You Will Fall For Me

Chapter 1 First Encounter

Aria Charleston

It was late spring, Aria and her friends planned on hanging out this weekend after an exhausting week of work. Out of all the women in the group, Aria was the only one who had a job that required her to work with children most of the day. Although she loved her job, she is more than grateful to get off at five at the end of the day and have her weekends. Not all of her friends were so fortunate to have jobs like that, so when all five of them could hang together, it was a real treat. They had decided to go to the carnival at the mall and hang out this Saturday. It was, after all, a festival outside the mall, and they had money to spend. The five women wanted nothing more than to cut loose and enjoy the much-wanted warm air. The girls needed this after a really long winter.

Aria checked herself in the mirror. Ensuring that her hair was neatly done and her peach spring dress was decent before leaving. She hadn’t gone out like this in weeks. Not since she broke up with Thomas three weeks ago. She needed to take her mind off of home and her last relationship. Her parents had converted the basement downstairs to another individual living space for her after she graduated college. It was only a temporary solution until she saved up enough money to get an apartment, but she appreciated her parent’s effort to support her independence. She grabbed her keys, said goodbye to her parents upstairs, and headed out the back door. Her small KIA car was good transportation until she could afford a bigger car, and she smiled as she put the keys in the ignition and drove off to her destination. She was going to enjoy this Saturday off. She had no idea that another person who undoubtedly would change her life forever was heading in the same direction.

It was mid-morning when Aria pulled up in the parking lot of another building across the street to meet her friends at the city’s carnival near the mall. The carnival took up most of the mall's parking space, so people had to park in other places near the area. Crowds of people were starting to pour in by the hundreds, and the noise began to grow. She managed to find the four by a snack bar outside. She waved to them as they ushered her over toward the bar. Aria grinned as she came up to them. Alesia, Joyner, Zenobia, and Tracy all greeted her with hellos and hugs. Alesia was very energetic to get the day started quickly, but Tracy, on the other hand, likes to roll with the day and take it hour by hour. Joyner and Zenobia discussed who could get the most boys to turn heads toward them and how many numbers they can get throughout the day. Aria had known this crazy bunch since her freshman year in high school, and even though they went their separate ways after that, they still found time for each other. She shook her head and chuckled as she observed them, yep that was her group, and she was proud of it.

“Let’s go inside and do some shopping,” Alesia suggested, “I’m sure something is interesting for everyone at the booth sellers.” Aria agreed, and so did the others. They walked inside, discussing what they were going to buy. Hours went by as they went from one store to another. She found a few things that she liked, but it was just for show when she tried them on. Eventually, Aria looked at a few clothes that were on sale at a fancy clothing designer store. She reinforced her promise to herself to have fun and be lose today. She could only afford to spend so much, but she often wanted to treat herself when she went out. Saving up enough money for moments like this was Aria’s specialty. As she carried the bags out of the store with Alesia, who insisted the outfits she purchased were perfect for her, they meet up with Joyner, Zenobia, and Tracy. Tracy insisted that they make a pit stop at the jewelry stores before heading to get something for lunch. Aria just rolled her eyes. Tracy always bought things she couldn’t afford on her credit card. No wonder the girl’s in more debt than me, she thought. To get to those stores, one has to cut through the inner circle of the food court inside the mall.

They walked by a bar that was attached to a restaurant while talking on the way there. Aria felt something hit her all of a sudden, some strange warm connection radiating from the bar. It felt familiar while simultaneously being foreign to her. She paused, letting the group surpass her. As they walked ahead, she was completely overtaken by this feeling; although faint, it grew stronger like a light unblemished piercing through the submerged darkness. Then she turned to see what could be drawing her attention; a faint whisper caught her ears… a small voice calling... reaching out to her. Aria’s eyes became awe-stricken when the voice pierced through the noisy cloud of people as if in a vacuum. The words sent shivers down her spine and caused her hair to prickle on the back of her neck.

Fates…

Merged…

By the light...

