Losing Emma (A Divisa Novella) (Divisa Series)

by Weil, J. L.

  After he sent Travis back to the house Chase picked up on the movements of hell’s beast. They might not be the most intellectual of minions but they were relentless. And headed right this way. He didn’t like them this close to home or this close to Lexi. Preferring to keep her out of as much as the dirty business as possible, he bolted off in the opposite direction. The plan was to lead them astray.

  He heard the sicken call of the hunt when the beast picked up on his scent.

  Game on. Time to ice this fool

  Pivoting on the balls of his feet, he spun around the same time the mangy creature lunged in the air. He caught it by the vicious hound’s muzzle. Gripping the vile beast’s jaws with his hands, he held him at bay. The teeth on this sucker were like knives and dripped with some ungodly fowl and sticky substance.

  Ugh. Try as hard as the creature could, he was unable to get his fangs latched on to any part of Chase. Another Divisa might not be so lucky, if you called his abilities luck. Chase begged to differ. There wasn’t anything good about what he was.

  Blood-thirsty bastard. Its dark eyes burned with hungry.

  As he stared into the hounds eyes no longer in the mood to play, his life suddenly felt empty. A shell.

  Without further ado he tightened his hands on its neck, and with one good thrust the sound of a high-pitched yelp was followed by the snapping of bones. The mutts head lobbed to the side, hanging lifeless from its body. Chase tossed the dead form aside a moment before it erupted into dark dust spraying over the snow like muddy slush.

  It was dirty work, but someone had to do it. Turning to head back the way he had come, he was startled by the whoosh of an arrow being released from its bow. A second later, that arrow whizz past his ear nicking the top of it before embedding itself into the trunk of a massive tree.

  Touching to top of his ear, he wasn’t surprised to see blood on his hand.

  Just goddamn peachy. Hunters.

  Guess it was possible for this day to get more dreadful.

  They must have picked up on the hellhounds, knowing that they would lead them to the common goal.

  Hunt Divisa.

  He was glad that he had insisted Travis stay home with Lexi. Lord only knows what kind of trouble Travis could have gotten them in. He wasn’t exactly the hunters biggest fan. Not that Chase was either, but he preferred more of an erase your memory method than to killing.

  He knew when to fight and when to retreat.

  There came to a point when you were tired of the blood on your hands.

  Tired of the fighting.

  Tired of hiding.

  Scanning the direction the arrow had come from, his eyes lit up the dark woods until they landed on his shadowy target. There was something eerily familiar about this hunter. It ate at Chase, unable to pinpoint what it was.

  From the outlined form he was male and in excellent physique. Chase wasn’t about to stick around like a sitting duck while he tried to figure it out. Taking off in warp speed, he decided to take a scenic route home just in case they had some device for tracking. If there was one thing the hunters were, it was creative in their methods.

  Chapter 13

  Emma closed the front door and leaned against it. This had been the weirdest date of her existence, and the most memorable by far. Her head was still spinning, mostly from what she had learned tonight.

  The strangest part was she felt anxious. Not for what Travis was but for the separation. The moment he left, the feeling began to trickle in her belly and spread the longer time spanned. She didn’t understand this at all.

  “Emmy,” called Abigail’s tiny voice from the top of the stairs.

  Abi’s little butt scooted down the stairs in her own little fashion, plopping her butt on the carpet of each one step.

  Smiling tenderly, she scooped down and engulfed her into her arms, breathing in the fresh scent of her baby shampoo. Monkey had just had her nighttime bath. That sounded like a glorious idea.

  A hot, steamy, frothy bubble bath.

  Burying her face into Abi’s chubby neck, she nuzzled her, loving her squeal of delight. “What trouble have you been up to little monkey?”

  Abi tossed her short arms around Emma’s neck. “Coloring!” she replied overexcitedly. “And dolls.” She jumped a little in her arms after each word.

  “Wow. Sounds like you had an exciting day also.”

  “I miss you,” she stated, and then planted a giant smack on Emma’s cheek, grinning widely.

  “I missed you too,” Emma said, flicking the end of her perky cute nose.

  Her mom rounded at the top of the stairs looking tired and frazzled. The front of her shirt was splashed with water stains. It looked like Abi’s bath had gotten a little wild. Monkey could be such a handful.

  “Hey mom.”

  “I wondered where she ran off to.” She watched her mom run a hand through her straggly blonde hair. “How was your day? Did you and your friend have fun?”

  A small pit of guilt settled in her already tense stomach. She had no idea how much that small lie was going to come back and bite her in the ass. Before leaving the house this morning, she had informed her mom that she was spending the day with a new friend from school – Lexi. Well not an entire lie, because she had spent some time with Lexi. Just not under the pretense she had implied to her mom.

  God this was messy.

  She knew that sooner or later she wasn’t going to be able to hide what was going on with her and Travis. She didn’t want to. After all the secrets in Travis’s life, the last thing she wanted was to add another or for him to think that she was ashamed of him. Because that was anything but the truth, she couldn’t be more proud to be with him.

  “It was fine. Nothing crazy.” If she only knew. Her mom would kill her for sure, and Lexi would be off limits.

