Chapter 4
Rourk tensed as Keegan thought his name but quickly pushed it away; he had other things to deal with at the moment. This dark elf had been properly trained and had evaded him so far. He sensed her movement and knew she was to the right of him, but he continued to look straight ahead, knowing if he looked to the right she would be gone. He tried his best to seem completely baffled, as if he couldn’t figure out where she might be.
The dark elf moved forward, thinking he’d lost sight of her.
Rourk pounced. She might have been well trained, but he was gifted, and she didn’t stand a chance. For good measure, he shielded his mind as he threw her against the wall.
She looked annoyed—probably because she couldn’t use her gift on him.
“What do you want with the girl?” Rourk asked.
The dark elf glared back at him. “I want nothing from her. I just happened to notice another elf and wanted to read her mind.”
He pushed his forearm deep into her throat, “What were you doing at the fair?” he growled as the dark elf struggled under his grasp.
She flinched at the strength in his hold, then looked into his grey eyes. “I was just having fun. I was bored, and I like messing with humans.”
Rourk searched her face and decided she was telling the truth. Relaxing his grip, he stared into her eyes. “Make no mistake. If you go near the girl again, I will kill you.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever. I have no interest in the girl.”
Rourk sensed she was trying to look calm but could tell she was visibly shaken.
The girl eyed him. “She is lucky.”
“What?” Rourk asked, startled.
“Lucky to have someone who cares so much for her.” Looking down at her black leather Converse, the girl scuffed her foot against the concrete.
“Just get out of here,” Rourk sighed.
He watched the dark elf walk down the alley. She turned once to look at him and then hurried on. As he watched the girl disappear around the corner, he hoped his chosen had made it home safely.
He closed his eyes to check on her and saw she was home. A rush of relief filled his body. The constant worrying could stop for the night. He headed home.
***
Keegan was lying in bed asleep when someone knocked on the door. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, and called, “Come in.”
Her mom stuck her head in and smiled. “Hey.”
Keegan grinned back, smoothing her hands back through her hair. “Hey, Mom.”
Emerald walked in, pulling the door shut behind her, and sat on the edge of the bed. She pushed a strand of hair from Keegan’s face, her blue eyes searching. “What are you thinking about?”
Keegan glanced up at her mother sheepishly. “Rourk.”
A smile crossed her mom’s face as she obviously recalled the days when she used to dream about her own chosen partner. “You’ll meet him soon enough.”
Sighing, Keegan said, “It seems to be taking forever. Why do I have to wait until I’m eighteen?”
“You know why. For now, just focus on enjoying your high school years. Have fun with your friends. Be a teenager.”
Keegan knew it was an argument she couldn’t win. So instead, she snuggled against her mom’s side and asked, “Will you tell me the story of how you met dad?”
Her mother’s blue eyes lit up. She climbed into bed and put her arm around her daughter, then started, “As you know, it’s forbidden for us to meet our partners before we’re both of age. Your father was much older than me, so he had to wait longer than most.”
Keegan watched her mother’s face as she spoke. She loved hearing this story because it took away any doubt or fear she had about meeting Rourk.
Her mother continued, “I needed a new book, so I went to the bookstore. First I decided that a coffee sounded like a good idea. As I was fixing my coffee, I looked up and made eye contact with a man. I was so taken back by my physical reaction to him that I almost spilled my coffee. I left quickly, forgetting all about my book.”
Keegan asked the same question she always asked, “Why did you leave?”
A slight smile appeared on her mother’s lips. “I felt guilty. I knew I was promised to a man I was going to meet in three months. I shouldn’t have been so instantly drawn to another.”
Keegan sat up a little on the bed, as if to hear the rest of the story a little better.
“I walked as swiftly as I could, knowing someone was behind me. I willed myself not to look back. I thought surely it couldn’t be him. He followed me the whole way down the mall. Once I reached the end, I had to turn around. He planted himself in front of me. His legs were spread more than shoulder-width apart and his hands were in his pockets. I thought, who does this man think he is following me, and why is he acting so arrogantly?”
Continuing after a brief pause, her mother said, “He asked me if I would like to go out with him. I said no. He was so confident, though, that he gave me his number and told me to call when I changed my mind.”
Keegan loved that part of the story because she could imagine it clearly. Emerald’s face was luminous, her eyes in the past.
