by Tara Brown
She shook her head, "Pheasant."
"Ahh yes." He stepped into the window, with every step toward he looked more menacingly at her, "I do love his pheasant. Was it the cranberry stuffing?"
She took a step back toward her door, "It was."
"How did Officer Paulson enjoy his meal?"
She sighed, "He enjoyed it."
Her back pressed against the wall near the closed door. His next step brought him directly over her, "Of course he did, he had my girl with him."
She frowned, "I did nothing wrong?"
"You never kissed him once?"
She wanted to shake her head, but the smell of him had her mind playing tricks on her. Had she kissed him? She recalled his kisses on previous occasions but Marcus was over powering her mind.
"I don’t know, maybe a small kiss. Like I would give any friend."
He bent down into her face, "He isn’t just any friend though is he?"
She swallowed hard, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not completely. "No, he isn’t."
His face dropped down into her neck, he licked his way up her throat.
"No he isn't. Do you know how I know that?" He planted a hot kiss on her jugular.
She shook her head, "You smell him on me?"
He pulled back from her neck, his fangs hung slightly from his mouth over his lower lip.
He kissed her cheek directly beside he mouth, "I do smell him yes. But," his hands roamed the front of her body, "I also can smell your response to him."
His hand rested at the bottom of her stomach. His mouth continued to kiss her cheeks, always staying out of reach of her lips.
She felt her breath grow ragged, she wanted him to lower his hands and touch her where he was making heat build inside of her.
"Has something happened you need to tell me about?" He kissed her mouth, taking control of it. His lips sucked her in, his teeth dragged softly against her lower lip as he bit it gently.
His hand grabbed the dress, pulling it up as his other hand held her against the wall tightly.
He held the dress up but bent on one knee. He placed a kiss on her thigh. His warm wet lips dragged their way across her thigh to the inside.
"Is there something you need to tell me about?"
She heard his words but her body was buzzing from the anticipation of his next kiss.
She moaned. His lips pressed harder against her. She felt herself spreading her legs slightly, she remembered the feeling of him inside of her. His hands began to move up and down her thighs. She hadn’t noticed his hand no longer pinned her to the wall. He caressed her and continued to place soft kisses against her.
"I love how you taste." She felt as if she were floating above the room. She couldn’t feel her legs, just the pleasure.
Suddenly he was standing with his mouth on her. He kissed her hungrily.
"Is there something you need to tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Who do you belong to?"
She let his mouth invade hers. He pulled away caressing and kissing her throat, "You. I belong with you."
He pulled away. His warmth was gone. She looked up to see an empty room. His laugh seemed to ride along the wind coming in her open window.
She screamed, "GET BACK HERE!"
He was gone.
She looked down at her red silk underwear around her ankles over her red pumps, "Fucker." She whispered. Her satin dress was hiked up around her thighs still.
She ripped the dress off and kicked the panties across the room. She stormed to the window and closed it. She locked it for good measure.
She stomped to the bathroom to at least attempt to calm herself before bed. It was Christmas in the morning and she didn’t want to mess it up for Roland. He'd worked hard at making it special for her. She had hardly noticed the season, the death of her friend and father had been hard to handle. Becoming a monster and seductress had been impossible.
Chapter Forty-One: New Gas Prices, Kisses
Aleksander
He paced by the lake, seeing the calm of the water made him feel better, usually.
"Aleks?"
He turned to see Hanna. Ben followed behind her. He saw Sam watching as well.
He stared to laugh, "Oh wow. Uh Ben, want to give us a minute?"
He gave him a look filled with daggers.
Hanna walked looking back, "It happened the minute I got out of the car here with Ben and at the gas station. The attendant tried to kiss me."
He grimaced, "Kind of glad I took the cure, no offense."
She laughed, "None taken. I would never want my free will messed with like that either. I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to have their emotions played with."
"I don’t think it’s the emotions you're messing with."
She looked up the yard frowning at Ben watching her. She laughed, "Its awful isn’t it."
"Funny, now that I'm on the other side of it."
Her gaze fixed on Sam at the top of the yard. He pretended to be milling. "I need some help. Some advice rather."
He nodded, "Shoot."
She looked tense and stressed, "I have a predicament." She ran a hand through her strawberry bond hair. "It's worse than that. It's bad. I could be madly in love with Marcus, he makes me feel things I never knew I could. It might be love. I really want to be with him but at the same time I have some feelings for other people. Plus I don’t even know if my feelings for Marcus are real." Her eyes turned pained as she looked up the hill at Sam again, "I don’t know if any of my feelings are real."
Aleks felt a small laugh building but he kept it contained, "Am I one of those other people?"
She looked humiliated but nodded subtly.
"You don’t need to worry about that. I have that reaction on every woman. Well except for Giselle."
She looked relieved, "You make every woman want to uhm, well you know?"
He nodded, "Yeah, part of the curse."
She smiled, "Oh well that’s good news."
"Not when you’re the guy making everyone feel that way."
"And Marcus?"
Aleks nodded, "He has the same effect. It isn’t real Hanna. He can't really even feel love. You force people to feel something, unless they take the cure."
