the east. I slid the Wolf Book under the seat and pulled out my journal so I could write.

  Note to Self:

  Michael and I have started our journey across the country back to where I assume I was born. It seems a lifetime ago that I lived in Niagara Falls, and that I was so angry about leaving. Amazing how things can change when your eyes are opened. Aside from this year, I feel like I have spent the rest of my 18 years inside a dark cloud, never looking towards the sun. Words cannot express how I feel about Michael; he has brought life back into this dead body. I AM ALIVE NOW!

  I read the first entry in Bentos’ journal. He’s a terrible person. I’m scared I may become like him. He talks of the hatred inside of him for the wolf and I understand that feeling. I feel it deep inside of me, like a burn that is a fire trying to break through. I have tried to forget and avoid thinking about it since that awful day in January when it started. I’ve pretended it didn’t happen for the past six month. I’m tired of pretending. I want those beasts out of my life!

  I’m terrified it is going to consume and change who I am. It’s just too much to worry about right now, so I just want to get to Niagara Falls, find out what I can about my past and get some closure. Maybe by getting these answers, I’ll gain some insight or some kind of tool, to help me keep control of myself, to make sure that dark part of me never sees the light of day.

  I wonder if either of my parents know that I’m still alive. If they are, do they care? What became of them? I’m 18 now so my records are no longer sealed. I’ll be able to find out their names, and then find out where they live. It’s both an exciting and a terrifying thought.

  Rouge

  Chapter 10

  The drive across the country flew by. We decided to drive straight through, Michael resting a bit during the day if he felt he needed it, and letting me sleep through the night. He drove like a maniac, but with his special talents, he had no problem staying under the radar of police or avoiding causing any accidents. The trip took us fifty hours, and that was only because Michael insisted that we stop so I could stretch and we could eat. While it felt incredibly long, it was still a lot more fun than the trip with Jim and Sally the previous year from Niagara Falls to Port Coquitlam.

  Early Monday afternoon we pulled onto interstate ninety that would take us through Buffalo and onto Niagara
Falls. I recognized all the landmarks I had grown up with, and began shifting and moving in my seat as we neared, getting antsier by the moment.

  “You excited?” Michael had been very quiet the last hour, but had been constantly glancing at me.

  “Yeah—No, actually. I feel kinda nervous. I’m sorta wishing we were back in Port Q.” I bit my lip and looked at him. “Please tell me this was a good idea – that I haven’t made a mistake in wanting to come here?”

  His hand reached for mine and held it. “I don’t think this is a mistake at all. Trust your instincts, they’re usually right.”

  We headed towards the tollbooth and bridge for Grand Island. The large, blue, twin bridges has always seemed beautiful to me. Now they looked like mountains I was going to have to climb. We drove through Grand Island in silence. I had nothing to say because my mind was running through everything that had happened in the past year, while I was trying to remember my first memories from when I was little. I couldn’t come up with anything significant. The twin blue bridges appeared again to take us into Niagara Falls. I pointed to the Niagara Boulevard exit. “We can find a hotel here if you want.”

  “Sure. Good idea.” He pulled into the right lane and then headed onto the exit ramp. He headed south on the boulevard. A couple miles down, past all the shops and restaurants was a brand new Holiday Inn that advertised an Indoor + Outdoor pool on its welcome sign. He parked the car under the entrance by the office. “Give me a sec to grab us a room.”

  I waited in the car, rubbing my temples with my fingers, trying to get myself to relax. I tried concentrating on my breathing and counted even numbers until my racing heart slowed and I began to feel calm. I took one more deep breath and looked up as Michael walked around the Jeep and got into the driver’s seat.

  “We are on the first floor, just around the corner. Let’s get our stuff inside and grab some lunch.”

  “Good idea. I’ll give my old Foster-Counsellor a call and see if I can set up a meeting for tomorrow. Mrs. Hawthorn always left Tuesday mornings open for kids who needed to see her without an appointment. I’m pretty sure she won’t have a problem with me coming in.”

  Mrs. Hawthorn had been my guidance-foster counsellor before I had moved to Port Coquitlam. She was a woman who would do nothing without your case file in front of her. She was a good lady, just beaten down by years with the system.

  We walked into the hotel room and threw our bags down. Michael went back to the Jeep and made a few trips with the rest of our stuff. He flopped down onto the king size bed. I dropped down beside him – he on his back and me on my belly. I folded my arms across his chest and rested my chin between my hands.

  “So… is there anything you would like to do?” I leaned my face closer to his and my lips brushed lightly against his as I spoke. I’d brushed my teeth and freshened up while he ran back and forth to unload.

  “Hmmm… I can’t seem to think of anything at the moment.” He brought his hands from behind his head and rested them along my ribcage. Ever so gently, he pulled me so I lay on top of him.

  I brought my lips towards his neck and nibbled my way to his ear. I heard him sigh, and it gave me courage. I brushed my hand across his chest and undid a few of his buttons. His skin was cool but it created heat inside of me as I ran my fingers along his abdominal muscles. I brought my lips towards his and felt his tongue instantly inside of my mouth. I groaned and pressed my body closer to his.

  In a flash, Michael flipped us so he was on top of me. It only created more burning heat inside. I opened the remaining buttons on his shirt and ran my hands over his chest and stomach. It was intoxicating.

