Chapter Ten
That night, I woke up to the murmur of male voices coming from the direction of the front porch. I recognized Rob’s right away, but the other was unfamiliar. It was late, after 2:00 a.m., and Ethan was softly snoring in the room across the hall. Curiosity got the better of my common sense, as I shook off the last vestiges of sleep and sat up.
I slid from under my sheets, threw a robe on over my sweats, opened my bedroom door, and crept as silently as I could manage down the dark hallway. The only light in the empty front room came from the glow of dying embers in the fireplace, causing ghostly shadows to move along the floor and the walls. I hesitated when I heard the conversation on the porch stop abruptly. Knowing I’d been discovered, I thought about turning around, but then a larger shade loomed in the open doorway. I took a quick step back in fright. The shadow moved with a graceful purpose, drawing slowly closer, and I was suddenly facing a man I didn’t know.
My eyes had adjusted to the ambient light and I could see him more clearly now. He’d halted about six feet away, standing unnaturally still as if waiting for my reaction. I guess he didn’t want to scare me. Too late.
His scent was different than any I’d encountered so far and I grew anxious, biting down on my lip so hard I could taste blood. His eyebrows arched as his full lips turned up with amusement, warming his expression. Thick auburn hair shone in the dying firelight, windblown from his meeting with Rob on the breezy porch, and although he’d dressed casually in a leather blazer, button-down shirt and jeans, he looked perfectly put together. He was a few inches taller than me, maybe 6’, with lean muscles, long legs. and eyes so blue they stood out even in the dim light.
His chest rose and fell as he slowly took in my scent and I instinctively sucked in another deep breath of my own. His was strangely sweet and somehow familiar. This guy was Rob’s vampire friend.
When he saw that I wasn’t running out of the room screaming, he closed the distance between us. “Hello, Jackie. It’s a pleasure to meet you officially.” He didn’t hold out his hand and I was glad, because I was afraid a vampire’s skin might feel unpleasant.
“My name is Garrett.” His voice resonated with a gentle persuasion as a tingle of energy urged me to look at him. I’d heard about vampires influencing others, at least in the books I’d read, forcing people to do things against their will. I looked down at my hands just in case any of that was true. I was so out of my element.
“Hi,” I answered lamely, proud that my voice hadn’t cracked even though my knees were shaking. I peeked up through my lashes to see him smiling at me again. Apparently he thought I was extremely entertaining. I realized with horror that I was in my robe with my hair sticking out in every direction while he looked the perfect runway model. Just great. If first impressions meant anything in the shifter world, I’d be sent to an asylum rather than given a job.
I pulled the robe tighter around myself and ran a hand through my hair. “You’ve seen me before, haven’t you?” I avoided his eyes, trying to look past his shoulder instead.
He laughed softly. “You can look at me. I won’t glamour you.” I didn’t move. He took another step and lowered his voice. “Please, Jackie, I’m a friend of Rob’s. You’re safe with me.” His voice was seductively rich and soothing, satin sheets against my skin. I shivered—and not from the cold.
Rob tried to put me at ease. “Garrett and I have worked together for years. I was just telling him about your progress. He’ll be taking over your training when you get back to the mainland. Ethan’s too.”
Well, this was just stupid. I had to get over my fear, especially if he was going to be training me. I raised my chin and forced myself to look directly at his face. His eyes were shining with humor, not dead and lifeless as I’d imagined a vampire’s eyes would be. His skin was pale, but not ashen, and his expression was warm, not threatening or frightening at all. He was, well, breathtaking was what came to mind. A dark angel, his power undeniable.
He spoke again as I watched in fascination. “To answer your question, three years ago I adopted you as a—well, not a project exactly—more of a willing responsibility. I’ve been looking forward to finally meeting you in person.” His smile was brilliant and against my good sense, I found myself smiling shyly back, feeling slightly more comfortable. Even though, like Rob, he appeared to be only in his early twenties, Garrett spoke with a maturity that added years to my estimation of his age.
“Rob told me you shifted into a cheetah.” I nodded and noticed a subtle change in the color of his eyes and the tilt of his head. He was excited by the news. “And he says you’re adjusting quickly. It’s something I’d noticed about you from the start, your amazing ability to adapt to new circumstances, even under extreme conditions.”
He was suddenly standing only inches away, the closeness making me tremble. Hesitantly, he reached out, touching my cheek gently with his fingertips. Because of his friendship with Rob, I trusted he wouldn’t hurt me, so I didn’t move away. His fingers were warm, not cold like I thought they’d be, and as they traveled down my face to hold my chin, I felt my skin flush with heat. I tried to look away, but his grip was firm and I was instantly drawn into the depths of his amazing sapphire eyes.
“I wish I could have stepped in sooner, but it was impossible.” He released my chin and took my hands in his, inspecting them as if he expected to see my old scars. Was he apologizing? I must have looked confused because he gently dropped my hands and straightened up, smiling and appearing very young again.
“As much as I’d like to talk for longer, I have business to discuss with Rob. Therefore I must say goodnight. We’ll be meeting again very soon.” He nodded, turning and walking quickly out to the porch, leaving behind his sweet scent, still mysteriously familiar.
Rob said, “Please go back to bed. You’ll need your strength tomorrow.”
I walked back to my room, still feeling Garrett’s feather-light touch on my cheek. I crawled under the covers and tried to sleep, but instead grew restless, attempting to sort through the fragmented memories of what had happened to me on that dark evening two years ago.
“Where are you running, sweetheart?”
I was two months shy of fifteen years old. I’d made plans to go to a movie with a really nice boy and a bunch of other new friends. I’d come home from studying at the library only to find my latest social worker in the living room telling me that once again, I’d be moving to a new town and a new family. I lost control and ran. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay much attention to where I was going.
It was around 8:00 p.m. and I was on an unfamiliar road. Two men outside a house called to me as I ran by. I ignored them, so they cursed at me and I stupidly flipped them off. I was angry and careless but I was sure I could outrun them without a problem. They jumped into their car but I turned into a park and headed down a pedestrian walkway, knowing they couldn’t follow me where there was no road. Unforturnately, they were very familiar with this particular park and were able to cut me off where the road intersected the path farther along. From that point I remembered only snatches.
Car doors slamming and the sound of feet rushing toward me
“Where are you running, sweetheart?”
My arms held behind me so tightly they hurt.
My head yanked back by my ponytail and a knife held against my throat
The scent of whiskey, beer and cigarettes.
A rag pushed roughly in my mouth.
My heels dragging along the hard ground as we moved farther from the path.
“So pretty.”
I remembered kicking cigarette breath in the groin and him cursing at me. His larger friend released me, then stabbed me in the side when I tried to get away. God, the pain .... I stumbled back, managing to hold up my hands as I tried to block the rest of his attack. He sliced at my hands and my arms and I fell on the frozen ground. Cigarette breath kicked me in the ribs and I heard something break. Pain was all I knew and my blood was everywhere.
“You’re dying tonight bitch.”
As I was passing out, I heard him scream.
Later that night, I woke up in the hospital. The police asked me what happened to the men who’d attacked me, but I’d been unconscious and didn’t know anything. Three weeks later, body parts washed up on the beach twenty miles north of my town. They were identified as belonging to both of my assailants.
Rebirth - Book 1 Rogues Shifter Series Page 10