Branded (The Branded Series) Read online

  K.L. Hawker

  BRANDED

  Copyright © 2012 K.L. Hawker

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission by the author.

  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Branded / K.L. Hawker

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9917257-1-7

  Cover Design by Conrad Visual Concepts

  www.facebook.com/klhawker

  www.klhawker.com

  For Austin, my inspiration.

  Elephant shoe.

  “And lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from the evil one.” ~ Matthew 6:13

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Prologue

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  I clutched my stomach as we weaved in and out of traffic along the freeway, my mouth dry and eyes wide with fear of the unknown.

  “Please slow down,” I grumbled, knowing she wouldn’t listen, but if she paused to consider my words, it just might create a decrease in acceleration.

  “We’re already going to be late as it is,” she answered calmly, passing another car. “I think I’ll use the carpool lane.”

  “We’re not carpooling,” I pointed out.

  “Technically we are. You’re going to school and I’m going to work.” She smiled at me sweetly.

  “I’m your daughter. It’s not carpooling, it’s parenting.”

  Mom laughed. “How are you feeling now? Any better?”

  “I still feel sick. Can we please go home?”

  “Is this about Ryan, honey?” Mom asked, in the annoying way that only a mother could.

  “No, Mom,” I interjected. “You know, just because I have a boyfriend doesn’t mean that every time I feel sick, he caused it.”

  Mom nodded slowly. “I suppose you’re right. Then it’s about your dream?”

  I turned and stared out my window. The dream itself was horrifying enough, I didn’t need to recount it and deal with my mother’s ambivalence to the same.

  “Dreams can be scary, sweetheart, I get that, but you can’t stay home just because you think the sky is going to start falling down around you.”

  “It’s not the sky,” I mumbled.

  The overpass was up ahead, in plain view now. My knees were drawn to my chest and I was breathing heavily into them. Mom reached out and gripped my knee. “Are you okay?” she said, her concern now apparent. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried to catch my breath.

  “Geez, honey,” Mom said as she slowed the car down and pulled in behind a slow moving car. “Just breathe, honey. It’s okay.”

  I knew what the loud thud was without having to look. I knew it was a chunk of concrete from the above overpass. I knew it had just fallen and split apart into several smaller pieces. Cars began swerving around the broken concrete. I knew the colors of the cars without looking. I knew which ones would make it and which ones wouldn’t.

  “Pull over!” I shouted between sobs.

  Mom was clutching the steering wheel now as we neared the overpass. Her speed was reduced, and she was met with annoyed drivers behind her, honking and hollering at her to get out of the way. And then, right there in front of our eyes, and above a half dozen vehicles, and below a dozen more, the overpass heaved, groaned and crumbled as it collapsed. Just as I had seen it a few hours before while I slept.

  While others were screaming, panicking and racing from their vehicles, Mom was smiling. “You’re gifted with Prophecy!”

  Yes, it would seem that this tragic incident confirmed that her sixteen-year-old daughter had finally found her gift. And although it wasn’t what she had hoped or imagined, there was never a mother more thrilled to have a prophet for a daughter.

  Now that I was a Gifted One, I had no choice but to break up with Ryan. I knew he would be heartbroken, but it was the only way. Gifted Ones weren’t supposed to get romantically involved with the ungifted. It was too dangerous as there would be no way for him to protect himself from the Defiers.

  As expected, it didn’t go over well. As controlling as he was, the mere fact that he had no control over this situation sent him into a tailspin. He showed up at my door every morning and every night—sometimes with a dozen roses, sometimes with my favourite take-out food, and once with a ring as he begged me to marry him. Whenever I turned him away, he would tear out of the driveway, peeling rubber as he went. He was angry. I knew that, but there wasn’t anything I could say or do. The more time I spent away from him, the more I realized how smothering he had become over the last couple of months. I began feeling guilty that I was enjoying my time apart from him.

  One evening as we sat on my doorstep—him begging for an explanation for why I wouldn’t take him back, and me dying inside a little bit more each time he asked—I finally caved. I told him about my gift. Mom would not be happy; I broke the number one rule of secrecy.

  “Mom?” I called into the kitchen one morning as I came down for breakfast. “I had another dream.”

  Mom sat up straight and pulled a chair out next to her. “What is it?”

  “There are Gifted Ones on the East Coast that haven’t been discovered yet. One of them holds a power so strong that could change the world.”

  “What are their gifts?” she asked.

  “One is a healer with great potential. The other is fuzzy. I don’t know. I just know that the two are close friends. We will find them together.”

  Mom drilled me for all the details and when I had finished, she said, “Pack your things. We’re moving to the East Coast.”

  “What? But what about my friends? Can’t we finish this school year first? Why do we have to move there? Can’t we just go visit first?”

