“Good afternoon! What can I help you with tod…?”
The words and the smile trailed off and died down as she froze on her spot and stared back at him.
“Good afternoon,” he said back in greeting, eyeing the sunflowers she held.
Silence followed.
“You can…enter?” she finally asked, visibly gulping. “I thought…”
“It’s a public place,” he reminded. “Unless you haven’t gotten to that part of the book yet.”
As expected, she didn’t deny it. Deana shook her head. “I read it all.”
“Good,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. They don’t attack in public buildings. They know we’ll be on their asses…unless they’re not from this town.”
That had her gulping again as she placed the flowers on the table, effectively blocking his full view of her. He had a feeling it was deliberate.
“And are there plenty of them not from this town?”
Evan shrugged. “It happens from time to time. Some get in without clearance. But we do our best to make sure everyone’s accounted for. It’s the only way for us all to live in peace.”
“Peace?” she echoed.
“Peace,” he confirmed. “Peace from the outside world. From bounty hunters. This is our sanctuary, however stupid that sounds.”
He expected her to laugh about it, as any normal human would. Instead, Deana surprised him yet again.
“It’s not stupid,” she said. “It’s…everyone deserves to be safe from those who hunt them.”
Something in his chest tightened at the words, followed by a rather pleasant rolling in his belly. He ignored it as he focused on her, eyeing her dress—how blue and plain it was, how it covered her arms but exposed such tempting collarbones, and how he wanted to remove that super tight braid and let her blonde hair fly freely. She had to be the least afraid person he’d witnessed after discovering the truth, and he wasn’t sure if that was a relief, or if it just made things even more dangerous for her.
Unafraid people were bold, but often careless.
He hoped to hell she wouldn’t be.
“Were you about to make a bouquet out of those flowers?” he asked, changing the topic and indicating the box.
She shook her head. “No. Mrs. Whitman wanted these delivered to her home. Something about keeping her house fresh with flowers in vases.”
Evan nodded, shutting up about the fact that Mrs. Whitman was a vampire whose house was as dark as any horror movie. But hey, if she thought sunflowers would brighten that gloomy place up, then that was her prerogative. The old woman was nice, if a little too bloodthirsty sometimes.
“I’ll deliver it,” he offered.
“But—”
“I’ll deliver it,” he repeated, taking the box. “I know where she lives, and it’s not in very friendly territory. You’d best close up and go home.”
Deana eyed him steadily again, those green orbs studying him as if she wanted to learn everything about him. His blood pounded, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it.
Then he stepped back, the box already in his hands.
“I’ll let Bingo stay to keep you company.”
“But—”
“Do you want that, Bingo?” he asked easily in response to her protest.
The dog barked and entered the premises, obviously pleased. Deana softened at the dog but glared at him. “I’m not letting him in my cabin.”
“Then don’t. He can take care of himself. I’ll be back.”
With that parting line, he walked out, knowing she was watching his back the whole way through. She really was a prickly little thing, and for some reason, that only made Evan want to rile her up some more and discover what she had hidden underneath all that frost.
The thought stirred his blood, but then again, this was probably just regular attraction.
Or was it?
It didn’t matter, because Evan was going to explore it as respectfully as he could.
Oh, he couldn’t wait to return and see where this led.
Chapter 5
“I’m not letting you in, Bingo.”
The golden retriever looked at her like she told him she loved him or something to that effect, and she swore this was the nth time the dog seemed to perfectly understand every word she said and act like it was a good thing. She didn’t want to leave it all alone on her porch, too—which was why she found herself opening her cabin’s front door and handing the dog a piece of the steak she was eating. The dog sniffed it for a few seconds before giving a tentative lick—then, taking slow bites that were almost dainty and downright amusing.
Deana grinned, moving around in the cabin as she picked up the dinner plates she used and brought them to the kitchen. She hummed a tune while she washed them, feeling movements on the porch and wondering if Bingo was used to staying out. He certainly didn’t protest, even while he gave her those puppy-dog eyes that made her almost want to give in.
Almost, but not quite.
The dog was as charming as his owner, and that was saying something. Because Deana didn’t trust said owner fully, she took advantage of the influx of customers and asked around in her subtle way. Each and every time she was met with the same set of answers: that he was one of the most reliable people in this town, and you couldn’t get any righter than asking Evan for help in whatever you needed.
Joan practically salivated all over the guy when she discussed him, like she was hungry and thirsty at the same time. It had Deana turning hot enough to cut the conversation short, not wanting a play-by-play of how the man looked when he swam in the lake in only his swimming trunks.
There was a scratching sound, one that had Deana smiling at her dishes. “Sorry, Bingo. I’m being serious. You can’t get in until I trust your owner fully.”
The scratching sound continued, which had her shaking her head. She supposed she could give Bingo an exception, but that was the thing—the book said that pets like him were connected to their owners, and if she invited this dog in, then Evan would have free access, too. It wasn’t something she was ready for yet. In fact, there were a lot of things she wasn’t ready for yet, but she was just going to have to make do. If she was friendly enough with the townspeople, treating everyone fairly, then maybe they’d leave her alone…even those rogues Evan talked about.