  Her eyes softened. “I’m glad you are making friends honey.”

  “Me too.”

  “Me too,” echoed a wiggling Abi, shinning a toothy grin.

  Emma rolled me eyes. “I’ll put her to bed.”

  Nodding her head, she watched her mom walk down the hall.

  “Looks like you have worn out the whole house,” she said to Abi while tickling her. Abi giggled innocently breaking the silent house. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “Story,” the bossy three year old demanded.

  After two bedtime stories and a gazillion kisses, Emma left Abi hugging her stuffed unicorn with droopy eyes and the nightlight illuminating her lavender room.

  A bath never sounded so good.

  Sitting on the edge of the porcelain tub, she drew a bath just hot enough to stand without scorching her toes. She was sure her skin was going to be as pink as a pig afterwards. Adding a generous amount of jasmine bubbles, she sunk in all the way up to her chin and sighed.

  For the first time all day she was alone. Utterly alone with her thoughts. She wasn’t sure if she should cry for the near escape at death, cry for the emotional overdrive, or just cry because she was a girl, and that’s what girl’s do.

  In the end no tears came. Instead she thought about Travis, trying to digest the intense and fast feelings he evoked. They hardly knew each other – obviously, but it didn’t seem like that. Not when they were together. It was harmonious.

  Even after he told her he was half-demon it didn’t change the connection she felt to him. If even possible she felt closer because he had told her, trusted her.

  She knew then that she was in love with him.

  Crazy.

  Hopelessly.

  Loved him.

  That complicated things, at least with her parents. Tomorrow she was going to have to break the ice (ugh that phrase brought bad memories) and broach the subject of dating. Baby steps. Then invite him to meet the parents.

  Doom music please.

  Padding barefoot in boxers and a tee from the bathroom to her bedroom, she softly shut the door behind. Her bed literally sang to her relaxed and tired muscles. Feeling high on love, she
fell into bed and immediately reached for her phone. It was late but not ungodly late.

  Travis’s number rang once before her heart pranced in her chest. “Emma,” he answered in a sexy concerned way.

  “Hey,” she responded, feeling kind of lame now that she had him on the phone. What did she plan on saying? Just blurt out I love you. That wasn’t actually her style. Not to mention she didn’t want to scare him off.

  After a pause he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  She let out a breath. “Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice,” she admitting, feeling a tad exposed.

  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, especially since the whole hellhound and hunter incident. Chase had shown up later than expected only to find out there had been a hunter as well. So when Emma’s number had shown up, he was barreled with relief. “I’m glad you called.”

  She could hear the smile in his voice. “You are?”

  Lying in his dark bedroom, he propped an arm under his head and stared at the ceiling, visualizing Em’s face. “Absolutely. I miss you.”

  Her heart stopped. “Me too. This is crazy.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “I mean I just saw you not even an hour ago, and I already can’t wait to see you again. It’s all I can think about.”

  “I wish I could see you,” his voice was seductive.

  She was tempted to sneak him into her room. So tempted. He would probably have no problem getting up through her window. Not after what she saw him do today. Biting her lip she contemplated the idea.

  Travis held his breath waiting for her answer. He had only been half teasing, a part of him wanted seriously to dash over there, scale the wall to her bedroom, and just hold her.

  Throwing caution to the wind, Emma followed her heart. “How fast can you be here?” Had that just come out of her mouth? If her parents found out she would be grounded for life. Forever. She could kiss the chance of actually dating in high school good-bye.

  Travis let out a gush of air.

  His brain actually shut off for a moment before he recovered from the shock of her words. “Are you sure? I don’t want to get you in any kind of troubl–”

  “Yes I’m sure,” she cut him off laughing. “Now get over here before I change my mind.” She laughed harder when she heard the click on the other end.

  Feeling wickedly good, she got out of bed to open the window and then went to lock the door. Giddiness bubbled up inside her, and a thrill tingled down her spine. Secretly she wondered if she knew this was what she had wanted when she had called him. She should have been sleeping after the ordeal she had gone through today, but something told her that being with Travis was more therapeutic than sleep.

  Turning around, a tiny gasped escaped and her hand whipped to her mouth, stifling a scream. Travis stood leaning on the wall next to the windblown curtains flashing his dimples and look dangerously sexy. She dropped her hand to pounding heart, trying to steady the irregular beats. Tiny flecks of gold lit in his eyes. “You scared me to death,” she whispered.

  His grin only widened.

  She knew he was fast but this was insane. Nerves began to spread in her belly now that she had him here, or maybe it was exhilaration. Watching wide-eyed, he sauntered over to her, his eyes never wavering and told her what was on his mind. Her blood heated, staining her cheeks pink.

  When he stopped in front of her, it was close enough for her. She took a step forward brushing their bodies, needing to touch him.

  His hand cupped her cheek. “Just one kiss, and I promise to behave,” he spoke softly.

  “What if I don’t want to behave,” she said mischievously, her emerald eyes twinkling.

  He closed his eyes and groaned. “Em…you are making this very difficult.”

