Chapter 7
Chapter seven
Kaleb
The look on Darius’ face is intense and yet somehow tender. Damn, is this really happening? How is this my life right now? I’ve gone from thinking I’m crazy to…this. To the stunning man from my dreams, looking at me like he wants to kiss me. Again.
My mind whirls with a million emotions. Just moments before, I’d felt so foolish, just waiting in the rain like that.
As soon as I pulled off the side of the highway and parked, my mind went back to other times, trying to convince me that my premonitions were fake, just a coincidence. They were dreams that just felt real.
All the dozens of voices I heard throughout my life telling me I’m crazy. I reverted to believing them.
And as for the magical sparks that’d left my hands the other day? All my imagination. Or maybe someone slipped me something. I don’t know, and I didn’t care. I needed to get help. The words circled around in my head until I almost drove away.
But then I thought, ‘What if?’ What if I wasn’t crazy? What if I had the chance to save a life? And not just any life. Darius. The first person to make me feel something in years, even if our interaction was brief.
So, I waited. And waited. As the rain started pouring, pelting off the roof of my car, I began to panic.
The sound was so similar to the one I heard in my vision.
The image of Darius getting hit by that speeding car became so vivid in my mind, it was like reliving his death over and over again.
The car was stifling hot, and the windows were fogging over so much that I had to get out and wait.
It didn’t matter if I got wet. I’d wait till 3:30 just to prove that I was either going crazy and needed to get help, or that I was really going to save a life.
Then he actually showed up. He’s here. Now. And he’s saying things like ‘shared dreams’ and ‘magic.’
“I’ll explain everything, Kaleb. But first, I need you to take a chance and trust me,” he says. Oh gods, I want to trust him. “I need to kiss you. Hell, I want to kiss you so badly right now.”
The urge to kiss him is so strong. It felt so good at the club.
Can I believe him? And what does that mean—that he can pull the magic from me?
Memories of that night in the club tingle on my lips.
The way he kissed me, how good it felt. It was as if he were draining all the negativity from my body and filling me with lust.
Heat.
Passion.
He said I hadn’t hurt him, but can I really trust him? Can he trust me?
That supernatural golden glow swirls in Darius’ eyes, and I realize that’s my answer.
I can trust him. My stranger with the golden eyes.
The man from my dreams. I nod. ‘Kiss me,’ I plead silently.
‘Kiss me and show me what it feels like to have someone believe me. Kiss me and show me what it feels like to be someone’s first choice. ’
He closes the distance between us, and suddenly it’s as if we’re back in the club that first night we met. His mouth is tempting and hot, and as my tongue traces his bottom lip, he parts them for me. Darius tastes sweet, almost like peppermint.
My tongue dives deeper into his mouth, and he groans, sucking gently.
I whimper a needy sound I’ve never heard before.
Then, I feel it. I feel something swirling around in my mind’s eye, pulling and tugging.
I remember the same feeling from that night.
Instead of pushing back, I float there, submitting and letting Darius take control.
We kiss for what feels like hours. Darius is pulling me apart and piecing me back together.
His presence is both calming and exciting.
Nothing makes sense, and yet he makes all the sense in the world.
When Darius pulls away, I’m in a daze. My lips chase after his, wanting and needing more. “What was that?” I ask. It’s as if I’m lust drunk or high. “I feel so good.”
I open my eyes. Darius looks just as sated. He presses one more light kiss to my lips. “I’ll explain later. But you might want to open your door and let that little one in before she tries to scratch up my car.”
“Huh?”
Darius points outside the window of his car. Standing there on his hood is Cleo, soaking wet and swishing her tail angrily. I gasp. “How the hell did she get out of my car?”
Darius chuckles. “Would you believe me if I said she’s also magical? Or is that too soon?”
Twenty minutes later, Darius, Cleo, and I are standing in line at my favorite café downtown.
I’m clutching a now-dry Cleo to my chest as she purrs.
Luckily, this little café allows dogs inside, as long as they are trained and on a leash.