Your heart…

His heart…

As one…

What did these words mean? She tried to shrug them off by shaking her head, but they continued to haunt her thoughts. Her head turned in the direction of the voice where it was the loudest; eventually leading her searching eyes to a bar to her left in a restaurant. Her eyes combed the area of the bar where she was being pulled…no guided to, and they quickly fell on a man sitting in a booth with another older man. As she got closer, Aria could see the older man, possibly in his fifties, having a serious conversation with someone obviously younger. The younger man seems particularly uninterested in the subject and often looked away while drinking his alcoholic beverage in disgust. What the older man was discussing seemed to have stressed the other one out. Whatever the issue was, it seemed to be very important. He would turn his head, roll his eyes, and look the other way, or pretend to be interested in what was on the menu. However, his eyes thickened and his head jumped up suddenly out of the blue for no reason. Immediately his gaze went to Aria’s, and for a moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl and even stop. As soon as their eyes met one another for the first time, the voices in Aria’s head stopped, to which she was relieved. He stared at her with fascination and wonder. The man parted his lips almost to speak to her, but then his attention was taken away by the other man who quickly scolds him for not listening. At the same time, Aria’s friends grabbed her, pulling her away from the bar's entrance. “Hey, have you’ve been daydreaming again,” Zenobia asked.

Aria chuckled, “Naw, not this time.”

“Well, unless it’s a cute guy, keep up, girl,” Joyner stated, “We can’t afford to have you get lost.”

Donavan Winfield 3rd

Donavan Winfield Third was never particularly good with being in crowds, but the older man insisted he come to the restaurant to see him; bringing bad news, no doubt. Still, he wished that Lance had just phoned the information from his office. Donavan wore sunglasses and a casual hat to hide his identity until he got to the restaurant. The mall was packed with crowded people, and he had to make sure a reporter did not follow him. It was difficult for him to sneak past the press the first couple of weeks ever since his father's will was made public exactly one year after his death. How it leaked out was the least of his worries, not that the country was watching to a large extent, but his father’s will did include extensive detailed instructions on the future of the company. Because of this, he had to hire a double to take his place when he wanted to meet in public or semi-private with anyone, just until everything could settle down. As annoying as the press was, Donavan had an excellent use for the spotlight and at times used it to his advantage. If he hadn't have hired his double today, the press would surely be at his heels. He finally reached Garfield's barbecue and grill, where Lance was standing there at a booth to greet him with a smile. “Glad to see you’re keeping a low profile, my friend,” He gestured from him to join him at the seat.

“Can we just get on with it, please,” Donavan grunted while taking a seat. “You know how I feel about being out in public.” Donavan took off the hat and sunglasses to reveal his deep hazel-green eyes.

“That is precisely the reason why I called you here. You need to get out more often than just for business and public appearances, Donavan. Spend some time with family, friends; for God's sake, meet someone nice.”

“Lance, if you brought me here to tell me that, you could have done it over the phone,” Donavan gritted his teeth, “Unless you have more important things to talk about other than the social life, I am heading back; to the office.”

“Always work with you, is it?”

Donavan’s face was darkened, “There are other things at stake here, like keeping the clans in line.”

Lance nodded in agreement. “It is part of the reason why I asked you to have this meeting here. Solomon is massing large groups of rogues. He’s even going so far as to attack some of the clans’ outer territories. So far, the evidence shows it was general Clodis from the water clan. He is the one who orchestrated these attacks with Solomon, and we're currently looking for his whereabouts now with the Head Council of that tribe. Our reports are saying that he’s stating to the council you are incapable of protecting the tribes. So far, only two of the five clans have been attacked, and he’s been taking prisoners as well, using brainwashing magic to join his cause in overthrowing you off your perch.”

Donavan picked up the menu and began reading it; the meat was certainly what he would order. His kind’s diet demands meat on a regular basis plus it was what he craved at the moment. He knew that everything that Lance just told him was true, but what caused Donavan more worry was news that Solomon was dipping in dangerous magic, black magic. Donavan hid his worry behind a mask of calm and serenity and answered, “It’s too soon to challenge Solomon right now; he is after all the kindred of my father’s brother and a neighboring clan no less. He holds a seat in the council as well, and he already has the support of two members.”

Lance shook his head, “If they find out that Solomon is behind these attacks on their own territory, their support for him will waiver. If you challenge him, it could put their debates about your abilities to protect them at ease.”

“True, but still a risk I am not willing to take right now.”

They ceased their talking once the waitress arrived. Ordering their meals and alcoholic drinks gave both men a settling mind to move forward in their decisions to plan on correcting this. “Please, my Lord…Donavan, you must at least consider doing something right now. We have some of the proof to back up some of these claims, and it is only a matter of time before he goes after you, your reputation, everything your father- you built.”

“I know, but until then, we must prepare-”

“Donavan.”

“You do not realize that until I find my true mate, the Blessings of Azariah will not fall on me nor my true powers awakened. I cannot possibly hope to defeat him if I am unequally matched. It is a battle that is doomed to failure if I challenge him now.”

“This is precisely the point of you getting out more often to find her.”

“I will find her in my own time when I am supposed to find her and not a moment too soon.”