  Now it was her turn to smile. “Good.” He was just a breaths length apart, and she could almost taste his sweet heady scent. It went to her head as she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

  Travis sighed once, and then pulled her fully against him. Indulging himself he took the kiss deeper than was probably wise, considering the circumstances. There was no way this was getting out of hand with her parents down the hall.

  Well he prayed he had the strength. She was hard to resist.

  Tumbling to her bed, the weight of him above her was glorious, his lips even more so. She had no idea that lips alone could make her feel such splendid emotions. Her body was humming and purring under his.

  She didn’t want this night to ever end.

  Slowly Travis ended the kiss knowing that he was near the point of no return. When he pulled away, he tucked her in his arms. With his presence he brought safety and security, which if you thought about it made no sense. Content, her eyes felt heavy with fatigue. “I should be afraid of you shouldn’t I?” she asked sleepily.

  His arms tightened around her like he was scared to let her go. “In theory, yes you probably should be. I have never met anyone like you.”

  She could say the same about him. “I’m glad it’s me.”

  “So am I,” he whispered against her hair. He could smell the fresh cut scent of flowers. How he was going to get any sleep beside her was inconceivable, but sleep was a willing sacrifice he would do without just to be near her.

  He listened to the even sound of her breathing and the adorable way she snuggled up to him while she dreamed. “I love you,” he muttered against her neck with a tender kiss.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning she woke up alone, the spot beside her still warm. She felt like she had been hit by a freight train, every muscle was screaming in agony, but she had never been happier.

  Hugging the pillow beside, she inhaled the scent of him that clung to the material. A single white snowdrop flower lay on the nightstand beside her bed. She put the sheen petal to her cheek and smiled.

  It all felt like a dream, a fairytale dream. If not for the small flower of winter she might have thought that was exactly what it was. Her imagination gone wild.

  Downstairs she could hear her mom rattling in the kitchen. Pulling on a pair of fuzzy socks she pattered down the stairs. The sounds of sizzling bacon and Abigail’s nonsense chatter greeted her before she rounded into the kitchen. It smelled like Sunday breakfast, another Deen tradition.

  Her dad was at the table with the newspaper spread out and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. She headed to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup, which her parents weren’t very fond of this habit. Coffee stunned your growth.

  As if.

  At five-five she wasn’t exactly worried about her height. “Morning,” she said brightly, sitting across from her dad. She hand combed her strawberry blonde hair out of her face.

  “Mornin,” Abi chimed in mimicking her, a game she loved to play. Copycat, especially with big words.

  Her dad smiled over the paper. “Did you sleep well?”

  Emma choked on the scalding sip of coffee she’d just taken.

  Crap.

  He couldn’t possible know, could he? Truthfully she wouldn’t put it past him. The overbearing drill sergeant had eyes everywhere.

  “You okay?” he asked after she finally stopped coughing up a lung.

  “Yeah. Just went down wrong,” she replied with a blistered tongue.

  Her mom sat a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her, and in response Emma’s stomach growled with sudden hunger. She couldn’t remember her last meal.

  Waiting until her mom was seated and her dad with a partial full belly before approaching the subject, luckily her dad gave her the opening she needed.

  “So how is school going Emma bean? You like your classes?” he asked between bites of syrup drenched pancakes.

  She internally rolled her eyes at the nickname that had Abi giggling and reciting Emmy bean over and over. Her fingers were sticky with maple.

  “I really like school here. The teachers are great and everyone has been really nice.” Well mostly everyone. She wa
s still convinced that Chase wasn’t her biggest fan.

  “Your mom said you’ve made a few friends,” he inquired.

  She nodded her head. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

  He lifted a brow in question.

  Emma swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, her appetite vanishing.

  Here goes nothing.

  “There is this boy…”

  “A boy?” his voice perked up, gaining his full attention.

  She didn’t know why he made her so nervous. “Yes, Travis. He is a senior and we’ve become friends.” Better to just barrel through the whole thing as fast as possible. “I know we’ve sort of talked about dating, but I was hoping that you would take the time to meet him before shooting it down.”

  Her dad rolled her words around in his head thinking it over. The whole kitchen was silent. Even Abi didn’t make a peep, picking up on the evident tension.

  “Your grades are good?” his voice breaking the dead air.

  She nodded enthusiastically. “All A’s.”

  “And it won’t intervene with your dancing?”

  “No. Not at all. I promise.” She could feel a smile of hope breaking across her lips. At this point she would have agreed to anything, any condition to be able to see Travis.

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to meet him,” he decided to her utter surprise.

  She got up and gave him a hug. “Thank you daddy.”

  ~*~

  The following week at school flew by uneventful. Her parents were slowly warming up to the idea of her dating and even agreed to let him come over this weekend. Not exactly the ideal date, but it was progress.

  Walking down the hall, she had her earbuds in and stepped in time with the beat. She had been so busy with school and dancing the only time she had with Travis was during school. The weekend couldn’t come soon enough.

  A strong arm wrapped around her waist behind her, lifting her off her feet. She let out a surprised gasp as she was spun in circles. Her laughter bounced off the concrete walls. Tucked away in an abandon hallway, Travis set her on her feet, but he kept her close.