Destiny Awaits Page 8

  “Thank you Alayna. I’d like to think I had a hand in sculpting him to be the man you’ve come to know but he has done most of the work on his own. Even as a young boy he had a big heart, always went out of his way to help people. But he never allowed anyone to get close to him, not that many haven’t tried over the years. You are the first woman that has truly captured his heart. Jayden is lucky to have found you.” Running the brush through my hair one last time, she placed the brush on the vanity. “Thank you for allowing me to brush your hair. I hope it wasn’t awkward for you.”

  “Not at all. Thank you. It is nice to have a motherly figure around. Can I ask you something?” I asked as I stood and headed towards the bedroom, unable to face Sofia with my question.

  “Anything.”

  I walked over to my dresser and picked up a book of matches. Striking the red tip I held it to a lavender scented candle. “Is Olivia okay?”

  Sofia laughed as she sat on my bed. “I wondered when you would ask about her. I’ll go with you if you want to see for yourself.”

  “I’d rather not. I’m not sure I can face everyone just yet. There are so many reasons why I shouldn’t care about Olivia but I just can’t help but wonder what I’ve done to her. I know that I was prepared to fight her but it doesn’t seem fair that I won by default and why? Just because my blood is poisonous?” I tried to still the shivers that overcame me.

  “Look Alayna, first of all your blood isn’t poison. It is just different and there is nothing wrong with that. We all knew going into the battle that you were at a disadvantage and I won’t sit here and allow you to criticize how you won. Powerful blood or not, you had the courage to stand up to Olivia and fought for what you wanted and that is something to be proud of.”

  “I know you are right,” I said sitting on the bed near Sofia, pulling my legs up in front of me. “Once she had my throat in her mouth I was terrified. All I could think was that I was letting Jayden down by not winning. But you haven’t answered my question. Is Olivia okay?” I searched her eyes for an answer and was relieved to see a grin on her face.

  “She will be fine. It appears that the effect your blood had on her was only temporary. She woke up just before I came in here. It took her a few tries but she was able to shift and that will help heal whatever injuries may have been caused by being forced back into her human form.”

  I sighed with relief. “I’m glad that her human side wasn’t permanent. I don’t know if I would be able to handle knowing that I stole the shifter from her.”

  “That is understandable. On the bright side, you won the battle.” Her smile was genuine and she patted my knee. “The Clan will now be able to protect you and aid you when needed. Not to mention that you have laid claim to Jayden,” Sofia said, winking at me and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

  “I don’t mean to be a bad hostess but I don’t think I’m comfortable with Olivia staying here anymore. Would it be okay for her to stay somewhere else?”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. Her ego is too wounded right now and I’m sure she will go off somewhere to lick her wounds. You have no idea how glad I am that you won Alayna!” The sudden raise in her voice startled me. “It was about time someone gave her a taste of her own medicine. Oh, and a little birdie told me that it’s your birthday.”

  “Isn’t it weird to refer to a panther as a little birdie?” I let my laughter burst from my chest and Sofia quickly joined in. After our girly laughter had begun to subside, Sofia wiped at the tears forming in her eyes.

  “I see your point. Maybe it was a bad metaphor. The point is that I would really like to celebrate it with you. I was thinking we could have a small get together tomorrow, sort of like a cook out around lunch time. Would that be okay with you?”

  “There really isn’t any need to throw me a party, honestly. I’ve never really liked being the center of attention and there has been plenty of that already.”

  “Come on Alayna, please? It would mean so much to me.” Something made me think that the expression that Sofia was now giving me had been used several times over the years to get her what she wanted.

  “You’re not going to let me say no are you?”

  “Of course not, but it was only polite to ask.” She laughed and stood up, smoothing down her blouse.

  After a few moments of silence I answered, “I don’t even know if we have everything for a cook out tomorrow.”

  “You don’t worry about that. I’ll handle everything. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go check in and see if there are any new updates. I’ll let them know that you are going to head on to bed.” She smiled and turned towards the door.

  “Thank you Sofia, for everything.” I smiled and watched as she gave a quick wave and headed down the hall.

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  Chapter Nine

  I was still too pumped up from the events of the night to sleep and so I decided that I would clean up my room instead. Whenever I found myself stressed I would often turn to cleaning, taking my worries out on unsuspecting dirt and dust bunnies. After picking up stray pieces of clothing and putting them in the hamper, I took a damp rag and walked around dusting off the furniture the best I could. Wiping down the mantle, I realized that the beautiful flowers that once graced the crystal vase were brown and brittle. Taking the vase to the bathroom, I placed the dead flowers in the trashcan and put the vase in the sink to remove the slimy water line that had formed on the inside of the jar. I turned on the hot water and allowed the vase to fill, swirling the water around to help break loose any leftover flower debris. I quickly turned off the water as my mother’s face peered at me from the center of the vase.

