“Are you okay?” the man asked. Oh, my Lord, his voice was amazing. Deep and raspy, it sent shivers down her spine. Kaylee just stared for a second, unable to speak or move. When he laughed, she shook her head.
“Yeah, I guess this whole thing freaked me out more than I thought,” Kaylee said waving her hand toward the car and then back at the man. “Sorry, but what were you doing in the middle of the road? I wasn’t going that fast, and I only looked away for a second. I know I didn’t hit you, but then you were on the other side of the road laying down. You scared the shit out of me.”
Kaylee knew she was rambling. She thought about the words she was saying and what was going on here. She was in the middle of nowhere with a man who stood in front of an oncoming car, only to throw himself off to the side. It was like the start of a bad slasher film.
Stepping away, she started going back to her car and safety. She knew better than this, she should have at least gotten her phone or called 911 before she got out of the car. Didn’t con men do this stuff all the time to get a little free cash? She started walking a little faster now her brain had finally engaged.
It didn’t matter that the man was gorgeous and was wearing tight as sin, skinny jeans. Or that those jeans hugged his calves and thighs, showing everything while still leaving some mystery of what she would find underneath. She needed to get the hell out of here, but a part of her wanted to stay right there with this man.
The man kept following her, picking up speed as she did. Well, he didn’t really need to pick up speed. His legs were so long, she was pretty sure three of her steps equaled one of his. Just as she made it to the door of her car, he grabbed her elbow to stop her, but let go quickly.
“Listen, I’m sorry, I had some shit on my mind and wasn’t really paying attention. Not many people come down this road. I live right over there,” he pointed and Kaylee squinted, trying to see what he was pointing at.
Kaylee could barely make out a house; well, she wasn’t actually seeing it now. The woods engulfed it, she was only getting a peek of the hunter green, metal roofline sticking out above the treetops. It looked like it had been there forever, but she had been down this dirt road so many times before, yet she had never once noticed it.
“My name is Lucas, sorry for scaring you.”
Kaylee put one hand on the handle to open her car door, waving the other one. “No problem Lucas, I apologize, too, but I really need to get going, unless you would like me to call 911 or something?” Kaylee needed to ask. Lucas didn’t look any worse for wear, but…
“No, I’m fine,” he said as he started walking away toward the house he’d pointed out.
Thinking or not really thinking because this whole experience was extremely odd, Kaylee yelled out her name. When he turned around, but kept walking backward, he raised his eyebrow, asking her a question. “My name, it’s Kaylee. It was nice to meet you, Lucas, wish it had been under better circumstances.”
“See you around Kaylee Smith, I’ve heard a lot about you, can’t wait to learn a lot more” Lucas smiled, then took off running. Why had he heard about her? Kaylee just stood there for a second, not really knowing what to think. This was a small town and her Grandma loved to gossip; he lived close, maybe that was how he knew her name or anything about her. How freaking odd?
Getting back in the car, she put it in drive, only this time driving well below the speed limit. She felt weird. Kaylee was even more excited now about her decision to come here. There was a warmth which radiated through her body as if this visit would change her life in some way. An intuition she couldn’t put her finger on, but she could feel something big was about to happen. Maybe it had something to do with the man she just left?
Seeing the last turnoff to her grandparent’s home, she smiled; Kaylee was finally here. Pushing her foot down on the accelerator, Kaylee continued down the dirt road.
Kaylee pulled into the long driveway, and once the house came into view, she stopped to take it all in. The house had been in her family for generations. Her great grandpa had built it by hand over a hundred years ago, using the trees in the area to make logs which eventually created the exterior. It had been a labor of love, completely built by hand with little help; she admired the outcome. Her grandparents had updated it through the years, but the rustic charm was still there.
Seeing her grandma on the porch, waving at her, brought a smile to her face so full, it hurt her cheeks. Kaylee waved back and heard her grandma yelling, “Edwin get up here, Kaylee is here!” Putting her car in park, Kaylee jumped out of the car, running to greet Ruth.
Her Grandma Ruth never changed, still wearing her token apron, her gray hair twisted up in a bun. Kaylee knew once she got close enough, the sweet rose smell of her perfume would engulf her nose. What Kaylee really needed was to hear that sweet, southern twang in her grandmas' voice when she uttered Kaylee’s name. When Kaylee was close enough, she launched herself at Ruth, hugging her for all she was worth. Her grandma pulled back, holding Kaylee at arm’s length.
“Oh, child, what happened to you?
Kaylee had been so excited, she had totally forgotten the sticky mess coating her clothes and body. Kaylee waved her hand, brushing it off and said, “It’s nothing, just spilled my drink. Where’s Grandpa? I can’t wait to see him,” Kaylee said excitedly.
“Oh, Kaylee, he gets tired more quickly now. He and Lucas have been working on your cabin ever since you told me you were coming. He’ll be back up in a bit. It takes him awhile to get moving.”
Kaylee was disappointed. She wanted to see her grandpa, but she understood; this was the reason she was here. She didn’t like that he was working so hard, wearing himself out for something meant for her, but that would change now. Then she recalled what else her grandma had said.
