The Dying Fate (The Umbra Chronicles Book 1)

by Willow Ravenheart

  "We met the first day of our second semester of freshman year. He was in the same English class as me and our teacher made us gather in pairs. I knew at that moment that I wanted him to be a part of my life.

  "It took him nearly the entire semester to ask me out, but we had already become the best of friends. Our first date consisted of me lying about my whereabouts to my parents and him taking me to a local art show. That was honestly one of the best nights of my entire life and we never spent more than a few days apart after that night," I say, closing my eyes to keep the tears from spilling down my face.

  Denny takes my hand in his and I take a deep breath. God, I didn't think that it could still hurt this much to talk about Henry....

  "We graduated high school and moved in together. My life was perfect and it was only because I had him in my life. My parents, I'll just say that they've been at each other’s throats for years, so I couldn't say that I came from the best home life. But, Henry didn't care. He couldn't find a single fault in me and I couldn't with him.

  "We were supposed to get married when I finished college. We had planned on it for years. My degree took longer to complete than I liked, but he was the one who convinced me to aim higher. The day of graduation, we were going to finally tie the knot and would belong to each other for the rest of our lives," I choke the last words out and I don't attempt to stop the tears that are running down my face.

  "We were on our way to pick Denny up from the airport that morning," I whisper, looking to my side to see fat tears spilling down my friend's face. He doesn't say a word and simply listens to me.

  "Henry and I were running a little late. He was speeding. We were so caught up in each other that he didn't see the wolf in the road. It was too late to slam on the breaks.... The tires spun on black ice, spinning us out of control.... The car struck a guardrail, making the car flip. I don't know how many times, but it felt like we were spinning in the air for an eternity. I remember...I remember him screaming out my name before the car began crumpling around us. Glass cut me across the chest and arms, metal trapped me to the seat.... It was a fucking nightmare. Eventually, from pain or panic, I passed out.

  "I woke up to the car filling with smoke. My arm was useless and God, it hurt so fucking much. When....when I checked on Henry, he was...gone. I lost my fucking mind. My mind wouldn't grasp the fact that he was dead, his body completely still. By the time I had woken up, he'd passed away with his eyes staring at me! " I sob, my pulse erratic within my chest. Denny and Elliot both squeeze my hands, urging me to go on.

  "I passed out and I woke up in the hospital. I freaked out. I needed to know where he was and Mom wouldn't answer me.... The stress was too much for me and I slipped into another coma. They said my body needed to heal, but there's no healing what I was suffering from.... I remember some things while in the darkness. I remember Mom and Dad coming to see me. I even remember you coming to see me, Denny. The last thing I can recall before waking up was Henry telling me goodbye.... I know it wasn't really him, but God, it felt so real!" Denny wraps his arms around me, letting the shivers run up and down my spine as I recollect the worst moments of my entire life.

  "When I finally awoke, it had been almost four months. That's when I found out that they amputated my arm and that my worst fear had happened. I had been trying to convince myself that he still was alive, but I was so fucking stupid. Henry died in the accident, his body was hit with too much force during there's no way he could have survived it. Hell, there's no explanation of how I even survived the accident. The last thing he did before he died was wrap his arms around me. Goddammit, the last fucking he did was protect me! And for what? I should have died, but I didn't. There's so many reasons for me to be in a grave beside him, but something won't let me die...." I whimper, taking a deep shuddering breath.

  "It's been so long since I've seen his face and my last memory is his lifeless face staring into mine.... It still hurts just as much now as it did the day I found out he died...and I can't make it stop. He was such a huge part of my life and I can't make myself move on."

  I end with a gasp and the sobs I've been holding back flow from my lips freely. God, it feels so good yet so excruciatingly bad at the same time to have said everything out loud. Denny holds me close to his chest as we cry together. I wish I could convince Denny that the accident wasn't his fault, but it's just something that he needs to come to terms with. It's something that has taken me a while to understand. It wasn't in the universe's plans for us to have a happy, long life. But, I'll always cherish every single day that I had Henry in my life. Our nine years together were the happiest days of my life....

