Prologue 2 страница

I bit my lip and he smiled sadly at me.

“Really? I wasn’t trying to get his hopes up, I just wanted to do something and he’s asked me out a few times already. I just didn’t want to say no again. You know? ”

He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. His hair fell across his forehead and I wanted to fix it for him. In fact, my fingers twitched with wanting to but I clenched my fist and mentally shook myself. I was not one of those girls who gets all swoony over a cute guy. I wasn’t about to start being one.

“Well. I can walk you there since that’s where I’m headed anyway. Kyle will be happy to see you. ”

He looked as disappointed as I felt at that prospect. I’d never been attracted to anyone but Chad before. And I was definitely attracted to mister blue eyes.

“Ok. But we’re just friends. I’ve never even been to his house before. You don’t think he’ll mind my just showing up when he said he’d text me, do you? ”

“Positive he won’t. ”

“Ok. ”

We started walking in that direction. I knew where Kyle lived but it was nice to have someone to walk with in the dark.

“So, what year are you? ” I asked to fill the silence.

“Heading into Sophomore. I’m studying to be a architect. ”

“Really? That’s neat. I guess that’s why you like geometry. ”

He smiled and nodded.

“What about you? You headed to school anywhere? ”

“Uh. ” I sighed. “To be honest, as lame as it sounds, I haven’t even thought about it. I kinda blew it this year with my grades and haven’t even applied to any colleges yet. I have no idea what I’m gonna do. My dad, he-he kinda needs me right now. I work at the diner in town. I guess I’ll work there until I figure it all out. ”

“Hey. Taking care of family is just as important if not more than taking care of yourself. You’re doing a good thing, staying with your dad while he needs you. ”

It was the first positive thing I’d heard someone say about anything I was doing all year.

“Thanks. Wow. I can’t believe how much I needed to hear someone say that, ” I admitted and smiled bashfully.

He smiled back. Then he pulled me to a stop by a hand on my arm and pushed my hair back once more to inspect my head. I looked up to his face, refusing to look away no matter how much my cheeks wanted to flush. I refused to be swoony. He looked back down at me, his hand still in my hair and I felt butterflies attack in my gut. He cocked his head to the side a little and seemed to inspect my reaction. I licked my lips nervously. His eyes flashed and he immediately looked away and dropped his hand.

“It looks better. I think you’ll be fine. Hey, Kyle. Look who I found. ”

I turned to see Kyle standing behind us. An irritated gaze latched onto his cousin.

“I can see that. You two know each other? ”

“Nope, but your friend here saved my life. ” He looked back down at me and smiled. He looked back up to Kyle’s incredulous look. “Seriously, I almost got hit by a truck. She pulled me out of the way. I would be standing here dead, if not for her. ”

Kyle looked at me with a new admiration.

“Really? You did that? ”

“Uh, yeah, it was nothing. ” I waved off their flattery.

“Mags. I can’t believe you. ” He came and grabbed me in a hug that lifted my feet from the ground and I could tell he was just doing it because of what he saw between his cousin and me. His cousin could too from the way he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Come inside. Wait until I tell Aunt Rachel what you did. ”

“No, please don’t take me in there. I’m not really in the mood for a crowd. ”

“Ok, ” he said reluctantly. “I was just about to text you anyway. Sorry, the party ran a little late. We were waiting on a certain someone, ” he looked pointedly over his shoulder, “to come back so we could eat but now I see he was preoccupied. ”
“Well, late’s better than dead, right? ” I spouted and then winced.

Kyle raised an eyebrow at me but his cousin burst out laughing from behind him.

“She’s got you there, cuz. ” He slapped him on the back. “And I’m glad to see you’re so worried about me. ”

“Whatever. You ready? ” Kyle asked me and I wasn’t.

I so wasn’t ready to leave the stranger I’d saved but saw no way to invite him to go with us when I could see there was clearly tension between them. I looked at him and he was looking at me. I could tell he clearly didn’t want me to go either and it made the butterflies worse.

“Uh, yeah, sure, ” I muttered.

