The First Touch

by Alice Sweet

  Next, she instructed her driver to take her to an upscale hotel near the coffee shop. Once she got there she checked in and put her duffle bags under the bed. Then she headed for the coffee shop. She got there nearly an hour earlier than she had planned so she headed inside and bought a cup of coffee. Then she sat at the table near the front door waiting for her mate.

  Twenty minutes later, the same two men from her apartment headed down the walk way instead. Autumn huffed, then stood and calmly walked to the bathroom. There she pulled her hair down and flung it around messing up her meticulous hair style from before. Then she put her knit cap on over her now messy mop, took off her jacket and turned it inside out and then walked over to another female in the bathroom. There she lied explained that her brothers debt collectors were going to ruff her up. The young woman was surprisingly helpful and she pulled the fire alarm on her way out moments later.

  Autumn ran from the building with the rest of the patrons and nearly knocked over a table with the rush of people pushing her to get out. The police and fire department were in front of the building. The two men left as soon as the sirens began wailing, luckily without spotting her. When the lights and sirens left, she spotted Ivan walking up the sidewalk. She smiled watching him walking tall, making his way through the flow of stop and go traffic with ease. She quickly ducked back inside of the coffee shop and sat at the table near the window watching him.

  He stopped in front of the coffee shop and watched as people passed by. Autumn tried not to make it too obvious that she was watching him. Inside though, she knew that he already knew that she was, so she figured the sooner that she approached the better. Hopefully before she spooked him and he ran. If he ran she knew that this was even less likely to go well. She took a deep breath and stood walking out on to the side walk standing next to him and asked politely, “Can you tell me what time it is?”

  Ivan did not even look at her as he said; “I am not wearing a watch.”

  Autumn smiled, “Yes you are.”

  Ivan finally looked at her and said, “How do you know?”

  “You’re dressed like a suit. They always wear watches.”

  Ivan did not respond to her comment he merely obliged glancing at his hidden watch, “Six fifteen.”

  She looked around as if she were waiting for someone, then she said, “Thanks.” Ivan barely nodded and Autumn felt Ivan’s agitation growing. She responded uncharacteristically friendly for her in a last ditch hope of hooking him, “It’s the strangest thing, I keep having this dream, and it is always in front of this coffee shop.” Ivan raised his eye brow and Autumn waved her hand at him and said, “I know crazy right.” Then she huffed and leaned against the wall and pulled her note pad out and began writing Grayton a note.

  Can you please stop by my apartment and get my cat Jack. I will pick him up as soon as I can. Also in room three thirty seven at the Hotel Rouge there are two duffle bags under the bed. They contain important files that are for the council’s eyes only. Please see to it that everyone takes a look at them. Thank you for your help. Oh and tell Serena that the second one is in the apartment next to mine. I have enclosed her phone number she is expecting a male to call her for a date tomorrow. I told her that we work together at the lab. Also that he likes classical music and that he plays several instruments. Another helpful tid bit is that her native language is Russian and she is the most comfortable speaking it.

  Sadly she is not intended for anyone in the council; it will be another clan all together. But I fear she will take a no call, as rejection, so someone should call and get her kissed Saturday night. The third is a female she will be picked up by Mirth somehow, the most important piece of information is that she will become invisible once her change becomes complete. Only I and others with her ability will be able to see her unless you mark her body with paint or latex or something. Mirth will use the girl as his own personal toy, and she will be loyal to a fault unless, we pick her up before he does.

  Ivan cleared his throat and said, “It doesn’t sound crazy.”

  Autumn smiled and replied, “Thank you.” Autumn wrote the time on the corner of the note. Then Ivan asked, “What was your dream about?”

  Autumn smiled again, “Just meeting someone. Someone important I think. It is strange. You know, I don’t think I would care about it so much, if it weren’t for the fact that I have had it nearly every night for a week now. “

  Then Autumn opened her bag and knelt down and put her things away. She felt Ivan struggling with a decision then and she smiled and added, “It is just so vivid.” Then she stood and said to herself, “A smoking man.”

