Home > Fated (Relentless #6)(4)

Fated (Relentless #6)(4)
Author: Karen Lynch

I leaned down to his ear. “Say ‘Beth is the best warrior ever.’”

“Beth is the second-best warrior ever,” said a muffled voice.

“Mason, Mason, when will you ever learn?” I let out a dramatic sigh.

“Beth, did you ask…? Oh, hello, Mason.”

Mason squirmed, and I dug an elbow into his back, smirking at Rachel, who stood in the doorway.

“I assume Mason is staying for dinner.” Her eyes sparkled, and her long red curls bobbed as she shook her head at us.

“Yes,” he said in a sulky voice that made me grin harder.

“Okay then. Dinner is in an hour.”

As soon as she left, I released Mason and rolled away from him, coming to my feet in a single motion. As expected, he grabbed for me, but I was already at a safe distance. I knew my best friend too well.

He sat up, glaring at me. I smiled back, and his lips twitched in response. He could never stay vexed with me for long.

I sank down on the edge of the bed and fingered the bedspread Rachel had given me years ago. Everything here was so familiar, and it felt strange to think that tomorrow night I’d be sleeping in a new room in a different state.

“It’s not forever. You’ll be back for a visit before you know it,” said Mason, who knew me as well as I knew him.

“I know. It’s just I’ve never lived anywhere else. Not since he…they found me. And I can’t imagine going months without seeing Rachel.”

I wasn’t related to Rachel by blood, but she was a mother to me in every way that mattered. She’d taken me in when I was a frightened six-year-old orphan, loving me and helping me through my grief for my human grandmother. It was Rachel who had explained the voice in my head and taught me to control my demon. She had also given me my first knife and shown me how to use it.

Mason pulled his phone from his back pocket and waved it at me. “They have this amazing device now called a phone, and you can even do video calls.”

I rolled my eyes at him.

“Besides, you’ll have me watching your back. What more could you want?”

“Absolutely nothing.” I chewed my lower lip. “You know, you can still go to Westhorne.”

He drew his knees up and rested his arms on them. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“No. But I know how much you wanted to go there after training. You’d be there now if it wasn’t for me.”

“Every new warrior in the country wants to go to Westhorne. Well, except for you. By the way, have I told you lately how weird you are?” He gave me a lopsided smile. “There’ll be plenty of opportunities to go to Westhorne, but we only get one first assignment, and we’re doing it together like we always said we would.”

“But –”

“But nothing. I want to do this, and the way I see it, you owe me.”

My eyebrows shot up. “I owe you? For what?”

“For ruining me for other women.”

I burst out laughing. I’d known Mason most of my life, but we hadn’t become friends until we started training together at fourteen. He’d been a cocky thing and already a huge flirt, but back then, I’d had no interest in the boys at the stronghold. It wasn’t until I was seventeen and I’d finally tossed away all my silly girlish dreams of him, that I’d agreed to date Mason.

By then, we were sparring partners and he was my best friend, and the romance was doomed before it had started. He’d been my first kiss, and though he was skilled in that area, I couldn’t see past the friendship. He liked to joke that I’d broken his heart, even though he’d gone on a date with someone else two days later.

“I’ve lost count of the girls you’ve been with. If you’re ruined, I wouldn’t want to see you whole.”

A self-satisfied smile curved his lips.

“And if anything, you’ve ruined me for other men. I can’t talk to anyone like I do with you. So, the way I see it, you actually owe me.”

“I knew it. You secretly want me.”

I threw up my arms. “You’re hopeless. You know that?”

His stomach growled in response. “And hungry. When are you going to feed me?”

I stood and held out a hand. He took it, and I pulled him to his feet.

“Come on. Let’s go help Rachel. I’m sure we can find something to keep you alive until dinner.”

* * *

“Did you remember your phone?”

“Yes.” I pulled my cell from the inside pocket of my leather jacket and held it up to Rachel.

“Weapons?”

I pointed to the sword scabbard next to my seat and patted one of the large saddlebags on my bike. “All set.”

“Cash? Credit card?”

I placed my hands on Rachel’s shoulders and met her anxious gaze. “I’m good. Don’t worry.”

Her eyes misted. “How can I not worry? My little girl is going out into the world.”

“I’m not little anymore, and I can take care of myself,” I said in a soothing voice.

She sniffed softly. “I know you can, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Now I know how my mother felt when I left home the first time.”

I pulled her in and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Rachel.”

“I love you, too,” she said hoarsely.

We broke apart, both of us on the verge of tears. I looked at Mason, who stood with his parents a few feet away.

“Ready?” he asked, his eyes lit with anticipation.

I nodded, afraid my voice would crack if I spoke. This was no way for a warrior to behave.

Rachel handed me my helmet, and I donned it as I straddled the seat of my bike. When Mason and I had bought our motorcycles last year, he’d gotten a sleek black Ducati, the bike favored by most warriors. I’d gone for a more classic look and feel. I loved my dark-red Harley Davidson.

“Call me when you get there,” Rachel ordered.

“I will.”

I took a deep breath and started my bike, glad no one could see the tear that escaped and rolled down my cheek. I heard the Ducati rumble to life a few seconds before Mason pulled up beside me. We looked at each other, and I gave him a thumbs-up. And then we were off.

Side by side, we rode to the main gate that was already open for us. As we passed the gatehouse, I had a moment of panic, but it passed quickly. I stared at the road stretching out before us, and exhilaration replaced the butterflies in my stomach. This was it, the moment Mason and I had talked about for years. It felt almost surreal.

We reached the first bend in the road that would take us out of sight of home, and I slowed to look back at the sprawling stronghold behind the tall iron gates.

Mason’s voice came over the speaker in my helmet. “You good?”

“Yes.”

I sped up until I was beside him, and together, we rode away from Longstone.

Chapter 2

Beth

“Beth, are you sure this is the right place?”

“I think so.”

I slowed my bike and stared at the large one-story Spanish villa surrounded by tall trees and perfectly manicured grounds. It looked like something you’d see in a celebrity magazine, definitely not what I’d imagined a command center to look like. But then, this was Los Angeles, and the Council was generous when it came to outfitting and housing its warriors.

The arched front door opened, and a short, pretty brunette in jeans and a sweater came out. One look at her as she walked toward us told me she couldn’t be a warrior. I glanced at the phone mounted to my dash. How could I have messed up the address?

“Hi,” she called over the rumble of our motorcycles.

I turned off the Harley and removed my helmet, shaking out my long blonde hair.

“Hi. I’m sorry. I think we might have taken a wrong turn.”

The girl smiled. “Not if your names are Beth and Mason. We heard you’d be arriving today.”

“Oh.” I stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. “Are you…” My voice lowered. “…a warrior?”

She laughed heartily. “I guess I am. Don’t worry. I get that a lot.”

Relieved, but still confused, I dismounted and held out my hand to her. “Beth Hansen.”

   
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