Marked by Destiny

by C.M. Owens

  Though he knew that he should leave, he couldn't bring himself to move. He was completely captivated by her as a cheeky grin spread over her full lips and she shoved playfully against the blond sitting beside her. Their ease and obvious affection for each other made it difficult to believe they weren't together.

  "Then who is that boy beside her?" His voice was tense as he grated the words through clenched teeth.

  Melissa glanced toward the table; a lively smile lit her exotic face. "Oh, that's just Chris." He glanced at her in confusion. "They've been friends since they were born, more like siblings actually."

  A startling sense of relief flooded him as he glanced back at the table. Their blond heads were bent close together as they talked. Mark, completely forgotten, shook his head and turned away. "Come on, let's get you some lunch."

  He glanced back at Melissa, not surprised to see her shrewd eyes on him. He shook his head, not at all interested in the mounds of human food. There was only thing he hungered to taste in this cafeteria. "I'm not hungry."

  She nodded and led him over to the table. Chris looked up at him first, his sapphire colored eyes widened as he stopped speaking. Cassie's shoulders stiffened, her back straightened as she seemed to brace herself. Very deliberately, she turned toward him and her eyes clashed with his.

  The full force of her gaze rattled him, shaking him to the very marrow of his bones as he once again felt an odd little skip in the deadened area of his heart. She had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They were a pristine azure blue with flecks of pure, deep purple speckled throughout. In all of his many years, he'd never seen eyes like hers.

  "Cassie, Chris, this is Devon."

  "We were in homeroom too Melissa," Chris reminded her. "Nice to meet you."

  Devon had to force himself to tear his gaze away from Cassie as Chris thrust his hand out. He took hold of it, noting the thick calluses on Chris's palm as they shook firmly. Chris's eyes darkened subtly, his hand tightened around Devon's as his gaze became piercing. His face hardened and the smile slipped away. Melissa took a small step forward as she grasped Chris's shoulder.

  Chris shook his head; his eyes flitted away from Devon to Melissa. Pulling his hand away from Devon's, Chris turned toward Cassie with a slight crease between his brows. Devon stared at them in bewildered confusion, unable to understand what had just happened. For a moment, he could have sworn that Chris had looked inside him, seen something there, and apparently didn't like what he saw.

  Chris slid back in his seat, still frowning as he stared at his tray of food. Devon shook his crazy thoughts off, he didn't care what Chris thought of him. She was the only one that mattered. Cassie was still staring at him, her head tilted to the side as she watched him with wary eyes. She didn't extend a hand, didn't move as he slid into the seat across from her.

  Well, he thought wryly, at least she wasn't bolting like a rabbit again. Melissa dropped her lunch on the table; she dug into her cotton bag as she hummed cheerfully to herself. She seemed happily oblivious to the tension thrumming through them all.

  "Are you going to eat that?"

  Cassie blinked in surprise, looking away from Devon as Chris leaned over her to point at her brownie. She shook her head, her gaze focused on the table as she pushed her tray toward him. Devon watched her for a few moments more, oddly fascinated by the way the light played over her delicate features.

  She was stunningly beautiful, but it was not lust that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. He wanted even more to be near her, and make sure that she was safe. These protective, tender emotions were new to him, and a little disconcerting, but he found that he enjoyed them just the same.

  More students rambled over to them and dropped their trays down. "Man did you see the Sox game last night?" one of the newer arrivals asked Chris.

  "Yeah," Chris mumbled. "Jason, this is Devon."

  Jason was well built; his letterman's jacket was stretched taut over his broad shoulders. Hazel eyes glanced inquisitively at Devon as he gave a brief nod. "Hey," he greeted absently.

  "Hi."

  "And this is Kara, Susan, Billy, and David," Melissa continued, pointing out the four other new people that had joined them.

  The boys nodded to him, the girls stared with open admiration. He could hear the increase of the girl's heartbeats; sense their excitement as their blood pulsed more rapidly through their veins. His hunger perked, but drawing on his rigid self control, he was able to bury it once more. Though he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to keep doing that. Eventually the thirst would take over, and it would be necessary for him to feed. He hoped he would be able to make it through the rest of this strenuous day first.

