Testing Fate (13 page)

“In essence, yes. Regardless of what each person faces, our greatest enemies are often ourselves. It isn’t until we face our fear and doubt, conquering the obstacles placed in our path, that we truly find our worth. Have you not questioned the duality you carry within you, the humanity and the beast? Where does one begin and the other end? Can you ever be completely balanced?”

“Balance comes with trust,” I whispered and the truthfulness of the statement sent shivers over my own skin. “As long as I can trust in myself, trust in the bond I hold with my wolf, we can conquer anything.”

It was Lakhesis’ turn to nod, her smile showing that I’d understood the significance of the trial. “You received a valuable lesson here, Darcy. One I hope you will always carry with you and never forget.” She gestured for me to approach, holding her hand out. “As I mentioned, many have gone before you and shrank away. They lacked the conviction you innately possess. They failed to look within themselves. They didn’t recognize that everything they will ever need to succeed in life has been theirs since birth. They need only look inward and embrace it.”

I placed my hand in her outstretched one and took one last survey of the maze. At the squeeze of her fingers, I took in a breath before being escorted back to the suite.

“Devlin?” I called out the moment I materialized. I was eager to fill him in on everything, but he was nowhere to be found. The clock on the wall showed many hours had passed—so many that he may have become restless waiting and gone exploring.

Kicking off my shoes, I padded over to the nearest couch and collapsed onto it. The cushioned seat felt luxurious on my weary body and I groaned loudly. My brain told me I should really go looking for him, but my muscles screamed for me to stay where I was. Letting out a long sigh, I propped up my legs, the decision made.

A folded piece of paper lay on the coffee table and I shifted to retrieve it. The elegant scrawl told me it was from Devlin, informing me that my guess was right. He’d been unsure when I’d be back and became tired of pacing back and forth. He promised he’d return in time for me to debrief him. I chuckled and tossed the letter onto the table.

You must be the only person I know that always has to be doing something.
I imagined saying to him, trying to remember the last time I’d ever seen him just kick back and relax. Even in social gatherings, he was alert—the mark of a great enforcer. It made me worry a little for him, but he would have it no other way. He loved his life, I loved him, and as long as he was happy, so was I.

Well, I’m here, Devlin, time to debrief you
. I laughed again, closing my eyes as I rested my head against the couch. The room was still, only a faint ticking from the clock and it began lulling me into a soft sense of calmness. Snuggling into a more comfortable position, I told myself I’d just rest my eyes, but it didn’t take long before I was asleep.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

Strong arms encircled my waist, pulling me back into a hardened body. My heart raced with excitement and a slow smile covered my face as I closed my eyes. I leaned into the embrace and curled my hand around his neck, securing myself to him.

His low husky voice dripped with seduction and caused a warm feeling to pulse through my veins. Hot breath teased at my ear before my skin erupted with goosebumps from the soft kisses being feathered down my neck.

I gripped onto his arm, my nails scratching his flesh when his free hand slipped under my loose shirt. I liked the way his fingers grazed and caressed—slow and methodical—leaving a shimmer of heated energy in its wake.

I twirled around, eager to look into his eyes. I wanted to see whose voice, with two simple words, caused my arousal to spike. He let me turn easily, cocooned safely in the frame of his arms and I gasped at the sight.

It was him again. His dark hair fell just above the brow line and startling blue eyes that held a mischievous sparkle. His features could’ve been chiseled from the finest marble, strong jaw line, but that’s not where I focused. His lips curled into a sexy grin and I wanted them on mine.

My thumb traced the outline of his mouth, his bottom lip full. I almost melted on the spot when he caught me by surprise, nipping at it before quickly stroking with his tongue. He groaned with satisfaction and the sound did something to my stomach.

“Take what you want, Darcy,” he whispered and I searched his face for his meaning.

“Who are you?” The stranger still looked familiar but my heart reminded me there was no way I’d ever forget a man like this, no way my body would let me. It was a riot of sensations—curiosity, desire, and an overwhelming rightness. I might not know him but I couldn’t deny the way he made me feel.

