Fated

Bonus Chapter

Ash

S omehow, I ended up in this tiny, insignificant town, holed up in a rundown hotel room, waiting for Calyx to return. I could’ve sworn something was pulling me here, like a thread tugging at me, guiding me to this place. Yet, days had passed, and I was no closer to finding the girl.

Calyx had left two days ago to check in with Agidius in Gardonia for what was supposed to be the last time, until we either returned with the girl or failed.

Agidius had been surprisingly lenient with us. We’d been free to do as we pleased, spending years in this human world, blending in, as long as we kept searching for her.

But I had this nagging feeling that the life we’d indulged in for so long—the endless buffet of human blood, the adoring women who practically threw themselves at us—was about to come crashing down if we didn’t find her.

Areya … That was the name of the girl I had relentlessly hunted for all these years, the one whose existence would ultimately determine the fate of Calyx and me.

I never fully understood Agidius’ obsession with finding her, only that she was considered extremely dangerous, and every day that passed without her capture only amplified the threat she posed. It didn’t matter why the king wanted her so badly. What mattered was that he had entrusted me with the task of bringing her in, and my loyalty was to the king above all else.

Calyx was a pain in my ass, but he was the closest thing I had to a friend.

The weight of this mission was suffocating and my restless thoughts kept circling back to the consequences of failure. It wasn’t just me who would pay the price; Calyx’s life was on the line too, and time was running out. Four days until she was supposed to settle …

It was a mere blink of an eye and yet all I had was this nagging instinct whispering that the girl was here in this one tiny rundown town amongst the human world.

Frustration gnawed at me. Calyx should’ve been back by now, and I couldn’t stand being cooped up in this suffocating room any longer. After pacing the floor for what felt like the hundredth time, I grabbed my wallet and headed across the street to a dated bar.

The place looked like shit, but it served alcohol, and right now, I needed something strong.

I walked straight to the bar, ordered a drink, and leaned my back against the counter.

My eyes scanned the room, watching the pathetic humans go about their mundane lives, blissfully unaware of the world beyond their comprehension.

I heard the clink of a glass being set on the bar behind me and was about to turn when something held me still, like an invisible force pulling at my very soul, commanding me to stay. I glanced around, scanning the bar, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Not until my eyes landed on—her.

She moved with an air of quiet caution, wearing gray shorts showing off her smooth, tawny legs. A large, oversized blue sweatshirt hung loosely over her slender frame, just skimming the bottom of her shorts. Her long, dark hair fell around her face like a veil, shielding her from the world as she made her way toward the bathroom, head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

It was her—I knew it in my very core.

She wasn’t anything like I had expected. This girl appeared timid, broken, even. Taking her from this place would be easy. As I watched her walk by, she turned her head my way, as if she felt the same magnetic pull that had frozen me in place.

And then her eyes met mine.

Fuck me—she wasn’t just beautiful, she was devastating.

I fought the urge to look away as she held my gaze, her eyes cutting into me as if she could see past every layer. For someone supposedly dangerous, she looked so fragile, so utterly docile, and it threw me off.

Her eyes shifted, roaming over my body, and for a split second, I saw it—attraction. It was undeniable. The corner of my mouth twitched into a smile, and that alone seemed to snap her out of it. A rush of color filled her cheeks, and that simple reaction did something to me, something I wasn’t prepared for. My knees almost buckled, and my pulse picked up speed.

No woman had ever done that to me before, ever.

Something about her ignited a pull inside of me, something deep, something dangerous. And I hated it. I couldn’t afford to be distracted, not now—especially not by her.

She quickly averted her gaze, dropping her head as she all but sprinted toward the women’s room. I would wait. I’d approach her calmly, compel her to leave with me, and by morning, she’d be on her way to Gardonia. This would all be over soon enough.

As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes still glued to the floor, I moved into her path. She froze, and slowly, her face lifted until those eyes—golden and warm like molten honey—met mine. They were mesmerizing, more than I could’ve ever expected.

In her wide, doe-like eyes, I saw an innocence, but there was something else too.

A deep sadness lingered there, as if she carried an unspoken wound running far beneath the surface. It hit me unexpectedly and made my chest tighten in a way I wasn’t used to.

