Destined for Darkness

by Cassie Pierce

  His eyes dance with humor, and a sexy grin stretches across his face. “It was partly the bind, yes; but I think most of that was all you.”

  “Oh! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never- never done that before.”

  He laughs, drawing up one brow. “Never huh?”

  I blush and look at the floor. He can read minds so he should know that I am telling the truth. Does he not believe me? Great. Now I can’t look at him. He has probably been with tons of girls. He probably thinks that I am crazy for having an orgasm when he barely touched me. A single tear betrays me as I keep my gaze focused on the floor. I should have just kept my mouth shut. His laughter stops. He takes my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

  “Oh! You really- have -never? I am so sorry. Oh, baby! It’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed. It was great for me too. The bloodlust is a natural response, and it was intensified due to your pain. It is nothing to be ashamed of Ridley. I quite enjoyed it. I just thought someone as beautiful as you are would have been with a man before. That’s all.”

  “I thought that you were the all-powerful mind reader? Shouldn’t you have already known that without me saying it?” I know I probably sound pissed but damnit I am.

  His blue eyes soften and I almost let him off the hook. “It doesn’t work that way. I can’t read every thought that someone has. I can only read the ones that I focus on, or the ones directed at me. I was trying to give you privacy, trying not to invade your personal thoughts. So, I had no idea until after you asked. Again, I am so, so sorry baby.”

  I am sure my face is now the shade of a tomato from the embarrassment I feel at the moment. Why does he have to be so damn adorable? It is not helping my pissed off mood. “Well, now you know. I guess I was just waiting on the right person. I have always wanted to be sure that the man I give myself to loves me for who I am, and not what I have to offer him.”

  A light sparkles in his eyes as he says, “Well, I think that is a very good thing love. You don’t ever have to be embarrassed with me. You are perfect just the way you are. I have waited forever for you, and I have no problem waiting for that. I mean, I’m a guy, so I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it, but if and when you want to be with me will be up to you. I will never let that change the way I feel about you.”

  Just when I think he can’t possibly be more perfect, he says that. I guess after everything that happened with Logan, I have a hard time with the whole sex thing. Finally, someone who is willing to wait for me. I think just knowing that he will never pressure me makes me want to give it to him.

  “I am starting to think that I shouldn’t be so stingy.” I joke. His eyes turn dark with desire before he quickly changes the subject.

  “So. We should probably get back to the Lamont,” he says in a husky voice. I laugh to myself, knowing that I am starting to crack that cool exterior of his.

  “If you insist. What kind of powers do we have? Ooohhh. Am I going to be like wonder-woman badass because that would be awwesssomme. ”

  This time his laugh is loud. A crooked grin lifts the corners of his perfect mouth. “Wonder Woman huh? No… not exactly, but cooler. Much cooler.”

  Ok. Now he has my attention. Cooler than Wonder Woman, this should be epic.

  “Well, basically the Lamont harness the powers of every supernatural race except we can only use ours for good. We can shift into anything, access all types of magic. We need blood to survive, but unlike the vampires we only require a small amount and prefer to take it from our own kind. We have heightened blood lust, as you learned last night, so we prefer to only drink from our mates. We can fly.” He winks at me when he mentions flying. “We have wings, but only if we choose to. We don’t age and are extremely hard to kill. We are faster and stronger than all the supernatural races combined. We were blessed with all the benefits of the supernatural race, and none of the disadvantages. There used to be thousands of us, but when the founders disappeared they took with them the ability to create new Lamont. Our enemies took advantage of this and went on a killing spree in an attempt to eradicate our race.”

  “I thought that we were hard to kill?” I ask, genuinely interested in hearing this story.

  “Hard but not impossible,” he replies. “Many have tried to breed, but the only successful birth of a full blooded Lamont has been yours. We have long believed that if we could locate you that you would be the key to our survival.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat as I let his words sink in. The key to survival, the hope for an entire race. Surely he had me confused with someone else. He studies my face closely before saying, “I am sure about this Ridley. I know because I could feel it from the power radiating from you last night.” I want to tell him that he is wrong, but deep down I know that this is my destiny.

