Resisting Fate (Predetermined) (23 page)

I shook my head and turned away as my cheeks began to heat. There was no way I could let him pull his moves on me in this hall without me wanting to do something about it.

“So…are you, um, still mad at me?” I heard the cringing in his voice as I stared down at the tiles beneath our feet.

I shrugged, “No, I wasn’t really mad at you, Jack, well, not entirely.” I tucked my thumbs in between my book bag straps and shoulders. I was mad, but as I lied in bed last night, staring up at the moon reflecting off the walls in my room, I realized that it wasn’t Jack I was mad at, it was the situation in general.

“Good, because I don’t want you to be mad at me Strawberry,” he grabbed my forearm and pulled me to a stop, right there in the middle of the crowded hallway. His eyes were so truthful, so blue, that I would have fallen into the pits of his gaze if he had opened a hole for me. I was always suckered into his stare, and I never knew if it was our connection, or my genuine feelings. “I need you to be patient with me.” He reached up, brushing his hand along the slope of my neck, before tucking his hand behind my ear.

I bit my lip, “Why?” I questioned, trying hard to concentrate on his words and not the warmth of his grip.

He narrowed his eyes, a sudden battle grew within the angles of his face, the frown on his lips, and the pure anguish within his eyes…“Because you and I–”

“Jack,” Adrian hollered, suddenly right there in front of us.

My shoulders slumped as Jack groaned. He closed his eyes as he cracked his neck from side to side, “Jesus Adrian, you have the worst timing ever, asshole.”

I swallowed, but nothing was there to go down. My throat burned from the dryness. “It’s okay,” I tried to smile reassuringly, but my mouth had become so dry that when my words slipped out, my lips smacked together at the same time. And then my skin began to tingle, but it wasn’t a Jack tingle this time, it was a creepy tingle.

I shook my arms to try and rid the sensation, but it wouldn’t stop. It was as if my entire body had fallen asleep, everything but my eyes that is. They were open, but they burned like hell. I pressed my hand against Jack’s arm, focusing my gaze onto his black boots.

“I’ll see you at lunch maybe?” I winced; the sudden ache reappeared in my chest? Oh hell no!

 “Are you okay Emmy?” Jack tilted my chin up with his thumb; concern was the fore front emotion in his soft voice.

I pasted on a fake smile and nodded, trying not to gnaw my lip off as I replied. “I’m great, I’m going to hit the bathroom before second hour,” I motioned back with my thumb.

Then it happened again, that pain, it radiated through me like a lightning bolt striking me, starting at my head, and then into my throat, and finally landing inside my chest. It pounded, burned, relentless and unforgiving, over and over again. I gripped the sleeve of my long sleeve shirt to keep from grabbing onto his arm for support, but if my wobbling knees didn’t give me away soon, then surely my passing out wouldn’t go unnoticed, right?

Those numbing tingles forged through me still, and that was what was ultimately crazy about the whole scenario. It was as if my pain was being held prisoner inside my body, and the tingles were there to make sure it damn well didn’t escape.

“I really need to talk to you J…” Adrian butted in, not even glancing my way this time.

I nodded up at Jack, giving him non-verbal approval for him to vacate our convo without regret. The last thing I needed was for him to know that my pain was back. He’d most likely go wolfy protection mode on me again. Not that I minded, but I was trying to be good ,tying to give him space until he made the decision to be with me without having to worry about healing me or furthering our mating bond. Yesterday’s situation was still fresh in my memories, and I knew that if I wanted us to be the real deal couple, then we’d have to do in human style, love first all the way.

He seemed hesitant as he pressed his hand against my face one last time. He blinked, several times, before giving me one stern nod. I sucked in a breath, turning so quickly on my toes that it was a wonder I hadn’t fallen on my ass. “Emmy,” he called from behind, I blew out my breath and almost sluggishly, turned to look back at him from over my shoulder.

“Yeah?”

He smiled, so sweetly in fact that I almost forgot my own name. He never smiled at me sweetly. “Tonight…I’ll finish my sentence…” he grinned harder, and my insides melted so badly, that I was practically lava, burning away right there in the hall. “I promise.”