“Ok. I’ve already got the keys. Let’s get going. ”

“Hold on. ” I walked up to his cousin a few feet away. I looked up into his face, at least half a foot higher than mine, probably more. “I’m really glad I was there. ”

“Me too. Thank you. You ever need anything-a new pair of rollerblades, a popsicle, a kidney-it’s yours. ”

I laughed and tucked my hair behind me ear as he chuckled too and shuffled his feet.

“Ok. I’m Maggie by the way. ”

I stuck my hand out towards him and smiled.

“Maggie, ” he repeated and I bit my lip at the sound of my name on his lips. “Caleb. ” He took my hand and I felt an instant jolt go through my body; that made me gasp.

Not like a girly wow-he’s-touching-me jolt. I mean an actual jolt. Like it felt as if fire was racing through my veins and I was standing in water with a blow dryer. My breaths ceased to exist and my blood felt cold in my hot skin. My eyes fluttered automatically at the pleasure pain of it. I saw images, flashes of things. Me on a porch with tan arms going around me from behind and a brown haired head sitting atop mine then leaning down, kissing my neck. Then that image vanished and a new one appeared.

Me running, someone chasing me but I wasn’t scared. I was laughing. I looked back and a brown haired boy was hot on my tail, grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder as I squealed in delight. Behind them was a house with a for-sale sign but ‘SOLD’ was stamped over it, a moving truck parked beside it.

Then, a man and woman took a walk through a lot of white sand. The man pricked a finger on a cactus as he swung his arms. I kissed his finger and then pulled him back to the house, through big bay doors into a bedroom. He pushed me to the bed and followed me, kissing me senseless as we rolled around in the white sheets.

Then I saw me, right now, holding the hand of a tan, dark haired boy. The look of pleasure and confused delight on my face was also on his. His eyes opened and he smiled at me like he understood everything, like I was everything.

I was jolted back to the present when my eyes saw what was actually in front of me and not a strange vision of happy times. I was still looking at Caleb’s face. He was still looking at me but, just like in the vision, he was smiling, ecstatically.

“It’s you, ” he whispered in wonder. “You’re the one. ”

“What’s going on? ” I heard Kyle behind me but I couldn’t look away from the blue eyes looking at me with such want.

Caleb came closer to me, releasing my hand and framing my face with his hands and I felt a flood of calm and warmth.

“Breath, Maggie. ” I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath. I took a deep breath and felt the air rush in and out frantically as I blinked. My head cleared a little. He smiled. “Everything’s going to be ok. Alright? Just don’t be upset. You don’t have to be scared. ”

“What are you doing? ” Kyle asked and pushed Caleb’s hands away. The second he did that, I felt cold and oddly desperate and heard myself gasp. “Dude, not cool. Look, I understand that she saved you and you feel-whatever- but I told you about this girl. You can’t just-”

“She’s the one, Kyle, ” Caleb interrupted, never taking his eyes from mine. It felt like an eternity had passed since he’d first taken my hand and I was still tingling in my veins from whatever had taken place. “It’s her. ”

“What? ” Kyle said loudly, almost angrily. “She can’t be. I mean you just... met, ” he sighed harshly and ran his hands through his hair. “You gotta be frigging kidding me. ”

“What’s going on? ” I asked softly and finally pulled my eyes from Caleb to look between then two. Kyle looked pissed and angry. Caleb looked in awe and blissed out. He stepped closer to me but didn’t touch me this time.

“Maggie. We have a lot to talk about. ”

“Not tonight, Caleb, ” Kyle said coming to stand between us. “She has no idea what you’re talking about. You’re going to scare her. ”

“I’m not going to scare her. She knows me, inside. She knows me, just like I do her, Kyle. It’s exactly like they always described it. I can feel her heart beating. ”

Kyle cursed and shook his head.

“This is bull. I can’t believe you did this. You knew how I felt and you still did this. ”

“You know that’s not how it works. We don’t get to choose. I’m sorry, Kyle, I am. ”

“Well, fat lot of good that does me. ”

“Ok, ” I stopped them both. “Please tell me what’s going on. ” I felt a little light headed and blinked to clear my vision.

Caleb came around Kyle to grab my upper arms gently.

