This incident definitely increased the seriousness of the stalking. The dolls and notes had shown persistence. The notes had become more demanding. This attempt indicated a frightening escalation. Gallagher hadn’t told him much beyond that the spelled object was meant to coat anyone near the box and the entire room, but it put him on alert.
Chelsea’s stalker had gone over the edge. Alex had hunted tainted Aelfir, human, and other paranormal rogue beings. This man wouldn’t back down again. The stalker had access to such magic, but using it to harm perverted the power. Aelfir magic created, nurtured or transformed.
A male had performed the spell. That fact was clear in the feel of the magic. Even more than that, the way he used his abilities indicated he was one of them.
Chelsea would have a hard time accepting it. She didn’t want to believe that someone from their small city would do that. She also held onto the thought that the stalker would go away. Those hopes weren’t likely, not with the persistence the man had shown.
Outsiders didn’t come to Alden Glen often by chance. They did get tourists passing through. The artisan businesses drew those looking for something unique. There were also a few yearly festivals held here. People didn’t tend to stay long, though.
A spell protected the city. While it didn’t bar visitors from entering, it could be disorienting to those who meant harm to someone in the town. The magic also messed with any electronic equipment not modified for this location. Alex hadn’t pointed out that she seldom left Alden Glen nor have much contact with those outside the city. She didn’t want to see that evil could live so close to home.
A hand on his shoulder startled him. He reached for the Aelfir honed dagger that he wore at his waist. Almost all of the officers carried one. A good number of the officers on the force were ex-Hunters.
The blade wasn’t there. He’d taken it off when he came into the station. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Chief of Police, Gallagher Stark. Gallagher’s hand tightened, offering a little reassurance.
“Take a few deep breaths and then get in there. She needs you.” Gallagher looked at the door. “Even after he broke into her car, she wasn’t prepared for this.”
“I knew she wouldn’t be. She didn’t think he’d go this far.” Alex sighed and shook his head.
No one had been able to come up with a reason for the stalking. Her ex-boyfriend had married. Based on his location during a few of the incidents, he’d been cleared.
Alex straightened and squared his shoulders. As much as he’d like to drive his fist into the nearest wall, he had to control himself. Gallagher was right. He should be with Chelsea. She needed support, comfort and to know she wasn’t alone. In truth, he had to see her. Ever since he’d gotten her call, he’d been worried and going a little crazy inside.
He hadn’t wanted the Hunter side of his life to touch her, ever, but if it could keep her safe, he’d use it. The stalker wasn’t getting a warning.
Chapter Two
Chelsea leaned forward in the chair and ran her hands through her hair. Goddess, this was such a mess. Where am I supposed to go? She couldn’t go back to her house.
It would take days to get that smell out even with someone using their gifts to help her. She didn’t understand this. Why would someone she didn’t even know be mad enough at her to do something like that?
She didn’t have a long string of exes. She’d dated only Alexander in recent months. Her relationships tended to be longer, because she always intended to build something lasting. She didn’t date and walk away. After a break up, she took a little time before starting another.
Who is targeting me? This last surprise was set with Aelfir powers. It was so different from the other things she’d been sent. She didn’t doubt that it was intended for her.
The person had to be someone from the area. A lump formed in her throat. She tried to remember any incident with someone that seemed off, but couldn’t come up with anything. Fear rose.
Someone had fixated on her. She had no idea who it was. That thought scared her almost as much as wondering what he’d do next. How could she miss someone watching her?
The slight click of the doorknob turning drew her attention. The door to the white walled interview room opened once again. She bit her lip and almost held her breath. Her nerves stretched taut.
She’d been alone for a while. The isolation hadn’t helped her calm down. The time and fear set her thoughts spinning. She wished someone had been with her. Her mind whirled with what if’s and why’s.
What if she’d touched that thing? What if one of her family had moved it to put something else there? They sometimes popped over to see her and had a key.
When the door swung fully open, she saw Alex. He strode straight over to her. Her shoulders slumped. Relief washed through her. In that moment, he’d never looked better. His stress showed, though.
Part of his hair hung near his collar, obviously tugged from the band. The light blue shirt of the police uniform clung to his shoulders, highlighting the tension in his muscles.
She stood and practically jumped at him. His arms wrapped around her. He pulled her so tight against him she almost lost her breath. She’d never been so happy to see someone.
Her arms tightened around him. She wanted to stay right here. His warmth and strength soothed her frazzled nerves. She leaned into him and breathed in his woodsy scent. She needed this.
“Are you alright?” Alex’s arms tightened.
“Yes, just a little scared. I could be around this person every day and still have no clue who is stalking me.” Chelsea leaned back to look up at him.
“We’ll find out who he is, baby. You don’t need to worry about that.” Alex guided her back over to the chair.
“But where will I stay? They say my house is uninhabitable. I can’t bring trouble to my parents or my sister or brother.” She sat and her shoulders slumped.
