Cursed by Fate

by Renee Shearer

  Shit had to have been bad. Epic proportions bad.

  Roman’s stomach gave a lurch of its own, as if it wanted to join Mateo in the puking department.

  “It was bad, Aiden. Really bad,” Mateo said shakily, “What that bastard did to her… If she hadn’t killed him already, I would track him down and tear him apart.” Mateo’s voice firmed the more he talked.

  “Can you tell us?” Roman asked quietly.

  “He had her…”

  “No!” Jess interrupted, stepping forward, her eyes pissed and her jaw firm. “It’s not your place to tell them! It’s bad enough you know. She’ll be mortified Mat. You can’t do that to her. If you ever want her to trust you, then you need to keep your mouth shut about this.”

  Roman thought Mateo was going to ignore her and continue, but then he nodded his head once.

  “You’re right Jess, it is not my story to tell.” Mateo let out a tired breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “No, it’s mine.” They all whirled around when Ariana’s voice sounded from the hallway. She looked exhausted and in pain. Roman’s Dark magic that could cause so much harm, reached out to Ari to caress and comfort her instead. Now that was just fucking weird. Why would it do that?

  Thirteen

  Ariana

  Ariana stopped in the hallway to get her bearings, leaning against the wall for support. She was shaking, and her throat felt dry. Ariana was having a hard time swallowing. She couldn’t relive that again dammit! She had never told anyone about her second attack, not even her father. Only her aunt knew, and that was because she didn’t know who else to call. Ariana had been a scared and weak seventeen-year-old. She had just killed a man, and there was no way she could call the police. They would have locked her up—at least that’s what she thought at the time.

  “You’re right, Jess, it is not my story to tell.” She heard Mateo say, and knew the time of reckoning had come. It was time to tell someone of her one and only evil deed. Ariana firmed her jaw in determination; it was time to stop being a coward.

  She pushed off the wall and stepped into the living room. “No, it’s mine.” She made sure to keep her voice even and pitched low so they wouldn’t notice the tremor.

  “Ariana, you don’t have to.” Jess came to her defense. Shaking her head and smiling softly as she sighed, Ariana couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have Jess in her life.

  Jess had come into their lives at the perfect time. It had been just over two weeks since they had moved from Michigan, wanting to escape and start fresh where no one knew her. She had run there after the incident in Montana, but somehow one of her neighbors had found out about her past. He had made advances on her, thinking because she was a single nineteen-year-old with two kids that she was easy. Ariana had made a point of showing him how wrong he was before she left with the girls. After that, Ariana had promised Avery they wouldn’t move again for a while. Ariana thought they could disappear in the Windy City and finally stop running. There were so many people here and most of them were too self-absorbed to care about one lone female with two small children. Jess had seen Ariana struggling to lift both Zoey and groceries up the stairs the one and only time the elevator was ever down. She offered to help, and just started chatting away. Not asking Ariana any questions, just mostly talking about her life and how she was a student even though she was twenty-seven. When they made it to Ariana’s door, she was pleasantly surprised to see that Jess lived across the hall. Ariana hadn’t seen her before now, but with Jess’ odd hours and Ariana’s own late hours, that wasn’t a surprise. They became friends over the course of a couple of months. When Ariana had asked Jess if she could watch the girls while Ariana was at work, Jess didn’t even bat an eye.

  Ariana looked at Jess and the rest of them individually with steel in her eyes and her back ramrod straight. “It’s time Jess. You all should know my greatest shame…”

  Stalking towards her, his face a mask of rage, Mateo gritted out, “You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of Ari! Why would you even say that? After what…”

  Cutting him off with a shake of her head she said, “You’ll learn why if you just calm down. Now have a seat. I’ll be back in a jiff.”

  “Where are you going?” Roman asked, not seeming the slightest bit upset or angry over anything. He certainly was a cool one. Almost like ice.

  “I need coffee,” she replied with a shrug. It was no big deal for her to drink coffee at midnight. She ran on nothing but caffeine and sass most days.

  “Coffee? Do you really think that’s wise?” The man actually had the balls to ask her this. Ariana was stunned. One just did not ask someone if it was wise for them to have coffee. No matter what time of the day or night it was. It was bad form as far as she was concerned.

  Narrowing her eyes, she gave him her best mom death look. “Do you have a death wish, Roman?” At least the man had the good sense to appear uncomfortable at her question.

  “Uh… No, pretty sure I don’t.”

  “Then do not ever ask me again if coffee is wise. Coffee is always on the menu!”

  As she stomped away, Mateo whistled. “Damn she takes that shit seriously, huh?”

  Jess snorted. “You have no idea, buddy. No idea.”

  Grinning now, and feeling a lot steadier, Ariana went about the business of making the best damn drink in the world. No one and nothing got between her and coffee. Chuckling, she admitted to herself that she just might have a slight problem. But so what, there were worst habits out there. With what Ariana had gone through, she was actually mildly surprised that she hadn’t ended up at the bottom of the bottle. Or even worse, hooked on drugs. Ariana had her daughters to thank for that.

