Eventide

Chapter 15. Massacre

Chapter 15

　

Massacre

(You're Going Down, by Sick Puppies)

　

　

　

　

　 Patrol the next evening started with a sweep of Brogan's cabin. He wasn't home, but his scent hung sweet and spicy in the muggy heat. Our date the night before stayed with me as I made my rounds, putting a huge grin on my chops as I ran. No vampire scent trails, no bears or wolves too close to town, my patrol wrapped up as uneventful as it had begun.

When I swung by his place on my way back home, I found something different. Brogan sat out front in one of two chairs he had brought out, a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses on a small stand between those chairs.

I crept through the brush to get a better look.

"You must be thirsty after all that running, Leah." Brogan poured a second glass, then sat back, waiting as he looked in my general direction.

The taller brush to my left afforded me the privacy I needed to phase.

"Very clever," I called, smoothing my cloak as I jogged toward his cabin. "And just how did you know I was out here?"

"Magpies got real quiet all of a sudden," he said, handing me my iced tea.

The tea flowed wet and cold down my parched throat.

"Anything could have made them go silent," I disagreed between gulps. "What made you think it was me?"

"Well, not just anything makes wolf tracks the size of salad plates," he said with a grin. He pointed toward my earlier vantage point. "You came by over there several hours ago."

"Impressive, Kemosabe."

"I've learned a few tracking skills here and there, but even a novice wouldn't have missed the tracks you left beneath my bedroom window several months back."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him struggle to stifle a laugh. I kept my eyes glued to the tree line, mortified.

"Relax, I think it's cute that you watch over me." He took me by surprise when he leaned over and planted a quick kiss on my lips. "You're always welcome here, day or night."

I sighed as I took his hand, grateful he wasn't angry with me for the unannounced intrusions.

"Can you stay for dinner?" He caressed my wrist with his fingertips and hit me with that boyish grin I loved. "Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?"

How could I deny him anything at this point?

***

Each evening after that, I found him waiting for me. We usually fixed dinner together. It was a bizarre routine, but I never wanted it to end. The days of eating alone with no one to share my day with faded to a distant memory as autumn's nights claimed more and more of Summer's long days. I'd come to need him in my life, so much so that it would physically hurt me to be separated from him.

Though we had fallen far deeper and much faster than I had imagined we could, he hadn't pushed for more beyond kissing me. I assumed he was giving me time to adjust and get to know him, but that wasn't necessary. I may not have known all the details of his mysterious past, but I knew this man at his very core. He had proven himself to be both my rock of support and an unbelievably soft place to land when I fell.