by Dawn Gray
“That was the name.” Taryn said softly taking Cristian’s hand.
I turned and looked at Justin, and then reached out to touch his cheek, but he took my wrist and held it gently. I looked into his eyes, at the fright that seemed to be there, and then he looked away from me, towards the others.
“Maybe some other time.” He whispered and smiled. “Your circle seems to have been broken.”
“This circle is open, never broken.” I smiled back at him as he stood, pulling me up with him. “Go if you must, stay if you wish.” I watched him step back, the tips of our fingers still touching. “Hail and farewell.”
“Hail and farewell.” He replied and disappeared into the woods. I turned and looked at Bobbie, who smiled at me.
“Are you feeling all right?” Bobbie asked as the four of us headed back towards the house. I stopped her and looked my cousin in the eyes. “What was all that about?”
“What?” I asked and shrugged. “And, I feel fine thank you.”
“Hail and farewell? Where do you think you live, the fourteenth century?” Bobbie laughed.
“It’s a witch’s way of saying good-bye.” I replied and the two of us walked to catch up with Taryn and Cristian.
“So, now you’re a witch?”
“He seems to think so.” Bobbie looked at me quickly and we stopped once again. “He won’t hurt me, Bobbie. If he was going too, he would have the other two times we were together.”
“Just don’t get involved to quickly, Sage. Just like you told Taryn, there’s something not right about him. He’s not as he seems.” Bobbie replied. I walked back towards the edge of the woods, stopped and walked beside Cristian.
“So, would you like to explain to me who and what you and Justin are?” I whispered. Cristian’s dark eyes looked over my face as he put his hands on his hips. I waved to Taryn and Bobbie, telling them to continue and that we would catch up. Cristian shook his head.
“He’s dangerous, Sage, that’s all you should care about.” Cristian replied.
“You’re just as dangerous, Cristian.” I argued with him. He rubbed his forehead and shook his head as he glanced at the moon. “Look, Kingston, I know what you think and frankly, I don’t care how you feel about me or Justin for that matter. All I know is this, you are not what you seem and that puts Taryn in every bit as much trouble as it would with Justin and me. You can level with me, or you can just pretend that the two of us aren’t connected.”
“We’re not connected, you and I.” Cristian snapped at me. I smiled at this lack of control and crossed my arms. “There isn’t any possible way that we have anything in common.”
“Who’s Michael to you?” I asked, suddenly. Cristian stopped and suddenly stared at me. I wanted to smile at his childish face, but I stopped myself and remained calm. “Who is he to both you and Justin? I saw the reactions on your faces when I mentioned his name.”
“And, why did you say it to begin with?” Cristian questioned.
“He was thinking about me, talking to me as if I were there with him. He does it often, but he doesn’t know that I can feel him.” I replied and turned back to him. “He doesn’t know that I know about him, about you. What you are, or pretend not to be, either way, it’s not a secret, not anymore.”
* * * * *
Justin looked up as Cristian walked towards him. He shook his head and looked away from him. Cristian stopped and looked up at the sky where Justin was looking.
“What are you doing?” Cristian asked.
“I told you, she intrigues me.” Justin replied. “What’s it to you, anyway? You have her little friend to play with.”
“I’m not playing.” Cristian replied and looked over at him. “Are you?”
“Oh, it’s all just a game, Cris. Think about it, ever since men and women were created, it’s been a big game of chase, the men chase the women. So, what’s changed except now it‘s the vampires chasing the victim.”
“Are you going to harm her?”
“What do you care?” Justin said and stood up. She’s just a girl, like all the others, and sooner or later, they all end up the same way.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Oh, but so aren’t you.” Justin said and opened his arms. “Would you like to start a comparison game, Cristian, about how you and I are the same in every way?”
“She knows what we are.”
“So what!” Justin shrugged. “Does that mean I’m supposed to run and hide? What’s going to happen, who’s going to believe her if she runs to someone and tells them that she’s seeing vampires. They’ll lock her up.”
