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“What if she has the breath of a decomposing corpse?”
Adam folded a shirt, fitting it carefully into the empty satchel, and ignored Cain as he rummaged through his belongings.
“Humans die. It makes sense for them to rot. Sometimes I smell them on a strong wind as we pass through town.”
“Don’t be morbid.”
“Is it morbid if it’s true?” Cain asked as he picked up and examined one of Adam’s whittled figurines resting on the bureau. Adam removed the hand carved fox from his brother’s hand and returned it to its rightful place.
“I am sure she’ll be suitable to my tastes. And sense of smell.”
“You don’t have tastes to go by.”
“Just because I don’t sully every unattached female on the farm like you, doesn’t mean I haven’t sampled the fairer sex. All I need are eyes to have a preference.”
“And a nose. Not all women smell like flowers.” Cain paused in his examination of another figurine, cocking his head to the side. “And who have you sampled?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“You’re no fun, Adam. I could probably guess anyway. Was it Jacob, Ethan, or Jason?”
He slammed the figurine box shut, nearly catching his brother’s fingers. “Dummkup, I like females and my mate is a woman.” A beautiful one, he hoped.
“Whatever you say. Without experience, you’ll likely fumble things if you do end up finding her.”
“I will find her and I have experience. If you must know, I’ve kissed Eve.”
Cain snickered. “Adam and Eve, how charming. Tell me, brother, did she tempt you with her forbidden fruit?”
Adam narrowed his eyes. “At least—”
His words cut off as Grace knocked at the bedroom door.
He glanced back to Cain. “Hush.” Quickly hiding his thoughts, he let his sister into the room only to still at the sight of her glassy eyes. “Grace?”
“You’re leaving so soon and it’s my fault.”
His heart pinched as he sensed her regret. Her heart shaped face, framed in her simple bonnet, looked up at him with such innocence. “This is fate’s fault, no one else’s.”
“But now you’re leaving.”
“Yes, and when I return there will be two of us.”
Her eyes cleared as a shaky smile crept to her lips. “She’ll love you the moment she sets eyes on you.”
Cain snorted.
Grace stiffened. “What are you laughing at, toad?”
“How am I a toad when Adam’s a stunning prince? We’re identical twins, runt.”
“You’re an unmannered hog. And I’m not a runt!”
“Ganoonk! Enough. Grace, how is Mother doing?”
Lips pressed tight, his sister’s anger vanished. “She’s resting. I brewed some herbs to help her sleep. She’s so worried, Adam. I’m afraid she’ll cry the entire time you’re gone.”
Cain groaned. “This is going to be worse than when Silus took Larissa.”
Their mother had been devastated when the Elders granted Silus Hostetler’s request for a quick union. Since relocating to the western territory of the farm where the Hostetler property existed, Larissa rarely visited anymore.
“It will not be that bad. I intend to live on Hartzler territory when I return with my mate.”
Yes, he’d be returning to the place he loved, at the same time asking his mate to sacrifice everything she trusted and knew to follow him to a society of traditionalists. She would lead a simple life, dressed in plain clothing, and forego all modern technologies. His journey suddenly seemed daunting and impossible.
What modern female would sacrifice all that for a stranger? What could he offer her aside from immortality? And what good was immortality when her eternity was to be spent with someone who shared nothing in common with her previous life?
This would not be a love match. Like many other cultures, it would be a partnership borne of necessity.
The truth pained him. An eternity indeed. That was likely the time it would take to earn her forgiveness after stealing her away from every comfort she knew.
His mind said he could go on without her. His heart didn’t want the complication, for her or for him. But tradition warned this was the only way.
Closing the last of his belongings into his satchel, he shifted to hug his sister. “I’ll move as swift as my legs can carry me, and before you know it we’ll be sitting here once more calling Cain a toad while discussing my more admirable traits.”
The door creaked open and he glimpsed his father and grandfather, looking as much like twins as he and Cain could. “Adam, it’s time.”
Grace caught his arm. He turned to face her one last time, forcing a smile and hoping it reached his eyes. “This is a good thing God has given me, Grace. Soon it will be you who is called and I’ll be the one worrying.”
She shook her head. “Everyone’s leaving.”
He cupped her jaw, dragging his thumb slowly over the apple of her cheek. “I’ll come back. I promise.”
Though tears gathered at her lashes, threatening to fall, she didn’t shed a single one. He and Cain joined the men in the kitchen once Grace went upstairs and they were alone.
“It is important you maintain a low profile, Adam. The fewer mortals you speak to, the fewer questions you will have to answer. If questioned, you’re away from home on Rumspringa.”
