No attack came. Garrett’s hand went to the boy’s neck, stopping his progress, but eyes staying on Angel. Her breath caught in her throat at the way that hand fisted, ready to crush the boy’s windpipe in one move.
“Dan, didn’t I tell you to patrol the area?”
“But sir, she was being rude to you!”
“They’re all rude. Doesn’t give you the right to attack unless they physically harm you.”
“But—”
Garrett finally turned his head in the boy’s direction, burning steel. “Dan, if you disobey my orders again, I’ll report every single detail of this to your father and the sheriff. Isn’t your father friends with vampires from the council? I’d hate to see you fired and disgraced.”
The boy paled, obviously affected by what his father thought of him. Garrett told him to patrol the area again and work with the other boy named Charles, after which the boy sprinted off without looking back.
Angel stared, trying not to move at the raw power that emanated from the temporary sheriff. And he hadn’t even shifted yet.
His head turned back towards her, and his blue eyes pinned her in place. “My apologies for that. As I was saying, don’t ever interfere with my authority again. We handle the borders. Good day to you.”
Before she could say a word, he turned around and strode off in another direction, a storm of bad mood and dark energy. She kept staring at him in disbelief, torn between mixed emotions.
Angered that he was so egotistical, rude, too violent for his own good.
On the other hand, he stopped an attack on her, even while she could handle it.
What was up with that?
Her phone alarm beeped before she could assess it further, and she took it out. She cursed when she saw the time, realizing that she was late for the town council meeting, which she’d requested.
Forgetting all about calmness, she made a dash for it.
*****
Being smack dab in the middle of Texas guaranteed Orville would inherit the dusty roads and the bright glare of the sun, which only served to irritate Angel as she finally made it into the meeting hall in the center of town. Vampires didn’t burn into ash under the sunlight like most movies and books portrayed, but they did get sensitive. Her itchy skin was a testament to that, and she tried her best not to scratch it as she entered the room where the meeting was to be held. The council members were already there, and all heads turned in her direction as she walked the remaining steps to the front.
“Good morning, Miss Hayley. Glad you could join us,” a vampire council member, Miriam, greeted her formally. She looked as young as Angel, but everyone who’d been in town long enough knew she was in her fifties. “Now we’re complete.”
Angel smiled and nodded her head, trying to keep her cheeks from flushing from all the running. “Good morning. I’m sorry, I got held up.”
“That’s alright. We’ve read the case you’ve presented and would like to review this with you today. Is everyone ready to start?”
The council team, consisting of two vampires, three shifters, three witches and three humans, all nodded their heads and voiced their agreement.
“Very well.” Miriam pounded her gavel, a sign that she was heading this particular meeting. “To start with, you’ve recently made a case that you would like us to consider: to add you to the core membership of the council in replacement of your cousin, Joan Jones. Is this correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
There was no murmur, and she knew everyone already read her case. She waited.
“Can you elaborate further? Tell us more about why we should consider you and why you want this position.”
Already expecting the question, Angel straightened her shoulders. “As you all know, Joan died unexpectedly at the hands of a young shifter. Joan was an innocent bystander who loved mingling with people, no matter who and where they came from, and that was her downfall.” She recalled the news of her cousin’s death and the shock she felt over it, followed by a sadness and anger at the unfairness of it. Wrong place, wrong time—Joan died all because of some stupid, unrequited love, and Joan’s flirting made the young shifter jealous. “As a new member, I would like to reinforce that territories are marked and are to be strictly enforced, and violence should not be tolerated in any form. I will do my best to make sure no shifter—or other creatures—would step out of line again. We all deserve to live a good life here without being judged.”
Her words were met with silence as they all eyed her in consideration. She was confident in her agenda: confident that they would see her point because she was honestly sick and tired of other people judging vampires even before they got to know them.
Sure, their kind drank blood and that could be considered violent. But that also applied to shifters, even witches…even humans. She wanted to be part of the council so she could ensure equality was engendered, and that vampires were no longer painted as the bad guys.
“You make a very good point, Miss Hayley,” one of the witch council members replied. Wanda. “And I think everyone here agrees on that. However, council members have been established for years, and this is the first time that we have had to replace one due to a sudden death. You’ve been considered because you’re related to a very good family with an outstanding reputation, but you have to understand that in order for you to be accepted, you would need to prove yourself first. And we would need to have someone substantial in this town assess you.”
“Of course,” Angel said, making her tone extra respectful. “Please assess me. I trust you have the perfect person for that.”
“And we do,” Miriam said. “In fact, he’s here right now and might have some words regarding your presented case. The sheriff is sick, but the one in charge is just as capable.”
The words had Angel’s stomach dropping. Her head turned to the side, where a door was opened and out stepped—
Oh, no.
“Angel, I believe you know Garrett Limewell. Upstanding citizen and shifter cop for plenty of years now. I believe he might have something to say about the matter, and we can proceed from there.”
Blue eyes met hers, perfectly cool.
And she knew, at that moment, that she was in trouble.
Chapter 3
So, the high-handed vampire was applying for council—a position higher than his.
Funny how things turned out.
Garrett watched as disbelief settled on her face—a brief flicker, easily erased before she was looking at him with cool gray eyes again like she wasn’t the least bit bothered by the sight of him. In fact, nothing seemed to bother her, not even Dan’s attack earlier which should have made her react rather than standing like a statue and watching him take control of the situation. It was uncanny, but it was also the way of the vampires, who were harder to read than anyone else he knew. Hell, even his co-officer vampire was hard to read, and that guy had been on the force for years now.
“Mr. Limewell, is there anything you can say about Miss Hayley’s application? I believe your years of experience as a cop and protector of this town can give us valuable input into the matter.”
Words floated around in his head, some of them downright nasty. They weren’t directed at vampires solely, because he didn’t hate them. But he did distrust them, and there was no point in hiding the matter now.
So he decided to start with what he thought would make his stand perfectly clear.
“Earlier today, three vampires tried to enter Orville without identification and almost got violent with one of the rookie officers who was just doing his job. Before we could handle it, Miss Hayley stepped in and took authority over the matter when she should have just minded her business.”
Her eyes narrowed at that, but she pressed her lips together, waiting.
“What do you have to say about that, Miss Hayley?”
“Yes, I was there,” she admitted. “And yes, I did step in. But as representative for the vampires and caretaker of
the vampire territory, a position that you’ve respectfully given to me, I do believe it is my duty to do so. Those vampires were tired, hungry and needed shelter. It is not our right to turn them away.”
Garrett’s eyes narrowed, perfectly recalling the tension earlier. “Those outsiders were ready to kill my men for asking for something as basic as their identity. Imagine what they could do to defenseless civilians.”
The look she sent him would have frozen hell over. “Well, none of that happened, has it? They’re now in vampire territory, and I would have handled any violence from them. That is exactly what I’m talking about—your judgment even without giving them a chance to adapt.”
“It’s called being cautious enough to see a threat when it’s right in front of your eyes.”
“If I didn’t get there in time, you might have killed them already. You practically told them you would.”
“It’s called issuing a warning. Rules are rules. They disobeyed. I would have kicked them out for not following.”
Someone cleared his throat. The two turned their heads to the council members, who were listening intently to the argument. Angel flushed briefly before turning and bowing to them.
“I apologize.”
“Don’t,” Wanda replied softly. “That was interesting to watch. Now that we have a good idea of what’s really going on, please give us time to discuss this for a few minutes.”
Garrett swallowed his ire and stepped back, keeping himself calm. Beside him, Angel stood in stony silence, refusing to look in his direction. The actual sheriff might have handled this with ease, but Garrett had never been one for politics and being nice to people, especially those he didn’t like. Or didn’t trust.
Trust was the future of Orville, and he couldn’t have the likes of her manipulating that.
Time passed. The council members kept discussing, their tones so hushed that even his sensitive hearing couldn’t pierce through. He knew there was a barrier surrounding the council members, probably placed by one of the witches. Finally, they all straightened and returned to their seats, facing Angel once more.
“We’ve come up with a perfect solution to test you.”
“Yes?”
“Obviously, since Joan’s death, there has been restlessness between the shifters and the vampires, one that we would like to go away as soon as possible. And we believe Mr. Limewell staying with you, Miss Hayley, would be the best.”
That…wasn’t what he was expecting. It obviously wasn’t what she was expecting, either, as she stared at them.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s perfect,” a shifter council member, James, intoned. “Mr. Limewell has a distrust of vampires, and Miss Hayley has a distrust of shifters. You both think you’re right. We would like you both to work together to overcome that—and the only way to do so is for Mr. Limewell to monitor Miss Hayley and the vampires in their natural environment, and for Miss Hayley to prove that those outsiders are indeed a bunch we can eventually trust. That will eliminate the judgment. Mr. Limewell’s presence there will also ease the vampires of the distrust they have for shifters, too, and your handling of them, Miss Hayley…it will determine whether you have a seat in the council or not. Is that understood?”
She looked like she was on the verge of saying no, her lips pressed so tight together that they were turning white. But to his surprise, she nodded her head, even while her hand fisted behind her, where the council members couldn’t see.
Except, of course, he saw it.
“Understood,” she clipped out. “Where will he be staying?”
“The bunkhouse,” Miriam said, referring to the place where most outsiders stayed before they were fully integrated into town and assigned their permanent homes. “You will be staying there, too, so you two can work this mess out together. It will be good for the town, especially if the people find out that we’re all getting along.”
Unless we don’t get along.
But Angel was agreeing along, nodding her head and being remaining pleasant about it. Then she turned around and made her excuse to leave—but not before shooting him a warning glance that told him one thing.
She didn’t like this any more than he did.
The door didn’t exactly slam when she exited, but it still echoed in his ears, signaling to Garrett what he already knew since the announcement was made.
He was going to be in a whole lot of trouble, and there was nothing he could to do to stop it.
*****
Being temporarily in charge of the police force gave him the leeway to ignore the case proceeding and what he was supposed to do for a while, as he handled all the things needed to be handled by the sheriff, such as monitoring his officers and making sure security was tight for everyone. No fights broke out in the next two days, but a car crashed courtesy of a drunken businessman who got cheated on by his wife and left Orville with half his money.
Typical town things, really.
The sheriff, Nikolai Bastet, returned to his post after those two days, perfectly cured and looking smug to boot—probably had some sexy times with the witch doctor, who everyone knew was his fuck buddy. Dread settled in the pit of Garrett’s stomach when he realized what Nikolai’s arrival meant, but the sheriff only wished him good luck and told Garrett that he was confident Garrett would do well.
Damn it.
The sheriff didn’t have any grudges with any of the creatures and was friendly with everyone, which was probably why he was sheriff in the first place. Realizing he really had no way out, Garrett went home to pack the essential stuff.
Then he ventured into vampire territory, his footsteps getting heavier by the second.
The vampire bunkhouse was similar to the shifter bunkhouse—a general warehouse-style metal box with bed bunks, a small mess hall and other general amenities that housed the newbies of this town before they were placed in permanent territories or made to rent out the apartments located everywhere. As representative, it was Angel’s role to keep them in line, just as the same role applied to the shifter and witch representatives. Humans who stumbled upon this town were often driven away unless they already knew about the existence of the creatures and didn’t cause harm.
The warehouse wasn’t very big, but it was fortified well with an iron gate and sharp-edged fences. Garrett opened the gate, stepped in, and knocked on the brown door, expecting to be standing there for a good while.
Instead, the door was opened instantly, and he found himself face-to-face with Angel again. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing a shirt and jeans, but that wasn’t what surprised him.
It was the smell of actual food on her and the apron over her clothes.
“Come in,” she clipped out. “I have food ready for lunch. And shut the door. The sun’s killer today.”
She turned around and strode in. Garrett stared at her back, which didn’t sway but rather walked purposely, almost defiantly. He sighed.
Then he stepped in, shut the door and followed her.
Chapter 4
“Help me understand something here.”
The words were said warily, almost like he was bracing himself for the vampires to attack him before he spoke. Angel braced herself, too, not turning around as she continued cooking and ignored the man sitting on one of the mess hall’s chairs—not particularly effective, she had to admit, because even his aura was demanding attention. There was a restless energy inside him and it was even bigger than that of most shifters she knew.
Which made him even more dangerous, in her opinion.
The three new vampires were off to get blood and were accompanied by Daria, who would also tour them around Orville and introduce them to the town’s important aspects—a reward for their good behavior in the past two days. Garrett made no comment about it, but she knew it was just a matter of time.
“What is it?” she finally asked, stirring her pot. It was soup, one of the few basics that she knew how to cook well.
“Vampires
feed on blood as it sustains them, and human food does not taste good to them. Why exactly do you have all these cooking utensils and why are you cooking now? Is this all for show?”
Called it, didn’t she? Angel took a deep, inward breath and let herself shrug elegantly, as if the question didn’t bother her at all. “Because cooking is calming, and our sensitive nostrils love the smell of it. And we never said that human food didn’t taste good. Human food is an acquired taste, and we’ve acquired it.”
“How many of you have acquired?”
“Too many,” she said firmly. “Are you forgetting that the town diner is owned and run by a vampire? Sam?”
“So?”
“He’s also the cook. And I’m sure you can attest that the food there is wonderful.”
That shut him up, and a surge of triumph entered her body. She kept stirring her pot and letting the smell hum through her system, the calmness washing over her like a balm.
“What else are you hiding other than this?”
The nearness of the voice almost had her jumping. Belatedly, she realized that there was a certain warmth behind her, an indication of just how close he was standing. Her spine stiffened, and her belly twisted in response, but she held on and didn’t turn around.
“We haven’t exactly hidden this,” she said. “You’re just too blind by prejudice to notice it.”
“Hmm.”
The answer made irritation spark. Deciding she’d had enough of it, she turned to shoot him a look. “What is it exactly that you hate about us?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then dislike. Or whatever you call what you feel, because I’m sure it’s not good feelings.”
“You can’t be trusted.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re manipulative and too bloodthirsty for your own good.”
“As opposed to your kind? Aren’t you the ones who feed on raw flesh? We only feed on blood—regulated sources at that.”
“Until you lose control and kill innocent men like Henry Limewell Hathaway.”
The name made her eyes widen as she recognized it instantly: Henry Hathaway, one of the shifter oldies that was brutally murdered in his own home by a rogue vampire ten years ago. She’d been fourteen back then, and Garrett might have been around eighteen or nineteen. All of a sudden, things clicked into place as she realized where his dislike originated from.
Bear Guards: A Paranormal Romance Page 9