It was his turn to place his fingers over my mouth. “Shush. Don’t talk.”

I tried to speak again but he seized the moment and crushed his lips over mine. I wasn’t ready for the fiery storm that sizzled through my veins when his tongue touched mine. I don’t think I could have ever been prepared.

The kiss stole my breath. He tightened his arm around my waist as his hand held my head firmly. Applying a masterful pressure, there was no denying him access and I welcomed the way he deepened his assault. I wanted it—wanted him—his taste causing me to moan into his mouth.

I rose onto my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck. I hung on as if my very life depended on it. I gave myself over to the moment to being so thoroughly kissed it would ruin me for all future suitors. I would crave this now, chasing it like a drug addict does his first high. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to be locked in this embrace, with this man, forever.

Whatever awareness I was able to maintain told me I was being carried, but the seal of our mouths never broke. The passionate spark that almost consumed me had ebbed into a slow, languid whisper, his lips moving leisurely, yet deliberately. The change in tempo almost destroyed my composure, and when I finally felt myself being placed on a soft, cushioned surface, I pulled away reluctantly. A second longer and I would’ve drowned.

I welcomed the weight of his body as he covered me. Again, it felt so right, like we were made for each other, the perfect fit.

“Who are you?” I murmured, my heart thumping wildly. I stared longingly at his mouth, wanting to return there. He held power over me, this mystery man. I couldn’t keep from touching his face. My fingertips tingled from the contact.

He nuzzled into my neck and my body arched up into his. There was no answering questions and no thinking while his mouth was applying pressure to all the right places. Somehow he knew what I liked, how to make me respond a certain way, how to ignite my passion.

“You know who I am,” he answered against my fevered skin.

His hand reached for the bottom of my shirt and slowly began lifting it to expose my stomach. The movement was like sweet torture, paired with his seductive descent to sample the skin there. My breath hitched at the first circled brush of his tongue.

Something fluttered in my mind, a name. It stirred before settling, just beyond my reach. I struggled to capture it but it lay enshrouded in fog. The more I pushed the more elusive it became. It was the name of the man who was turning me inside out from his mere touch.

“Tell me your name,” I asked, my voice coated with urgency. My hands buried themselves in his hair and I tightened my fists when he gripped my hips.

“Search your heart,” he murmured between placing wet kisses. His fingers slid underneath the waistband of my pants, moving back and forth.

His name teased me again and then my mind locked completely down as I dragged his body up mine. My mouth sought his and the resulting kiss was one of blistering intensity, as we branded each other’s souls . . .

My body was on fire, my skin glistening with sweat. Then my eyes flew open. Wide awake, I could still feel the pressure of his lips on mine and the places where his hands caressed me. I sat up panting and pushed my hair out of my face.

“Wow!” I exclaimed to the empty room, desperately trying to control my racing heartbeat. I wasn’t a stranger to erotic dreams, but this . . . this was beyond anything I’d ever experienced. Flashes filled my mind, rekindling my desire, as I remembered smoldering blue eyes that had mesmerized me. If only he was real.

Tangled by my feet, I found a blanket Devlin must have lain over me and I kicked it to the floor, attempting to stand. There was a fevered heat pulsating through my veins that set my insides trembling. I was energized—aroused beyond belief.

What the heck was that?
I stammered, rubbing my face and staring at the chair. The dream had been so incredibly vivid, nothing short of a cold shower would douse its effects.

“You okay, Darcy?” Devlin’s voice floated toward me from his room. I really didn’t want to explain why I was standing in shock, tousled from sleep and blushing fifty shades of red. I had to think quickly or my lack of response would bring him into the main room. Some things didn’t need to be shared between friends, even close friends.

“I’m fine. I think I’m going to go for a run.” It was a natural response, one I would’ve given any other time. Except this time, I didn’t have my wolf.

