Forsaken (book 3) (The Charmer series) (7 page)

"No it wasn't. I've had enough now any way, I'm going home," I tell him before walking away.

"Let's go then," he announces from my side.

"I want to be alone."

"Yeah, I know, but you have this thing going where when you're alone you do something crazy," he jokes.

"True," I snort a laugh, but soon stop when I think of where I am and who I'm not going home with, "the drink was helping me numb the loneliness taking over. What if this is it?"

"It's not, you will do it beautiful,
you will save him."

He's right; I will do anything to make Ruk's life full and happy. If Ruk chooses Mary, then I will kill her. I will not live with the guilt of Ruk tricked into mating with Mary. He deserves everything he longs for and it sure as hell is not Mary!

"We are with you all the way," he tells me kindly, but the kind words that leave these men's lips always have a way of biting them in the butt.

"Let's go. I'm gunna transport us home, I'm feeling lazy," I tell him before placing my hand on his chest, "you ready?"

"Hey, you two seen Mary?" Mickey asks just in time.

"Yeah, she's on the floor," I tell him coolly.

"Floor?" They ask in harmony.

"Um hum, floor, having a kip. You ready?" I nod my head to Sallack who laughs aloud.

"Perfection, truly you are," he tells me with a smirk.

Waking alone with the image of Ruk's headless body, I jolt upright as wipe the sweat from my head. All night I had to relive the shattering moment my life came to a stop.

Sliding out of bed, I wrap myself in one of Sallack's dressing gowns and head down stairs.

Sallack and I returned to his home last night, and he kindly gave me his bed, whilst he took the couch.

Waking into the busy kitchen, I downcast my eyes and groan when I see Ruk and Mary in an embrace.

How can I do this, watch her living my life, a life she does not deserve.

"Hey sweetie," Dallah speaks from my side.

Looking to her with a weak smile, she pulls me to the side of the kitchen where Angus watches everyone with a wary eye.

"Morning sweet," he speaks gently.

I know he wants to say more, but he doesn't know what to say to me, and I don't blame him, I don't know what to tell myself. Should I stay strong, be a bitch, claim him as mine, or wait for him fall in love with me again, be gentle around him, show him what we could have.

Sallack walks in from outside and strides up to me, kisses my cheek and laces an arm around my shoulder, he then inhales deeply.

"You smell good beautiful," he comments, and in return, getting light frowns from the three of us.

"She isn't yours Sallack," Angus tells him in a serious tone, but I can hear the sympathy behind it.

"I know that!
" Sallack growls back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I hiss at them quietly so that it only reaches their ears.

"Sorry Zara, I just want Sallack to be thinking straight," Angus apologises.

"He knows the truth, right?" I question him with a nod of my head.

"Of course, it's just I can smell myself all over you, I'm a man after all," he shrugs his shoulders and receives eye rolls from Dallah and me.

"Everyone's looking,"

As soon as the words leave Angus's lips we all turn to see the Brothers’ watching us closely, too closely.

"Morning guys," I say with a
weak smile.

Making my way over to them, I kiss their cheeks sweetly, that us until I come to Ruk. Standing behind him I place my hands on his shoulders and lean down to him. Laying a smooth warm to kiss to his cheek, I take a little longer to move away from him as his scent invades my nose, god he smells amazing.

Walking to take the only seat left, which is opposite Ruk, I sit down with the eyes of everyone on me, questioning my behaviour.

I don't care, because when I lock eyes with Ruk I see the softness in his eyes, the
familiar flash of love I long to see.

Parrise starts to speak, but I don't listen to him, Ruk and I just look into each other’s eyes, what if he remembers something, could it be?

"Morning," he says with a sweet smile before looking down at his plate.

"What you doing today," I ask him, and everyone stops their conversations to hear Ruk's reply. Slowly lifting his head he realises that I'm speaking to him.

"Just this n that," he replies.

"Can I come along
?"

