Chosen Darkness (Chosen Series) (26 page)

“How… how come you’re here?” Falyn asked.

“My path too was already set, my fate leading me to where I needed to be.”

“Your kind is all but gone now,” Falyn told him sadly.

“My kind is never truly gone, nor is it ever truly here. We are part stone as we are part man. When we take to stone we look as I do now. We Gargoyles will stay as this until the Immortal world is once more free of the Darkness the Dark Druids brought to it.”

The Gargoyle stretched its massive wings and then once more knelt.

“Please, what should I do? Should I marry Alex? Will my heart hold love long enough to make it worth binding his soul to mine? Or should I seek out my fate, my duty, and forget what my heart wants?” Falyn asked, pleading clear in her voice.

“Only you can act on what your heart wants. Not even fate can change this because love is free of reason and duty, and even if love is what rules you, it will not stop you from finishing what your bloodline was meant to do – what your fate will lead you to,” he told her humbly.

“I’m cursed. My soul will be nothing but a shadow soon and how can I hand over my soul to him when it will no longer hold anything but duty and honor? How is it fair to Alex?” Falyn whispered.

“Your curse is your freedom as well as your burden, and only you can choose which your soul will see it as. Soon your duty will pull you to face your fate, and what was destined to be can’t be undone.” He brought his wings once more around his body.

“Wait! You came to life just to tell me my heart is my own affair and my fate will overrule my choice in the end anyway?” Falyn demanded. This didn’t seem to achieve anything.

“I gave you the answer you needed, if only you will allow yourself to hear it.” And then he was once more a beautiful but cold stone carving.

Falyn stood up, dusting dirt from her bottom as she paced around the statue, once more trying to decide if she was crazy or not. Really, this magic encounter hadn’t offered anything useful in figuring out if her heart would soon hold nothing but cold empty space, and whether she should link Alex to herself because it would keep her from losing him for good.

She was left facing the fact, sooner or later, she would be called to do her duty, and no matter how much she fought, fate would always win! Alex’s mother already sensed her heart was lacking love and she was filled with something dark. True, she was cursed, and if the vamp lady could pick such things up then it was likely what she was feeling. However, Falyn was worried it was more than that.

Maybe she did sense her ability to love Alex was already slipping away. Alex knew she was cursed, but she had not confessed to him her love for him would go – and soon. She did not want him to worry or do anything else crazy in an effort to keep her safe. He could not stop this one from happening and she would not have her last days of being able to love another soul spent in pain. She wanted to love and be loved like nothing else mattered till the Shadow wolf took control and forced her to lead an army into battle.

Even now she was not worried to face the fight which would surely be coming, because that part of her was already numb. She could now feel the power of the Druid bloodline and knew it was not just her emotions leading her to think so. Fighting was something she now clearly longed for. Like one might long for children or family, she longed to do battle – to stand across from her enemy and sense their fear as she brought them down.

Falyn took a deep breath. Just the thought of this brought on labored breathing and the urge made her restless. Shaking her mind clear of war and rage, she focused in on her feelings for Alex. Once more the warmth of love flared within her soul and her heart, but she could not deny a tiny part of it was not touched any more by it. A dark spot now resided within her and it was cold as ice.

Falyn was not sure how long she sat in the garden, staring at nothing, her mind running through all the reasons why she should run from Alex and all the reasons why she should stay and marry him. Logic told her she should stay, but tell him the truth. However, her heart was unwilling to do this. It did not want to bring to light the fact it would soon be nothing but a dark mass in her chest.

Alex finally came to find her and he looked worried as he saw her leaning on the statue, her eyes closed.

“Falyn!” he called to her in a worried voice.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, forcing a smile to her lips.

“I’m just taking a moment for myself,” she told him reassuringly.

“Why, what’s wrong?” Alex was too keenly aware of her not to notice something was up.

“Your mother is a bit overwhelming,” she told him with a faint smile.

“Ah yes, I told you they would be a bit backwards here.” He came to sit next to her, pulling her onto his lap.

