Enchant Me

by Anne Violet

  “Good,” he muttered.

  Turning in his arms, I stared up into his face. “Why did you come with him?”

  Pushing my hair over my shoulders, he looked down at me. In the dark it was hard to see the expression on his face. “He told me that he had taken you somewhere and if I wanted you to live I had to come with him.”

  I shivered and held Christian tighter to me. “And you believed him?”

  “I couldn’t take the chance could I?”

  “No, I suppose not,” I murmured.

  Grabbing my shoulders he pushed me back a step so he could look into my face. “What did you think you were doing coming here by yourself?” he demanded.

  “Didn’t you release my powers so I could come help you?” I asked while studying him from head to toe, ensuring he really was ok.

  “No, I didn’t. You were supposed to send help or at worst, bring help with you.”

  “Oh yes,” I said sarcastically, “because the Steilacoom PD gets regular training on how to deal with Druid lunatics.”

  “What about your grove?” he asked, pulling me back into his arms.

  “It would have taken too long,” I mumbled, more soothed than I wanted to admit by the familiar scent of his cologne and the feel of his body around me. I felt him shrug, apparently giving up on the argument. We turned as we heard footsteps on the path; grabbing his hand, I walked us toward the trail and away from Nicolas. Meeting up with Renee and Frederick on their way in, they glared at me, then Christian, but said nothing, obviously still blaming me for everything.

  I pointed back into the clearing. “He’s alive but unconscious… Remember what I said earlier,” I warned and we walked away. While we walked up the trail, Christian kept glancing back like he expected them to come charging after us any minute now. “They won’t bother us; deep down they know Nicolas was at fault.”

  He turned back and nodded, nuzzling my head with his as we reached my motorcycle. Now that we were under a street light I could really scrutinize him. After all he had been through, he still looked absolutely perfect. Unlike me, he was completely clean and dry. He smelled good and looked good. It was kind of ridiculous. I put my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a short kiss.

  “Would you stay with me tonight?” I asked, not really wanting to be alone after all that we had gone through.

  “That was my plan,” he whispered in my ear.

  “You always seem to have one.”

  Smiling, I gave him another hug and released him so he could get into his car. I followed him to his house to drop it off and then we rode my bike the short distance home. My mom wasn’t home yet, so it was easy enough to get cleaned up, grab Cody and lock ourselves in my room. Christian could sneak out my window the next morning. Once we were finally lying in my bed, Christian on his back, an arm around my waist, with me throwing a leg and arm over him, Cody wedged himself between us purring away like mad. Finally we could truly relax--and reflect.

  “Christian…do you think Nicolas is going to be ok?”

  His chest rose and fell in a deep sigh, taking my hand in his he placed them palm to palm as if measuring the difference while he thought. “I don’t know. You’re the psychic, you tell me.”

  I snorted. “It doesn’t seem to work that way--on command.” I interlaced our fingers and rested our linked hands across his taut stomach. “I hope for his sake and his family’s that he will be ok.”

  “Even if he is still a threat to us?” he asked, tilting his head down to try to see my face in the dark. “He is no match for either of us,” I answered looking up at him, his brown eyes looking black in the darkness. “I feel sorry for him. We have each other and he’s all alone and will probably stay that way if he can’t let go of his hurt and anger.”

  “Lex,” he said cupping my chin in his hand. “Don’t feel sorry for him. He was going to kill me--and possibly you too.”

  Brushing a kiss across his lips I acknowledged that and let it go. What had been done was done. I lay back down on his chest and tried to get comfortable; he was almost a little too fit to be truly comfy. “Christian, do you think you can gain some weight and stop working out?” I asked, trying not to giggle.

  “Why?” he queried. I could hear the smile in his voice as both of his arms wrapped around me.

  I poked his hard chest with my finger, “you are a little too hard to be comfortable.”

  He laughed and grabbed one of my throw pillows and stuffed it under my head. “Better?”

  “Sure,” I said and laughed. “I love you,” I whispered. “I love you too.”

  With a last squeeze of his body to mine, I let my hand drift down to cover Cody’s fuzzy little body and went into a blissfully happy sleep.

