Amaranthine (Willow Shadows Book 1) (5 page)

Khalida took a deep gulp of fresh air trying desperately to catch her breath. She stood still for a few moments, contemplating what she should do next.

Do I keep running or stand up and fight
?

Khalida
glanced around desperately as she tried to make sense of this moment.

“You want me? Here I am! What are you waiting for?” she screamed as loudly as she could.

The response she received sounded like a hundred hyenas cackling in the far distance but the evil shadows receded. Khalida stood, watching and waiting, but the shadows slithered further away.

“This has only just begun,” the grim words came as a deadly whisper.

CHAPTER 5

K
halida opened her eyes to see Luke and her mother talking right outside her bedroom door. They were whispering, making it hard for her to understand what they were discussing.

Ugh, shut up and look at me, Luke. I hate secrets
.

Just then, Luke stopped talking and turned to look at Khalida.

“Ah, you’re awake,” he said, walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed, “how do you feel?” he asked as he grabbed her hand, pulling it to his chin, his brow furrowed showing worry on his handsome face. Khalida smiled wryly, aware of how warm his skin felt next to her clamminess. Khalida was also very aware of the senses that Luke brought out in her and exactly how much she liked him being beside her but maybe not so much the whispers he’d been sharing with her mother. She suspected the whispers were about her, but she wasn’t sure she should ask about the conversation that the two were having moments before she came to.

“What is that all about?” she asked, knowing she wouldn’t get the answer she wanted.

“We’ve been worried about you, that’s all, Toot,” Luke said as he softly swiped her fingertips across his lips, knowing that’s not what she meant. Khalida sighed roughly, showing signs of aggravation with the name and the dismissal of her question.

If he calls me that one more time, Ima bite him.

“You know what I mean so stop trying to dismiss me. I want to know everything, so... let’s start first with how long I’ve been home and how I got here. And then let’s finish with what you two were just talking about,” Khalida held her breath as she waited for one of them to answer, but they both just stared at each other, neither daring to go first.

“Well?” she demanded impatiently.

Fatin sat on the other side of her daughter’s bed, reached out and laid a cold hand on Khalida’s arm.

“Three days, honey. Today is Monday,” hearing the softness of her voice reminded Khalida of her dream. Khalida instantly had regret for being so demanding at the sound of worry that was pouring through her mother’s voice.

Luke looked over at Fatin and then slowly turned his gaze back to Khalida. “Monday evening actually, so on a lighter note, at least you don’t have to get dressed for school,” Luke joked.

Khalida looked at him with the most extreme look of disgust she could muster and said, “Very cute. I can’t believe I was out for three days.”

Fatin tried to wash the worry away as she looked at her daughter lying like a small child cuddled in her blankets.

“Your body has begun to go through its transition, Khalida. So far, your body is holding up though you are weakened. For now, we can only assume that it won’t complete until your birthday,” she said softly, “you biting Luke wasn’t supposed to happen, but since it did, we can only guess that it ultimately sped up the process. Once his pure blood hit your system, it must of jumpstarted your change. Your body started showing signs of change shortly after Luke brought you home,” Fatin replied, glaring at Luke.

Khalida could tell by the way her mom was looking at Luke that she wasn’t happy about the way things went down, and tension was hanging over their heads like rolling clouds.

“We
didn’t have sex, Mom, if that’s what is bothering you,” Khalida shamelessly blurted out, blushing suddenly at the thought of what might have happened that night if this whole fantasy world hadn’t come crashing down on her.

“What?” Fatin said, shocked at the words that came from her daughter.

“Well, you’re upset about something, and right now, it seems like its Luke? I can tell you are, so don’t bother denying it.”

“I’m not upset... at Luke,” she replied. “I’m not particularly happy that you two are bonded by your blood right now, but honestly, the way you two are and have been over the years,
I suppose
the two of you have a connection and would have been blood-bonded sooner or later. I think I’ve always thought that, it’s just sooner than I wanted.”

Khalida thought for a moment. “I really don’t see why it’s a big deal. If that is what our kind does, then why does it matter now?” she asked, quizzing her mother further.

Khalida’s mother was looking directly at her daughter now.

“Well, first of all, Little Miss, because you are still seventeen, and second, bonding to someone by blood,” she said nervously, “it’s, well,” Fatin was stuttering with nervousness, “it’s more intimate than just sex.”

Oh, now that’s embarrassing
.

Khalida looked over at Luke for help, but he looked away, quickly smiling wide but offering no assistance.

“So, about Friday night,” Khalida started as she tried to get Luke’s attention, “what happened with Carey? I can’t remember.”

Wasn’t that an understatement?

To even try and remember that night was splitting Khalida’s head in two. With the mention of Carey’s name, Luke went utterly still, the smooth line of his jaw hardening, the muscles jerking as he clamped his teeth together. His cool blue eyes went dark and hard and the relaxed posture he once had moments before became firm and rigid.

“He won’t be bothering you, again.”

By that short answer, Khalida knew she shouldn’t keep probing around for more answers. With her mother in the room, going through all the details probably wasn’t a good idea. That night wasn’t that important anyway. Khalida decided to shrug it off; she wasn’t sure she wanted the details, anyway. It was over for now and from the coldness that rolled off of Luke, she decided to let it go until he brought it back up, if he decided to, anyway.

“Okay, so, how do you feel?” her mother looked over at her cautiously.

Am I supposed to feel different? Cause I don’t
.
I feel like me, after a really good nap.

Luke let out something that resembled a laugh, the tension noticeably easing out of his body.

