Someone shifted their weight and there was a soft creak of a protest. I was warm, with a light scent of allspice in the air, but my back and neck weren't happy campers. I rolled my head to a side, slowly opening my eyes only to find them entranced by sharp green orbs. My mind, taking considerable amount of time to make sense of where I was, only saw the emerald eyes, bare skin, and my hand gripping someone else's. But still it failed to make a connection.
"What are you doing?" His low voice was husky and heavy with sleep, the sound of it gave my body a jumpstart.
"Sorry! I'm sorry!" I let go of his hand and sprang back, almost tipping over the chair. The sudden movements weren't in agreement with my stiff body and punished me accordingly. My cheeks flushed at the sight of him with his disheveled dark hair, sleepy eyes, and well defined muscles. "H...how are you feeling?" The words stumbled out as I continued to stare shamelessly. 'Focus! This isn't the time to be gawking!' I reminded myself, rising to my feet. A smiled burst onto my face when I noticed how he had moved closer to the edge of the bed, his arm outstretched towards where I was. 'Stop it!'
"I'm fine." Emerald muttered, trying to sit up. I reached out to help him but he slapped my hands away. "I said I'm fine!" Luke growled, though obviously struggling . I scowled down at him with my hands on my hips.
"Fine my ass!" I flicked his forehead and he glared. "Now hold still." I slid onto the bed behind him to check his bandages, trying to keep my heart rate under control. Of course, he wouldn't comply and quickly turned around.
"I don't know when you got cocky enough to think you can disobey me, but I'm going to fix that."
"Yeah right." I narrowed my eyes trying not to blush. Seeing him like this couldn't be good for my health, could it? My heart was ready to explode, my skin felt feverish, and my mouth watered. Maybe I was just coming down with something? "Turn around or I'll tie you down." At this he leaned forward, his eyes dark and aggressive.
"I dare you." His lips curled into an arrogant smirk full of dominance. This was too much! It felt as if he were sending little electric currents my way, his eyes drawing me in like a blissful temptation. Heat radiated off of him and I could almost guarantee his own heart was pounding away inside that firm chest of his. My mouth opened for some witty retort but the language part of my brain wasn't functioning. All I knew was that I wanted him, and he needed to realize that too. 'No! Remember! This is LUKE! You CANNOT pass Go!' The logical side of my brain was awakened, just in time to jump back. When had he gotten closer? His lips had been so devastatingly close! Whatever trance he was in disappeared and his glare returned.
"Just shut up and turn around!" I picked myself up off the ground after an ungraceful tumble. "Your back was shredded to ribbons last night and I need to check it so you're going to be quiet and obedient you careless little prick!" I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him the look I would usually give my little sisters. His nose wrinkled with contempt but he turned his back to me. Approaching him again I noticed the smell of blood and knew he had reopened the wounds. 'Stubborn idiot.' I thought taking off the bandages. True enough, he had ripped one open and it bled steadily.
"You're one to talk." He snorted before hissing when I "accidentally" poked the stitches. "Sadistic bi-" I poked again a little harder and he growled, his body lurching forward away from me.
"Don't be rude." I warned with a smile he couldn't see. For the time being, he was at my mercy. "I need to go get supplies and someone to fix this. Don't move." I hopped off the bed and opened the door to find Evelyn already prepared with her med kit. "Oh! Good morning, he tore one open but everything else is fine."
"Good morning and thank you for watching over him." She entered and even before she checked his wounds her hands shot up and pulled his ear. "What the hell were you doing?! How many times have I told you to ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings?!" She commenced her scolding while he kept his pained gaze low. All this added up to 'Do you know how worried I was?' "Now let me see what you've done to yourself." She huffed, finally opening the kit. "Fay, go get ready for work."
"But I-"
"Are you sick?" She sighed, she eyebrows knit together.
"What? No but-"
"Injured?" She cut me off, obviously now wasn't the time to argue. I looked down at myself, most of my wounds had healed, there were only a few that deserved attention.
"Not really..."
"Andrea has a med kit in her bathroom, use it and get to work."
"But I'm off today."
"Then just get the hell out of my room." Warden snapped. Evelyn had already finished fixing his stitches and was cleaning him up.
"Whatever, didn't even want to be in here. Ungrateful bastard." I muttered, slamming the door behind me. Damien was walking by and jumped when the door slammed.
"And she's alive!!!" He threw his hands in the air, his mouth formed an "o". I couldn't help but laugh.
"Damien what are you doing?"
"And now we interview the girl who survived the infamous void of no return. Tell us! How did you return with your body and soul still intact? Reveal your secrets!" The boy held an invisible microphone to my mouth, eyes sparkling with interest.
"What?" My eyebrows turned up with concern but my mouth remained smiling.
"Or did you lose your soul after all?" A sly grin spread across Damien's face as he leaned forward. Heat rushed to my face and I shook my head.
"What? No, I was just keeping an eye on him. Nothing happened."
"Doth my ears deceive me then?" His smugness only intensified. "Something about tying someone down and one of you is sadistic?" The teen's eyebrows wiggled suggestively. My ears turned a deeper shade of red in response.
"Yeah cause I totally just had a kinky make out session with an idiot who just got mauled. " I rolled my eyes oozing with sarcasm. "You really need to get your head out of the gutter." I ruffled his hair and walked to my room.