Then the overwhelming urge to run my fingers across her skin caught me off guard, and as her eyes lingered on my mouth, I imagined pulling her body against mine, tasting those soft, pouty lips. Fuck, I needed to get it together.

I cleared my throat, and her eyes shot up to mine, another rush of color flooding her cheeks. The sight of her flushed face tugged at something deeper within me, but I quickly shoved the feeling aside. I had approached her with every intention of compelling her, until I felt the unmistakable pulse of a protective ward pushing against me.

My eyes drifted to her wrist, where two delicate bracelets shimmered—the source of the magic.

“Those bracelets on your wrists—they’re nice.” I sounded like a fucking creep, but I needed to know if she was aware of the magic she wore.

“Thank you,” she responded, her voice soft, like a whisper carried on the wind—sweet, melodic, and I found myself craving the sound of it again.

“What is your name?” I asked, my voice softer, though my intentions were far from gentle.

“Areya,” she replied quietly, uncertainty lacing her tone. She was afraid of me, and I couldn’t tell whether it was because she knew what I was or simply the wariness of a stranger.

Compelling her wouldn’t work but I had to try anyway.

“Areya,” I repeated, savoring the way her name felt as it came rolling off my tongue. “Take off your bracelets and give them to me.”

Her eyes widened, and her pulse quickened, a flicker of panic flashing across her face. “Excuse me?” She looked past me, searching the room, likely for an exit.

I was certain now; she had no idea about the magic she wore.

Staring at her, I brought my hands out of my pockets and took a step toward her, reaching for her wrist with my right hand.

A jolt of warning power stung my hand, and I jerked away. Here she was, the girl I had been searching for, the girl who would decide our fates—and I couldn’t fucking touch her.

“I’m sorry, my friends are waiting for me,” she said, her voice trembling with panic as she rushed past. I fought the instinct to grab her, and when her scent hit me—soft and intoxicating—it utterly overwhelmed me.

What the hell is happening to me?

Sixteen years of hunting this girl, and suddenly, I was developing a soft spot for her? For the woman I was supposed to deliver to her death, no less.

I was a cold-hearted killer, an Astern soldier, trained to be ruthless, and would not allow myself to be weakened by this insignificant, timid girl. I could have any woman I wanted, so why did I feel the need to have the one woman I couldn’t have?

The tightness in my chest was suffocating. I needed air. Without a second thought, I stormed out of the bar, forgetting about the drink left behind, desperate to clear my head.

***

Calyx pulled the car up to the front of the police station.

By now, I figured the bracelets should be off her wrist. I walked through the station, compelling every insufferable cop who dared to block my path. I strolled through the doors in the back that led to the cells, only to be greeted by a bitchy female guard who ordered me to leave. It would be easier to just kill them all and be done with it.

“You will release Areya Bennett and her belongings to me, then you will forget I’m here,” I commanded. The guard’s mouth snapped shut, her attitude vanishing instantly as she left momentarily before returning with the girl’s belongings. She lifted two bags toward me, and my nose wrinkled at the rancid stench of stale blood and vomit.

“Burn them.” I nodded toward the bag of clothes.

Taking the smaller bag, I tucked it into my pocket.

My focus shifted to Areya. Her face was a wreck, her eyes swollen and filled with terror as she struggled to stand. Her entire body shook violently, pricking at something deep within me.

It took every drop of self-control to resist the overwhelming urge to go to her, to hold her, to take away her fear.

Fuck.

“You—I have been trying to find for a very long time.”

Irritation was evident in my voice as I reached for the enchanted gloves in my back pocket.

Regardless of whether she was aware of her abilities, there was no way in hell I was taking a chance. “Put them on and don’t remove them.”

I let my magic flow through the words, compelling her to obey.

Her eyes widened with panic as she took the gloves and slid them on each hand, a soft, frightened cry escaping her lips.

The sound of it grated against me, and I hated that it bothered me. “You’re afraid of me.”

“Shouldn’t I be?” she whispered, her voice gentle, unexpectedly soothing my irritation.

“Interesting,” I muttered, unable to shake the thought that she was nothing like Agidius had described. There was no threat in her presence, no danger making me uneasy.