He looks at me with a frown before looking at Sallack for his response.

"I think it's a good idea," Sallack nods.

"Ok, you can come, will be boring though?"

"No it won't," I reply with a smile, a smug one when I see Mary standing in the kitchen staring daggers at me.

"So when are you two going to have your own mating ceremony?" Mary asks Sallack and me with a smirk.

"That's private," I tell her with a frown.

"What! You mean you have cancelled? Why didn't you tell us," Dom asks in a hurt tone.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

"No, I um..." I start

"We are in no rush," Sallack finishes with a wink.

But the Brothers’ don't take it as a joke; they look upset by the news.

"It's just there is so much going on with the pack, that we thought we should put our concentration on that," I tell them gently.

"Right," Dom replies whilst looking at me so closely that I feel naked, and just like that, I see a wonderful flash of purple in his eyes.

Dom has always been quiet and so times shy, but he is one of the smartest people I know, he is strong, wise, and always understands me, even if he doesn't tell me so.

Nodding his head to me, I smile at him before joining in with the chatting at the table.

Standing outside the house and looking out at the pack land, I feel Ruk coming close. Turning around to see him, he is hand in hand with Mary. My heart races and my fingers twitch as I try to control myself from attacking her where she stands.

"I'm coming too," she announces smugly.

"No!" I almost scream with annoyance.

"I know you to don’t get on, and god knows why, but we are a family," Ruk says in a hurt tone.

"
Dallah, I need you to take Mary out for the day, she is trying to come with me and Ruk,"
I tell her telepathically full of need.

Watching Ruk and Mary jump when Dallah appears at my side, I smile at her thankfully.

"Hey, I was thinking that you and me should spend some time together, get to know each other. Come on," she tells a shocked Mary, then literally drags her away from Ruk and me.

Turning to look at me with a raised brow he asks, "What was that?"

"Dallah being nice," I tell him simply.

"Umm.
Right let’s get going then,” he tells me as he takes a step forward.

"Where are we going?" I ask with a gleaming smile.

"To, umm, the...I can't remember," he tells me with a mix of emotions in his eyes.

"Ok, well why don't we go out for the day, drive somewhere for lunch?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"This morning, the looks, you're always looking at me. You are with Sallack, my Alpha, you have to stop this Zara," he tells me gently and full of regret.

"I don't want Sallack."

"What, why?" He asks in disbelief.

"I want you," I tell him plainly.

"I have a mate, so do you,"

"We would be good together, perfect," I tell him through clouded eyes.

"Stop it Zara, it isn't going to happen!" He yells before walking away from me, but I soon catch him up. Tugging on his hand, he turns to face me.

"Look at me Ruk; just take a minute to really look at me!" I beg him.

"I've seen you, I know you," he shakes his head.

"Please!"

"No!"

"Why?" I cry.

"Because it’s wrong, you are mate to my Alpha! I have my own mate, I'm happy!" He cries back.

"What if I could make you more than happy, what if I could make your life feel complete."

"Fuck! What's going on? Leave me alone Zara, I can't do this right now!" He yells before shifting into his Wolf and running deep into the woods.

"Lucifer!" I breathe out with anger, hoping Dallah was right and that me speaking his name will alert him to me.

"Problems?"
He appears before me in his human form.

"This is wrong, you tricked me!" I bark.

"You wanted him to have his life back, he is alive," he taunts.

"No, if he mates with her then his life is over! Why have you done this?"

"I want to see if you could do it, push your love on him," he says simply.

"Go to hell!"

"I was once in your shoes, but look at me now. I can see the fire in your eyes, the hate! I like it, you could be my Queen when this fails," he laughs.

"Never, I will prove you wrong!"

"Really, because that's not what I see, I see a broken woman who cannot control her rage; I see it eating at you, blackening your heart."

"Zara!"
Angus's voice reaches me, causing me to turn to him, but when I look back to Lucifer he is no longer there.