  My heart tightened at the sight of her, remembering the beautiful smile that was on her face as we sat together on the beach. I searched my memory for the moment in time that the vision showed me. Mother and I sat on the beach watching the sun sink below the horizon, streaking the sky with vivid shades of magenta, violet and tangerine. Seagulls cried above us, no doubt asking if we had any more bread left for them. Mother asked me if I had been having any more visions. I told her about the recurring one that I had because I was unsure what to make of it. There were no clues that I could find as the entire vision only consisted of one thing: a striking young boy, maybe around my age, with emerald eyes that seemed to call to me. I had been seeing the same emerald eyes since I was young and even at the age of fifteen, the vision had not evolved to anything more.

  Mother smiled and wrapped her arm around me pulling me close. She placed a tender kiss on the top of my head and said that I would understand one day, that I would see those eyes when I was ready and the boy that they belonged to. She said no matter what happened I needed to keep myself pure so that my body could accept the changes it needed in order for my visions to reach their true potential. I remembered pulling away from her warmth and asking her what she meant by staying pure and she only laughed and said I was too young to understand. Without my hands to stabilize the vase, it rolled onto its side and the vision disappeared down the drain with the water. Could Jayden really be the boy I had been seeing in visions my whole life? I knew there was something about his eyes when we first met. Recalling a later conversation with my mother, I remembered how I felt when she explained what remaining pure meant. She assured me that she had already seen my future and that she was confident that I wouldn’t have any trouble with it because there was only one person that my heart would allow in.

  I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. I couldn’t believe that I had locked away those memories but they all made sense now. As all of my friends in high school had boyfriends and experienced uncharted territory, I had never felt the need to try and impress boys. Sure I liked having their attention and receiving compliments but I never let their advances lead anywhere. My entire life I searched for the man in my visions, the one that would capture me and hold me entranced with those eyes. “How could I have not seen it
before?” I asked to the silence.

  “Saw what before?” Jayden asked from the doorway.

  Startled, I laughed and grabbed a nearby towel and began drying the vase. “Oh, just that I needed to get some fresh flowers. The other ones died a few days ago.” I brushed past Jayden into the bedroom and positioned the vase in its original resting place.

  “Come sit with me?” Jayden asked and plopped down on the bed, bracing his back with the headboard.

  I climbed onto the bed and snuggled against him, resting my head on his shoulder. A smile spread across my face as his strong arm wrapped around me and rested on my hip.

  “How are you feeling?” He asked, placing a gentle kiss on my head.

  “I’m okay. I mean I still can’t really believe what happened but I’m glad it turned out the way it did. It could have ended up so much worse.” I shivered and Jayden pulled me closer to his body.

  “I’m glad it played out how it did. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.”

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I laughed and playfully jabbed his abs.

  “Hey now, I would never want to get rid of you.”

  “Good. So has anything new happened? Your mom was telling me that Olivia not being able to shift was only temporary.”

  “Yeah, she returned to her ice queen self. She grabbed her suitcase and tore out of here like a bat out of Hell.”

  “I told your mom that I would feel better if she could stay someplace else. I don’t expect that she would be able to act like a civilized adult and I don’t want to be watching for her over my back all day. Plus, knowing her, she would probably try to get back at me by going after you.”

  The laugh that rumbled from Jayden’s chest was loud and joyous. “I don’t think you would have to worry about that Alayna. Olivia never stood a chance. Even if I had never met you, I still would have turned her down. I couldn’t be with someone who is filled with so much hate.”

  “Maybe she just puts up the tough exterior as a way to protect herself?” I asked, contemplating the differences between Olivia and myself.

  “It may have started out that way but then the hate just took over. It is sad if you really think about it.”

  “Yeah I guess.”

  “So, what all did you and my mother talk about? After she talked to you she was all giddy and said something about needing to get started on the planning. You know what that was about?”

  I groaned at the idea of the party. “Ugh. She has it in her head that she must throw me a birthday lunch tomorrow, something about cooking out. I tried talking her out of it but apparently it got me nowhere.”

  “You will learn to just go along with what she wants. It is much easier than trying to fight her on it. Plus, she loves a good cook out.”

  “I just don’t know what the big deal is. I don’t need to celebrate being another year older. I’m just happy to have survived the fight and as far as I’m concerned, my birthday wish has already came true.”

  “What did you wish for?” Jayden asked.

  “I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”

  “Is that right? You know I have ways of making you tell me right?”

  “Nope. Not going to work.”

  Jayden removed his hand from my hip and pulled away from me. Turning to face me, he grabbed my legs and gently pulled me down the bed. Then lying on his side next to me, he propped up on one elbow as he stared into my eyes. “You sound so confident.” His husky voice sent chills over my body.

  “I…I am,” I stammered, unable to take my eyes away from his hand that was now slowly pulling my shirt up to expose my bare stomach.

  Teasing the scar that twisted around my abdomen with his fingertips, Jayden slowly worked his way up the scar. “You’re shaking,” he whispered as he captured me in his emerald eyes.

  “Am I?” I mumbled, my breath catching in my throat as Jayden lowered his head and placed a trail of soft kisses as he worked his way up my stomach. Each delicate kiss added fuel to the fire that was now alive and burning in my core. Pulling away from me, Jayden tugged the hem of my shirt over my head and discarded it on the floor.

