Mystery Man Revealed (Now Published so sample only)

Chapter 9

He recalled Brooke saying when he had first met her that her mother worked extra hours because of her Illness. It seemed that this family stuck together and did everything that they could for each other, including Honey.

They drove to the gatehouse with Aiden and Honey ending up in the same car. The silence between them only grew tenser the further they drove. She had not one clue with what to say to him. He was the one that had been avoiding her after all.

"I accused you of acting like a child not that long ago but now I am the one being immature." He broke the deathly silence.

"Well at least you can admit it." She told him coldly as she refused to look at him.

"You scared me, you offered yourself to me. You have no idea of what that means." He said and she let out a harsh breath.

"Then explain it!" She snapped at him.

"You gave me the rights to do the ritual by offering yourself up." He said the words quietly and she gasped.

"I didn't mean it that way." She said in a panicked voice.

"I know but that is why I distanced myself from you." He said as he pulled up outside the gatehouse.

Honey found herself glued to the seat in the car. She couldn't move with the knowledge she had just received. She gave him the right to the ritual where she would die? She shivered feeling a darkness envelop her that wasn't there before. It was only her sister’s cheerful voice that snapped her from the abyss that she felt she was trapped in.

She showed her family around the little cottage almost in a daze. All she hoped was that she kept acting normally for them. They didn't need to know about Aiden and his....quirks. When he started questioning her about what changes she wanted made, it took her a while to answer him. She was still in shock from what he had told her earlier.

Soon her family was gone and the loneliness gripped her. She felt so isolated here in this diabolical version of a fairy-tale. She understood nothing, felt constantly fearful and always seemed to say the wrong thing.

Then there was Aiden. Her attraction to him now that she knew what he was didn't falter. Whenever she even glimpsed him her heart fluttered. Even when he pushed himself away from her, it never once stopped her from wanting him. The memory of the kiss they had shared still made her shudder with delight.

"Honey?" Aiden asked as they moved towards the house after farewelling her family. 

"Yes?" She replied without turning to see him.

"You are very lucky to have such a wonderful family." He told her and she could hear the envy in his voice.

"Yes I am." She said before walking away.

She was the one that didn't want to face him then. Just knowing she had given him the rights to do the ritual sent dread gushing through her system. So she stalled in her room for the longest time. She tried to read or listen to her music but nothing seemed to help her.

Eventually she decided to have some leftovers from the lunch for her dinner. She forced herself down the stairs and into the kitchen. Silence abounded as usual which made her sigh with relief. At least she didn't have to deal with him.

"Honey I need you to come to my room."

In a flash her peace was shattered by his silent entry. Even though she didn't really want to see him, she couldn't help but look at him. Her eyes drifted to those tantalising lips that she knew were so soft. Their eyes met and his strange but alluring silvery ones that were normally closed off seemed excited and enthusiastic.

"No Aiden." She stared simply as the microwave beeped and she focused all her attention on it.

"I'm not going to hurt you but I just discovered something that may help Brooke." He told her with one of those rare little smiles that she secretly looked forward to seeing.

"Help Brooke how?" She asked suspiciously as she stirred her now unappetising looking food.

"Please come with me and I will show you." He offered a hand towards her but she ignored it.

"Why do you suddenly want to help my sister?" She asked spearing him with a fierce glance then.

"I never realised until today how debilitating her illness was. If I can make it better than I should at least try."

He sounded so honest and earnest that she wanted to believe him but the man had ignored her for the last few days. It made him awfully hard to trust when his behaviour was so confusing.