I grumbled, “Promises aren’t meant to be broken, Jack.”

His face went somber, stern. “Never…”

And I believed him; with every ounce of my soul I believed that he would finish that sentence. And I somehow knew that it was a sentence that would change everything between us. I smiled, I was tingling, and I was in pain, but I still managed to smile.

I washed up my hands in the bathroom sink, splattering water on my face every so often to try and get my crap together. I expelled a long breath as I glanced up at my reflection in the mirror. I looked…like absolute shit. My shoulders slouched as I studied my face. Pale skin, green eyes that held circles under them, representing the many nights of sleeplessness I’d encountered, as well as my nightmares too. I pressed my palms against the cool marble, pushing the pain aside in my body so I could try and at least make it through the rest of second period. Something was wrong, but I’d deal with it, I always dealt with it. I nodded at myself in reassurance, hiking my book bag onto both of my shoulders and scooted out the door.

The only sound surrounding me as I exited into the hall was the buzzing of the overhead lights and the dull roar of the furnace blowing from the vents. My breath stalled out in my lungs and for a brief second, uncertainly crept up my spine and into my neck. I shivered, hating the ominous mood I’d sunk into, as I turned the corner to head down the hall. I was late, but I didn’t care. I’d be lucky if I made it to class without falling over period.

With one hand forced against a nearby locker, I made my way…until a big, bulky figured popped out from a shadow, landing in front of me. I jumped, letting a tiny squeal out as Adrian gripped my arm.

“Whoa, hey, are you okay Emmy?” I rammed my hand into his chest and my breathing went almost erratic.

“Crap…Adrian…where’d you come from?” My vision blurred, I could barely see at that point. I shook my head, trying to focus on his face, but I couldn’t see much of anything beyond the shadow of his chin. Shit, I needed to go to the nurse; better yet I needed to get my ass to a hospital. I cleared my throat, “Actually Adrian, I’m not doing so well,” and that was the understatement of the year. I was on the verge of losing my breakfast as he moved closer to my side, wrapping his hand around my waist for support.

“Jesus, you look like crap Emerly.” I froze and my vision went black.

How did he know my real name?

I bent over at the waist. There was no time to question him as the dizziness over took me. I slapped my hands down hard against my thighs, lowering my chin against my chest as my stomach raged like a hurricane, powerful and dangerous, and not going to go away anytime soon.

“You need help then…”

I nodded. Hell yeah I needed help. I needed his tall, dark and idiot ass to help me too. I was almost positive his brother wouldn’t like Adrian’s dilly-dicking around either.

“You need
me
to help
you
…” His words were short, clipped. I froze. “Do you really think I want to help you? Do you really think I’m going to be the good guy like my brother?”

I was suffocating. Not a bit of air was entering my lungs as I took in his words.

Oh God. No, my dream, this was it. It was actually happening. Not identical, but enough for me to know that I was no longer crazy.

I had to run; and I had to run fast too. My heartbeat was so loud in my ears, and the pain was so fierce in my chest and head, that I could barely move. Then everything around me ceased, the tick of the clock, the roar of the furnace, the voices of the teachers from the neighboring classrooms, silence, other than my heart, my breath and Adrian’s voice.

I shoved my way out of his grip. I had to make it to the door. And I pushed my palms along the cold metal to hold myself up so I could try to do it. I knew exactly what was next, but I had to stop it. I had to stop Adrian.

I stumbled, my feet barely made it two inches before the sharp sting of a wet needle jabbed into the side of my neck.
Damn, he was way too early this time.
“Son of a mother humper…” I cried as I attempted to turn around, but my legs bucked beneath me completely that time keeping me in place. I held one hand out in front of me in defense, while I thrust my other hand to my neck.

And just like that, I felt my world begin to slip away. “Why?” I whimpered as my insides numbed completely. It was actually welcomed compared to the pain I was under, deathly, scary, but welcomed.

“I’m sorry, Emmy. I didn’t want things to go this far. You weren’t supposed to fall for him. This was supposed to be simpler.”