The Amish lifestyle provided the benefit of privacy from the ever changing outside world. Though they would sometimes stare, the English had learned to ignore their presence, especially the younger members of the community out on Rumspringa, an Amish tradition that provided youths a chance to run wild among the English in hopes that they would ultimately return, choosing tradition and faith over rowdiness.
“Feed frequently. If you’re caught poaching from another farm, erase the mortal’s memory.” In a more severe tone, his grandfather warned, “Under no circumstances should you assume that you can sustain your metabolism on mere human food any longer. Your body’s changing and will continue to need increasing amounts of blood until you find your mate. Complete the bonding as soon as you find her. Don’t waste time. You have the rest of your life to make up for poor first impressions. But if you fail, you’ll not have much life left.”
His grandfather glanced toward the dark window where the black night faded to shades of gray with the approaching dawn. An ominous mood settled around the table.
“Be mindful of the sun. Purchase a pair of sunspecs when you reach the town, and keep your body covered. Keep a journal of your dreams. It will help you find her. You’ll find privacy and refuge in hotels. Do not depend on the charity of others. You cannot risk harming innocent humans should the bloodlust take hold.”
Bloodlust could overtake all conscious thoughts until sanity frayed and madness reigned. It risked exposure and endangered the human species, which was why the call must be heeded with haste. Adam vowed he would not leave the trail of carnage his great uncle had left in his unanswered wake.
This calling, this so-called gift, it could just as easily be a death sentence if he failed. The Order’s laws were simple, no exposure. But when one failed to find their mate, the bloodlust eventually exposed them as a monster to the world.
Ezekiel placed a thick envelope on the table and slid it toward Adam. “There’s ten thousand dollars there. More than you’ll need. Use it sparingly, nonetheless. If you find yourself in danger or fear your baser instincts are turning you feeish, send a message to this address.”
He glided a slip of paper with a PO Box address across the overworked wooden table.
“What’s at this address?” Adam asked.
“Nothing.” His grandfather lowered his voice. “No one knows this address exists except for us. If it comes to... I’ll do my best not to lose another family member. If you sense your humanity slipping, go to ground. Send a message to that address and I’ll find you. I’ll sedate you and we will then continue your search. It’s imperative you keep a journal. Should your mind suffer, it will be our only compass. There might come a point when even your family seems like your enemy, but she will be your only salvation, Adam. I have faith that God will lead you to her.”
With nothing left but goodbye, he visited his parents’ bedroom and stood over his mother as she slept peacefully. The floor behind him creaked as his father approached.
“I debated waking her,” Adam whispered. “It seems cruel to wake her only to sadden her by leaving. Will she forgive me for not saying goodbye?”
“She’ll always forgive you. You’re her son.” Jonas lovingly pulled the covers to her shoulders. His gaze never wavered from her face. “Your mother’s strong, Adam. I know you feel her pain, but she will heal. This won’t break her.” Stepping back from the bed, he finally looked at him. “Is the call as strong as they say?”
“It’s strengthening. I knew it would be intense, but this is far different from anything I expected. I can see how it could easily redefine a man’s principles and make him do the unthinkable, which is why I’m going to find her and complete the blood bond as soon as possible.”
His father’s gaze returned to his mother’s sleeping form. “I tell myself I love her as fiercely as any divine compulsion.”
“Forgive me. It was not my intention to imply your love for Mother was any less than anyone else’s.”
“They pity us. They don’t realize we know a love so pure the affection they feel for their predetermined mates could never compare. Love takes away choice as much as destiny. It’s the strongest force I’ve ever known, and I love her because it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know how to stop loving her, so I never will—regardless of what God has to say about it.”
“Then I envy you, Father.”
“Careful, Adam. Envy invites the devil into our world. Do not let another’s glory lessen yours. You’ll find a love that’s right for you. Follow the signs and forget about everyone else for now.”
His father was right, love was very different from a calling. He wasn’t sure he’d ever experience both in one lifetime—even in an eternal life. “Promise her I’ll be back soon.”
He traveled in the shadows of night, the dark sky painting a perfect backdrop to the black hills and cresting knolls. Ribbons of pink stretched from the horizon as dawn approached. The farm was far behind him, a forgotten point as his animal instinct took the lead, guiding him to where he needed to go, delivering him to his mate.
Pausing several miles out, he clung to the branches of an aged pine and tipped back his head, breathing the dewy morning air deep into his lungs. Too much distance still separated them, but he sensed himself getting closer. Soon she would be his.