Altered

by Shelly Crane

  “What?” Enoch said and twirled the knife in his fingers. Great, he was already armed.

  “Nothing. Just pretend like we’re talking.”

  “We are talking, princess.” He grinned. I think he enjoyed any opportunity to call me that.

  “Talk more, smart-alec.” I laughed a little louder. He looked to the side, seeing the guy almost to our table, and he shook his head at me.

  “What’s the matter, princess? Don’t want to dance with two-left-feet-McGee?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  I looked at him, meeting him stare for stare. “Fine.”

  “Hey, there,” I heard to my right. I turned and gave him a small smile. “Would you like to dance to the cheesiest song known to man?”

  I laughed. “Uh…Yeah. Sure.”

  I slid out, but before I could take two-left-feet-McGee’s hand, a warm, familiar hand took it instead. “Sorry, buddy. This cheesy song is spoken for,” Enoch’s gruff voice said near my ear.

  He lifted his hands in good-natured back down and walked back to his seat.

  I thought Enoch was just going to sit back down and say I owed him or something, but he towed me to the dance floor, pulling me under his arm before yanking me to his chest, forcing the air right out of my lungs. I gasped a little when our chests connected, our faces so close. “You’re pretty good at that.”

  “Over three hundred years of living will make you good at anything,” he said, almost bitterly, but he smiled a little.

  “Three hundred years…” I mused, but said nothing more.

  “You’re welcome, by the way. I promise I won’t step on your cute little feet.” He twirled me out and back in before dipping me back just a little and lifting me back up. I fought for breath for more than one reason.

  “I can’t make the same promise, sadly.”

  “All you need is a good leader,” he said low against my temple. “Males have changed so much over the decades. When I was born, men led the dances and woman didn’t have to worry about being stepped on. It was a show of pride and honor to know how to lead a lady on the dance floor.”

  He moved with more open moves, more swift. He pressed a hand to my back and began leading me through a dance I’d never done before or seen, but it was fun and beautiful. He had his eyes closed, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he led me through the moves with surety and security. A few of the other couples watched with impressed smiles on their faces at Enoch’s skill.

  His face was so open and smooth as he focused; he looked relaxed and young. He was the most handsome he’d ever been. He was so close in that moment, I could have stolen a kiss and he couldn’t have stopped me. His dark hair brushed my hand on his neck every time he turned. It sent chills down my entire being. Not goose bumps. No—these were something else entirely. He was so honest. He may be mean at times, but you couldn’t say the guy wasn’t honest. And he was real and could be so…caring sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere.

  All I could do was hang on and try not to kiss him.

  He sucked in a breath, his eyes still closed, and slowly licked his bottom lip. He let his eyes open slowly, and the song ended just as another song began. We stood there in the middle of the crowd not moving, not dancing, and me barely breathing.

  His hooded eyes watched me and he seemed so surprised. His eyes searched my face as the faster dancers moved around us. I should have been embarrassed, knowing that he was tasting my want for him, but I just couldn’t be. Was he really that surprised?

  Someone tapped my shoulder. I expected the same guy, but I turned my face to find a new guy there. “My turn.” He grinned.

  “Beat it,” Enoch growled.

  “Hey, pal. Share the wealth, man.”

  I squinted. Really? I had no idea what that term meant, but it was a pretty dumb thing to say. I opened my mouth to diffuse the situation when the waitress passed by us. “Food’s ready, hun!”

  Enoch grabbed my hand and pushed me in front of him. He told the guy, “You’re saved by the waitress.”

  I dug in as soon as I sat down, refusing to look up at him. He kept looking at me though, like I was a puzzle that needed solving. I watched the people as they line danced and slow danced and threw darts. After I finished what I could of the huge burger, I pushed it away and finally glanced up to find him studying me intently, his face indecisive.

  I sighed and looked away. “I’m going to the bathroom. Do you mind getting me a diet to-go if she comes back?”

  “No, I don’t mind,” he said and leaned back. He watched me cross the entire restaurant. I groaned once safe inside the girls’ stalls. What had I been thinking? Now things were just going to be weird and he wasn’t going to make things easy on me, obviously.

  When I emerged from the bathroom, the first guy who asked me to dance was there. I smiled and waved as I passed, but he grabbed my arm. “Hold up.”

  I looked at the hand on my arm and up at him. “Yes?”

  “You and that weirdo out there dating or something?”

  “Why?”

  “I saw you check in to the motel. Thought maybe you’d be here a while…”

  I scoffed and yanked my arm away. “Yes. We’re dating and completely head over feet.”

  “It looked like you were fighting out there, before that weird prancy, eighteenth century dancing.”

  Protectiveness rolled over me. “Don’t knock on him just because he knows how to dance.”

  He smiled condescendingly. “I’ll show you how to dance if that’s what you want.” He eyed the back door, which was right near the bathrooms. “But honestly, I’d rather get out of here.”

  “Well, have fun with that.” I turned to go, but knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. He grabbed my arm again.

  “Well, just wait. I guarantee you if you give me a minute, I can talk you into going with me.” He smiled. “I’m not such a bad guy. You just need to give ol’ Landon a chance.”

