Maeve's feet slapped the asphalt as the humid night air blanketed her. Damn him! He always ruined everything! She looked at the SUV and thought about leaving. Maybe she could figure out a way to be safe on her own. It'd been three days since the angel showed up and nearly a week since the demons attacked her. She could ask Mason to find other people to keep her safe. She balled her hands into fists.
Ander was sweet, although disturbing in some ways, but his heart was in the right place. Could she really blame him for his dysfunction, considering how he'd been raised? She stopped and took a deep breath. Technically, the same could be said about Will, but he intentionally was a jerk most of the time. She tilted her head to the cloudy night sky.
"Are you alright?" Ander's voice came from behind her.
She turned and almost smacked into him. Damn it, he was quiet. Or she hadn't paid attention. "I'm fine,"
"That means you are not fine. I understand when females say they are fine it means the opposite."
"You know saying that actually makes it worse," Maeve spun and stalked toward the SUV.
"I did not mean to upset you more." he glanced at the building. "I was attempting to help. I am unsure what to say because I do not understand why you are angry."
Maeve put her head into her hands. "There isn't anything you can do, Ander, because you aren't the problem. He is,"
"I see,"
"Do you? I feel like you're too busy putting on a show to really notice anything," she spat out.
He winced at her words. Damn it. She hadn't meant to say that, she knew better. Will's actions weren't Ander's fault. She might not have liked him acting so differently, but there were better ways to express it.
"I'm sorry Ander, I didn't mean that."
He nodded but didn't reply.
She took a step toward him. "I shouldn't have said that. You were doing your job and I just... I'm being a jerk to you because I'm angry at Will. That's unfair and you don't deserve that."
He looked at the bar again and rubbed his pant leg.
She took another step closer to him. "Are you angry with me?"
"No. Trust me, that is not the worst thing someone has said to me."
"I don't want to be those people. I want to be better than them to you." she resisted the urge to grab his hands.
He tilted his head to the left and studied her. Her stomach flip-flopped. He was deciding if she was being honest with him.
"I should return." he looked at windows of the bar. "However, Will is going to be drunk now and no use for surveillance. I believe we have enough information. We can leave. Alright?" Ander gestured for her to walk in front of him back to the bar so they could collect Will.
She watched from a distance as Ander talked to Will. Will cast a nasty glare in her direction, which chilled her to the core. Great, he would be so much fun on the way back to the motel. Will made a point of giving the scantly dressed woman a napkin with something written on it, his number no doubt. Fuming, Maeve turned and marched to the SUV.
"Fuck off Andy, its none of your business," Will's voice loud as they approached.
"You did not need to pursue a random female to incite anger in Maeve. We are on a mission. That is very childish," Ander reprimanded him as they loaded into the vehicle.
Thankfully Ander drove, but they argued the entire way. Maeve sat quiet in the back and didn't interfere, even though they discussed her. Will didn't like that she'd talked to Ron, didn't matter she'd got valuable information. Will had no idea why she talked to Ron at all. He insisted she'd ruined the entire night and was a liability because she'd distracted Ander and irritated him by not doing what she'd been told. They still argued when they entered the room.
Maeve went into the bathroom and let them bicker. After she washed her hands, she gazed in the mirror and wondered what kind of future she had. Was this her life now? Trapped with two violent and turbulent people? From outside Ander seemed calm and quiet, but she knew it was only part of who he was. He dismembered creatures, she'd seen him covered in blood in her visions numerous times. He might not have outbursts like Will all the time, but he was just as dangerous, if not more so, because people didn't expect it. She leaned against the counter. And Will was a walking time-bomb. No warning when he would explode or how bad the fall out would be, but it was certain he would blow up. Maeve fought back tears and racked her brain again for why demons wanted to kill her.
Will told her she'd probably encountered a demon group and hadn't realized it. Maybe they'd sensed her power and that put things into motion. It made sense, but it didn't seem right. The angel recognized her, but she nor her family were overly religious. She only knew the basics and historical information about events that'd occurred. Why couldn't reality be like a book? Where angels who recognized you was good? Because they were good and wanted to protect you? It didn't matter. For now, this was her life. It'd just been six long days. She could handle it, at least for a few more nights. With a deep breath, she left the bathroom.