"You fucking bastard!" I scream into the air with rage.

Angus runs to me with unbelievable speed and holds me by the arms whilst bending to look in my eyes.

"It was him?"

"Yeah it was. Angus, Ruk doesn't want to hear me, to know the truth. What do I do?" I ask, needing guidance.

"Let him see the real you. Break it off with Sallack, then show Ruk why you are the one for him. If he doesn't see it Zara, then he isn't the one. I know it's hard to hear, but you need to know that this might not end the way you deserve," he tells me with sorrow.

He is right, and I know he has faith in me, but he wants me to see that this is no fairytale.

"If he doesn’t want me, then on the night of his mating I will kill her where she stands, and leave this life, but until that night, I will fight like I have never fought for anything in my life."

"There you are, I knew you were in there. Come on," he laces his arm over my shoulder and leads me back to the mansion.

Chapter 7

After a dreadful day of watching Ruk and Mary act as if this is all real, and me holding on to my ego when all I want to do it hit them both in the face, we finally find ourselves at Sallack's bar.

Dom and Mickey are working the bar whilst the rest of us sit together, and hope a plan to get our lives back comes to me.

"When shall we do it?" Sallack whispers in my ear.

"Let's go now, the sooner the better," I whisper back.

"Zara, a word?"
Sallack talks loudly.

"Um hum," I answer back and get out of my seat after him.

We think it’s a good idea if we end the relationship, well our fake one. We need to do this for the Brothers’; it's not fair for them to think of Sallack and me as a couple when I'm clearly in love with Ruk.

Walking behind Sallack, we round the corner and stop in our tracks.

"I know this is going to bring up some bad memories, so I'm sorry for that beautiful," he tells me with regret.

"And for you, I wish we didn't have to do this," I tell him truthfully.

"I...couldn't we just..." He pauses, "I want you as mine. I haven't hurt you in this life, why can't we just try, you would have wanted to a few months back," he tells me through clouded eyes.

Stepping close to him I place my hands on his face and look into the eyes of my first real love, where I was loved and shown love.

"This is all a lie; just a game of a wicked mans choosing. Sallack, I will always see you as a man I loved, but I can't love you, I love Ruk," I say gently.

"I will always be here, if things don't work out, I will be here to look out for you," he tells me eagerly.

"Great, so you think I will fail too. How could Ruk choose me over the beautiful Mary, that's what you're all thinking? Well fuck that! I believe in myself! Ruk would have believed in me!" I shout angrily.

"But he doesn't Zara, and I don't want to see you hurt!" He yells back.

So much for a fake argument, looks like we are really going for it here. Nevertheless, he is wrong, I will die trying to save Ruk from this life, because he would be doing the same for me, he has in the past.

"My whole life has been ful
l of hurt, don't you get it, I have grown used to it, but then I found him, the one person who made me feel safe, strong. I owe him everything so that is what I will do, with or without your help."

"I'll be here; I just think you should see the bigger picture."

"Ha, good one. Why don't you go find yourself a little bitch to occupy yourself," I spit in a fit of rage, but instantly regret.

"Yeah and you follow your broken dream!"

Standing face to face, we breathe angrily whilst looking into each other’s eyes. I'm not hurt by his words; I'm hurt by him not having faith in me.

"I didn't mean that," he says in a shaky breath.

"Me too, that was out of line," I tell him whilst slowing my heart rate down.

"I think we are too alike," he jokes whilst brushing his fingers through his hair.

"I think you are right," Smiling at him and breath out a sigh of relief when I see him noticeably calming down.

Hearing a fake cough from Dallah, we both realise that we have been speaking in hushed tones after our screaming match.

"You walk out, I'll follow, and then hit me in the face once I have spoken," he tells me calmly.

"No way!"
I hiss, "That’s not what we had planned."

"We want this to work then I have to be a prick, so I will say something that will make me look bad."