She didn’t exude the deadly power I’d been told to fear.

Another second in the cell with her, and I’d surely do something stupid. I needed to get out of there. Swiftly, I slipped my hands in my pockets, turned and began walking toward the exit, well aware she hadn’t moved from her spot.

Glancing over my shoulder, I called out, “Come now, Areya.”

I heard her footsteps echo behind me as I casually made my way toward the door.

I felt her presence as she closed the distance between us, and I clenched my hands into fists inside my pockets, struggling to maintain control.

As we reached the front of the police station, she had caught up with me.

The low hum of a small TV in the corner caught my attention, and I turned my head slightly when I heard the voice of the news anchor.

“Breaking news out of Huddleton tonight: Areya Bennett, a local young female, has just been arrested for the suspected murder of her mother.”

A sharp intake of breath escaped her, and I turned to see the panic flood her eyes. The fear was tangible, rolling off of her in waves. Even in her disheveled state, she was stunning.

The thought of any of these cops putting their hands on her, or worse—the thought of Agidius touching her—ignited a fury inside me that I hadn’t expected. The urge to protect her overwhelmed me, conflicting with everything I was supposed to be doing.

“Areya Bennett, you are going to want to stay very close to me.”

I didn’t know why I said it. There was nothing I could do to change the fate awaiting her—nothing to protect her from Agidius or the darkness for which she was destined.

I forced myself to keep walking, feeling her gaze burning into my back as I left the station.

I was walking a dangerous line, and I needed to pull it together long enough to deliver her to my king. But the pull she had on me made me question everything, and that—above all—was the most dangerous thing.

***

“You’re a fucking monster!” she spat at me, her eyes blazing with anger.

I raised an eyebrow, unaffected by the insult.

It was obvious she was furious, rage pouring out of her like venom. I could already tell Calyx had been running his mouth, probably telling her things he shouldn’t have.

Good. Let her hate me. It would make everything so much easier.

She had to see me as the monster I truly was. Her mouth snapped shut when she noticed the two women I had brought back with me. Calyx eagerly made his way toward the dark-haired one, practically drooling as he took her hand. I couldn’t care less about the women.

For the first time in my life, the thought of blood wasn’t the least bit appealing.

The only thing I was remotely interested in was sitting uncomfortably on the couch across from me, her fingers twitching nervously in her lap. The instant those women appeared, her anger evaporated, and fear crept back into her eyes. That wouldn’t do. I needed her to be angry.

She had to hate me, to despise me. She had to see the predator, the darkness inside of me.

I glared at her, letting the predator within me rise to the surface. My eyes locked onto hers, cold and unrelenting. She shifted under my gaze, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“I’m going to bed,” she said suddenly, standing, her voice shaking, barely holding together.

Prey—that’s all she was. I was a killer, and she was my prey. She was nothing, and I refused to allow her to hold this type of power over me.

I allowed a wicked grin to spread across my face.

“Areya, dear, meet Krissy and Sophie.”

At least, I think that was what their names were.

Areya gave the girls a small, forced smile—utterly terrified and yet somehow still polite.

I stepped back toward Krissy, running my finger down her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and forcing away the thoughts of who I really wanted to be touching.

“Krissy has brought you something nice to wear.”

Krissy’s body stiffened, her pulse quickened, and I could smell the fear radiating off of her.

Normally, this would spark excitement in me—it should—but this time, nothing, only an emptiness.

“Krissy, give Areya your dress.”

“Actually, I really have to get going,” the girl stammered.

“Krissy,” I interrupted, my voice laced with command. “Take off your dress and hand it to Areya.”

Instantly, she obeyed, slipping out of her dress and offering it to Areya.

But Areya didn’t move, except for the constant trembling that ran through her body. Something about the sight of her shook me in a way I couldn’t understand.

Without thinking, I walked toward her, stopping inches in front of her.

Her wide, golden eyes met mine, and for a second, I forgot how to think. There was something in those eyes—something so raw, so vulnerable—it clawed at my insides, challenging everything I believed I was.

What is she doing to me?

“Now, Areya, I went to the trouble of finding you something nice to wear, and this is how you thank me?”

Her pulse should have been racing by now, but as I stood even closer, it only slowed.