  “Okay. What happens now?”

  He has an intense look, like he is contemplating how much to tell me. “Now we go to the council. They need to know of your existence, but before any of that there are a few more things about the incineration that you need to know. When we go through the incineration, it changes a few of our physical qualities.”

  “Like what?” I ask, suddenly afraid of what changes he may be referring to. He takes my hand, helping me stand.

  “Perhaps it would be easier to just show you.”

  He guides me across the room to where the dresser is. As soon as my eyes met the mirror I gasp, because the eyes that answer me are not my eyes at all. Sure, technically they are mine, but at the same time they aren’t. They are no longer green. Instead they are a brilliant blue. A striking mixture of three perfect blue’s stare back at me. It’s as if a piece of him has integrated with my DNA, making us one.

  “When the change occurs we take on the eye color of our mate.” He explains softly. I nod, unable to form a sentence as I take in the other changes to my appearance. My hair is the same dark chocolate as before, but it now had an unearthly shine to it. My skin is no longer pale, but sun kissed and blemish free. My B cup now looks more like a full C. My waist, which has always been small, is now sculpted and tone.

  “Wow! It’s like nip tuck supernatural style! Is there anything else that I can’t see?”

  He smiles at my reaction. His warm, soft fingers gently run up my side, stopping at my neck. “I need to touch you Ridley.” Excitement and desire fill me with those words. “I need you to touch me too.” I struggle to silence my internal seductress and focus on his words. I nod, giving him my silent permission. He tenderly guides his fingers under the collar of my shirt, and pushes it down; slowly, sinfully, partially exposing the top of my bare breast. I am so focused on the feel of his fingers on my bare skin that it takes me a moment to notice the spot where they stop. There, above my heart, is a perfect replica of the tattoo that I had seen on him this morning. A pale blue and silver cross formed by two infinity symbols. I gasp as he runs the pad of his thumb over the mark, causing it to glow with a soft blue light. I place my hand on top of his, and the mark flashes brighter. I am instantly filled with an insane amount of love and warmth. This… This is the moment that I get it. I mean, really get it. I am his. Time doesn’t matter. My soul was made to love him, just as his was made to love me. I am his.

  “Yes,” he replies to my unspoken words, “You are.”

  I have learned so much today about Tristan and the Lamont. I know that my world will never be the same. I am afraid, not for who I have to become; but for who I know I can no longer be. I am supposed to start school tomorrow. I have a life. It is knowing that I have to give up some of that life that scares me.

  “What about school? Ali? My mom?” I ask as my unspoken fears claw at me.

  He looks at me with regret before answering. “I’m sorry Ridley, but you have to leave this town. At least for now.”

  After all that I have learned today this is the one thing he says that really pisses me off.

  “No, I won’t!” A single tear rolls down my cheek at the thought of
leaving them behind. “Why? Why do I have to give up anything? Why Tristan?” At some point during my rant I have started using his chest as a punching bag. With a calm I could never have if someone was wailing on me, he gently grabs my wrist.

  “Stop,” he says as he pulls me into his arms. “I wasn’t the only one who sensed who you were in the club. The others know, and they are not happy about it. They won’t stop until your dead Ridley. Dead! I can’t protect you here. There are too many. I wouldn’t ask you to leave if there was another way. I would never ask you to give up your life, not even for me, but it’s the only way to keep you safe. It is also the only way to keep those you love safe. They will use them to get to you if you stay. I am so sorry love.” His words hit me like a hammer. My anger deflates like a punctured balloon. My heart shatters as the significance of his words sink in. If I want to protect the people I love, I will have to let them go. A dam breaks in my heart, and I cry. Big, sloppy, messy tears that I rarely ever cry come pouring out of me .He holds me as I let my pain flow in a river of raging tears. I don’t know how long I stand there. I have no idea how long I cry, but it must be awhile. Weakness grips me as my tears start to slow. I still feel Tristan’s arms around me, strong and steady; never letting go. He is right. There is no way I can keep on living like last night never happened. “You don’t want to either,” my subconscious reminds me. I can do this. I am strong. I pull with all my strength, willing myself to accept that I have to let them go. This is my destiny. He is my destiny. I finally lift my head from his chest.

