Sealed by Fate

KIERRAN

I hold Annabeth close, savoring the moment until she gently pulls away. “Are you ready to tell me everything now?” she asks.

I take her hand, guiding her towards the kitchen island. “Yes, but let’s get some food in you first.”

She perches on a stool, watching as I return to the task of preparing her dinner. A smile lights up her face.

“You cook?” she asks, a giggle escaping her lips. “I never pegged you as the cooking type.”

“Yes, Annabeth. I might come off as a rebel, but my mom did teach me a thing or two,” I reply.

She looks away for a moment before speaking again. “Can you tell me about her? And about your life before you… well, you know?”

I pause, studying her eyes. “Are you sure you want to know, Annabeth? My past isn’t exactly a fairy tale.” I’m reluctant to share the details of my transformation, afraid it might frighten her.

“Yes, Kierran, I want to know. If we’re going to be together, we should start by understanding each other’s pasts.

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. I understand that some memories are better left untouched.”

She’s offering me an escape, but she’s right; this is a good place to start.

I finish up with the chicken, toss in the vegetables, and let it all simmer. I set the rice to cook next.

Once everything is under control, I join her at the island, taking the stool next to hers. “Where would you like me to begin?”

She taps her chin thoughtfully. “How about where you were born? I’ve noticed a slight accent, and you sometimes speak to me in a different language. I’ve been curious.”

“That’s easy enough.” I close my eyes, unlocking the memories I’ve kept hidden away. “I was born on July 15, 1669, in Dublin, Ireland.”

Annabeth gasps, quickly doing the math in her head.

“I was the oldest of four brothers and three sisters.” I close my eyes again, picturing the faces of my siblings, my mo ~deathaireacha~.

“Coner was sixteen, Sarah was fourteen, Liam was thirteen, Keegan and Killian were ten, and Rosemary was eight when I last saw them.

“We were a close-knit family, despite the occasional squabbles. But then again, what family doesn’t have its disagreements, right?

“We all had a soft spot for our youngest sister, Rosemary. She had me wrapped around her little finger, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“All she had to do was bat her beautiful green eyes at me, and I’d give her the world. We were all like that with her, and she knew it.

“She married a nice guy from our village when she was twenty and had a few kids. That’s all I know. My siblings grew up, moved on, and I’m glad they got to live their lives.

“We grew up on a small but productive farm in the peaceful village of Donnybrook. Our family supplied most of the village’s crops.

“We worked hard on the farm, and when we weren’t working, we were studying. Our days were long, but we always got the work done.

“Because of the distance to the nearest school, our parents couldn’t afford to send us. So, we were homeschooled half the day and worked the farm the other half.

“The older kids, those twelve and up, were homeschooled for two hours a day and spent the rest of the day working. It sounds tough, but it was what we had to do.”

I pause, glancing at Annabeth. She looks lost, as if she can’t quite grasp the hardships of my childhood.

It was a lot of work, but it’s shaped me into who I am today.

“You need to understand, Annabeth, that during this time, there was a war and a famine. Food was scarce, and jobs were nonexistent.”

“People were killed in the streets over a loaf of bread or a small bag of wheat or potatoes.

“Our farm was the only one in the village, so we were the main food source for everyone. If we didn’t deliver, we all suffered.

“We also supplied some royalty, but that’s a story for another time.

“So, you see, we had to work hard to survive. It was a matter of life and death.”

“I can’t even imagine working that hard, Kierran.

“I’m taking thirty credit hours each semester, studying in my spare time, and working part-time at a gas station for twenty to twenty-five hours a week. I’m exhausted by the end of the day.

“I don’t know how you did it,” Annabeth admits.

“Honestly, I didn’t think about it. It was what was expected of me, and I didn’t want my family to suffer the consequences.”

I take a breath, waiting for her to say something else, but she remains silent.

“Anyway, my mom was one of the kindest and most loving women. She was always there to lend a hand.

“But if you hurt her children or anyone she cared about, she wouldn’t hesitate to put you in your place.

“She taught us all to be self-sufficient.” I stand to check on dinner.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me any more,” Annabeth says, trying to reassure me. I look up and give her a small smile.

