by Weil, J. L.
A fog of fear released from her lungs with each ragged breath. She felt Travis stiffen beside her, recognizing something her human senses hadn’t detected. Her body pumped with distress as she readied herself for an attack. The minutes past with a dead eerie silence that racked on her already frazzled nerves.
Before she what was happening, Travis threw himself in front of her, pushing her to the solid ground. An arrow whizzed through the air embedding itself in the center of Travis’s chest. Looking up at him, she screamed at the sight of the shimmering arrow’s head and his shirt swiftly filling with a dark red stain.
Wavering, his legs buckled as his knees hit the forest floor next to her. Scrambling to his side, she swiped at the tears now rolling down her white cheeks.
“Travis,” she sobbed.
His hands were pressed to his chest and covered with his own sticky blood. She knew that the arrow lodge in his heart was not a normal arrow. Just as she knew he wouldn’t live.
“Your safe,” he whispered in pain, like each word cost him dearly.
She put a finger to his lips, signally for him to keep quiet. He kissed her finger, and her heart shattered to smithereens. This couldn’t be happening, it couldn’t be real. Not Travis.
But when she looked back into his eyes, her heart lurched and her chest heaved in giant despair. The sea green eyes she loved were dead.
She woke up drenched in her own sweat and fear. Travis dying was not something she could handle. He might be inhumanly strong, but he wasn’t immortal. This was the first time she had ever had a dream that affected in such a fierce manor. It had been so real.
Emma vowed that she would do whatever it took to keep her boyfriend alive. He wasn’t going to sacrifice himself to save her.
Her boyfriend. She liked the sound of that. It gave her tingles…Well that combined with the too real nightmare. Brushing the damp hair from her brow, she laid back down staring at the ceiling above.
Concentrating on even deep breaths, she found it next to impossible to close her eyes without seeing his blood all over her hands.
It was terrifying.
What she needed to do was distract her mind, and what better way than to think about the dance next weekend. The wind howling outside wasn’t helping her state of mind.
But as predicted, Monday was a snow day.
Chapter 17
She felt like a Cinderella. The white organza dress was embedded with crystals that sparkled in the light. Twirling her skirt in the full-length mirror she felt weightless, like she was moving through air. Her hair flamed against the stark white material.
Tonight was going to be a magical night, she could feel it.
The doorbell chimed downstairs and her stomach dropped to the floor. Her nerves were fluttering in overdrive. How could they not be? It was only the second time that Travis had met her parents. Things were still so awkward for her, and she couldn’t help but think her dad would do something utterly embarrassing, like threaten his life. She wouldn’t put it past him. He was the type of dad would sit with a shotgun across his lap while he interrogated Travis’s motives.
Rushing as gracefully as possible down the stairs, she reached the landing just as her mom opened the door.
Then she got sight of Travis, and her heart skipped. He looked absolutely stellar and dashing. His dimples winking brightly at her mom as he greeted her politely. She couldn’t possible dream a more perfect boyfriend. And to think he was all hers.
The moment those turquoise eyes slammed into hers, she felt the universe spin gloriously around her. One sunning smile from Travis and she instantly knew she was going to have the night of her life.
Travis couldn’t believe how gorgeous Emma looked in shimmery white. He literally felt the floor fall out from underneath. Why she of all people wasn’t afraid of him he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to look a gifted horse in the mouth. He was eternally grateful to fate for bringing her to him.
She was an angel.
Innocent.
Trusting.
Warmhearted.
And his.
It gave him warm fuzzies in his belly just looking at her.
“Wow you look like a princess.”
His compliment couldn’t come close to how giddy she felt inside. She smiled at him embarrassingly so. Before she could utter a response, his eyes flickered yellow, and she knew she had hit the mark. She looked smokin’. But those changing eyes reminder her quickly that he was different. The less her parents saw, the better.
“Mom!” she called a little too loud, startling her, but it got the job done. Her mom focused her attention back to her.
“Emma for goodness sake, I am right here.” Her mom sounded exasperated. Luckily monkey was keeping her dad busy.
She took a deep breath and watched as Travis quickly got himself in check, losing any trace of his demon eyes. “Could you please grab my wristlet? I think I left it upstairs,” she asked her mom and waited until she was upstairs before she whispered, “Are you okay?”
He could see it written in the lines of her face. She was worried. Worried about his demon. Not that he could blame her. Where she was concerned, he was even more unpredictable than normal.
He nodded his head and smiled. “Yeah I’m fine.” For her sake and his, he did his best to focus on anything but how amazing she looked. He just couldn’t seem to get a handle on his reaction around her, and tonight she caught him off guard.
An arch of balloons in blue and white were clustered in an archway providing an entrance into the snow ball. The moment they walked in side-by-side, she felt a hush fall over the room. She might have even been able to convince herself that she was imagining things if everyone wasn’t staring at them with curious eyes.
“Why are they all staring at us?” she wondered out loud.
“Because you’re breathtaking,” he replied with twinkling eyes.