“Answer me one question, Justin.” Cristian said, softly, as he looked at him, staring him in the eyes, Justin crossed his arms. “Do you care about her?”
“That’s just preposterous!” Justin laughed. “I’ve known her for only two weeks, my friend. How do you care that fast?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“She intre...“
“I know, she intrigues you, but you’ve never been that way with a woman before.”
“What way?”
“I saw the look in your eyes when you held her in your arms, Justin. I know she means something to you.” Cristian argued.
“Yes, sooner or later, she’ll mean lunch.” He smiled, and then it faded. “Now, leave me alone, I don’t want to talk about her anymore.” Justin sighed.
He turned away from Cristian and looked at the woods. He listened as Cristian sighed and walked away. Justin looked at the sky as he thought about Sage and the way he felt when he kissed her, when he touched her skin, and the way she looked at him with such confidence. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he cared about her, and he certainly didn’t want to tell Cristian, the noble young man who thought he had to save everyone from Justin, that he felt anything.
Justin stood up and followed Cristian quietly as he headed towards a house. Justin felt the three girls in the same building then followed Cristian’s presence to a certain floor. He pinpointed the apartment window and sought out Sage’s sleeping mind. She was dreaming about him.
He levitated up to her window, which was slightly open, even with the January weather. He opened it more and slipped in. Cristian was in the living room talking to Taryn about how he didn’t believe Sage should be left alone in the woods anymore. Justin smiled at this, and wanted to go out there and tell them that she shouldn’t be left alone in the house if it were for her own protection.
He moved slowly over to her bed and bent down beside her. She slept in a light pink tank top and white panties, and the covers seemed to have been thrown on the floor at the end of the bed. He reached out and touched her, as she lay on the bed with one hand on her bare stomach and the other on the pillow behind her head. Her skin was cool, which meant that he was probably hot. Her breath quickened as he gently ran a hand down over her whole body, then stood and leaned over her. He looked at the innocence of her face as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.
She moved quickly, sitting up, and looked at him, wide-eyed. Justin backed away from her, then turned and headed for the window.
“Don’t go yet.” She whispered as he opened it to jump out.
“A vampire in your house is dangerous, Sage.” He whispered, the turned and looked at her.
“I don’t get you.” She said again, and then knelt on her bed. “You think you’re big, bad and untouchable, but you’re not.”
He came at her and pinned her down on the bed, on his hands and knees, he towered over her. She reached up and touched his neck, then his chest and arms.
“Don’t touch me.” He snarled at her. She smiled up at him and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, then pulled it up all the way, to where his arms stopped it. “You’re putting yourself in danger, Sage.”
“If you were going to hurt me, Justin, you would have done it by now.” Sage replied and put her hands on his bare skin. Justin took a deep breath as he looked into her eyes, then he slowly clos
ed his. Kissing her was nothing like this. He could feel her power, through her finger as she ran her hands over his hard stomach. She touched his muscles on his back, tracing them; then she put her hands on his side and pulled him down to her.
“You’re pushing your luck.” He whispered as his body touched hers. She smiled and nodded. “Don’t you know when to stop?”
“I’ve been stopping myself my whole life, Justin, stopping the power in me, stopping my heritage, stopping the feelings I’ve felt towards just about everyone.” She whispered and looked at his softening eyes. “I don’t want to stop what I feel when I’m near you.”
“What you feel is danger, Sage, trouble that you don’t need.” He answered her.
“If you didn’t want something, if you wanted to stop this,” she paused and touched his face, “you wouldn’t keep coming back for more, would you?”
“You came to me first, Sage.” He whispered.
“Yeah, and it’s been that way until now.” She replied. “What are you doing here, now, Justin?”