“No, it’s okay. I just get emotional when I talk about them. It’s been over three hundred and fifty years since I last saw them, but the pain of missing my family never eases,” I confess.

“Anyway, my mom was an incredible woman, and I try to live my life the way she taught me.”

“You seem to be doing a great job, Kierran,” she says, reaching across the island to touch my hand.

“My dad, well, he was a bit different. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good man with a heart of gold. He just had a different approach than my mom.

“He was more strict and serious, but he loved us and her.

He worked tirelessly to provide for us, and trust me, in a small village in 1667, with war and the threat of death looming, it was nearly impossible.

“He worked from sunrise to sunset.

“I still remember how my siblings and I would be in bed when he came home, and I would hear my mom crying as she tended to his bloody hands and aching body.”

“I hated knowing that I was destined for the same path.” I try to push away the emotions these memories stir up.

“My family was happy and content, but I wasn’t. I wanted more. But I never complained because my parents couldn’t afford to send me to school.

“I knew escaping the farm life was never going to happen.

“The only option I had was to join the military after my eighteenth birthday. It wasn’t like now, where boys have a choice when they turn eighteen. We were drafted.

“I didn’t want to go, and I even considered running away, but then I thought about what that would do to my family, so I did what I always did and just accepted it.

“I had three days to report to my station and my commanding officer. The training base was two days away.

“Everyone expected me to take over the farm, find a wife, and settle down when I returned, but I knew I wasn’t coming back after the war.

“I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that once I walked out that door, it would be the last time I saw them.

“I didn’t want to come back to a life that wasn’t mine, and even if that meant leaving my family behind, I was ready.” I glance down at Annabeth’s dinner and decide it’s ready.

“But on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, my parents sat me down and handed me an envelope full of money.

“They told me I was accepted to the nearest university and was given an extended admission. I could go to school after the war.”

“I was in the middle of milking our cow when I heard my dad say, ‘Kierran, please come here, son. We need to talk to you.’

“I finished up my chore and followed my mom and dad into the house.

“‘Please sit down,’ they said.

“I swallowed hard and did as I was told. I asked if I had done something wrong. Usually, when my parents had us sit down like this, it was because we had messed up and were about to get a lecture.

“‘No, son. Today is your eighteenth birthday, and you’ll be leaving us soon, so we wanted to give you this.’

“My mom slid a package toward me. And said, ‘Happy Birthday, Kierran. Your hard work and dedication to this family and this farm have earned you this.’

“I opened the package and nearly choked when I saw what was inside. There was over three thousand dollars.

“I pushed the money back to my parents, and their faces fell with disappointment, which was the last thing I wanted, but they couldn’t afford to give me this.

“‘I can’t take this, Mom. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not right,’ I told her.

“Mom slid it back to me, saying, ‘This is yours, son. It’s all the money you have earned since you started working the farm. We want you to take it.’

“‘But how can you afford this?’ I asked.

“She told me that she and my father had been saving this since they noticed me taking an interest in medicine. They could see how unhappy I was, so they put that all together for me.

“She then told me she’d written to the administration of the local university and sent all my exams. They were so impressed with my high scores they accepted me.

“‘Go to school, Kierran, and do what you’ve always dreamed of. Become a doctor and be happy,’ she told me.

“Then I told her that I couldn’t. I was leaving the next day to join the war. How could I go to university and fight in the war?

“Mom smiled, her green eyes lighting up, and said, ‘They’ve given you an extended admission because of your duty to sign up.’

“I saw the looks on my parents’ faces, and I knew I couldn’t turn that down.

“‘Thank you, Mom and Dad. I will make you proud,’ I told them, and they replied, ‘We know, Kierran.’

“That night, I went into the barn and hid the money under a hay bale. When I returned to my room, I took out a quill and ink and wrote Coner a letter, telling him where he could find it.”

“I placed the note in his shoes so he would see it, then slung my duffle over my shoulder and left my childhood home. Little did I know I would never return.”

“Why would you refuse that, Kierran? Can you imagine how hurt your parents must have been? They had been saving up for years for you.”