“Maggie, everything’s fine. Just wait. It’s new, it’ll calm down some. Just breathe. ”

I felt something strange. It felt like an invader, a welcomed invader. Like something was pushing its way into my thoughts or my body somehow. I felt him. I gasped and looked up at him. He smiled, realizing what I felt.

“I can feel-your heart beating. I can feel your-happiness, ” I admitted and had no idea how I knew these things, I just did.

I brought one of my hands to my heart to feel it under my fingers. I could feel each beat of his heart as if it was my own. I felt his concern over me, he was worried that I was going to run when he told me everything, he felt an intense sense of longing and protection for me, but more than anything, I felt his utter joy at what was happening between us, whatever that was.

“See, ” he continued to explain to his cousin but his eyes stayed on me, as did his hands. “She can feel me already. ” He laughed a breathy chuckle and his next words were barely whispered. “Wow. I can’t believe this. ”

“You’re too young, ” Kyle countered. “And she’s only seventeen. You’re both too young. ”

“Tell that to my imprint. ”

“You know what? No. ” Kyle once again came and got in between us and as soon as Caleb’s hands released me, his heartbeat went with him. I was beginning to be irked with Kyle but wasn’t sure why. “We have a date. And we’re going on it. ”

“You want to take my significant on a date? ” Caleb asked and cocked a brow at his cousin.

I couldn’t speak. I just stood there and let them fight.

“Yes, exactly. If she is your significant, she still will be when we get back won’t she? ”

“We have to talk about this, Kyle. We have to tell the family. ”

“I know. But I’ve been waiting for this all year and I think you can spare her one night, since you’ll apparently be spending the rest of your life with her, ” he said snidely.

“Kyle, don’t be like this. ”

I finally found my voice.

“Ok. Ok. Ok. I have no idea what’s going on. I feel strange. I feel... really strange. Why are you both talking like I’m not standing right here? ”

“Maggie, I’m sorry. ” Kyle turned to look at me. “I never wanted you to get mixed up in all this. I never would have thought that this could happen. ”

“What? What could happen? ” I said a little hysterically. “What are you talking about? ”

“There’s some stuff we need to discuss, but first, let’s just go. Ok? We can get away from here and I’ll explain when you have a clear head. ”

“But-What are you... I mean-I don’t understand. ”

Kyle grabbed my arms to steady me as I swayed.

“Caleb. Tell her. Tell her it’ll be alright. ”

I looked up and there he was as Kyle handed me over to him. He was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. How had I not noticed this before? He looked the same to me. Same cute guy but so different now. Like a new light had been shone on him. My blood was singing in my veins at having him touch me. I wanted to touch him too, hug him, pull him to me to see what his scruffy chin felt like on my jaw. Anything. He smiled and leaned close to whisper to me.

“They’ll be plenty of time for that. ” I gasped and blushed furiously as I realized he’d heard my thoughts. “It’s ok. Don’t worry. ” His warm hands closed over my shoulders and his fingers brushed my neck sending another sense of warm calm through me, which I’ve started to think wasn’t a coincidence. “It won’t always be like this. You’ll learn to control it. Where I’ll only hear the thoughts you want me to hear. But for now, go ahead and go with Kyle. He’s right. You need to clear your head and I have to talk to my father and the family anyway and it’d probably be better for you if you weren’t there the first time. They’re a little zealous. ” He bent to look closely into my eyes. “Don’t be scared. You feel that I’d never hurt you, don’t you? ”

I did, loud and clear. I nodded.

“Why? Why do I feel that? ”

“Because you are my significant, my soul mate. And I’m yours. We imprinted with each other. I guess because you saved me... I’m not sure. It usually doesn’t happen when we’re this young. And it hasn’t been happening at all with the families. ”

“Imprinted? ” I said breathily.

“Imprinting is when we sort of…stamp a seal on each other. You’re imbedded in me and I in you. And it’s very rare to imprint with a human. ”

I gasp again and he smiled sadly.

“Human? If I’m human, what are you? ”

“I’m human just not completely. We’re Virtuoso, or Charmed. We call ourselves Aces. We have abilities once we reach a certain age after we imprint. ”

“What kind of abilities? ” I asked dazedly.
“Lots. Look, Maggie, I’m gonna tell you everything. I promise. But first, I have to inform my father. He’s the champion of our clan, the leader. He has to know what happened and then we’ll talk, ok? ”

“So, we imprinted, ” I mused and thought about what that could mean. “Like werewolves in a vampire novel or something? ” I asked and they both chuckled.

