by C. R. Jane
Satisfied that he is down for the count I crouch into a fighting position to prepare for the others. Two more Fallen approach me at the same time. I pick up a decomposing log from off the ground and swing it around, hitting both of them at the same time and sending them flying.
More Fallen begin to emerge from the trees, so many that they resemble ants swarming from a nest that has been disturbed. I yank the sword from out of the Fallen’s heart and begin swinging. The air is thick with the scent of blood, sweat, and screams. I can taste the rage of the Fallen in the air as they attack without mercy. As soon as I cut one down, another takes its place. My body is littered with gouges so deep that the blood is making it difficult to hold onto the sword because it’s so slippery. My left eye is swollen shut, and the right one isn’t much better. I’m having to use all of my other senses just to stay standing.
Finally, I acknowledge this is a battle that I can’t win by myself and I prepare to take flight. My wings shoot out creating a sudden burst of wind so strong that it knocks over at least five of the Fallen in front of me. I rise a few inches off the ground before crashing back down to the ground as several Fallen hit me from above. They swarm out of the trees, continuing to land on top of me until the weight is so great that I can’t breathe. My wings are pulled, feathers are ripped out ferociously, and sharp swords make long diagonal tears so deep that I imagine you could see through them if you tried. My wings rendered useless, I focus all of my energy on pulling myself out of the pile which is now made up of so many Fallen that I imagine they have no idea where I actually am beneath them.
Using anything at my disposal, including my teeth and nails, I drag myself from under the pile into the thick underbrush of the forest. I take a glance back and see that there must be at least twenty Fallen wrestling on the pile. No one seems to notice that I’ve managed to crawl my way out. My breath comes in sharp gasps. It feels like at least one of my lungs has been punctured. Sharp twigs and rocks get stuck in the feathers of my wings, grinding against the cuts and bruises, causing agonizing pain. I crawl for hours until I can no longer hear the yells of my attackers. Just when I don’t think I can go on for any longer, I see a large opening in a cliff that is just big enough for me to squeeze in. Sending a silent prayer up to the heavens that there aren’t any predators slumbering within, I squeeze my body into the crevice. The effort takes the last of my energy and I immediately faint from a combination of exhaustion and blood loss.
Chapter 3
After
The gorgeous creature is staring up at me, a look of awe and recognition on her face. Eva. It’s the perfect name for her. Across most cultures it means “life” or “living one,” and looking at her I feel like I’ve finally come alive for the first time. She looks away from me and I feel immediately bereft. In that moment I know that I would do anything to keep those amethyst eyes looking at me forever.
Every guy who was in the immediate area is flocked around her, each trying to catch her attention and see if she is alright. She’s blushing, and I instantly fall a little in love at the idea of this goddess being embarrassed by so much attention. She’s easily the most perfect being I’ve ever seen. No way in hell would most girls react that way. She’s had to have gotten nonstop adoration her entire life and I wonder at how she could have such a reaction still.
She’s deliberately ignoring me, talking to douche bag Eric who’s soaking up her attention. Why she’s chosen to give the little weasel her attention is beyond me. I glare at some of the guys crowded around us and they back up a little bit. Such is her appeal that even I, the god of this school, can’t make them totally leave the scene. Eric smooths some of her hair behind her ears and I feel the sudden urge to rip off his head, or at least cut off the offending hand.
Her voice makes her even more attractive if that’s possible. It’s low and throaty, and so sensual that I’m hard at the very sound of it. She says she’s fine, but the tense set of her shoulders tell a different story. I want to believe that she can feel the weight of the attraction between us, but it seems like that idea is just wishful thinking since she hasn’t spared me a glance since that first fateful look.
Eric continues to ask her questions and touch her, finally asking her to go to the movies with him. I’ve had enough. I finally regain the use of my tongue and say something before he can whisk her away. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” I ask Eric, pretending like I’m being solicitous towards him. I can tell Eric was just waiting for me to pounce. The skin around his mouth is pursed from the effort it is taking not to show how annoyed he is with me. But seriously dude, when did the concept of “dibs” ever really work.
