Changing Fate: A Werewolf Romance, page 30
Her eyebrows unfurrowed and rose in surprise, her eyes widening. “What? She told you that?”
“Yeah, like fifteen minutes ago. She said she couldn’t tell me what he was hiding from me but his mind is open and unblocked. She told me to tell you to search for the memory of the vision she showed him.”
After a few seconds of thinking, Kat asked, “Kendall, are you sure about this?”
“Of course, she’s sure. Let’s see what that lying assh*le is hiding,” Selena interrupted.
“I’m sure, Kat,” I reassured her, “I need to know. I understand if you don’t want to do it; he might consider it treason. If you don’t want to get mixed up in that, you don’t have to.”
“I’m with you, Kendall. If you go down, I go down. I just wanted to make sure that this is really what you want. You can’t unsee or unknow what I show you,” she clarified.
“I know. I’m sure,” I repeated.
“Okay, let’s do it then.” Kat looked like she was ready to perform the spell.
“So, how will it work? You can do it without him here, right?” Selena asked.
“Yeah, I can. He won’t even feel me in his mind. Niki taught me how to do it without alerting the target. I’ll need to harness water. I’ve had an easier time doing this spell with that element. I’ll hold your hand and you’ll be able to see what I see. It will be from his eyes, so we’ll see whatever he saw,” she told me.
I nodded and Kat walked out of the room to gather her supplies.
“You can show us both, right?” Selena asked when Kat returned.
Kat and I shared a knowing look and both rolled our eyes at her nosiness. “Yes, Sel, I can show you both.”
We cleared the coffee table of all the junk food so Kat can put a bowl full of water in the center. She sat on one side and Selena and I sat across from her.
“This will probably take a while; at least an hour. It will take me some time to get into his head and track the memory down. Once the memory is over, I’ll leave his head and we’ll be done,” she explained. We nodded. “Are you ready? I won’t be able to stop once I start.” We nodded again.
She held her hands out for us, on either side of the bowl. I grabbed her right hand, Selena grabbed her left. I crossed my legs, getting comfortable. Kat closed her eyes and we did the same. She took a deep breath and started chanting lowly.
I could hear the water sloshing around in the bowl and her chanting slowly got louder and louder. Nothing happened for a while; nothing appeared behind my closed eyes.
And finally, after what had to have been over half an hour, I finally saw something. One second I was staring at the blackness of my eyelids; then the next, I was staring down at a legal document.
My eyesight was hazy, like I was in the middle of a dream. I saw colors but they were muted and dull.
A pen moved in front of me, but I could tell I wasn’t the one writing when I saw a large hand scribbling on the paper.
It was weird to be in his head. I couldn’t feel what he was feeling but I could see and hear everything that he did.
He signed the bottom of the document and dropped the pen. He leaned back in his chair and looked up. I saw the inside of his office for a few seconds before it was obscured from my vision when he rubbed his hands over his face, his eyes closed as he sighed in exhaustion. I wasn’t sure where he was, but I could tell it wasn’t his public office. It still looked like an office though, so I figured it must be his private office on the sixth floor.
He kept his relaxed posture, his eyes closing for a few seconds, showing us only darkness. After a few minutes, he heard someone walking down the hall. He smelled that it was Niki before she even knocked. When she did, he grunted out his permission to enter.
Niki’s willowy frame entered the room. She looked a few years younger but still had that knowing, powerful glint in her eyes, though they held a heaviness I hadn’t seen before.
Finnian sat up straight once he saw her and gestured to the chair across from him. She sat down gracefully, tucking her dress under her as she lowered onto the chair. Her raven hair was pushed back, showing her sharp, regal features.
“What do I owe this pleasure, Nikolina?” he asked slowly. Even in this dream like vision where I couldn’t see him, his voice still gave me chills in the best way possible.
“I’m afraid I come bearing troubling news, King Finnian.” Her voice was sympathetic, and her lips pulled down in a frown.
“What?” He sat up straighter and spoke tightly, his voice thick with apprehension.
“I had a rather disturbing vision this morning.”
“Of what?”
“I believe it would be more beneficial if I show you, Your Highness. I don’t believe I have the courage to describe it in great detail.”
His vision moved up and down twice, like he was nodding to her. She held out her hand across his desk. He hesitantly reached over and grabbed it.
Niki closed her eyes and started chanting. Finnian closed his as well. My mind went dark until Niki’s vision started playing in his mind.
It felt weird, the sensation of the vision was odd. It was Niki’s vision, who was showing it to Finnian, who Kat was seeing it from him, who was showing it to us. It felt like a game of telephone but with visions instead of phrases. Despite that, I knew the vision wasn’t distorted or altered in any way. What we were seeing was what Niki had originally seen, however long ago it was.
The vision wasn’t completely clear. Faces were blurred and half of the vision was just feelings and not images. It started with Finnian running in wolf form. Trees blurred past him as he ran faster than I’ve ever seen any wolf run. After a few minutes, he finally slowed. He shifted back while he was still jogging.
