Guardian

Chapter 15----


“This is so fucking messed up.”

The remark left my mouth, the words dropping dully into the silence. I had parked my car at The Spot. The place where I had tried to escape those few years ago when everything had gotten so bad. The memories clung to this place more than the house I grew up in or the places I went. It was like I had carried them here and they had never left.

There it was, at the base of that tree, that I had hit the ward. I remembered the feeling of a thousand bees buzzing beneath my skin. Then my brain had fuzzed and buzzed to nothing. My body recalled the feeling all to clearly, the phantom sensations making my stomach roll uncomfortably.

The Sheriff had found me after dark, unconscious, on the side of the road, and barely breathing. They had taken pictures. The roots of the tree had grown and wrapped around my body, as if trying to drag me down into the soil and claim me forever.

The fire department had to be called. They used axes to chop away the roots and pull me out. My body temperature had plummeted to a dangerous ninety-three degrees. I was hospitalized; unconscious for nearly a week, and then I woke from dreams I still had nightmares about.

That experience was enough to make me never try again, no matter what happened at school. No matter what they did to me it wasn’t as bad as that…

Until now.

These last three days had been…gods I didn’t have the words to express it. The frustration just kept bottling up, ready to explode.

Matt, the vampire…my magic…somehow they decided to all get fucked up at the same time. It was almost a contest to see who could make me more miserable.

Why was that vampire even here anyway? I thought petulantly. Matt’s increased attention had all started because of him. Didn’t they stick to cities where there was more food? What could he possibly want here, with all the competition for resources? This mountain, from what rumor spread, was located on the remains of an ancient faerie mound. It was one of the last havens for the dwindling remains of us supernaturals. Werewolves, witches, ghosts, faeries…they all had a place here. Their human pets had lived and populated as well, forming our quaint little mountain town. The ward circled it all, keeping us secret, and safe.

But while it kept nasty little scientists out, it also kept us pesky little critters in. Therein lay my problem. I wanted out. My dreams told me to break the ward, but that seemed above impossible. It was ancient magic linked to the land itself, not something that was easily dispelled. I’d have to destroy its source, and who knew how long that would take to find?

Even if I miraculously found this secret source, how was I going to go about removing it? I’d have to be Superman, Merlin, and Houdini combined. A regular witch would find it tough enough, let alone one with “issues”.

I stood on the side of the road, a foot from the ward, and I could feel it inside my head. It was trying to repulse me like a polarized magnet, as if it knew what I was thinking.

“What could I really hurt out there?” I asked it. “How do you think I’ll survive if I stay in here? I want out!”

It crackled snappishly in my head, as if in warning.

I sighed. “Stubborn.”

I was doomed to stay here forever.

I wasn’t a fool to think that life would stay the way it was now. It would change. Everyone would grow up and get on with their lives. They would get married and have children. Even Daisy wouldn’t stay with me forever. She was too pretty. And where would I be? The outcast?

My mind flashed back to the image of Matt in the woods, his head thrown back as Becca’s arms wrapped around him possessively. An idiot could figure out where that was going.

I felt something hot spread from below my stomach as the image flashed over and over in my mind. Every time I saw it the heat spread until I felt like my skin was on fire. My muscles tightened and tensed, and I just wanted to punch something.

“Jesus,” I hissed, slamming my fist against my fender. Why the hell was I so mad? I honestly didn’t care whether Matt had a girlfriend or not…but to rub something like that in my face?

He worked so hard to make sure I was untouchable. No one on this entire mountain would lift their pinky to help me if I was in trouble, let alone try something romantic. After all the years of torture and bullying me he was going to move on. And I would still have no one.

I’d be alone.

Truly alone.

And stuck here.

“You shithead!” I screamed, as the realization hit. Hot tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

The rage wouldn’t subside. “I’ll show you. I’m so going to show you.”

I ripped open my door and threw all common sense out of the window as I gunned the engine and spun my tires. All speed limits were forgotten as I tore down the Main Street and back up the mountain. I passed the school, the parking lot now long empty. My tires screeched as I whipped around turns and shoved the gas pedal to the floor.

My mind was on one track, it wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t let anything interfere with my goal. If I stopped, if I even slowed down, I would lose my nerve. I couldn’t do that. I had to show him that he wasn’t the boss of me.

I belonged to him, huh?

“Fucking dog,” I snarled, ripping off the bandage and tape I had been using to hide the healing bite.

“Remember?!” I mimicked. “Remember this!” I growled, swerving around to hit the gravel road. Rocks flew as I tore down the driveway all the way up to that rickety, shadowed porch. It looked as empty and abandoned as I remembered. There was no car. There were no lights to ward off the gathering dark. But I knew someone was there, I could feel their eyes on me.

I opened my door, head thrown high as I got out and slammed metal together. The sound reverberated at the top of the mountain, echoing for a long time.

There was no other sound, not the chirp of birds or the rustle of wind. It was silent, as if everything feared the death that inhabited this place.

My eyes narrowed, trying to catch any source of movement. Of course, I saw none.

“Come on out,” I breathed, searching the shadows. “ I came for a visit.”

There was a full minute of nothing, of waiting, of thinking…and then, “You came to see me.”