He got up and moved away from her, leaving her laying there on the bed. “I came to try and stop this.” He whispered and looked at the ceiling. “Cristian was right, though I would never admit to him that he was ever close, but I feel something for you, besides the intrigue, besides the fact that I’d like to get into your head and find out what attracts you to me. I wanted to find out what this is and stop it before it goes any further.”
“You can’t stop your heart, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Sage laughed at him. He looked at her, quickly, and shook his head. “Why can’t you let this go?”
“I’m a vampire, Sage.” He snapped, and then listened to the approaching footsteps. “It’s Bobbie.”
He said softly and backed into a dark corner as she knocked and opened the door. Bobbie looked at Sage, who was lying with her eyes closed. Bobbie shook her head, walked over, and closed the window, never noticing Justin, who was only a foot away from her. He watched her as she walked out of the room, then he walked over to Sage, knelt by the bed, and kissed her softly on the cheek.
“Don’t come looking for me, Sage. I don’t believe you could find me, even if you tried.”
He walked over to the window and opened it slowly. He suddenly felt hands on his face and he stood straight, turned and looked straight into Sage’s eyes.
“You’d be surprised who I can find.” She said and stepped back towards her bed. Justin smiled at her confidence, and he climbed out the window, leaving a bit more confused about what he was truly feeling for her than when he arrived.
I looked at the ceiling, then curled up in a ball on the bed and closed my eyes. I liked the danger that I felt from Justin, but it was the surge of power that I got every time that I touched him that made me wonder about how much more I could take. Touching his bare skin seemed to bring it on more. Though I admitted that I enjoyed touching his hard body, I knew with or without the feelings, that I would still be attracted to him; there wasn’t a doubt about that.
Chapter 4
February 14, Valentine’s Day,
I looked out the window of my classroom, all of the trees were covered in snow and little red heart ornaments hung from their branches. The ground was blanketed in white and, in the quad, there was a heart, several feet wide and ten feet long, spray painted in red, with an arrow through it, and the words “Happy Valentine‘s Day”, written in a circle around it.
“Are you going out tonight?” Taryn asked. I shook my head, looked at Cristian, quickly, and then back at Taryn.
“Nah, you never know what kinds of whacko you might meet out there.” I whispered. “I think I’ll just stay inside, where it’s safe.”
“See that you do.” Cristian warned me. I smiled at him and shrugged.
We all went back to the house, where the girls got dressed and left me to sit there on the couch, but I had other plans. Once everyone was pretty much gone and probably where they were supposed to be, I got dressed, in black jeans, a dark blue shirt, and my work shoes, which were black, and then grabbed my brown leather jacket from the closet, and headed out the door.
It shouldn’t be that hard to find Justin in the woods. If he hunted there, he should live nearby, but as I looked through the snow-covered woods, I was beginning to think that I had been mistaken.
I stood under a tall oak tree, stripped of its leaves, and looked through its branches up at the stars. I shook my head, kicked the snow for bad luck of getting lost, and crossed my arms over my chest. I sighed, loudly, then closed my eyes and pictured Justin in what he was wearing the last time he had answered my sudden cry for attention only two days before.
Bobbie and I had fought, ferociously, over the fact that I wasn’t letting go of Justin. Bobbie didn’t like the sudden interest I had in him and made it clear to me that she didn’t like how I had begun to act since we had met. I had run out of the house, to the bleachers at the school’s ball field and sat there most of the night, calling out to Justin.
He had arrived quietly, standing ten feet to left, watching me without a sound until I looked over in his direction. Despite the cold, he wore blue Dockers dress pants, with black shoes, a white dress shirt, totally unbuttoned, and a pale blue tank top underneath it. He stood there, one foot on the upper bleacher, the other on the lower with his hands in his pockets.
I don‘t remember much about that night except that he held me tightly to him and all I could feel was our connection, but it didn’t seem like he was going to come this night. I sat down, pulling my coat under my bottom and pulled my knees up to my chest. I closed my eyes and put my head down. People were going to be upset when they found out I was missing, when they arrived at home later that evening.
