Destined for Darkness

by Cassie Pierce

  The ring of Tristan’s phone (I will survive, Ha! How appropriate) brings me back to the present. He looks down at the screen and frowns before leaving the room to take the call. He comes back moments later, a look of anger marring his perfect face.

  “Tyler that was the council. They have called for you and Ali at headquarters for her assessment. You must leave in the morning.” He then turns to me and bends so that we are eye level. “They also have an assignment for me. I must leave in the morning as well. I wanted to take you with me, but they all say it is too dangerous. I will have to leave. You must stay here with Aiden.” He shots Aiden a powerful stare. “He will keep you safe and be able to help you with the pain, won’t you Aiden.” A smile crosses Aiden’s face.

  “I won’t take my eyes off of her, and I am sure we can find a way to deal with her… pain.” I don’t miss the hidden innuendo of his words, and neither does Tristan. He shoots to his feet and stops only inches from Aiden’s face.

  “If you touch her, and I mean at all, I will kill you.” Tristan is mad, that much is clear. Aiden must have a death wish because he just laughs.

  “Easy Sparky. I will behave. Scout’s honor.” Tyler mumbles to himself from the corner, but with my new hearing I can easily make out the words and they are not pleasant. Tristan grimaces.

  “I mean it Aiden. Protect her with your life but keep your hands to yourself.”

  Aiden’s face becomes serious and he nods. Tristan must take that as a temporary peace treaty, because he turns his attention to me.

  “Now if you will excuse us. We are going to bed.”

  He practically pulls me up the stairs and into his warm embrace. The next few hours he shows me over and over again just how much he loves me. We make love until neither of us can fight sleep any longer. I drift off in his arms, for a moment forgetting about everything but my love for this sweet man. I am perfectly content to lay in his strong arms forever, but I know that fate has a different plan. I don’t want to betray his trust, but I have to warn my mom. I have lost so much in my short life, but I will not lose her too. Tomorrow I will find a way to keep her safe. I want to fill the others in on my plan, but I can’t get them involved. I never want to subject anyone to the type of punishment I experienced only hours before. I will face this alone, and whatever consequences that come with it. It’s hard to keep things from Tristan, but I am getting pretty good at putting up my mental wall. As I look at the sleeping form of my one true love guilt pulls at my heart. I just hope that he can understand why I have to do this on my own. With that thought, I close my eyes to the last restful sleep I will have in a while.

  ~Chapter 12~

  The Betrayal

  I wake that morning to the feel of his soft lips on my neck. It is a wonderful way to start my day. My own little slice of heaven. I pull him in for a kiss, desperately trying to prepare myself for what I know is coming.

  “When do you leave?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

  “I have to go in a few minutes. To be honest I am already late, but I just couldn’t go without saying goodbye. I love you. I would stay if I could. You know that right?” I nod, placing my head on his perfect chest. “Aiden will help you with the pain Ridley. He may be a jerk, but he seems to have a soft spot…for you. I will not be gone long. I promise.” There is a hint of sadness in his voice, and it makes me feel that much worse for lying to him. I should tell him about my plan to visit my mom. He will understand. If he doesn’t though….no. The stakes are too high. This is something that I am going to have to face alone. Resolved with my decision, I pull his bottom lip into my mouth and bite down gently on the soft flesh.

  “Mmmmhhh! I Love you too! Hurry back to me.” He laughs as he captures my face in his hand.

  “Kiss me like that again and I’m never leaving.”

  I manage to distract him with a few more kisses before he finally goes. It isn’t long before the all too familiar pain crashes down on me. A scream rips from my throat as my blood starts to boil in my veins. “Uhhhh!” Suddenly, the door slams open, and Aiden’s glorious form fills the doorway. He is shirtless, and even I must admit his build is impressive to say the least. Seriously, the man must eat steroids with his cereal. His fair skin molds around each muscle, giving him a chiseled look. It’s like he was sculpted from stone, dipped in sexy, and then powdered in perfection. He is rocking a seriously sexy case of bed head; his blond locks tussled and wild. A string of profanities leave his lips as he takes in my appearance. “Geez. Do I look that bad?” I mean I know I’m not all cute and fresh in the morning, but it can’t be that bad.