I coughed, welcoming the blackness that came from the lack of oxygen. It was finally making good on its silent promise to take me away from the present completely. “W–who…are you…talking…about?” I gasped, slapping the metal lockers with my sweaty, empty palm. My backpack had slipped off, there would be no defensive shield to keep me safe this time, not that it ever did work. That damn dream did me absolutely no good. What was the point of having this power, this ability to foresee something, when I couldn’t even use it to my advantage?

“Nobody, don’t worry, its better this way. He won’t know. Nobody will. It will be easy, painless and it will be over before you even realize it began.” My elbows weakened, and with a thump, my head smacked the floor. It was a good thing I was numb…well, except for the burn in my eyes from my tears. Too bad I didn’t let them fall. There was no way he needed to see my weaknesses.

His voice lowered to menacing, his lips were dry and cracked, and curled into a sadistic smile as he lowered his face to meet mine. I choked, I gagged, but no words came out as his glazed over eyes stared down at me. He looked almost drugged, as if he wasn’t quite there himself. He certainly didn’t look like the Adrian I’d met not so long ago.

He shrugged, “Oops, so sorry I lied to you,” he cackled, like a true, scary ass witch! “It’s going to hurt…a lot.”

But the pain he spoke of never hit.

“And that
why
question you asked earlier is simple… Your father had it coming.” And then I was gone, taken to a nothingness of black, finally.

Chapter Sixteen

“Good job, son. At least you have enough sense about you to listen to your old man. Now, let’s see what we can do to make this little dear suffer, shall we?” A new, scratchy, evil sounding voice entered into my fuzzy warped out brain. At least my heart had finally come back to life, racing and thumping past the speed of paranoia against my chest.

As far as the rest of my body went, I was basically useless, nothing but a sluggish, still slightly paralyzed mess.

“Dad, you promised you’d only mess with her a little bit, alter her memory, and use the tool too… You told me she wouldn’t… If she dies, you’ll never get Jack back. The mating started between them already and you of all people know what that does to someone. He loves her dad. It would kill him!”

A deep bellowing laugh echoed around me. A whirlwind of crazy circles started up in my stomach at the sound. “Hah, it’d serve him right; he lied to me, Adrian. He told me she was gone. Now she’ll pay, like her daddy should have paid for killing your mom all those years ago.”

I whimpered. The sound was weak, soft. I could hardly hear it. The rest of my body stayed frozen in place. My bones and muscles had almost completely shut down. At least I knew who that threatening voice belonged to. And I wasn’t at all surprised by the secret either. Jack and Adrian’s dad had apparently been keeping better tabs on me than Jack originally thought.

And it was all because of Adrian.

“What? Don’t you dare look at me like that! She didn’t get to you too, boy, did she? You’re too powerful; don’t change that because you had a soft moment for this…monstrosity of a female. Soft moments will only get you killed.”

“Yeah Dad, I know.” Adrian’s resolved voice settled around me.

“Good. Now then, let’s get on with it. I’m awfully tired of that boy in the cage over there. His blubbering is giving me a headache!”

The word cage and boy blended together, and I blinked.
Who…what…no…
I pushed my lids open, cringing. They burned like acid had been dripped inside of them. I needed to explore the damage around me. I had to know what I was up against too, that way I knew how to fight it in the end. Bright florescent light lit the room, overpowering my vision, and I felt the rush of anxiety push into my throat. Damn it all to hell. I had to stay calm, unnoticed, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t going to happen seeing as though they were the ones that put me there in the first place.

“Get the boy. I don’t know how long my powers will last to keep him in that state. If he shifts, then the plan will be for nothing.”

“Yes, Dad…”

“He’s a pansy anyway, crying like he has been. I thought he was supposed to be the alpha someday? Alphas never act like that! Even your mother was a stronger wolf, and she was a female. That boy is nothing better than the scum on the bottom of my boots.”