  His hands pulled at my shirt. His mouth never left mine as his hands touched my stomach and reached higher towards my breasts. I wanted this, badly. A desire burned inside me that I had never felt before. I broke away from his kiss so I could sit and pull my shirt off.

  The moment our lips parted and before I had time to sit all the way up, Michael was on the other side of the room. I sat frozen in surprise, my hands crisscross, fingers holding the bottom of my shirt. “Why did you…”

  He face tightened as he struggled to gain his composure. His chest heaved ad he was pressed up against the wall as if trying to disappear into it. His eyes were the deepest blue I had ever seen them. He shut them tight and clenched his hands into fists by his side.

  “Michael –”

  “Please… Rouge, give me a moment. I just need a moment.”

  “Is something wrong?” I had no clue what had happened. Was he reacting this way because of me? Had Grace sent him a terrible message? “What’s going on?” I stood and walked over. “Is everything alright?”

  He nodded curtly, his eyes still closed tight.

  When I reached him, I put both my hands on top of his clenched fists. I didn’t move, I just stood there until I could feel his hands begin to relax. I laced my fingers into his and watched his face. He slowly opened his eyes to look at me. They were still blue, but a much lighter shade. I leaned forward and stood on my tippy toes to rub my nose against his.

  He smiled, his body still pressed tight against the wall.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded.

  “What happened? Did Grace send you a message?” Their uncanny ability to talk to each other inside their heads never ceased to amaze me. “Is everyone alright back in Port Q?” With my luck a pack a Grollics attacked the day we left.

  He chuckled. “No. I mean yes.” He shook his head. “Everyone’s fine. It wasn’t Grace.”

  “Then what happened?”

  He grinned but avoided looking me in the eye.

  I stood on my tippy toes, trying to catch his gaze.

  His fingers left mine and trailed up my side and across my collarbone to the pendant around my neck. “I think it came from this.”

  “What? What came from it?” I had no idea what was going on. “Did I shock you or something?”

  “In a sense.” He smirked. “I’m not exactly sure if it came from the pendant.”

  “Did I shock you? What the heck happened?” I couldn’t stop the frustration from entering my voice.

  “We were… kissing. One moment our lips were pressed against each other, the next… Wham! I felt everything you were feeling. Like this massive balloon of desire coursed through you and burned into me. It was…” He smiled, one very sexy smile. “Incredible. It was unbelievably incredible. Could you do it again?”

  I grinned, but shook my head. “I’ve no idea what I did.”

  “You didn’t feel it?”

  “I’m not sure. I mean, I was…” I whispered the next word, embarrassed but didn’t know what other word to use, “horny. But I didn’t try to send you any feeling.” My fingers curled around the Sioghra. “Maybe it was the pendant.”

  He leaned close and pressed his lips softly against mine. “We’ll have to see if you can do it again.”

  A tingling burned deep in my belly. “Now?”

  He smiled wryly, taking a deep breath. “How ‘bout we eat something first.”

  “Are you feeling light headed and faint?” I teased.

  He looked at me with that sexy-smile that always melted my heart. “In a totally new way.” He tickled my ribs.

  I jumped away, laughing. “Let me give Mrs. Hawthorn a shout before we go. Then let’s drive down to the Falls and do some sightseeing. My legs are dying to walk around after being stuck in the Jeep for so long.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  I pulled Mrs. Hawthorn’s card out of my backpack and dialed her number.

  “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Hawthorn?”

  There was a pause on the phone. “Rouge?”

  “Yes!” I smiled. She remembered me. “I’m in town and was wondering if I could stop by and see you? I know you used to keep Tuesday morning’s open…”

  Paper shuffled and a filing cabinet clicked shut in the background. “I have one appointment now and will be done in about forty minu
tes. Why don’t you came by in an hour?”

  “Today?” I hadn’t expected to see her today.

  “If that works for you.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you in an hour.” I looked at Michael whose eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “See you then.” Mrs. Hawthorn hung up before I had a chance to say good-bye.

  Michael checked his watch. “She can see you today?”

  “I guess so.” I stood and grabbed the duffle bag I’d packed my clothes in. “I need to jump in the shower. I’ll be super quick.”

  Michael knocked on the door as I turned the water on. “I’m going to go and grab us some food. I’ll find a drive-through of some kind.”

  “Okay. Thanks!” I called out.

  When I walked out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, Michael sat at the desk, talking on his cell phone giving the address of our hotel with the room number. “Check the area and let me know what you find out.”

  “Caleb?” I asked when he hung up.

  “Yup.” He pointed to the dresser. “I just grabbed a sub. Wasn’t sure what else to get.”

  “That’s fine.” I straightened my skirt. “I’m not that hungry actually. Maybe I’ll wait till after.”

  “Eat a little. Please?”

  Not wanting to show my anxiousness, I unwrapped the sub and took a small bite. “Why did you ask Caleb to check the area?”

  “I don’t know how many Grollics are in the area. Caleb was looking into it. It’s not really something we have on a file. There are no Higher Coven members in this area so Grollics might be here because of that – or they may not be here for a completely different reason. I just don’t want to tick anyone off because I didn’t respect their squatter’s rights.”

  “Squatter’s rights?”

  “It is kind of like in real estate – you settle on a piece of land long enough, you kind of own it. I need to know the area better before I take any initiative. It’s not a big deal.” He picked up his empty sub wrap and tossed it into the bin. “Just not everyone is a fan of the Higher Coven.”