“Of course,” he tells me, introducing me to Eva. Her hesitance is tangible and I wonder what I’ve done wrong already for her to want nothing to do with me. I hold out my hand to her, wanting to touch this girl’s skin so bad that I fear I might just start crying if she rejects me. Her eyes hold me captive again once they finally meet mine. She uncertainly touches my hand and immediately I feel like I’ve found my home for the first time since I left Paradise. Unable to stop myself, I brush my lips against her hand. I can feel her begin to tremble at my touch and my heart skips a beat. That must mean that I’m making her feel something right? Or, it means that I’m disgusting her and she’s shaking because she wants me to stop holding her hand. I choose to ignore that possibility and enjoy the sparks that are going up and down my arm from where we are touching. My lips are slightly tingling from where they touched her skin. I’ve never come close to having this reaction to someone before. Every girl I’ve ever been with fades from memory.
“It’s a pleasure Eva,” I tell her with a wink. “I’m sorry that this idiot decided he couldn’t throw the ball today. But I’m not sorry that it led me to meeting you.”
I immediately want to punch myself. That was the best that I could come up with? She pulls her hand away and I don’t blame her. I’m sure she has seen some smooth lines in her lifetime and those definitely fell short. I’m a fucking idiot. They turn to walk away, and I feel desperate.
“What movie are you going to?” I ask quickly. Eric is close to attacking me I can tell. It’s taking everything in him to keep his cool. He’s always been a fucking hothead. He will be too easy to rile up in this situation, especially since the stakes up for grabs are Eva.
“Not sure yet, but we have to go if we are going to fit it in before practice,” he tells me, gritting his teeth with a look that is clearly telling me to fuck off.
Eva is looking at me intently now, and I can’t help but hope that the glimmer in her gaze is a little hope that I’ll come to the movie with them. “Why don’t the rest of us come along?” I tell Eric, gesturing to the besotted fools still hovering around us. I’ve backed Eric into a corner bringing in the rest of the guys. Although he should have a problem saying no to me as his Team Captain, Eric has never had a problem showing how much he hates my guts. By mentioning the rest of the guys though, I forced his hand. He would look like a huge prick if he said no to the rest of his teammates. Eric reluctantly nods, right on the edge of his breaking point. His grip on Eva tightening a little too much for my comfort. I want to break every one of his fingers when I see the uncomfortableness in Eva’s expression. I’m about to step in when she surprises me by slowly breaking his grip and taking a step away from him. Her actions clearly illustrate “this guy is not my boyfriend,” and I’m beyond pleased at her actions. Maybe I do have a chance.
I watch Eva as we walk to the theater that is just down the block. Her perfect ass sways innocently. She’s not trying to entice anyone, she just exudes a sexuality so strong that it’s taking everything in me to keep my dick down. A quick glance at the others around me confirms that they can’t keep their eyes off her ass either. Let’s be honest though, the whole package is fucking appealing as hell. Her legs are killer, and I can’t help but imagine what it would feel like if they were wrapped around me.
We get to the theat
er sooner than I would like since it means I have to actually pay attention to things like paying for tickets instead of staring at Eva. She’s looking around the theater with a little bit of awe and I’m perplexed. This movie theater is definitely not one of the nicer ones I have been to. She’s looking at it like it’s Disneyland though. While the others discuss what we should see, she wanders off towards the concession stand. I immediately take the opportunity to go after her before anyone else does.
Eva is standing in front of the concession check out, gazing in wonder at all of the choices. I stare in amusement at her. She’s acting like she’s never seen a Kit Kat before…although with a body like that, maybe she hasn’t. I step up behind her. “What do you want to get?” I ask. She doesn’t turn around and doesn’t seem shocked that I’m right behind her.
“The biggest tub of popcorn they sell,” she replies laughingly.
