“You lied to me? You have been lying to me my whole fucking life?” He yelled
“I just wanted to keep you alive.” She cried
“Donny what do you know about us?” Carmine asked
“Well let me tell you what I was told growing up. I was told that the feeling I feel from you all was bad, that you would try to kill me. I was told that I had to wear these glasses always inside or out, or I would go blind. I was told we moved a lot because she got bored. And I was told I was the only one who could play with fire, well my dad could too, but it was a hereditary thing.” He yelled
“Well the fire is a hereditary thing. It is something that only we can do, well our race.” His mother said
“Our race? What the fuck are we aliens or something?” Donny said
“Dragons.” Cara said in a whisper.
“EXCUSE ME? I am not a fucking Dragon. I don’t have any fucking wings Ma!” Donny yelled
“You haven’t met your mate yet to get them.” Carmine said. “By the way Cara this is Ava, my new mate.”
“What do you mean new? We only get one.” Cara said
“Things have changed a little since we are now extinct. But it happened and Donny’s mate is out there somewhere.” Carmine said
“What the fuck are you all talking about?” Donny said
“Donny your full name is Donovan Thomas Moore. When I lost your father, my soul mate, I took you into hiding because the men that tried to kill us today have been killing all of us off. The feeling I told you about is called the Pull. It lets you know that we are all alike and of the same race. There is one person that is made just for you. Your souls are entwined and she will be your soul mate. The one and only person you will ever be able to love. And the pull from her will be stronger that anything you have ever felt before. I told you the pull was bad because the men that try to kill us are half-bloods. They have the pull too, but not as strong. I thought that if I could make you aware of the pull and make you believe it was bad, you would be safe. I have felt it a lot and always moved us. There was only one time I felt a full-blood and I knew it was a matter of time before they were going to come and kill them. So we left.” Cara explained
“England.” Donny said
“Yes that is where I felt the full-blood it’s why we left right after your show.” Cara says
“Does the pull of your soul mate feel like instant attraction? Like you would do anything to feel them in your arms and do anything to protect them? No matter the cost to you?” Donny asked hanging his head.
“Yes” Everyone in the SUV answered.
“Well mom, you managed to keep me safe. You also managed to make me so afraid of the pull that we left my soul mate and now she could be dead.” Donny said as he took off his glasses and looked to his mother with tears in his eyes.
“Oh Donny, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me you felt that?” Cara said
“Because, I didn’t want you to freak out and worry like you always do. This girl, she was covered in bruises, but she was the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen in my life. I have tried for the life of me to connect with a female and there is nothing ever there. And now you all are telling me I left her. She came to the show all week. I would try and build the nerve to talk to her, but the built in fear always made me walk away from her as she came near. I basically denied her to her face.” Donny yelled
“You said she is in England?” Kaiden asks
“That was where the show was that she came to.” Donny said
“Then we are going to England to find her, now.” Kaiden says
“I really hope she is still there.” Donny whispers. “So can any of you please explain everything to me since dear old mom lied to me my whole life?”
“I will give you the short story and introduce everyone. When we get back to the house I will do it all over again.” Zoe says. “I am Zoe and this is Kaiden my soul mate. He found me over a month or so ago and we have been doing everything possible to find everyone who is still alive. You see about twenty four years ago a man named Aldrich killed his soul mate and then his King. He then killed anyone he could find in his Sect, some of them got away and into hiding. “
“He went around to all the Sects he knew of and him and his half-blood children have been killing them off ever since. He captured my father right before I was born. He held him prisoner for twenty two years hoping that he could force him to bite his children. You see Kaiden and I are Pearls. With a bite we can change a half-blood into a full Dragon. Meaning they will be able to shift. My father refused and so was held alive.”
“Every Pearl that they have tried to capture since then has died. There are seven races, I am Pearl, you are Fire, then there is Blood, Earth, Water, Fury and Onyx. You can tell what race we are by our eyes. I think that is why Cara wanted you to wear the glasses. If we can’t see your eyes we aren’t really sure what you are until you show us your ability or your Dragon.”