  Deciding to at least offer them the choice of having some, she made up a tray of everything you could ever need for coffee. Reluctantly, she poured five cups. Ariana was a tad stingy with her coffee and didn’t really like to share. Knowing one cup was not going to be enough, she started another pot.

  It was going to be a long night.

  Aiden

  Smiling softly at Ariana’s instance that she needed coffee before they talked, Aiden sat on the couch. He shook his head at Roman when the man went to go sit in Ariana’s favorite chair. The man really did have a death wish. Aiden chuckled to himself. Listening to the comforting sounds of Ariana bustling around the kitchen while she muttered to herself, he felt his shoulders unwind.

  When he had seen Mateo fall to the floor after laying Ariana’s unconscious form on the couch, he’d had felt like someone had sucker punched him. Aiden considered Mateo to be like a brother, and Ariana was swiftly getting under his skin. No thanks to his wolf, who was all but clawing to get out and rub against her.

  Shaking his head to dispel where those thoughts would go, he focused on the matter at hand. “Rogue, what did you sense about the Mage who cast the spell?” Aiden nodded his head towards the box. “And what the hell was in it?”

  Warily, Mateo walked to the box in question. Aiden didn’t blame the man one bit. Mateo’s pallor was still washed out and his hands shook slightly, so whatever the fuck happened during the spell was bad. Aiden made the decision then and there that no matter what Ariana said, no matter how hard she fought him on this, Aiden was taking her and the girls someplace safe. No if’s, and’s, or butts about it. Glancing towards the kitchen to make sure Ariana was still in the there, he brought up the Professor’s number.

  “Don’t you dare, Aiden!” Ariana shouted. Damn the woman and her mind reading voodoo shit. He got enough of that with Mateo.

  “Dare what Ariana?” He tried playing the innocent card, but by the glare she tossed his way as she came back in carrying a tray, he didn’t think it was working.

  “You know exactly what I mean, Aiden. Don’t try and pull that crap with me.”

  “Fine, I won’t.” He huffed and stood to help her. Ariana was having none of that and hissed at him, gracefully setting the tray down.

  She snatched her already
made cup of her blessed brew as he calmly asked her, “What do you expect me, us, to do? Stand by and watch you run? Should we hold the door for you as you streak by with your girls in tow? Why do you keep running when you are obviously a strong fighter?”

  “Why?” she asked incredulously, she took a deep breath, then sighed. “Because, Aiden, I made a promise to myself that I would NEVER let violence enter my children’s world like it did mine. I would keep them safe and protect them from anything that may harm them. No matter what I had to do.”

  “I get that, but running is not accomplishing that Ariana. All you’re doing is dragging it with you. You have to stand up and fight bad shit head on. Otherwise, it grows and festers and consumes your life. You’ll never be free that way.” He made sure to speak calmly and without heat. She still exploded on him, slamming her coffee down and almost breaking her cup.

  “Do you think this is fucking easy for me, asshole? Do you think I like dragging my kids around the damn country? No, I don’t. But their safety means everything to me! Everything! Do you hear me? I will sacrifice anything I have to, to make sure those two precious angels stay safe!” She started to break down, tears tracing paths down her cheeks unheeded. “I need them to stay safe and alive! They are the reason I breathe, the reason I get up in the morning. They are the ONLY reason I am still living in this godforsaken shithole of a world.”

  “What?” Roman snapped. Growling, he demanded, “Explain woman. How are they the only reason you’re here?”

  “Geeze Ro, could you be any more of an ass?” Jess asked, smirking at Roman.

  Aiden gently asked her, “Would you please explain that Ariana?”

  “After my attack the first time when I was fourteen, I ended up pregnant. Much to my father’s disappointment and anger I kept Avery,” Ariana explained tiredly, her shoulders drooping, and her eyes resigned. Aiden hated that she had to go over this again. But they had no choice. They had to figure out who was behind this. And why it seemed as if Avery had powers.

  “He held me for six hours in a dirty basement. Where he… well, do I really need to spell it out?” When they all shook their heads, Ariana continued. Aiden knew he couldn’t listen to what had been done to her in detail. If he did, he would lose all semblance of control and lash out.

  “I was in the hospital for six weeks recovering. When they tried to get me to take a morning after pill, I lashed out and screamed no at the doctors,” Ariana said with fierce determination in her eyes. Aiden couldn’t have been prouder of her.

  “How did you manage to get out of there?” he questioned.

  Ariana laughed bitterly. “The dumb fuck didn’t plant one of the stakes properly and with all of my struggling it had come loose. So, when he left I was able to wiggle it out.”

  “Okay, sorry to interrupt. Please continue.” Aiden spoke softly in the quiet room. No one else wanted to break the silence, and he didn’t blame them. He barely wanted to break it, but he needed to know.

  “Anyways, my father told the doctor to force me to get rid of the baby.”

  There were gasps all around Aiden, but he couldn’t gasp. Aiden wasn’t even sure if he was breathing. How the fuck could a father do that to a child? Okay yeah, he could see it, her father probably wanted to save her the embarrassment or something. That notion was quickly swept away with her next words.

  “He couldn’t handle the scandal my attack would bring to his campaign. My father was running for the state senate.” Aiden clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to pummel the guy, and he had never met him.

