by Dave Ferraro
Torin’s sleep had been restless. When he awoke, his sheets were in a tangle around him and he was damp with perspiration. The closer he got to the change, the harder it was to sleep through the night. For weeks he had tried to at least get in three or four hours, but sleep eluded him until the early hours of the morning.
Had he really dreamed of her again? Her skin was soft and her long caramel hair felt like silk when it ran through his fingers. It was her eyes, a deep green with flecks of gold, which struck him – they had the power to keep him dreaming of her.
Frustrated, he climbed out of bed and looked at himself in the mirror. He was only eighteen, though he knew he looked much older. He was muscled and lean, with defined broad shoulders and a mature face framed by his dark, chestnut hair. His blue eyes seemed more acute every day and his hearing amplified. Full of power, he was becoming the hunter he was meant to be.
Braden, who was the oldest by six months, had already made the change and he said it was the best possible pain you could ever imagine. Torin doubted he would turn out as well as his cousin. Braden did not look much different on the outside, maybe taller with more build, but Torin could see the evolution in his mood, gait, and speed. Although their elders, including Torin’s father, were exceptional themselves – it was as if his cousin had discovered an untouched energy source that was more impressive than any of them anticipated.
After a few short months, Braden was already hunting with Donovan and the others. Braden was one of Torin’s closest friends. He always knew that when it came time for Braden to make the change, his cousin wouldn’t give into the temptation to follow the darkness. Even during the final phase, when it was hardest to resist, he knew Braden would master his blood thirst.
Torin simply wished that he had the same confidence in himself and his younger cousins, Cian and Teagan. The three of them were so different from Braden. The eldest was a natural born leader from the time they were young up until they graduated from the small private school their parents had them attend in Nova Scotia.
Torin didn’t share Braden’s enthusiasm over what and who they were. He hated that he had no control over his future and that he could just cease to exist without thoughts and desires, living only to hurt others. His entire life he was forced to remain distant from outsiders, pretending to be something he wasn’t, with only his cousins and family to turn to. Now that he was eighteen, the finality of the change would be coming over him and once again, he would be restricted to the caged life his ancestors imprisoned him in.
What Torin could not understand was why he was dreaming of her. It went against the order of things. She exuded innocence and kindness, so different than how he felt inside. Every time she touched him, he could feel his own body ease and meld into hers.
Anger began to simmer just under his skin – maybe it was a cruel guise and she was going to be his downfall. After all, it always ended the same way. She ran to him with such readiness, without any alarm and just after he embraces her, she screams in horror…Maybe he will feed on her and unleash his own damnation.
If she knew what I was capable of, she would run in horror, all right.
He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. No time for trying to find sleep now. She was out there somewhere awakening to the sun streaming through her windows. He wondered if she thought of him during those first few moments of consciousness, confused as to why she was dreaming of him, too.
Maybe she will think of me today.
Torin gathered his clothes from his closet and headed to the shower. He might as well make good use of what was left of his time. It would be his turn to face his fate soon enough. He would see if his fate was fixed, or if he could control his destiny.
He didn’t want to hurt her – he just wanted some of her gentleness in his life. If she was his, he could hear the ring of her laughter and learn what she found exciting. He would spend eternity discovering if being with her for real was as wonderful as his imagination, or better.
The dream’s ending still bothered him. He couldn’t harm her though, as much as the dream left him cautious. Besides, if he fed on anyone, then Braden and the others would have to hunt him down and kill him. He felt sick with dread just thinking of it. If that time came, he would try to find the ones already cursed to darkness and kill a few of them first.
Chapter Three: Fate Fixed
LEXIE