“Baby, you’ll stay with me. You know we’re heading toward living together anyway.” Alex pulled a chair over beside hers.
“No, we aren’t. Not as the relationship is now.” She shook her head. She didn’t want to get into this. After the day she’d had, she didn’t want to fight with the man who offered such comfort to her.
He frowned. “And what’s wrong with our relationship?”
“I know only a little more about you now than I did when I first met you. There are parts of your life that you refuse to talk about. That doesn’t make me confident in our relationship.” She sighed. Her shoulders slumped.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Baby, there are things I don’t want to talk about. Not because I’m hiding them from you. That life is over. I don’t want it to be a part of this one.”
“You can’t separate it. It’s not as if it was an actual past life. It’s part of your history. While the specifics are unimportant, you can’t ignore those years.” She threw up her hands.
“I’ll tell you, but I wanted you to get to know me first.” He leaned forward.
“That doesn’t matter at the moment. If I don’t want to bring trouble to my family, do you think I want to dump it on you?” She shook her head. As much as his offer touched her, she didn’t want him to become a target of this bastard. She had no idea what this stalker would do if she moved in with Alex.
“Chelsea, even if you moved into an apartment, you wouldn’t go alone. I’m not letting you face this on your own. You might not be certain of where our relationship is headed, but I am. This is a commitment for me.” Alexander took her hand.
She looked at him and knew by the stubborn look on his face that he wouldn’t budge. Although his insistence frustrated her, she welcomed the concern. It made her feel less alone.
“We don’t even know what we’re facing, except someone who’s obsessed. You haven’t had time to think about this.” She shook her head. Even if he thought about it overnight, he wouldn’t change his mind. He’d set himself up as her protector.
“Whoeve
r this is and whatever his goal is, he won’t succeed. I promise you that.” He framed her face and looked into her eyes.
The man spoke now, not the police officer. The sheer determination in his brown eyes seared her. She hadn’t ever seen that much emotion from him before. He’d always been a little closed off.
“I’ll take you home, my home. Your sister is getting you some clothes from a store, because you can’t wear what’s in your house. You don’t need to worry about anything tonight. It’s all taken care of, including dinner.” Alex eased back and once again took her hands.
She didn’t doubt that. They had a date and Alex had said he would cook for her. That part of the plan didn’t have to change. She wouldn’t mind a little normalcy. Something to get her mind off the incident at her home.
“Ready to go? I’ve got the rest of the day off.” Alex rose to his feet. He hadn’t let go of her hands, but made no move to pull her from the chair.
Her mind went to the ways they could enjoy the afternoon and keep her mind off of what had happened. She’d love to spend the rest of the day wrapped in his arms, enjoying the pleasure he could give.
She rose to her feet. Even if he’d offered to take her home so they could talk, she would have gone. She was so tired of this interview room and its torturous chairs. Stress and fear beat at her.
A thousand questions ran through her head. Most of them centered on the stalker. Now that Alex had arrived and decided he would be with her wherever she went, she worried about him, too. She needed some time without thinking. Maybe when they arrived at his home, she’d seduce him.
“I’m ready. What about my car? It’s still at my house.” She tugged at his hand to stop him when he began to urge her out of the room.
“It will stay where it is. You won’t be going anywhere on your own. If I don’t take you or pick you up, someone else will. This man has taken his stalking to another level. We didn’t believe he was harmless from the first letter, but now it’s too dangerous for you to be alone.” Alex looked over at her and narrowed his eyes almost as if he couldn’t believe that she asked that.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” She shook her head.
Alex’s protective instincts had hit a new high. Nothing had ever happened to her while she was in the car. Sure the stalker had gotten into her vehicle and stolen a few things, but she’d been out working in the field when it happened. He hadn’t touched it since then though.
“You think you’re safe there, but we don’t know how long it will be before he decides to try to get to you. He won’t get to you if you’re always with someone.” Alex raised a brow.
“And how long is this supposed to continue? There’s no guarantee that he’ll even make another move. What will you to do if this goes on for months?” She frowned at him.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but at least if it does take that long, you’ll have time to get to know whatever it is you want to learn about me.” He shrugged. “Now, we’re going home.”
He led her out of the room so fast she barely had time to grab her purse of the table. She left the station with him and climbed into his truck. Although, normally, she’d prefer to walk, she needed the security of something solid around her. Fear and uncertainty still thrummed too strongly within her to relax and enjoy the walk.
Alex lived within the heart of the city in a home he’d bought from a family who moved to another Aelfir city. Although some families tended to stay in one city for generations, others answered the call for aid. In that case, a specific talent, a land healer, was needed within the other city. Alden Glen had more than enough land healers here to spare one young family.
He pulled up in front of his house, a large, white two story with blue trim and roof. Her eyes locked on the front porch and the swing there. So gorgeous. The first time he’d brought her here she’d imagined sitting there with Alex, sipping on a drink.