She jabbed him in the side unable to hide the smile breaking across her cherry lips. “I’m serious. It’s making me feel like I have crap all over my face or something else highly embarrassing.”
His smile lost a little of its glint. “If I had to guess, it would be because I have never been to any school functions before, let alone with a girl.”
She couldn’t help but feel special. She wasn’t just some girl.
Travis watched as her smile brightened. Obviously his answer had pleased her. He wanted nothing to go wrong tonight, and he was determined to make sure it didn’t.
No hellhounds.
No lower demons.
No demon activity at all.
Well that was at least the plan. Honestly, it probably wasn’t a very realistic one, but he would do his damnedest to see it through.
Laying a hand on the small of her back, he guided them to a table in the corner. Emma could feel the music vibrated from the gymnasium floor. Colored lights of Christmas flickered on the dance floor in time with the beat. Snowflakes hung suspended in the air, the glitter catching on the disco lights.
A slow song burst from the speakers and Travis held out a hand toward her, grinning. “Do you want to dance?”
She didn’t think he would ever ask. From the first note of music her feet had been tapping with the beat and itching to get on the dance floor. “I thought you didn’t dance,” she teased.
“For you, I’ll make an exception.” There he went again using that voice that turned her legs to jell-o.
Taking her into his arms, she laid her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music. He was a much better dancer than he led on. She prepared for her feet to be trampled a few times, a small price to pay. Luckily she was so swept away in Travis’s proximity that she didn’t mind that other couples backed away from them or left the dance floor completely.
She was pretty sure she was starting to become immune to all the glances and speculations. Well yeah, when she first walked in it was overwhelming, but the longer she was in Travis’s presence the less it seemed to matter.
&n
bsp; The song ended far too quickly. She had barely had the chance to enjoy the moment, and then it was suddenly over. Something told her that the whole night was going to move too fast.
On their way to the refreshment table, Emma spotted Brandy. She grinned brightly at Emma as she hustled her way through the crowds.
“Oh my God hooker, you look fabulous,” Brandy gushed.
“Thanks. So do you. That color was made for you.”
“I know right,” Brandy was swift to agree. Modesty was not in her DNA. “Have you seen Kailyn yet?”
Emma shook her head. “Nope no yet.”
“She has got to be around here somewhere.” Brandy’s eyes lifted to the movement above Emma’s head.
She watched as Brandy’s smiled faltered when her gaze landed on Travis, apparently just realizing that he stood behind her. Emma had nearly forgotten for one whole night that he was different. Seeing Brandy’s reaction was a punch in the gut.
Being the gentleman that he was, he pretended not to notice. “Hi Brandy.”
Her eyes shifted in panic, and Emma could all but hear the pounding of her heart. She looked ready to split. “Hey Travis,” Brandy managed to choke out without sounding like a terrified ninny. “Well I should probably get back before Tommy decides to bomb dive off the stage.”
“Probably wise. See you later,” Emma said, but they both knew she wouldn’t. It was clear that Brandy would avoid them like the plague.
Whatever. She wasn’t about to let it ruin her night.
And the night had been surreal.
Her lacy wrap provided little protection against the bitter winter air, but pressed up against Travis she hardly noticed. He consumed her every thought and chased away even the iciest of frost. Leaning into his embrace, she upturned her face staring at the boyish smile spread across his lips.
Someone was very pleased with themselves.
And why shouldn’t he be? They had had a magical, unforgettable evening.
Her eyes sparkled against the twilight sky. Tiny stars danced in the center of her irises. He had resisted the temptation of her lips all evening for fear of his demon, but now alone in the dark he could resist no more.
Just one.
He thought he deserved just one for being such a gentleman and having the restraint of a saint. And he was no saint. It had been far too difficult to not deserve a reward, especially one so satisfying for both of them.
Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her face toward his as he watched her eyelashes fluttered shut. He closed the gap between their lips. The taste of her mouth on his left an onset of emotions. It felt like it had been years since he had kissed her not days. At first he just savored the feel of her before plunging into complete abyss. There really were no other words he could think to describe kissing her.
Pressing her back against the side of the car, he felt himself being plummeted into the danger zone. The smart thing to do would have been to end the kiss. But when had he ever made smart decisions?
Her fingers tangled through his hair, as she raised onto her toes, meeting him heat after wave of heat. She was as far gone into the kiss as he was. He broke away just long enough to leave a trail of kisses on her neck, as a moan escaped her sweet lips. Locking onto hers again, he feasted like a starved man.
How could one girl turn his world upside down in just a few months? Now he couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. She had quickly become his everything, and he wasn’t exactly sure how healthy that was, but at this moment none of it mattered.
She was all that mattered.
God could he kiss. Like earth-shattering kiss. She wasn’t even sure they had come up for air. Their lips were fused together, clinging to one another as if they were afraid it would be their last. His hands on her body sent tingles of excitement everywhere. She probably should have been thankful for the interruption, but her hormones had other ideas.
