33

~Vaela

As consciousness creeps up on me again, my mind scrambles to piece together the fragments of memory that are missing.

Splitting pain rears up in rolling waves, assaulting my head as my eyes flutter open.

I was hit. And now I'm splayed across a wooden floor, limbs aching in protest.

Raising my gaze, I scan the unfamiliar room I've been discarded in, spotting a person sitting at a table close by, back to me.

I'm dead. Or I'm dreaming.

Either way, my world is ending.

It can't be him. I haven't seen him in decades, but last time I did, tears were streaming from his eyes as he paced back and forth, yelling at me. My gaze was pinned to the knife in his hand, that would end my life swiftly only moments later.

It's Trace. I once loved him. And he murdered me.

I lean upward, bracing myself up on my elbows. "What...What the-"

He turns around immediately, discarding whatever he was doing.

"Vaela, you're awake," he murmurs, striding over to me.

Dropping my head, I squeeze my eyes shut past the pain. Those deep brown eyes are so painfully familiar. They could express such kindness and compassion, that would quickly flicker to anger and frustration in an instance.

"Trace..."

"I'm so happy to see you," he exclaims as I tug myself up into a sitting position, wincing at the pain echoing through my head.

I look up at him and that goofy smile he sports, gritting my teeth in anger. "You...You hit me!"

"I had to knock you out, just for a bit to get you here," he explains, trying to soothe my rising anger. He sounds demented, trying to make an excuse for striking me square on the head and dragging me to this random apartment.

"You could have killed me." I drag myself back, leaning against the wall. If I stand right now, there is a good chance I'll just go hurtling back down to the floor.

Trace rubs the back of his neck. "It was just a hit."

"I'm mortal, you idiot." Reaching up, my fingers brush over where he hit me, to find fresh blood seeping from the wound.

I really could be dead right now...

Trace frowns, looking over me with a curious eye. "Oh, so that's what's strange about you. How-"

"I need to get out of here." I look around, seeing a door that I can already sense is locked. But Trace is clearly out of his mind, and if I don't leave...I hate to think of what he is capable of doing to me.

He crouches down in front of me, grabbing at my hands. "You can't leave. We have been reunited, after all these years."

I rip my hands away, drawing my knees up to my chest. "What? What is wrong with you?"

"I've been trying to find you, Vaela. I had a very long sentence in Death's realm because of...You know. But I'm here now, so we can be together," he insists, almost as if I should be the one taking the burden for him murdering me.

"You killed me. You slit my throat," I remind him.

Bracing myself against the wall, I slowly force myself upward, my legs shaking under me. The longer I stay here, the more unhinged Trace may become.

Trace shakes his head at me. "It was an accident. You know how my temper flares sometimes. But that doesn't mean I don't love you."

I pause, allowing the reality of the situation to sink in. And it hits me.

Straightening, I can't help the smile that is impossible to smother. "You're going to die."

"No. I'm Immortal."

"No, you're going to be killed." A laugh escapes me. Trace may have taken me in, thinking he's going to convince me to be with him again, but he has no idea who is in this Realm that has been desiring his death more than I have.

He frowns, looking at me like I'm going crazy. "By?"

"My mate." I know Hale, and it wouldn't have taken him long to figure out that I've gone missing. And by the look of it, a decent amount of time has passed since he hit me over the head.

I giggle at Trace's bewildered expression. "I'm sorry, but you are seriously screwed."

"Your mate. You have a mate?" He demands.

Maybe I've been hit over the head so hard I've become delusional, but for once his anger doesn't strike fear in me. All I can think about it Hale, and all the terrible things he will do to

"I only found out like minutes after you hit my head. See, I panicked, and ran from the house, which I never should have done, because I didn't think he could have a mate, but turns out he's my mate," I ramble.

Trace's mouth settles in a hard line. "Who is?"

"Hale. Hale is my mate. And he's going to come here, and he's going to kill you, because ever since he found out you killed me, I've had to hold him back from coming for you," I explain.