  "Macy," Elliot sighs, a pained look on his face, "that's not something you can get over after only a few months. It takes time. Everyone heals at their own pace, but it's only up to you."

  "Thank you," I sob. I know I'm an ugly crier and I cover my face with my hands. Elliot's hands grab mine, lowering them into my lap. I look up and notice that he's moved to where he's kneeling on the mattress beside me. He's definitely tall, because even in this position, he's still over a foot taller than me.

  "You don't have to thank me, Sunshine," he whispers, his voice low and husky, "Thank you for telling me. I had no clue about everything you've been through and I'm truly sorry about what happened. From what I gather, Henry loved you very much."

  "He did," I say with a sniffle.

  "You deserve someone that loves you as he did. Never settle for less," he whispers, his hands reaching out to wipe the tears away from my face.

  "I don't know if I have the room left in my heart for someone else, " I whimper, confessing one of my darkest fears.

  "You'll always have room in your heart for love. That's one of the most weightless things in the world. Anger, Hate, Greed...those emotions are the ones that weigh your heart down. But love...fucking love is completely weightless. Whoever earns your love won't be replacing the feelings and memories you have with Henry, instead they'll be happy to be loved by a woman amazing as you. You never truly ever stop loving someone. The painful memories will eventually grow distant, but the happy ones.... Macy, they'll be the ones you carry with you for the rest of your life," he whispers, his hands not only reaching out for me, but for Denny as well.

  Denny's large, chocolate eyes stare at him, a puzzled look in their depths. Elliot reaches up, clasping the back of Denny's head, making their foreheads touch. He takes a deep breath, his grip tight on the both of us....

  "Dennis, my friend, you need to let go of the guilt...." Elliot whispers, causing a loud sob to slip from Denny's lips.

  We sit like that for a while, eventually laying down on the monstrously large mattress.

  I let out a small sigh, my breath fanning against the long hair in my face. Elliot's arms are a heavy, but bearable weight around my waist as he holds me close to his chest. Denny's long frame presses against my back, his face tucked between my neck in shoulder as soft snores pass his lips. I take a deep breath, the scent of cedar and cologne filling my nostrils. God, this is something I could get used to. If you told me that I would be sandwiched between two, individually attractive men five months ago...this isn't how I would have imagined things. Hell, I would have called you crazy.

  The weight bearing down on my heart is gone, the only thing remaining being the love I'll always carry for Henry and the small flame glowing in the smallest corner. Should I let these embers flare? Or should I stomp out these feelings for the man whose arms are holding me to his chest?

  Chapter Eleven

  Who decided to not invite me to the slumber party?" a chirpy voice whines, making my eyes pop open.

  I hiss in pain from the light flowing in from the open curtains and burrow my face in Elliot's chest. Wait a second....

  I open my eyes and climb onto my knees. It takes me a moment to remember what happened last night. That's right, I fell asleep cuddled up to him and Denny. God, I slept so good as well!

  Elliot's eyes crack open into ti
ny slits before his arms snatch me back into his hard chest. A huff passes my lips as I try to catch my breath.

  "Come back...you're warm...." he grumbles before falling back asleep, his breath fanning over my hair.

  The breath is squeezed from my lungs as he pulls me close, a deep, vibrating growl of satisfaction rumbling in his chest. Denny's legs tangle with mine as he cuddles closer, his entire upper body draped across me. I look up at Louis who snatches her phone from her pocket, taking a moment to snaps a few photos of me and my 'compromising' situation.

  "God, Alpha Ronan is going to love these!" she giggles while tucking her phone away.

  I look down at the man before me, who somehow shed his shirt at some point during the night. Jesus Christ on a scooter, his chest is truly the eighth wonder of the world....

  "Mind if I join you?" Louis asks, a small, pitiful pout on her full lips.

  "If you put one foot in my bed, I'll fucking kill you...." Elliot grumbles before pulling me even closer to him, if that's even possible.

  "But, Eli!" she whines, her glossed lips stuck out into a full pout.