“You did. And I’m sorry. I yelled instead of talking like an adult with her, but in my defense she did order me to call her Lady Rave and told me I had darkness in me and could not love you fully because of it.”

There was no point lying to him for his mother was sure to address him about it sooner or later. He looked mad about this as he held her close and his face got hard.

“I know. She told me as much before I came looking for you. I told her what I had been telling my father: you’re fighting a war and that you are cursed, but you love me. The darkness she felt was just the curse,” Alex said, squeezing her tight.

“And what did she have to say to that?” Falyn wanted to know.

“I don’t think she was fully convinced that was all. But my mother hates to be wrong so I don’t doubt she will bring it up once more. Father is more laid back and he’s on board with helping you,” Alex told her.

“Well, at least one of them is on my team,” Falyn said jokingly.

Alex laughed and pulled her chin up to steal a kiss. Kissing Alex was still amazing, and the feelings he awoke in her body made her giddy. All the worry of losing her love, fighting for her race, facing her fate all slipped away to nothing but mush in the back of her mind.

Alex was getting swept up in the kiss too. His hands where busy pulling up her shirt so he could cup her breasts. He swung her round so she was now straddling him. She could feel his manhood pressing into her.

She let out a soft moan as he worked his mouth down her neck to her collarbone and nipped there. His hands moved to her bottom, pushing her closer to him. The skirt she wore was easy to move out of the way, and as he undid the buttons on his pants her breath grew quicker.

He was now free and with one hand he moved her panties aside and with the other he guided his hard dick into the heat of her. It was such a shock she let out a loud cry and once he had pushed himself deep inside, he too let out deep growl. His hands moved to her hips to guide her, and his mouth sought hers as the pace sped up. She clutched his hair, pulling handfuls as she rode him. Alex moved his hands from her waist so he could pull her breast free, allowing his mouth to cover it.

Falyn was close to climaxing. She could feel herself being pushed to the edge of reason as Alex kept up a quick pace. His mouth never left her breast except to steal a quick kiss from her lips every once in a while. And when she did find release, it was so strong she screamed. That was the undoing of Alex. Once he felt and heard her orgasm, he too came, shouting her name.

He nipped her neck as she lay against his chest, still on his lap. Lost in their love making, she had not heard anyone coming but the clearing of a throat brought her out of her daze. Alex kept her in place because, as they were now, no one could see the state of her undress or his.

“Mother, can I help you?” Alex eventually asked.

Falyn let out a small gasp as she hid her face in his neck, horrified his mother was standing behind her seeing this!

“Well, I see you’re clearly, um, busy but it is time for dinner,” Lady Rave told him.

“Right, as you can see, we are a bit busy. Feel free to start without us,” Alex told her, his tone slightly amused.

“Very well,” she said, and Falyn could now clearly hear her footsteps on the stone walkway.

“I can’t face that woman ever again!” Falyn moaned into his neck.

Alex chuckled as he set her on her feet, quickly buttoning his pants while she did up her own buttons and pulled her skirt down.

“Yes, well, she didn’t see much,” Alex told her.

“You hope, anyway. Clearly we wouldn’t have heard anything… but then again, she wouldn’t have stood there and watched? Surely?” Falyn asked hopefully.

Alex snorted before answering.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he mumbled.

Falyn punched him in the arm playfully before heading back inside.

Once in the hallway, it was all too short a walk to the dining room where she got to learn his mother’s name. As they neared the room, they could hear Alex’s father reprimanding his wife.

“Really Nicole, why would you even wait around if you knew what they were up to?” his father demanded.

“Just because I heard screaming and moaning, does not mean it would be sex! Clearly one dose not do the act in daylight in a garden!” his mother said in a horrified tone.

“Clearly some do… like our son.”

Falyn covered her face in shame, but Alex pulled her hands free and, with a huge grin, kissed her.

“You find this amusing, don’t you?” Falyn accused him.

“I do. After all, I can’t see my mother doubting your feelings now!” Alex said with a laugh.

