Chapter 10
TEN
MCKENNA
“McKenna?” A beautiful woman, very pregnant, I might add, calls my name a smile on her face.
“That’s me.” I smile.
“I’m Evelin,” she introduces herself. It’s nice to put a face to the name, finally.
I giggle, nodding. “You’re right, it is.”
“Fire told me you were here before they sequestered themselves away in church.” Evelin takes a seat next to me. “I was in Kinley’s room.”
“Is she okay?”
I wanted to see Kinley, but I didn’t know if she’d want to see me. I’m a stranger to her. It didn’t matter if I was the one who found her or not.
“She’s sleeping now,” Evelin says, placing a hand on her stomach. “Hotshot gave her a sedative to help her sleep and rest.”
“That’s good.” I nod, not knowing what else to say.
Though Evelin didn’t have any issue speaking, “Kinley is my best friend. A sister, even. We grew up together. It’s because of me she was taken in the first place.”
“How was it your fault? You didn’t take her.”
“The guys who did, they were vampires and had targeted me. They wanted me and used her as bait. When they couldn’t get me, they took her with them. I don’t know what they’ve done to her, but whatever it is, they killed a part of her I’m not sure if any of us will be able to revive.”
It hurts to hear the torment in Evelin’s voice. The blame she feels isn’t warranted. It wasn’t her fault.
“She’s not dead inside,” I whisper, “Just hiding the parts of herself that were wounded.”
I could see death in many forms. It was a gift from my godmother. She taught me to see it when it was coming. When someone was hurting to the core of simply existing, I could see it and identify between hiding and dying.
Kinley was hurting to the point she was protecting herself the one way she knows how, by mentally blocking out everything and everyone she cares about to keep her from losing herself completely. The woman has to be the strongest woman I’ve ever met to be able to survive what she has.
I’ve personally never dealt with such pain, and I don’t want to. It’s probably why I dance, because when I do, I’m free.
Free from thinking. Free from doing anything with my mind. I’m out there, and though there’s an audience, but I don’t see them.
Leon doesn’t allow the patrons to touch me.
When I get off stage, a girl quickly collects my tips for me.
I’ve done lap dances in the past before Leon made it so I didn’t have to do them.
But even then, the client wasn’t allowed to touch me, unlike the other girls, who could give permission to be touched.
The girls could make extra that way. It’s his way of protecting me.
When I first started, he didn’t want me there, but it was there, or I would go somewhere else.
We had a rule at work that made it so he didn’t seem to play favorites.
If I wasn’t such a good dancer, I wouldn’t be his headliner, but I am.
Growing up, I’d taken dance classes, and it just helped in my love for music.
I could dance to anything. It didn’t matter what it was.
If it had any type of beat to it, rock, hip-hop, country, or instrumental, I could move to it all.
“You think so?” Evelin asks, watching me closely.
“I know so,” I’m adamant about my answer.
“I believe you.” She smiles and cocks her head. “So, what’s going on between you and my brother?”
“There’s nothing going on,” I blurt. I didn’t want there to be anything going on.
That being said, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like being in his arms and having him kiss me. Enjoy his touch. It was wonderful to feel. Only it couldn’t be. I didn’t live here. I would eventually be going back home, where I belong.
It didn’t even matter the connection we shared, or that I craved to have him touching me. Doing more, like putting that impressive hard-on I’d felt to use.
I wouldn’t mind.
Nope. Stopping right here. I refuse to think of sex with Heat.
There’s no way I’m going there with him.
I know I’ll end up being hurt in the end when he decides he’s done with me.
I just met him, and I know this means the longer I’m around him, the worse it will be.
The connection between us, I have to make sure, doesn’t become solidified.
I do that, he’ll destroy me in ways no one could ever do.
“Right, so that look you have doesn’t mean anything?” Evelin smiles and leans toward me. “I’ll fill you in on a little secret about my big brother.”
“I don’t need to know anything about him,” I tell her, hoping I don’t sound bitchy.
“Sure you do.” Evelin giggles and shakes her head. “My big brother doesn’t go about things half-ass. He’s not one for giving up, nor is he the type to cower. He sees something he wants, he doesn’t stop until he gets it. From what I gather, you have a target on you that he’s placed.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Another thing to know about Heat, he doesn’t kiss women. Never. It’s a rule of his. The fact he kissed you speaks volumes.”