They’ve never once complained about Cleo being a cat on a leash.
Darius nudges me playfully. “What would you like? My treat.”
I eye the new seasonal menu that went up with a frown. “Why the hell did they add the Christmas flavors to the menu already? It’s still November.”
Darius chuckles. “Do you have something against Christmas?”
I shake my head as we shuffle forward in line.
“No, not at all. In fact, I love Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday.
” I don’t bother to tell him how I’ve always wished I could have someone special to share Christmas with.
“But PSL season just started, and now I’m torn.
Should I get a pumpkin spice latte or a peppermint mocha?
” I’m dead serious, too. This is a huge problem!
How the hell am I supposed to choose between my two favorites?
“Hmm,” Darius hums. “I have an idea. Why don’t you get a Pumpkin Spice Latte while you still can? Then, I promise that sometime soon I’ll bring you to my tea shop and make you a peppermint concoction you will absolutely drool over.”
Tea shop?
I eye Darius curiously. He’s handsome, with chiseled angles that make him look masculine yet beautiful. He looks like a male model with all those toned muscles, or better yet, like a handsome Greek warrior sent to tempt Aphrodite herself.
In other words, he looks like a man who is into physical labor or working out, not like a man who owns a tea shop and knows how to whip up a delicious peppermint concoction. Whatever the hell that is.
Cleo boops me on the nose, causing Darius to laugh. My cheeks heat. Oh gods, they both totally caught me checking him out.
We get to the front of the line, where the cashier greets us with a wide smile. “Well,” Darius says. “What do you say? Want a pumpkin spice latte?”
I bite my lip. “Sure. But I’ll hold you to your word. You owe me.”
Darius winks. Fuck. Even the way he winks is attractive. My face flames hotter, and I clutch Cleo tighter. Turning around, I eagerly look for a reason to escape. “I-I’ll go find us a table,” I call out over my shoulder as I practically sprint away.
Locating a relatively private table in the back, I try to compose myself until Darius returns with our drinks in hand.
I place Cleo in the booth next to me and reach for the hot paper cup.
Darius slides into the seat across from me, studying me for a moment with that intense gaze I’m already growing used to.
It’s so interesting how he can jump between flirty and serious in the blink of an eye.
Tentatively, I take a sip from my cup. Mostly to distract myself.
The hot beverage is sweet and delicious, reminding me of Thanksgivings with Stacy and my foster mom.
Damn, I miss Elizabeth. What would she think about all of this?
Hell, she’s one of the few people who ever believed that I wasn’t crazy.
She’d probably be intrigued, asking him a million questions.
Darius continues to stare at me with a determined look on his face.
It’s clear he isn’t going to talk first. Either he’s giving me time to process or waiting for me to ask my questions first. “I don’t even know where to start,” I say nervously.
“Obviously, I’m new to all of this. So, will you please just tell me what’s going on? ”
Darius smiles. “I like the way you get to the point. There’s something sexy about a man asking for what he wants.” Is he actually flirting with me when we are supposed to be having a serious conversation?
Despite that, I find myself smiling back at him and relaxing in my seat. Wait, did he flirt with me to help ease my nerves? And why do I find that so damn sweet?
“In all honesty, I don’t know where to start either. This is the first time I’ve ever had to tell a non-believer that magic is real.”
My earlier premonition comes to mind, and I remember the conversation he had with Zero.
“I was surrounded by several hundred people, some of them human and several of them not. My magic has a hard time detecting the source.” Considering the fact that we both showed up at that exact spot on the highway, I think it’s safe to assume that, yes, maybe magic is real.
And yes, the conversation I overheard was real too.
“Can I ask you a question?” I start.
“Of course. Ask away.” Darius leans back in his seat with a small smile.
“Are you human?”
“No,” he answers easily. He doesn’t say anything else, and he doesn’t bother telling me what he is if not human. I’m not entirely sure I want an answer just yet.
“Am I?” I whisper.