Maybe I was wrong about her being one of those girls that doesn’t eat. “A girl after my own heart,” I tell her. She says she wants a soda too, so I turn to order our food, looking at the checkout person for the first time. Oh boy, I inwardly roll my eyes. It’s a young girl who looks like her tongue is about to fall out of her mouth due to how much she is drooling. I flash her a grin and her eyes roll back a bit. Fuck, I hope she doesn’t faint. I hate when they do that. It also clashes with the whole approachable vibe I’m trying to give Eva.
“Could we please have your XL tub of popcorn, extra butter, two Cokes, and…” I turn to ask Eva what candy she wants.
“I can pay for myself,” she answers adorably, but it makes me wonder. Is she really this sweet, or is this an act? I’ve never met a girl who actually meant they would pay for themselves if I offered. Something about her strikes me as authentic though. There’s no calculating gleam in her beautiful eyes. I look at what she’s wearing for the first time. I can tell that it came from somewhere cheap, definitely a far cry from the designer duds of the girls I usually hook up with. She looks far better in her cheap clothes than they ever did in their thousand-dollar outfits though.
“What candy do you want?” I ask again. I grin when she tells me Sour Patch Kids, it’s one of my favorites as well. I finish placing my order and grimace when the concession girl squeaks out a request for my autograph. This kind of situation is basically a lose-lose for me. I either respond no to the girl and come off looking like a jerk to both the girl and Eva, or I say yes, and Eva thinks I’m a self-important prick. I choose to give the autograph and tense when I look back at Eva after I’ve finished and picked up the food. She’s staring at the gigantic movie posters on the wall though, looking again like a little child seeing Disneyland for the first time. If she has this reaction to a shitty movie theater, maybe I should take her to Disneyland. She would love me forever. We walk over to the rest of the group and Eric stalks over.
“Eva, why didn’t you wait for me?” he asks her.
I roll my eyes at his indignation and step in front of Eva, a protective streak that I don’t usually have nowadays rising up within me. “Relax man, I paid for her,” I tell him sternly, giving him a “hey asshole, chill out” look at the same time.
Eva steps around me, brushing my arm as she passes by and sending chills up and down my body.
“What movie did everyone pick?” she sweetly asks. Everyone tries to answer her at once and Eric reaches out and grabs her hand, pulling her towards him. He’s back on my kill list with that move and I grit my teeth in an effort not to pull him away from her and throw him through the glass entrance doors. She once again pulls away from him to walk towards the ticket stand, my stomach doing internal cheers at the fact that they clearly aren’t a thing. Not that them being a thing would stop me at all. She again tries to pay for her ticket much to the displeasure of all of the guys and I’m again falling for her sweetness.
We walk into the theater where Captain America is playing, and I give my teammates my best alpha male glance to make sure I get to sit next to her. I pass her the popcorn bucket and get embarrassingly aroused watching her eat. She savors each bite like the cheap butter popcorn is the best thing she has ever eaten. She gives a little moan at the end of her first few bites that immediately drags my mind to how I could make her moan louder than that. The movie starts and again her excitement is contagious. She’s leaning forward in her seat, so enthralled with the characters on the screen that it’s contagious and all of a sudden, the movie becomes the best movie I’ve ever seen as well. She has so much excitement for such a small thing. It makes me try to remember when the last time I got even half as excited about anything. It’s been forever. Even sex has taken on a humdrum feeling. Looking her over in the dim lighting, the movie reflecting in those gorgeous eyes, I’m pretty positive that sex with her wouldn’t be same old same old. My dick tightens more just thinking about it. I’m a little disgusted at my inability to control myself but looking around I see that every guy around is staring at her and most likely feeling the same way.