“I looked at the number often but resisted the urge to call him. I was really upset with myself because I could not get this stranger out of my thoughts. I was so nervous when the time came to meet your father. I was worried I would not be attracted to him or that we would have nothing in common. You can imagine my surprise when I came face to face with the arrogant stranger.”
“And neither of you had any idea that the stranger you had met at the mall was your chosen?” Keegan asked, not needing an answer because she already knew.
Emerald laughed. “Nope, we didn’t know at all!”
Looking up, her cheek resting against her mother’s shoulder, Keegan said, “I hope Rourk and I will be as happy as you and dad.”
Her mom slid from the bed, her warmth leaving Keegan’s side. She reached over and pulled the blanket up as she had done many times when Keegan was a child. “That’s the beauty of our kind. You will be. He’s meant for you.”
Keegan grabbed her pillow and tucked her arm under it, then rolled to her side. “Do you think Rourk will get me a ruby engagement ring?”
Her mother laughed, “I guess we will have to wait and see.”
Another sign that her parents belonged together was her mother’s engagement ring. Her mother had an unusual name, even for an elf—Emerald. The day they had met, Keegan’s father handed Emerald a box that contained a stunning antique emerald engagement ring. He said when he saw it he knew it was for her, and at the time, he wasn’t even aware of her name.
Ever since Keegan was a little girl, she had dreamed of her wedding day. One thing she knew for sure was that she wanted a ruby engagement ring with diamonds on the sides in an antique setting. She hoped Rourk wouldn’t mind. He probably intended on giving her a diamond like everyone else.
But, maybe not. Maybe he would know exactly what she wanted. She was imagining scenarios of Rourk proposing to her as she drifted off to sleep.
Keegan woke the next morning realizing she had slept like a rock. Just thinking that brought a smile to her face. She loved metaphors. Rocks didn’t sleep, but were always charged with energy.
Remembering that the party was that night at Patrick’s, she jumped out of bed and into the shower. Her brother banged on the door after some time and told her to stop singing. So she just sang even louder.
To pass time, Keegan walked through the woods, taking some more pictures and enjoying the sunshine. She knew it was just a matter of time until fall ended and winter crept in, making it too cold to be outside taking photographs.
She loved their land. Her parents had purchased the seventy acres of untamed wild before Keegan was born. It was mostly wooded and surrounded by farmland, so the seclusion was absolute. Her father’s security measures meant it was safe for her to wander freely. Even though she made fun of Thaddeus and Sam for spending so much time in the woods, she was guilty of it herself.
Keegan spent much of the afternoon lounging around her room with the television on while she chatted on Facebook with friends. All everybody could talk about was the party.
For dinner, Emerald made stir-fry, cooking a wok for Keegan with only vegetables, and piling a second wok with beef for Thaddeus and Richard. Her family’s idle chitchat made her antsy; the day had seemed to drag on eternally.
Lauren and Anna showed up around seven to help her get ready for the party, toting make-up bags in their wake. She had to admit they both looked hot. Lauren was wearing a black-and-white polka-dot strapless dress with a fuchsia sash tied at the waist. The short dress accented her long legs, and the dark color was a stark contrast to her pale skin. Anna wore black skinny jeans with a gorgeous floral tunic that showed off her long neck. She refused to conform to the “dress to the nines” theme.
Keegan took a bunch of photos of them to post on Facebook and Tumblr later. With Anna’s wildly colored make-up and Lauren’s smoky eyes, they were made to be photographed.
Keegan decided on a green, one-shoulder, chiffon dress with black heels. She let Anna do her make-up but made her promise to not get too wild. Lauren put Keegan’s hair up with loose curls falling down around her face.
“Your lips and eyes stand out even more than usual with your hair up,” Lauren said, fluffing the curls around Keegan’s face.
“Aw, thank you, but I think all the credit goes to you and your magical skills,” Keegan responded, happy with the girl who was staring back at her in the mirror.
Lauren laughed, gesturing to herself dramatically. “I am quite magical.”
Standing up, Keegan paused so Anna could run a blusher brush over Keegan’s cheeks one last time.
“Anna, you should change into flats,” Keegan said, frowning up at her friend. “You already tower over me as it is.”
“Sure, blame me for your diminutive stature. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were secretly a pixie.”
“As if!” Keegan laughed loudly.
Once they were all satisfied with their looks, it was time to go.