He stalked toward me, and I didn’t even have a chance to squeak in protest when he pulled the duffle off my shoulder.
“You’ll freeze out here.” He set the still warm jacket on my shoulders and zipped me in without waiting for me to put my arms in the sleeves.
Every time he found me, he helped me. I tipped my head back and stared into his eyes. He watched me intently. Tiny flecks of green and gold peeked through the soft brown of his eyes. Inside, I gave a little sigh of appreciation. How stupid was I to want to trust this man? I needed to be practical. Squashing my tingling awareness, I recalled what happened in my last dream. Even my help had set me up to die. Wasn’t there a way to live that didn’t involve torture or forced servitude?
“Tell me about my sister,” I said as I shoved my arms through the sleeves. The jacket was better than the hoodie alone.
“Sister?” he asked completely confused.
“The one who sent you to find me.” It came out with more force than I intended. I knew better than to provoke his kind. I was tired. Trying again in a softer voice, I said, “You said she was weak. Did you hurt her?”
He snorted. “Not a chance. Her guard dog doesn’t let anyone near her.” He smirked and added, “Well, he tried to keep us away.”
What was that supposed to mean? She was being guarded, and he’d found a way to her. But, which side was guarding and which side was going around the guard?
I eyed him as he stood before me. In just a shirt, he didn’t seem bothered by the cold. They never really did. I needed to know his intentions. Did he really want to help me like Baen, or was he like the rest? I couldn’t ask him outright. These creatures were never honest. But, they were easy to provoke.
Calming my overly attentive physical awareness, I stepped toward him. He watched me with cautious eyes, no doubt remembering my attempt to knee him. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I stood on my tiptoes stretching to get as close to his height as possible. His heat warmed my palms, and my stomach went crazy. The muscles beneath my fingertips twitched, and a shudder passed through him. His pupils dilated. His attention intensified, and I doubted he heard anything around us. His reactions affirmed what I already knew. We had a connection. But what would he do about it?
I leaned in further and let my cheek touched his jaw. His tremors grew. I knew I was playing a dangerous game. His hands settled on my waist, and the touch spiked my heart rate despite my efforts to control myself. I couldn’t be sure whether my reaction was fear or excitement, and it worried me. I needed to stay strong. I knew that a sliver of weakness could bring my downfall.
Against his ear, I whispered, “I will not choose you,” as a test—as a statement of truth.
When I pulled back, his eyes were closed and his jaw clenched. As slowly as I’d approached him, I eased away. His hands dropped from my sides without a fight. My throat tightened as I watched him struggle. Fear pooled in me. He inhaled deeply, and I knew he smelled it on me.
After a moment, he calmed and opened his eyes. “Good,” he agreed amicably. “Someone your age shouldn’t be choosing.”
My age? His words confused me as much as they comforted me. He hadn’t grabbed me or insisted I was wrong, and I hadn’t died. Still, I’d never met one of them that didn’t insist on biting. Even Baen had asked me to bite him the first time I met him, and I’d been nine in that life. Things might just be looking up.
He turned away from me and mounted the motorcycle. Then, he held my duffle out toward me. “Coming?”
He’d found me and, apparently, was set on following me. Why not take advantage of it? Stepping forward with lingering reservation, I grabbed the bag and nodded. If he wasn’t here to help, I’d find out soon enough. At least sleep wouldn’t tempt me so much if the wind battered me as we traveled.
I put the strap across my body and climbed on behind him. As I wrapped my arms around his middle, I noticed his flinch.
“And stay away from my neck,” he said as he lifted his feet from the road and eased forward.
I ducked behind him within seconds. The wind bit into me with ferocious insistence, driving me closer to him. He twitched occasionally and told me to hold still several times. I didn’t have his ability to stay warm though. Finally, red cheeked, I laid my face against his back. Through his thin shirt, he warmed me. Sighing, I closed my watering eyes.
She stood before me in her taupe gown looking sad and serene at the same time. Nothing surrounded us but the tiny glow of thousands of multi-colored life sparks.