Love Lengths

Chapter Thirteen

Maggie

I couldn’t look at him, it wasn’t often I stopped to think about my life and how, largely, it had been completely unfair. I had never asked for my gift; only ever tried to help people when I could. I had never asked for my parents to become embroiled in their own greed and jealousy at not having a gift; I’d never asked for them to set me up with someone who had wanted to take my power from me.

“Maggie, who was it?” he pleaded with me, pulling me out of my thoughts. How could I tell this boy, this beautifully kind and friendly boy who’d saved my life, that the powers that were meant to be his had almost been stolen by someone else? You see, when a seer mates with her love, they become attuned to her powers, able to utilise them as she does.

How was I supposed to tell him that, not only did I know he was my mate, but that I was now damaged goods and was not pure for him? I knew he was drawn to me, it was part of the pull from a seer to her mate; he had a desire to protect me because it was in his DNA.

“He was just some guy, you wouldn’t know him. Anyway, my parents introduced us, back when they were just starting with me. I’d thought maybe it was their way of apologising, you know? For being so awful after my Nanna died.” I couldn’t stop it now, the words were coming thick and fast, “He took me out to dinner, I’d known there was something a bit odd about him but I thought maybe it was just because I’d not been out with anyone before, I was just nervous I thought.” I sobbed and sobbed, I couldn’t think of a nice way to say it, so just the truth would have to do.

“Maggie, who…? Was he a lot older?” I shook my head; I knew they would probably know of each other, since they were both in that kind of circle at school.

“He wanted to take my powers; they wanted him to take them from me. It was cruel and spiteful; but I promise you it didn’t work.” I could see his confusion and briefly explained that my mate would share my powers eventually; he continued nodding, saving more questions for the end no doubt.

“He doesn’t even remember me, or he pretends he doesn’t. he tried to destroy my life and now he stalks past me at school, spilling juice on me and making s*x jokes like I’m one of his hook-up girls like he doesn’t even know who I am.” Kyle’s eyes widened at me as I sobbed and tried to catch my breath; he stared into my eyes and a flash of something crossed his face.

“Who was it?” he asked bluntly, I could tell he knew the answer before I spoke.

“His name was Ashton.” I sobbed and that was Kyle’s undoing. He slammed his fist into the wall behind his bed and threw everything from his dresser to the floor, kicking his drawer unit and smashing bottles at the wall. I tried to stay calm, to control the tears the flowed

freely down my cheeks; and then I tried to get him to calm down, I reached for his hand and tugged him to the floor, his face was bright red with anger, tears streaked down his face. I didn’t quite understand why, so I press my hand against his and am flooded with visions of their childhood. Kyle and Ashton playing together and laughing with each other; I watched as their lives literally flashed through my head and saw how they had grown up together, close until the memories stopped maybe 2 or 3 years ago? I dropped my hand to my side and he looked into my eyes, the blank expression on my face had taken the place of the tears.

“He’s my cousin,” Kyle said as he reached his hand to my cheek, brushing away the remnants of the tears that had been there before. I nodded and stood away from him.

“I’m sorry,” was all I could manage as I started to walk away from him and out of his bedroom, down the stairs and towards the door before he was there, in front of me.

“Are you f*****g kidding me?” his anger was clear; I didn’t know how much he knew about seer’s but all he had to know was that a mate was a mate, he would be my mate in the end, and now I was tarnished.

“I’m sorry,” again, the weakness in my voice showed I had no fight left in me and I reached around him for the door handle. He reached for my hand and took me into his arms; I stiffened as he did and tried to wriggle out from his embrace.

“Maggie, are you telling me that you are sorry that my cousin r***d you?” his blunt words took me by surprise and I cried into his chest; I knew he would need the details, but there was so much he would need to know about my life that I wasn’t sure where to even start.