Chapter 8: Chapter 8
The evening started with a phone call from Boris. He asked if he could come over to deliver his report on Torres. I agreed, but pushed our meeting back a few hours. As I ended the call and slid my cell phone across the table, I silently thanked Boris for being conscientious enough to call before popping in. It let me buy some time to put my chaotic brain in order. The information he received from the police officer was vital to our assignment and needed my full attention. And I feared I wasn’t up to the level of concentration it required. Not until I’d calmed down and rested fully. My mind was still reeling from what happened at Mira’s place, and I badly needed to regroup. Leaning back in my leather chair, I closed my eyes and tried to relax my mind. The traitor, however, kept going back to this morning’s near catastrophe.
After leaving Marcel’s party, I didn’t come home straight. Instead, I took my usual route and did a quick inspection. Boris had done a great job at cleaning up the place where I slaughtered Mira’s attackers. It had been scrubbed thoroughly, all traces of the mutts’ presence eradicated. To the untrained eye, it was again nothing more than an ordinary alley between two old buildings. To someone like me, though, traces of their scent still lingered, refueling my fury, reigniting my bloodlust. By the time I got home, an overwhelming need to protect and watch over Mira had come over me. Its intensity overpowered even my physical hunger. Thus, instead of taking what I considered lunch, like I was used to doing after my rounds, I spent the next several hours staring at the girl sleeping peacefully in my bed.
It rankled a bit, seeing her like that. How could she sleep in a stranger’s bed in complete tranquility? How could she not feel the genuine danger she was in? Didn’t she know how ironic her situation was? Didn’t she realize that the man who rescued her was a hundred times more deadly than the mutts who wanted to rape and feed off of her?
Of course, she didn’t. All she saw was a savior, a man who cared enough to keep her from public shame. If only she knew how much I wanted to latch onto her throat, to get drunk on her sweet blood. If only she could see the erotic images in my mind whenever I was near her. Or how much I wanted to tear her clothes off, to explore every inch of her body, to possess her completely—body, mind, and soul.
If she knew, if she saw even a glimpse of my mind, it would terrify her. She would run away from me, keep as much distance between the two of us as possible. Yet, even if she ran, she wouldn’t get far. I wouldn’t let her. I couldn’t. Not anymore. She had become like a drug to me. Now that I had touched her skin and held her soft body in my arms, I couldn’t let her go.
For months, I kept my distance. Content to watch and admire her from afar. But from the moment her skin came in contact with mine, all the wanting I had kept at bay came crashing down on me like a tsunami. I still could not understand my strange attachment to her. Never had I felt this mind-boggling need to be with someone, to keep her close, and protect her with my own life. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time.
Like a star-struck lover, I stared at her for hours and only left the room when she stirred awake. It wouldn’t help my cause if she caught me ogling her while she slept. Stalkers don’t get a smile from the girl. They get reported to the police, as they rightly should be.
I waited until I heard her moving around the room. I should’ve knocked, but I couldn’t resist catching her unawares. It was the best time to gauge her mood. The curse didn’t give me the ability to read minds. Only naturally sired vampires could hope to have that. But my hearing was ten times more acute than that of a normal human being, which meant I could hear even the softest of breaths. Once I was sure that she was done changing into her street clothes, I slid into the room and made my presence known. She jumped at my voice, her cheeks flushing pink. It was so adorable; I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from biting her.
When I volunteered to drive Mira home, I had an ulterior motive. I had never been to her building before, and if I were to protect her, I needed to do a bit of reconnaissance. What I didn’t consider were the actual driving and the elevator rides. Being in ridiculously tiny enclosed spaces with her was pure torture. Her scent was driving me insane. All I wanted was to slam my body against hers, to touch her in ways no one had ever done before, to plunge mercilessly into her and make her mine, for the rest of her mortal life. Digging deep into my training, I compartmentalized and gained a little control over the desires of my flesh. I actually believed I was in the clear.
Until we reached her flat. The original plan was to see Mira to her door and leave immediately. She seemed ill at ease during the short time she was with me. I truly wasn’t expecting her to invite me in. Which was fine. As long as she was inside her flat, she was safe.
But then, her friend asked me to come in. It was easy to ignore her invitation; I wasn't interested in her. Yet when Mira extended the same, I couldn’t say no, despite my initial shock. She didn't really know me, yet she trusted me enough to give unfettered access to her home, her sanctuary, the only place she could keep creatures like me at arm’s length. My evil inner self purred with satisfaction. Mira's life was now fully and implicitly in my hands. By allowing me to enter her home, she had unwittingly gifted me with so much more. Still, I had to give her fair warning, even though it was already too late. She had already spoken the words. She had cast the dice.
My triumph, however, was short-lived. Their unit was on the east wing, facing the morning sun. Then, the curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling window right across the door were flimsy, nearly transparent. It was letting every bit of sunshine through. I almost backed out when I saw the sun-bathed room. Good thing Mira led me to the kitchen nook, which was partially hidden behind a lattice divider.
That’s when things went downhill.
Mira’s friend Janice, or Jan, had apparently prepared her specialty and wouldn’t let me leave without sampling it. But the moment she set the food on the table, I almost gagged. It was some sort of white noodles smothered in garlic and spices. I could hardly concentrate on what the two women were saying, too distracted by the aroma wafting from the offensive concoction.
To my horror, Mira began piling the plate in front of me with the disgusting dish. She obviously wanted me to indulge her friend. But how could I when one bite, one bit of garlic, would make me froth at the mouth? I wouldn’t even be able to fake eating it. The result would be catastrophic.
To keep myself from running for the door, I slowed my breathing. It would help keep me from inhaling the offensive odor. But when Jan returned with fried chicken pieces smelling strongly of garlic and pepper, my restraint broke. I jumped to my feet, mumbling a quick excuse. I didn’t even bother to see if they understood what I said, nor did I look back when I heard Mira calling my name. My throat and eyes were burning. I could hardly see where I was going. But once I recovered my faculties, I felt disgusted. I had blown my chance of appearing ‘normal’ in Mira’s eyes. I was back in the shadows, back to stalking her.
“Boss?” Boris’s gruff voice cut into my dismal thoughts, giving me some form of relief.
Sitting up, I composed myself and pushed Mira to the back of my mind for the moment. I would return to her later and think of ways I could redeem myself with her. I would not give up just yet. She wasn’t like any human I’d met before. I’d like to think that she would surprise me with her unusual reaction again. Also, I rather enjoyed spending time with her, no matter how tormenting it was, and I’d like to do it again. This morning might’ve been a disaster, but there were still hundreds, even thousands, of other mornings we could have together.
Together? Was I even allowed to hope for such a thing with Mira? Perhaps. As Alexander Pope once said, ‘Hope springs eternal’. But enough of that. For now, I needed to stay focused on my assignment because the faster I concluded this affair, the faster I could be with Mira.
Little did I know that I would have the time with Mira I’d been wishing for earlier than expected. It should’ve been a time for celebration. Regrettably, it would be under circumstances that would put everything I believed in, everything I held dear to the ultimate test.