“They told me that I deserved it because I had worked my whole life for it, and the only thing they wanted was for me to be happy, but I didn’t deserve it, and I didn’t deserve them.

“I couldn’t take that money because I was leaving them for my own selfish reasons. I was being such a jerk at that time.

“I was selfish, but I wasn’t going to take that money away from my poor struggling family. They needed it more than I did.”

I walk over to the cupboard, grab a plate, dish up some food, then place it in front of her.

“This is amazing! Chicken stir-fry is my favorite.” She takes a bite and lets out a satisfied moan. “Mmm… So good!”

Her moans are making my jeans uncomfortably tight in the groin area.

I let out a sigh, filled with longing. I want Annabeth more than anything else in the world. I want to solidify our bond, but she needs to understand what that means and how it works. I’m not sure she’s ready yet.

I adjust myself and lean back. “Do you want me to keep going, or do you need some alone time with your food?”

Her cheeks turn a rosy color and she giggles. “Oh... uh... I’m sorry, I’ve just never tasted anything so delicious, and I eat this all the time,” she says. “But, yes, please continue.”

“Thank you, and I’m glad you like it.”

“Thanks for making dinner, Kierran. I was starving.”

“You’re welcome, Annabeth,” I reply, trying to hide the obvious desire I have for her.

“This is the hardest part of my story because some parts of my memory are a bit fuzzy, but I’ll tell you what I do know and remember.

“I had just arrived at my base and reported in. My commanding officer’s name was Dreven. He was only a few years older than me, but we instantly became friends.

“You could say we became best friends.

“After six months, I had completed all my training, and Dreven thought I deserved a promotion.

“He was being transferred out of our base and sent to a village where rebels had been killing villagers and soldiers.

“So Dreven requested for me to go with him, and a few days later, that request was approved.”

“The first few weeks were normal; we were just guarding the village and the people and watching for any unusual activity.

“Dreven and I, along with about twenty other soldiers, patrolled the village in shifts, so it was always quiet. We had been there a month without any incidents.

“We were all starting to get bored, so the CO of our platoon gave all but five of us the night off.

“Everyone thought we should go to the local pub and drink since we had the night off, but Dreven and I, being the more sensible ones, thought it wasn’t a good idea.

“But we ended up going anyway. Long story short, I got wasted, and most of the others did too.

“The only one who stayed sober was Dreven. The bartender kicked us out when the boys started causing trouble.

“What we didn’t know was that the rebel army had been watching us and had been waiting for us to leave the pub to attack.”

“I was seriously injured in the attack, and from what I was told, we lost ten of our men.

“I don’t remember anything else from that night. I just remember seeing a group of rebels surrounding Dreven, so I ran over to help him.

“I remember getting stabbed, then waking up in a tent a little while later with Dreven standing next to me.”

“You don’t need to tell me anymore. I get the picture,” she reassures me.

“I want to, Annabeth. You need to know. I just worry the memories of my turning will make me want to unleash my inner monster.”

I give her a moment to think about that, but she doesn’t bombard me with a thousand questions, and for that, I’m grateful.

“I’ve never let him out, and I never plan to because once I let him loose, he’s hard to control.”

She doesn’t say anything, and I can tell she’s thinking about how to respond.

After a few moments of silence, broken only by the humming of the fridge, she finally says, “I know I need to get a life.

“But I was thinking of the season where Stefan became a ripper because he let the blood control him. So, would it be like that?”

I laugh because her obsession with The Vampire Diaries is adorable but borderline crazy.

“It’s very similar. However, we’ll get to that part of vampire history another time.”

She nods her head in understanding. “Okay, just take your time.”

I take her hand in mine again and continue telling my life story.

“He told me that he was a vampire and apologized for hiding it from me, but he had to because humans weren’t supposed to know about beings like him.

“He befriended me because he saw something in me and knew he could trust me with his secret and with this life.

“Dreven told me that I had been stabbed in the chest with a bayonet and was beaten up. The medics did everything they could to save my life, but my injuries were too severe.

“I was given two choices: one, I could die knowing that I served my country and saved my friend, or two, I could continue to live but not as a human.”