“Ha, I wouldn’t count on it!” she frowned.

And just like they could hear the couple inside the room, likewise his parents could hear them and it was clear when they walked in. Nicole’s face was red and Lord Rave, who had blond hair and soft green eyes, was smiling. His son had his smile and his build and Falyn immediately liked him.

Dinner proved not to be so bad, and while Alex’s mother was in a mood, his father was charming enough for the both of them. Falyn got a kick out of calling her by her name whenever she could, and Alex was smart enough to hide his smiles about it from his mother.

Alex’s father’s name was Leo, short for Leonardo. Whatever had been between Alex and Leo, they seemed to have get over it, but as for his mother, Alex clearly still had issues. Falyn was not going to ask in front of his parents, but that night, when they were alone in their room, she did. At first he did not seem to want to answer. He tried to make love to her again, just to avoid answering, but she kept pushing till he told her.

“My mother, as you’ve seen today, isn’t very friendly, but she wasn’t always like this. When I was young she was a kind and loving mother. But when I reached the age where I started to change into a vampire she changed into someone more cold and bitter, and while my father wanted to tell me what I really was from the start, my mother did not. So when I came of age, my mother brought over a childhood friend.” His voice had gone soft and his eyes looked out over the room, lost in thought. “She was a girl who lived close by and we spent all our time together. I was fourteen and she was twelve, and I fancied myself in love with her, though it was only a childhood crush. But no matter, I did care for her. I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and while I was glad to see Maggie, I was also confused why my mother would bring her at this particular time since I was ill. I had no idea what my mother was up to.”

Alex was holding Falyn’s hand so tight it hurt, but she did not pull away.

“Mother came in a short time later. Maggie was sitting with me, on my bed, holding my hand and telling me I’d be fine. My mother came toward us holding a small knife. She asked Maggie for her hand and Maggie willingly gave it to her. My mother then shoved the blade right through her hand! Maggie cried out in pain but she didn’t run… I had no idea what was going on and I was yelling at my mom to go, and she did, but she shut and locked the door behind her. I told Maggie to get out through the window, to leave me, as I was scared about what was going to happen. But she stayed there, still holding my hand. I could feel my body burning and feel my teeth growing and I was scared out of my mind. I once more told Maggie to go but she wouldn’t. Then I smelled blood and I lost my mind. I let go of her good hand and pulled her bloody one to my mouth, and still she did nothing. I licked and I sucked, and once I had cleaned the wound I went for her throat. My teeth bit into her flesh and I sucked and I sucked, and once I was able to stop, I felt horrible. I sobbed.”

Alex stopped, looking at her with eyes wide and so blue. She could only hold her breath, fearing for the girl she would never know and feeling pain for the boy who’d had no idea what he was.

“Maggie told me it was fine. She’d known for years one day she would do this for me, but I was sickened by it. And while my friend lay there, near death, she told me the story of how her family would be well off now because my mother had paid them a small fortune to give their daughter to me – to bring me into my adulthood! I was more than angry, and after Maggie was buried and my father returned from his trip, I told him everything. He was not happy with how my mother had gone about it, but he explained it was how things had always been done for as long as he could remember, and that Maggie had been willing!”

Falyn was in shock. She had no idea becoming a vampire happened so late in life; that children were human till they reached their teen years and it was then they became blood suckers. And it might be less damaging if a child knew, to be brought up, like Alex, thinking they were normal and then killing a childhood friend… that was barbaric!

“Oh Alex, I’m so sorry… If I ‘d known I would never have brought you back to this place!” Falyn told him with tears running down her face.

“No baby, don’t cry. How could you have known? You needed this and I am doing this for you. For us. My mother will never have my love like she did before, but I can still get along with my father. And I’ve only realized this now because you brought me here.” He kissed her face.

“I will go with you to Maggie’s grave, if you like.” Falyn could sense he wanted this.

Alex pulled her to him, holding her tightly. He held her this way for a while before letting her go.