I've seen anger like that in his eyes before. "Then I will kill him too. Like I killed that idiot Will."

I release a long, slow breath. He killed Will...Of course he killed Will. And for that, I know he is going to suffer.

"Hale isn't like any other Immortal. You see, he's very powerful."

"Is that so?" he questions irritably.

"He's a Pureblood. A Sin, to be exact. One that is meant to be passive and uninterested in anything, but he was always interested in me, and I never knew why. Turns out it's because he's my mate," I tell him.

I hardly even know what I'm saying anymore, but it feels good to talk about Hale. I just want to see him again, to kiss him.

But first, I want Trace gone for my life. Forever.

"Purebloods don't exist," Trace snaps, patience wearing thin.

"No, but they do. And you'll soon find out because he's going to kill you," I insist. He should be terrified right now, but unsurprisingly, he doesn't believe me.

Trace turns away. "We should get you some ice. You seriously hit your head."

"I know it sounds crazy, but I'm telling you the truth. I'm not even sure why I should, because I hate you."

I glance down to the floor, seeing a few drips of blood. This isn't good.

Trace turns, looking at me with wide, hurt eyes. "You don't hate me."

"I loved you, and yet you killed me...And why do you look so young?" I question. He doesn't look much different to when I last saw him. I figured he had lived a long life in the mortal realm before dying.

He steps forward. "I killed myself. Right after I...I had to come back and find you, Vaela. We are destined to be together."

"No. I have a mate, who I desperately need to have sex with," I breathe, looking down at the blood on my fingers. I'm surprised I haven't become sicker, being away from Hale. We must be relatively close.

"What?"

"I have to have sex with him, and not just him touching me over my clothes, like actual, full blown sex. Then, I'll be saved." Wow, my head is starting to spin.

Trace looks so confused I can tell if he's wondering if he brought he right person here. "Huh?"

Digging in my pockets, my hand wraps around the rock. I'm so relieved, although I try not to make it obvious on my face. I wasn't sure it would be with me, but this alone will summon Hale straight to me.

"I'm going to drop this rock, and he's going to come here, and he's going to kill you," I say, holding it up.

Trace grabs my arm, trying to pull me toward the table. "Sit down. You've hit your head so hard you can't even remember your own name basically."

Shaking my head, I let the rock go, however Trace suddenly reaches out and grabs it before it can hit the floor.

"Hey!" I push his chest, sending him stumbling back a few steps. That's my only chance to get out of here.

"What are you-"

Lurching forward, I grab at his jacket, trying to dig my hand into his pocket. He pushes me off, and within a minute, as are fighting for the rock.

At some point, it's in my hand, and then he's got it off me.

My head spins, as my back is pushed up against the table, things atop it going hurtling to the ground. Finally, I manage to wrestle the rock from his grip and it clatters loudly to the floor.

"Stop Vaela...Stop fighting me," he grits out, pushing me back.

I'm so angry it consumes me, as I rear back, slapping him straight across the face.

I can see him considering what to do next, as he backs away toward the kitchen counter, fumbling for something on the bench. I turn away, squeezing my eyes shut as I try to regain my composure. All that movement has my head wound bleeding far more.

"You know what, Trace-"

Turning around, Trace is suddenly right in front of me, and when I look down, I see he's stabbed me in the stomach with a kitchen knife.

All I can do is stare down at it, feeling absolutely nothing, as red blooms through my shirt.

"You stabbed me," I whisper.

Trace steps away, hands trembling as if he can't believe he just did that. "I'm so sorry Vaela."

"I'm going to die," I breathe, stumbling back until my back hits my wall. Even as I pull the knife from my stomach, tossing the blade onto the ground, I'm in such shock I can't feel anything.

"You'll be okay, I didn't mean to. It's just, you were fighting back..."

Sliding down the wall, I clutch my stomach. This is bad. This is so bad, because I'm a mortal and I've been stabbed.

My eyes flutter closed as I concentrate on my breathing.

"Who are you?" I hear Trace ask.

Slowly my eyes open, I can finally relax, as Hale strides into the room.