“Kinda. You read vampire novels? ”

“Sometimes. ”

“Me too. ” He smiled and then sighed. “Ok. Kyle. You know you have to be careful with her. ” He looked at his cousin sternly. “Don’t bombard her with information, just wait, she’s very fragile. And don’t start your crap. It’s harder on humans-”

“I know all this. I grew up a Jacobson too, ya know. ”

“Yes. I know. Sorry. ”

“Whatever. Come on, Mags. ”

I tried but my legs wouldn’t go.

“I can’t. I mean, I don’t want to, ” I realized.

“That’s just the mojo working. Fight it, Maggie. ”

“Hey, ” Caleb said harshly. “That’s what I’m talking about, right there. If you’re going to take it out on her the whole time because you’re angry about this, then I won’t let you take her. ”

Kyle nodded and sighed.

“Ok. You’re right. I’m sorry. Help her, so we can go. ”

“Help me? What does that mean? ” I ask.

“It’s so new, ” Caleb explained. “It’s hard on us. Our imprints don’t want to be apart. But I can help you by telling you that I want you to go. Our bodies are in tune with each other. I have to take care of some things here so I want you to go with Kyle and know you’re safe, ok? I can feel you, ” he palmed his chest, “in here, if you need me. You don’t have to worry about anything. ” I needed him to touch me. It was like my veins were screaming for it. And he did. He cupped my face with his big tan hands and we both sighed at the contact. I heard Kyle muttering behind me but couldn’t think to care right then. “I’ll come to you tomorrow. Ok? Everything will be fine and I’ll explain it all to you. Are you gonna be alright? ”

“Yes, ” I said and I felt it. Whatever he was telling me, it was like it went straight to my brain, bypassing everything else. He said it was fine, so it was. “Yes. I’m fine. I’m not sure why I’m fine, but I am. ”

He smiled beautifully.

“Good girl. ” He glanced over my shoulder. “I told you she’d be alright with this. You shouldn’t underestimate her. ”

“Ok. Ready? ” Kyle asked, still clearly exasperated but willing to cooperate.

“You’ll come tomorrow? ” I grabbed Caleb’s shirt front and felt strange for doing so but I had to. “To see me? ”

His thumbs caressed my cheeks sending embarrassing shivers down my arms.

“I’ll come get you tomorrow, ” he corrected. “You are very special, Maggie. My family will be anxious to meet you. ”

I nodded.

“Ok. ”

“Just remember. There is nothing to worry about. ”

“Ok. ”

He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes at the pleasurable burn, feeling him. Letting his pride at how well I was taking everything wash over me in waves of warmth.

“I’ll see you soon, Maggie. ”

I nodded and bit my lip as Kyle grabbed my hand and towed me to his dad’s silver Audi. My body felt like it was being split. I didn’t want to go. I so didn’t want to go. But Caleb said I would be fine.

Kyle buckled me in and we started to back up down the driveway. The whole time, my significant’s eyes were locked on mine.

Three

“Significant? What does that even mean? ” I asked Kyle after about five minutes of silence.

He’d been driving around, not going anywhere since we left his house, his thumb beating an angry rhythm on the steering wheel.

“And why am I ok with all this? I mean, you just told me you’re not human? I think I would normally freak out about that. ”

“You’re one of us now, ” he said quietly.

“What? You mean I’m an Ace or whatever? ”

“Yes. Look. ” He looked at me quickly. “I’d explain it all to you but Caleb was right. You can’t handle it right now. Your body is going through enough just being away from him. ”

“I don’t understand. ”

“You’re his mate, his one, his partner, his companion, his soul mate, the person you’ll be with forever. Take your pick, ” he waved his hand in the air.

“But I just met Caleb. I don’t even-”

I was about to say I didn’t even feel anything for him but that was a lie. In fact, just saying his name was bringing on a little round of hysteria all on its own. My heart clenched, my palms were sweaty and tingly. I had the strange need to grab the door handle and make a break for it.