“No.” His tone is soft now, like he’s trying to ease me into this new information. “You’re a witch.”
I blink. “A witch? Not a wizard or a mage? Aren’t witches usually female?”
“Forget what you know about witches, wizards, and mages. If you learned anything from the media or even human history, it’s probably wrong.
A witch can be female, male, or nonbinary.
Gender has nothing to do with the power inside of you.
Being a male witch does not make you more or less powerful than another witch.
Your bloodline, on the other hand? That can make you really powerful.
Your family comes from one of the most powerful magical bloodlines in witch history. ”
I blink in shock. “My family? I don’t have any family. My foster mom and best friend are the closest thing I have”—I clear my throat—“had to a real family. My friend Stacy is still in my life. But Elizabeth passed recently.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Darius leans across the table. His hand lands on mine, and he squeezes. Next to me, Cleo leans against my thigh. “But you do have a family, Kaleb. You have a little sister. Your parents never gave you up, and they’ve been searching for you.”
I shake my head, wishing it were true. “That’s a lovely thought, but really, I don’t have any family. I’ve been in the system for as long as I can remember.”
Darius squeezes my hand again. “Kaleb. I’m serious.
I’m a magical tracker who used to work for the Elite Guard.
Your parents hired me to find you. They live about two hours away from here.
They were able to cast a spell where I followed your magical signature to the club that night.
It’s how I was able to find you. They’ve been searching for you for about twenty years now. ”
I jolt at the news, my mind whirling. Only two hours away? Twenty years? “No,” I snap, yanking my hand away from Darius. “There’s no way I come from some magical family that has been searching for me for twenty years.”
Standing, I can feel the anger rushing through me. “I’ve lived in this horrible fucking town all my life. If my parents had really been searching for me all this time, they would have found me.”
“Kaleb,” Darius says, sounding pained.
Cleo stands, peering at me with wide eyes. I shake my head and reach for her leash. When I tug on it, she doesn’t budge, almost as if she’s pleading with me to stay. To listen to Darius. To hear him out.
I scoop her up, ready to make my escape. Tears sting my eyes.
How long have I wanted a family to be out there searching for me?
To find me and take me away. I could have grown up with someone who loves me.
I pause as soon as the thought comes to mind.
I didn’t have it as rough as some of the other kids in the system.
And I don’t know whether I would want to give up Elizabeth or Stacy if I somehow had a time machine.
But only two hours away?
They are supposedly some of the most magical witches out there.
No, they haven’t been looking for me. It’s some kind of mistake.
Darius is wrong. This isn’t the fresh start I’ve been praying for.
They aren’t my family. If I listen to Darius, it will only get my hopes up.
I don’t want to meet a beautiful family and wish they were mine.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Darius get out of his seat, but I’m determined to ignore him. He didn’t approach me because he felt some magical connection between us. No, he approached me because he thought I was this missing person.
I make my way through the café, ready to leave.
“Kaleb!” Darius calls after me.
I push my way out the front door. The cold air whips around me, but at least it isn’t raining anymore. The door chimes behind me. I don’t need to turn around to know it’s Darius. There’s nothing he can say that can convince me that what he’s saying is true.
“You have your mother’s eyes.”
I halt. Heart pounding.
Cleo scrambles out of my hold, her claws digging into me. “Ouch!” I yell. She jumps down and rushes over to Darius before I can stop her.
I turn around slowly.
“I said, you have your mother’s eyes.” Darius tries again. He’s holding something out to me.
A photo.
With shaky hands, I reach for it. It’s a photo of two smiling parents holding a smiling baby. They all look so happy. But it could be any baby. I don’t have any baby photos, so I have no idea if this is actually a photo of me. But then, something catches my eye.
I gasp.
The baby is wrapped in a soft blanket, which is folded back to show the large embroidery on the corner. Embroidery that I recognize. A blanket that might be worn out from use, but a blanket I saw earlier this morning. My blanket.
A blanket that has ‘Kaleb Dumas’ embroidered in beautiful script.