It was amazing how she was coping so easily instead of shaking and crying. But then again, Deana always did have a certain fascination with fantasy stuff like this, even when she hadn’t realized it was true. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to see if the reality could compare to the ones in books and movies?
She dried the dishes and put them where they belonged, then went to her open door and glanced around. Bingo was no longer on the porch, having finished his piece of steak. She leaned over the doorstep an inch or two, opening her mouth to call out his name—
The hairs on the back of her neck prickled.
The shock of it had her taking a tiny step back, her heart suddenly beating too fast for its own good. She looked around again but didn’t see anything, the dog completely gone. The silence should have been a comfort, but it had a shudder going down her spine that she couldn’t control.
The memory of the vampire had her throat drying up. But she tried to clear it, tried to shake off the weird feeling.
“Bingo?”
There was no response, which only served to freak her out. Deana wondered if she should go get a knife at this point…
It was just as that thought entered her mind that the blur appeared right in front of her, stepping on her front porch. She was immediately confronted with the sight of a vampire outside her doorstep—one that was pale, lanky and looked like he wanted to devour her whole. Sharp yellow teeth dripped blood, and blood-red eyes looked much too crazy to be sane. The scratching sound came again, and she realized it was his claws making it earlier.
The vampire hissed threateningly.
Then it was rolling to the side as a huge furry
animal crashed right into it.
Bingo.
She stared, stunned. The vampire and the dog were grappling with each other on her porch, then transferring to her yard. Claws sunk in Bingo’s fur, which had the dog yelping. Fear rose in Deana’s throat, even while the dog’s teeth tried to fend off the vampire as best as it could. She couldn’t very well leave him alone, not like this.
Deana sprinted to the kitchen, snatching up her butcher knife. Then she ran back, calling out Bingo’s name and stepping outside her doorstep to hurry the dog over.
“Bingo, you can come in!”
But it wasn’t Bingo who heard it, but the vampire. The horrible creature locked red eyes with her, and whatever fear she felt intensified. Then chills started wracking her body when the creature leaped, abandoning the dog as it came at her in one big blur—
Something growled. Then that something leaped at the vampire, knocking it flat on the ground where it struggled. Stunned, Deana stared at the brown bear, trying to comprehend how it got in her yard so fast and so quietly.
Then she snapped into action, leaping over them as she rushed towards Bingo, who was trying to stand up. The vampire saw the movement and tried to reach for her, but the bear stopped it with its powerful paws. Deana managed to guide the dog inside her cabin and check for wounds. There weren’t any, and relief poured out of her in waves. Then she went back to the porch to see to the fight, where she was able to catch the end of it.
The bear took hold of the vampire’s neck, almost as if to choke it. The bear twisted the head instead, and it was so fast and sudden that the audible snap had her gasping. The vampire slumped on the ground, obviously devoid of life.
The bear…it transformed right before her eyes, and Deana was bombarded with the sight of bare chest glistening with sweat before she turned around with a squeak, unable to look at his naked lower half. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she stared at Bingo, who was licking his paw and staring back at her.
“Can I use this drum outside your yard?” Evan’s voice asked behind her. She nodded her head. “And do you have a lighter?”
She went to the kitchen and got one for him, tossing it blindly. She heard some scuffling behind her, followed by the smell of burning. Evan cleared his throat.
“I’m dressed now.”
Deana turned around, her eyes widening when she found that he only had his trousers on. His uniform top was in his hand, and the lighter was in the other. In the drum he moved to center of the field, she found a bright orange glow and some smoke, puzzling her at first before she realized what it was.
“We have to burn him to ashes so he won’t resurrect again,” he said.
She nodded her head as if that made sense. She met his watchful gaze. “Did you…know him?”
Evan’s lips flattened. “No. It’s a rogue outsider. I don’t know how the hell it got into the center of town without anyone realizing it. I need to report it to the others, and we’ll tighten up security.”
It was almost like he was talking about a regular burglar, which boggled her mind. Belatedly, she stared at his chest again, which was still glistening with sweat and something else—something that she missed earlier.
“You’re bleeding,” she blurted out.
“Yeah. I’d better get this fixed.”
The need to be alone warred with the need to help. Droplets of blood still fell from the wound on his chest, one that the vampire seemed to have sunk his sharp nails into. She couldn’t tell if it was deep, but it was alarming how much she cared.
It wasn’t like he couldn’t come in, anyway, considering she already gave Bingo entry.
As if on cue, the dog nudged her side, then eyed her with those big eyes again, almost as if pleading. Deana sighed, reluctantly ruffling his fur.
Then she turned to Evan.
“No. Come in. I’ll get it fixed for you.”
Chapter 6
When Deana said she would fix his wound, he expected a quick slap of bandage before she shooed him off on his merry way. Instead, what he got was a thorough cleaning, a minor stitch, and some gauze placed precisely on his chest that told him she’d done this before. She’d have easily given the town doctor a run for her money—that was, if the town doctor didn’t have that extra oomph of magic that put the injured person in a rather blissful mood.