  "Where are you from?" Susan crossed her hands before her as she leaned forward.

  Devon lifted an eyebrow as he fought a smile. He was from everywhere, but he was sure that they wouldn't appreciate that answer. "New York," he lied easily.

  "Oh really, you don't have an accent. You must hate having to move to this small, nowhere town after such a big place!"

  Melissa and Cassie both sighed heavily, briefly drawing his attention back to them. Cassie's gaze was still focused on her tray, but he could sense her disquiet. "I'm from upstate New York, a town smaller than this one, so it's actually an improvement."

  "Why did you move here?"

  Devon shrugged, he didn't like to lie, but most of his existence was based on one giant lie. "Change of scenery."

  "I hope you're not a Yankee's fan," Jason muttered.

  "I don't really follow sports."

  Cassie's eyes twinkled with amusement as she glanced up at him. "That's great. Maybe I could show you around tonight or something. You know, show you where all the hotspots are," Susan continued eagerly.

  "What hotspots?" Billy retorted irritably.

  Susan glared at him. "There are a few."

  "B's and S's?"

  "The Lookout and Standish beach," she retorted impatiently.

  "Whoopee."

  Susan glared at Billy briefly before focusing her attention back on Devon. "Anyway, if you would like, I'll take you around and show you everything."

  Billy and David shook their heads in disgust; they turned their attention away from Susan as they started talking about football. "Thank you, but I think I'm all set."

  Susan's pretty face fell in disappointment. "Well, if you change your mind let me know."

  He gave her a brisk nod before focusing on Cassie once more. She was watching him silently, her eyes steady and calm as he met her gaze. His heart seemed to lurch again, for a moment he felt it beating forcefully in his chest, and then it was dead once more. Whatever the strange connection between him and this girl was, he didn't think he would ever understand it, much less get used to it.

  He couldn't take his eyes away from her as she lowered her gaze, once again focusing on the table as she dropped her half eaten apple on the tray. The loud ringing of the bell caused everyone to lurch to their feet like Pavlov's dogs. Devon raised an eyebrow at the sign of automatic obedience, but he found himself following suit.

  Her eyes met his again, her hands clenching her tray. There was a sad acceptance in her gaze that he didn't understand, a look of resignation that touched something deep inside him. He longed to ease the aching loneliness he sensed in her.

  Melissa was before him again, amusement radiating from her as she glanced knowingly at Cassie. "What's your next class?" He tore his attention away from Cassie, slipping the well worn schedule from his pocket as he handed it to Melissa. "Oh good, Cassie and I have American history now too."

  Cassie paled visibly as her eyes shot away from them. For a moment it seemed she was going to bolt from the room again. Then, her focus came back to him and a steely resolve descended over her as she nodded briskly. Turning abruptly, she hurried to the nearest trash can and dumped her mostly untouched lunch.

  CHAPTER 5

  Cassie shifted uncomfortably, her entire body felt like a giant walking
bruise. She had taken quite the pounding in training today, pushing herself extra hard in the hopes that the exertion would help to bury all thoughts of Devon. It hadn't worked.

  Cassie rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the lingering tension. The hot water of her shower had helped her to relax some, but not completely. While she dressed then brushed out the tangles in her hair, she listened to the sound of the TV coming from her room.

  Limping a little, she pulled the door open. Chris was sitting Indian style on her bed, his hands folded before him as he leaned toward the TV. The Red Sox were in the race for the playoffs and he was riveted. Cassie shook her head as he groaned loudly and pounded his fist onto the bed. "These guys are killing me!"

  Cassie chuckled as she settled onto the bed beside him. "Is it over?"

  "Might as well be," he muttered.

  Cassie pat his knee reassuringly. "Are you going to stay here tonight?"

  Chris shook his head before rising to his feet. "No, it's pretty peaceful over there and I suppose I should go home once in awhile."

  "I guess," she muttered.

  "Are you going to miss me?" he asked teasingly.