“Jesus Dad, he’s our cousin! He’s your nephew too! I didn’t agree to this. It was supposed to–”

“Shut it, boy, before I send your ass away. Just do your job, get the boy, and I’ll get the girl when I’m done with my preparations. She’s easy enough for me to handle. I heard what sounded like a grunt and then a key inserting into a lock maybe…

My face stayed flush with the cold cement floor, but my brain felt as if it was on fire, like I was experiencing a killer migraine, times ten. Helplessness had won out inside of me and silent sob erupted from my mouth. I pressed my lips together, willing the pain to take me away. I hated waiting, especially when the inevitable outcome might not be in my favor. What I wouldn’t give to have super powers that were of actual of use… Wasn’t that what happened in books and in movies? Didn’t the heroine get all kick-ass like? Granted my life was like neither of those things, but still, it would have been nice to have
something
effective. The only new power
I
had going on was an empty, helpless damsel in distress feeling. And out of everything, I hated feeling like that most. I wanted to do something. I wanted to fix this. I wanted to be with my brother. I wanted my life to go on because there was no way I was done living yet.

I tried to lift my head, and tried even harder to focus on whatever was moving around beyond the metal bars of my cage. But it was a wasted effort due to the fact that my neck was basically immobile. All I could see was a pair of very familiar black boots moving steadily back and forth outside the bars of my cage. There was no doubt in my clouded brain that they belonged to Adrian. What really caught my eye was the tall, lanky looking body that he seemed to be dragging towards me.

“There she is cousin. Take a good look ‘cuz this is probably the last time you’ll ever see her.”

“Nooo…” A gargled plea erupted from my mouth at the sight of Zachary’s almost unrecognizable face. Adrian had dropped him onto the floor with a thump, and shoved him flush against the bars of my cage. Zachary grunted. Blood dripped from every opening on his face. Bruises, both old and new, lined his chin and cheeks. His right eye was completely swollen shut. His left one peered over at me, golden, and completely broken.

My throat tightened, my head thumped even harder. And the pain in my chest went crazy as he reached under the black metal bars to grab my hand. I pulled my lips into my mouth and bit down on them so I wouldn’t cry harder.

Dammit. I should have known! My pain, my internal fire, it all made sense now. It was all connected to him because we were somehow partially mated! God, how could I have been so stupid? How long had he been there? How long had they been torturing him?
He
could move at least, so that had to have meant something, right?

I wanted to scream, but nothing would work right, and absolutely nothing would help us escape now anyways. My chin quivered as Jack’s beautiful face appeared behind my eyelids. And then I gasped…my mouth actually fell open. Jesus-God…I was hurting yesterday when we were together at that cliff side. Jack
knew
that I was hurting. He was short with me when I asked him about Zachary possibly being hurt. The son of a bitch had lied to me.

Betrayal…that feeling in your stomach when it occurs is unlike any other pain you’ll ever live through. And at my revelation, I knew, without a single doubt, that
Jack’s
betrayal was the worst of its kind. Because when the one you love betrays you, it was always worse than a stomachache, it was right there in the same category as dying itself.

“Emmy…” Zachary whispered. My tears fell, puddling under my cheekbones on to the floor. I didn’t even have enough energy to care that I was finally starting to regain some external sensations on my body.

“Emmy, talk to me?”

I blinked, staring over at the boy who had been sort of loyal to me, the boy who had loved me for over two years. And then the dreaded question finally popped into my brain. Had Jack been working with his father and brother all along?

“Zachary?” I moaned finally, watching as his one, glassy hazel eye gazed back at me. His face was sideways, lying on the cement floor like mine. He looked as hopeless and as broken as I felt.

I studied his features as he talked, it didn’t matter what he was saying. Nothing mattered anymore, so I took the mundane moments I had left in my life, and immortalized them to my memory, that way I’d have something normal to take with me after death. His brown hair was disheveled, greasy. His brows were covered in a thick layer of blood and dirt. He was still beautiful.

Why couldn’t I love him anymore? I blinked, I knew exactly why, but that was no longer important. I now hated Jack Hartman more than anyone else on this planet, even if my heart screamed at me otherwise.