  “You’ve done too much damage telling Ryan about your gift,” she said pointedly, still harbouring a tone of resentment.

  “We can’t just up and move across the continent just because of that, Mom.” I was standing now, making my point loud and clear. “He won’t tell anyone,” I promised.

  “My sources tell me that he’s been doing a lot of research on Gifted Ones. You should not have told him.”

  “I know, Mom. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted him to stop asking why.”

  She ignored my reasoning and stared at me with such intensity that I knew what she was doing. She was manipulating my thoughts.

  “Mom, don’t!” I warned as my reasons became clouded and my memories fogged. Don’t what? I asked myself. She’s right. We have to go. For the good of mankind. To find these Gifted Ones before the Defiers do.

  “We’ll need to move at night, and leave no trace behind,” she said.

  “Of course.” I nodded. Because she was right.

&n
bsp; Chapter 1

  “What’s the deal? Is her flight on time?” Noah called out as I studied the large arrivals screen overhead.

  “Supposed to have landed a few minutes ago.” I checked my watch and stuck my hands back in my pockets, watching the people as they began hovering around the arrival doors.

  “Did you miss her?” Noah teased, giving me an annoying shove to the side.

  “Whatever,” I laughed. “She’s like a sister to me, man.” I thought back to Christmas Day when Anna had told me she would be leaving to spend the next few months with her parents in Africa. A wave of emotions was triggered by her announcement. At first I was excited for her because I knew how much she had missed her parents since they left last summer to build a community in Africa, but then I felt a shot of disappointment as I knew I would miss her. She always knew how to make fun out of nothing, and only living three doors down, I could count on her to keep me company on short notice to watch a late night flick or go for a canoe ride across the lake to our secret island. So maybe I missed her a little. That didn’t mean I was crushing on her. That would just be plain weird.

  “What are you smiling about?” Noah’s voice penetrated my thoughts.

  I shrugged it off and pretended to check my phone for new e-mails. Texts. Missed calls. Something.

  “Jake, I’m your best friend, remember? I can see right through you.”

  “So what’s the deal with you and Lexie these days?” I said, squinting toward the arrival doors and hoping for a conversation change.

  Noah scrunched his eyebrows and sucked in a breath, puffing out his chest—a sign that he had no idea how to answer the impending question.

  “What are you waiting for, man? She’s hot. She likes you. What’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know.” Noah shrugged. “She’s alright. Still scoping out the new talent at school.”

  I laughed. “Is that seriously what you’re waiting for? You’re afraid you’ll commit to her, and then you’ll meet someone new?” I shook my head. “That’s not likely to happen this far into the school year. It’s almost April, man. You should just give Lexie a chance.”

  Noah answered with a smirk. “You’re not one to give relationship advice, dude. You’ve had the perfect girl right in front of you for the past three years and you’re too blind to see it.”

  “Okay,” I gave in, “even if Anna is the perfect girl, what makes you so sure she thinks I’m the perfect guy?”

  “Oh, please, like you haven’t seen it.” Noah kept his eyes on the big glass doors ahead of us.

  “Seen what? What do you mean?”

  “The way she looks at you? The way she drops plans with her friends when you call? The fact that she hasn’t had a boyfriend since she met you?”

  “She has so,” I defended. “What about that Clinton kid in grade nine?” I realized how stupid that sounded the moment it left my lips. “And she went on a couple of dates with Eric last year.” I shuddered at the mention of his name. Eric was all about one thing and one thing only, and because Anna was the only girl that didn’t drool when he walked in a room, the thrill of the catch kept him interested. I wished he’d give up on her.

  “And that’s it,” Noah finished for me. “A chick as cute as Anna should have had dozens of boyfriends by now.”

  “She’s had lots of guys ask her out,” I reminded him.

  “And she’s said no to them all, why?” Noah raised his eyebrows. “You, dude.”

  I closed my mouth. He was probably wrong anyway, but it was an intriguing thought.

  “This must be her flight,” Noah announced, taking a few steps toward the gathering crowd.

  My heart began to pound louder and my mouth felt like the dry African plains. We watched droves of people slowly descend the escalator, filter through the doors and head toward the luggage belt. Just when it looked as though the last of the passengers had arrived, I noticed a familiar brown, sticker-plastered suitcase coming down the escalator, followed by tanned legs in a white tennis skirt, a curvy yellow tank top, silky blonde hair and the warm smile I had been missing for the last three cold months. There was no question about it—Anna was different.

  “Wow,” was the only word that slipped from my lips.

  “Does this change anything?” Noah jabbed his elbow into my side. “’Cause if not, can I call dibs?” He left my side and headed to meet Anna.

  “Shut-up, man,” I said, keeping my eyes on Anna as she walked through the doors and toward Noah, who lifted her into the air.