"But you spent the night in there, did you not?" Damien followed me and plopped down on my bed. "No one's ever stayed in there longer than 2 minutes, except Evelyn."
"He was asleep. He probably just didn't know I was there." I shrugged, that was the most logical reason. Ignoring the fact that he gad moved closer to me in his sleep.
"Fay, he's been awake for a few hours. Had breakfast, lunch, and everything." Damien grinned. "He could have easily woken you up and kicked you out earlier." I stood dumbfounded and flustered.
"W...well maybe he just has a tiny drop of consideration in him?" I stammered and squirmed under the 14 year old's knowing gaze. "After all I did tend to him all night."
"If that's what you want to call it." He winked. His mood turned down a few notches and he sighed, suddenly looking older than his actual age. "Is he really ok though?" Immediately sitting down next to him I nodded and gave him a little side hug.
"As annoying and fragile as he appears to be, he can take some mauling. Give him a little time and Hitler will bounce back, as condescending as always." We both laughed, when suddenly, "Wait why aren't you at school?"
"We got out early?" Damien tried, flashing his pearly whites.
"Every Wednesday? Or just on special occasions?"
"Don't tell Evelyn!" He whispered urgently. "I don't think she knows I'm here yet and she'll skin me alive if she found out I ditched!!"
"I'm pretty sure she already knows." I laid back on the bed with a tired sigh. So what was he doing that whole time? Watching my sleep?! I hope I didn't talk in my sleep! Just what was going through his mind that whole time?! He rudely kicked me out of the room when Evelyn showed up, but he had no problem with me being in there alone with him. My cool palms covered my face as I relaxed, deciding to ignore the bi-polar tyrant. Just go back to how it was before, barely comrades. "I gotta go." I lept to my feet and herded the young interrogator out of my room.
Being that it was my day off and Warden was on house arrest, I'd be free to spend some time with Sam and explain things properly. Oh yea! I have to call Mom too, before she hunts me down and beats me with her wooden spoon.
"So who is he supposed to be then?" Sam crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the booth.
"Kind of like a patrol partner/ warden. Since the beginning he's been in charge of me and so when we pair up for patrols, he stays with me cause he says he doesn't trust me."
"I wouldn't go do anything dangerous if I didn't trust the other person to watch my back." Sam pointed out suspiciously. "Besides, if the others are as skilled as I'm assuming, they'd be more than capable of handling you." The bear obviously wasn't convinced. "Who is he really?"
"We are not dating I promise." I looked him square in the eyes, my jaw set. I meant what I said, but oddly enough my own words felt like a stab to the heart. Sam's dark brown eyes softened and he nodded approvingly. "I'm still surprised you've taken all this news so well. Had it not been for what I saw first hand, I wouldn't have believed it."
"The world is full of mysteries. All stories have an origin, no?" Sam grinned with a shrug before stealing a sip of my coffee.
"Hey! You had your own!" I snatched away the cup and hugged it protectively.
"Had, and you're taking forever to drink it. It'll be cold soon." Sam replied as our waitress returned, she smiled down at Sam who flashed her a dashing grin in return, his cheeks beginning to turn the color of the table. She giggled and scribbled something on the back of the receipt before handing it to him, her hand lingering on his a little too long.
"Awww how cute." I sneered when the woman finally left.
"Shut up." Sam growled, completely turning red. However handsome he was, Sam was always shy and self-conscious around the female species. He was always polite and could keep a conversation, but the moment things got a little heated, he would lose his cool.
"Are you going to call her?" He glared at me and stuffed the receipt in his jacket pocket. "Take that as a no?" Silence. "You are?!" I squealed joyously. "Awwwwww my baby's growing up!" I pretended to wipe a tear from the eye watching him squirm, red and uncomfortable.
"Shut up!" He growled, throwing his hood over his head while I died laughing. "So immature." He mumbled, sliding out of the booth. I followed behind him, gripping my abs because of the cramps that had come. Outside a cold wind blasted us in the face and I gasped and hid behind Sam. "Your welcome." He shivered, pulling his jacket tighter around his giant body. The wind continued to whirl around, carrying dead leaves and an unpleasant scent.
A blood curling scream rang out in the otherwise quiet street. It came from the other side of the building; turning the corner the scent nearly knocked me off my feet. On the wall written in blood were the words 'Tick Tock, Alex', below was a man who bled from his neck. His body shook with shock and the obvious terror in his eyes told me it was a Nightwalker. He coughed up more blood as I slipped off my jacket and held it to his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, but there were a chunks of flesh missing. He wasn't going to make it.
"Corner of 8th and Main." Sam informed the ambulance before questioning the woman who had found the man. She was busy vomiting, her eyes bulged in horror at the scene in front of her. "Did you see anyone? Male? Female? Clothes?" He turned her away and tried to get answers, almost desperate.
"They'll be here soon, it'll be ok." I tried comforting the man who barely moved now, his breaths shallow. A glaze spread over his eyes, the hand that had gripped my arm slowly let go. "No! No! Stay with me! They're almost here!" I could hear the sirens, but my mind was focused on the pulse that gradually stopped and a soft, almost grateful exhale.