Changing Fate

The House

They had walked in stoney silence since Ash had woken in a panic, trashing in Orens arms as the sun began to rise.

Well, Oren had walked.

Ash sulked, once again her prized weapons were gone and the monster was far too fast and strong for her to do much else, of course Ash had taken it upon herself to be as passive aggressive as she could since actual violence had failed.

Ash had ignored the sparks that set her stomach fluttering when he had tried to hold her hand. Curling herself into an awkward ball with her hands tucked safely into her armpits. Ash knew she must look like a petulant child, but if it bothered Oren, he didn't show it, his dark brown hair tousled, the curls moving in the breeze. Ash surpressed the desire to run her hands through it.

She examined his face in as he looked ahead, carefully moving through the uneven terrain at which even for her human legs would be a leisurly pace.

His strong jaw still covered in a thick stubble. It was Orens hooded eyes that kept drawing Ash back in, a deep blue that was almost purple, like the end of a sunset. His long, dark eyelashes framed them perefctly.

Even though her tactical gear and coat, Ash felt the feverish warmth of him as if their skin were touching.

If felt almost intimate.

Ash shifted uncomfortably.

'What does it mean to be mates?' Her voice was barely a whisper.

Oren stopped for a long moment, answering carefully as he started moving again.

'Mates are fated to be together, the other half of your soul. They compliment each others strengths and weakness and have a bond stronger than any other.' his voice rough, full of emotion.

'I don't feel any of that.' Ash said bluntly.

Oren's arms unconscously tightened around her, his pounding heart filled Ash's ears from her new position pressed against his chest.

'It's a bit different for humans. It takes time,'

Ash didn't think she imagined the touch of grief in his voice as a sense of sadness and longing flowed through her.

'You feel all that for me?'

Oren nodded, and Ash felt a little spark of hope. Monster trickery.

'You're a fool.' Ash bit out viciously, focusing on her anger and hatred until it filled her mind.

Ash had intended to block out the new feelings, the ones that didn't belong to her.

She realised she'd done more than that as Oren winced as if in actual physical pain.

They walked for a while in uncomfortable silence, Ash did her best to ignore Orens pain. She felt it like a constant ache.

Still, she held on to her hate for him, blocking out any feelings of sympathy before they could take root.

Still, the horrible ache grew with the silence, a tension that grawed away at her.

'Where are we going.' Ash asked suddenly.

'Back to my pack.' he said emotionless, but some of the pain and tension drained away.

'So yout like those other monsters?' Ash flinched at her own words, his hurt and anger reflected in her.

Knowing the feelings weren't her own but directed at her somehow made it even worse, like a self-inflicted wound.

'We are not monsters.' Oren said sternly, staring down at her as he came to a stop.

Ash could feel him more clearly, trapped by his gaze. His frustration and disappointment plain in her mind.

Ash felt suddenly embarrassed, like a child being scolded, the feeling appearing from nowhere.

The urge to apologise, maddening.

Ash tried to look away, but she just couldn't seem to take her eyes off of his.

The words caught in Ash's throat.

Why should she apologise?

Oren had abducted her from her home. She hadn't asked to be here. Quite the opposite.

She shouldn't feel sorry for hurting his feelings.

No, she should feel sorry that his heart was still beating.

With great difficulty, Ash tore her eyes from his, staring out into the forest. Ash's guilt all but vanished.

'Well?' Oren prompted, seeking his apology. He had known how she felt, no, more like he had made her feel that way.

Even now, Ash could still feel a trace of it, his emotions influencing her own.

Ash concentrated, feeling the slight strangness of them.

'Stop your monster trickery.' Ash snarled, trying to push her ways out of Orens arms, and he held tight.

'It was not me who opened the bond up. You did that with your hate.'his voice cold, but his breath warm on her ear, sending tingling sparks through her.

Ash suppressed a shiver, refusing to look at him. She ignored his words, holding her chin up and looking into the distance.

She didn't want to hear about any bond between them.

He was right. Isn't that exactly what she had done?

Ash had wanted to hurt him, wanted to make him feel her anger and hatred, and he had.

She hadn't realised it would connect them so intimately, and she wanted it to stop.