Eric tries to move in at some point, putting his hand right above her knee. I give a little snort when she scoots closer to me, moving away from him awkwardly and leaving a very disappointed look on his face. The asshole. I make sure to keep her well-fed for the rest of the movie thinking at least I have that going for me that I can give her treats. She’s sitting really close to me and I want to pick up the armrest so we can get even closer. I doubt she’s ready for that though after the four words we’ve spoken to each other. I tell her a few jokes that Beckham told me the other day and am rewarded with a laugh that’s as sexy as the rest of her. It shoots straight down to my balls and I want to keep her laughing for the rest of her life. I’m the least smooth I’ve ever been but it seems to be working at least a little bit. She’s definitely not an open book and I’m constantly studying everything about her to try and see what she’s thinking.
The movie goes by much quicker than I would like. My stomach sinks at the thought of having to go to practice and not being able to see her. What if she doesn’t want to see me again? I watch her as I walk. She’s talking to one of the guys about the movie, a cute pep in her step. I feel like a love-sick fool getting so obsessed over everything she does, but I can’t help it. One of the guys asks me about some of the actors in the movie and I tell them they’re nice guys. I’ve acted with a few of them from the last movie I dabbled in last summer, and Beckham’s acted with the rest of them in a couple of films. I notice Eva’s listening to our conversation interestedly and I wonder what she thinks of Beckham. There aren’t a lot of girls who aren’t obsessed with one of our trio and I just have to hope that she’s more partial to tall, dark, and handsome, rather than sun god blonde.
Both Beckham and Mason would go crazy over her even with them being as big, if not bigger, manwhores than me. A wave of possessiveness washes over me at the thought of them seeing her. Unfortunately, I live with Mason. If I get to the point where she’s coming over, and I’m going to do whatever I can to make that happen, I’m going to have to find a way that they aren’t there at the same time. Realizing I’m getting way ahead of myself I go back to watching Eva’s seductive walk all the way back to campus.
Once we get to campus I give a big ‘fuck off’ to all of my teammates, including Eric. He doesn’t get the hint though, not wanting to give up whatever claim he has over Eva due to the unfortunate fact he must have met her first or something. I’m glaring so hard at Eric that I almost miss Eva scurrying away. Eric runs after her and gets her to agree to go to breakfast with him. I’m already plotting to make sure that breakfast doesn’t happen. He pulls her into a long hug and kisses the top of her head. I finally have had enough and walk towards him aggressively. He must get the message because he gives me a smirk and walks away. I already know practice is going to be painful for him as I’m going to make sure he gets tackled hard whatever chance I can get.
She’s walking away from me again and I start to panic. “Eva, wait,” I call after her. It takes her a moment to turn around and
when she does I immediately want to wrap her in my arms. She has a forlorn look on her face like everything is hopeless. I want to tell her that I know what hopeless is, and she’s the opposite of that.
“I would like to see you again, preferably as soon as possible,” I tell her, giving her my most charming smile.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she tells me hesitantly, a sucker punch that I wasn’t expecting.
“Why?” I ask, dumbfounded that she would say yes to asshole Eric but no to me.
“Well, you’re Damon Pierce. And I don’t think that you would be good for me,” she replies.
Her answer makes perfect sense to me. It is few and far between when I’m good for anyone. For her I could be good though, I could be oh so good. And for once I mean it. I would do anything to get a chance with this girl.
“You’re oblivious, aren’t you?” I answer. “I should be thinking the same thing. I don’t think there’s a guy on this planet who would be good enough for you Eva Taylor.”
Her face is soft as if my words are melting whatever barrier she has erected around her heart. “Just give me a chance,” I beg her softly.
I feel like I’ve been stabbed when she shakes her head and hurries inside her dorm, taking a piece of me with her. My hands are shaking a little. I feel like a junkie who is already in withdrawal thinking about how I haven’t secured seeing her again.
I hustle to practice. My mind is whirling so much that I actually have to concentrate a little to get through practice. I’m so upset I don’t even have it in me to cheer when Eric gets manhandled on a play and ends up having to sit on the sideline because he’s hurt.
I can’t help walking by her dorm on the way home. Eva’s got me in knots. I have to see her again.
