Shaping Destiny (12 page)

Max continued turning the
key. “We’ll go back, find another way around.”

I nodded.

“
Yes!” The engine roared
to life. He quickly put it in drive and headed back the way we had
come.

***

We pulled into the
emergency room. Max jumped out and ran over to the passenger’s
side. He whisked me up in his arms and ran into the emergency room.
A doctor noticed our entrance and the bloody wrap that encircled my
leg.

“
What happened?” the man
in scrubs asked.

He started to unravel the
wrap as we contemplated what to say.

“
Whose blood is
this?”

I looked at him confused.
“What do you mean whose blood? Mine, of course.”

Max looked down at my
blood covered leg, then looked into my eyes. I knew then I had no
pain.

“
Is this a joke?” the
doctor said.

Max looked back at the
doctor. “We're sorry to waste your time. I guess it wasn't as bad
as I thought.” He swiftly turned with me still in his grasp. “You
healed.”

I glanced down at his
ankle. “You don't seem to have a problem walking
either.”

We were off again, driving
in his beat-up truck that he hoped would make it all the way home.
Shape shifting still definitely wiped me out, yet I felt powerful
to have been able to stand up to that man. It was going to be
midnight before we would reach home. I sat close to Max as the wind
from the open windshield blew a chill through me. I snuggled into
Max's side. It wasn't long until my eyes started to feel heavy, and
sleep took over.

Goosebumps made me start
to stir. I folded both arms under Max’s one, trying to use him as a
blanket. I felt the truck start to slow and pull to the side. My
curiosity got the best of me and I started to wonder if we were
home already. After sitting up and looking out, I realized I didn't
recognize the area.

“You're freezing.” He
rushed around the back of his truck to get a blanket.

“Thank you.” As we started
up again I remained awake. My mind started to wander, recalling how
fast Max and I had developed a relationship. It was so wonderful,
but unnatural. A bond that would have taken years to form had
formed in only a few months. Was this the way it was supposed to
feel when you find your soul mate, or was it this gift that drew us
together? I looked over toward Max.

“Tell me more about
yourself.”

“What do you want to
know?” He smiled, trying to keep an eye on the road.

“Anything.”

“Okay . . . umm . . . I'm
from New York. I’m adopted. I have wonderful parents, who I can't
wait for you to meet.”

“You want me to meet
them?” I loved the idea that he would even think that.

“Of course I do! I lived
in a smaller town in New York. It's not as small as Pagoda, but
it’s not as big as a city. My home was average size with many acres
of land. It was a great place to grow up. Although I never met my
biological parents, it never bothered me because there wasn't
anything I could complain about. I had plenty of friends growing
up, and good schools. In the big picture, it was great.”

“Do you have any brothers
or sisters?”

“No, not that I know of.
My parents couldn't have children, so adoption was their
answer.”

“Do you ever wonder about
your real parents, considering that you have something extra
special about you?”

“It crossed my mind when I
first discovered it, but now that it actually helped me get further
in life with my career and meeting you, I really don't care how it
came about. Like I said before, it's a gift, not a curse. Plus, now
that I have met you and we are going to see your family, maybe I
too will get some answers about my past.”

“Yeah, maybe this trip
back home won't be all that bad. I know my father, mother, and of
course my brothers are going to love you.”

“I hope they do. I was
hired by your father to protect you, but this will be the first
time I meet him. It’ll be nice to put a voice to a
face.”

As our conversation
continued, the time passed more quickly than I had anticipated.
Between my long nap and our involved talking I started recognizing
the area around us. Max continued talking about his family, and I
thought about the day he told me that he wasn't supposed to talk to
me and that he was getting too close. Now he couldn't tell me
enough. I didn't mind at all and was glad that he talked like we
had a future together. He made it sound like there was a light at
the end of the tunnel and that someday we’d have a normal
life.

“You are going to love my
mom. She is the sweetest and most welcoming person. She would do
anything for anyone. You two I know will be the best of friends. My
dad is a joker and sometimes can rub you the wrong way when you
first get to know him, but once you do he can be just as friendly.”
His voice kept me interested as if it were beautiful music. He made
me excited to see what the future held for us.

“I can see that your life
has made you the man you are. You're happiness and patience shines
through you. I know we're getting close to being home, but your job
is so life-threatening at times. It makes me wonder how such a
well-rounded, sweet-hearted boy becomes a tough and serious guy
when doing your work.” I almost found my answer in his
face.

“I've always wanted to
help people. When my gift presented itself, I was nervous at first
and uncertain, just like you were, but it’s what I needed. I’m very
close to my mom, dad, and my grandparents. They told me stories of
their past, and there was one particular piece of history that
really stuck with me.”

We pulled into my
driveway, and even though I looked up for an instant to look
around, my focus was still on what Max had to say next.

“My grandparents had a few
horses, and my grandpa use to ride every day. He and his son were
riding one day and took a familiar trail through the hills. It was
the beginning of the warm season. The snow had melted and the
rivers were unusually high. My uncle, being pig-headed, went up
ahead and started crossing a body of water that ran high and fast.
Grandpa got up to the river just as my uncle drifted down. To make
a long story short, the horse lived and my uncle
didn’t.”

I felt sad for him, but he
kept his voice level as he told more.

“I never knew my uncle. He
was just a kid when this all happened and I wasn't born. Yet, that
part of my grandpa's life really stuck with me. It taught me that
life is too fleeting to take life-threatening actions without being
prepared. The year I got my ability to shift was also the year my
grandpa died. I felt stronger and faster, and I could hear better
than any human. I was going to use what I had to protect those who
needed it. I was going to do what my grandpa couldn't do that
day.”