Then another revelation hit me, I had to get Zachary out; I had to help
him
live. Because his parents, the two people who I had come to love like my own, would be crushed if they lost their only son. So saving Zachary became my only reason to fight for survival. Besides, it wasn’t
his
 father that killed Jack and Adrian’s mother. It was my own. I’m the one that should’ve been suffering, not Zachary.

“I’m going to do you guys a favor by leaving. So enjoy this time together because for one, or both of you, it might be your last moment to live.”

I lifted my glare to stare up into the soulless blue eye of Adrian as he kneeled down next to Zachary.

I truly hated him as he focused hard on my face, but deep down, a tiny part of me knew that this wasn’t entirely him either. “Please, Adrian…” I begged, not even truly knowing what I was begging more for. For him to help us, for him to stop looking at me… I really didn’t know.

 “Don’t Emmy, it’s not worth it.” Zachary coughed, droplets of blood spilled down his lips. I glanced at him once more, before glancing back over towards Adrian’s retreating form. I winced as a hard, black door shut behind him, leaving Zachary and me alone…

“Hey,” I lamely replied, my scratching voice finally came back into play. Unfortunately my body wasn’t as compliant.

“Hey Red,” He smiled sadly at me, inching his fingertips towards my face. He barely grazed my cheek, but it was a touch I would forever remember.

His tenderness and love enveloped me from that one simple move. One final tear fell from my eye as I attempted to smile.

“Emmy…I’m sorry…about that day at your house when I—”

“Don’t, Zachary. Don’t tell me you’re sorry, it’s too much like a goodbye.”

He smiled sadly at me, the creases by his eyes reeked-havoc inside my heart. I did genuinely love that smile of his. It always seemed to ease my moods when things had gone astray in my life. And right then and there, it was almost enough to make me forget what was happening.

“I won’t, but I needed you to know.” I sniffled. “Hey, do you remember the time when I first came up to you in that library two years ago? You know, when we first officially met?” I nodded, not trusting my voice to stay steady enough to answer. “Well, you were wearing those glasses, you know, the really thick dark brown ones that always hid your eyes?” I nodded again, this time a tiny blip of a sob managed to escape my throat. Damn Zachary, I couldn’t handle sentimental right now. He had to stop. Better yet, I had to stop
him
. But before I could speak, he was already well on his way to finishing. “Well, I always thought they were really sexy, in that… in that librarian sort of way.”

He laughed, but it was soon followed by a gurgle in his throat. And with the blood that came streaming out, went my heart again, draining silently inside my chest. I was going to lose it. I was going to lose him too…

“I fell in love with you right then and there Red, because you were never afraid to be yourself around me. You were different from the other girls.” I swallowed the sob in my throat. “You made
me
 feel different. You still do, Emerly Grace O’Connell.” My arms and fingers were finally regaining enough strength that I could reach up and wipe more tears away.

“Zachary, please. Don’t make me remember the good stuff right now. I want to talk about this stuff when it’s me and you by the lake…when it’s me and you graduating high school and college together…when it’s me and you…” I gulped, realizing the falseness of my next words before I could even say them out loud. I didn’t want him like that anymore… If anything I finally realized that I never loved him as anything more than a best friend. I couldn’t stop the words in the end, even though my entire face burned from their dishonesty, “… telling our grandchildren someday that you fell in love with their grandma in the high school library. Not here, not when the time isn’t right…”

He closed his eyes, “Emmy, God…I love you so much…always remember that.

I gathered all the energy I had left, centering it into my one hand as I reached up to grip his fingers that were pressed softly against my cheek. Just barely, the trembling subsided as his hand enclosed over mine. He exhaled and I sobbed even more at the noise, “No, Zachary. I mean it. I need to know that we’re going to be all right. I need to know that we’re going to get through this…together.”

He wasn’t going to give up. I wouldn’t let him.

Tears of his own trailed down his cheeks. My heart pounded so ferociously against my chest that my ears fell deaf upon the sound of the door opening up behind him. I screamed as the figure hovered over his body. “Zachary!” My arms extended as I tried to grip him through the bars. Desperation filled my cries as Adrian frowned down at me. Zachary darted backwards, landing on his elbows before pushing himself into a sitting position.