  Ivan asked dismissively, “He was smoking a cigarette?”

  Autumn frowned, “No his was body was smoking. He asked me...”

  He huffed and then turned towards her fully, “What did he ask you?”

  She answered honestly, “He asked me to kiss him.”

  Ivan asked looking at her skeptically, “When did you start having this dream?”

  Autumn answered truthfully, “It started about a week ago.” Ivan huffed again, and then a group bumped Autumn and she knocked into Ivan. Autumn intentionally lost her balance and Ivan caught her just as she knew he would. As a scrambled to get up she intentionally slid her fingers up and brushed Ivan’s bare wrist. He nearly threw her as he pulled her hand away. Autumn looked at him surprised, “Wow you are fast.” Ivan rubbed his wrist inspecting it closely though not seeming surprised like he had the first time.

  Autumn shrugged eyeing him, “Anyways, thanks.” Then she shouldered her bag and began walking off, her heart beginning to pound. Ivan immediately matched her pace and said, “My name is Ivan, what is yours.”

  She smiled knowingly and responded, “Autumn”

  Ivan asked seeming nervous, “Can I buy you a cup of coffee.”

  Autumn smiled devilishly and gesturing over her shoulder at the coffee shop that she just left, “I already had one.”

  Ivan turned desperate then and Autumn smiled enjoying the game now that Ivan was hooked, “Listen you seem like a nice guy and all, but you’re just not my type.” Ivan seemed alarmed, and Autumn smiled teasing, “Unless you’re my burning man.”

  Ivan grinned though his stiff posture did not change, “I might be.”

  Autumn smiled and then eyed Ivan carefully and, replied, “Not likely.” Then Ivan’s eyes widened as Autumn slid her hand into his gloved hand and she pulled him into the next alley.

  Autumn smiled mischievously, “Take your gloves off.” He complied instantly, watching her closely, while Autumn rested her back against the brick wall of the adjacent building, wondering if the two of them looked as much like junkies sharing a fix as she felt at the moment. Ivan stepped in closer and then hesitated, she smiled and gestured for Ivan to come closer a look of desire on her face. Ivan leaned in for a kiss and she stopped him with a single finger to his lips. He stood absolutely still then as Autumn unbuttoned Ivan’s top three buttons. Then she leaned forward kissing his neck softly.

  His reaction was the same as before, even his breathing quickened. Autumn smiled, her lips still touching Ivan’s skin, “You are shaking.”

  Ivan lied, “I am cold.”

  Autumn smiled again and pulled her head back and said sarcastically, “Yeah right.” Then she leaned in again and kissed him deeply. Autumn concentrated, pulling a bit of the flame from his chest just as she had done before.

  Finally she pulled away, continuing to smile though. Then she pushed him away shaking the fuzz off, “Alright confession time, first I need you to take this,” she handed him the journal and note pad and said, “Read these and protect them with your life. My phone number is written on the front cover of the journal, if you need me, call me. Now I have to go, and meet with someone else. If I don’t show up he will make another...ah... appointment.” Ivan still seemed stunned, more so than she remembered that he had been the first time and Autumn asked, “Are you alright love?”

  He nodd
ed though his face was still pale. “Wait did I not get it all?” Ivan’s eyes were turning black now and she slid her hand to his face. Then to make sure she kissed him again. Ivan did not fight her, so she thought that she was doing the right thing. But then Ivan placed his hand onto her neck and pushed her away. Then he twisted his neck and held her back against the wall asking, “Who sent you?”

  His voice was foggy sounding, and Autumn asked, “Are you alright?”

  Ivan nodded, though it seemed more to himself than to her, “Who do you work for?”

  Autumn hissed, “Paranoid.”

  Ivan hissed back, “Who do you work for?”

  “Bite my hand.” Ivan twisted his head again and Autumn hissed sounding more forceful, “Bite my hand and taste my blood. I am not lying.”

  Ivan’s brow furrowed and his hand tightened, “How will tasting you prove that?”

