Free Destined by Sophia Sharp Page B

at bay more than anything, but so do many years of experience. You are fresh, stil very new, and no matter how strong your resolve is, some things remain out of your control.
    “Now, I believe you can control the feeding urge –
    and you have proven that already. But you have not used your vampire abilities for an extended period of time. What I am afraid of, since you haven’t taken human blood yet, is that if we make use of those abilities for too long, or too intensely, the vampire part of you wil lash out. It wil demand to be released. And you might lose yourself forever.”
    Despite herself, Laura shivered. She did not like the ominous way in which Alexander had said that last sentence. In the face of everything that’s happened to her, Laura stil felt very much human in her mind. She stil felt like she had the same mind as before undergoing the transformation… stil felt like she was the same person. But if what Alexander was saying was true – no, there was no “if,” it was true – she could potential lose that part of herself? That, she admitted unsteadily, would be a fate not far from death. And she felt a spate of anger at Logan for not tel ing her about it earlier.
    “So what do we do?” Laura asked.
    “We start out slowly, at first, and then depending on how you handle it, go faster. We wil take breaks in our travel today, and go at half-speed. I believe that wil keep you safe.”
    “Good,” Laura said.
    “Although,” Alexander smiled, “it wil stil be significantly faster than you’ve journeyed yet.”

Chapter Nine
    ~Gray~
    By the end of the day, Laura felt exhausted. This was the first time she could think of she actual y felt tired since undergoing the vampire transformation. They had run al day, and run fast. The only other time Laura did something similar was in the dream world with Logan, when they were exploring her new powers together. Except there, she felt none of the physical exhaustion she was experiencing now. They had covered lots of ground, no doubt. Laura thought it could have been up to one hundred miles. But at the same time, like Alexander had said, they took breaks. And slowed down when it suited them. In fact, Gray had kept pace most of the time, running alongside them. But running for the better part of an entire day, no matter your physical condition, was exhausting.
    It was kind of embarrassing, real y. Alexander had gone the entire day without looking like he was exerting any effort, while Laura was struggling heavily by the end. She was a vampire now, part of the Vassiz , and she knew her body could do better than that. Not yet, though , she admitted begrudgingly.
    “You did wel today,” Alexander said as he squatted easily beside Laura. He was a graceful runner, and Laura wondered how long it would take her to achieve that easy elegance. She definitely didn’t have it today.
    “Not as wel as I thought,” Laura mumbled.
    “Nonsense. You did better than I could have ever expected.” Laura looked up at him, and he was smiling reassuringly at her. Although she was almost entirely sure she was lying, the compliment made her feel a little better.
    “I’l do better tomorrow,” Laura promised. Alexander started to laugh.
    “You see?” he said, stil chuckling. “You have a steely resolve. Just like I told you earlier today.”
    “Very perceptive,” Laura said drily.
    Alexander smiled. “It’s good to be perceptive. Those who survive the longest are those who can see their surroundings most clearly.”
    “And what are our surrounding, then?” Laura asked.
    “Ours?” Alexander stepped back. “We are at a place where we can behold some of the greatest landscapes in the world. There is wilderness on al sides, and the air is ripe with a sense of adventure.”
    His voice became dramatic. “Our surroundings take us to a place where destiny may yet await, where we can learn the truth of our own race. Where secrets that have lain dormant for thousands of years may