Of Love and Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page B

Ones took on the responsibility of protecting humans from the Rakshasa, as those dark shifters came to be known. And then the Rakshasa learned that only a precious few shifter females were fertile and could therefore bear children. By killing off the Chala, the Rakshasa could thereby wipe out the entire population of Light Ones and eliminate the barrier to their preferred type of entrée.
    Rakshasa, apparently, were by far the better warriors, if Sydney was one of the last remaining Chala on earth. Gavin had a big job ahead of him, if he was expected to repopulate the world with Light Ones and Chala. He hoped Sydney was up to it.
    Gavin studied the tall, bulky Fate. Fates, like the Light Ones, had done a lousy job at protecting the Chala.
    William sighed dramatically and said, “Her great-great-great-grandmother was a Chala. She never took a mate, although at some point, she bore children with a human, but none were female. She was the last female of her line, until Sydney. Even the First Fate was surprised when Sydney was born a Chala, and the First is rarely taken by surprise.”
    William paused, ostensibly to let that bit of information sink in. “I was assigned to her when she turned thirteen, and became a woman, and therefore, mate-able.”
    He’d appeared in her life the day she started her period for the first time. It also meant she had become in danger of discovery from the Rakshasa, which was why a Fate was always assigned to a Chala on the day she starts her first period.
    Gavin nodded thoughtfully. “All Chala are assigned a Fate until such time as they find a mate.” He lifted his hand and waved at William. “Bye-bye. You can go now. Your mission is complete.”
    “Who’s going somewhere? What mission?” Sydney emerged from the basement carrying a cool bottle of pinot grigio. She offered it to William, who busied himself with taking out the cork.
    “The only one who is leaving is the Rakshasa here,” William said darkly.
    “Uh-uh,” Gavin countered, folding his arms and leaning against the counter. “This Light One isn’t going anywhere. I found my mate, and I intend to stick around and see this thing through.”
    “See what through?” Sydney asked. “And stop talking this nonsense about finding your mate. I’m not your mate. I’m not a dog, for God’s sake.”
    “ He certainly is,” William said slyly, as he lifted a tray laden with food, wine, and three wineglasses. “Let’s retire to the living room, shall we? I hate to nibble standing up.” He flounced out of the room, tottering on his fluffy-toed heels.
    Gavin lifted one eyebrow. “Your Fate is a piece of work.”
    Sydney glanced at the empty doorway. “William is . . . certainly unique,” she admitted.
    They talked well into the night, only because Sydney, who seemed to have an endless supply of questions, wouldn’t let up. And every time Gavin answered, she immediately turned to William for clarification. It was annoying as hell. He was her mate, damn it. She didn’t need to rely on the Fate any longer.
    But she did. She relied on him, she leaned on him, she obviously cared for him. Their relationship went much deeper than the few Chala-Fate relationships Gavin had ever experienced. Of course, most Chala knew what they were almost from birth, and understood a Fate’s role in their lives. And most Chala also understood their importance to all of humanity, and were usually thrilled when they met their mate, and were more than happy to begin the process of begetting children. Children who would pick up the fight against the Rakshasa, perhaps even finally win a battle that had been raging for more years than most could count. Wouldn’t that be something? What an honor to stand around at the local tavern and boast that your children were the ones who finally decimated the Rakshasa population.
    Gavin felt the usual stab of guilt at thinking such thoughts. That was the curse talking, he knew, but the curse was more powerful than he