  “What?” I ask annoyed at him for looking at me that way.

  “Ummm. Ridley? Where are your clothes?”

  “What are you talking ….?” Oh crap. I totally forgot that I was naked under the silk sheets. His eyes rake over my body, but I am in too much pain to care.

  “Not-the issue-right-now,” I say as the pain becomes unbearable.

  “Right.” He shakes his head, and cautiously walks over to the bed. “I knew that it was bad for you to be away from him, but I never imagined that it was this bad.” He softly strokes my cheek, the gesture to imitate for my liking. I try to flinch, but my mind and body are no longer communicating. “Jesus Ridley. You are burning up.” He softly picks me up, being careful to keep the sheet wrapped around me. “I can help you, but you have to trust me. You need blood. It will not be the same as his, but it will help.”

  “No.”

  I do not want to take his blood. I don’t fully trust him. Don’t fully trust myself right now. Besides, Tristan would not approve. It just feels wrong to drink the blood of another, when I only crave the blood of one. Aiden must pick up on my internal struggle, because he sighs.

  “So stubborn. Did he not tell you?” My blank stare must be enough of an answer for him. He lets out an aggravated breath. “Of course he didn’t. Tristan knows that my blood is the only way to help. That is why he was so pissed last night.”

  No. That’s no right. He would have told me, prepared me. Aiden’s lying. He has to be. Lie or no lie, I cannot deny that Aiden’s presence helps to take the edge off of my pain. His voice is soothing. His skin feels cool against my burning flesh. A thirst that I have only experienced with Tristan begins building in my throat. Aiden’s blood is stirring my hunger. That, and the fact that we are both practically naked. His blood is begging me, screaming at me to taste it. My face flushes with a different kind of heat. Blood lust is starting to take control. I normally don’t have any kind of lust, not for Aiden, but my body thinks differently. No. I have to stop this. I have to get away from him, before….before I do something profoundly stupid. It’s the bloodlust. It’s not real. At least, I hope it’s not.

  “What is wrong with me? I love Tristan.”

  It has to be the bloodlust, and I know from experience that sometimes bloodlust can cause you to go too far. With Tristan it was different. I trust him. I knew that he would never do anything that I didn’t want. That I didn’t need. Aiden I don’t trust at all. Would he stop things if they started? It isn’t a chance I am willing to take.

  Panic takes over. I have to get away from him. Now! My attempts at escape are futile. My struggling only making him increase his hold on me. He pushes me closer to his bare chest. “Behave,” he all but growls into my ear. His scent assaults me; woodsy with a hint of cinnamon.

  “Let me down! I mean it Aiden. Let me down!”

  He hesitates before finally releasing his grip. My feet hit the floor and I take cover in the only place that I see. I stumble into the bathroom, falling onto my hands and knees. I quickly get up and turn the lock. I’m no fool. If Aiden really wants in here a door won’t stop him, but it might slow him down. The door is a barrier, blocking me from his touch. His blood. I am not thinking clearly in my present state, but I am coherent enough to realize that sharing any part of myself with Aiden is a bad idea. It isn’t Aiden I need. It’s Tristan. That’s when the light bulb goes off. I
don’t have to wait on Tristan to come back. I can use our connection to find him. He once told me that no matter how far apart we were I could always find him. Weakness sends me to my knees. Aiden is pounding on the door, frantically calling out to me. He’s about to break it. I don’t have much time. I close my mind off to everything except the man that I love. I bring his face into my mind, and will myself to find him; to go to him. The world starts to spin around me just a splinters and shards of wood fly through the air. He got in, but he was too late. My body is getting lighter by the second, and when I open my eyes I find my love. I am immediately pissed.