  “You shouldn’t have to talk people into going out with you. They should want to or not. And talking about yourself in the third person—weird, Landon.”

  His smiled faded. “You’re one of them city girls, ain’t you? Think they’re better than everybody else.”

  “No, actually. Now excuse me.”

  I moved to leave and his grip on my arm tightened. I turned and snapped my hand into the back of his elbow, slamming him and his face into the wall. He was so shocked that he didn’t even make a sound at the maneuver, just a small, “What the…”

  “A couple years in the military at your service,” I muttered. “Not a city girl.”

  He started to push back, his surprise gone, but I heard the commotion to my left. Before I could look Landon was yanked from my hands and dragged out the back door. I followed and found Enoch holding him with one hand to the brick wall as Landon gasped and grunted. Enoch was strong, I knew that; he wasn’t human. He was feeding off of him right now, which was probably a good thing. The blue veins were back in full swing. I watched as they pulsed as if alive under his skin as he seethed looking up at the man who had asked me to dance.

  Landon clawed at Enoch’s arms, but he didn’t budge. I went to his back, careful to keep my emotions in check. I couldn’t be afraid right now. Enoch wouldn’t hurt me. For goodness sake, he was doing this for me. “Enoch, let him go.”

  “He grabbed you. I saw him.”

  “Then you also saw me take care of things.”

  “Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to pay for…” he shook his head as if he was wrestling with himself, “for thinking he has the right to touch you.”

  “I think he’s going to remember this lesson for a very long time,” I said and sighed looking up to Landon’s eyes. They were as round as muscadines as he looked between me and Enoch. He nodded as much as he could and choked a word that I didn’t understand. “Enoch,” I pleaded. God, please don’t let him kill this man.

  Enoch lowered him slowly and got right in
his face. “You do realize that her asking for me to release you in the only reason you’re still alive?” He nodded. “Go,” he boomed.

  The man took off, tripping and clambering around the corner. I watched and then looked back at Enoch to find him right in my face. I gasped and put my hand on his chest out of reflex.

  “Why must you keep…” He growled and lifted his fist. He was angry. At me? I looked up at him and didn’t look away. He may be a coward, but in this moment, I wasn’t going to be one. His breathing was so hard. “Why do you always get into these situations?” he finally boomed.

  “I would have been fine,” I answered quietly. “He was harmless.”

  “Harmless,” he scoffed. “You didn’t feel the lust coming off him like I did. He was not harmless. He was trying to lure you out!” he yelled. I backed away a little out of instinct. “He was trying to lure you away so he could hurt you. If you didn’t cooperate, you don’t think he would have forced you? I know his kind. I used to be his kind!” He kept coming and I kept retreating until I hit the wall and could go nowhere else. He kept getting louder and the blue veins were back, but I didn’t know what I was doing to make him so angry. I watched as the blue rivers of anger crawled across his neck and arms, getting bigger and more vibrant by the second. Up this close, it was almost beautiful how colorful they were. “I know exactly what he wanted to do to you. And you, so gullible, just going to stand right by the bloody exit and let him do it? How stupid do you have to be? How many times do I have to save you before you get it that you have to start saving yourself?” I felt the first sob shake my chest as I stared into his violet eyes, but he was oblivious. “I can’t wait to get there and finally be done with constantly watching over you.” I just shut my eyes and turned my face, the sob rising in my throat, but he kept going. “You’re just like Clara. Selfish. You don’t care about whose life you’re ruining by being in it, you just care about what you need and what you want.” He pounded his fist on the brick wall by my head to accentuate his angry point. The tears fell from my eyes, but I just stayed right there. I wasn’t scared. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me. He was just trying to get me to hate him, just like before. He didn’t want to feel anything and didn’t want me to either. He thought making me hate him would be easier because he wasn’t a good guy.

  Didn’t he see how this was so much worse?

  He sucked in few telling breaths that told me he knew I was upset. But he kept going, though some of his steam was gone. “You’ve got to think. There are forces bigger than us. You can’t just…feel whatever you want. You can’t just do whatever or go wherever… You can’t just make people fall for you.”

  I opened my eyes and looked up at him, totally getting it then. He was angry that he learned I wanted him. But why would he care unless that meant he…

  He was still so angry, the veins still standing out and vibrant against his pale skin, but he gently swiped under my eye with his thumb and sighed, stirring the hair at my temple.

  “How are you not running screaming from me right now?”

  My breathing was choppy, but I tried to make it steady. “I trust you.”

  He cursed and leaned close, his forehead pressed against mine. “Bloody hell, Fay. Don’t make me fall for you,” he whispered and I sucked in a breath.

  “You hate me,” I mused.

  He chuckled, still sounding so angry, but opened his eyes and looked right into my soul. “I am so far away from hating you.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that statement. It was a nervous, scoffing, strange sound. He leaned back just a smidge with a smile on his lips. The blue veins were almost all gone now. He sighed and surprised me by cupping my face. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  He pressed his lips together and gently let my face go. “I saw almost the whole thing. You…did good.”

  “It didn’t sound like I did good just now.”

