Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5) (2 page)

I grasped where my coat met my throat, pulling so it didn’t choke me. “I’m sorry!”

“Not good enough,” he growled, grinding his pearly whites. “Try again.”

“Um…I’m really sorry?” I panted. My group was rushing down the hill now. Apparently their shock had finally disappeared. With one hand, I patted his cheek awkwardly. “Be a honey bear and let me down?”

Shit.
Probably not the time to joke.

He bared his teeth, his predator—the
bear—
actually snarling, but I was quickly gripped around my waist and yanked out of the livid Shifter’s hold. In an instant, I was held tightly—again, dangling—against Sin’s side. My savior murmured, “You’ll have to excuse her. Her skills on the slopes are just as evident as her manners right now. She apologizes for ramming into you.” Sin jiggled me inside his hold. “Don’t you?”

Wiping snow off my face, I grumbled, “I already said it twice.”

“See?” Sin’s lips curved in an unkind smile at the bear. The Shifter’s eyes were quickly widening as he stared at my hair and then at our Royal group swiftly surrounding us. “She’s apologized.”

Elder Merrick, always silent—
always panty-soaking-hot
—slid forward closest to the bear Shifter, an effortless, bored command in his gaze. My brows puckered when he flicked a hostile, irritated glance in my direction. I was grateful when his attention altered back to the Shifter. He didn’t speak. Just stared at the man, pure alpha. Pure
Royal
.

The Shifter actually gurgled for a moment, then he nodded in a rapid motion. He tipped his head to Elder Merrick in submission, before he bent and picked up my skis and poles, handing the items to the silent Elder. “No harm, no foul.” His eyes flicked to me and he stated respectfully, “I didn’t recognize you, Ms Jules. Please excuse my earlier rudeness.” He leaned in, whispering quietly with a bit of sympathy, “And you should take a few skiing lessons before you hurt yourself.”

I bared my own teeth, pissed and self-conscious. My mouth opened to say
something
, but Sin beat me to it. Much more polite, too.

With amusement, he agreed, “Duly noted.”

Chapter Two

The thing about skiing with someone who is just as awful as you is that you both tend to make the same mistakes, following each other blindly because you’re concentrating so hard not to ram into one another—or other people—as you zoom past them. That was what happened to Aria and me. I wasn’t sure which of us turned away from the group, or even at what point that happened, but the sun was beginning to set by the time the two of us started trudging up the hill toward the back of the merrily lit lodge. Many groups were drinking and conversing on the large wooden planked picnic tables on the patio, while Aria and I moved like aged Coms, our bodies sore and abused and in need of some major TLC.

“There was no shame in taking off our skis halfway down whatever death-fucking-drop we were on, right?” I asked absently, popping my neck. Twice. “We don’t have to tell them we walked for miles to get here.”

“You just did,” Aria whispered harshly, tilting her head toward the lodge.

I squinted through the dying light and spotted our group staring at us.

They appeared to be laughing in an uproar. A few were even pointing.

She glanced down at the front of our bodies. “There may be no shame in walking, but there’s definite shame in the mud.”

I perused the dried mud that coated the entire front of our once pristine snow outfits. The brown sludge even covered our faces—except where our wide goggles had been, leaving clean patches. “Yes, there’s that.”

The two of us stopped in front of our group. Some of them had tears rolling down their cheeks, and all were laughing at our expense.

Sin managed to choke, “How the hell did you find mud on a snow spelled mountain?”

“We’re talented like that.” I exhaled grandly. “Do you know what happens when a person hits a patch of mud while wearing skis?” No response came from the table other than more guffawing. “Well, I’ll tell you what happens. The damn skis stop but your body doesn’t. It was like those dumb cartoon characters that go
splat
!” I angrily waved a hand at all of their amused faces. “Someone could have warned us about this!”

Leric placed a hand over his stomach, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He sputtered, “Are you both all right?”

“We will be after a massage,” Aria groused, arching her back and glancing at me. “You game for a hot masseuse with godlike hands?”

My breath actually caught at the idea, euphoria entering my system as my eyes lifted to the heavens in thanks. This was a full service lodge. Hope blossomed deep inside my gut. “The type to put warmed oil all over my body?”

