A Necessary Evil (Book 1)

Chapter 26

The chilly breeze swept over me and I pulled the blanket tighter around me. I needed fresh air… and I needed to think. The sun was setting in the horizon, but my thoughts were too distracting and I couldn’t fully appreciate the beauty. Kalen had kissed me. I had liked it. I wanted him to kiss me again. Why couldn’t things just be that simple?

It should just be that simple, but I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. As much as I tried to deny it, I was still thinking of Andreas. Sure, I wasn’t quite ready to forgive him yet, but was I ready to move on? The ghost of his kiss still lingered in my mind, even now that I have experienced Kalen’s.

Kalen. He was a mystery all on his own. I felt extremely attracted to him, but not as much as I initially had toward Andreas. Was it because I was now too cautious? Too jaded to give him a chance? Every man I had met thus far had hurt me in one manner or another. Kalen was the only exception because he hadn’t yet gotten the chance. How did I give him a chance when my trust was already crumpled into a tiny little ball? Even when he could turn out to be exactly what I needed, how did I know he wouldn’t just end up being like Elijah?

I sighed, the cold air seeping into my lungs, burning its way down my windpipe. I didn’t care, I welcomed the frigidness; it reminded me that I was still alive. Too much of what I had been through felt like a dream. Perhaps I was still dreaming. Maybe I was still lying on my bed back on the Eleanor estate having this crazy nightmare because of my anxiety of meeting John. But even as I thought of it, I knew it couldn’t be true.

This was all too real to be a dream.

I would’ve woken up a long time ago had it simply been a dream.

I had to face the facts. My life was never going to be normal again. I was living with two dark sorcerers: one that had used me and then claimed he hadn’t. And one that I wasn’t sure I could trust anymore. The other actively pursuing me with no hidden agendas that had come into the open yet. And not to forget my parents still probably had people out looking for me, so they can murder me the next time they see me.

If only two dark sorcerers had been my only problem.

“You like being outside in the cold?” Kalen asked, his voice startling me.

“Kalen, you scared me,” I said as I tried to bring my frantic heart back to normal.

“My apologies.” That smirk of his was back on his face. Sometimes it startled me how many similar characteristics Andreas and he shared. “I came to ask you something.”

“Hmm…?” I asked, gazing back at the setting sun.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go out. With me, of course. I really enjoyed our kiss and you seemed to as well.” Even though he seemed to ooze of confidence, I could tell by the slight tremble in his voice that part of him was afraid that I would say no. I liked this change even though it surprised me. For once I wasn’t the only one unsure.

If I said yes, it would be my third date… ever. And the previous ones didn’t end so well. Past experiences warned me to be cautious, no matter how much I wanted to believe Kalen was different. He had to be different, right? Not all men in my life could be cads, could they? Was I a magnet for men with bad intentions? I was beginning to think so. A look into Kalen’s green, green eyes tried to convince me he was different. He had to be.

“All the dates I’ve been on so far haven’t ended… pleasantly.” Understatement of the year.

“I promise you I am different. Those guys, weren’t me. I will treat you like the lady you are.” It was hard to deny him anything when he said things like that. I was the girl craving a chivalrous knight after all. Kalen was the closest to being the man of my dreams. Ignoring the fact that he had actually shown up in them.