"Like what?" I ask with a raised brow.

"I'm not sure," he tells me in an anxious tone.

Hearing Dallah fake cough again I take off for the exit. Walking past the Brothers’ with my head held high, Sallack's hand comes out and stops me in my tracks. Turning to him with a raised brow, he thinks for a moment then speaks for all to hear.

"I still want to be your friend, but you aren't for me, I need someone that will look good on my arm, like Ruk has Mary," he says then closes his eyes and bites his lip. Even though I know he has said this to make me angry, but doesn't mean it, it hits a nerve, a really fucking big one!

Pulling my hand back I connect with his face, not as hard as I can, but hard enough to make a point.

Standing on the spot whilst the Brothers’ jump to their feet, I lock eyes with Ruk and see the worry in his eyes before transporting myself home, my home.

"That was good, you should have hit him harder though," Dallah laughs as she walks through my bedroom door and flops down on my bed.

"Dallah! You are so mean," I joke.

"I know, but that's the only time you will ever get that chance, I would have taken advantage," she laughs again.

"So, what were they saying?"

"All is going to plan, they think your love has just fizzled out," she jolts up
right, "but Ruk, well he was pissed with Sallack, his growling was near deafening," she tells me it excitement.

"Really?"
I sigh happily.

"Really.
This will work out sweetie, I know it will, keep strong. I’m staying with you tonight; we’re still not sure what's going on with Demitri."

"Ok. You know If he does come here, I will make him pay for this, I will take everything he has ever cared for," I tell her with need for her to believe me.

"Oh I know, I look forward to it," she smiles evilly and waggles her brows.

"You're so cute," I tell her with a snort.

"I was going for evil."

"Oh well you're almost that too," I joke as I fall onto the bed beside her.

Sitting outside on the swing chair, I sip my morning tea and look out at the woods by my house. Suddenly, out of nowhere trots Ruk in his Wolf form, like he has so many times before.

My heart starts beating faster in hope, as I wait for him to come closer, getting down on my knees to greet him.

"Hey you," I say and run my fingers through his fur before standing and stepping back, giving him space to shift to his human form.

"You ok?" He asks while watching me closely.

"I'm fine, you?"

Oh shit! I have only just clicked, Sallack and I broke up last night, damn it, how stupid of me to forget.

"Really?"

"Well, we knew it wasn't working out, I didn't love him Ruk," I tell him sincerely.

"Right, because you love another man?" He asks, but shows no emotion.

"Yes, I love another man," I agree, whilst my eyes swell with tears.

Stepping up to me, my breath hitches and my fingers itch to touch his face.

"You look at me like I'm something important, why is that?" He asks with need to be told the truth.

"You are important to me, but I want to be important to you Ruk," I admit.

"I feel like there's more, what happened with you and Sallack?"

He was so close that I thought for a split moment that he has over powered his memory.

Shaking my head from the heartbreaking thought, I look up at him with a weak smile.

"I'm here for you; I would make your dreams come true. Please can you do me one thing, I beg you do one thing for me?" I ask with a single tear trailing down my cheek.

"Anything," he says gently.

Leaning into him, I tiptoe so that our noses touch and wrap my arms around his strong shoulders.

"Can I kiss you?" I whisper on his lips.

Gently shaking his head no, I descend on his lips, and run my fingers through his hair to pull him closer. He opens his mouth willingly, and I make love to his mouth. The world around me spins out of control as he moans along with me. Holding onto him, my lifeline, his lips suddenly pull away from mine.

"That was a mistake, I'm sorry Zara," he almost whispers to me, but his eyes don't meet mine as he turns with speed and shifts back to his Wolf form.

"Ruk, don't leave me!" I scream after him, but he doesn't listen.

I spend the day with Dallah, Angus, and Sallack, at my house as Den and Candy have gone out for the day. I have tried on several occasions to find Ruk, but it's as if he has disappeared.