"So well anyway I also feel that way about other guys. One is a guy I met a while ago. But it's different with him. He's like the boy next door. He makes me happy and makes me feel like a normal girl. He's regular, you know?"
Aleks frowned, "A human?"
She nodded, "A cop named Andy Paulson."
"Hanna that’s a tough one but I think what you need to do it step back from both guys and take yourself out of the equation. Marcus is a tough bastard, I've tried killing him tons, it never takes. So you're safe from hurting him but you're not safe from him hurting you. He's still Marcus. If I were you I would use the advantage you have and kill him in his sleep."
"Aleks!"
He laughed, "Well it's true. I'm trying to work something out with Henry but unfortunately he hates me just as much."
She laughed.
He continued, "The cop is a tough guy I'm sure but at the end of the day, he's a human. Hanna that’s a dangerous game to play. Aimee is with a human and she hides it everyday, from everyone. Shane never comes here, ever. If she sees him it's behind closed doors at his house or her dads new place."
She looked upset by the answer.
He felt guilty but smiled weakly, "Look at it this way, if you ever got angry someone like me or Marcus could defend against the beast whereas Andy would probably die. Or worse end up like Giselle, changed into a monster just to survive."
"How do I make myself stop wanting to be with him?"
He laughed, "When you find the answer to that you let me know."
She looked at him, "Aimee?"
He nodded, "I loved her more than I can tell you." His stomach ached as he spoke the words.
"You still love her?"
He nodded again, "Of course
, in a way. How does the heart stop wanting what it feels is best?"
She sat on the bench by the water, "If I never see the cop again I feel like that human, simple, fun loving part of me will be dead. I will live in the darkness and magic of this world. All that will be left of the old me is the memories of when I was a simple regular human."
"Hanna once a long time ago I was a regular boy thinking I made the right choice to help my father. It's been six hundred years and I can't seem to find an end to this world. You just have to accept what you are."
Her eyes glistened, "Have you done it yet?"
He shook his head, "Not completely."
She laughed, "Is that why you haven’t asked Giselle out yet?"
"I don’t know." He laughed, "I can't stand the way she babbles on about nothing. She uses the word 'like' as if she has no education. She constantly tells me things I know, stupid things that everyone knows. She lacks common sense and she shops too much."
"You like her, no one gets that worked up about how much someone shops unless they like them. Or they have to pay the bill."
He shook his head, "She drives me insane."
"What if she went on a date with another guy?"
His chest tightened, "Why? What do you know?"
Hanna laughed at him, "Nothing. I barely know her. She hangs with Aimee all the time. Aimee's not really my type of fun. I'm just saying though that Giselle is hot, blind men can see how hot she is. Someone is going to ask her out."
He smirked looking up the hill, "Not while you're around."
Her smiled vanished, "Ha ha ha, have you ever been stalked?"
"Yeah, I have the same problem as you. I thought we had this discussion."
She laughed, "So you think I should pick Marcus?"
"I think you should do whatever feels right but I think you should also think about why you're choosing Andy. Is it love or the fact he makes you feel like you used to?"
A dark voice interrupted them, "Aleks, my dear brother is this her? Is this the infamous Siren? Dear god someone has gotten you ruffled up lately haven’t they love?"
Aleks watched Dorian walk down the path.
Hanna smiled at him, "Who are you?" She looked lost in his eyes.
Aleks put his hands over his eyes, "Not a good time Dorian."
Dorian glared at him, "You can't have all the single girls to yourself." He grinned at Hanna.
Aleks could smell her response to Dorian, it was strong.
"Shall we?" Dorian asked offering her an arm.
Hanna took it, not even looking back at Aleks, "See you later Aleks." She muttered still staring at Dorian.
"You smell delicious."
Hanna smiled, "Imagine how we would smell together?"
Aleks watched them walk half way up the yard and called out to Sam and Ben, "Guys, Dorian thinks he's won her over."
Ben phased into a wolf mid air and Sam vanished only to reappear behind Dorian. Aleks hadn't even realized Sam could travel like that.
Suddenly Hanna screamed as Sam and Dorian both grabbed at her.
Aleks flashed behind them instantly. He shoved them into each other and grabbed her.
Away from the scent of Dorian and his magical eyes, she came out of his spell. He could tell she was puzzled, "What was that?"
He laughed, "Dorian. You need that charm bracelet."
She looked confused seeing that they were standing beside her car. She hugged him, "Thanks Aleks. I think."
He waved as she drove away and went to the backyard to watch Dorian in his death match.
He chuckled seeing that Sam appeared to be the champion. Ben was unconscious and naked on the grass while Sam held Dorian on the ground. It appeared as if Dorian was missing a large piece of thigh.
"Okay guys she's gone. Sam is the winner."
Sam laughed, "Where is she? Where is my prize?"
Aleks shook his head, "She went home, she doesn’t like violence."
"You traitorous bastard." Dorian shouted at him, climbing off the ground and brushing dirt and blood off his designer jeans.
Aleks laughed, "You were using your mojo on her. You know that’s against the house rules."
"She uses hers. I could sense her from the front of the house."