  CHAPTER 15

  A week had gone by since that night at Farrell’s Marsh. Nicolas had still not woken up from his coma. It was impossible to not feel some guilt about that, although I didn’t mention it to Christian. Considering Nicolas was about to suffocate him, he understandably had no regrets about defending himself-- and me. From the rumors around town, it seemed the Devereux’s planned on taking my advice and moving as soon as Nicolas came out of his coma. Which I honestly hoped he would. He had been a decent guy before he had started to change, and I had really cared for him once.

  The feel of Cody’s downy little head bumping my hand for attention jerked me out of my reverie. I stared at him for a moment, still way off in space, and he meowed at me in annoyance. Looking down at my watch I saw what my half cat-half alarm clock was trying to tell me. I had fifteen minutes to finish getting ready for Christian’s graduation before he and his grandparents were due to pick me up. Lifting Cody up, I placed little kisses all over his head until he started to mew in irritation. Putting him down, I started to run around my room like a girl crazed as I tried to find my phone, shoes, jewelry, the perfect purse for my very proper little black dress, and Christian’s graduation gift.

  Even my mom peeked in on her way to the kitchen to see if I had lost my mind. I was literally shoving my feet into my black heels when my mom yelled from the kitchen that they were here. Grabbing my stuff, I made a dash for the front door, and slammed to a halt upon seeing Christian in the doorway. I would have thought it would be impossible for him to be more gorgeous than he already was, but I was wrong.

  Apparently in deference to his grandparents he had worn a black suit and tie with a sharp white shirt. He had trimmed his dark brown hair to a slightly shorter, more mature look, but with those sensual brown eyes and wicked smile he was still more sinfully beautiful than anything else. Entranced, I actually walked around him, taking him in from every angle. Laughing at my obvious captivation, he gave a nod to my mom, grasped my arm and pulled me out of the house to his grandparents’ white Lincoln Continental and sat us both in the back.

  “You are really beautiful you know that,” I breathed. He smirked at my use of the word beautiful. “Sorry, you really are,” I said defiantly.

  His grandmother Antonia glanced back at me, amused. “Hi Alexis, how are you?”

  That idiotic grin started to cross my face again. “Good, and you?”

  “Excellent. We are so happy to see Christian graduate,” she said, smiling back at me, and then turning back around.

  Leaning my head back against the arm Christian had around my shoulders, I immersed myself in his eyes. “I wish I could say the same. I am going to miss him next year.”

  I could tell he wanted to kiss me, but was holding back because of his grandparents being barely a foot away. “How about I bring you lunch everyday?”

  “Really? You’re on!” I agreed. I turned to face Grandma Tony. “You have taught him well, he is an amazing cook.”

  “I know,” she answered, taking a brief look back at us.

  Laughing I snuggled deeper into his embrace as we drove the thirty minutes to Pacific Lutheran University where his graduation would be held. Once there, he had to leave us to meet up with his class. Spying Tina and Jim s
aying their goodbyes too, I gave them a moment. Once Jim ran off I introduced Christian’s grandparents to Tina and she introduced us to Jim’s parents, and as a group we went into the hall and found our seats.

  “I can’t believe they’re going to be gone next year.” Tina said softly.

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “Is Jim excited about going to UW?”

  “Yes and he’s decided he’ll stay at his parents’ house and commute instead of moving up there.” She grinned hugely at this.

  I snapped my fingers at her and smiled. “I told you he had it bad.”

  “I still am going to miss seeing him during class and at lunch.”

  “I know what you mean,” I said, pulling my camera out in preparation, and then trying to spot Christian amongst all the other capped and gowned students near the stage.

  “Where is Christian going?”

  “He’s not, actually.” I said, glancing at her and noticing how big her eyes had gotten. “I know, I know--” I started, only to be gently shushed by Jim’s mom since the ceremony was about to start.

  Guiltily Tina and I smiled at each other and settled in to watch our men graduate. I rolled my eyes when Tina actually cried when Jim went up. I could wish my thoughts were as innocent when Christian went up, but even in the cap and gown, he was just too sexy. I leaned over to speak in Tina’s ear. “He’s hot,” I whispered which got me an elbow in the ribs for not taking the moment more seriously.