When the moon is high in the sky we decide to head over to the club, which I no longer work at in this warped reality, as my duties are to be at Sallack's side, puffttt!

As the four of us walk out of the house and to the car, we see from nowhere 3 men and two women talk towards us, the moon light shinning of their pale skin, Vampires!

"Stay together!" Sallack growls out to us.

Standing united, we watch them walk up to us with smirks on their faces, looking for trouble.

"We come for the girl," a man tells Sallack with power.

"You wasted a trip!" Angus jumps in.

"Angus, it's been a long time. Demitri will be pleased to know you are well," he says politely but in his eyes we all see the hate.

"Go now Markus. You
will
leave empty handed," Angus laughs evilly.

"You give her to us?" He asks Sallack with a raised brow.

"Are you being serious, I'm right here! And I'm not going anywhere!" I tell them in shock of their arrival.

Not even looking at me, he sighs before taking a step up to me with his hands held out to show he won't harm me, but his eyes never meeting mine.

"You will come. You don't want your friends hurt, do you not?"

"Don't threaten me!" I tell him in disgust, just before Angus takes him to the ground and hits him powerfully in the face. His friends take a step back and stand in fighting mode, waiting for their command to attack.

"My fight is not with you, I have been sent for the girl!" Markus speaks angrily showing his fangs.

"She is under our protection! She goes, no, where!" Angus breathes out in rage.

"You seek to challenge your maker, Demitri must be obeyed." He cries and slams his fists into Angus's chest, knocking him onto the ground.

"Get inside!" Sallack yells to Dallah and me with authority, but he is wasting his breath, he should know us better than that.

As Sallack shifts into his wolf form, he jumps onto the two other vampires, the impressive alpha fearlessly tearing into them. The female vampires turn their attention to Dallah and me, trying to assess our threat level as they stalk towards us.

Waiting for the vamp to attack, I stand with a smile on my lips. The tallest one comes for me, as she tries to tackle me to the ground I slam my fist into her side,
then my other fist catches with her head.

Falling to her knees, she hisses at me before rising slowly, which gives me time to manipulate the wind, as I send it crashing into her, knocking her down again.

Jumping high into the night sky, she comes crashing down on top of me and head butts me in the face, which sends a searing pain to my nose and my eyes. Blinking the pain away, she grabs me by the hair and hoists me up to my feet before elbowing the side of my head.

"Fuck!" I scream holding my head, and a feeling my body gro
wing double its size, then back!

I grab hold of her head with two hands and twist her head, snapping her neck!

A shiver of disgust runs through me, but that is short lived as one of the men come behind me grabbing me in a choke hold.

Thrashing my body against his for release, he bites down on the back of my neck.

Pulling my head forward, I throw back my head, a sickening crack sounds, following by him realising me to hold his face. Turning on my heel with speed, I kick him in the stomach, and whilst he bends down from the pain, I kick at him again, landing directly on his face, causing blood to spray. Before I can make another move, Sallack’s wolf leaps on him knocking him to the ground and tearing out his throat and one more bite has his head removed. I turn away silently telling myself never to get on Sallack’s bad side.

Searching around for more trouble, I sign out in relief when I see the others are safe.

As the four of us stand looking at the dead Vampires lying at our feet, the pain caused by the fighting hits me tenfold now the adrenalin has died off.

"You ok?" I ask them, looking over their bodies in turn.

"Damn, that felt good!" Dallah admits pumped up from the fighting.

Angus nods his head before looking back down at the body at his feet, whilst
Sallack stands with rage still on his face.

Walking over to him, with my hand on the back of my neck to stop the blood from flowing, I place my free hand in his so that he will look at me.

"Sallack, what is it?" I ask concerned.

Looking down at me his eyebrows pull into a frown as he speaks gently.

"I never realised you were so strong," he admits.

"She is a born warrior, this is who she is now," Dallah tells him proudly whilst giving me a wink.