  Fourteen

  Ariana

  Ariana picked up her coffee and took a quick swallow to fortify herself. This was a hell of a lot harder than she thought it would be. Ariana had thought that she could just repeat the facts, keep her distance so she wouldn’t break down. But as she noticed her shaking hands, she realized that just wasn’t possible.

  “Why though, Ari? Why would you keep the baby? Wouldn’t that remind you every day of the attack?” Mateo asked her. Ariana pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side. They just didn’t get it. How could they not see why she had kept her?

  “Yes, it did as a matter of fact. But not in the way you think, Mateo.”

  At the confused looks on their faces, she released a huge sigh. Why was it that no one could ever fathom an assault victim keeping a child conceived from that act of violence unleashed on their bodies?

  “Avery reminds me every day of what I survived,” she stressed to them. “I was in so much darkness when that monster had me. I was in so much pain, you couldn’t even begin to imagine. When they said I needed to take a pill because I could have gotten pregnant, a switch flipped for me. I somehow knew that I already was. Suddenly, there was light in my darkness. A way for me to climb back out of the fucking sinkhole I was in. A reason to fight. Avery was all of that for me, and still is to this day. When I chose to fight and not give up, this… this warmth filled me, and a blue flame engulfed my hands.”

  Ariana gazed around the room. What were they thinking? That she was weak? She was far from it. That she was stupid? Again, not even close. Ariana decided she didn’t give a damn what they thought.

  Liar, liar pants on fire! An internal voice said in her mind.

  Oh, shut up you! Ariana snapped back

  Great! Now I’ve really gone off the deep end arguing with myself, yep I’ve finally cracked.

  Shaking her head to snap out of it. She refocused on the room. Crap, they were all focused on her. Did they know of her internal debate? Sneaking a look at Mateo from under her lashes she blushed. Mateo had heard, if his smirk was anything to go by. Ariana squirmed in her chair, damn that man was just so fine.

  “Well? Stop fucking looking at me like I’m some kind of miracle! Talk someone!” she snapped. Ariana really didn’t like being the center of attention.

  “The blue flame? That was your Light magic wasn’t it?” Jess asked.

  Ariana nodded, then sighed. Might as well as get the rest of it over with she thought. “My family line was apparently cursed a little over five hundred years ago, Jess. In order for there to be another All-Seeing Eye to bring balance to the world, a female would have to undergo three trials. The first to break the spirit, the second to break the body and the third to break the mind. If I pass all of them, then the curse is broken. After each trial I pass, I gain some of the abilities of my ancestors back.”

  “How many have you passed?” Aiden asked curiously

  “Two. The scene Mateo just saw was the second one.”

  “What abilities do you have already then?” Mateo asked with a gleam in his eye.

  “Well… I have Light magic, though I am not very adept at it yet. I have what you all are calling Fae abilities, and I can shift into any animal I want. Plus, my ability to see the past and present,” Ariana responded with a smirk at seeing everyone’s jaw drop.

  “So, what other abilities are left then?” Jess queried.

  Ariana shrugged. “See the Future.”

  “Dark magic,” Roman grumbled. “You would get Dark magic as well.”

  Cocking her head to the side, she studied Roman. He seemed put together and calm, but looking into his eyes she noticed an unrest there. He was not as in control as he would have everyone believe. Sneaking a glance at his hands, she noticed they were clenched into fists. Roman had really nice hands. Her mind started to wander away again. It seemed she couldn’t stay focused on anything when any of the guys were around. Ariana could see in her mind the way it would be with Roman. He seemed the type to like to dominate, and she didn’t know how that made her feel. She had been dominated. Ariana shivered; it wasn’t something she was likely to repeat, even if it would be for fun.

  Suddenly, Katy Perry’s song Rise started to play in her head. Ariana had risen from the madness and chaos, she had proved everyone wrong. She had transformed herself into someone who was caring, and kind, even if she was a bit of a smart ass at times. But she hadn’t let what happ
ened to her dictate how her life would go… except for the running away every time something she didn’t like happened. Maybe it was time to stop running and start taking back her life completely. It was time she stood up for herself and her daughters. But if she did that she would be breaking her vow of never letting violence into their lives. So, what should she do? Fight and break her own promise to herself? Or flee and break her promise to Avery.

  Her internal debate was interrupted when Aiden cleared his throat. “What about the second attack, Ari?”

  Ariana shuddered. She really hated going over this one, it was by far the worst. But she supposed if they were to help her, if she did stay and fight like they all wanted her to, then she would need to tell them.

  Shit this was gonna be hard.

  Taking a long gulp of her coffee, feeling the caffeine hit her system and give her the much-needed jolt to her tired and worn-down body, she took a deep breath and forged on even though her heart was racing out of control. “He had me for three days that time. It was way worse than the first. I had noticed the first time that he got off more when I screamed. I had watched a lot of Criminal Minds since the first attack and knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to get it up if I didn’t scream. And I didn’t, not for two days. But the night of the second day he started cutting me and pouring salt into the cuts. Ever had that done to you? Let me tell you it hurts like a fucking bitch. I couldn’t hold back my screams.