  Autumn clenched her jaw and held her hand up, “How do you think?” Ivan growled and she pushed her hand up to his mouth unafraid. Ivan flinched at her lack of reaction and then eyed her hand suddenly feeling the desire to try. Autumn puffed at his indecision, and then she added “Please try love.”

  Ivan stiffened at her choice of word, and pushed her hand away. Autumn replied, “If I am lying then you can kill me.” Ivan looked at her for a moment and then leaned in sniffing her skin along her throat. Autumn put her hand back up to Ivan’s face and he looked at it wearily and said nearly growling, “If this is a trick.” Autumn could not respond from the amount of pressure on her throat. But Ivan seemed to understand her answer.

  He finally conceded and bit into it, gently, slowly at first and then gradually becoming greedier as her heart began beating faster. Nearly a minute later, Autumn finally spoke, “Ivan, love that should be enough.” Ivan finally gasped for air and she smiled watching him. His eyes were still closed, trying to process all of the material. Meanwhile, she pulled a cloth from her bag and then wrapped her hand with it, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. A few moments later, she felt Ivan pressing himself into her chest.

  Autumn opened her eyes to see that his eyes were finally open, clouded and blinking quickly. She could tell he was trying desperately to catch up now, his throat making random sounds of absorption. She took that as a sign for her to leave but he shot his arm out stopping her, nearly putting a hole in the wall next to her head in fact. Autumn waited a moment and then heard him growl as she tried again. Autumn had a moment of panic as she felt Ivan leaned forward and began sniffing her and then to her surprise he began kissing her neck. His eyes were still closed. Autumn slowly pulled her head back watching, the globes inside continued twitching as he watched the memories flashing before them.

  Ivan felt her pull away and growled, stepping closer again, still in his trance of absorption. Then he began kissing her neck softly, and sliding his hands all over her body exploring it eagerly. She smiled enjoying the attention from him, realizing then that something was different about Ivan. She tried to pin point it but then he stopped suddenly and said in a husky voice, “I am sorry about letting you see me frightened.”

  Autumn tensed then and leaned forward and said, “It is alright love you didn’t know.”

  Then he nodded solemnly, “I am sorry.” Autumn nodded hoping he would continue, but he stubbornly refused to be seduced again. Then he said his brows furrowing though his eyes were still closed, “I am staying with you.” Autumn hissed, and Ivan’s eyes finally flickered open, and he watched her unflinching, “I am not leaving you alone.”

  Autumn pouted then, “But I have such a good plan.”

  Ivan growled, “No your plan is flawed.”

  Autumn frowned, “How do you know?” Ivan raised his eye brow, Autumn smiled and continued, “My plan is not flawed though.” Ivan’s eyes intensified and Autumn stepped out from under his gaze, “Alright but I still think that the man who followed us needs to be taken care of.”

  Ivan frowned, “Why?”

  Autumn answered, “I don’t think that, that should be changed in this time line. I am guessing but I think there are three, no wait four, no five important things that need to be taken care of.”

  Ivan repeated, “Five?”

  Autumn smiled sweetly, “Well four now, we handled the kiss.”

  He nodded, not acknowledging her smile, “And the four others?”

  Autumn furrowed her brows thoughtfully, “Get rid of the bad man and Gregory and then get Sophia, and Lyla kissed.”

  He nodded, “And when you wake up?”

  Autumn frowned, “When I wake up, we will have my test and I will handle Mirth and his clan.”

  Ivan closed his eyes for a moment and then added, “Gregory was the one who woke you up.” Autumn nodded, though Ivan missed it since his eyes were still closed, and she continued, “Then you and the council will have to keep me hidden and safe until I finish the first stage. Just insure that no one but the council knows about my abilities. When I wake up, we can proceed.”

  Ivan stated the obvious then, “If you never wake up?”

  Autumn smirked grimly, “If I never wake up then I am sorry. But at least you know how to kill Mirth now.”

  He frowned, “It might be better to keep Gregory alive.”