“He would be very proud,”
I told him, resting my hand on his arm.

The porch light then came
on, and Max and I both looked toward the house. Seconds later the
door swung open with a stern-shouldered man behind it. With slow
footsteps, he walked out onto the porch and folded his arms across
his chest, leaning to one side and putting more weight on his left
foot. I knew that look far too well and felt like I was coming home
from a date.

“That's your father?” Max
asked with a slight waver.

“Yes, but he's nice. He
just looks mean right now.”

“Uh huh.”

“Did you ever tell him
about us?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“Well that's good,” I
replied sarcastically. We both started to reach for the door
handles.
Here we go
,
I thought.

***

“Hello sir, I'm Max Slate.
It's good to meet you finally.” My father met Max’s hand with a
firm, grateful shake.

“Max, welcome to my home,
and thank you for taking care of my daughter. What happened to your
truck?” Not waiting for a response, Dad looked my way with a sigh
and an apologetic look. “Leah . . . my princess. I'm
sorry.”

“Hi Dad.” I leaned forward
and gave my father a bear hug. While keeping his arm around me he
started walking into our home.

“Come on, guys. Let’s talk
inside.” I never thought I would be home so soon, but the familiar
smell of wildflowers welcomed us.

“Dad, where is Luke and
Leon?” I asked almost worried. I expected them to be home.”
I guess they have lives too
.

“Leon needed help with
some hotel work, so Luke went with him. But they’ll be back
tomorrow night for dinner.”

I nodded.

The soft, fluffy couch in
the distance looked so appealing, yet I had just sat for hours in
the truck. I headed straight there with tired steps as my mom
turned the corner.

“Leah!” Mom had her head
turned slightly to the side. Empathy radiated from her. She reached
out with her arms as she greeted me.

“Leah, my baby, are you
OK?”

“Yes, Mom, I'm fine. I
just never thought this is what my college experience would be
like.”

While she pulled away she
kept her hands on my shoulders and looked right into my eyes.
“Honey, your college experience isn't over yet. We just need to
take care of this problem and then you'll be on your way again.”
Mom smiled at me, but then her eyes drifted behind me. “Is this
Max? The man that your father hired?” she said quietly. “He's cute.
I wouldn't mind him hanging around me if I were you.” Mom meant it
for only me to hear, but his hearing was much better than she
thought.

“Mom!” I said, full of
embarrassment. While her attention stayed on Max, I took the
opportunity to plop down on the couch. After only a couple deep
breaths I no longer remained alone. My mom sat next to me while my
dad pulled up a chair for Max and himself. My dad had his hands
intertwined in front of him with his head down. I could feel the
nervousness coming off of him.

“So, Leah, I don't know
where to start. I guess first I need to know if the shifting has
for sure taken place.” He looked up with eyes like a child, unsure
how to place his words.

I only said one word.
“Yes.” I had butterflies in my stomach as that simple word escaped
my throat.

“OK . . . Then we need to
talk about how it was triggered.” I said nothing, hoping to get
more information faster. I waited until his pauses became
sentences.

“Sorry, I guess I’m not
very good with words, so I'm just going to come right out and ask
you . . . Is there a new man in your life that can also shift like
you?”

Now the silence became
even deeper and more uncomfortable. Before I could answer, my dad
continued. “We knew this day would come and to know that my
daughter has met the man she is destined to be with forever, well,
that's a beautiful thing.”

Forever
,
I thought to myself. I looked up
toward Max, and he looked just as shocked as I did. He had a look
of kindness and encouragement that kept me strong.

“You hired him to protect
me, and Max has the same gift as I do,” I told my dad.

All eyes turned to Max,
including mine, and I seemed to be the only one with a smile. Dad
and Mom seemed confused, or maybe just taken off guard. Max then
held out his hand.

“Let me explain . .
.”

“I told you to stay away
and only intervene when necessary.” I couldn’t tell if Dad was
angry or relieved.

“I know, sir, and I’m so
sorry. I didn’t mean to get close, and I tried my hardest to stay
away.”

“Well, because of you we
are in this mess.”

I stood. “Dad, because of
him I am alive. Why are you so angry with him?”

“I’m not.”

“It sure feels like you
are.”

“Your shift would have
never happened if he didn’t show up.”

“What are you talking
about?”

My mother then put in her
two cents toward my dad. “You knew this was going to happen, and
it’s supposed to happen. You can’t stop destiny, and who better to
be with your daughter than this strong-willed young man. You never
had a chance trying to prevent this, so it’s time to move forward.
You said yourself it’s a beautiful thing that your daughter met her
other half.” She then looked over to Max. “Tell us a bit about
yourself.”

Max went ahead and told my
parents his story and how he came to do what he does today. After
he finished, they seemed to be more relaxed about him.

“Well, Max, I guess there
is a reason for everything, and for me to hire a bodyguard who
lives clear across the country, who turns out to be the key to my
daughter’s heart is definitely destiny,” Dad said, still a bit
tense.

“With Max on your side
you’ll be safe and taken care of,” Mom said quietly in my
ear.

“Max has been keeping me
updated on your attacks and conflicts. Now we must talk about why
you have to deal with this at all. About a hundred years ago, our
family had its own superwoman, so to speak. It was nothing to be
afraid of and certainly never a secret. A wolf-woman was like a god
to her family and friends. She never made the laws or became a boss
of anything, but she protected all who needed it. People thanked
her and loved her for all the willingness and kindness she had
shown. This gift was put upon this woman because of her pure soul,
and this gift would continue to be placed upon women in this family
with the purest of hearts, but only one woman every
century.”