She loved the big yard, both front and back, but the space called out for a garden. She itched to put some color along the fence and the front of the house. The thick green grass beckoned her to walk barefoot, but his home needed more than that. Flowers, bushes, and plants. Every time she came over here, she fought the urge to mention it. Her Aelfir ability linked her to plants, but this was his place.
“Come on, Chelsea. Let’s get you inside.” Alex opened her car door.
She’d been so lost in her thoughts about his yard that she hadn’t even realized he’d gotten out of the car. With a sigh, she turned and let him help her out of the car. She strolled along the path to the side entrance along with Alex. The side entrance opened into his large kitchen.
She’d dreamed of kitchen like this. Dark gray granite topped the counters. What really made her envious though was the cabinet space. All those gorgeous light oak cupboards and she knew for a fact most of them were empty.
He locked the door behind them. She continued pacing forward. Alex snagged her wrist before she moved out of reach. She glanced back at him. His eyes glittered with hunger and tension.
His hand tightened. He tugged her close. She stepped willingly up to him. His arms wrapped around her, strong and secure. She leaned into him and savored the solid press of his body. With a sigh, she relaxed into the sanctuary offered in his embrace.
He held her tight against him for a moment, before he lifted her off her feet and kissed her. One of his arms slipped under her ass, holding her up as his other hand skimmed up and down her back.
Her mouth opened to the thrust of his tongue against her lips. She delighted in the touch. Her body heated. She wanted him right here.
Chapter Three
By the Earth mother, yes! The thought flashed through Chelsea’s mind. She needed his body next to hers. Even more, she needed to run her hands over him and feel the heat of his hunger. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“I need this, baby. When you called me, I wanted to come straight to you. The thoughts that raged through my mind tortured me. I tried to focus on my duty, but it almost made me insane.” His fingers threaded through her hair and tightened for a moment.
The slight tug at her hair drew a gasp from her. She nipped at his lips. His hand guided her lips back to his.
He carried her over to the island in the center of the kitchen. As soon as he put her on the marble countertop, he stepped back. She reached for him, not wanting to lose the warmth of his embrace.
He resisted her tugging hands. Frustration and irritation brought a frown to her face. She wanted him against her. His fingers began working at her button down shirt. She approved, but his clothes needed to go. Her excitement rose higher as she thought of touching. She began peeling him out his uniform shirt.
She unfastened the last of the buttons of his shirt that she could reach. With an impatient groan, she pulled it out of his pants. When the garment slid free his arms, she ran her fingers over the broad expanse of his chest. He pulled her hands away for a moment so that he could slip her shirt off.
“You’re so damn sexy. I want you naked, sweetheart.” He ran his hands down her arms and swept them inward to unhook her bra with sure fingers.
She squirmed closer. “If you get naked, too, I’m in.”
He chuckled. “I’m definitely getting out of these clothes. First, your jeans and boots though.”
He untied and loosened the laces on her work boots before pulling them off along with her socks. The boots landed with a loud thud when he tossed them away. That more than anything showed her the intensity of his desire.
Whenever he spent the night with her, he folded his clothes as he took them off. The almost obsessive behavior didn’t involve other areas of his life. She thought habit more than anything lay behind the tendency. It made her wonder about those years he omitted in their talks.
“You wear too many damn clothes, sweetheart.” He skimmed his hands up her jean-covered thighs.
She grinned. That frustration was all too familiar. “I’ll remember that next time
I’m dressing for work.”
He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He didn’t have to urge her to lift her hips. When he began pushing the fabric down, she raised her hips from the counter to let him take the clothing. She lowered herself down onto the marble once the clothing was down her legs. A hissing breath escaped her when the cool stone touched her heated skin. The contrast enhanced the desire flaring through her.
His hands went to the pants of his uniform. He removed his belt first, putting that and his service weapon on the table. His fingers flew over the button and zipper before pushing the pants down his legs. He stepped out of them and moved straight to her. She opened her arms and widened her legs to make a place for him.
His hands gripped her waist, pulling her to the edge of the countertop. The scare might be part of it, but she needed his cock pushing into her and his arms holding her close. He placed a condom on the counter next to her.
His head dipped. He pressed open mouthed kisses to her shoulder and neck. She tilted her head to give him room to move. He drew his tongue over her skin, tracing a trail over her chest.
Her nipples tightened when his lips drew closer. She vividly recalled the intense sensation of his lips and teeth teasing those stiff peaks. The memory left her wet and even more excited. She wanted him to do that.
“I want to lick and taste here until you’re pleading with me. I have to touch you though.” He scraped his teeth over one stiff peak.
“If you’re not satisfied with what you accomplished the first time, we can do it again. I’m always ready.” Chelsea cupped his cheek before she turned her attention back to exploring him.
His hand traced circles over the skin of her stomach. She wriggled and tried to get closer to him. Her fingertips danced across his chest. When she came to his nipples, she scraped her nails across them before tugging at the two flat nubs. He hissed. His hand rose to mold over her breast at the same time as his mouth covered other peak.
Tangled Bliss Page 2
