Fated Hearts (Echoes of Darkness Prequel)

24

Ava

“ S o, what you’re saying is that witches, demons, and vampires are real?” I ask before swallowing a piece of perfectly done steak Logan cooked for us after he fucked me slowly against the shower wall and then washed me and wrapped me in a fluffy towel. We’re now sitting at the rustic dining table nestled between the kitchen nook and the couch. The blizzard finally stopped about an hour ago, and the night sky has started to clear, the moon halfway visible in the canopy of dark clouds.

I know I should still be mad at him, but hearing his side of things made me understand the confusion and the conundrum he was faced with. I don’t know what I would have done in his position. And then there’s the mating bond and the mind- boggling fact that he is my fated mate. I can’t even explain the connection I feel to him; it’s like our souls have intertwined, and we are an extension of each other.

With the mating bond completed, I feel so attuned to Logan, to his soul, to the very fabric of his being that I know without a doubt he is a good person through and through.

There was a moment I thought I was nothing more than a replacement for Hope. That it wasn’t me Logan was attracted to, but Hope’s heart. However, as soon as the mating bond snapped into place, I no longer felt jealous. I am simply thankful that Hope has given me another chance at life. And even if it’s not close to what I imagined, becoming a wolf shifter and being someone’s fated mate, I’m still grateful for it.

“Yeah, and other creatures, too,” Logan replies as he cuts a piece from his steak. He’s already told me all about what being a wolf shifter entails, him being Alpha, the pack dynamic, and his responsibilities within the Obsidian Conclave. To say my mind is blown is an understatement.

“I can’t believe this whole world that humans have no idea about exists. That I had no idea existed.”

Swallowing, he puts his fork down and looks at me. “Well, there’s a lot of folklore surrounding dark creatures, so it’s not like they don’t have an idea. A lot of books and movies, too, but with the advancement in technology, it was easier for them to believe that dark creatures were no more than the result of the overactive imagination of the medieval human. That made it simpler for us to slip into the shadows and not get hunted anymore.”

“Will I have to get a tattoo like yours and Emily’s too?” I pop a crispy potato wedge into my mouth and chew slowly.

“It’s pretty much mandatory. If you don’t, then it will mean you don’t want to abide by the rules of not killing human beings and not biting them, in our case. And that you won’t accept the protection given by the Obsidian Conclave. Hellseekers will be able to kill you.”

“Hellseekers are the demon hunters, the ones in the Order of Sariel, right?”

Logan slumps back in his chair. “Yeah. Back in the day, before the Celestial Treaty was signed and the Obsidian Conclave was created, hellseekers hunted dark creatures alongside demons. They aren’t allowed to get involved in Conclave business now, though. The Obsidian Conclave deals with all things regarding dark creatures, even punishing them whenever they step out of line. Still, hellseekers don’t always care about the rules, and there have been instances of them abusing their power, even if a dark creature was under the protection of the Conclave. They think of us as lesser beings.” His jaw ticks, and I don’t miss the way his fingers tighten around his fork.

My eyebrows draw together as I take a swig of water from my glass and place it back on the table. “Well, that sucks. Especially since they’re supposed to be the good guys with their bloodline sanctified by the archangels. God, I can’t believe archangels and demons are real,” I mumble the last part to myself and shake my head incredulously. “So, that’s why catching the rogue is your responsibility, because he is a dark creature, and he broke the number one rule of not killing humans, right?”

He nods and stabs the last piece of steak left on his plate, chewing it thoughtfully and then swallowing before replying. “It would not be the first rogue we’ve had to kill. There have been many over the years, even working in groups to form packs, biting humans, and turning them into feral wolves. It wasn’t pretty, but we eventually managed to stop them. This one, though, has managed to evade us for months by hiding its scent. That’s why we believe it’s working with a witch.”

“I think that person I saw in the dark cloak collecting the hearts might have been the witch. I didn’t see a face, though, or anything that could help me identify it, but the wolf had auburn fur and icy blue eyes, and it was definitely male. And you’re right, besides Tony and the other guy’s blood, I couldn’t smell anything else.” Everything I have eaten threatens to make a reappearance. With a few tears, I drop the fork and the knife I’m holding on top of my plate. They clatter loudly in the silence.

Logan pulls me onto his lap like I weigh nothing more than a feather. His woodsy smell and the warmth radiating from his glorious body are like a safety blanket, enveloping me in calming waves. “I’m so sorry about Tony,” he says softly, his fingers caressing the side of my face.

“Me too,” I choke out, and I can’t stop the tears from flowing. “I haven’t known him for long, but he was such a good person, so bright, and he kind of took me under his wing from the moment we met. In the short time we have known each other, he was such a good friend to me.”

He thumbs my tear-streaked cheeks. “Emily loved him too. She used to talk about him all the time.”

