Not What She Seems

chapter 11



Out on the street, in the busy crowds of people going about their evening routines, Sylvia was glad for the comforting contact with Keith. Now that night had fallen and pockets of shadow lined the block all she could think about was the Hunter. Were there no deaths the previous night because he had been here, on her street, waiting to catch her leaving the safety of her building? Was he watching her right now, biding his time until an opportunity to attack presented itself? She shuddered involuntarily and Keith let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder.

“You okay, Sylv?”

She shook off her fear as best she could and gave him a brave smile. “Yes, I guess so. Do you want to take a cab or the T?”

“Let’s take the T.” He began walking towards the subway station but made no move to remove his arm from around Sylvia. In her mind she knew she should push his arm off, to keep the boundaries between them clear, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do so. She leaned slightly against him as they walked, snuggling against his tall frame. His touch brought her comfort, made her feel safer on the dark city streets, and she couldn’t force herself to relinquish that feeling at the moment.

Keith sat right next to her on the T but made no move to keep physical contact with her. Neither spoke as the subway car bumped along beneath the city streets. Sylvia noticed his gaze was always roving through the crowd as people got on and off the car. He wasn’t checking out the numerous women who stared lustfully at him, their eyes begging him to approach. Instead, he carefully watched each and every man who so much as glanced in her direction. Most of the other passengers were checking them out at one point or another as they made such a stunning couple. It pleased her to see how seriously he took the threat of the Hunter. He didn’t pay the slightest attention to any of the ladies not so subtly checking him out.

When their stop approached, Keith stood and held out his hand to help Sylvia up. She took it and he held her hand in his as they climbed up to the street level. She felt a small twinge of disappointment when he released her once they had fully exited the station.

“Let’s try to keep this quick tonight. I want to get this done and get you home.”

Sylvia nodded. This felt more like an unpleasant errand than the interesting challenge that selecting prey usually felt like to her. It was normally a little bit of a thrill, trying to find the best energy possible to feed from, but as they were in a hurry tonight she knew she’d end up with whatever guy she could swiftly convince to have a quickie with her in some random out of the way place. She did not look forward to it, outside of silencing the inner Hunger that was growing by the minute.

A quick walk got them to the establishment they had selected to hunt in and Keith held the door open for her as she breezed past him.

“Stay close, and let me know if you’re going somewhere,” he leaned over and breathed in her ear as she moved by him. She almost lost her footing in her steep heels. His breath in her ear sent a tingling sensation down the length of her spine. Damn him, she mused, unsure if he had done that intentionally, or not.

They stood side by side for a moment, surveying the scene. The Lounge was brimming with the usual drinks-after-work crowd mingling and relaxing after another day at the office. Sylvia walked gracefully over to the bar and took a seat without bothering to see if Keith had followed her or not. No sooner had she sat down when a decent looking guy around thirty years old slid up next to her and offered to buy her a drink.

Sylvia accepted his offer, noting sadly to herself that he was a low grade energy. Good for getting this whole business done quickly but she knew it wouldn’t sustain her for long. As she flirted with her admirer she noticed Keith standing a few feet behind him, flirting with a raven haired beauty that was reveling in his attention. He caught her eye and winked at her, but she ignored him and turned her attention back to her prey.

“You think we could go somewhere?” she interrupted him mid-sentence.

To his credit his eyes widened only for a second when she made her bold suggestion.

“Your place or mine?”

“I don’t think I can wait that long,” Sylvia told him coyly as she grasped his upper thigh firmly with her free hand.

Two minutes later they were out in the back alleyway, her back against the brick wall and her legs wrapped around him as he pushed her thong aside and entered her forcefully. Sylvia gasped in surprise at his roughness and for one minute regretted not signaling to Keith that she was going outside with this man. He was too wrapped up in his own prey to notice at the time.

As her prey thrust into her again and again she felt herself relax a bit as his energy transferred to her. She sighed with pleasure as her aching inner Hunger diminished with each of his frantic thrusts.

“Looks like we’re not the only ones with good ideas tonight,” her prey joked, jerking his head to the left to signal she should take a look.

