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31|A Beautiful Mess
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The Forsaken 32|The Confrontation
Luca stuck close to Cadence and her friends in the woods, but he was careful to keep a safe distance. The last thing he wanted was the mutt catching his scent. They could only avoid their inevitable fight for so long. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw Cadence and her friends go inside Rachel's place. Now that he knew she was safe and sound, he could finally get some much-needed rest. Turning back to the direction of the creek, Luca gently tapped his heart. He hated this constant fear and worry for Cadence. He really should talk to her. She had no clue that the people she thought she could trust would turn on her without batting an eyelid.He was almost at the manor when the hunters emerged from the thicket. He couldn't say he was surprised to see them. He'd known they were on their trail the whole time he'd followed Cadence to Rachel's house."Luca!" Samuel said grimly."Samuel." Luca nodded, his demeanour just as cold.It was their first meeting in twenty years. 'Meeting
The Forsaken 33|What It Takes
"There you are. I thought you were skipping school again," Emme beamed at Cadence when she walked into class the next morning. And it didn't take her long to figure out why her dance instructor was as excited as a teenager high on space cookies.Three serious-looking suits—two males and one female—sat in the front of the class, appraising one of her classmates while she went through her modern dance choreography. They looked a little unnerving with their cynical smiles as they typed something on the iPads glued in front of them on the long steel table. From their expensive, stylish clothes, Cadence figured they weren't from Shadowbrooke. No one dressed to the nines around here. Not unless there was a funeral, a wedding or a job interview.Emme confirmed her suspicions about the strangers. "They are from the Bridgetown Dance Company, and they are looking for the next big thing. Cade, you have what it takes! You must impress the one in the middle—his name is Fernando, or Fern as he like
The Forsaken 34|I Can't Give You Forever-Part 1
The day of the meteor shower dawned sunny and bright. Cadence wanted to stay indoors and laze around in her pyjamas, but Rachel wouldn't have any of it. And since Cadence was living under Rachel's roof, she had to follow her friend's rules."Come on Cade, it will be fun. I bet Luca will be there," Rachel bounced up and down the bed, yanking at the covers.Cadence closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could block out her friend's whining with as much ease. Luca was exactly why she didn't want to go to the beach. She and Rachel had spent the whole night talking about his pissing contest with Mitchell.Her bestie was torn. She liked Mitchell. But she loved Luca for her. She thought they'd make a cute couple, and was convinced Luca was her soul mate. Of course, Cadence had scoffed at the idea of soulmates, since she didn't believe in them. That shit only happened in movies and romance novels. Never in real life. And definitely not in Shadowbrooke."If you don't get up in the next five minut
The Forsaken 35|I Can't Give You Forever-Part 2
The whole time she ran to Pirates Cove, Cadence kept hoping Luca was there and she wasn't going crazy. She almost broke down and cried from sheer relief when she saw him, waiting, his dark clothes making him one with the night."You came." He sounded gentle, relieved almost. The menace she'd heard in his voice earlier was gone."You didn't give me much choice," Cadence retorted.Luca didn't say anything for some time, and an unsettling silence wove its way between them as they stood appraising the other.His eyes glowed blue in the dark, giving away nothing and making it hard for her to figure out what he was thinking."I'm thinking about how beautiful you are," Luca answered her thoughts as he slowly approached her.Cadence suddenly felt overwhelmed by his sheer presence when he stopped in front of her, but she couldn't move away."Why don't you ever listen?" he growled as he cradled her face in his big hands and kissed her eyelids. His touch, cold as it was, set her ablaze as he dip
The Forsaken 36|First Cut Is The Deepest
The days following the meteor shower were unbearable for everyone in the Delacroix manor. Luca's mood changed from gloomy to enraged very quickly. When he wasn't staring mournfully outside his window, he was constantly on everyone's throats. Little things, like when they innocently mentioned Cadence in passing, sent him flying in a rage.He ventured less and less to the cellar, too, choosing to spend his days in the crypt. On more than one occasion, April had to lie to Julian and the others when they asked after him, assuring them Luca was fine and they were on track with their plan.But truth be told, their plan was going pear-shaped, fast. And if nothing was done soon, if Luca was left to self-destruct, they were afraid he'd take everyone down with him."We have to talk to him, get him to open up somehow. If you were all not so obsessed with hating Cadence, he'd take a chance with her, risk her coven's wrath. But he's worried about the clan too. Worried about everyone's feelings, an
The Forsaken 37|Wouldn't Mind A Lie Or Two
As Cadence packed her bags and prepared to leave, her heart was as heavy as it was when she first arrived at Rachel's house. She thought some time apart from her mom would put things into perspective, but it hadn't. Instead, being away from home had left her feeling more confused and even more vulnerable.She'd hoped her mom would initiate the first contact and ask her to come home. But so far, she'd listened to her parting words and stayed away, giving her all the space and time in the world to work through her anger.Another person who'd stayed away from her was Luca. Cadence had seen him around town a few times. But apart from a courteous nod and a brief smile, he'd said nothing to her. She didn't blame him. After all, she asked him to stay away from her."Guess this is it?" Rachel asked when she walked into her bedroom and found her gazing listlessly out of the window. She'd just come back from her morning jog with Rudi."Yeah, my vacation is over," Cadence replied as she crossed
The Forsaken 38|Ready To Know The Truth
It had been years since Cadence visited the library, and she had no clue where to start. The long aisles stacked with ancient books looked scary, and Mrs Ludwig, the now-retired kindergarten teacher, sitting at the front desk was just as terrifying. There was no way she'd go up to her and ask for help."It's Cadence, right?" A squeaky voice broke through her haze.Cadence whipped around and blinked at the guy in front of her. There was nothing remotely interesting about him. He looked like the typical geek one always saw in movies, with glasses and braces."Yes?" Cadence frowned, racking her brain, trying to figure out where she knew him from, if at all."I'm Dustin. We were in the same class in Grade 11. I don't think you remember me. But that's okay." The smile in his brown eyes made him a little more interesting."Hi, Dustin," Cadence returned his smile."So, are you working on a term paper?" Her old classmate nodded at the heavy volume in her hands. It was an encyclopaedia on Asia
The Forsaken 39|Fair Warning
After her classes the next day, Cadence decided to head to the Delacroix manor. She ran into Ava on her way there. Their meeting wasn't a coincidence, though. If she hadn't had a lot on her mind, she would have noticed the hunter had been tracking her movements for days now.The wild, crazy look in Ava's eyes as they strolled to the bayou made Cadence a little uneasy, and her gut screamed at her to make up some excuse and ditch her. But she couldn't exactly run off without raising suspicion, so she forced herself to remain calm as she made small talk with the hunter, asking her about the rest of her gang even though she had no interest in their wellbeing.Ava happily confirmed everyone was fine, and all was well again in Shadowbrooke now that they'd destroyed the star."He won't win, Cadence. He's wasting his time. And if I were you, I'd stay away from him. You don't want to find yourself on the wrong side when we go after his clan." The whole time she nodded at her, Ava's mouth was c
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