Panicking Ash closed her eyes. She had no idea what she was searching for, just that it would be there.

Tears stung in her eyes as she bitterly sought out the connection, looking for a sign, something, anything.

'Calm,' his voice whispered in her mind. She froze a wave of calm, washing away everything before it.

Ash was calm. She could feel it now.

The point where they touched.

Not a physical thing but a sense of him at the back of her mind.

Ash shut it out, putting every ounce of her will behind it as she imagined a huge concrete wall, a wall that blocked out the light casting shadows over her. So familiar, containing her world and keeping the rest out.

Oren gasped sharply. He staggered, dropping her. For a long moment, they just stared at each other wearing matching looks of shock.

But Ash 'felt' nothing from him.

Oren arranged his handsome features into an expressionless mask.

Lifting Ash to her feet, he kept a tight hold on her wrist and set a punishing pace through the forest. A newfound sense of urgency quickened his step.

It must have been mere minutes before they broke through the tree line and came across the biggest house Ash had ever seen.

Across a flat expanse of green and up a pretty set of stone stairs sat a large two storey building made of red bricks. the roof pointed into arches. the gables painted white with thick black beams marking a simple pattern.

Oren pulled her across the grass and up the steps.

They crossed the stone patio, and he flung open a door leading her into a kitchen.

Ash's boots thumped against the wooden floor, and she gaped at the sparling black marble counters with white glossy cupboards.

A fresh bouquet of flowers sat on the counter, Ash cringed.

If this were with in wall the bio-contaminate team would clense the entire building for such a violation.

It was the first time Ash has seen flowers this close. Ash didn't think they still bloomed this late in the year, not according to any of the stories.

Before she could examine them further, a bouncing head of mousey hair came flying at her.

'Oh my gosh, i'm so happy to meet you.' she squealed, wrapping herself around Ash and swinging her side to side.

The girls frigtening strength made her ribs ache.

Oren cleared his throat, still holding Ash's arm.

The girl put her down, stepping back.

Ash took her in. She seemed a few years older. Maybe in her mid twenties, a mass of wavy mousy blonde hair sprung out from her headband floating down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes were bright and sparkling like the midday sky in the summer.

She was slight, her curves hidden away under a thick stripy jumper and fleecy grey leggings.

'This is Clove. She will be keeping you company for a while.' Oren informed her.

'I dont like company.'

Cloves wide smile faltered, but she recovered quickly. She took Ash by the hand.

'I'll show you to your room,' She pulled her, Ash staggered along behind her.

The kitchen empty behind her, Oren had just vanished.

Clove rushed her through a hall. One end was just windows with a piano on one side and a fireplace with a few comfy looking armchairs the other.

more doors, sofas tables with lamps ran the length of the hall and as they turned a corner they came to a flight of stairs, a stained glass window on the landing above them depicted a shield, the writing on it foriegn to Ash.

Clove pulled her up more stairs, too focused on getting her to their destination to notice she was all the crushing Ash's captive hand.

Pulling her across a lavishly decorated landing, she pushed her ahead into a room, finally freeing Ash's hand.

'Here you are. This is your room.'Clove forced a smile jesturing around.

The room decorated richly in white, blue, and silver, a large bed next to the door opposite a large bay window with a table and two chairs.

'This is your bathroom, and it leads on to the dressing room,' Clove said still with her fake smile.

'For how long?' Ash demanded blocking the door, Clove only just realising she wasn't following.

'What do you mean.' Fake smile widening.

'How long before i get to leave.'

Clove sighed, her smile slipping away. She sat on the bed and looked up at Ash.

'He just wants a chance.' Her eyes pleading.

'And how long will that take?' Ash continued, Cloves smile slipped back into place.

'Oh, you must be hungry. I'll go get you some breakfast.' Clove bounced up fleeing the room.

'Until he gives up hope, if he ever does,' Ash answered her own question. Only she didn't want to wait that long.

Ash locked the door determined to ignore her new caretaker.

The gears turned in her head, Ash was already coming up with a plan, but first, as she looked around the room, she decided she might as well enjoy the luxuries for a little while.