“He said he was giving me this choice because I had proven myself worthy of the life he was offering me. I was a hero and deserved to become a legend.

“I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but he was my best friend and would never lie to me.

“Yes, he told me he was a vampire, and maybe at the time, I was in shock and had lost too much blood to believe him.

“But I knew I didn’t want to die, so I agreed to let him save me. Now, this is where my memory gets fuzzy.

“I remember him feeding me his blood, but everything from when I woke up a few days later is blurry.”

I close my eyes again and try to recall what memories I can from those dark and confusing days after I became a vampire.

“I can tell you that when I woke up a few days later, I felt very confused, different, and hungry. So very hungry, but nothing was going to satisfy me.

“Dreven had a few humans who were willing to let me feed off them, but I was afraid I would kill them. He explained what had happened to me and that I was now a vampire.

“At first, I refused to drink the human blood; I said I would rather die again than become a monster.

“But he promised that he would never let that happen, and he would stop me when I started to take too much from each human.

“It took about fifteen minutes before I was fully satisfied, but I despised the sensation of drinking from humans. Their blood was so tempting, and I knew it would be a struggle to resist fresh human blood.”

“I remember hearing tales when I was young about how vampires were ruthless, not caring how they got their blood.

“They didn’t mind who they killed as long as they got what they needed. But as a kid, you think those are just stories. I was so wrong.

“I’ve encountered some truly despicable vampires in my three hundred and fifty years, and I knew then that I wanted to hold onto whatever humanity I had left.

“I thought about my family and how they would perceive me and what I had become.

“I don’t kill, and I don’t drink from humans. That’s how I’ve managed to keep my soul and my humanity.

“But like I said earlier, don’t mistake it for being easy. The monster is always lurking inside, screaming to be released, craving that one taste of human blood.

“It’s a constant battle to keep him at bay. I just have excellent self-control.” I flash her a smug grin, and a blush creeps up her neck to her cheeks. I adore it when she blushes.

“Kierran, that must have been terrifying. I’m sorry,” she says, her voice filled with empathy. “I have to admit, I was imagining your transformation into a vampire like it happens in the movies…”

I laugh at her remark.

“I kept picturing you being seduced by the most attractive vampire ever, and in the midst of your passionate dance, she bites you.

“I guess I watch The Vampire Diaries a bit too much because I totally saw you as Damon and the woman as Katherine. I really need to get a life.” She buries her face in her hands.

“Hey, just so you know, I’d happily binge-watch The Vampire Diaries with you anytime. It’s a great show. But not those ~Twilight~ movies. They give us real vampires a bad name.”

She peeks up from between her hands, a small smile on her face. I gently move her hands away from her face. “You’d really watch TVD with me?”

I nod. “Yes, I have Netflix, and I own all the seasons on DVD.”

“Okay, now I’m a bit worried about why you have them on DVD.”

I chuckle. “It’s a strange story that I’ll share with you someday.”

She raises her eyebrows and looks at me as if I’ve sprouted horns, which in this case, I probably have.

“Anyway, mo milis, you shouldn’t believe everything you see in movies or read in books.”

“My death might have been brutal, but I think Dreven helped block it from my memory so I wouldn’t dwell on how I died.

“Some other vampires die far worse deaths, like our beloved Edward, but not everything is as rosy as it seems. Edward and Bella have it easy compared to what real-life vampires face.

“Yes, I’ve read those Twilight books, and I was shocked by her perception of us.”

Annabeth pretends to faint. “Oh, my goodness, you mean you don’t sparkle?”

I can’t help but laugh out loud. It feels good to laugh like this; I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard.

“No, Annabeth, we don’t sparkle. That’s absurd. However, some of us are fortunate enough to go out in the sunlight.”

“Wait! I thought vampires couldn’t go out in the sun because they would burn?” she asks, surprise evident in her voice.

“That’s true. Those who aren’t sired by Elders will burn in the sun. As you can see, I’ve been outside during the day,” I reply with a smirk.

“How is that?”

I’m glad she’s asking these questions; it makes this conversation much easier for me. “Well, because Dreven’s blood runs through my veins, and he’s one of the oldest Elder vampires alive.