Donavan turned his head, disgusted at the fact the Lance would dare tell him he needs to get off his ass and find him a mate or, at the very least, send someone to do it for him. It was difficult as it was already with everyone expecting him to live up to his father’s and grandfather’s expectations. But Lance was the only one he considered close to as a father figure since his father became ill and later died. His mother, after his father died, moved to the coast and left him the ancestral home. Donavan, annoyed, listened to Lance while staring at his drink after taking several gulps. If he had to listen to this, he might as well get drunk. He hated it when Lance would bring up his social life, saying he worked too much. He hadn’t any need for women at this point in his life yet, except to satisfy his needs every so often and he wasn’t going to start now. To him, it would be a waste of time. Besides, his kind started to have problems finding mates of their own kind simply because they didn’t wait for their true mates. If he decided to wait until then, his mother, of course, would not like that at all; that he would choose a life of abstinence if that meant denying the family a child and heir. Why couldn’t Lance drop the subject? He obviously was not helping, so why continue? Donavan shook his head and scoffed at the elder for his efforts. At least attempting to convince him how great it would be to have a woman in his bed again was a funny thought coming from him. But...No thanks. Women were strange creatures alone, and Donavan was in no hurry to figure them out right now. He had better things to do than to be distracted by a woman. He still couldn’t understand why his people would put up such a fuss except that they could provide offspring.

However, his people are decreasing in number at a disturbing rate. Due to arranged marriages and social class breeding, his people's females have started to show infertility and, in some cases, even the males. Thousands of years ago, his people would select their mates through Azariah’s blessings. Yet, in the last millennia, his people have moved away from that sacred ritual and now select their mates to hold certain political power and status. Doing this has cost his species a great disservice to become endangered. Donavan figured he could wait until that moment when Azariah would bring her to him, and balance would be restored. He would lead his people by example as the first in thousands of years to choose his mate through spiritual guidance, and she would produce for him many fertile heirs. He had to; otherwise, he would not be able to reach his full potential nor win the council's respect.

Fates…

Merged…

By the light.

Your heart…

Her heart…

As one…

The voice echoed to him like a rushing wind in his ears. He wondered where that voice came from, but Donavan had little time to figure it out before something else occupied his attention. Suddenly a strong scent caught his nose. It smelled like honeysuckle flowers mixed with vanilla, and his eyes quickly swelled as a voice inside him spoke; I smell it....sweet....electrifying. He shook his head and jolted it up to see what seemed to have called out to him. Something so strong that it made his inner beast suddenly wake up. Like lighting through his body, it boiled his blood and excited him. Every part of his senses came alive, and his beast clearly bubbled at the surface. She’s near. She’s mine. Mine. He quickly caught sight of a young woman with long individually braided hair, with light brown to almost blond highlights at the end. The braids curled at the end, giving her a fuller look while still making her look slick. Her light brown skin was exposed on both shoulders as well. Her head was already turned from her friends, and her gaze was beamed straight at his. The funny thing was she had the same look on her face that he did, surprised and wonder. Her full brown eyes were behind a pair of thin glasses, and her full spring peach-pink lips parted slightly as if trying to speak when she stared back at him. Could this be the person who awoken us, he pondered. Something was there. Some connection? Donavan sat up straight as the beast inside him fidgeted under his skin, bugging him to make a move. This cannot be the person who called to his beast. It’s not possible; she looks....human.

“Are you even listening to what I’ve been telling you for the last three minutes?” Lance shouted. It was enough to snap Donavan out of the spell he was trapped in. “I… uh…I’m sorry Lance, what were you saying?”

Lance sighed heavily, “If we are going to do things your way, then we need to make sure our borders are under 24 hours surveillance, have a plan that can hint at Solomon's rebellion for the thrown to the council. When it comes to altering the Head Council members, we’ll have to be smart and double our efforts to find you a mate.” Donavan glanced in the young woman's direction to find that she had already gone, or was she really there? He rubbed his hair back. Damn, that alcohol. It can do that to his kind sometimes; make them hallucinate. She was so beautiful; nearly made is blood caught on fire when he looked into her eyes. He could only imagine what the rest of her looked like, what she felt like, what she tastes like. Damn, why was he thinking about this at a time when he totally needed to focus. He salivated at the thought of perhaps being with this woman just once. His beast like the idea and purred at his thoughts. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. He had to focus on the task at hand for now. He could worry about what he and his beast just felt later. Besides what were the odds that he would run into her here. Astronomical, his beast answered him and he couldn’t agree more. Still, his beast did not calm down even after the feeling had left hours ago. It was as if it was waiting for something to happen.