by Gina Kincade
My bare skin puckered as the air hit it me. Blood trickled freely and I knew Sid was completely aware of what she was doing as she briefly assessed my wound. Her gaze dipped down, across my scarred chest, and I watched her face as it heated.
A part of me was pleased I still caused a reaction in her after all this time apart. Her eyes locked onto mine, and she lifted her chin before stepping over to a locked cabinet. "Of course there's a bullet in your arm. Why wouldn't there be? Lay down, Alexei." She attempted to keep her distance by fiddling with stuff over at the counter with her back turned It was exactly what I'd been doing for the past two years.
I obeyed her command. The cold table was a shock to my body, but it was the least of my worries right now. I was glad I'd already stashed my dagger back in the holster attached to my lower leg so she wouldn't have another thing to look at me sadly about. Then she was standing over me, her hands busy readying a hypothermic needle. "This is to tranquilize horses. Since you're roughly the size of a small Shire, you should be fine." Sid wouldn't look me in the eyes now.
There was no finesse or gentleness as she scrubbed my arm with an antiseptic wipe. "I hope you've got a better bedside manner with your dogs," I murmured. I saw her nostrils flare. At least she had some reaction to me.
"My dogs don't leave me hanging for two years, not knowing whether they're dead or alive." The stab of the needle was harsh and I winced. It was probably the least I deserved after the way I'd disappeared on the day I did.
My eyes began to close. I didn't want them to, I wanted to see her; they were thirsty for her after all these years. "I'm going to clean this up, and get that bullet out. Then I'm going to stitch you up and you can go back to wherever it was you came from because I certainly don't want or need you in my life any longer."
Okay, that was justified. But now I'd been forced to see her again and the countdown had started, there was no time for her to be mad at me. Since I was in her life again, I wanted forever with her. It was the same every time.
Forever. It was a long time, and all I would have was hours. Fate was a bitch. Balan, too.
Blackness drowned my thoughts as I finally closed my eyes against the world, knowing I would be dreaming of her. My dreams were always a welcome relief.
Chapter Three – Saturday, 9:45AM
I awoke with a start to the sound of soft singing. Blinking, I strained to remember where I was in the fog that had descended over my brain.
Sidney.
Swinging my legs off the edge, a light blanket fell to my waist and I fisted it as I took a few deep breaths, clearing the cloud. My mouth felt like I'd been licking a rock and I grimaced, looking around for something to drink. Someone had left a small plastic cup on the rolling stand next to me. I picked it up, sniffed it to make sure it was water, and drunk it all down. Bliss.
The medicinal smell hit me then as I gingerly slipped off the table, folding the blanket and putting it back where I'd been laying. I had on my jeans, but I was sans top. Checking my shoulder, I pulled off the sticky plaster and found it to be neatly stitched. There was no sign of silver in my body, as far as I could tell, so she must have pulled the bullet out with no additional problems.
The singing stopped and I looked up toward the double doors marked private. Sid would probably appear at any moment, so I waited. And waited.
"Fuck this." I glanced at the clock on the wall and cringed. I'd been asleep almost for a couple of hours. It was close to midday. There wasn't time to wait around and be polite.
Walking to the doors, I entered, looking around for where she could be. The first thing I did notice was this place was vast. And painted completely in whites and creams.
"Now what do we have here?" An older woman with an addictive smile came to a standstill in front of me. "Sid, sweetie?" She called out, louder. "I think your young man is awake. And he's shirtless." The woman looked me up and down for a moment. "Let's keep him that way—it'll be good for staff morale." She threw her head back and laughed, then almost instantly shoved her hand out toward mine. I automatically took it in my larger one. Her face turned serious. "My name's Val. You must be Alexei. You're the one Sidney never speaks about. You better behave yourself while you're here." Val's gaze dipped again. "I'm sure your shoulder is healing fine since Sid gave you her full attention. I'll give you some new dressings soon." The constant change in conversation made my already fuzzy mind blur. I nodded and I thought she must have been happy because she walked away, humming a popular song as she went.
Okay.
"How are you feeling?" I turned at the familiar voice and was glad to finally see Sid with a clear mind. Pushing my heart back where it needed to stay, I took in her appearance. She'd changed out of the damp uniform she's been in earlier. Now she was wearing jeans and a tight t-shirt with the logo of the Sanctuary emblazoned across it. It emphasised her large boobs and my gaze dropped down, remembering the weight of them in my hands. My dick hardened and I knew it was going to be hard to stay around her without touching her. Finding her pleasure points was my favourite thing—it was right above killing.
"Feeling good. I've been told your talented hands helped me." If she noticed the twinkle in my eye and the attempt to lighten the situation, she didn't acknowledge it.
"You were injured—I don't reject any stray that can't look after themselves. But when they're well, they're re-homed. It's a simple rule."
"But rules can be broken, right?" Hell, I'd spent my life doing so.
"Maybe in your world, Alex. Definitely not mine." Shit, was she reading my mind?
"Well maybe you should learn to break the rules a little. It might be good for your stress levels," I pointedly looked down at her hands where she was screwing up and pulling apart a paper towel.