  “Okay!” “I’ll do it, but I don’t like it.”

  ~~***~~

  Tristan

  I don’t know how long I hold her in my arms, my heart breaking with every tear she sheds. She is strong; so strong. I have learned so much about her today, but it is not enough. A part of me doubts that I could ever learn enough when it comes to her.

  Most people would have run the other way screaming, but she trust me without question. Still as I hold her, I can feel all the sadness and anger that this new life is costing her. I feel guilty. Sure, I didn’t make her Lamont, but before me she was happy. Then, here I come along and tell her she has to leave it all behind. I wouldn’t blame her if she hated me. I certainly hate myself right now. I am really tempted to peek into her mind to see what she is thinking, but I decide against it. I want her to have her thoughts without worrying about me ease dropping. Then again, the last time I didn’t pry I ended up hurting her feelings.

  “Gods! I feel like such an ass for that!”

  I never meant to embarrass her. When she told me that she had never been with a man I think my heart clinched. She really is perfect. I mean what I told her too. I am happy with her, no matter what we do. I’ll admit, she tempts the hell out of me, but I will never pressure her.

  Her sobs are now fading, and I know that she had made a decision. I just pray that it is the best one. For her safety she needs to leave, but just like with all things, I will not force her. Her whisper interrupts my thoughts.

  “Okay, I’ll do it, but I don’t like it,” she says.

  It is in that moment that I truly fall in love with her. She is as pure in heart as she is in body. My brave beautiful girl.

  ~Chapter 5~

  The Bloodlust

  People always say that you don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it. For me, today, this saying really hits home. I have always believed that I was destined for great things, but it wasn’t until I realized how great those things are that simple suddenly didn’t seem so boring. I will have to give up the people in my life that I love. I know that now. What I don’t know is how I can. How can I let my mom, who has already lost the only other person in her life she truly loves, believe that she has lost me too. How can I let Ali, who has always been honest with me about everything, believe that I am dead. Can I hurt them like that? Can I break their trust for someone that I just met? I believe Tristan. I trust that he is certain that this is the only way to keep me and my family safe, but is that trust enough? I mean, after all, I know so little about this man who I am now tied to in body and soul. A bind so strong that it can only be broken by death. I want to run away, to go back to my simple life, but I fear that nothing will ever be simple again. I have to protect my family. I must trust that my destiny is for a purpose, even though I don’t understand what that purpose is. I want to have faith in Tristan, because at the moment faith is all I have left. I will do the right thing, even if it seems wrong. I wipe the tears from my now swollen eyes and resolve to be brave; for myself, but mostly for my family.

  I turn to face the man who now holds my life in his hands. “Before we go any further, I feel like I need to know more about you. You can read my mind, but to me you are a mystery.”

  “Ask away,” he says while flashing me an easy smile.

  “Well, for starters, what is your last name?”

  “Hart.”

  Hart. It suites him. I smile and continue my game of one hundred and one questions. “How old are you, Tristan Hart?”

  A mischievous grin paints his face as he says, “Twenty, but that’s not what you mean is it Ridley?” I shake my head no and he laughs. “I was born in the year nineteen twelve. So I guess that makes me…..”

  Sweet Baby Buffalos!” I know that he said that he-we didn’t age, but that makes him…..

  “Over one hundred years old! Geez Tristan! You are ancient. I mean don’t get me wrong. I have always liked older men, but this gives the term jail bait a whole new meaning.”