  "Always." Though it was true, Cassie didn't tell him that she didn't want to be alone tonight. If she was alone then she would think, and if she thought, she knew that her thoughts would be centered upon him.

  Cassie shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't want to think about Devon, she wanted to forget his existence entirely, but she knew that was going to be impossible, especially if Chris went home. Unfortunately she couldn't bring herself to ask Chris to stay. He would know something was wrong if she did.

  Swallowing her anxiety, she drew on her pride as Chris swung a leg out her window to take his normal exit from her house. "I'll see you in the morning."

  Cassie nodded as he leapt onto the tree branch and hung for a brief moment before scurrying down the limb hand over hand. His legs wrapped around the trunk as he used the other branches to climb to the ground. She watched as he loped across the street and disappeared through his front door.

  Cassie closed the window most of the way. Hitting the switch, she slipped into bed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep. Staring blankly at the flickering TV she tried to shut her mind down and not think of Devon, but the harder she tried the more she found herself fixated on him.

  Tossing and turning, Cassie finally managed to slip into a restless sleep at almost two in the morning. The moment that she slept, she dreamed of him.

  ***

  Cassie squinted against the daylight and longed for stronger sunglasses. Her eyes were killing her; she was exhausted, twitchy, and extremely agitated. Her skin felt two sizes too small, and the sun was making it prickle like she'd just brushed against a stinging nettle.

  It was going to be a miserable day and she hadn't even made it into the school yet. Rubbing the back of her neck, she eased further into the shadows of the giant oak overhanging Chris's Mustang. "Are you ok?" She glanced over at Melissa and nodded as she hugged her books to her chest. "Cassie…"

  Melissa's voice trailed off as a hush settled over the student body. The tingling sensation of her skin increased tenfold, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned and her eyes instantly latched onto the sleek black Challenger that moved past. Her heart turned over and her mouth went dry. She knew instantly who was behind the wheel, even though the tinted windows were too dark to get a glimpse of the driver.

  "Wow." Chris's eyes were so large that Cassie was certain they were about to pop out of his head.

  Cassie pressed her back against the oak tree, trying to make herself invisible. Memories of her dreams from last night suddenly assaulted her, flooding her body with heat and made her skin crawl even more. Though the dreams had just been bits and pieces of him standing by B's and S's watching her, they had left her aching for more.

  She watched breathlessly, her heart hammering loudly in her chest as the car slid into a parking spot and Devon climbed out. Though he wore dark sunglasses, she knew the moment when his gaze locked onto hers. Her legs went weak and her body turned to rubber as she felt his gaze burning into her. Cassie was unable to move as she stared back at him. She felt like a fool for being caught staring, no gaping at him, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

  His gaze was torn from her as Marcy and Susan eagerly hurried over to him. Cassie slumped against the tree as she fought to catch her breath and ease the pounding of her heart. She was shaking, trembling like a leaf as the affects of his gaze took its toll. Chris was staring at her questioningly, an eyebrow lifted in surprise.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  Cassie shook her head as she tried not to completely fall apart. "Nothing."

  He continued to stare at her, but thankfully Jason and Kara picked that moment to arrive and distract him from her present state. The game was discussed, plans were made, but Cassie barely heard any of it. Unwillingly, her gaze returned to Devon. He was still standing by the car, but he now had a large group of female admirers surrounding him.

  Cassie's heart lurched as jealousy filled her. There was some strange connection between them (or at least she believed so), but it was more than apparent that he could have his choice of any of the girls, and that none of them were avoiding him as much as Cassie was. Her annoyance mounted as Marcy touched his arm, grinning cheerfully as her hand lingered far longer than Cassie liked. All she craved was to know what he felt like, and now Marcy did.

  "He is wicked hot," Kara gushed from beside her.

  Cassie started in surprise; she had been so focused on Devon that she hadn't realized Kara had moved to stand beside her. "Who?" she managed to croak out, knowing full well who Kara was talking about.

  Kara grinned at her. "The new guy, the one you're staring at."