“Elders are immune to the sun. I don’t know why or how, but I’m guessing it’s because they were the first vampires on earth.”

Annabeth pauses to think about this, and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she considers it. “So, if you don’t kill or drink blood from humans, then how do you eat?”

“That’s another good question. I drink from animals, but I only drink enough to keep me full. I never kill them, either.

“I do have blood bags donated, but I don’t use them because human blood for me is like heroin to an addict.

“Every time I drink human blood, I crave more, and when I consume more, I lose a piece of my soul. If I ever kill a human, I will lose my soul entirely.

“So, I avoid human blood. Luckily, I’ve had many years to teach myself self-control.

“Plus, I have my sire, Dreven, to keep me in check. He doesn’t kill, either. In fact, he’s a pretty decent vampire.”

“So, I don’t need to worry about you trying to drink my blood?” Her voice trembles.

“Annabeth, your blood will have a different effect on me. It won’t send me into a blood rage. It will have the opposite effect.

“That’s a perk of the mate bond, and sometime I’ll explain how all this works, but tonight you’ve had a lot to process and need to get some rest.

“But to answer your question… No, I won’t drink from you until you say it’s okay.”

She still looks a bit scared but says, “I believe you, but have you almost lost control?”

This is a topic I’d rather not discuss.

“Yes, but it was a long time ago. The one I killed was much more powerful than me but extremely evil and not human. Something in his blood triggered the blood rage.

“Fortunately, a witch stopped me before I killed a human. She kept me chained and locked up until the lust for human blood subsided.”

I hold back from telling her who it was and how it happened. That's a tale for another time.

“That doesn’t sound like a good time. I hope I never have to do that to you.”

“You won’t have to!” I say, my voice a hushed shout. “If it ever comes to that, Lucas knows what to do, so you won’t be affected.”

She nods again, shifting the conversation. “So, since Vampires are real, does that mean there are other supernatural beings out there? Like what I saw outside?”

This is where I have to explain about Rick.

“Yes, and what you saw outside was a werewolf. That scar is from a wolf bite, and we know who gave it to you, so I’ll let you piece that together.”

She catches on quickly. “You’re kidding, right? I think I’d know if I was dating a werewolf.

“I mean, I’ve been dating him since I was fourteen, but I’ve known him since we were kids. How could I have been so blind?”

Tears start to fall, so I lean in and wrap my arms around her.

“How could I not know what this scar was? I woke up with it the morning after I broke up with him.”

I need to find out how he managed to mark her, but I won’t press her now.

What worries me most is that he shouldn’t have been able to mark her at all, since she’s my true mate, not his.

“Annabeth, you’re not blind. There was no way you could have known. You didn’t know anything like this existed until just now, and he hid it well.”

“How do you know?”

I can’t tell her the truth, not yet. “I think the answer is pretty clear.”

“Oh right, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This is all new to you, and tonight hasn’t gone how I wanted it to.”

Her beautiful, tear-filled eyes look up at me, and I can see how exhausted she is.

“Oh really?” she teases. “How did you expect tonight to go?”

“Well…uh…not like this,” I stutter. I’m usually more composed, but Annabeth has a way of making me lose my words.

She stands on her toes and kisses me. I pull away because I know if I let her keep kissing me, I won’t be able to stop myself this time.

She pouts. “Don’t you want me, Kierran? Now that you know I was dating a werewolf?”

I cup her face in my hands. “Annabeth, look at me, please!”

She lifts her gaze to mine.

“Does it look like I don’t want you? I’m in actual pain here because you have no idea how much I want to lay you out on the counter and claim you.

“The scent of your blood, the feel of your body against mine, and just everything about you is so incredibly tempting.

“I desire everything about you, and I don’t care that you were with him. What I do care about is you being here with me right now, in this moment. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

She pulls away from me and looks at me, confused. “You’ve known me maybe a month, but tonight was the first time we ever really talked, so that seems a little strange. Four weeks isn’t a long time.”

“Annabeth, you won’t believe me, but I’ve known you your whole life. I was supposed to wait until you came of age, but I couldn’t wait anymore.

“I had to make you mine because I can’t stand craving you from afar any longer.