She gasped in surprise when she saw Keith there in the alleyway with them, only about twenty five feet away. He was facing them, his prey bent over a stack of shipping crates while he took her from behind. She was too wrapped up in her own pleasure to pay Sylvia and her prey any mind. Sylvia’s prey seemed almost more enthusiastic when he discovered they weren’t the only ones having sex in the alleyway. For a moment her eyes locked with Keith’s. She ripped her gaze away, afraid of what she might see in his expression and worried about what he might see in hers.

Her date finished with a bellow and leaned against her for a moment, panting. Sylvia closed her eyes as she untangled herself from him and lowered her legs back to the ground. She tried desperately to block out the sounds of Keith and his prey, who were both getting louder by the minute as their union crescendoed.

“Come on,” her prey motioned for her to follow him back to the club, “I could use a drink after that, how about you?”

Sylvia held her head high and stayed as far away from Keith and his prey as she could on her way back into the Lounge. She could feel his eyes upon her as he drove himself into the woman again and again. It took everything she had not to at least glance at them. Deep down inside she felt an unfamiliar twinge of jealousy.

Back in the Lounge, her prey ordered them both a drink and Sylvia did her best to be polite as she waited for Keith to return so they could leave. The longer she stayed with her prey, the more she worried he’d push to see her again. In time she noticed his roving eye, checking out other women in the club while he chatted with her. She was fine with that. Pleased, in fact. If some other woman could catch his fancy before she had the opportunity to go she could take her leave without an uncomfortable scene.

A few minutes later she spied Keith’s prey enter the club again and head straight to the restroom. A moment later Keith came through the door, beckoning for Sylvia to leave.

“Will you excuse me, please?” she interrupted her date after she downed the last of her drink.

“Sure thing,” he told her as his eyes followed a buxom redhead passing by.

She made her way over to Keith. It was hard to look him in the eye after the intimate scene in the alleyway. Despite all of their private times together in the past and the knowledge that each of them needed to hunt she felt slightly uncomfortable. She had never witnessed him with another female before.

“So how was your ‘date’?” Keith asked her amicably as he tried in vain to flag down a cab.

Sylvia gently pushed him aside and waved down a cab, who immediately pulled over to them. Keith shook his head in amusement when he saw how easy it was for her when he had just been ignored by the cabbies in the area.

“Fine,” she replied curtly as she slid into the cab. “How was yours?”

“Boring, full of herself and loud, but a good time nonetheless.” She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he sat a bit closer to her than he should have when he joined her in the cab.

She gave the driver her address as Keith casually draped his arm around her shoulders. Confusion muddled her brain. Was this like before, on the street going to the Lounge, when he was a friend offering comfort when she was scared? It didn’t feel like it; it didn’t have that ‘we’re good buddies’ vibe. She couldn’t be sure, though, and didn’t want to insult him. Besides, she had tolerated his casual touch earlier in the evening and it would be rude to suddenly draw a line in the sand about it now. He was just being comfortable with her, nothing more, she decided. She leaned slightly into him and unconsciously inhaled his familiar scent.

“You want some?” He pulled a silver flask out of his pocket and waved it under her nose. She had no idea he had carried it with him this whole time. Tentatively, she unscrewed the cap and sniffed the open flask.

“Southern Comfort,” she grinned at him before taking a long swallow. “That’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine too.” He took a long swallow as well when she passed it back to him. He offered it to her again once he had his turn but she shook her head. She knew she had to keep her wits about her around Keith and she had already consumed a few drinks at the club. Who knew what could happen if she got drunk with him? The evening’s dark hid her flushed cheeks as she blushed when she considered exactly what would happen if she got drunk with him.

The cab pulled up to her building and Keith paid the fare as Sylvia stepped out of the cab. Her heart beat a little faster as she once again thought about the Hunter. Keith grabbed her hand and led her in through the lobby and to the elevator.

“Almost there,” he murmured low in her ear as the elevator deposited them on her floor.