I opened my eyes and looked around the brightly lit room. I sat up slowly, removing the covers, and then slowly stood, looking at the elaborate furniture, the priceless paintings and shook my head. Where the hell was I? The door creaked and I turned to look at the young man who stepped into the room.
“Ah, you’re awake.” Justin said softly. His face never changed, never smiled. I looked over his attire, dressed in tan dress pants, and a pullover shirt, with the top three buttons undone, he looked quite handsome. “I thought you might need some rescuing tonight.”
“I had only been calling you for an hour.” I said softly and continued to look at the stuff that filled the room. “Is this your place?”
“No.” He smiled and I looked at him quickly. I hadn’t been expecting that kind of answer. “He was, well, lunch.”
“That’s disgusting.” I said and watched him shrug.
“Yes, so I’ve been told.” He looked over me and winked. “I’m sure my dear friend, Cristian, doesn’t know that you’re here with me.” Justin said softly as he sat back and watched as I looked around.
“Do I still intrigue you?” I asked suddenly.
“Why would you ask something like that?” He questioned.
I looked at him, sighed, and shook my head, then looked away as I put down the glass vase I had been holding.
“I haven’t gotten what I wanted yet.”
“And what’s that?” I smiled.
“I haven’t gotten inside your head.” Justin replied and stepped closer to me.
He moved quite suddenly and was standing behind me in what seemed like an instant. I closed my eyes as he moved the hair from my neck. He touched my bare skin with the tips of his fingers, gliding them slowly along my shape, and then he moved away from me. I turned and looked at him as he backed up to a chair.
“What are you afraid of?” I asked quietly.
“Nothing.” He whispered back and looked away.
“So, why do you always do that?” I questioned, and leaned against the counter.
“Why did you come tonight? Why were you calling to me?” He asked his own questions. I shrugged and looked at my shoes. “You must know.”
“Think about it, Justin. It’s Valentine’s Day. Taryn and Cristian are tog
ether and Bobbie, though the thought still makes me sick, is with Chris Tanner. What the hell was I suppose to do, sit at home again, when I knew you were out here alone.”
“So, this is just because you had nothing else to do?” He asked.
I wanted to say yes, but I shook head instead. “So, why did you come?”
“I care about you.” I said softly and rolled my eyes. Justin smiled at this and let out a little giggle. I looked at him quickly.
“What? I’m not allowed to have feelings for you. I’m not allowed to care?”
“I’ve spent the last few weeks trying not to care about you.” Justin replied, his smile fading. I looked at him oddly. “And, it hasn’t worked.”
“Why would you try to stop it? Don’t you want it?” I whispered. “How long had it been for you, Justin?”
“A very long time.” He answered and closed his eyes.
“It’s not bad to care about someone.”
“It is for me.” He replied as he crossed his arms.
“Why?” I asked. Again, for it seemed to happen every time they were together, Justin’s frustrations got the best of him and he had me backed into a corner almost immediately. His breathing was heavy, but his fangs weren’t bared and his eyes stayed their brown color. His hands shook as he touched my cheek, as the color seemed to come back to my face.
“I don’t want to harm you.” He whispered and looked into my eyes. “I don’t want to make you feel any pain, of any kind. If I love you, like my heart tells me I do, and then something breaks us apart, I didn’t want to see you crying.”
“Is that why you came to me every time I called you.” I asked softly as he traced my lips with his fingertips. “Because you think I’ll be hurt if you don’t?”
“I came to make sure you weren’t hurt.” He said and leaned closer to me. “Sage, I don’t understand this ache in my chest.” He said and took my hand. He placed it over his heart and held it there. “Why won’t it go away?”
“I don’t know.” I said softly and looked into his eyes. “But, you can’t hold in how you feel, you have to let the hatred of your past go, before you feel anything else.”