Ander was on his laptop. He paused long enough to acknowledge her and then typed again. Will sat on his bed and drank, of course. Maeve was grateful it wasn't his night. She sat across on Ander's bed, and was mildly surprised Will hadn't broken something while she was in the bathroom. Will rummaged in his pocket and pulled out one of his black cigarettes.
"I need to smoke." he stood and motioned for her to follow him.
Maeve stood slowly and glanced at Ander on the way. Will opened the door and gestured for her to go first. Tentative she walked outside into the humid night air.
Will lit his cigarette and inhaled. "Sorry for being an asshole earlier," he said without looking at her.
"Ok," she replied cautiously.
"That guy,"
"Ron, that guy's name was Ron," she corrected him.
"Ron was a douche. He only wanted in your pants."
"Yeah, that's why he talked to me. He's a demolition guy. He takes down rundown buildings for the state,"
He slid his narrowed eyes at her. "What?"
Maeve sigh. "I asked him about the buildings around here that are slated to be torn down. He gave me several places. Mentioned, he was only in town for a couple of weeks blah blah blah, typical set up. Offered to show me one of the creepy old buildings, since it seemed I was into that stuff. You were angry because you just didn't like Ron?"
"Yeah. No," His words slurred together.
"What?"
Will didn't make any sense. Perhaps he was too drunk.
"No. Fuck Ron. He smelled like alcohol, aftershave and sex." he tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it.
"What?" What in the hell did that mean?
"He wanted you," his voice now guttural.
"Why does that matter? I'm confused,"
Will grabbed her arms and pulled her against him, and rubbed his cheek in her hair. He took a deep breath. Was he smelling her hair?
"Like a fall night," he whispered.
Maeve stood still and considered the amount he'd drank and how upset he'd been only minutes ago. She stayed calm and didn't move. After a heartbeat, the tension left his body. Instead of being locked in his arms, she was now held.
"He shouldn't have thought about you like that," his voice quiet.
More confidently, she peered at him. A mistake, she'd forgotten how handsome he was when he wasn't sneering or angry. His smoldering, deep-set eyes and square jawline made her unsteady. As drunk as he was, he probably didn't mean anything he'd said, good or bad, but she couldn't make herself move away.
"Will, I," she began but then faltered unsure of her words.
"Didn't mean to get so angry, but you used the nice tone and leaned toward him."
Will had been jealous of Ron? Or at least her talking to Ron.
"I don't want you to." he paused. "He's not good enough for you."
Good enough? He'd just told Ander she was a liability on the way back. "You just said I was ruining everything."
"I didn't mean that. Sometimes I just say shit because I dunno. You aren't ruining anything." His hand moved across her cheek.
"You don't feel like I'm a burden?"
"No, I like you being around. I like you,"
"You like me?" Maeve didn't mean to repeat his words, but she felt like she'd been hit in the head. She knew there was a carnal desire between them, but most of the time he only seemed to tolerate her. The way he tolerated the rest of the world, except Ander or Mason.
"I like you, more than I'm ok with. It freaks me out not knowing what you are."
"What I am? Really?" Now she was irritated. "I'm a person. Just like you, maybe with a few extra abilities, but you can do all kinds of things I don't have a clue about. Some of them you're so good at they're almost supernatural!" her voice loud at the end. She pulled away from him.
"Don't mean it like that," his words more slurred than before. "You know how I am. Can't help it. Not trying to be a dick. My whole life's nothing but monsters and freaks." he rubbed the back of his head. "Not saying you're either of those. It's just," his brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
Maeve held her breath and remained stiff.
"Anyone this pretty, it's always too good to be true." he swayed on his feet but sounded sincere.
Damn it. Why couldn't he be honest when he wasn't drunk?
"So you were mad at Ron and me because I flirted with him to get information?"
He nodded and swayed again. She sighed. Impossible to have a real conversation with him, but she was tempted to try because he wasn't being a jerk and for once, he wasn't trying to demean his feelings toward her.
"And you were mad because... you like me?"