Her voice turned cheerful for the first time in hours. “That would be the one.”

I lifted my muddy fist, feeling a spurt of energy as I bounced on the balls of my feet while she fist-bumped me. “Let’s fucking do it. And lots of drinking afterward.”

With my back resting against the bar later that night, positioned next to London and Cia, I sipped on a glass of red wine and watched as Sin made his way through the crowd toward me. The festive merriment was in full swing inside the well-lit, pine paneled bar of the lodge. The decor was a variety of antlers and beer signs, with an actual mechanical bull in the center of the large room. A few individuals in our group had tried, and mastered, the fake brute with entertaining dignity.

With piercing green eyes holding my attention, I already knew what Sin was going to say. I wondered at his choice for the evening, undecided on which woman he would be with. Wretched resolve had hardened my heart to nights like these, and I was sure it was the same for him. But I always prepared myself before the words exited his lips, making sure there were no gaps to the protection of my heart.

I inhaled deeply on self-preservation.

And downed half my glass to fill any other voids.

He stopped in front of me, placing his hands on either side of my arms on the bar, locking me into position. His green hair dangled on each side of his dazzling face, and his beautiful green gaze stared into mine for a long while, holding me captive as no other could.

Eventually, he stated calmly, “I won’t be sleeping in our room tonight.”

I withheld the snort, but I took another large drink. “The fire or the air?”

Cool words. “Both. They’re sisters.”

“Ah.” I chugged the rest of my wine, pulling on my white solace of protection with iron gloves. I managed a smile—for his sake. “Enjoy yourself.”

Green, quiet eyes stared into mine for an extended amount of time. “Okay.”

Not okay.
“Okay.”

With a hard jerk, he pushed off the bar and wiped a rough hand over his mouth.

Sin turned from me.

No matter my self-protection, my heart broke a little more as I watched him walk away—again. What was a fleeting moment of pleasure for him was another slivered fracture to my soul. I knew one day my heart would shatter completely, right along with his.

Swallowing hard, I grabbed the bottle of wine I had already purchased, knowing full well what was going to happen tonight. I strode calmly from the establishment without glancing at anyone from our group, wherever the fuck they were standing throughout the place, and exited with my bottle of alcohol.

I headed straight to my room to drown my—usually—ignored agony.

It was going to be a long damn night.

Chapter Three

“Caro?” King Collins asked loudly. “Did you hear me?”

I snapped my gaze in his direction. He sat to my right at the large breakfast table. I was pretty sure he had caught me scooting my food around my plate. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Blue eyebrows furrowed, but he detailed with calmness, “I was telling you and Aria that we’ll be going into town today. To shop.” His lips curled in amusement. “Since everyone’s idea of a vacation isn’t skiing.”

I made my lips curve believably—I’d had plenty of practice at this—and nodded graciously. “I thank you. And my body thanks you.” I took a sip of my water. I didn’t have a hangover today due to the use of my powers a few days ago. “That sounds much more enjoyable.”

Done playing courteous, I turned my attention back to my plate, returning to scooting my food about. My thoughts grudgingly reverted to the fact I should probably eat since my body had taken a beating yesterday, with more to come I was sure, since there was only so much shopping a group like ours could handle. Sighing silently, I lifted a forkful of eggs that were now cool and that would undoubtedly taste like rubber. But I almost dropped it as King Collins again interrupted my musing, saying loudly, “Caro? Are you listening?”

My lips started to pinch, but I quickly schooled my features and peered up. “Yes?”

There was a long beat of silence around the table, awkward enough I wanted to squirm on my chair, as King Collins’s eyebrows furrowed even further. But he once more spoke steadily, “I asked you where you would prefer to shop today.”

“Oh.” I tilted my head slightly as if in thought, pretending to care. “I prefer second-hand stores or even antique shops. However, I think I’ll let,” I flicked my eyes to the quiet Prodigy Vampire, “Aria decide, since I’m sure her tastes will better suit everyone here.”

“Thank you,” she replied instantly, her eyes running over my features. When her attention finally altered to King Collins and King Zeller, her eyes sparkled with genuine happiness. “I’d love to visit one of those glassblowing stores we saw on our way here. Or even the fudge maker’s shop. The smell coming from there was marvelous.”