“Jogging at this hour? Are you sure you’re okay? Wait a second and I’ll come with you.” I heard movement and sounds of him getting dressed. I didn’t bother waiting. I headed straight for the door.

“It’s all right. I won’t be long!”

Closing the door behind me, I fled down the hallway, bursting out into the approaching dawn.

Chapter Thirteen

The cool night air did little to slake the effects of the dream. The slight breeze served as a reminder of his soft caresses, and no matter how many laps I circled around the spacious gardens, the images wouldn’t release their grip from my mind.

My body, my spirit, my heart yearned for the stranger.

I pushed myself faster, giving over to the rhythmic and steady beat of my feet hitting the gravel. I let go until I came to an abrupt stop, gasping for air. Finding myself close to the path leading into the surrounding woods, what I desperately wanted to do was to shift. I cussed under my breath. The one thing I knew that could still the uproar inside me had been banished from me.  No wolf equaled no change.

Dropping to the grass, I lay on my back and stared up at the stars. They were slowly fading away as the sky lightened and I let out a tired sigh. The new day marked the arrival of another test, one I wasn’t in any frame of mind to complete, but would do it anyway. The sooner I was done, the sooner I could go home and the mystery of why I was here would be revealed.

“This must be some secret,” I spoke into the dawn. “Something important.”

I rested my arm over my eyes and simply breathed. Right now it was the only thing I could control. Noises from the tree line tugged on my awareness, creatures moving about and birds twittering low. I wanted the simplicity of my life back.

“It is of vital importance, Darcy.”

I was slowly getting used to the sudden appearances of the Moirai, this time it was Klothos who spoke. Fabric rustled before I heard her sit down beside me. I waited for her to elaborate further, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts as much as I was.

“Does it bother you not to fully understand? To be without certain memories?” She finally asked.

Sitting up, I crossed my legs and faced her. “Of course it does. No one likes facing uncertainty without all the details. I trust Devlin when he tells me I chose this course, but it doesn’t stop moments where I doubt. I am human, after all.”

“Part human,” she inserted.

“Human for all intents and purposes. I think if there’s anything I don’t like about this whole situation, its being divided from my wolf. We’ve been together since I was born. It feels unnatural not to have that constant connection.”

“I apologize. It was a needed condition. One to ensure a true evaluation.” There was a touch of sadness to her voice.

“I can accept that. I keep reminding myself that it’s only for a brief period and at the end everything will be returned. Hopefully it’ll make sense then and will have been worth it.”

“Do you doubt that? That your decision to complete the trials was a mistake?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I’m pretty confident I knew exactly what I was signing up for and believed it wholeheartedly. Devlin would never have let me do something foolish, so obviously the reason was a powerful one. I just don’t know what.” I stared into the woods, the air changing as the sun begun rising. “I hope I’m strong enough to face whatever else you have planned for me. I want to prove my worth.”

Klothos didn’t respond. Casting a sidelong glance at the young woman, I could see she was deep in thought. Her brow crumpled slightly, as if she was battling with herself, and before I could question her, she grabbed hold of my hand.

“What if I said you are here because of me?”

“You?” Her comment was surprising.

“Yes.”

I measured my response. “Did you have a good reason to bring me here?”

“Of course.” There was no mistaking the strength of her conviction. It was simple.

“Then I hope it works out the way you want,” I answered quietly. I could tell she was taken aback. “What, you expected me to rant and rail?”

“A little. It wouldn’t have surprised me if you had.”

I shrugged my shoulders and stared back at the house. “Something tells me it wouldn’t have made any difference. Besides, my chance to refuse has passed.” A cool breeze brushed over my skin, causing goose bumps to flare. “I’d better get inside. The day’s already begun and I should prepare for whatever you and your sisters have planned.”

“The third test.”

I hmmm’d my agreement as I stood, dusting off my behind. I turned to leave and was stopped by her hand on my arm.

“Darcy, it is already begun.”

For a moment I thought my eyes were closed. I stood in the center of a large field, darkness enveloping every inch and making it impossible to get a clear view of my surroundings.