And I knew that was crazy but I couldn’t stop thinking it.

“Why do I feel like this? Why do I-” I stopped and tried to breath through it.

Caleb told me everything would be ok. I knew it would, but I had no idea how or why.

Kyle grabbed my hand.

“Why do you want him? That’s what you were going to say? It’s because you imprinted. It’s like... both your souls saw each other and decided they wanted the other. It’s something that’s always happened in the clans. We’ve always imprinted to find a wife or husband. Usually it happens when you’re older, like about twenty two or three. I’ve never heard of it occurring this young. And it rarely happens with a human but sometimes it does. ”

“So what does that mean? I have to marry him now? ”

I thought about getting married at seventeen and what everyone would think of me, that I was loony or worse-pregnant.

“No, silly. ” He laughed. “You just... belong to each other, now. ” He chuckled again sadly and squeezed my hand. “Just when I finally got you to go out with me, too. ”

“I’m sorry. ”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about. You can’t control it. ” He sighed. “Ok. Let’s stop talking about this. You don’t need the stress and it’s sure depressing me. What do you want to do? ”

“I don’t know. I’m pretty hungry. ”

“Ok. Pablo’s it is. ”

We pulled into the restaurant parking lot and he got out, running to my side to open my door for me. He grabbed my elbow to help me and I thought, he’s sweet but going overboard, but then I started to wobble. I felt lightheaded and he grabbed my other arm to steady me.

“What’s wrong with me, ” I croaked.

“It’s like withdrawals. You just have to bear through them. They’ll get better. ”

“Withdrawals from what? ”

“Caleb, ” he said and curled his lip like it was disgusting. “Come on. You’re with me. You’re fine. We’re gonna have fun but we gotta stop talking about him, alright? ”

“Alright. ”

His hand slid down, his fingers locked on mine and I had a strange sense that I was doing something wrong.

“Stay close, ok? ” He opened the door to the restaurant and we went in, wafted by a strong sent of delicious pasta and garlic.

Pablo’s was the best half Italian half Mexican place in town.

“Hey, look. There’s Rebecca and the guys. ”

I pulled him to a stop.

“Please no. I don’t want to see anyone tonight, ” I begged.

“Because of what happened? You’ll be-”

“No, not because of what happened. I had a fight with my dad and I don’t feel like being in a crowd. Ok. Please? ”

“Ok. Let’s go sit back here. ” He towed me to the back and we sat in a dark booth. Our waitress came over immediately. It was a junior from my Lit class. “Hey, Callie, I’ll take a root beer. What do you want, Mags? ”

“Sweet tea. ”

She eyed us both with a little smile.

“Congratulations on graduating, both of you. I can’t wait. ”

“Thanks, ” Kyle muttered and she went to fetch our drinks. “You ok? ”

“Yes. ”

“What’d you and your dad fight about? ” he asked as he fingered his silverware.

“He’s a jerk. ”

“Aha. ”

“My mom left last summer. Did you know that? Right before school. ”

“Yeah, Chad said something about it. ”

“He did? ” I said with surprise.

“Yeah, he was pretty strung out there for a while after you guys broke up. Course, I only really saw him at football practice and lunch. ”

“Yeah. ”

“So why did you break up with him, anyway? ” he asked and I looked up to see that he was serious.

I started to tell him the truth but Callie came back with our drinks.

“What’ll you guys have? ”

“I’ll have the... parmesan eggplant, ” he answered.

“Cheese ravioli. ”

“Ok. I’ll get that right in for you. No appetizers? ”

“No thanks, ” I answered and as soon as she was gone I turned my glare on him. “Chad broke up with me. He didn’t want to date anyone his last year because he knew he was leaving. ”

“What? Then why was he so upset about it? I just assumed it was you... I mean, that’s why I kept asking you out, because I thought you broke it off with him which meant you didn’t want to be with him anymore. ”

“We had talked about it. He thought it’d be easier that way but I didn’t want to. He did it anyway. ”

“Ah, man. What an idiot. I actually felt for sorry for him, moping around. ”

“Well, I mean, he had a point but I guess I just thought it’d be better to spend our last year together than apart, even if it would be hard for him to go, ya know? ”

“Yeah. ”