He fell down to the ground, an overwhelming sense of loss and despair sweeping over him. Nothing was in front of him at first, but suddenly it appeared. She appeared. Her face was a blur, and her body was mangled and bloody. Death surrounded her, seeping out of her pores. She laid still, unmoving and unbreathing. He cradled her to his chest as her arms hung limply. His vision blurred with tears before they fell.
It took me a minute, but I finally realized who the girl was. The face was still blurred but those dark curls hanging over her shoulders were ones I’d recognize anywhere, even when they were covered in blood.
It was me.
He continued to hold me, crying over my lifeless body. He ran his hand over my hazy face and muttered apologies, over and over again.
After what felt like a lifetime, his sorrow mixed with something else. As he looked up, I felt it clear as day, deep in my bones. The person in front of him was blurred and distorted, but whoever he saw caused one feeling.
Betrayal.
The betrayal ran deep, as deep as the sorrow he felt for his fallen mate. Whoever was in front of him was someone he trusted. Whoever was in front of him was my killer.
The vision faded away, and I was suddenly back in his office, looking at Niki. He snatched his hand from hers and she opened her eyes. She gave him a sad, sympathetic look.
He looked away from her and turned to stare out the window instead. It overlooked the backyard, the forest, and mountain behind the castle. Niki stayed silent, giving him a moment to collect himself.
I heard him swallow harshly. His gaze left the window and looked down at his hands. They were clenched so hard that his knuckles were as white as paper. He relaxed them. Blood flowed down his fingers from the puncture wounds in his palms. His claws had extended and dug into his skin relentlessly.
After a few minutes, he turned back to Niki. “You don’t know who my mate or her killer was?” His voice was cold, unattached now. But I could hear grief if I listened closely.
“I’m sorry, Finnian. I don’t. Faces are often blurred in my visions.”
“I understand.” He looked back down to his papers. “You may leave. Thank you, Nikolina,” he said emotionlessly.
She stood up and walked away, but not before stopping by the door briefly. “I know you’re scared, Finn. Even if you won’t admit it. But visions aren’t always set in stone.”
He didn’t respond, so she continued her way out, closing his door with a soft click.
He got back to work.
A loud gasp escaped my throat when I was pulled back to the present. I drew in ragged breaths, my heart thundering in my chest. I closed my eyes tightly again, trying to calm down.
When I opened them back up, I saw Kat and Selena both looking at me with tears streaking down their cheeks. As I reached up to touch my face, I realized the same was happening to me. I didn’t even realize I was crying.
I wiped my cheeks of all moisture with the palm of my hand then rubbed my hands over my cotton shorts.
I didn’t know how to feel about what I saw. I suddenly understood Finnian and why he’s done what he’s done. Whoever killed me in that vision had done it because I was his mate. He had been trying to protect me.
In a way, I understood that. But I also resented it. He let whoever that was keep us apart—keep us from happiness. I certainly didn’t want to die, but we were letting this douchebag win by staying apart. I didn’t want that either.
Before I could think about it some more, Selena launched herself at me, squeezing me tightly. She buried her face in my shoulder and started sobbing. It was shocking considering she wasn’t a crier, but I wasn’t either and had cried too.
I wrapped my arms around her. Kat joined in and we added her into our hug, all of us holding each other and crying together.
I couldn’t get the image of my dead, mangled body from my mind. I was scared and I hated that.
We sat there on the floor for God knows how long. They were my best friends and sisters. We held each other like I would die tomorrow.
Eventually, our tears stopped and we pulled away, all of us sniffling.
“No more crying. You heard Niki at the end; not all visions are set in stone,” I instructed them sternly.
“You’re right.” Selena agreed, wiping her tears away. “No one is going to hurt you without going through me first,” she insisted fiercely.
“Me too. We’ll protect you.” Kat agreed.
“That’s all the protection I need right there,” I teased, making light of the situation.
“Damn straight,” Selena joked back, but it was weak since I could tell she was still shaken up.
“I’m gonna be fine,” I promised them. I grabbed both of their hands and squeezed. “Why don’t we get some sleep?” I suggested when I looked over at Kat. “You look exhausted. We can figure all this out in the morning.”
When I looked at my phone, I realized it was only eleven o’clock. I knew that Kat was drained from such a big spell. She nodded gratefully and we all stood up.
We pulled the comforter and sheets on my king-sized bed down and climbed in. Kat and I were on the edges while Selena laid down in the middle. I grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, turning it down low. I usually didn’t sleep with it on, but Kat did, so I always left it going when she was in the room.
Kat and I both switched off the lamps, leaving the room to only be lit by the dull glow of the TV across the room. I handed her the remote, letting her put on whatever channel she wanted, but she left it on the sitcom that was already playing.
The three of us snuggled deeper under the blankets. Selena stuck her cold toes on my bare leg, and I kicked them away. She moved them over to Kat, who did the same thing.
“Tyler lets me put my feet on him,” she whined, a pout on her face.
“Tyler’s also whipped like cream,” I mumbled.
She didn’t reply right away, but when she did, it wasn’t about my comment. “I love you, Kenny, you know that, right?”
I turned on to my side to face her. “I know. I love you too, Sel. You too, Kat.”
“I love you guys too,” Kat added.