“This is Camilla and Sebastian and their daughter Tia and her mate John. They are Fury’s. In the other SUV is Vivi and Christian, they are Blood. Also, Colby and Makayla, they are Fury’s as well. You can tell us all by our eyes like I said. The flecks are the color of our Dragon. You will be red with a little orange mixed in like your fire. I am Pearl color, like my flecks. We rescued my father a week after Kaiden found me. He is at the house with his new mate.” Zoe says
“Well that is pretty cool, so I will be able to turn into a Dragon?” Donny asks
“Yes, but you need your mate for that.” Kaiden says
“What do you mean I need her for that?” Donny asks
“You need to hit it, then after you will turn into a Dragon.” John says
“I need to hit her?” Donny asked confused
“Dude you are like all tatted up and I know chicks go for that, you can’t possibly be a virgin.” John laughs
“Oh you mean I got to fuck her?” Donny asks
“Watch your mouth Donny. You may be twenty one now, but you don’t have to drop the f-bomb all the time. You won’t want to fuck her either. You will want to make love to her.” His mother scolded him
“Sorry Ma, this is just all a lot to take in.” Donny says
“Well I hope that you can forgive your mom for lying to you all these years. I thought for my whole life that I was thrown out like the trash. You see four days after I was born my mom left me on a doorstep and that night she was killed. I lived in foster homes most my life and well I liked to run away a lot. Most of us, the last of the kids born, have all had shitty lives. I think it is becoming rare to find any of the survivors and for them to have had a good life. You are a lucky one Donny. Your mom may have lied to you, but she did it to save your life. Most of us have lost our parents in this war or whatever it is, basically a slaughter. But our home is a safe haven to all Dragon. It is protected by magic and a lot have come to us. Your uncle Carmine, found us through rumor. Ava his mate found us because we made a hoax website. Our house is loud and full of children, but we are all a family and that is what matters most.” Zoe said
“I love my mother very much and she is all that I have had in this world. I am just a little mad she couldn’t tell me the truth and made me afraid of what I really am. The fear that I have lived with from being a baby to now is kind of hard to let go. Being able to look at you all without sunglasses is still a little freaky to me, and turning my back on the one woman that would love me no matter what. That is not me, I may be a cocky asshole and everything, but I would never walk away from that if I had known what it meant. And you are right. I guess I would rather be mad at my mom for lying then having to deal with her dead or something.” Donny said
“I’m sorry Donny, I truly am. I promise you I won’t lie to you anymore. I will spend the rest of my days trying to make up for that. Donny you are my world and all I wanted was to keep you safe. My own fears leaked out onto you and for that, I truly am sorry.” Cara said. She looked over at Zoe and smiled and then confusio
n took over her features. “Children?” She asks “You just said you guys are the last, so how have you all had children if there is no other pearl to have another for its mate?”
“Well we haven’t had kids yet, and no one has become pregnant. The children I speak of are Aldrich’s children. He started killing his children after we saved my father and well his oldest daughters that were left got all the kids and babies they could take and got on a boat. We found them on our shore and we took them in. They are innocent in this and we couldn’t turn them away. Kaiden and I have sort of adopted his youngest baby, her name is Lily and she is almost five months now.” Zoe said
“Oh those poor babies, you are good people that you can forgive and take them in.” Cara says
“They are not their father.” Tia says
“Vivi is also his daughter, his only full-blood child. He killed her mother right after she gave birth to a girl and not a boy. Then he killed the only woman she knew as her mother to get back at her. She came to us and she hates her father and what he is doing. All she has ever wanted was a loving family.” Kaiden says
“How do you know you can trust her?” Cara asks
“Because after I found Zoe we stayed at her parents’ home, there three half-bloods broke in and tried to take her. We killed two and took one hostage. He is the one who told us her father was alive and about Vivi. When she finally found us in Wyoming, she told us all about her father and his second in command. The man we had hostage was his second and she told us he was sending us into a trap. She has an ability to tell a lie from a truth. So we took her word and she has been helping us since. I see no reason not to trust her. Plus she just killed her own brother with her bare hands back there. She is part of this family.” Kaiden says
“I see.” Cara says
They arrived at the plane a short time later and climbed aboard. They introduced Kevin to Donny and Cara. They had to wait for Makayla and Camilla to get back after they dropped the SUV’s back off at the rental place. The ladies were also grabbing some breakfast before they left. When the ladies got back everyone sat and ate. Donny was still brooding a bit, but seemed to be excited about all the information he learned. Zoe was still amazed a bit that Donny took all this in so quick. Justine and she also did, but they sort of always knew they were different too.
Once they were done eating Kaiden told Kevin to find a safe place to land outside of London to the east. Donny had told them that the fair was located in that area. Kevin told them that they would have to make a pit stop locally to refuel before they were able to make it all the way to England and then back home. Kaiden made a call home and made sure that at least furniture and clothing were in the suite that was meant for Donny and his mate. Once the plane took off into the air Kaiden decided to share some information with them, now that they were all present and no one could overhear them.
“Cara you have been out of the loop of things for quite some time so I thought I would share with you the things we have learned over the last twenty some years. Aldrich is his name. He was in a Sect in Germany and from what we can gather he was forced to make half-bloods by his King. So he had quite a few children before he killed his Sect. He has since been traveling all over and killing all the Dragons. Some have survived and we are trying to get them to Ireland. You see, Ireland, is the home of the original Dragon. Well at least the first of our people. There was a Dragon and her name was Marsali. She was alone and the last of her kind and she had magic within her. She was lonely and so she found a group of people to change. She created our race with magic.” Kaiden tells them about their lineage and what has happened since then. He also tells them about the journal and the fail safes.