  What had Africa done to her? She was all grown up and so different. And as hard as I tried to fight it, I was drawn to her in such a weird way. It felt unnatural and natural all at the same time.

  “You look fantastic, Anna,” Noah said.

  “You too,” Anna’s sweet voice responded. She sounded more refined and mature. “Look at you. You must have grown six inches.”

  “That’s what lots of rain will do to you,” Noah teased.

  Anna’s smile faded as she looked down. “Where’s Jake? He didn’t come?”

  I stepped away from a small group of people. “Did you think I’d bail on you?”

  Anna spun around and the elated expression on her beautiful face nearly knocked me over. Where was sweet, little Anna? Who was this woman in front of me?

  Her eyes scanned me up and down and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. I loved how her face betrayed her feelings.

  “It must have rained a lot here,” she said as she left Noah’s side and smoothed her hair.

  “You look great, Anna,” I said, innocently studying her new figure. “It’s good to have you home. How was your flight?”

  She skipped toward me and wrapped her warm arms around my waist. I took in a deep breath of her lavender-scented skin, which reminded me, if only for a second, that she was too familiar to find attractive.

  “Flight was fanificent! No turbulence or anything. And it feels so good to be home.” She held on tighter.

  “What did you say?” I pulled away and studied her bronze face.

  “It’s great to be home?”

  “No, you said your flight was fanificent?”

  Anna laughed and nodded. “Yeah, it’s my new word. Do you like? It’s a combination of fantastic and magnificent.”

  “Still making up your own words and definitions for things, I see. Guess some things never change.”

  Noah trailed Anna’s luggage behind him as he slowly headed toward the luggage belt. “Do you have more bags coming?”

  I laughed, “Did you honestly think Anna Taylor could go away for three whole months and only have a carry-on?”

  Noah smacked his forehead. “What was I thinking?”

  Anna ignored my comment and said, “I have three more pieces, Noah. They all match that one.”

  Noah looked down at the battered luggage. “When you say ‘match,’ do you mean they’re all ugly?”

  “Hey!” Anna slapped his arm. “Don’t knock the luggage. Those have gone all over the world with me.”

  “Maybe Santa will bring you a nice, new pink set next Christmas,” Noah teased as he walked toward the conveyer belt.

  I shook my head and snickered, “He sure doesn’t know you, does he?”

  “Pink!” Anna scoffed. “Like I’d be caught dead toting pink lug . . .” Her voice trailed off and her face turned red as she tried to bury it in my shirt.

  “What?” I laughed, looking around. Then I saw her. A tall, pretty girl about our age walking past with high heels and . . . pink luggage.

  “I don’t think she heard you,” I whispered.

  Anna covered her laughter. “She totally heard me.”

  “Not possible,” I said. “She had to have been a good ten feet away.”

  “Me and my big mouth,” Anna laughed.

  “Well, it’s not like you know her, and you’ll probably never see her again, so don’t worry about it.”

  Anna pulled away from me, leaving a cold draft in her place. “You
’ve always been good for that,” she said. “Making me feel good about my mistakes.”

  “It’s a good thing too because you make a lot of ‘em.”

  Anna’s mouth fell open as she pushed me aside. “Jerk!”

  “Miss me?”

  “Oddly, yes,” she admitted, and then wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head against my chest. “I definitely missed you.”

  Immediately, I felt slightly embarrassed. It wasn’t uncommon for Anna to snuggle up to me, but this time it made me nervous. What was happening?

  She pulled away and studied my face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. It’s just different having you back, that’s all.”

  She stared at me blankly for a second then quickly looked away. “You’re right. It’s different. Sorry.”

  What did I do? It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to be cuddly, or maybe it was. I couldn’t explain it. I felt different now with her, and I didn’t want it to ruin our perfect friendship. This was all Noah’s fault. I hoped she couldn’t tell what I was thinking.

  “So, do you have a girlfriend?” she asked as she pulled a pale yellow sweater from her carry on and slid it on.

  “Don’t you think I would’ve told you that in my e-mails?”

  “I would’ve thought, but maybe not.” Her tone suggested she didn’t want to hear it if it were true, anyway.

  “I don’t have a girlfriend,” I answered honestly. I looked up at Noah who was dutifully watching the luggage going around. “But you know, there’s lots of girls out there so we’ll see.”

  It was a stupid thing to say, but I was desperate to get the awkwardness out of the air and bring things back to the way they were supposed to be between us—me dating girls and her giving advice.

  Anna bit her lip and produced a small grin. “One can only hope, right?”

  On the drive home Anna sat up front with me, while Noah sat in the back seat with his head between us. He and Anna talked the whole time about her trip, most of which she had told me through her periodic email updates. But this was different. This time I got to hear her voice. Her sweet, energetic, calming voice.