“He didn’t deserve to die like that. You have to find the rogue and make him pay for it,” I say with venom in my voice, and I mean it. I hope the Conclave will give him a painstakingly slow death. I know it won’t bring Tony back, but the rogue deserves the worst kind of torture for murdering so many innocent people. My wolf growls in my head in agreement, which in itself is a shock. Logan told me that with my wolf awakened, I will be able to feel her more and more.

“We will. I’ll make sure of it.”

“ C’mon, try again, ” Logan encourages me.

Sweat dots my forehead, and my whole body shakes with the effort. “I can’t, Logan. I just can’t,” I grit out in frustration.

Logan’s trying to teach me how to control my shift, and so far, in the two hours we’ve been at it, I’ve only managed to make a fool of myself and sweat. That’s it. At least I have something nice to look at. Logan’s incredible body is on full display, making me all hot and bothered as he demonstrates yet another shift. It takes him just a few seconds to go through it and for his wolf to make an appearance.

He stalks toward me, making clicking sounds with his gigantic paws on the hardwood floor. I let my fingers run through his soft, ash-brown fur as he brushes his massive body against my side. He’s so tall his head reaches my chest. I bend slightly to scratch behind his ears, earning a happy rumble from his throat.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how freakin’ majestic you are,” I say. He licks my face before taking his place in front of me in the middle of the living room area that we cleared earlier to make space for us to shift inside the cabin.

Logan reappears in his human form faster than I can blink. “You’re thinking too much about it. You have to push past the mental block. It was a very traumatic experience for you, and not knowing it was going to happen made it all worse. It only hurts that bad the first time. By the fifth shift, you won’t even be able to feel it anymore. I promise.”

I huff in annoyance and cross my arms in front of my naked chest. “Easy for you to say. You’re an expert on it.”

“I’ve had years to practice. It gets easier, trust me.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that. It kinda felt like I was dying a slow, painful death. Just the thought of going through that again is enough to make me wanna throw up. I mean…it was even worse than getting a heart attack. And that sucked. Big time.”

“C’mon, just one more time. Try not to think too much about it.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Fine, but this is the last try. I’m tired and sweaty,” I grumble, refusing to admit how childlike I sound.

“Let’s try something different. Close your eyes. Concentrate on that ball of energy in the center of your chest. That’s your wolf, Ava. Let her come out.”

I do as Logan says and bring my palm to the center of my chest, where I feel a spark.

“Imagine all your insecurities and fears coming together in the form of a brick wall inside your mind.”

I visualize the wall in my head, and it looks downright impenetrable.

“Now climb it, get on the other side.”

My jaw ticks. “I can’t. It’s too tall.”

“It’s your mind, Ava. You make the rules; don’t ever forget that. Make the wall shorter. Throw a bomb at it. Pulverize it. Whatever it takes.” Logan’s tone is soft, coaxing.

The moment I imagine myself throwing a bomb at the wall, I feel it crumbling. In the next second, a weird tingling sensation engulfs me, from the bottom of my feet to the tips of my hair. My muscles spasm, and my skin feels like it’s being pulled too tight over my bones. I double over when I feel every bone in my body snapping into tiny, jagged pieces. There’s a second when I think it’s all done. But then, whatever reprieve I thought I gained crumbles to ashes the moment my ligaments fracture one by one. Pop. Pop. Pop. White-hot pain scorches me as my fur pierces my skin. Almost as soon as it started, the pain is gone, and I’m standing on four legs.

“Fuck yeah! That’s my girl,” Logan hollers in excitement and hurries to the front door, opening it and letting the cold morning air filter into the cabin. “Let’s go for a run,” he says before shifting and prancing outside.

I follow on his tail and descend the wooden stairs. The sun is cresting over the mountain peaks, its warm rays filtering through the pine trees, making the blanket of snow gleam as if made from tiny little diamonds. Before I realize what’s happening, Logan’s wolf slams playfully into my side. The momentum sends us rolling in the pristine white powder a few feet back. On top of me, he nudges his snout against mine and licks my muzzle. In response to his attack, I sink my canines in his neck, but only with a soft nip. He lets me go with a wolfish smile.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that,” I tell him through our mental link as I stand and shake the snow from my fur with a low growl. It’s still mind-boggling to me that we can do that, and it came so naturally, like speaking.

“Only if you can catch me,” he says with a chuckle and darts through the trees. He digs a trail through the mountain of snow, only his ears visible.

I quickly follow after him, and I don’t think I have ever felt freer than in this moment. It feels like flying. I bask in this newfound freedom, in letting my wolf take over completely and running at high speed through the piles of snow, the icy wind filling my snout and ruffling my fur as I follow Logan’s scent through the trail he made in front of us.