"My stress levels are completely okay, Alexei." She said, balling the towel and throwing it into a small bin in the hallway. "But if there is anything which is affecting me right now, it's you—"
"That's good to know." She was already shaking her head at me. Her new cute style shimmered softly and I was entranced by the colours at the ends of the strands.
"No, you know exactly what I mean."
"I do. And I promise not to tempt you at all." I leaned in close, catching her scent and memorising every part of it. "Unless you want me to, of course."
Sid threw back her head and laughed. "Really, Alex. Really? You're worse than I remembered." She went to walk away and stopped, turning back to face me. "I'm pretty sure I'm in the Twilight-Zone here. You waltz back in here, like nothing happened, and you expect...expect—"
"Absolutely nothing from you. I wanted to see you. I missed you."
"Do you realise I can't trust anything you say right now?" Sid said, turning and walking off this time. "I really want to, but I can't. Because I know you'll let me down." Sid stopped once more at the end of the hallway. "You're going to hurt me and leave and I can't take that again. So leave now, Alexei. If not for you, for me."
If I'd have taken my silver tipped dagger and thrust it into my heart, it wouldn't have hurt as much as her words. Yeah, I'd done the wrong thing by even staying in Sidney's life two years ago, but she was my addiction, a life-force which I couldn't control. And I desperately wanted to maintain even an ounce of that because I knew life was going to fall apart once again in a few short hours.
Chapter Four – Saturday, 10:10AM
Although my time was limited with her, I also needed to pace myself to make sure she didn't throw a right hook at me.
The kitchen beckoned me, and I took the time to try and figure out a plan on how to get her to forgive me—or at least tolerate being in the same room as me for more than five minutes. This was going down the toilet right now.
Twenty minutes later I looked up and she was standing in the doorway, watching me. Her beautiful brown eyes were hooded. Maybe she was remembering the good times we had not so long ago. We were more than compatible—we were perfect for each other. There was no question of that.
&nb
sp; After a moment, Sid coughed, breaking the silence between us which was far from comfortable. "I see you've found the cheap coffee. I might have known you'd still be addicted to the stuff." Her smile was sweet for a couple of moments, then sadness flooded her face and I desperately wanted to take the pain away from her. I just didn't know how.
After a moment, she carried on speaking. "I've found a t-shirt which might be big enough for you." Her eyes dipped and she stared at my chest. I'd never been particularly prudish about my body—she'd know that more than anyone—but the fact she could see all the scars of my past, new and old, bothered me more than it should.
I'd never been one to regret my past. What was done was done. But she made me want to better myself. She always had. And I had simply been a let down to her because I hadn't trusted her with my secrets. Things had to change.
"I'm not going to ask, because it's none of my business. And if you thought I should know, you would have told me before now. I see there's knife wounds, a couple of gun-shots and maybe a surgery on your abdomen. There'll always be secrets in your life so I won't bother asking. Not this time." The last was said quietly as she once again caught my eye, lifting her chin so there was no doubt in my mind she meant business. "But I'm settled, I don't need to deal with all this again, Alexei. I can't."
"I know." And I did. It had made me walk away the first time. This time I had to see it through to the end. However that end came. Anger hit me hard in the gut at the prospect of death for this vivacious woman. She had her whole life ahead of her, but because she was nearing thirty years old, her life would end.
"Leave soon, please." Her voice invaded my thoughts once more. Then she was gone from the doorway. It shouldn't have mattered that she was dismissing me out of her life, like I'd done to her years before, but it did. I got to my feet and followed her, grabbing hold of her arms and pulling her around to face me.
Sid's mouth dropped open as she looked up at me. She looked so small and vulnerable right now.
"I can't leave you yet, Sidney. Don't ask me to explain, I can't. Yet. But know that, for the next day, you're stuck with me." I was running on fear, on instinct. All I wanted to do was taste her, if only for a brief moment. And I couldn't fight it any longer.
I bent my head to hers, taking her supple lips with my own as my hands dropped from her arms and moved to cup her face. Fireworks went off in my body as I pulled her closer. Her arms wound around my neck, pulling me near. She opened her mouth for me to taste her.
Everything was perfect again for twenty long seconds and I started to believe things would turn out for the best.
Then she was pulling away, putting her arms up between us. "No, Alex. I can't. You're you and I'm only me. I can't take this unpredictable world of yours again. I won't. Sex might work on other women to do your bidding, but it won't work on me. Am I clear?" Her voice rose as she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. "I'm not that woman any longer. And I really don't want you here because I'm hitting the big three zero."
I waited for five seconds after she'd disappeared from the hallway to turn around and kick the bin. It landed with a clatter against the wall, spilling some of its contents.
I sighed, moving over to the mess to clear it up. What was happening to me? I was a demon. Death was a part of life for me, yet I couldn't get my feelings under control for a woman who seemingly doesn't feel the same way about me—even if we are destined to be together.
Walking into the kitchen, I refilled my cup. A dog whined in the background. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, dude."
