Forever His True Mate

Chapter 9

Conor was beside himself when his calls to Camille went straight to voice mail. He rushed from his room to the living room where his best friend Daniel had taken up temporary residence on his couch. “I can’t get in touch with Camille.” He said in a panic. “Calm down dude.” His friend replied as he reclined and flipped channels on the tv so fast that any human would never know what he saw within the blurs. “Tracy told me that Camille had been freaking out lately and that she wanted to go down to Louisiana to get help from her grandmother who is some sort of bonafide voodoo queen.” Daniel finished as he finally settled on a black and white horror flick about vampires. He laughed wholeheartedly as an unsuspecting victim was cornered and drained. “Where?” Conor asked as he stepped in front of the tv in a no-nonsense way. “They left not to long ago, you can catch the flight if you leave right now on foot.” He emphasized the last part. Conor followed his train of thought and agreed. He threw together a small bookbag of toiletries and a change of clothes and he took of from the house like a bat out of hell.  He ducked and dodged as he rocketed towards the airport closest to the semi small college town they called home. As he neared the airport, he took a minute to brush of the debris that running fifteen  miles had built up and to run the comb he packed through his full deep brown locks. If he was going to get on that plane with her, he had to look like more than an estranged vagabond.

          Conor strolled confidently to the ticket booth. “I need a first-class ticket to New Iberia, Louisiana please. Your next flight. I would also like to upgrade my fiancé. She is on the same flight.” The lie rolled smoothly off of his tongue like it wasn’t made up on the fly. He watched the woman intently, waiting her for to look up at him so that he could mesmerize her. He didn’t like to use it often. It caused him great fatigue, but Camille was worth being a little worn for a day or so. After what seemed like an eternity of clicking and pecking, the woman looked up from her screen. “I’m not sure what I can do…” she stopped and gazed into Conor’s swirling green orbs. They were like marbles filled with some molten liquid. “Please try again ma’am.” His voice was sickly sweet and oozed charm. She robotically looked back at her screen and resumed the clicking and pecking. After a few more moments she looked back up. Her eyes were dazed, glazed, and her pupils were dilated like she had taken some illicit drug. “I was able to do as you asked sir. Here are your tickets. Do you have any backs to check?” Her voice returned to normal as she finished handing him the tickets. He shook his head to clear the fuzzies that danced just at the edges of his vision. He really hated the ability to mesmerize. Yes, it could be useful on humans… but it didn’t work on other vampires or creatures with stronger magical powers than he possessed. “no. I do not.” He replied as he took the tickets and placed them on the inside of his bag. He quickly paid for the tickets. He mesmerized his way through airport security and made it just in time to board first class privately. He quickly scanned the crowded lobby for his woman. He smelled her scent before he found her. Camille smelled the same as his other loves, sandalwood, strawberries and always with a touch of lavender and honey. She smelled like a summer bouquet and it made him melt when he could smell her.  Before he entered the semi hidden door,  he whispered to the stewardess about Camille and handed her the upgraded ticket.

          Camille could feel something. She couldn’t put it into words. Maybe it was everything she had been experiencing the last month. Maybe it was this out of nowhere flight to see her grandmother to interpret dreams and visions and tarot card. She would probably sound crazy if she got drunk and chatted up a random stranger. Probably get locked in the looney bin and never be heard from again. She tried to shake the sensation, but it intensified as she neared the plane. It was like there was a hole within her that was… yearning? Longing? For what? For whom? “Excuse me miss.” A nice stewardess drew her from her thoughts, momentarily dulling the ache in her chest. The stewardess examined her ticket again. “Yes, you have been upgraded to first class. Please follow me.” The woman smiled at her and turned, not giving Camille much time to process let alone grab hold of her rolling carry on bag. She followed that short quaint woman to a side door that was barely visible from the main gate. She raised her eyebrows. The stewardess herald her down the long, slim, and flimsy corridor that would take her to the plane.

          Camille stepped onto the plane on sure legs though the ache in her chest had once again become predominant. She followed the neat stewardess up a short spiral set of stairs that danced around a mini chandelier. Camille scoffed to herself. They needed a chandelier on the plane too? At the top of the stairs, she could see why the first-class tickets cost the big bucks. This was her first time in first class, and she wasn’t sure how she got there, but she would take it and thank the goddess happily for the good fortune. If not for the damn hole in her chest that threatened to swallow her. She thought that the feeling would forever dampen this memory. As she passed the first seat, she marveled at the space and luxury or the seats. It looked as if two adults could fit into one seat with a ten-inch tv nestled directly across. It also came complete with a headphone jack, and electric outlet were all within reaching distance of the seat. She let her legs carry her as she ogled the amenities of her opulent surroundings. The stewardess had stopped next to a seat. “This is you ma’am. Enjoy your flight.” The woman smiled and with a nod of her head walked away and back down the stairs.

          Camille stashed her bag in the under-seat storage bin and plopped down with a deep sigh. She froze. She felt a sensation a little different from what she had been feeling for the past hour. She knew this feeling. She was sure of it. She felt it in a vision and now recognized it as how she felt when… Just as she thought his name he was there. It was like the sun was coming out on Noah after it had rained forty days and nights. The world had been spinning and she hadn’t even notice until she saw his face and it stopped. “Conor.” Was all Camille could say before she hugged him like she hadn’t seen him in ages.  “Camille.” he replied as he kissed her softly at first, deepening the kiss with each pass his tongue made. Suddenly, a throat cleared behind them. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to return to your individual seats.” The voice was stern and held a hint of amusement as a low chuckle could be heard from the other first-class passengers. “Sorry.” Camille said while a deep blush crept onto her cheeks as she retook her seat. Luckily, the seats were so that they would have no problem at all talking after the roar of the plane taking off had died down. Camille couldn’t wait that long. “What are you doing here?” she asked loudly. Conor cringed visibly. “Daniel told me what you told Tracy. Don’t be mad at her now. Your behavior has been stressing her out and she just innocently confided in her boyfriend who I also threatened to beat if he didn’t tell me why you suddenly disappeared and weren’t answering any of my calls.” He explained in a softer voice than Camille’s. “Oh. So, you came to the airport and got first class tickets for both of us because you were worried about me?” She said a little too loudly but softer that the last time. Conor nodded his head and looked her square in the eye. “I lov…” He was cut short by the captain on the loudspeaker announcing their altitude which was then followed by a very amusing tutorial on airplane safety features and in-flight meals and movies. Conor mentally sighed with relief. He was about to tell her he loved her. If he would have done that though, the curse would have enacted. He was sure that was how it worked. After he would commit and submit to the nature of the true mate, he would lose the woman he loved. Not this time. He would hide it forever if it meant protecting her. But at what cost to himself? At what cost?

          Camille was exhausted. The stress of the last few days and hours had really taken their toll out on her. Sometime during the safety spiel, Camille had reclined her seat, taken Conor’s hand, and drifted off into a fretful sleep. Different scenes flashed behind her eyes. She saw different women. One with wild red locks framing a soft face with wise and fierce violet eyes. Daring and challenging. Another woman. This one with sharp even features beautiful and lean. Her hair was a healthy brunette and she had the same intense violet eyes, however they were caring and motherly. The two women approach her with the most tortured expressions. They chanted. Camille couldn’t make out the words. She struggled to hear through the gargle that seemed to be stuck in her ears. “She’s coming. Be strong.” She heard it very clearly that one time before the beautiful woman stopped dancing and disappeared. Leaving her suspended in a world of darkness.