Laughter and squealing bounced off the evening silence, sounding like gunfire as a group of kids made their way toward them in the parking lot. They broke apart quickly, breathing like they had just run a mile. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes a dark forest green. He loved that he had been the one to bring passion into Emma’s face. It looked sexy as hell on her.
He groaned internally at the interruption, but knowing at the same time that it had been a blessing in disguise. The backseat of a car in the school parking lot was not were he had envisioned their first time. She deserved so much more than that.
She deserved the fairytale.
Opening the passenger door for her, he took a long deep breath of the crisp winter air to cool his burning lungs. “I better get you home.” His voice was a slightly gruff.
Once she was inside, he walked slowly to the other side of the car reining in the pulsing demon with every last ounce of strength he had left.
Emma might be the only girl he had ever met who didn’t fear him, but she was also the only girl who made his demon rush to the surface faster than a tidal wave. It was sort of a double edge sword.
The dim lighting of the interior of his car set a sexy vibe. A perfect end to a perfect night. Her body was still humming from his curl-your-toes-kiss. How could she think of anything else except how tempting and wonderful his lips felt? What she wanted was some alone time with Travis, but as they pulled up to her lit house, she knew it wasn’t going to happen.
Killing the engine on the car, she turned and looked at Travis, only to find him close. Kissable close.
She sucked in a breath of anticipation.
“Just one more,” he murmured against her mouth a moment before those edible lips possessed hers a second time tonight.
He didn’t give her a chance to protest, like as if she would have.
It was mind-blowing.
She savored the taste of him before she dived in, losing her head. It should have been criminal to kiss like this.
He told himself he would keep it short and simple. Just one kiss goodnight.
What a joke.
There was nothing simple about kissing Emma. It was next to impossible not to lose control. He couldn’t seem satisfy his insatiable hunger when it came to her.
When he pulled away they were both breathing hard, and he knew eyes were lit like the Las Vegas strip.
She walked through the house and into her room in a daze of pure bliss. Thank goodness her parents appeared to be asleep. She had half expected her dad to be waiting downstairs for her ready to give her the third degree.
Locking herself behind her bedroom door, she wiggled out of her dress, dropping it on the floor. She was too tired to care. Flopping herself down on the comforts of her bed, she let the entire evening reply in her mind. From every word to every touch, it stayed with her as she dozed into dreams.
Chapter 18
They walked through the woods behind her house hand-in-hand. Freshly fallen snow dusted the ground in a blanket of white. His fingers were warm against hers, chasing away the chilly bite in the air. She swore his body temp ran hot. Way hotter than hers, just being beside him, sent a pleasant heat through her veins.
For December the weather was fairly warm. Sure there was snow on the ground, but the way the sun was shining through the puffy clouds it would melt in spots.
“Did you have a good time last night?” he asked.
A smile crossed her lips. “The best.”
“And your parents, they were okay when you got home?”
“Believe it or not, they weren’t even up. The house was dead when I walked in.”
A twig snapped in the near distance behind them. Travis listened, waiting on edge. When nothing else moved, he relaxed.
A huge blunder.
This time the movements he heard where no mistake. They weren’t alone in the woods.
Travis stiffened beside her, and his grip tightened in her hand.
Trouble.
She could feel waves of it rolling off him. And if his eyes glowing like Time Square were any indic
ator, it wasn’t good. Emma tried to prepare herself for the absolute worst. Overall she had had only one run-in with hell, and it had been mostly a scare. But from the stuff Travis continually pounded into her, she was more than a little freaked out.
She was terrified.
Sneaking a glance over her shoulder, she gasped.
What she had been expecting was a gruesome and disfigured beast of sorts not a group of men dressed from head-to-toe in black.
What the hell? This couldn’t be right. Why would Travis be so on guard about a group of guys? Mind you it was nerve racking to see them sporting some over-the-top gear. But…
Travis growled low in his throat. “Hunters,” he rumbled.
Oh shit. This wasn’t good either. Why hadn’t she thought of them?
Wicked bows hung in their grasps with quivers hanging at their backs. Looking closer there was something strangely familiar about one of them. The way he moved…she could have sworn that she knew him or had seen him before.
Her heart beat against her chest, pumped with fear and adrenaline.
An arrow whirled over her head. She didn’t have the first clue about what kind of arrows they were using. All she cared about was whether they could hurt Travis. From what she had learned, he could heal fast, but she knew he wasn’t invisible. He could be killed.
The dream, nightmare or whatever it was came back to her like rushing waters.
“Run Emma! Run now,” he screamed, never taking his eyes off the men in black.
How could she leave him alone while she ran, while these men tried to kill what she loved most?
Her entire body was paralyzed. In a cloud of haze she could hear Travis screaming at her to run, but she just couldn’t seem to command her legs to move. Another arrow whizzed past her. All she could do was stare at the four men aimed to fire in front of her.
As soon as he realized she wasn’t moving, he knew his window of escape was closing fast. If he didn’t do something now, she was likely to take a stray arrow. Taking off in warped speed, he circled around behind before they even knew he moved. Emma being here changed his approach. Chase usually went for the mind control whereas Travis didn’t have his skills.
