Fated Mate

“Do you think it was the bite?” Billy was pacing in the living room, agitated confused and scared.

They had waited for the girls to leave before they talked about Lee and how she was able to hear their telepathic conversation. Ash had put up a fight, trying to prevent Lee from leaving the apartment. He tried to forbid her but it had only made her even more adamant to go. After thirty minutes of arguing he gave up. He called Dave the second the door closed behind them, and asked him to keep an eye on them. He felt at ease knowing that someone was watching her, but he was troubled by Lee’s ability to read their thoughts.

“No, it couldn’t be I didn’t bite her that hard.” Ash was at the edge of the couch, cradling his head in his hands.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“You bit her hard enough to leave a scar!” Billy yelled panicked.

Ash’s head shot up. “How do you know that?” His voice was urgent.

“Ann told me. How did you not notice that? I’m sure you’ve been doing more than just helping her study!” Billy’s voice was raised and impatient.

“It’s quite difficult to concentrate around her!” Ash’s voice rose to match Billy’s.

“Both of you, calm down.” Joe’s voice was level and calm. “Ash, do you think some venom may have gotten into her system, the bite was pretty close to the artery.”

“I think it would have been more evident if I had changed her!” Ash was on his feet, shouting.

“I’m not saying you changed her, all I’m saying is that if the venom is in her system, it would explain a lot.” Joe’s voice remained calm. “Her shoulder healed in half the time it was supposed to.”

“She could hear our thoughts,” Billy added on to the list.

Ash dropped on the chair, his face in his hands. The realization of what he did weighing heavily on him.

“She threw a chair across her apartment with her bad shoulder,” Joe continued oblivious of Ash’s new mood. The conversation, was now only between him and Billy.

“Her new sleeping habit, but we hardly sleep so that could mean anything.” Billy sounded a little hopeful.

“The fact that she is always sick, her body could be reacting to it.”

“But she looks fine now. She’s no longer pale or weak. Ash what else have you noticed?” Billy turned his attention to Ash. He wasn’t very concerned about his current mood.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “She’s strong, she’s very strong.”

“How strong is very strong?” Billy was even more anxious.

“She’s strong enough to hold me down when I haven’t fed. I had to struggle to get her off me.”

Billy’s eyes grew bigger. He was scared. Ash’s strength when he was running on empty was equivalent to him when he was half full. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t find his voice. He sank into the seat opposite the couch.

Joe swallowed hard. “What else?”

Ash’s fists clenched over his face. “Her appetite has grown. She loves meat, rare or very close to raw.” He clawed at his hair pulling on it hard. “She used to detest the smell of blood, even the sight of it repulsed her. But now, she relishes it. She thinks I don’t notice, but I can see the pleasure she gets from the taste of blood.”

Billy and Joe were frozen, staring at Ash who was slowly turning pale.

“What have I done?” The words escaped from him like a tortured whisper.

“Ash, she’s not a werewolf.” Joe tried to comfort him, but the fear in his voice rendered his words useless.

“Then what is she?” Billy murmured below his breath, and then he looked up, “We should get them back home. It’s time Lee knew the truth, about us. She’ll realize soon that something is wrong with her, we need to tell her before it gets worse.”

Joe flipped his phone open and dialed. “I’ll call Maria.”

Ash sat there, unable to think or talk. He was positively sure, now, Lee wouldn’t want anything to do with him when she found out what he did to her.

****

“Lee, there’s someone checking you out,” Ann shouted over the music. Maria had gone to the bathroom to answer Joe’s phone call.

“Where?” She asked Ann without bothering to look up from her bottle of fizzy water. She switched drinks when her first and only shot of tequila had sent the room spinning. It had taken over an hour and four bottles of water later to sober her up.

“He’s behind you. He’s kind of hot.” Ann moved closer to her ear, but kept her eyes on the mystery man.

“Ann, I have a boyfriend, and so do you.” Lee took another sip of her water.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t look. And if you didn’t want anyone to stare at you, you should have dressed down.”

Ann had a point. They had all dressed up in their man-hunting, tight, leg-showing dresses. That must be why Ash didn’t want me to leave the house. She turned and followed Ann’s gaze.

“Which one is…” Her voice caught in her throat when she saw the guy she was staring at, and then he was gone.

She felt a cold rush through her, her legs felt weak under her. She leaned against the table for support. She could feel the blood rush in her head. It’s impossible. I must be imaging things.

“Lee, are you okay?” Ann was beside her, her hands on her shoulders.

“I think…I think I just saw my dad.” Without thinking, she pushed through the crowds of people and ran for the exit. She needed to see him again. She needed to confirm if it was him. When she got out, the streets were empty, with the exception of a drunken couple singing as they staggered away.

“Lee, are you okay?” Ann asked her, alarm in her voice. She shook her head, unable to speak.

“Lee, Joe called, we have to go home.” Maria draped her coat over her shoulders, and then she gently pushed her forward, holding onto her to keep her balance.

“I’ll get the car.” Ann ran to the parking lot, with the car keys and her shoes in hand.

****

Dave stood in the alley and watched his daughter get into the car and drive off. He hadn’t intended on getting seen, but it was the first time he had been so close to her, and he couldn’t help but stare at his beautiful grown daughter. She looks so much like her mother. Martha would have been proud. He pulled out his phone and dialed. “Ash, she saw me.”

****

“Lee, are you okay?” Ash had her frozen body cradled on his lap, she looked dazed, her eyes fixed and empty, staring at nothing.

“Honey, please talk to me.” His urgent voice melted her, forcing her to blink a couple of times as she came back to reality.

“Ash, I saw my father. I’m sure of it. Ann saw him too,” she whispered into his neck.

“Lee, I don’t know what your father looks like, and that guy looked really young.” Ann was quiet, Lee could tell she didn’t want to confirm or deny that she saw her father.

She pulled out of Ash’s arms and walked to her room. She got her shoebox out of her closet. It had been a while since she went through the contents. She took a deep breath before she took the lid of. It was filled with newspaper cuttings of her family. She took Ash’s diamond pendant and put it on, she needed the security-it was the only good thing in that box. She then took out the clipping with the caption ‘FAMILY DIES IN HOUSE FIRE’, below it was a picture of her family, with her included.