“Ok, enough about Chad. Where are you going to school? ”

“Good old University of Tennessee. ”

“So, is that where all your family goes? ”

“Pretty much. We try to stay together as much as possible. ”

“So, where’s, uh... ” Just thinking his name made me feel shaky all over again. “Where’s Caleb from? ”
“From here, well two towns over. His family lives there along with the rest of our clan. We’re the black sheep who decided to live somewhere else. ”

“Why? ”

“This is where my mom’s parents were from. She and my dad are the last members of our clan to be imprinted. Something is wrong and it’s stopped happening. There are a lot of single people in our clan right now. ”

“So, nobody in your family has gotten married since your parents? ”

“Well, ” he took a long sip of his drink and leaned back. His feet touched mine under the table, I scooted them back. “My uncle got married but it was a big scandal. He wasn’t imprinted, he just married someone from a clan that he fell in love with, big no-no. ”

“Because he could imprint with someone while already being married to someone else, ” I said, understanding.

“Yep, I mean, he was thirty one when he got married, no one ever imprints that late, but still. Why chance it? You can’t control it. Think about what his wife would feel if he imprinted with another woman. He wouldn’t be able to control the way he felt. ”

“So you can love someone even if you aren’t imprinted with them? ”

“Yeah, ” he said softly and looked down quickly so I tried to act like I didn’t notice.

“So, what happens after you imprint? Caleb said something about abilities. ”

“Nuhuh. That’s his territory. He has to explain it to you. ”

“Another no-no? ” I asked, sensing there was probably gonna be a lot of rules.

“Nope, I’m just not gonna be the one to break it to you. ”

“Ok, so. ” A silly question popped in my head but I hoped it’d lighten the mood. “What about Werewolves? Real? ”

He laughed.

“No. Not even close. ”

“Wizards? ”

“Hardly. ”

“Angels? ”

“Bible. ”

“Aliens? ”

“Science Fiction. ”

“Sparkly vampires? ”

“Young adult science fiction, ” he said laughing loudly.

An older couple beside us gave us a not happy look at his outburst and we laughed harder before I started quizzing him again.

“So, none of the myths are real? ”

“None that you would think of. Food’s here. ”

“That was fast. ”

“They always are. Good ol’ Pablo. ”

“Here you go, ” Callie said and she set our food down. “Ravioli and eggplant, you need anything else? ”

“Nope. I think we’re good. Thanks, Callie. ”

“Ok. ” She lingered and looked a little uncomfortable, twirling her pen in her fingers before turning to me. “So, um, you and Chad broke up right? ”

“Yeah, ” I answered and hoped this wasn’t going where I thought it was.

“Would you mind if I called him? I mean, we’re both going to Florida. I’ll be there next year. I just figured, since you dumped him you wouldn’t mind if I asked him out. ”

“Jeez, Callie, blunt much? ” Kyle said and looked at her like she had two heads.

“What? She’s the one who dumped him. He’s moped around all year waiting for her. He needs to have some fun for a change. ”

“She didn’t dump-” he started to defend me but I stopped him.

“No, Kyle. It’s ok. Yes, Callie. Call him to your little hearts desire. ”

“Are you funning me? ” Her hand went to her hip. “Cause I don’t always catch the sarcasm. ”

I wanted to sigh and I had to mentally push out the blonde joke rattling around in my head.

“Look. Call him. If he wants to go out with you, fine. Thanks for the ravioli. We don’t need anything else right now. ”

“Ok, ” she said warily. “I’ll check on you in a bit. ”

She walked away and Kyle looked at me sympathetically.

“She’s such a ditz. Some people have no couth. ”

“No, really it’s fine. ” I had an epiphany. A revelation that made my cheeks spread in a smile. “I don’t care. For the first time in a year... I don’t care about Chad. ”

“It’s the imprint. ” He shook his head. “You won’t care about anyone but Caleb now, ” he said almost grudgingly.

“So, there’s no way to break it or stop feeling it... or whatever. ”

“No. Why, do you want to? ”

“No, ” I answered too quickly and he grimaced.

“Yeah, didn’t think so. ”

“So, ” I sang, sensing a need to change the subject. “What are you gonna do at Tennessee? ”