  "No, you ruined my last set of sheets with that god-awful shit you call perfume. I couldn't get that stink off them...." Elliot grumbles, his face buried in my neck.

  I stiffen in his touch, my eyes staring at the woman beside the bed. She sulks to the corner of the room, plopping onto the couch with her arms crossed in front of her. Her simple blue jeans and pale pink blouse are a far cry from the slutted out goth chick I first met at the bar. Maybe she has a personality disorder. I mean, she does stab people....

  "Help. Me!" I whisper, my eyes glancing down at the huge alpha male whose chest I'm currently plastered to.

  A deep growl vibrates in his chest and he rolls us over until I'm trapped beneath him, his arms on either side of my shoulders with his face stuffed into my neck. I can't breathe....

  "You smell different," he grumbles, his nose sliding up and down my neck, causing goosebumps to pop up across my entire body.

  I stiffen beneath him as his face rubs against me like a cat taking in a scent. He pulls away from me a moment later, his eyes a molten silver instead of their usual icy blue. It takes me a moment to realize that he's finally released me and I slide out from beneath him, my feet carrying me like a bat out of hell to the hall bathroom.

  I take a moment, leaning over the bathroom sink, to catch my breath. His eyes...there was something so surreal, yet similar, about them. I can't take my mind off the memory of them as I take care of business, my mind still reeling as I wash my hands.

  When I walk back into the bedroom, both Denny and Elliot are sitting on the edge of the bed, Louis still perched on the couch. All their eyes follow me as I walk into the room. Both Denny and Elliot divert their gazes to the floor and I look to Louis who simply snickers before climbing to her feet.

  "Come on, Macy. I'll let you borrow some clothes," she chuckles before taking my hand and leading me down the hall.

  I glance down at my chest, a hiss escaping my lips when I realize how see-through the thin camisole is now that it's light out.

  I cross my arms, following her down the long hall to a breathtaking living room. God, Elliot really went all out with this house. The ceilings are at least fifteen feet tall with windows that go all the way from the floor to the ceiling. Red sofas decorate the room which is painted a pale grey. What's even more breathtaking is the view of the lake from the large windows. It nearly looks as though we’re sitting right on top of the water.

  She grabs my arm, leading me down another long hallway. Before too long, she opens the door to a large room decorated in bold shades of pink and purple. It’s not what I was expecting her room to look like. She deposits me on a small chaise lounge by the door of her closet before diving into the small room that looks like it should belong in a show about hoarders. A few minutes later, she walks out with a pile of clothes draped across her arms.

  "Okay, these should fit you. Feel free to keep them until you get a chance to go shopping," she tells me happily before depositing the huge pile of clothes into my arms.

  She leaves me behind in the colorful room so I can change and I look down at the garments in my hands. Most of them still have their tags and I have a small panic attack at the prices printed onto some of them. I rifle through them until finding a black camisole with a built-in bra. I pull it over my head after shedding the clothes I’d been wearing for God knows how long. There’s also a pair of ‘cheap’ pair of denim shorts and I pull them on before slipping a nice, purple flannel shirt on. I leave the rest of the clothes behind, deciding against wearing something with such and outrageous price-tag as some of those garments. I’ll have to take a shower soon, but I would really like something to eat right now. Directly after that thought passes my mind, my stomach releases a loud obnoxious growl that echoes through the hall when I leave her room.

  I try to remember the way back to Elliot's room, but my heart nearly shoots out my chest when hands appear out of a dark corner and haul me into a solid chest.

  "Well, who might you be, Beautiful?" a voice asks, making me look up.

  The air is sucked out of my lungs as I look up into a face that's nearly an exact replica of Elliot's except for an awful scar that runs down the entire length of the right side of his face.

  There's a mischievous, crooked smile plastered to his scarred face as he stares down at me. Unlike Elliot, his hair is shaved close to the sides of his head, showing off the multitude of scars covering the better half of his otherwise handsome face. It nearly looks as if someone took a smoldering hot iron to his head. The longer hair along the top of his head flops down into his eyes, covering his face with jagged shadows.