  Tristan

  I hate leaving her, literally hate it. There is not a part of me that doesn’t want to run back to her side, but I can’t. This job is too important to pass up. When my friend on the council said that a fellow Lamont, Arianna, knew where the dark prince was staying the decision to investigate was a no brainer. He also claims that this girl has information about what connected Ridley with those monsters in the first place. I would do anything to keep Ridley away from Derek, which is how I ended up here… with her. Even though it almost shatters me when I feel her pain, fear, and desire through our connection, I don’t turn back. I can’t.

  It takes every ounce of my concentration to ignore the desire that she is feeling for him. Desire that should be reserved only for me. He better stay true to his word and not touch her, or I really am going to kill him. I understand that she needs blood to dull the pain, but blood better be damn well all he gives her. I push my anger away, now is not the time for it. If I am just being honest, it is no worse than what I am about to do. My only defense is that I am doing it to keep her safe. I just pray that she will be able to forgive me when I tell her about it.

  *****

  Ridley

  I materialize in the corner of a dark room to find Tristan with his mouth pressed to another woman’s neck. His hand is tangled in her long blond hair. His lips colored with her blood. Acid burns the back of my throat as she lets out a moan of pleasure. That moan, that singular sound breaks something deep within the recesses of my heart. I should yell, cause a scene, anything, but I do nothing. I am too numb to move, too broken to scream. I allow a single tear to slip down my cheek, as my heart literally shatters. How could this be? He was kissing me just moments ago, whispering loving words in my ear. He said that he had to go. That he had no choice. Was it all a lie?

  Betrayal is truly the worst of all emotions. It leaves you broken, exposed, and most of all angry. The reason betrayal is the cosmic bitch slap…is because the pain of betrayal is always caused by someone you trust. She moans again, softer this time. My whole body starts to shake; from sadness or anger I’m not really sure. Against my will a whimper escapes my lips, more traitorous tears falling in the process. His head snaps up, his lips stained with her blood. His sapphire eyes lock on mine, and he is instantly in front of me.

  “It’s not what you think.” He raises his hand to touch me, but I move away. The last thing I want right now is for him to touch me.

  “Really Tristan? I am not blind. You were feeding from her and enjoying it. Go ahead, deny it! I- DARE-YOU!”

  His silence at my demand leaves no room for argument. Anger clouds my emotions, and without meaning to I start yelling. Really yelling.

  “Was I just a pawn? A way for your precious society to survive? Was it all a lie? Loving me? Screwing me? Was it all a lie?” There is no hiding my hurt now. “You should have let me die in that alley Tristan, because this-the way I feel right now-is worse than death. You broke me. You lied to me. You used me!”

  This time he reaches for me and I am too tired to back away. His grip on my forearms is gentle, yet firm. “No. Never! I love you! I never lied about that, and I am not lying about this. This… Jesus Ridley. This is just a job.”

  He looks so heartbroken that I almost believe him, but my pride won’t allow me to listen. I am too hurt. A job! He actually expects me to believe that! Anger washes over me again. I am confused, but mostly I am hurt. I want to believe him, but the woman on the bed is proof enough. She starts to stir, and his eyes flick her way. My anger turns to rage as I follow his stare.

  “Well. Guess you better get back to work.” I yell.

  He steps forward, but he is too slow. I flash, not caring where I end up. Anywhere is fine as long as I get away from that room; away from him. I hear him say my name as I drift away, and for a moment I feel guilty. Tears cloud my vision as I float wherever it is that you float when you flash. I focus on the cabin, and suddenly I am back in the same bathroom I had left only moments before. I fall to my knees, this time from an entirely different kind of pain; the pain of a broken heart. The door is already ripped from its hinges, as Aiden enters the room. He looks down at me with a worried expression.

  “What’s wrong? I can sense your pain, but it’s different now. It’s- it’s unbearable.”