“Lucas?” Kaylee questioned. She was pretty sure that Lucas was not a common name around these parts. She was also pretty sure she had already met the Lucas her Grandma was talking about.
“Oh, hon, we had to hire someone to help us do all the work around here. Lucas has been a godsend. He lives right down the road and comes over every day to see if we need anything.”
“I think I might have just met him up the road a bit when I almost ran him over with my car,” Kaylee laughed
“What?” Grandma Ruth gasped.
“Yep, he was standing in the middle of the road, and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him.”
“Oh, Kaylee, you really need to be more careful.” Kaylee chuckled at that. Her Grandma Ruth was a menace behind the wheel; Kaylee not so much.
“I know, Grandma,” Kaylee said, hugging her again. When they started walking towards the house, arm and arm, Kaylee asked, “So this Lucas, what’s he like?”
“Oh, he’s a nice boy, I guess, hard worker and all.”
The short answer bewildered Kaylee; her Grandma was a gossip, but she wasn’t saying much about Lucas. Maybe she needed to look into the guy a little after all. Maybe her thoughts about him being a con man weren’t all that far off base, but he didn’t give her that weird creepy vibe. He gave her another vibe all together, one she wasn’t really sure she wanted to think about with her grandma so close.
“I saw his house or part of it. It’s pretty far back in the woods. Funny, I never noticed it before.”
“Oh, Kaylee, you haven’t been here in so long, things have changed. The Valentin’s have had that house for several decades.”
Huh, Kaylee thought, still seemed weird to her that she had never noticed it before. She was a watcher, always had been. People, places, things—it didn’t matter, she watched. She could pick out trees along the road which were familiar just by their shapes, but that house, not even a small memory. It didn’t make any sense.
Chapter 2
Lucas had been working with Edwin when he got the strangest urge to go to the road. His beast was calling to him, and it wouldn’t be denied. He made his excuses and took off. When he found himself standing in the middle of the roa
d with an SUV coming straight at him, he was dumbfounded for a second. His body tightened, and he couldn’t move. Lucas didn’t sense a threat, but he did sense something, he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Drawing his brows together, he tried to see through the windshield, but the sun’s glare was making it impossible. All his senses were pinging on the car or rather the occupant of the car, and he willed himself to see better, clearer, trying to make the impossible possible. What the hell was going on?
His first instinct was to charge forward, stopping the car with his bare hands, but he held himself back. He had never reacted this way in his life and couldn’t figure out what was going on now, but just as the car came closer, he realized, at the last second, whoever it was, wasn’t going to stop. Stepping off to the side of the road, his foot caught on something, and he fell. Seconds later, he heard the screech of tires, making him cringe.
When the door of the Escape burst open and a blur of blonde hair and curves darted toward him, Lucas was floored. His jaw dropped, his hands clenching at his sides in tight fists as though he was trying to hold his body back from getting up and running straight for her. His thigh muscles bunched and contracted with the effort to stay in one place.
The woman was beautiful, so beautiful in fact, Lucas hadn’t realized he’d stopped breathing until his amulet started to burn the shit out of his chest, causing him to come back to the here and now. She was saying something to him, but he didn’t hear the words. He could only look at her, taking everything in. What the hell! Lucas loved women of all shapes and sizes, but he had never had this kind of response to one, not even close.
Wrapping his hand around his amulet, he allowed the burn to sink into his hand. She was kind of short for his tastes. Lucas had always liked tall women, he was never attracted to short, tiny ones like this lady. He would have to turn himself into a pretzel just to kiss her, but he knew it would be worth the effort. None of his previous feelings or tastes made a damn bit of difference now. This chick was just right as far as he was concerned. He felt his canines drop from his gums, pricking his lip. The sting caused him to grunt in pain but made him focus. He needed to get his shit together because she was coming right at him, full speed. Showing a human his Otherness was not permitted, for any reason.
He had a duty to the McClanes and his pack to keep his secrets well-hidden, or he would be facing more than just a slap on the wrist. Allowing humans, other than mates, to know about his abilities or other forms was against Pack law and punishable by death. Something his Alpha would gladly carry out. Breathing slowly, he concentrated on his thoughts and not his senses because right now all those senses were pinging on the tiny blonde.
His beast was clawing at him to move, to get closer, and scent the air. When the urge was too great, he couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. Lucas lifted his nose into the air, needing to imprint her unique scent into his soul. The sweet smell of honeysuckle invaded him, wrapping him in a calm he had never felt before; his mouth watered for a taste. Shaking his head, he chastised himself for thinking this way. She wasn’t fried chicken, after all, she was just a woman. An extraordinary woman, but a woman just the same.
Groaning, he felt all the blood in his body pooling in his groin, making the calm he felt for a fraction of a second evaporate just as quickly. He wasn’t a teenager, he was fucking twenty-seven. He had been controlling his body for years. It was embarrassing.
When she offered him her hand, there wasn’t a force on earth which would have stopped him from taking it. The shock which coursed through his body the moment their hands met was breathtaking. He wasn’t a poetic guy, but it was as if Zeus himself had shot a lightning bolt right through the two of them, binding them together. When she pulled away, he almost growled.
