Dannika attempted to determine the pathway Ferguson had taken, but it remained a mystery. “What was he talking about? What do you need to show me?”
“Ferguson is an enigma and keeps to himself. He never attacks the shadow clans, but his appetite is ravenous, and his abilities have been helpful.”
She placed her hand on the car, using it for leverage to stand up. “I wasn’t asking about Ferguson. He’s a reaper, so I couldn’t give a shit. Tell me what he meant by showing me my future.”
Killian stepped closer to her. “Are you sure? My gift doesn’t lie. You can see possible futures, ones that can be altered, but it will be the truth.”
She swallowed hard. “You can’t lie?”
He held out his hand. “Let’s start with something inalterable.”
“What?”
Black shadows rose from his skin, enveloping her in a cocoon of darkness. “Your past.”
* * *
The white chiffon dress accented Alyssa’s mocha skin. It fit snug to her chest, flaring under her breasts, swaying in the breeze as she walked. Her eyes twinkled with green fire as she rubbed her distending middle. She flowed over the grass with grace and beauty. Her long dark hair held a natural curl, bouncing as she moved.
The images of Alyssa laughing, reaching out to the man who held this memory, made Dannika feel closer to the mother she’d never met. She wouldn’t admit it to Killian, but she was thankful for this glimpse into the past. The love in Alyssa’s eyes was unmistakable. Her trust in her mate had been absolute.
The background wavered, changing to the inside of a small wooden cottage. Alyssa’s eyes had changed from love and compassion to one of utter panic. She huddled in the corner with her arms around a young boy.
“Promise me.” Her voice pierced the angry growls surrounding them.
“I promise.” The voice sounded like Killian, but it was different. Crushed. These were the last moments of Reid Raymond. Her true father.
The door burst open, and a large reaper entered the room. His eyes glowed red with uncontained hunger, focusing on Alyssa. “Three for one. Must be my lucky day.”
Reid stepped in front of Alyssa. “Leave us, Lazalle.”
The reaper leader laughed. “Why would I leave when things are about to get interesting?”
He launched at Reid, flinging him across the room. Then, he simply slashed Alyssa across the throat.
She clasped both hands around the mortal wound, before she crumpled to the ground. Her white dress absorbed the crimson.
A devastated roar echoed through the cottage. Lazalle turned toward the sound.
Reid charged at Lazalle and stabbed him with his reaper blade. Lazalle’s scream punctured the night like a freight train before Reid knelt beside his dying wife.
Alyssa’s breath was ragged and shallow. “You promised.”
Reid extended his claws and slashed open her stomach. He removed his daughters from her womb as Alyssa took her last breath. He stood with glowing red eyes.
The background blurred again. This time, Dannika recognized the room. The pale blue paint and white side table were as she remembered. Her foster father grinned down at her. She pulled the white flannel blanket with brown teddy bears up to her chin, attempting to hide from the monster in the room.
He laughed before he yanked her covers down. He grabbed her nightie, attempting to pull it off. Her body was so small, her frail attempts to dislodge his hold went unnoticed. His thick knuckles connected with her chin. The crack echoed in the room before her tiny body went slack. This wasn’t her memory.
Her foster father grabbed the cloth, pulling it from her body. A blur slammed into him, and he stumbled back. He looked into the red eyes of death.
“No one touches my property,” Killian whispered before his fangs punctured deep, sucking the blood from Dannika’s attacker.
The interference in her life continued, one event after another, with the end resulting in death. A Rolodex of pain and destruction at the hand of her father. She closed her eyes when the background shifted to her home with Jacob and Lori.
Laughter had her opening her eyes. She watched as Jacob and Lori teased her at the dinner table. Killian observed them from across the street, growling his displeasure. He made repeated attempts to access the house, but something kept him away. A spell. A ward that activated whenever a reaper was near.
Someone had been protecting her.