Bound By Fate

Chapter 1 part 2

Eva

His lips graze the shell of my ear, “Not here.” Just then, the hosts come in. A man and a woman wearing black masks with red jewels, dressed all in black, commanding the attention of all in attendance. Shivers go down my spine. There is something powerful about them, but something dark, too. Maybe the darkness is only attached to one of them, but I hope I don't have to find out which one. I have always been a good judge of people; well, mostly. I did misjudge a guy once…fucking Victor! But it seems like my senses have peaked since I turned twenty-five, and I have acquired a few other talents too.

I jumped back. Vincent seems worried, “Do you know them?”

I say, “No, and I'm not sure that I want to. They feel strange. Do you know them?”

Vincent answers, “Yes. Why did you withdraw and change your tone?”

“Just a feeling, it could be nothing,” I say, dismissively. I don't know Vincent so I'm not sure how much I can or should say.

Katie chimes in, “Eva, you know to always trust your gut. So what's it saying?”

I just blurted out, “Well, it's saying to stay clear of one or both of them.”

Vincent touches my arm, “We must talk in private later.”

I turned to him, “I just met you and you think I'd go somewhere alone with you?”

He gives me a playful smirk, “Judge for yourself, Miss Sims. I mean you no harm and I'm pretty sure you can realize that, too.” We are seated and there's an attractive gentleman at our table. He's in a dark blue suit and has long, light brown hair that's pulled back into a ponytail. A tight, well-groomed beard frames his ruggedly handsome face. His eyes are a steely blue-green, that pulls me in.

He stands and introduces himself, “I'm Sam Fall.” We all introduce ourselves.

Then Vincent says something that takes me by surprise, “No pack with you? It's rare to see you attending without the others.” Pack? What pack? Is Sam not human either? I sense a tension between them too and I don't like it.

I have to ask, “Do you two know each other?”

Vincent says, “Somewhat, but not closely.”

Sam adds, “I know more about him than I know him. We only briefly encounter each other at mixed functions like this one.” Mixed functions, just what does he mean by that? Just what have I gotten myself, and Katie, into?

I feel myself losing my filter and with it my decorum, “Well, let's keep the testosterone levels down, shall we? And be civil as well, please.”

“Eva!” Katie smacks my hand. We all share a laugh at my expense, but I don't care. I feel oddly at home right now.

I look around and then at Katie, “What? This has to be the oddest night of my life by far. What's next, talking animals and dancing fairies?”

Katie c***s her head, “What are you talking about?”

I decided not to elaborate, “Just nothing, I'm just getting ideas for my next article, is all.” Writing about the paranormal has made me hyperaware. I am convinced that humans aren't the superior species that they think they are. I think many myths and legends existed and perhaps some still do. I might be sitting at the table with two such legends right now.

Katie giggles, “What's it going to be this time? A serial killer slaughter ball or a romantic vampire masquerade?”

I smirk. She doesn't know how close she is. We are certainly in mixed company because we are some of the only humans here. The more I look around, the more my feeling from earlier intensifies, so I am certain that I'm right.

Vincent asks, “Exactly what do you do, Eva?” He is studying me now, too. Has he read some of my articles?

Before I can answer him, the couple from before comes over. The man addresses me, “Miss Midnight Rose, I'm glad you could make it.”

He makes me nervous but not in a fearful way, “Umm, yeah. Who are you, and how'd you know it was me?”

“I'm Eric Wood, and this is my wife, Vicky. I have eyes everywhere, Eva. I know you are Midnight Rose and I am very glad you came.” I am almost positive that Eric is a vampire and his wife seems familiar, too. I don't like her for some reason either, “Then why am I here? I'm not one of you or them. I'm in the minority here.”

He speaks very calmly and extremely dignified, “I need your impartiality and your journalistic ability. You know of my world, and it needs your help.”

I keep looking at him. He's pale with perfect pale skin. His eyes are a tantalizing teal. He's timelessly handsome. I c**k my head, “For what?”