I struggle to swallow as my lungs constrict, and my breathing becomes shallow. I’m on the verge of a panic attack. I feel it coming, and I can’t stop it.
This is too much.
I hear Evelin calling my name, but it seems muffled, distorted. The sight of her blurs and dots pepper my vision. I try to shake it off, only I can’t. It’s not possible.
I’m stuck, and I can’t get free.
Nothing can free me from it this time.
Suddenly, I’m falling down a black hole, darkness surrounding me.
“Child,” Hel calls out from the deep abyss. “What have you done to yourself?”
“I’m not doing anything.” How is it possible for me to speak when I feel like I’m choking?
“You’re doing this to yourself as you have in the past. Breathe through and calm as you should.” Suddenly, I’m no longer surrounded by darkness, and my godmother comes into the light.
Beauty radiates off her in waves. Her shimmering, slick black hair drapes over her shoulders and down her back.
The dress she’s wearing is one designed solely for her in black with red glimmering everywhere.
It’s strange that she could look so beautifully young and yet is far older than I dare ask she is.
It’s baffling, really. This woman is my godmother, and yet we look as though we could be siblings instead.
I take a breath and then another one.
“What am I doing here?” I ask.
“I felt your panic and brought you here to help you through it.” She pauses and smiles, deviously. “Though, it might not have been a good idea. Seems you’ve caught the attention of the man meant to be yours, decreed by the Norns.”
The Norns are what the Norse fate goddesses were called.
“I didn’t do anything,” I snap, not wanting to talk about this.
“You didn’t have to.” Hel chuckles, waving nonchalantly. “We’ll move this along and join them again in just a moment.”
“Just take me back to the house I’m renting.” Since I’m no longer there, I can get her to take me where I need to go. “Better yet, take me to my car. I need to get it back.”
“Child, you are blind to what is going on.” The annoyed huff is telling that she’s close to snapping at me.
Granted, it doesn’t take much to cause Hel to lose her temper, but I’m not typically on the bad side of her harsh tongue.
“You need to open your eyes and see what I’ve done in sending you there instead of simply making you come with me in the first place.
It’s the reason I waited to tell Leon when you refused to give him the full details of what’s been going on with you. ”
She steps closer, her hand coming to curl the apple of my cheek.
“You are immortal now. I’ve gifted you a power, but this does not make you invisible.
You may not die, however, you can be hurt in other ways.
” I open my mouth to speak, only for Hel to cover my mouth with her fingers.
“The Norns deemed the other half of your soul to be this man. Listen to that connection. Do not go against it. It’s a gift that isn’t given to all.
You are not your parents. You will not lose each other.
As much as your parents loved one another, they were not the other halves of each other. You and this man are.”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” I whisper.
“I know, but you needed a minute away from all who were going to witness your panic attack, and I could not allow this to happen.”
“Why?” I didn’t need to ask.
“You already know.”
I did know. Because when I get overwhelmed, panic seeps in, I lose control, and the gift that Hel gave me grows stronger than I can handle at one time.
“As much as I like to see you learn to control your gifts, child, I didn’t want Freya’s grandchildren at risk.”
“Wait, Evelin is carrying Freya’s grandchildren, as in more than one?” I stare at Hel in shock.
“Yes,” Hel confirms with a nod. “Your new friend is carrying twin boys but doesn’t know it. They wanted to be surprised, so the only thing they know is she’s healthy.”
I don’t think I could do that. I’d want to know. I’d want to be able to see a doctor.
“We should get you back, child,” Hel announces, removing her hand from my face before taking my left.
“Remember, everything has a reason. Rankin is worthy of you as his other half. He’s a warrior.
A protector. He’ll see you through it and handle you with care.
You merely need to open yourself up to him. ”
“You know you’re supposed to be the Goddess of Death, right?” I point out making her laugh.
“I am this, but I also see when life is blooming within,” she states, smiling. “Now come, we will get you back to your Rankin before he loses his mind.”
Rankin.
Heat.
Both suit the man she speaks of.
But I’m not sure if what she says is true. Can I trust that he won’t hurt me?