That was enough to stop him in his tracks. He needed to block her out, get his shit together, and get the hell out of here. But he also needed her touch. When she offered her hand a second time, he held on a little tighter. He didn’t need any help getting up, he just wanted to feel her touch.
When her mouth fell open a little as she took him in, Lucas smiled. Maybe he wasn’t the only one affected. He could smell her honeysuckle scent deepen, become headier with her arousal.
Lucas stood and adjusted himself covertly, not wanting the woman to think he was a pervert or something worse. She might be attracted to him, but she was also human. Were’s and Vamps were different; as long as the attraction was there and both parties were in agreement, neither would hesitate to take this attraction further. But this woman wasn’t putting off any vibes she was looking for a hook up of any kind. Her reaction to him though, hell, that made him feel ten-feet tall.
Lucas decided to focus on her face, it seemed the safest thing to do. Were and Vampire, he had excellent vision, hearing, and strength, but distance caused distortion. That’s why he hadn’t been able to see her through the windshield of her car, well, that and the sun. Now, he realized there was something to be said about an up close and personal view.
He could see the light green specks in her expressive, but hooded blue eyes framed by black glasses, along with the small spattering of freckles decorating her tiny nose. Her perfectly glossed lips were supple and plump. Right now, the bottom one was more pronounced as she pursed them together. Her little pink tongue was peeking out of the corner as if she was concentrating extremely hard. Fuck, the sight made him think of other things those lips and tongue could do to him and put him right back where he started; maybe he needed to just not look at her at all.
But damn, her blatant perusal of his body made him smile wider, and his dick, the bastard, became even harder. A few seconds ago, he would have doubted that was even possible. He was wrong. When she focused on that part of him, he couldn’t help the little growl of approval which escaped his throat. He and his beast liked what she was doing, and he figured what the hell, two could play this game. Lucas let his eyes wander over the woman, the curves he noticed before generous. Fuck, they were more than generous.
When her eyes met his for the first time, he couldn’t help smiling at her, letting her know that, yeah, he knew exactly what she’d been doing. He was grateful she hadn’t looked up sooner and caught him doing the same. But then everything quickly changed. He could smell the fear coming off of her in waves and knew he needed to do something. When she started to walk away, he couldn’t let her go, so he followed and offered an apology and introduction. He really wanted to know who this woman was. When she didn’t offer her name, he decided it was probably better to walk away. She might entice him like no other, but he wasn’t a creeper.
Before he got too far away, she called out to him, making his day. He couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled so much. There wasn’t much in his life to smile about, but almost getting hit by this woman and meeting her for the first time made him happy.
Now that he knew her name, he also knew exactly who she was. Ruth and Edwin had been talking about her nonstop for the last couple of weeks as he worked by Edwin’s side fixing up the old cabin. He knew they loved her dearly, but that she was also only coming out of a misguided belief Edwin was ill. Lucas didn’t like deception on any scale, it had been the story of his life for way too long. He preferred honesty in all things. He didn’t blame the old couple, but he still didn’t like it. No one should be blindsided the way Kaylee was about to be.
Lucas Valentin had grown up knowing exactly what he was and what was expected of him. He was a Were, a man who changed into a beast, more specifically a wolf. But most importantly, he was the Guardian of the witches, the highest honor among his kind. Chosen at birth, Lucas was given the amulet currently resting on his chest right above his heart. He didn’t know much about the object except it held untold power and allowed him to walk in the daylight; he wasn’t just a Were, he was also a Vampire.
It was unheard of and he was loathed because he hadn’t been strong enough to resist “him.” Lucas felt the shiver run up his spine just thinking about “him” and wha
t had happened that fateful day. He hated those memories and hated what he had become. Concentrating on where he was going, he took off at a greater speed, knowing Kaylee wouldn’t see him now. Lucas tried to shake himself out of the past. He needed to concentrate on his job because it looked like his newest charge had just gotten to town. He would do just that, protect the McClane’s at all costs. He hadn’t made it very far before Edwin came into view.
“Guardian, you know better than this. She’s off limits to your kind,” Edwin McClane said. He wasn’t a powerful Warlock, but he was a part of the McClane Coven, and Lucas had a duty to him, so he stopped and addressed the man.
“I know my place, Edwin, I also know Kaylee is different, special.”
“Oh, and how do you know that, Lucas?” Edwin said with a sneer.
“I don’t know, Edwin,” pulling his shirt aside he revealed his amulet, “maybe you can explain to me why my amulet just changed from smoky quartz to amethyst and burned the hell out of my chest when she arrived, and I got her scent. Then maybe we can talk about how off limits your granddaughter is to me.”
Lucas didn’t give Edwin a chance to reply, instead he stormed off. By the time he made it to the forest edge, he didn’t have any choice but to shift. His animal and vampire were playing havoc with him and needed to be set free. Stripping himself of his clothes, he shifted. Looking back in animal form, he could see a figure at the window of Kaylee’s room, and he howled out his pain at being denied. Lucas ran as fast as his four legs would take him away from Kaylee.
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