But Deana was good—certainly better than if he’d have left the wound alone, something he was wont to do. It was why he had so many scars all over his body, and why his fellow shifters kept scolding him for abusing his regenerating abilities too much. But Evan didn’t care about scars, because in the long run, they didn’t hinder him from fighting well.
Still, this was nice.
When she was done cleaning him up and providing a steak dinner that was as delicious as if it had been cooked in a restaurant, Evan had made up his mind.
“Do you have a blanket you don’t use anymore?”
She tilted her head, the movement making a wisp of her hair fall down her forehead. He fisted his hand behind him, ignoring the urge to brush it back. There was a look of confusion on her face before her eyes widened. Then she was vehemently shaking her head.
“Absolutely not,” she protested.
“So you don’t have a spare blanket?”
She shook her head again. “No, I do.”
“Then…?”
“I’m not lending you my blanket. And you’re not staying here.”
“The blanket isn’t for me. It’s for Bingo. He gets cold at night and wants to cuddle into something warm, and it’s usually not me.”
That had her mouth dropping open. “Evan, I didn’t invite you to stay the night.”
Evan shrugged. “Yes, you didn’t invite me. I’m inviting myself.”
Green eyes flashed, then narrowed—a sight that was beautiful, if he ever saw one. “No, you’re not.”
“I just did.”
“Are you always this insistent?”
“Are you always this stubborn?” he shot back. It looked like she was, considering how she was folding her arms now. Evan sighed, trying to find the right words that would make her understand.
Yes, that was a rogue outsider vampire who attacked her—but the thing was that rogues didn’t go to the center of town just like this and specifically attack people. In fact, no two vampires had ever attacked the same woman before, which was why this was alarming already.
A part of him wanted to keep Deana in the dark. But he knew that was unfair, and it was his job as a cop to lay it down to her honestly. So, Evan found himself speaking and telling her how it was, and he watched as all color drained from her face before she abruptly plopped down on the couch. She didn’t even protest their closeness, attesting to how shocked she was.
“Has my grandmother ever received this kind of trouble before?”
Evan shook his head. “In the beginning, maybe. But not after a while. They respected her. And there hasn’t been a case like yours.”
“I bet there hasn’t,” she muttered under her breath, probably thinking he hadn’t heard her. No need to remind her he could hear things very clearly.
“But I’ve already texted our police force with the information, and they’ll be on the lookout.” She was still looking down in concentration, a frown marring her lips and her brows scrunched. “Deana.”
At the sound of her name, she looked up and met his gaze. Worry filled her features. “What?”
“I’m only staying for the night. I just want to make sure the rest of your night will be absent of any other intrusion. They can’t get in, but I know worrying will keep you up. So, Bingo and I being here would ease your sleep…hopefully. I know you have a busy week ahead of you.” There was no need to tell her of the other reason: that he wanted whatever intruder there was to smell him and be driven away by it.
Call it a marking of territory.
Her expression slowly cleared at his words, and she nodded her head. “That makes sense.”
“Of course,
it does,” he said wryly.
She shot him a look. “So is the police force all…”
“Shifters? You can say it, you know.”
“Yes. Shifters. Are they?”
“Most are. We have some humans in the mix. But it’s mostly shifters handling the borders. We have the witches as healers, though there are only a few of them here. Some are hermits who live on the outskirts and don’t want any kind of interaction.”
“And the vampires?”
“The vampires—the good ones—are only a few, too. There’s a sprinkle of assorted shifters and vampires in the town council to keep the balance, and most of the vamps here are wealthy patrons of businesses and businessmen themselves. Like that diner owner, Sam.”
Her eyes widened. “Sam is a vampire?”
Evan grinned. “Yep. Been here since the sixties, I believe. Hasn’t aged a day since.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s nice.”
“You sound surprised.”
Deana shook her head, leaning against the couch pillows. “I guess I am. I just had a very bad impression of vampires.”
“And what has your impression been of shifters?”
“Well, I’ve only met you so far,” she admitted. “And the ones I’ve seen on television are teen shows where shifters are hormonal teenagers.”
That had him barking out a laugh, which had Bingo wagging his tail and putting his tongue out playfully. The sound had Deana smiling a bit.
“So, you think I’m a hormonal teenager?”
“No. I think you’re pretty decent…if I’m to base it on what the townspeople say about you.”
“Oh. So, you asked about me.”
“Of course I did,” she shot back. “I had to because you’ve popped up too many times for me to ignore.”
“And I’m going to keep popping up to see how you’ll fare here.”
That had her looking at him in surprise, the smile lines still on her face. He could tell from the way her mouth opened that she was about to dish out some humorous sarcasm, probably a quip that would have him chuckling again. But all he could focus on was the pinkness of her lips and how…soft they looked this close. Plump.
Bear Guards: A Paranormal Romance Page 3