  “Devourers are jealous, temperamental, biased, and jealous creatures.”

  I tried to hide my smile. “You said jealous twice.”

  “It deserves to be there twice.” He grinned. “Don’t piss off a devourer who has his sights on someone.”

  “Sights?” I asked, but didn’t look at him as we walked back to the car. He didn’t elaborate so I continued. “Okay, so devourers are jealous and temperamental.” I met his eyes over the top of the car. “So what does any of that have to do with the fact that some random guy put his hands on me?”

  A couple blue veins shivered in his neck. “Don’t even say that,” he growled. “And it has to do with the fact I don’t hate you, princess. Get in.”

  I smiled and did as he asked. We drove the short distance across the lot to the hotel and got back out. I said I needed a shower and went to do just that. I washed my clothes in the sink since I’d been wearing them for two or three days now. I had lost count. I hung them on the rack and put the robe on, opting to sleep in that for the night. He eyed me when I came out. I hooked my thumb over my shoulder. “I had to wash my clothes. Hopefully they’ll be dry by morning.”

  He didn’t hide the fact that he was eyeing me, foot to head, his stare lingering on my legs and feet.

  “You should turn in,” he said gruffly and leaned his head back on the crummy chair, closing his eyes.

  “Thanks for your help with that guy tonight, for what it’s worth. Goodnight.”

  I flicked the light off by the bed and crawled under the covers. I heard him sigh and shift around. “You’re welcome.”

  She was having a nightmare, but was almost awake. Her breathing was changing and I knew it was almost over. I wanted to wake her. I hated to feel her fear; it wasn’t as bad feeding off her sorrow though and honestly, I needed to feed when I could. So I sat in the chair and soaked up her anxiety, hating every single second of it. I gripped my fists tighter on my thighs, hoping she would wake up soon.

  But she kept right on dreaming. The longer she dreamt, the guiltier I felt. Finally, I could take it no longer and went to shake her awake. She gasped and grabbed my collar. Looking down into her eyes, I waited for her to understand that the dream was over and reality was here. Unless she had been dreaming about me and I was the monster. Then she would never wake up, would she?

  But she sighed and pulled me down, hugging my neck. My entire body tightened out of reflex. I had never hugged anyone of my own accord, not even women I was trying to feed from. Hugging wasn’t something that came with that. But she seemed to want it, need it even, so I let my elbow rest on the bed to hold me up and lifted a little to look at her. She was crying. “Ah, love, what’s wrong?”

  She smiled a little through her tears. “It’s really cute when you say ‘love’.”

  I lifted up and pulled her up with me, moving to the chair. She seemed a little taken aback when I put her in my lap, but sniffed and settled in. I rubbed her back and when she sighed, I sighed. There was something oddly satisfying about knowing she was contented. “Now. What’s wrong? What was your dream about?”

  “It’s stupid,” she muttered under her breath and rubbed her nose. That adorable little nose…

  “It’s not,” my voice answered gruffly.

  She looked up then, her eyes still wet. “Clara was in a big field and when I tried to walk toward her…she kept getting farther and farther away. When I yelled her name, she turned and ran, like she didn’t want to see me.”

  “Sounds like someone is letting their fears rule their dreams.”

  She looked down and watched as my thumb passed over the hump of her knee, over and over. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “I’m afraid she won’t want to see me. I was awful to her.”

  “I was awful to my brother,” I said and shrugged. “It’s what siblings do.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Why don’t we get there and see where you’re at with her before we throw in the towel, yeah?”

  She eyed me and cocked her head to t
he side. “You can be really sensible when you want to be.”

  “Sensible is my middle name.”

  She laughed softly at first and then picked up steam, leaning forward with no choice but to buckle into my chest.

  “Hey, now,” I said good-naturedly and poked her ribs.

  She just laughed harder and it was too good to pass up when I realized how ridiculously ticklish she was. She tried to hold my hand down, but I was so much stronger than her. I let her see that, easily pushing her hands away and going in for the kill. “No, no, no,” she begged and giggled.

  Her face fell into my neck, the warm air puffing from her lips against my skin as she tried to catch her breath. The robe covered her body completely, but I could still feel her under the robe, her ribs under my hands. If she were the devourer in this situation, she’d be tasting my want right now. I couldn’t help myself as I leaned my face closer, smelling her hair. Mmm, that shower of hers last night did wondrous things to her smell. She hit her fist against my shoulder, pressing it there, but then she stopped fighting me. I realized I had stopped tickling her and we were just staring at each other.

  She licked her lips and was so close that when she breathed out of her parted lips, it hit my own exhale. I groaned, unable to help it. Her eyes widened a smidge, but she didn’t back away. I waited for her fear to come, but it never did. Before I knew it, her want and yearning were mixing with my own.

  I smoothed her cheek and found myself marveling at how this human was changing me. She wasn’t just soft, she was soft-hearted and kind. I sighed heavily. “Do you feel better now?” I looked down and let my hand fall.

  She surprised the hell out of me by picking my hand up and putting it back onto her cheek. “I do feel better, because of you. Thank you. Why do you do that?”