  When it was Michelle’s turn to take the stage, I looked over at Tina conspiratorially and we both got up and started cheering loudly. Michelle actually whirled around to stare into the audience and we waved and blew her kisses; I had finally gotten my revenge for all her interference in my life, no matter how well-meaning. At a yank on my dress from Grandma Tony I sat back down and behaved myself for the rest of the night. Although, I did have to fight the urge to clap when Jenny Slater and Tanya Brown got their diplomas because it meant I wouldn’t have to deal with them next year. After graduation Christian and I went with his grandparents to their house for a celebratory dinner. It was excellent of course. I inwardly smiled at the idea of eating this way for lunch all next year. Knowing Christian’s grandparents wanted him alone tonight, I left early and promised Christian I would see him first thing tomorrow.

  It was barely past sunrise when my feline alarm jumped on my chest and started making paws on me. “Alright, I’m up,” I complained to him. Sluggish I rolled out of bed and glared at him. “This better not become a habit,” I warned.

  Stumbling to my closet, I found a pair of dark jeans and a snug black button up shirt and threw them on, then tugged on some little black flats. Plunking down on my vanity stool I kept my look simple with some vanilla flavored gloss and black mascara. Going into the kitchen to grab an apple on my way out, I noticed not even my grumpy but early riser mom was up yet. I gave another glare to Cody, who was too busy munching his kitten chow to notice. Before I went out the door I gave him a pat on his back. Just like Christian, there wasn’t any hope I could ever stay irritated with him.

  Arriving at Christian’s house, I went around to his private door so as not to disturb his grandparents. He of course was already awake and opening the door as I walked up, having seen me through his window.

  “What are you doing up at this hour?” he asked me, his surprise evident. His eyes almost seemed a lighter brown today, but maybe it was just a reflection of his lighter mood.

  “Oh, you can thank Cody for getting me up at this ridiculous hour.”

  “I will,” he said, closing his front door behind me and then lifted me up into a big bear hug.

  After he put me back down, he walked us over to his bed and sitting down with his back against the wall, he maneuvered me to where I was sitting between his legs so both of us could face the water view out of his windows. With his arms wrapped around my waist, I covered his hands with my own and relaxed back against him. It was really weird how at peace I felt with him. It was as if a part of me was missing, and I hadn’t known it until I met him and became complete.

  “Christian…what are you going to do now that you are graduated?” I asked, not able to completely hide my anxiety. I lifted his hand up in both of mine, smiling as I noticed the paint stains already on his fingers.

  He bent his head down closer to mine as he spoke. “I do have to go for a couple weeks to Italy with my grandparents but after that I am pretty much open. What about you?”

  “I promised my grandmother I would go to Ireland this summer,” I murmured, hoping that he wanted to go too.

  “You know, I’m half Irish.”

  “Yes,” I prompted.

  “I should probably learn about having these powers too,” he seemed to muse.

  I smiled. “That would probably be wise.”

  “Do you think the grove would allow me to come too?” he whispered into my ear, sending tingles all through me.

  “They said they would be offended if you didn’t,” I exclaimed, ripping out of his arms and turning around. His dark bangs were still so long they fell into his eyes, and I pushed them away with my hand. Catching it, he pulled me until I was straddling his lap which was all kinds of distracting.

  “What did you say?” he demanded.

  Without answering I pulled an envelope out of my back pocket and handed it to him. He looked at me in an adorably confused way and ripped it open to reveal a plane ticket to Ireland. I smiled at his stunned expression.

  “My grandmother arranged it with yours. Of course, Grandma Tony doesn’t know the particular reasons we’re going, but she wanted to give you a graduation present.”

  He kept looking from me to the ticket, a glint developing in his eyes. “How long have you known about this?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Can’t remember exactly,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. He wasn’t buying my innocent act, he flipped us over so that I was lying on my back and he was hovering over me with one hand buried in my hair and the other one toying with the first button on my shirt.

  His smile as he looked down on me was completely untrustworthy and totally delicious. “I guess I will just have to tease the truth out of you,” he breathed and then nipped my lower lip with his teeth.

  “Yes please,” I said and nodded my head vigorously.

  He was still laughing softly as he pressed his lips against mine, and inwardly I smiled, pleased that I was living up to my promise to make him happy. With a flick of one hand I closed all the curtains, and with another flick I locked both doors to his room, finally a worthy purpose for my powers.

  THE END

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  You Tube book Trailer link

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NF-OsgmckMw

  Table of Contents

  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