It was almost as if my presence … comforted her. That couldn’t be right. I took another step toward her. A predator, that’s what I was. She needed to fear me.

Tears started streaming down her face, and she looked to the floor, finally showing the fear I was waiting for. I reached out, my finger grazing her chin, and a spark of electricity shot through me at that simple touch. I tilted her head up, forcing her to meet my gaze.

Her eyes—so full of pain, more than any creature should bear—pierced through me.

It took everything in me to remember to breathe as I stared back at her, my face just inches from hers.

“You will take the dress, then you will sit down, and you will not open your mouth. Do you understand?”

She nodded, her movements slow as she took the dress before sinking onto the couch. I turned my attention to the other woman. “You will be quiet, too.”

“Really, man?” Calyx whined from behind me, but I shot him a glare.

“We aren’t here to play,” I snapped before turning back to the blonde girl—Krissy or whatever the hell her name was—and placed my finger against her lips.

“Not a sound from you either.”

Anger and frustration surged through me, and I felt myself losing control, not to the bloodlust, but to the trembling girl unknowingly tearing my world apart. I forced my fangs out, sinking them into the blonde’s neck, desperate to drown in the familiar rush. But as her blood flowed, I felt nothing. No satisfaction, no pleasure—just a hollow emptiness that infuriated me even more.

I hated the fact that Areya was watching me, that I could feel her fear, and worse, that I was the one causing it. I let the blonde’s body fall to the floor and then I met Areya’s eyes, dramatically licking at the blood dripping from my lip. “You can go to your room now, Areya.”

My irritation spiked as I turned toward the bar, Calyx trailing behind me.

I grabbed two glasses, pouring us both an ample amount of liquor.

“Who’s dumping the bodies?” Calyx asked casually.

“Fuck.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I released her from the compulsion, but she wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t she leaving?

“Dude, it’s not a big deal.” Calyx shrugged as he took a drink.

I sat down beside him, every nerve in my body acutely aware of Areya’s presence, still lingering in the room. I felt her eyes on me, even as I tried to ignore it.

“You ok, man?” Calyx asked, his voice edged with concern.

“Yeah, I’m just ready to finally get this over with,” I muttered, though the words felt hollow, even to me.

Calyx was studying me, his gaze lingering too long.

He knew something was off, but he didn’t push. I had been a dick to him ever since we’d found her, because she was a complication for which I wasn’t prepared.

One I needed to rid myself of before she completely unraveled everything.

My body stiffened as a choking sound, followed by a loud thud, came from behind. Guilt—yeah, I was fairly sure that was the name for the foreign emotion clawing at my insides.

Shit .

I couldn’t stand it.

Without a second thought, I shoved the bar stool away and moved toward her.

“Areya, go to your room.”

She lay utterly still on the ground, face to face with the dead girl. I hated it.

“I think you broke her, man,” Calyx mumbled.

No fucking shit.

“Areya, go to your room.” I forced the command with magic. She tried to push herself up, her trembling body weak, only to stumble and collapse back to the floor.

My stomach twisted painfully as her face hit the hard floor again.

I couldn’t stop myself when I scooped her up. Her body went limp in my arms and as I held her close, her trembling stopped. Her small frame rested against my chest, and for a moment, I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to hold her forever, to offer comfort for the pain I’d caused, to erase the fear planted inside her. I carried her to the first bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

My arms ached to keep her close, but I forced myself to step back, shutting the door quietly behind me, my heart still racing from the weight of her in my arms.

Back at the bar, Calyx was watching me, his brow furrowed in suspicion.

“What?” I snapped.

“Nothing,” he muttered, though his expression was still twisted with concern.

I poured my drink down the drain, suddenly sickened by everything.

“I’m going to bed,” I muttered, setting the glass down harder than necessary before making my way to the bedroom next to hers.

Except I couldn’t sleep.

I could hear her. The muffled sobs, the broken gasps for breath.

The pain and fear in her cries—they were because of me.

And I just lay there, frozen, listening to every agonizing second. Her crying went on for what felt like hours, and with each sob, I was dragged deeper into the worst night of my existence. Every second shredded me, a relentless reminder that I was the reason for her suffering.

I should have done something. Anything.

But I just lay there.