"Not the same, she can't control it. You were cheating."
Sam shoved past him, "Cheater."
Dorian growled, "Next time that kid leaves the house, it's on."
Aleks laughed watching the skin fill in on the bite marks, "You got beat up by a couple kids."
Dorian raised an eyebrow, "The guards prevent me from using my powers."
"Not the ones that get you into trouble unfortunately."
"Where did she go?"
"I would imagine Marcus Dragomir's house."
Dorian snorted, "You mean his castle. Insufferable wanker." He gave it thought and frowned, "Is Henry still there?"
Aleks nodded, "Yup and he really likes Hanna."
"Not worth it, even if she is in heat."
"You're an animal."
Chapter Forty-Two: Steam Boat Hanna
Hanna
She drove around the block but decided her need was too desperate. She went back to the house sneaking through the halls. She crept up to Lydia's room to find her alone.
"Hanna dear how are you?" She asked from what had appeared to be a coma.
Hanna laughed, "I guess I should have expected you to know I was here."
"Yes and I know why." She opened her eyes and reached for a small box on her night table. It was white with shells on it.
She passed it to Hanna, "This will stop the ones that wouldn’t normally be attracted to you. The ones your charms are forcing."
Hanna took the small white box and opened it. Inside was a small white bracelet with four small shells hanging from it.
"Thank you Lydia."
Lydia frowned, "The ones who can smell what you are, like Dorian and Sam and Ben and Marcus, this won't stop them. Regular humans and a few odd special people will be safe from you."
Hanna tried not to be disappointed, "Okay. What can I do about them?"
Lydia laughed, "Run."
Hanna frowned, "Will they always just love me?"
"The cure is the only hope. You have some?"
Hanna nodded, "I have a little. I can ask Marcus to make more though."
Lydia smiled like a sweet old grandma, "I would save what you have for people you will be around a lot."
"Okay."
Hanna took the bracelet in her hand and closed the box. She passed it to Lydia, "No dear you keep it. Always store it in there. It is charmed to make it protected against anyone who would try to take it. Only a Siren can open the box." She paused and gave Hanna a once over making her uncomfortable.
"You know you're blasting sexual energy right?"
Hanna blushed stammering, "W-W-What?"
Lydia nodded, "The last book on the shelf over there, the one that has the dark purple spine. You may borrow it. It will explain things. The bracelet probably wont be able to handle the work load until you're feeling more yourself."
Hanna turned humiliated and picked the book up from the shelf. The book was old with a broken spine. She turned back, "I'm going to go home now. I'm so sorry. I didn’t know."
Lydia shook her head, "No dear, never be sorry for what you are. None of us can help it. If you were down town tricking humans into giving you all their money and possessions then I would expect that sorry."
Hanna raised an eyebrow, "I can do that?"
"Read the book." Lydia chuckled.
Hanna turned and walked out of the room, "Thanks for everything Lydia."
"Lorri will be coming to see you next week. You're being tested for the Roses. If you want?"
Hanna paused in the doorway, "The Roses? Me? What can I do?"
Lydia's eyes sparkled, "I guess we will have to wait and see."
Hanna nodded sneaking back out of the room and down the hall.
"There you ar
e. I knew I could still sense you here." Words were whispered into her neck.
She felt someone press against the back of her. He smelled like dessert. She turned to see Sam.
His hands wrapped around her waist pulling her into him. He spun her around. His lips met hers instantly.
His tongue invaded her mouth. Her free hand slid up into his hair pulling him down into her. His hands reached back lifting her up into the air. Her legs wrapped around him. Her tongue caressed his.
His mouth slipped down her throat kissing and caressing her. She moaned.
"STOP!"
He froze and slowly placed her on the ground. Hanna stepped back from him panting.
Annabelle put her hands on her hips, "Now this aint that kinda of house. You needs to be doing that nonsense in your rooms."
Hanna stepped back again but she felt her body pull, she wanted to be back in his arms.
She could see the sparkle in his eyes as he took a step toward her. She turned and ran from the house as quickly as she could. He was instantly behind her as she ran out the front door. She gasped and jumped in the car. She started it as fast as she could and drove away. She remembered Aleks once saying that they couldn’t flash into moving objects.
In the car, tears formed in her eyes. She drove away without looking back, she knew he watched her leave from the front door.
She drove to Marcus's house. She needed to free of at least one of them. She couldn’t make Sam not want her without the cure and if she was truly honest with herself she didn’t want to. She wanted him the most out of them all. Even though she knew nothing about him.
Andy was a different story though. She needed to make the list of men who loved her smaller. She was a monster and Andy was never going to be safe around her. He would never understand why other men were attracted to her so fanatically.
Henry greeted her with his usual smile. She looked down at the charm bracelet she held in her hand wanting to throw it across the yard. Maybe the bloody thing was broken.
She stormed into the house, "Marcus." She called out.
"Came back for more did you?"
She growled at him, "You need to help me. I need to free Andy from my evil clutches."
He walked from the shadows in the huge hallway, "You want your list of suitors smaller? How can I help? I might even be able to help with Aleks. Henry owes him a death. I bet if you asked he would do it."