  "Who are you?" I hiss, trying to pull away from his grip, but his hands hold me tight to his chest.

  "Oh, Eli hasn't told you about me?" he snickers, a broad, sickening smile appearing on his face. My stomach lurches into my throat at one glance at his open mouth. The canine teeth in his mouth have been removed and replaced with silver teeth shaped into sharp fangs.

  "Let me go!" I cry out, my fingers digging into his biceps.

  He swings us around until my back's pressed against the wall, my body trapped between his rock-hard body and the sheet-rock. His hands trace up my sides, making bile fill my throat. Struggling against him is futile and I press my back as close to the wall as I can.

  "It's so rude of him to not tell me about the fresh meat," he whispers as his face runs along the length of my neck. I can smell the rank aroma of whiskey on his breath, my stomach twisting into painful knots.

  I hold my hand in tight fists at my side, my jaw clenched. Angry tears threaten to spill down my face, but I hold them back. I won't give this piece of shit the satisfaction of seeing my shed a single tear.

  "What the fuck are you doing?" Elliot roars, his fist flying out to crush against the man's cheek.

  He lets me go, his hand pressed against his mouth. Elliot slips his arms around me, his hands caressing my face and making me look up into his face. He smooths the loose hair away from my eyes, his gaze worried as he looks me over.

  "Are you alright?" he whispers, his voice low and gravely as he looks me directly in the eyes.

  "She's fine," the man chuckles from beside us, a large smirk on his blood-smeared face, the crimson droplets flowing down his chin, "I'm not a fuckin' animal."

  "Elliot, who is he?" I whimper, my fingers tangled in his shirt as I stare at the freakish man.

  "Oh, Eli, you hurt me!" the man sneers while dramatically clutching his chest, "You didn't tell your little toy about me? Oh, that stings. You've got to tell her about the whipping boy, big brother."

  I stare at the two men before me, noticing the obvious similarities between them. Their frame is nearly identical, with both towering well over me by at least a foot. The icy blue eyes glaring daggers at each other are the same shade of startling pale blue. Where Elliot makes me feel warmth and comfort, the other man...his brother...
he truly scares me. The crazed look in his frozen eyes send a chill to my bones.

  A deep rumble builds in Elliot's chest as he stares at his brother, the silver tint from earlier returning to his eyes. He steps in front of me, guarding me from view.

  "Get the fuck out of here!" he roars so loud that I cower behind him with my hands covering my ears. He spins on his heels, his hand pressed into the small of my back as he guides me away from the man.

  "Don't trust him!" his brother calls from behind us, "Never let your walls down around him. He will ruin you!"

  Elliot presses his hand against my lower back, urging me to walk faster down the long hall, his brother's cackles of laughter echoing behind us. I cower into his side, glancing behind me wide eyed to see his brother open the back door and seamlessly shift into a fucking huge midnight black wolf, his shredded clothes fluttering to the ground below him.

  "What the fuck?" I whimper, pressing my side into Elliot's.

  Once we're safely in the living room, Elliot lets out a scream, his hands lashing out. They connect with a large, earthenware vase causing it to tumble to the floor with a thundering crash.

  "Fuck!" he growls, his head thrown back as he takes in huge gulps of air.

  I tiptoe to one of the couches and curl into the corner, watching him. He pulls a hair elastic from his pocket, piling is long hair atop his head in a messy bun before stooping down to pick up the broken pieces of pottery. The vein in his neck bulges as he takes slow, easy reassuring breaths.

  "I'm sorry about that...." he whispers, his eyes never leaving from his task at hand.

  "Who was that?" I hiss, looking to the hallway where we'd come from. I can't shake the uneasy feeling in my gut when I think about his brother.... There's something off about him....

  "That was my twin brother Adam," he sighs, "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't know he was back."

  "What's his problem?" I ask, crawling from the couch to walk to his side. He looks up to me, his head level with my navel. His blue eyes skim over me before he sighs, standing to his feet.