“Alright, enough of this mushiness. Let’s go to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Night,” they both mumbled in return.
We all closed our eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness.
***
My sleep didn’t last long.
A couple of hours at most.
I tossed and turned, my dreams filled with images of my dead body. I woke with a silent gasp, which thankfully didn’t wake Kat or Selena since they both slept like the dead. I didn’t try to sleep again after that; instead, I laid awake, staring at the canopy over the bed.
After a while of that, I finally gave up on sleep.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, staying as quiet as possible. I slowly tiptoed out of my room, pulling the door gently behind me. The cold air of the hallway bit at my exposed skin, causing goosebumps to erupt across my flesh.
I wrapped my arms around myself. I hadn’t changed out of my short pajama shorts and thin t-shirt before I left and was regretting it. I hadn’t even bothered to put on shoes either. It helped to remain quiet, stealthy, but my toes were freezing against the cold, hard stone floor.
I tiptoed my way through the castle and walked up the hidden staircase and into the sixth floor. I slipped through the door and made my way towards King Finnian’s bedroom. He wasn’t there, but I would wait for him. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I wanted to say to him, but I knew we needed to talk.
His bedroom looked just like when I left it last time, save for the fact that he wasn’t inside, watching me walk away. It was dark, illuminated by only the moonlight through the window. The first thing I did was start a fire in the fireplace, which not only lit the room in a dull orange glow but also warmed it considerably.
I sat back in his chair, watching the fire crackle and burn. I stayed away from the unused, pristine armchair, instead choosing to sit in his. Not only was it worn but it was covered with his scent, which clung to the air. I breathed it in deeply, greedily; letting it wash over me and calm me.
I sat there for hours. The fire eventually died down, and the room lit up little by little as the sun rose. I should’ve been tired but I wasn’t. I was keyed up and full of energy; ready for this confrontation. It could quite possibly be our last.
I heard him coming down the hall. His steps were quick, full of purpose. When he threw his door open, I didn’t look at him. I stayed still, my eyes staring blankly at the dim glowing embers. It felt just like the last time I was here, except our positions were switched.
“What are you doing here?” he murmured lowly after a few beats of silence. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.
I stayed silent, not ready to answer him yet.
“Miss Keating, I suggest you answer my question.”
I still stayed silent. His demanding tone and words didn’t even seem to register in my mind, my thoughts still running wild.
“Are you okay?” He walked around the chair and stopped front of me, his voice taking on a worried edge.
He was staring down at me, but my eyes didn’t move from the fireplace.
He moved closer and kneeled down in front of me. His hand held my cheek, and he tilted my face over to finally meet his eyes. They were glowing a deep amber. “Kendall, what’s wrong?” he asked gently, concern clear in his voice.
Hearing my name come from his lips was a shock, to say the least. I had only heard him say it once, and that was out of anger. Now, his eyes shone with worry, and his voice held a desperation for me to tell him what was bothering me.
“I know,” I whispered.
His hand left my cheek and he stood up. He tried to put on a blank face, but I could see apprehension in his eyes when I looked closely. “You know, what exactly?”
“I know . . . everything.” I stood up slowly, crossing my arms over my chest. “About Niki’s vision. About why you won’t be with me.”
His face paled for a split second, but then a deep growl rumbled deep in his chest. “Nikolina told you?” he demanded through his growls.
“No, she didn’t.”
“Then how the hell do you know?” He hissed at me.
“Is that really what’s important right now?” I spat out, finally losing my temper. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You didn’t need to know.”
“The hell I didn’t. I had every right to know!” I yelled at him.
“I’m trying to protect you. I’ve always tried to protect you,” he said with a snarl.
“No, you’re just a coward,” I snapped, standing up and poking him in the chest roughly.
“If you had actually seen the vision, you would understand.” He glared down at my finger.
“I did see the vision. I know exactly what happened in it.” I returned his glare and pulled my finger away when he grabbed it.
“How could you possibly call me a coward if you saw it? You died.”
“You’re a coward because you refuse to try and change things.”
“That vision is our fate if I accept you. It showed us our fate. I would rather live in a world where you’re safe, even if you hate me, than in a world where you don’t exist. I can’t live in that world. I need you safe.”
“It’s our fate? That’s bullsh*t!”
“It is!” he insisted. “Visions almost always come true. That vision showed us our fate if we give in.”
“So, you change it!” I finally exploded. “We change it! We change fate. We fight fate. We make our own damn fate. Stop letting your fear control you. If you want me, fight for me. Fight for us and our future.”
“It’s not that easy.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“It is that easy. We’re all going to die someday. That’s inevitable. Does that mean we should live in fear of that happening? Hell no.”
“If it were my life at risk, I wouldn’t give being with you a second thought. But I can’t risk your life.”
“Do you want to be with me?”
He hesitated for a few seconds, but he finally answered, his eyes softening considerably. “Of course I do. How could I not want to be with you?”
“Then fight. Let’s fight together.”
I started to get hopeful when he had a thoughtful look on his face, like he was considering it. I grabbed his hands in mine and laced our fingers together, giving his hands a gentle squeeze.