He smiled, a lopsided version of his charming smile that made her heart melt. She stepped into his arms so he could wrap his arms around her to stabilize. Or maybe she wanted his arms around her. Now for the real test of how drunk he was.
"Will, do you remember the first time we saw each other?" She used the same tone as when she'd talked to Ron.
He nodded and continued to smile.
"You felt that right, the connection with me? Us?" To emphasize her point, she put her arms around him.
"I guess,"
"You guess? Or you know?"
"It was weird. Made me feel naked and then - Snap! Like something snapped into place." he chuckled as he tried to snap his fingers.
That clarified it. He was too drunk. She pulled him into a hug and then led him back to the room. Whatever he'd drank at the bar while she fumed had caught up with him. Ander stopped clicking and helped manage Will. He'd protested and wanted to clean his teeth. They compromised and allowed him to brush only. After he used the bathroom, they maneuvered him to bed.
"Will, you were a jerk to me. I know you feel bad about it. I was thinking, I know how you can make it up to me." she leaned down and kissed his forehead. "You let me be a part of the mission. I know I can't go into the Hive but you can include me for other parts."
"Ok, but you do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you - got it?" he sounded so firm and sober but his eyes were still unfocused.
She nodded and sensed Ander's eyes on them. In part she was relieved to know Will had lied about her soul touch, but overall it didn't change anything. When he woke tomorrow, he'd still act like a jerk and deny that he'd felt the connection. Will's eyes closed, and he was out within minutes. She continued to sit on the bed and rubbed her temples.
"Do you have a headache?"
Maeve flicked her eyes to Ander and gave him a weak smile. "I'm ok, I'm just," she looked at Will's snoring figure. "worn out, I guess. I don't know how you deal with him every day, he's so,"
"Volatile?" Ander offered.
"Yeah, exactly." She stood and checked to see if she's disturbed Will but he slept on. "Can we go to bed now? Or do you need to work?" As soon as the words passed her lips, she yearned to lie in bed with Ander. At peace with him, she needed peace after the storm of Will. His hesitation told her he needed to work. She sighed and changed into her nightgown, anyway. At least she'd be comfortable while she waited for him to finish.
When she exited the bathroom, she rummaged around in her bags. She could have sworn she packed two books. Ander moved around the room, entered, and exited the bathroom. She re-packed her items as she put them back in her bag to kill time. When she finished, she looked to where Ander had been and found he stood close, watching her. He was in his scrubs, he only wore those to bed.
"I thought." she gestured to the desk where his laptop sat.
"You did not wait for my reply," he told her with a slight grin.
"I didn't mean to do that,"
"It happens often. Do not concern yourself with it. I took the time to set up security."
"Security?"
"Yes. If both of us need to rest and no one is on watch, then we have to set up a security perimeter. It allows us enough time to react to hostiles." he gestured to some large crystals around the room.
"Crystals?"
He grimaced and averted his eyes. "Yes. You can cast several different types or incantations for protection or you can use pre-loaded crystals. They are not as powerful but they are reliable."
"So the crystals are like an alarm system that goes off if something enters the room?"
"To a point, yes. It is a bit more like an alarm system that inflicts a small amount of damage, depending on the species or type of creature. It extends farther than the room."
"Farther than the room? Like the whole motel?"
"No. Physically it only encases the room, but it interacts with other dimensions."
"Dimensions?" Maeve's voice became loud with excitement.
She knew Ander could use magic and that he'd helped design Mason's security, but she didn't know how it worked. And this was probably just the tip of the iceberg about magical security. She wanted to know everything. Will stirred in his sleep and rolled over. She was about to ask Ander what dimensions when he put his finger over her lips and looked at Will. She nodded and heat rushed into her cheeks.
Ander turned out the lights. They climbed into bed and kept the noise to a minimum. They rolled onto their side to face each other. She had so many questions, but they'd have to wait. Gazing at Ander this close, she saw the exhaustion on his face. He needed to rest. She could pester him with questions about magic later, sometime when Will wasn't around. Maeve thought she'd have trouble settling down to rest, but as soon as she nestled close to Ander, she was calm and tired. As she fell asleep, he pulled her closer.