Page 124 of Sight of Fate

He sighs. “No.”

Tears well at his response, but I stare at the wall, not wanting him to see how hard it is for me to hear him reject the idea.

“You’re okay with us being mates, but you don’t want to bond with me. Is that correct?” I ask, trying to get clarification. When he nods, I swallow and continue. “Do you think you’re ever going to want to bond?”

He shakes his head but his eyes are full of misery, telling me there’s more to the story. “Mates can see and experience each other’s memories, and mine are worse than you can possibly imagine. Over two hundred years of abuse from a man who mastered the art of torture and reveled in the pain he caused. The idea of those scenes haunting you like they do me isn’t a burden I can live with, and I doubt I’ll ever change my mind.”

My heart aches for him, but I keep my expression neutral, knowing he won’t want my pity. Andros spent two hundred years being brutally abused by his sire. More than two lifetimes. It’s a miracle he’s still sane, and the fact that he’s let me get close at all in such a short amount of time is a miracle.

“All I know is you’re my mate. Every day I fall harder and harder for you. And I’m never going to want anyone else. Is that enough?”

“It’s more than enough…if you can give me the two things I need.”

He gives me a wary look. “What?”

“Don’t hide your feelings from me,” I tell him, knowing this is going to be a big ask for someone who’s essentially isolated himself his entire life. “Good or bad. I don’t want to guess if things are going well or if you need space. If you’re upset or happy or sad. You don’t have to tell me everything, but if you don’t share the important stuff, I won’t know if this is working between us.”

His mouth twists into a wry smile. “It might take me a while to get used to sharing, but I’ll do whatever it takes to get there. And the second thing?”

“Regular dates in public,” I bluntly state. “I’ve spent a long time hiding from the world, and I don’t want to do it anymore.”

His face fills with relief, and those stern lips curve in a rare toe-curling smile. “There are so many other vampires out there who deserve you more than me, but I’ll never give you up. I’m damn lucky the Fates picked me.” He drops his head and seals our deal with a kiss that drives every other thought out of my head.

Exhausted, I fall into bed that night. Teague, Macklin, and Andros are still working on the plan in the living room, the others having left for the night. They haven’t decided where I’m going to be yet. Obviously, not fighting, but they keep going back and forth on the best location. My lids droop, and between one thought and the next, I drift off.

Fire races across the floor, heading straight for Andros, fed by the wind blowing through the building. He can’t move fast enough; it catches his pants, and he slaps at it with his leather gloves. I scream his name. Terror twists his handsome face as he stops in the corner. Trapped. He punches against the concrete wall, trying to create an exit.

Elbow held in an iron grip, they drag me out of the building and into the street.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat. Guns spray nearby.

Someone yells and points to the mountain. I look up and see the whole ridge blazing out of control.

Sparks fall at my feet, and I tilt my head up. Electricity arcs from building to building in a blinding display of power, narrowly missing the green dragon flying above.

Laughter. Familiar, deranged. Hank stands above me, gun drawn and pointed at my head.

“Wake up, sweetheart. That’s it.” Teague’s arms are wrapped tightly around me, cradling me to his chest when I wake. He brushes the hair back from my slick face. “I’ve got you.”

“Hank’s coming for me,” I whisper, fear lacing every word. Stammering, I try to get the words out. “The attack. They have someone who can wield fire. Another who wields electricity as a weapon. Sent a bolt of it toward a green dragon in the sky. Guns. Fires. Everywhere. In a warehouse, I think. On the mountain ridge to the east.” I sob. “Andros is dead.”

“I’m right here, la lumière,” he says, sliding his hand through my hair. “And I’m not going anywhere. Visions aren’t set in stone.”

I tilt my head back and stare at the vampire sitting there, looking steadily back at me. Mine have always been accurate, but Raine said something similar the other day. She said there are no guarantees, and the right action can change the outcome. I don’t care what I have to do to make sure this one doesn’t come true. Hank can’t have Andros. He’s mine.

My tears dry up. “I need paper and a pencil. A map.”

Macklin’s phone rings. “It’s Raine.” He stands and moves toward the living room with us following. Macklin grabs a pen and a notepad from the desk. Teague sets me down on the couch while Andros grabs what I need.

As I sketch my vision, I become more determined and more furious than I’ve ever been in my life. Greystone is my home. These are my people. And I refuse to let Hank and this organization win. Once I have the fires drawn, I notice there’s a clearly defined pattern. A circle.

Andros takes it from me. “The witch and her daughter are on Margin Street. Here.” He points to the spot where they’re holding them. “The daughter can wield electricity and the mother fire. I’m going to guess the father can wield electricity, given his daughter’s affinity for it.”

He passes it to Teague. “If we remove them from the equation, we have a much better shot of ending this without a lot of casualties on our side.”

“We’re a tight-knit community. Everybody knows the locations of our secure holding cells,” Teague spits out through clenched teeth.

“How about another Vale?” I ask, remembering what Clarissa said.