  “Jail bait huh?” he says with a laugh. I nod, my eyes still wide from learning his real age. The look on my face must be pretty funny because Tristan starts to really laugh now. I have a feeling that he does not laugh often. It is nice to see his normally serious face relax. If at all possible, it makes him sexier.

  “Yes, like I told you before, we don’t age.”

  I didn’t really forget that fact. I mean who could. I guess hearing him admit it just makes it more real to me. I will always be eighteen. Great! Immortally underage. I guess in many ways this is a good thing, but something about never moving forward depresses me. I will never grow old, never have children. I will watch from the shadows as everyone I love in this world dies. It seems like such a high price to pay for immortal youth. A price that I am not sure I want to pay. I shake off the negative feelings and resume my questions.

  “Okay, you said earlier that your brother brought Ali home from the club. Is he your only sibling?”

  His normally light demeanor changes, and he lets out a small sigh before answering. I can’t help but notice the faraway look in his eyes as he speaks.

  “My only living sibling, yes. I had a sister, Scarlet, but she died in nineteen thirty from pneumonia. She was ten years old. Medicine has come a long way since then. I also had a younger brother Cade, but he disappeared when he was eighteen while on a hunting trip. We searched for days. We found blood but no body. My brother Tyler went through the incineration with me. We were only nine months apart, so he decided to wait until my twentieth birthday for his incineration. We have been together ever since.”

  I felt sorrow tug at my heart for him. What it must be like to watch everyone you love die while you are forever frozen in time.

  “I’m sorry Tristan. I shouldn’t ask you such personal questions. It’s not fair.”

  “No Ridley. It’s okay. It was a long time ago, and besides I am more fortunate than the others. I get to have my brother with me for eternity, and now you.”

  I can no longer stand the sadness in his voice. Time to do what I do best. Change the subject. “What’s your Favorite color?”

  “Mmmm. Pink,” he says attempting to keep a straight face.

  I laugh. “Nice try but what is it really?”

  “Black, can’t you tell,” he says with a grin. I should have guessed, since that is all that I have seen him wear since we met.

  “Do you have a job? Other than the Lamont, I mean?”

 
He shakes his head. “No. They pay well, and I don’t really have time for anything else. I do invest in the stock market. I’ve secured quite a large sum of money that way.”

  “What exactly does your job for them entail?” I ask as I gently twirl a strand of my hair.

  “I am the commander of the elite. It is kind of like the law enforcement for the council. I am a hunter. I hunt the marked and dispose of them.” Something about the way he says dispose of them sends a chill up my spine.

  “Will I be a hunter too?” Man, I really hope he says no because I don’t like the idea of killing; even if it is for the greater good.

  His smile is back now. “It depends. The council will assess your abilities and determine the path you are destined to take. We all have special talents, and no two are alike with the exception of the hunters. The hunters are a group of twelve. We are all gifted differently, but our connection is the ability to locate evil at any time from any distance. We are like an immortal GPS. Most likely you will not be a hunter though. They are all men.”

  This brings me some relief. Maybe I won’t have to dispose of anyone after all. I respect the fact that the Lamont kill evil, but I just can’t see myself ever being a killer. I am about to ask more when I am again overcome with weakness. My throat starts hurting something fierce. It is like I used sandpaper as mouthwash. My stomach begins to ache, doubling me over. My legs are suddenly very unsteady, like my bones have been replaced with noodles. I wobble a little, and clutch the dresser to keep from falling. I can feel Tristan’s warm arms under me before I am lifted from the ground. He walks over to the bed and gently lays me down.

  “Before we do anything else Ridley, you need to feed.”

  “I’m not hungry,” I protest. Come to think of it, I haven’t even thought about food since the incineration. “Who knows, maybe I don’t need to eat anymore. That would kind of suck though. Chocolate, I would miss chocolate.”

  His smooth laugh fills my ears. “No angel. Not food. Blood. The first few months after the incineration you will need to feed daily to keep your strength up, but after a while you can get by for a few days before it is required.”