“What’s with you?” Khalida asked cocking a brow at him.

Luke wiped the smile from his face as her mother began to laugh
while she stood up
.

“Are you leaving?” Khalida asked.

“I have to get to work. I’ll call you later and check in on you, kiddo. I’ve been home since your accident, and they have been really shorthanded at the hospital. I hate to leave you here, but at this time, I have no choice. There was a bus accident off the interstate and they need all the help they can get. Besides I think it’ll be ok to leave you here with him. You’re safe,” she bent over and gently kissed Khalida’s face and whispered in her ear that she loved her.

She then turned to go, pulling the door closed as she walked out into the hallway. Before Fatin could completely close the door behind her, Khalida sat up, moving closer to Luke so she could wrap her arms around his waist. Sighing, he slowly moved his arms so he could return her embrace, tenderly kissing her on her head as she laid it upon his chest.

Tilting her head, Khalida leaned back a little to look up at him, searching for something in his face. Unsure of what she was looking for, she let herself get lost in wandering eyes.

Maybe a sign that he was about to go
.

Khalida watched him carefully, wondering if his feelings would waiver, again, the way they always seemed to when they got close. Fear of Luke pulling back crept into her mind as they embraced. For the past couple of years, they would be pulled together by closeness and then in a moment, he would be gone. It seemed they would fall so hard for each other, and the next thing Khalida knew, Luke was back to doing his thing, without her. She always knew he was holding back, and then within a matter of days, they would be done, again, Luke withdrawing himself from her and closing her out. Always the same, always repeating, always the same outcome.

“Don’t look at me like that. I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not backing out of anything,” Luke said, running his hand roughly through his thick black hair. “We always do this, Khally. I can feel the doubt coming from you. Listen to me, I know what I want with you, I always have. You just have to understand that I couldn’t let things get out of control back then, you just weren’t ready. I couldn’t get carried away with you if there was a chance you could have had a normal life. I wasn’t even ready. I was willing to leave you alone and love you from afar, to always stand in the background of your life as long as you could have a normal, happy existence.”

“I don’t know, Luke. I’m scared and I’m confused about everything. I just think maybe we should slow down. I should give you time to figure things out. I mean, what if this is what you want right now, but in time, you decide different,” Khalida tried to fight the tears threatening to spill over and run down her face.

She didn’t really want space from him; all she really wanted from him was to be in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay, just as he had moments before. She wanted to feel it from him, but she knew deep down things weren’t okay and wouldn’t be for a long time. So much had changed, more importantly, she had changed. She knew that there were vampires coming for her now, and they weren’t after her so they could play Barbie’s together. Anyone who was around her was in harm’s way. Khalida knew she was born with a target on her back, and anyone who dared to get close to her much less loved her would become a target. She didn’t want Luke or anyone else she loved to get hurt or killed.

Luke didn’t look surprised by what she said. Instead, a cool cocky smirk spread across his lips.

“You are not getting rid of me that easy, Toot.”

“Stop calling me that! And I’m not trying to get rid of you,” Khalida declared.

“Yes, you are,” he said, pulling her back to him, challenging her further.

“Even so, it doesn’t matter, not now, anyway.
You’re stuck with me. Must I remind you we are bonded by blood, and how we came to be so?” Luke let out an arrogant laugh and then looked up, inhaling a deep breath with a hint of hesitation, “Plus, my mother ordered me to be your guardian,”
h
e spoke to Khalida, knowing he was trying deliver the news as lightly as possible.

Khalida was almost speechless as she caught Luke peeking down at her from underneath his dark lashes. Almost.

“What? Did you really just say ‘guardian’? Sorry to be the one to tell you, Luke, but I don’t need a guardian,” she shot back angrily, pulling away from him. “Wait…Your mother ordered you?”

“What do you need then, Khally? Can you even tell me what it is you need?” Luke challenged her back more serious now. “Yes, my mother. I’ll explain that to you later.”

She sat in silence, contemplating and very much fuming. She didn’t know what she needed, much less what to say next to defend that point, but she was sure of one thing, she was not about to let Luke win this one.

“I know I don’t need to be catered to like a child. Nor do I need you to make promises to me you can’t keep,” she retorted, pressing Luke more than she should have, “and what
did
happen with Carey?” she demanded.

Yes, I went there! Crap! Too late to take that one back
.

With the mention of his name, Luke’s face went still, again, his warm blue eyes returning to a darkened stare, his once relaxed position becoming rigid as stone.

“Well, I hope he has really good insurance,” he said, a wry laugh escaped from within him.

Khalida couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of sending Carey’s Audi over the edge of the curve, landing ever so softly into the ravine below, or as softly as a car could land. Luke despised Carey just as much as she did, if not more. Khalida had good reason to, and it had more to do with than him taunting her like Carey did to Luke. Towards the end of their relationship, Carey became controlling and demanding, insisting she stop talking to most of her friends, more specifically, the boys, and even more specifically, Luke. The final straw was when he was driving her home, and he decided to slap her because he caught her talking to Luke, aga
in,
in a hallway at school earlier that day after he
ordered her to stop.
Khalida remembered that day perfectly
. She had demanded that he pull over, an
d when he did, they got out and argued at the back of his car. He was leaning against the back of the car when she walked to the driver side, claiming to get her things out. She grabbed her bag and quickly released the emergency brake as she threw his stick shift in neutral and took off running before Carey’s initial shock of what she had done wore off. Being at the top of a hill without brakes wasn’t so good for his pretty little Audi.