"Who are you talking to?" Val appeared out of nowhere. She didn't give me time to answer. "I'm glad you're still here, though. Are you allergic to cats?" I shook my head. Allergic was probably the wrong word. Deathly afraid of them because felines and demons go way back was a better answer. "Good. I need another pair of hands. Follow me." She was already wandering off deeper into the recesses of the veterinary practice. I hesitated, knowing that I should take any opportunity to stay as close to Sid as possible. Even if the clawed ones would probably slash me. I ambled after her, still conscious of my aching arm but hoping that I didn't have to clean cat litter trays out. Because dude, I was a fucking mean-ass demon and I shouldn't have to.
I eventually found Val in a small room off the main treatment area, bending over a small cage. "What I need you to do is feed this darling little critter, Alexei." I slowly moved forward so I could see over her shoulder.
A small bundle of something sat looking back at me. "Er, no. I don’t think I'm the right person for this job." Nope, I definitely didn't do cute and fluffy.
"Well, Sidney needs me urgently. We're understaffed this evening. So it's either this or go clear out the dog kennels. There's six of them and one had diarrhoea this morning." My stomach churned and I looked hard at the small ball of fluff. I could have fit five of them in one hand, it was so small.
Val carried on talking as I visibly grimaced. "And little Baby needs feeding every couple of hours. There's your choice. A pack of dogs or a sweet little kitten." She turned around with a determined look on her face. I scowled deeper, a look which had made big tough demons cower. Of course it didn't work with this lady. Why would it? She could probably do my job better than me.
Val nodded at my unspoken choice. "Good. The bottle is here and it's ready to use. Do it immediately, please. Baby has had a tough time of it for the first couple of weeks of her life." She turned around and walked off fast like a woman on a mission.
"What's its name?"
"Baby, I told you."
Baby the fucking kitten. What the hell was I doing here? Oh right, Sid, though tending a cat wasn't helping that particular problem. Then again, I wasn't doing too well on my own so far, was I?
Quiet finally descended on this part of the facility. I wondered how Sidney was baring up. I really needed to exercise some restraint. I couldn't make her upset or pissed because she still had a job to do. A little squeak behind me had me turning and glaring at the little monster. It looked like a tiger. Except a lot smaller. And maybe a little cuter.
"Well, buddy." I refused to call it Baby. Who the hell names a kitten Baby anyway? "It looks like it's you and me. You better not get any ideas because of what I am. There'll be no hesitation in putting you in a pie and eating you if you start with that slashing shit."
I stepped closer, picking up the bottle and reluctantly reached in to pick up the little thing. It felt fragile in my large hand and I wondered how the fuck I'd found myself feeding a kitten when just this morning I was killing demons. My usual weekend consisted of chasing rogue demons and keeping them under control so they could be sent back to Hell.
There was a large chair in the room which I gratefully sat in. My arm ached, and although I'd live, the less I could use it now, the better it would be when trouble came knocking. And it would. Because it followed me like a shadow.
I sat and positioned the animal on my lap so I could feed it. She didn't want to sit still, and wanted to clumsily climb up me. Finally I allowed her to settle exactly where she wanted to be—right under my chin, perched looking at me from my chest. Her big eyes seemed to see everything about me and still she wanted to be there.
"Yeah, I don't think this is supposed to be how it works, little one." It watched me carefully and mewed softly. "Yeah, yeah. I know, feed me, Stupid. Right?"
I stroked her gently. It was funny how calming the small action was. It made me feel a little less like I was on my own in this wicked world of mine. Scoffing, I shook my head. Maybe I was in the business for a holiday if I was taking great pleasure in pretending I was normal.
Chapter Five – Saturday, 12:15PM
As I came awake from what felt like the first sleep of a lifetime, I blinked, instantly aware I wasn't alone in the room any longer. Opening my eyes properly and scanning the room, my body was instantly on alert until I saw that it was actually Sid watching me. My heart rate levelled out. How I could have been so stupid to fall asleep when
there were so many other things I could be doing?
Sid stepped toward me from her perch in the doorway. It was becoming a habit that I'd find her there. A small smile sat on her beautiful face and she didn't bother clearing it. "I had no idea you had such a soft spot for spoiled kittens, Alexei."
It took a moment to realise what she was talking about. Then I felt the soft fur of the kitten tucked into my neck and reluctantly smiled. Sid stepped forward and reached over to gently take my little buddy away, storing it safely back in the small pen. The pussy didn't even stir.
Sid stood back, looking at me carefully. Her face shut down again. I was getting used to seeing that, unfortunately. "You're still here."
I didn't miss a beat. "You helped me and now I'm recuperating. It was a bad accident that I'll be sure to report. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I'm able." The almost-lie tripped off my tongue, way too easily. It was becoming a habit that was hard to break. Frankly, I hated myself for doing it to her.
Maybe we really were so connected she could read my mind. "It comes so easy for you, doesn't it? Lie after lie. When am I ever going to know the truth about you, Alexei?" Her fists came to sit on her hips and she glared at me before spinning on her heel to leave. It was time for some truth, and she wasn't getting away so easily this time. Not like this.
Jumping up from my comfy chair I reached Sidney before she escaped back out the door, holding her forearm. A tingle shot through my body at holding the woman I'd been so into years before. Things hadn't changed in the slightest. I pulled her back into the room and closed the door.