  “Are you going to tell me what your birthday wish was yet?” Jayden asked, allowing his hand to graze the flesh between my breasts.

  Clearing my throat I tried to push away the fog that was quickly clouding my head. Taking a quick breath, I rushed to get my sentence out before I changed my mind. “I’ll never tell.”

  “Hmm. We’ll see about that.” Leaning close to my body, Jayden’s warm breath caressed my skin causing goose bumps to appear on the surface. My breath caught in my throat when his lips met the sensitive skin of each breast and worked their way up my chest where they nuzzled my neck.

  My body shivered in delight with every touch, each tender kiss. “Okay.”

  “Okay what?” Jayden asked while he pulled away to look at me.

  “Okay I’ll tell you.”

  “I knew you would.” His mischievous gaze brought a smile to my face. I was completely under his spell and he was fully aware of the power he held over me.

  “If you must know, I wished for you to be mine.” Staring deep in his eyes I looked upon the man who had single handedly captured my heart and soul.

  Jayden sat up and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. His lips met mine, his tongue teasing mine searching for entry. I clung to him, my hands wrapped around his neck as I opened my mouth to him. The room fell away, sparks filling my head while Jayden and I explored each other. The denim of Jayden’s jeans tightened against my inner thigh and my body ached for his. Willing myself to pull away from Jayden, my heart raced as I gasped for air.

  “I think there is something that you should know,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

  “Okay,” Jayden mumbled as he began to nuzzle my neck again.

  “I haven’t…ummm…I…” I stammered.

  “What is it?” Jayden asked, a brief look of concern flashing in his eyes.

  I inhaled a deep breath and prepared to tell him my intimate secret. “I’ve never been with anyone before.” I glanced at the bed blushing.

  “That’s a good thing Alayna.” He laughed and rubbed small circles on my lower back.

  “There’s more.” Jayden’s sweet scent filled my nostrils and I began to lose focus. Summoning all of the strength I possessed, I climbed out of Jayden’s lap and leaned against the head board. Following my lead, Jayden laid beside me while awaiting my answer.

  “You already know that I have visions but what you don’t know…” I took another deep breath before continuing, “is that I’ve been seeing you my whole life.”

  “You have?” Jayden asked, obviously interested in what I had to say.

  “Yes. When I was a little girl I kept seeing you, mostly just your eyes, in visions. I never knew what it meant. There was never anything else but the vision kept returning year after year. Then my mother told me that I couldn’t give myself to any man other than the one I kept seeing. She said that there would be a time that my body would be tested and would need to be pure in order to accept the changes.” I grabbed the corner of the blanket and began twisting it between my fingers.

  “Did she tell you what the changes would be?”

  “No. Just that I would know once it happened. But I’ve been thinking and I feel like maybe that is why I survived the attack. My heart recognized you as my other half and so it would make sense that it would also recognize your blood. When you transfused some of your blood with mine to save me, my body began to absorb it and since Gavin’s blood was already in my system, it was absorbed by default.”

  “That is an interesting theory. I can see where that would make sense. It would also help explain why from the very first time I laid eyes on you, I knew that you had to be mine.”

  Tears formed in my eyes as I gazed at the man I loved. My father always said everything happens for a reason and maybe Jayden was the good that resulted from the accide
nt. I never would have found him if I had stayed in my old life. Jayden was my new life now and I would do anything to keep it that way. My heart would forever be broken from the loss of my parents but Jayden was the glue that held the pieces together.

  “Don’t cry babe, it’s okay.” Jayden wiped at the tears that had slipped from the corners of my eyes.

  I laughed. “I can’t help it. They are tears of joy.”

  “You know you didn’t have to tell me what your wish was. I was just using it as an excuse to tease you.” Jayden winked at me, placing his warm palm on my leg.

  “I know but it was okay for me to tell you because it had already come true.”

  “Indeed it has and I’ll forever be yours.”

  “Do you remember when you said you loved me in the bathroom?” I asked.

  “You mean when you didn’t say it back.” Jayden tickled my waist and laughed.

  I squirmed under his light touch and squealed in delight. When his playful assault was over I placed a hand under his chin, forcing him to look in my eyes. “I love you Jayden. I always have and no matter what happens, I always will.” Leaning in our lips met, our hearts beating in unison. With nothing left to fear and looking forward to the future, I gave myself to Jayden and his tender embrace.

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  Chapter Ten

  Sunlight streamed through the window and woke me from my pleasant slumber. My body ached as I stretched and I smiled at the memory of the previous night. Turning my head to look at Jayden I found his side of the bed empty. A silver serving tray graced his pillow and the scent of bacon, eggs and toast filled my nostrils. My stomach grumbled in response to the delicious aroma and I sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover my bare chest. Plopping a piece of crispy bacon in my mouth, I grabbed for the folded note that was tucked neatly under the stem of a pink rose. I unfolded the note and began reading: