“It’s Leslie,” she broke in, holding back a smile. “And it’s hardly any of your concern who I associate with, anyway.”
“Granted. But, since you’ve insisted that you want to express your heartfelt gratitude, I will accept nothing less than your companionship, at least for today. Will you consider acting as my guide?”
Snorting rudely, she kept walking. “Me? I fail to see how I can be of any help to you. Need I point out that I lack certain attributes that would make me a viable candidate? So, I’m hardly the one for the task, and I’m certain that there’s someone more suitable. As a matter of fact, I have a suggestion: flip out your cell phone, type exemplary touring agency in the search box, and hit enter. I’m sure that you’ll find a satisfying listing for a reputable touring agency.” She smiled at him coyly. “But, you won’t find me on it.”
“You certainly know how to make a guy feel wanted,” he quipped sarcastically, and she was more than sure that he was frowning. “But, back to the subject at hand. Why not you?” he broke in, matching her strides as they headed down 21st Street. “Apparently, you know this city like the back of your hands. I can’t think of anyone more fitting for the task.”
She scowled, but kept walking.
Actually, he was right.
She did know this city like the back of her hands.
She’d been lucky to have great support from the rehabilitation center after her accident. They’d taught her how to count her paces to discern her destinations. She’d embarked on this venture roughly in the beginning.
But, now she was able to travel from place to place with such ease that now it didn’t seem feasible that she hadn’t always done so.
“Obviously, you don’t plan on giving me any peace about this,” she said under her breath and could hardly tamper down her giddiness. “I suppose that you can tag along for awhile.”
“Good. It’s settled then,” he teased. “It’s a date.’
The warmth crept across her face, and the heat rivaled the burning sun. But, she ignored that embarrassing fact and continued walking.
But, surprisingly, time passed quickly, and conversation between them flowed so naturally. Deep down, she had to admit that she enjoyed his company. Before long, they were taking a sharp left onto Buckler’s Avenue.
She smiled inwardly.
The day was turning out better than she anticipated.
But, her good mood dimmed once the bells jingled from the psychic’s shop.
Just great…
Apparently, Charity was already on the prowl, and the last thing that she wanted to do was deal with her. They hadn’t spoken since their last meeting, and she’d been avoiding the old woman purposely.
She wasn’t too keen on encountering her now, she mulled, quickening her steps.
“What is it?” Xander asked, edging closer to her, and his tone also held wariness. “Is there something wrong?”
He moved closer to her.
“Oh, nothing,” she mouthed hurriedly and avoided turning in the direction of the shop. “I’m just anxious to get to the market before it’s too late.”
“At 9am in the morning? I hardly think that you have to concern yourself with that,” he said dryly. “Come on, then.”
Nicole frowned.
It seemed that he wanted to hurry past just as much as she did.
But, why?
Suddenly, the door’s bells chimed as it was pushed open. “It’s you,” Charity whispered eerily, stepping out before the door closed behind her. “I feared that you would soon reveal your presence to me, and you’re even more dangerous than I suspected.”
Xander tensed alongside her.
She turned in his direction.
It was obvious that he was less than pleased.
“Charity, how are you?” she asked, finally calling out. “I hope that the day finds you well.”
They continued their walk.
But, still, it wasn’t enough to dissuade the psychic’s actions.
“Heed my words, young lady. Your journey will reach epic proportions as long as he’s by your side! I fear that you’re not strong enough to withstand the dangers coming your way!” the old woman shouted out, grief-stricken. “May the spirits guard and protect you from the wrath! Oh, help me spirits. I must retreat from this entity!” The woman gasped wildly. Then, she spat out venomously. “You are an illusion, a façade! But, your aura is too explosive to contain! Sweet words ease from your lips, but beneath your chest, what kind of heart beats within it? You’re formidable, indeed. But, heed the one that comes in your wake!”
“Come on,” he muttered, not bothering to hide his anger. As he grasped her elbow, she didn’t pull away. He quickened their pace, and the only thing she could do was follow. “Let’s get out of here.”
“No!” Charity screamed. “You are nothing! Do you understand me? Nothing!”
Stunned, they both stopped in surprise.
She could hear Charity’s harried footsteps as she ran back to the shop. After releasing another fire of crazed words, the psychic slammed the shop door closed.
“What the fuck ---” Xander muttered explosively, pulling her along again. “Let’s go.”
Cursing her blindness, she upturned her face to his. Still, though, he said nothing.
A foreboding chill ran through her.
What had just happened?
They made another left onto Shorter Avenue.
Of course, she should be accustomed to Charity’s mumblings, she mulled agitatedly.
But, what had she meant by them all?
She shivered uncontrollably.
The woman’s nonsensical ramblings were turning more than frightening, and it did seem that she was truly becoming demented.
But, why was she giving credence to her words?
She started when Xander finally spoke. “Close friend of yours? She’s more eccentric than that Leeza that you hang out with.”
“It’s Leslie,” she reminded him again, and was curious as to why he’d suddenly grown rigid beside her. “Granted, Leslie can be offbeat at times, but Charity is basically bordering on dementia. And we’re just acquaintances.”
His tone was edged with steel. “I wouldn’t say bordering----she’s full-blown demented. She’s a danger to herself and anyone that gets close to her.
“Although I don’t want to say it, but you may be right,” she admitted with reluctance. “Charity is pretty harmless, but lately she hasn’t been herself.”
“Eccentric isn’t how I would describe her.” He blew a deep breath. “And since you’ve suggested that I need to work on my ‘rudeness’, I will refrain from giving my thoughts as to what I think about the woman. But, I think that it would be a good idea to stay away from her. Take my advice. You need to start keeping better company.”
A sharp refusal rested on her lips, but she forced it back.
She wasn’t accustomed to following orders. But, in this case, Xander was right. “I agree. It will better if I distance myself from her.”
At once, she could hear laughing children within close range.
Apparently, they’d finally arrived at Lanier Park.
She stopped walking.
“Well, I’m afraid that ends my touring session for the day,” she murmured quietly as her hand tightened on Macy’s leash. “Macy and I are going to take a stroll around the park before heading to Dorsey’s. Thanks for the company, but you can be on your way.”
“Don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily,” he said with a deep chuckle. “And I’m not letting you off the hook just yet.”
Her brows knitted in a frown. “Well, if you insist upon being a nuisance, I’m going to hand Macy over to you. Feel free to walk her around the track.”
She was fully expecting him to refuse.
“Alright,” he agreed easily. “That sounds easy enough.”
He released her arm before pulling the dog’s leash from her hand. “Do you mind if I remove her leash for a bit? I
’m sure that she’d like some freedom from this noose sometimes.”
“Of course,” she said readily, regretting that Macy lacked the freedom that most dogs had. “She’s stuck with me all the time, and it will do her some good to have some real fun for a change.”
The children’s laughter intensified as they grew closer.
He led her to a nearby bench, and she sat down gratefully.
The bench groaned under his weight as he plopped down on her right. A wave of pleasure surged through her when he bumped against her. But, Xander was obviously unaffected as he went about removing the leash.
“Let’s get this thing off of you, girl,” he said with affection.
Macy’s tail thumped against her leg happily as he removed it and she couldn’t hold back her smile when Macy yelped with enthusiasm.
“How long do you usually walk her?” he asked, standing up.
“At least 20 minutes or longer,” she supplied, taking off the sunglasses before lifting her face to the sun.
Xander stared down at her.
She was achingly beautiful.
The sunlight splayed across her face, only highlighting her classic beauty even more.
A few tendrils had escaped her ponytail, and now hang loosely about her face.
To say she was beautiful would be an understatement.
It’d taken everything in him to withhold his own reaction to her.
Attraction had reared its head, and it had him by the jugular.
Everything about the woman was infectious.
Her voice…
Her smile…
Everything…
As she frowned towards him, he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
Get control of yourself.
You’re here to protect the woman, and that’s that!
Besides, he wasn’t about to become emotionally involved with any woman.
Especially her…a woman so perfect in every guard…too perfect for a monstrous soul like him…
A relationship between the two of them…it would be too……complicated.
“There aren’t too many people here right now,” she suggested with a smile. “Just the way I like it--- peaceful and calm.”
“Appears so,” he murmured distractedly, staring at her.
Suddenly, Macy whined beside him and was obviously impatient to be on her way.
“Patience, sweet Macy. You’ll be set free soon enough,” he insisted, stooping down to nuzzle under the dog’s chin affectionately.
Cautiously, he glanced around the wide open park.
Only a few people milled about, and he noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
A young girl played on a nearby swing, and the woman talking on the cell phone was obviously her mother. She swung high in the swing, and her mother called out a warning which she pointedly ignored. Blowing an exasperated breath, the woman turned away in frustration.
His eyes strayed to the walking track.
An elderly couple moved around it at a snail’s pace.
Most importantly, he didn’t detect the vamp’s scent.
The park was safe.
At least for now.
“Are you going to be okay?” he questioned, swinging his attention back to her.
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she scoffed gently, crossing her ankles. “Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about me. Besides, where am I going to go? You’re taking my sight along with you, so quite logically I won’t be able to see where I’m going.”
He scowled down at her. “Why would you say something like that?”
“It was a joke, Xander. Don’t take me too seriously, alright?”
He released a breath. “I’ll remember that next time.”
Then, he trailed after Macy who as sprinting across the park at breakneck speed.
Several minutes later, the dog still hadn’t exhausted herself. Amused, he watched as the canine chased its own tail in a dizzying circle.
Finally, he sobered as he expelled a deep sigh, and then, he skirted their surroundings again. Within the last minutes, more visitors had arrived, and he’d grown increasingly edgy as the park filled with exuberant children, parents, and caretakers. It would only give the crazed vamp another, rich-filled opportunity to strike and slaughter more innocent victims.
But, for now, the lunatic stalker had only one obsession.
Nicole.
Unfortunately for him, he had no intentions of allowing her to be his next victim.
“Hey, mister!” a young boy shouted, a few feet away.
The boy waved at him as he looked up, and he barely had time to register the soccer ball as it rolled across his feet. After a fast wave back to the boy’s smiling parents, he punted the ball back to him. The young boy confiscated the ball easily, and then charged off in a different direction.
He turned away from the family scene.
What would it have been like to be a young boy like him with a mother and father---to be fully human?
He shook his head.
There was no point in dwelling on something that was out of his control.
He was an immortal…
The dragon prince of Vale…
Nothing in the world would ever change that fact.
Like the reality of trying to protect a woman from another dangerous immortal, he mulled, and his scattered thoughts returned to the obsessed stranger…
At the break of dawn, while the peaceful city still slept, the crazed vamp had reappeared…
The outskirts of the city bore the rising madness as he thrashed through the woods at lightning speed. Like grand warriors, the towering Georgian pines shaded the dark forest, and only a faint sliver of moonlight filtered in to bathe the forest floor.
In a blinding whirl, he reached the small clearing. “Fuck!” he hissed, skidding to a halt, and threw a fast glance around. “Where in the hell are you, vamp boy?”
A subtle scent teased his senses, one that was foul and foreign.
Vamp boy was close, he deduced, turning in a slow circle.
To his right, the leaves in the huge tree shuddered, and on instinct, his laser-sharp gaze went aerial and zeroed in on the target. Amidst the large branches and leaves, the vampire crouched in a defensive position, and his red eyes glowed like burning embers.
“She’s belongs to me,” the vamp seethed, and his lips curled in anger. “Her every heartbeat…her soft skin…her innocent blood…I will feast on her like the delicacy that she is.”
“You know what? You talk too fucking much. Save your wannabe Shakespearean ramblings---I have no interest in hearing them,” he said coldly. He made a fateful step forward, quickly assessing his alternatives if trouble brewed. At the moment, he was in a vulnerable position. Not that he was actually vulnerable, considering that he had enough fire to burn the entire woods to a cinder, he mulled, giving an icy smile as he turned his attention to the vampire again. “One question for you---have you ever asked yourself why you’re running from me? Of course, you haven’t. A fucking coward never questions anything. They just run like hell and wish for the best.”
“A man of many words I see,” the vampire laughed, peering down at him, and his smile was equally cold. “Too bad they hold little to no worth. Trust me on this---you have no fucking idea who and what you’re up against.”
The vampire vanished.
He was no longer visible.
“Fuck!” he cursed again, swinging in a full circle.
The twigs snapped behind him.
He tensed.
Some kind of hell was about to be unleashed…
Within the dark shadows, an unholy violence simmered, and he held no doubt that he was the unwitting prey. The vampire’s mocking laughter filled the deep woods, although, he was nowhere to be seen. “You fool,” the vampire raged. “You were never in control. While you’re smothering my beloved with your unneeded presence, you will never have the ability or power to stop me.”
His words were icy col
d. “Go to hell.”
A feral cry split through the air, and it sounded like a thousand souls were embedded within it. The woods suddenly trembled in fright. Though no wind stirred within, the huge Georgian pines began to sway dangerously. The leaves fell from the branches onto the ground, peppering the forest floor in an array of weird colors.
The feral cries were more piercing.
Tensing further, he peered straight ahead.
Now, several feet away in the darkened space, the unworldly creatures were visible. In intermittent flashes, they revealed themselves, and they resembled human females. Yet, they were hardly that…
Creelers…
Immortal creatures that could mimic anything…
There were three of them, he deduced, and together, they were more powerful than any deadly army.
A fleeting voice whispered softly in the near distance, and it exuded a hypnotic quality. “Xander…come to me…come to me…Nicole…she’s damned…she’s damned…”
Suddenly, he found it hard to think or hold a coherent thought.
Without a doubt, they were trying to weave him within a hypnotic spell.
He shook his head to clear it.
If he lost this battle, Nicole would be dead.
“No,” he muttered coldly, shuddering with open rage. “You can’t have her. She will live.”
His earth-shattering scream echoed through the woods as he transformed. Immediately, a fiery shield swathed his body, and hot flames leapt all around him. Body heaving, breaths harsh and fast, he awaited the rising storm.
With feral cries, the Creelers broke from the shadows.
Through the fiery haze, he watched them.
They were strikingly beautiful immortal creatures, though deadly. One miniscule taste of their venomous poisonous----you were stone cold dead. Nude, not bearing a stitch of clothing, they slithered across the forest floor. They ranged in different ethnicities…Asian…African-American…Caucasian…Their eyes resembled blue crystals, but the pupils were blood red. Their raven black hair fell past their shoulders, and under the fiery blaze that he emitted, they shone with a blinding brilliance.
At that moment, they rushed at him.
But, they were hardly a force against the searing heat. Hissing, they all fell back and eyed him with burning anger. After passing him a final look, they tore away and fled through the deep woods.
Dragon Reign: A Paranormal Love Tale Page 10