  I am so numb inside that the flames that probably should have had me screaming seem insignificant. I look up at him with teary eyes, trying to keep it together. I am tougher than this. His eyes hold mine cautiously, carefully. It is like seeing him for the first time. How have I never noticed how exquisite he is? He studies me closely before he picks the sheet up from the ground, wrapping it around my shoulders. It’s funny that before this moment, I hadn’t even realized that I was naked. I am getting weaker; the mixture of the fire and a broken heart taking all my strength. His strong arms lift me from the floor. He is strangely silent. I snuggle my face into his chest, my tears wetting his skin. The need for blood slams into me, and I act before thinking. I bring my face up to his neck and inhale deeply. Then I bite him. Hard.

  He stops walking, probably as shocked as I am by my actions. His blood hits the back of my throat, its rich and spicy flavor just like I imagined. It is different than Tristan’s, but in a good way. His fingers dig into my skin where he holds me. He is fighting the desire to touch me. I pull harder on his blood until the fire inside me disappears. Content that the pain has eased, I trace my tongue over the bite mark; healing his skin. I pull my head away from his neck, and look into his sparkling aqua eyes. They are full of desire and restraint. I should stop what happens next, but a part of me, the part that is still angry, doesn’t want to. I bring my lips to his, kissing him with all the passion, all the hurt that I can. He is hesitant at first, but then his lips mold to mine; the kiss short but powerful. He pulls away, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “Ridley. I don’t know what happened, but you love him and he loves you. This is wrong. I can’t. I won’t do this, not again.”

  He walks me over to the bed and gently lays me down. His fist clenches at his side, the delicate knuckles turning white with restraint. “Goodnight Ridley. The pain should be tolerable until he returns.” Then Aiden vanishes like the wind.

  *****

  Tristan

  I want nothing more than to rush back to the girl I love and beg her to understand, but I have to finish what I started. Christ! I know what it looked like to her, but she is wrong. I came here for answers, and I am not going to let this all be for nothing. Arianna is starting to come to, and I have to take advantage of the truth serum that I injected her with before it wears off. If there would have been any other way to inject her, I would have. I took no pleasure in biting her, none at all.

  I approach the girl on the bed determined not to leave until she tells me everything that she knows. Her pale green eyes are glossy. Her face lax.

  “Arianna, do you know where the prince of vampires is staying?”

  “No.”

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “Do you know what he wants with Ridley Ross?”

  This time she nods. “Yes. He wants her to be his queen. She was made for him.”

  What the hell does she mean she was made for him? She wasn’t made for anyone, except for me.

  “Explain.” I demand through gritted teeth.

  “The founder wanted a child, but could not conceive one. She begged
God for a baby, but he turned her down. She was desperate, and desperate people do stupid things. She went to the only other person powerful enough to help her. Nicholas Knight. He used dark magic to help her conceive, and after it was done he told her as payment for his help that she would give her child to his son Derek when she was of age.”

  Oh shit! If Arianna is telling the truth, then Derek does have a true blood connection with Ridley. Ridley is the vampire equivalent of his soul mate. NO! I refuse to believe any of this. I mean after all, how could this girl possibly know any of this?

  “How do you know this Arianna? Who told you?”

  She laughed, like it was the funniest thing that she had ever heard. “Why, my mother of course.”

  I was becoming irritated with her. “Who is your mother? How would she know?”

  She lets out a small sigh, and almost looks sad. What she says next is just crazy enough to be true.

  “My mother is Madison Lamont.”

  Oh hell! That makes her Ridley’s sister, and the best kept secret in all of our society. If…she’s telling the truth. I am having a hard time believing her. I mean, they don’t even look alike. Ridley is all dark hair, dark skin, and curves. This girl is fair hair, fair skin, and bone skinny. If she isn’t lying though, this is not good. What makes it worse, is that I am now going to have to tell Ridley that the girl she saw me drinking from tonight was her family.

  “If that’s true, then why did no one ever know of your existence?”

  “My mom said that Nicholas only knew of one child, so she hid me away. She sent me to live with humans. She wrote me a letter explaining everything to me. My adoptive mom gave it to me last year. She could only keep one of us safe. Guess I was the lucky one.”