Rejected Mate and Following Fate

"I need a location, so Colton can help us." I sound odd, strained, and my voice is husky, and hoarse, hinting at tears I'm refusing to shed. I can't deny this is awful, but we need his help.

"Oh goodness, that was quick, and it worked. Clever girl. Yes, location, of course, we're fifteen miles or so from the Hackuuh mountain base, north of Rennington. We head south for a good forty miles from here and we end up meeting the route ten to Normansville. Is that accurate enough?" The doctor scratches his head and goes back to grabbing the steering wheel with both hands before peering back out into the darkness, illuminated only by our headlights. I shrug at him and turn away to focus on the link.

Colton, we're fifteen miles or so from the Hackuuh mountain base, north of Rennington. He has us heading south, he says we're forty miles from getting to the route ten to Normansville. Does that help?

The directions mean nothing to me as someone who never ventured out of the valley until recently. I try and only focus on details and not the overwhelming emotions he's passing this way, or the way my own heart rate is pounding sky high and my legs are trembling at being connected to him. It's a bittersweet agony and I'm totally hopeless to defend myself from it.

The Hackuuh? You're not that far, god damn it, Lorey. You're the feeling that I should go south east? And yet I still didn't find you!...... Tell him to stick to that route, we can meet you as soon as you hit route ten and escort you to where we've been staying. It's not far. If we get there first, we'll head in towards you and hopefully meet sooner.

I knew Colton would push everything he was feeling aside and pull through. It's what he does, and why one day he'll make a formidable leader. His heart always secondary to what he feels is responsibility and what he has to do. The curse that made him choose her over me. Despite everything, even thinking I've someone to replace him, he's still helping. No hint of malice or telling me to go away. I feel kind of guilty about letting that deception stay between us, but I can't quite bring myself to put him right and I sure as hell can't tell him over link that his mother is with us. I don't have the words. He's going to find out soon enough as it is.

"Stay on track to route ten and they'll meet us, show us where to go…. We're going to be okay." I tap the doctor's arm, seeing the sag of relief as my words filter in and he nods, exhaling a breath he's probably been holding all this time. I guess I do too, because we can't outrun the facility pack, but with Colton and the subs, they won't have a chance of getting at Sierra. It's safety, and success, with very little effort. We need to get to them and let Colton take over.

It does feel weird to know he kept looking though, and admitting something was pulling him where I was, that's odd. Maybe it was his mother finally calling to him too, and nothing to do with me, and I do find it strange he said they were staying somewhere else and not the mountain. I guess Juan has them scouring further afield for Vampires, and Colton has been using it to also look out for me in case we crossed paths.

Please tell me you have the sub pack with you… I have at least a pack of nineteen coming, this might be a fight.

I add in afterthought, a sudden fear he might come alone, eating me.

one and yes, the sub pack and then some…. You've missed so much, Lorey. I have so much

Likewise.

my lineage to the list of things Colton should know about. That nausea chokes me again and I try to push it down

…hard…. and we have a

still, despite what he's done, and the fact it can never go anywhere. Or I might tell him about his mother, and have to deal with the fall out of Colton self-imploding, and I am not strong enough for that, or for keeping linked to him when I really want to curl up and cry. It's too raw having him back in my head like we've never been

this not being able to reach you bullshit, it shouldn't be this way. I

and I unlink him without responding at all. Cutting him off before I lose my shit at him and compromise our run to safety. That inner rage igniting

want to rip his head off for being a possessive

is not mad at ME!!" I let rip, startling the poor doctor and the fright almost makes him swerve us into a bush. "You know what, he should be more concerned with how mad I am at HIM and afraid, because I'm the one

doctor flattens a palm to his chest as though trying to calm the heart failure I inflicted,

conversation, I

breathing in raspy short breaths as my temper rages a little higher.

me! Ughhhhh. Is he conveniently forgetting all of that? Is he that dense and that much of a condescending hypocrite!!" I'm venting, so wound up with our interaction and triggered over the stupidest part of it. Hating on him, as some sort of emotional response, and oozing fury

doctor rubs his head, eyes darting to me and the road and tries hard to

go kiss my ass and get used to the fact I was dust in his future. Not a chance of ever making me come back, and you know what he

but I'm presuming something that piqued a nerve, or ten." It's a semi sarcastic yet wary