“So our land is protected by a magical border. I have added additions to the main home and that is where we all live. There are suites that are basically luxury apartments, which are meant for the youngest of us and there is one for each race. It is meant for them and their families. From what we knew there was usually only one race per Sect. So that is how my mother and father made the house. Right now we are all sharing our suites with our families. I have rooms on the main floor for the single Dragons and mated ones. I am also having several houses built in the surrounding areas for the mated ones, to give them some peace and independence. I will not run this Sect as a dictator. We are all equal and will live as a family. Our only rule really is that you train with us and learn how to fight back.”
“I think we can do that. I really am tired of running, tired of living in fear. I would love to stay in one place and once again be with people that are all the same. I miss Sect life and flying. My Dragon is restless to fly.” Cara says
“When is the last time you shifted and flew?” Carmine asks concerned
“I always try to make sure a forest is near the home I choose. It is also why I find a place so far from where Donny is working. His shows are always at night and he is gone for a couple hours at a time. When he goes to work I go to the forest and shift, but I haven’t flown since before he was born. I sort of just stand there until she allows me to shift back. She understands protecting Donny, but she yearns to fly again.” Cara says
“We will fly as one as soon as we are within the border. There is one thing I need you to do before you are allowed in the border though, Cara and Donny.” Kaiden says
“What is that?” Cara asks
“You will have to swear fealty to Zoe and me. It is the only way inside the border. The land has always been in my family and well that makes it mine and Zoe is my mate so it is hers too. Trust me when I say we don’t really like this, especially Zoe. But it is the magic of the border that demands it.” Kaiden says
“That is fine, we will swear fealty. Let’s just get his mate first, that way he can say it with her and she will not feel alone.” Cara says looking to Donny
“Thank you Mom. I don’t want to deny her any more than I already have.” Donny says. He hangs his head and the rest of the flight is in silence. Some take the time to catch a quick nap before they land. The morning they have had was very eventful.
Chapter 28
Alexandria
Alexandria was adopted when she was only a few days old. She has grown up in England since then. She had a very happy life until she turned thirteen and her parents divorced. She stayed with her mother thinking that it was the best way. Her mother had a good job and was always home at night. Where her father traveled a lot and was never really home. When she was fifteen her mother remarried, her new step father was very sweet and loving the first year of their marriage. Now he is the monster of her reality.
When she was fourteen her step father started drinking when he lost his job, he had worked there for over twenty years. That is when the monster in him came to the surface and he started using his fists instead of words. That is also the time that Alexandria started calling herself Alex and fled within her shell. Her friends started to disappear when the bruises started to appear, she has no friends anymore and stays to herself. She finds solace and peace with her music and her iPod is the one precious thing in her life. Her mother doesn’t help either, she either gets the fists too or she works to stay away.
When Alexandria was sixteen she was coming out of a tattoo shop. She got a Dragon on her back, it was a Dragon with a mix of red and orange and had flames coming out of its mouth. This was her protector and she loved it, she also knew her step father hated tattoos. Alex had several other tattoos and smaller dragons here and there on her body. She was somewhat obsessed with dragons. When she exited the building she was confronted by five men. All of them had guns and dark glasses over their eyes. They told her they were sent to kill her and found her from the pull. She was confused at this, but there was something of a pull feeling wafting from these men. Either way she was scared out of her mind and pushed them as hard as she could. Once she was free she ran as fast as she could make her legs go. To her surprise it was pretty fast. Soon after, she could not see the men that pursued her anymore.
Once she lost sight of the men she rounded a corner into a busy shopping area. There were a lot of people and she tried to get lost in the crowd. A gun was fired and most of the people around her hit the floor. Something they said about the pull coming from her made her realize they felt her, as she felt them. She ducked into a store and hid behind the rack, concentrating very hard she tried to turn off the feeling she felt from them. She dared to peak over the rack she was hiding behind and the men ran right past the store window even though she could still feel them.
After that day she knew she was different. She was faster than the kids at school and stronger than the boys. But the one person she could never stand up to was her step-father. He still beat her on a weekly basis and she sported the bruises to prove it. Alex learned to get clothing that covered her from neck to toe as much as possible. On good weeks she would wear short sleeves and show off her tattoos, but she also always sported a collection of bracelets. She hit a low once and tried to take her own life, it didn’t work out to well, as the wound seemed to heal as she cut.
When Alex was seventeen the circus came to town, they had a new attraction than they had a few years ago. It was a fire breather show, or so the flyer said. This fell in line with her Dragon obsession so she had to go. She had started working at a coffee shop a few months earlier. The shop had an open mic night some evenings and she was able to get some of the things off her chest there through poetry. She went to the circus on opening night and that pull feeling was there, but stronger. She immediately blocked it she was not going to let anything ruin her night. When she blocked the pull feeling she could still feel them, but they seemed not to feel her.
As she sat and watched the show she knew the feeling was coming from the guy performing. Never in her life did she want a man, especially since her step father came into the picture. But the feeling coming off this Donny guy that was doing the show was different. She wanted this man, she wanted to be in his arms and for him to love her and protect her. She lost her concentration and stopped blocking once she realized this. The Donny guy doing the show almost dropped his ring of fire when her block fell. She knew then that he felt her too.
Second Chances (The Extinct Race Series) Page 23