  Autumn snapped near hysterical, “What and keep repeating groundhog day? No way! I would rather sleep forever than re-live the same days over and over. I would go insane.”

  Ivan nodded though it seemed more for show, “We do not even know if it is Gregory.”

  She shook her head, “Well unless I am moving myself back each time.” She paused considering the option, and then said more to herself, “But if that were the case it would be to clean up loose ends and prevent mistakes. Like leaving Gregory alive and letting Lyla end up in the hands of Mirth, not cool.”

  Autumn paced in the alley deep in thought now, “No I am pretty sure that it is Gregory because he knew that another one was coming. No, better yet he knew that the change had not been successful. So either he is doing it or he is aware of each of the shifts and retains the information as I do.”

  Ivan interjected closing his eyes, “When did you see the men at your apartment and at the coffee shop.”

  She stopped pacing and replied, “That was today. They are either Mirth’s or Gregory’s doing.”

  He added, “Or both.”

  Autumn nodded, “So we need to find killer quickly and get everyone else up to speed as soon as possible, because if Mirth knows, then he will ask to have the test done, and we will be doomed to repeat the last scene again. There is also the possibility that if Gregory stays alive, then as soon as I fall asleep, I will likely wake up even further back, and probably surrounded by worse.” She began pacing again, “I don’t know if he read the files. Because if he did then he could change my past...” She cursed to herself, “I might have a different outcome all together. Wait what if that was what Serena was showing me?”

  Ivan frowned, “When?”

  Autumn frowned, “When I spoke to her during my second run at the tests.”

  He nodded trying to place it, and then replied, “But that was about your possible outcomes of that fight.”

  Autumn nodded, “Yes that is a possibility, but she also said her visions were only definite, what if each one of those is going to happen?” Then she began to wonder aloud, “But if he is controlling time then why did I come back to this day? Why not the day I was born or something, I would have been easy pickings.”

  “You were born today.”

  “I guess it is sort of like being born.”

  Ivan frowned, and then Autumn frowned back at him, “I don’t see it.”

  He explained, “The light, the pain, taking your first breath?”

  “I did not experience it the same way.”

  Ivan frowned deeper, his mind still trying to sort the memories out, “I guess you are right. Your release was slower and your eyes,” he stepped in closer and slid his hand up to her cheek.

  She looke
d down replying quietly, “I know they will look frightening for a little while.”

  He frowned and stepped back dropping his hand his voice going flat, “I had the impression that change was permanent.”

  Autumn nodded, “Yes but I can change them back and forth, so you will not have to see them like that again.”

  Ivan frowned and then scowled at her, “They are fine either way.”

  Autumn looked up at him finally and asked eyeing him carefully, “You were so frightened before.”

  He cut her off with a slight edge to his voice, “I told you before I thought something was wrong with you.” Autumn nodded disbelieving, then Ivan added, “I am even fonder of them now, that I have seen them through your eyes.”

  Autumn nodded blushing, “What exactly did you see?”

  Ivan averted his gaze, “Nothing important.”

  She coughed then, she felt a dry scratchiness begin to tickle her throat. The familiar sensation filled her heart with dread. Then she cursed to herself, “Maybe I shouldn’t have done the kiss so early.”

  Ivan pushed his hand through his hair, and replied, “No that was logical. I would not have stayed with you unless you touched me and started the process.” Autumn frowned disagreeing, then Ivan added, “You are safer with a vessel around until your change is complete”

  Autumn frowned, touching her throat, “I am just so thirsty all of a sudden.”

  Ivan eyed her for a moment, then Autumn cut off his thought process, “And I could have explained and had you bite before the kiss....” Then she paused looking away again, “But, well, you saw what happened in the very first scenario.”

  “You made the right choice.”

  Autumn frowned again, her brows squeezing together, “I don’t know. How long before I fall asleep... If I had waited and maybe taken care of the bad man first. Then tracked you down...”

  Ivan did not seem happy with her words, “No you were too weak as Autumn human. There is no need to put you in that danger, even now.”