He entered the apartment first to do a quick check around before he motioned for her to come in too. With a sigh of contentment she kicked off her uncomfortable high heels and padded down the hall to change her clothes. It was good to be home; she felt safe again. The evening’s feed wouldn’t last her for long but at least now she was temporarily satisfied. She pulled her top up over her head and threw it into her laundry basket before slipping off her tiny skirt. Something out of place caught her eye when she walked into her closet and headed for the drawers containing her pajamas.

“Keith,” she barely managed to croak as she stood frozen in horror. “Keith. KEITH!” Finally she found the power to yell for him.

She heard her bedroom door burst open as he rushed to her side. He stood next to her, staring at the vase of glorious roses of various colors on the small table next to her chaise lounge.

“Those weren’t there before, they’re not yours?” Keith demanded.

She shook her head mutely as she slowly crossed over to the vase and plucked out the note nestled between the lovely roses. With trembling fingers she unfolded it. Soon the single word on the note read in the same handwriting as the previous note in her mailbox. The room began to spin as Sylvia watched the carpet come rushing at her.

Keith swooped her up in his arms before she could hit the floor.

“I’ve got you! Come on, let’s get you to the couch.” He carried her out of her room, down the hall and gently laid her on the couch. She blinked slowly, trying to force the world back into focus. She was dimly aware Keith was speaking to someone on his cell phone.

“Yeah, no shit, right in her closet… I know, I’ll look when I can… no, I’m sure he’s gone… I think she’ll be okay in a few. You got it, keep me posted.” He sat down gingerly next to her on the edge of the couch.

“Sylv, I need to check your room again. Lilith and I think he came in your fire escape, since we know the door was locked when we got home. You stay right here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

The leather couch was cold against Sylvia’s bare skin and with a start she realized she was dressed in nothing but a navy blue demi bra and matching thong. With a shudder she grabbed a throw off the couch to cover herself up. Despite the fact he had seen her both in various stages of undress and completely naked before, she suddenly felt a need to be modest in front of Keith.

She strained to hear anything out of place in the quiet apartment as she waited for his return. Fear clogged her throat as she realized the Hunter could still be in her apartment, hiding somewhere, lying in wait to spring on him… or her. Just as she was about to call out for him she heard him walking back down the hallway towards her.

“It’s all clear. We’re alone,” he reassured her as he handed her a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Sylvia was touched by his thoughtfulness. The Keith she thought she knew would’ve pretended not to notice her standing around barely dressed, just so he could enjoy the view. To the contrary, he turned to give her a moment’s privacy while she slipped into her clothes.

“Your window doesn’t appear to be tampered with, but it was unlocked. Do you recall if you left it like that?”

Sylvia strained to remember the last time her window had been open.

“I probably did. We had an unseasonably warm night last week and I cracked the window to let some fresh air in. I guess I forgot to lock it when I shut it the next day. I’m, uh, dressed now.”

Keith turned to face her once she gave him the all-clear. His eyes were serious, his handsome features taught with stress.

“You’ve got to be more careful than that, Sylvia! He got in, here, in your apartment. What if you had been home?” She didn’t care for the accusatory tone in his voice.

“Then I’d be dead right now, wouldn’t I?” she snapped back at him. “Lucky for me I was out, watching you screw some bimbo in an alleyway instead, huh?”

“Why are you angry with me? I didn’t leave the window unlocked, and I’m not the one who’s after you, and I had to watch you sleep with that sleazy guy behind the Lounge!” His angry glare matched hers.

Sylvia knew she had pushed him too far. He was right; none of this was his fault. Her anger towards him at that moment was unjust.

“I’m sorry,” she began softly. “You’re right. I just can’t believe he actually got in here. And why is he playing with me? He just killed those other girls, but it’s like he wants to make me suffer first or something.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she tried not to consider what the Hunter’s special interest in her meant.

Keith moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. I told you, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Reluctantly she uncrossed her arms and hugged him back as she pressed her face against his muscular chest. Despite the news that the Hunter had broken into her apartment she had never felt safer than in that moment, wrapped up in Keith’s arms again.