  Cassie shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't realized that she had been so overt in her ogling. "Um yeah, he's ok," she hedged.

  Kara laughed as she flung her backpack higher on her shoulder and Melissa moved over to join them. "Would you like to go over there with me?" Kara inquired.

  Cassie fervently shook her head. "No."

  Kara shrugged. "Suit yourself."

  Kara slipped away to join the growing group of eager girls throwing themselves at Devon. "You ok?" Melissa asked softly.

  Cassie nodded, though she knew it was a lie. "I'm going to head inside."

  "I'll go with you."

  Cassie moved away from the tree and winced as she stepped into the harsh rays of the sun. She could almost feel her skin burning, her eyes watered as she squinted against the bright light. She gave Devon a wide berth, but she could feel his eyes following her as she hurried toward the shelter of the school.

  It was going to be another tiresome day and she wasn't at all prepared for it.

  CHAPTER 6

  Though he sat at her lunch table again, Cassie didn't return to it. In fact, she didn't even come into the cafeteria, for three days in a row. He was growing impatient and aggravated with her. While every other girl in the school was throwing themselves at him, she was doing her best to avoid him at every turn.

  Now, finally, she was back in the cafeteria. He watched as she walked through the crowd with an ease and grace that was both captivating and amazing. She was unable to move fast as it seemed like everyone wanted her attention. Though she spoke with everyone, and smiled kindly, he could sense her impatience. He was just as impatient as she was. He wanted her over here, with him, where he could finally try and talk to her again.

  He slid into the chair that had become his, and tapped his finger impatiently on the table as he waited for Cassie to reappear. People slid in around him, and though they talked to him, he barely acknowledged them as his gaze remained focused on the wall she had disappeared behind. He still didn't understand why he was so enthralled with this girl, but he was. He dreamed of her every night, haunting dreams that left him shaken and unfulfilled in the morning. He longed to know what she would really
feel like in his arms, not just what her ghostly dream image felt like.

  "Hello," he glanced over at Marcy, giving her a brief nod as she slid into the seat next to him and leaned in annoyingly close.

  Devon knew he had a large group of admirers now; there was nothing he could do about that, but Marcy was by far the most persistent and overt. She moved closer to him, and her small hand dropped onto his arm. Cocking an eyebrow pointedly at her hand, he grappled not to lose his patience with the clingy girl.

  She chose to completely ignore the impatience rolling off of him in waves. "Are you going to come to B's and S's tonight?"

  Devon glanced back at where Cassie had disappeared. He hadn't been back to the restaurant since he'd first seen her. She hadn't returned there either in the past three nights, choosing instead to go to Melissa's house with Chris. He found himself more than a little pathetic for knowing that fact, but for some reason he was determined to make sure that she was safe.

  He tried to convince himself that his behavior was reasonable, but he knew in his heart that he was bordering on becoming an obsessive stalker. He barely recognized himself anymore and it was a brutal realization to know that one girl could make him become something he never thought he could be. Then again, it had been another girl that had completely changed him in a way he'd never expected before also.

  However Cassie was an exceptional girl, she was a unicorn, he realized with a start as she reemerged from the lunch line. She was a rare, never imagined find, but one that he was never going to release again.

  Her smile was easy and cheerful as she conversed with the girls by her side. He'd only known her for a few days, but he'd come to realize that she was never alone. There was always someone by her side, demanding her attention. It was an annoying fact, especially when she was so giving of her time with them, while she ignored and avoided the hell out of him.

  Mark honed in on her like a missile on its target. Devon's senses went on high alert as he felt an undercurrent of annoyed impatience running through the boy. Mark arrived at Cassie's side and touched her elbow to gain her attention.

  She took a small step back as she turned toward him. Anger rolled through Devon as Mark moved closer to her. Using his height as an intimidation factor, he bent over her. Cassie's eyes narrowed sternly, her shoulders straightened as she tilted her chin up proudly. Though Devon was impressed by her show of strength and defiance, he also wished that she would simply back away. He sensed an instability within Mark that worried him, he knew that the boy would crack if pushed, and Cassie seemed determined to push him away.