A flash of blazing green hair in my far peripheral vision caught my eye.

I instantly cleared my throat and pulled the white peace around me, my composure that had been absent most of the morning, while I took a few hurried bites of my food. I was satisfied my breakfast looked well-eaten since half of it was squashed under a waffle. I rested back on my chair, taking a large drink of my water just as Sin walked up to our table.

He ran a hand through his still wet hair, murmuring unobtrusively to the table’s occupants, “Sorry I’m late.” He rested his hands gently on my relaxed shoulders, bending to kiss my cheek before taking the seat next to me—the one I had saved for him. The light conversation started again after the polite pause for his arrival.

I tilted my head at the plate in front of him. “I ordered your normal.” Placing my glass on the table, I wagged my eyebrows at him and stated in made-up humor, “We’re going shopping, so you won’t be able to make fun of me today for face-planting.” I popped a grape into my mouth from my plate, which almost made me choke as I swallowed it, feeling like the size of an orange. I asked behind a fist, “What’s my tally up to now?”

Sin’s lips quirked as he placed his napkin on his lap. “I didn’t see you most of yesterday but from what I did, you definitely hit the four-digit mark.” To anyone who didn’t know him, his smile would look real.

My eyes widened. “Wonderful. My goal in life is accomplished.” I flicked a finger at him. “That
is
impressive since I haven’t broken a bone in all this time.”

“Certainly impressive.” His gaze darted to my plate before he turned his attention to his own cooling food. He spoke with the gentlest whisper. “Eat the rest of your breakfast, love.”

Inhaling shallowly so it wasn’t obvious, I lifted from my stress-free position. I began eating, every wretched bite going down in a grotesque chunk. I didn’t show it. My actions were aloof and natural as they should be.

Just another morning after.

Elder Zeller stepped beside me where I stared—without seeing—at the vast varieties of fudge on one of the shelves. The charming shop smelled of melted chocolate, and the hominess of it all unsettled my stomach. I really wasn’t in the mood for this. He gazed at the choices and asked casually, “Which do you prefer?”

I blinked, and I lifted a finger to the white raspberry fudge. “That one looks interesting.”

He grunted, his dark eyes scanning the selection. “Many look interesting, Ms Jules. But there’s usually one you prefer over the rest.”

I snorted and lowered my hand. In life you never really got what you preferred,
whom
you wanted. “Never choose just one, Elder Zeller.” It was a devastating truth. “Or you’ll be sadly disappointed one day to find it’s been taken by someone else.”

“Ah,” he murmured slowly. “Now that I completely understand.” He raised his right hand, resting it casually on one of the shelves, and his index finger pointed as he ran it over a few choices. “May I offer some advice?”

I crossed my arms, trying to actually study the selection this time. “I thought I was the one giving advice?”

The Elder chuckled softly, lifting a bar of peanut butter fudge from the shelf while continuing his perusal. He murmured offhandedly, “Perhaps, though it was flawed advice, a practice of fear that I already know well. Now, I would like to offer you the expertise of the experienced.” His finger paused on one choice, but he shook his head and continued. “Will you allow me to do so?”

My eyebrows creased as I re-ran our conversation through my mind, seeing a whole other direction of meaning behind it. I turned my eyes to him, watching carefully. “If you must.”

“It’s simple.” His head cocked as he read a label. “Life is filled with much heartache and many pleasures. But when you try to ignore the unavoidable—true love—well, the unavoidable means you can’t, nothing stops it. Not even fear. True love is too passionate. It always comes back in the end, deeper than lifelong loves, deeper than life’s involvements, and even deeper than mates. If your love is from the soul, it’s timeless.” He chose another bar of fudge, but I didn’t pay attention to which as he lowered it. “Even more tragic are individuals who think they’ve found it by harboring affection for another…while their true soulmate may be right in front of them.” Wicked, dark eyes landed on my guarded gaze; I was hiding every damn thing I could from this too intuitive Elder Vampire. “Life is short and fear is no obstacle for the soul.”

His words haunted me as he silently moved away.