Vicky decides to speak and I wish that she hadn't, “Ugh, why her? She's a moron. I don't get why you bother with food.” She's the epitome of a haughty pretentious b***h. I want to slap her, but I feel Vincent place his hand on mine, and I also feel Sam’s warm hand on my knee, as if to ground me. “We don't need her, Eric!” Vicky yelled. Oh no, she didn't! I glare at her and then envision myself strangling her. To my surprise, she grabs her throat and starts to drop to her knees as her face starts to change colors. I wonder if I can turn her into a rainbow.

Sam squeezes my knee, “Holy s**t, but you don't smell like them. You aren't one of them or a witch, because I would know.”

Sam

I smelled my mate at this event. When I saw her approach with Vincent, I nearly attacked him. He was flirting with my Luna! I instantly imprinted with Eva and she was completely unaware. I assumed she was human until she just nearly killed Vicky. My pack doesn’t kill unless it is the only way. I am going to have to train my mate, but it won’t be easy. Eva doesn’t strike me as a submissive and if I try to use an Alpha Command, she could very well use one on me. Hers could even be stronger than mine.

Eric called her Midnight Rose. I know exactly who she is because some of my pack, especially my nephew, idolize her. She is an immensely talented writer, yet she seems oblivious to the topics she writes about. How can I make her understand that most of what she has written exists?

End Sam’s POV

Eric looks me in the eye, “Eva, please stop.”

I'm mad, “Why should I? You obviously won't put her in her place, so I will. She's part of your problem!” I let up, but only a bit because I recognized her now. I know exactly why I was creeped out earlier and it wasn't because of the guy; it was because of her. It was because I remembered her from a few weeks ago.

Eric is shocked, “What?”

I'm just going to spit it out, “She's sloppy and careless. I recognize her now. Last week, she attempted to hurt a young man. I stopped her but never got a look at her face. I just feel it's her, plus her voice is familiar.”

Vicky tries to defend herself, “But I didn't...”

Sam doesn't let her finish, “Wait! My nephew?”

I ask, “Is his name Steven?” He says yes, as he glares at Vicky, while she still tries to plead her innocence. I have nothing to lose so I fully speak my mind, “Then why do I keep seeing pictures of the event when I look into your mind? You don't hide well either. You have no mental walls. Perhaps out of weakness or just plain arrogance. You think because you married power, that alone means you're powerful. But you are very mistaken, because the only person who can make you powerful is yourself.”

Eric asks, “Do you know who I am?”

I reply, “No, but I'm guessing, since you organized this and tracked me down, then you must be powerful and not just because of your infinite resources either.” I turned to Vicky, “Why did you need Steven?”

Vicky says, “To stop you and those like you. You're going to ruin everything she has planned.”

I'm so pissed off and confused. This woman and some of her cronies attacked a high school kid. I glared at Vicky, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Vicky replied, “The ritual.” Then she burst into flames before she turned into ashes. Katie screamed, but I calmed her down as the guys watched me intently.

Eric asks, “Have you always had this gift?”

“I've always been able to read people and sometimes see things. More has happened since earlier this past year,” I say.

Sam pats my knee, “Well, my family owes you for saving Steven.”

I can't have Sam thinking that he owes me, “No one owes me anything. l would gladly do it again. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Matter of factly, Sam says, “That's why we owe you.”

Eric suggests, “Let me introduce Katie to some great people and then we will talk further.”

I glare at Eric, “Fine, but if…”

He smirks, “Nothing will happen. Everything is fine.” He has that same voice that pulls me in. What are these guys? Vicky called me food. Are they all vampires? No, but maybe. Sam seems different though. His nephew nearly shifted so that must make Sam a werewolf, but why do I feel so drawn to each of these men? Hell, what am I? I just strangled a woman with my mind. What made her explode, though? Was it me?

Eric

I brought Midnight Rose here because I needed her help. Turns out my wife was part of the problem. I am going to have to do damage control to explain what happened. I am also going to have to figure out why Sam and Vincent are so close with Eva. Once I got close to Eva, I knew that she was my mate. But her closeness to the others has me thinking, not to mention her bizarre powers. She isn’t a vampire or a shifter and I doubt she is a witch. I just know now that she isn’t human as I had assumed. I am likely going to need a few bottles of scotch to get through this conversation.