The voice poured over me like smooth chocolate, and I felt some of my anger ebb under its soothing tones. I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t. If I did, I might realize what I was doing.

“Yes,” the word came out harsh, like a challenge. Of course, it wasn’t him I was aiming it at.

I almost heard the raise of his eyebrows in that one chuckle. He moved closer, his body not giving off heat, but I could sense it none-the-less.

“Then what is it that you came to me for, Andrea?” His voice suddenly grew colder, and a little bit of my rationality tried to slip back in. Telling me I was being bad. That this was a bad, bad, STUPID, idea. It sounded a little like Matt. My neck burned at the thought of his name, as if even though he wasn’t here, he was still trying to control me.

That thought gave me the strength to turn around. I looked up, and for the first time, I met the vampire’s gaze. His eyes widened, surprised. My rage gave me courage as I lifted my palm from my neck, where it was trying to subdue the creepy crawly feelings the wound was producing.

“I want you to make this disappear,” I said, never blinking, never lowering my eyes.

His gaze flicked down, looking at my neck. I didn’t move as his hand rose, cool fingers slipping beneath mine, to cup my throat. The burning and squirming nerves quieted underneath his touch.

“Do you understand what you’re asking?”

“No. But I don’t care.”

He blinked. “Foolish,” he whispered, face lowering to mine. A slow smile spread over his lips as he paused. “But I don’t care.”

Cool. That’s what his kiss was. Like an icy drink on a hot summer day, so refreshing and delicious that you can’t stop at one sip. His lips were as soft as they looked and I couldn’t help but love the feeling of them against mine. This wasn’t the chaste kiss from before, or even like Matt’s bruising mash of mouths.

It was…amazing.

I didn’t want to stop. Or maybe that was just the adrenaline and outrage talking. Somehow this was equal to flipping the bird at that stupid werewolf. Yeah, somewhere in my head this made sense.

Suddenly he pulled away, and I could breath. I panted, wondering how I could have forgotten the need for oxygen.

He hummed amusedly at me, pushing hair away from my face. “What a strange little thing you are,” he said. He tilted my chin up, appraising my face.

His thumb brushed my lower lip, and my breath caught. Why did it suddenly feel like I had a thousand nerve endings there? He trailed a tickling path to my neck, to the bite. I shivered as he traced fingers over the raw flesh.

“Such an ugly mark on your pretty skin,” he said. Hand falling, grazing over my collarbone and down to the zipper of my hoodie.

He didn’t even hesitate, unfastening my jacket and pushing it down off my shoulders. It dropped to the ground and the cool air found my bare skin.

His palms slid down my arms and then up again to my shoulders. I kept my eyes on his face. It looked…blank.

The world jerked as I was suddenly shoved back onto the hood of my car.

He loomed over me, blotting out the moonlight. One hand was on my chin; the other was pulling down the straps of my tank top and bra.

He leaned down, lips pressed to my ear. “There’s no going back now.”

The words barely had time to register before his head darted back and he struck. A strangled sound escaped me as his teeth sank in and then he started to suck. It hurt and I couldn’t catch my breath.

One palm was now cupping the back of my head, saving it from the hard metal of the hood. The other was searching, tickling as it found its way under my shirt. It slid up my stomach and dove under my bra caressing the flesh it found there.

I gasped as he found sensitive spots I had never noticed before.

He lifted his face from my neck and pressed his mouth back over mine. The kiss wasn’t cool anymore, but warm and flavored with the tang of my own blood. Surprise left me vulnerable and his tongue found its way into my defenseless mouth. It tickled against my teeth and slipped its way further.

All the while, his fingers were touching and stroking, bringing little helpless noises with each caress.

He pulled back once again, and I gladly sucked in air.

A strange smile passed over him.

“I’m the first,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I’m the first man to touch you like this,” he said, not questioning, stating as he smoothed his hand up my stomach, pushing my shirt past my chest, and I was suddenly exposed. More exposed now than when….uh…

His fingers trailed down again and found the button of my jeans. My heart tripped a little at the sight. Uh…okay…yeah…hadn’t thought this far.

He flicked it expertly, so that it slid through the buttonhole in one easy movement. Then down went the zipper…

Okay…yeah. No…yeah. Definitely no.

“Stop,” I said, disappointed in how unimpressive the breathy command was.

I swallowed when his fingers slid under the thin elastic of my panties tickling the sensitive skin beneath. It made my stomach tense, and another one of those embarrassing noises come out.

Red cheeked, I pressed a hand over my mouth. “Ugh. No.” I said, trying to put more force behind the words. My hand caught his wrist halting his exploration.

“This is…” I didn’t know what this was. Well, I knew…but it had never occurred to me that he would want sex.

His head rose, and even though I couldn’t see his face clearly, I knew those eyes were locked on mine.

“This is…” he repeated, shifting so that he was leaning over me again. He pulled his wrist from my grip and took my hand in his. “This is what you wanted, right?” He said, voice low.

“Uh…” Yeah, I know. My intelligence had gone from one-twenty to zero in three-point-five.

His hand pulled mine, pressing it against the front of his jeans. Heat flooded my cheeks as I tried to jerk away, but his fingers closed tight. “This is what you asked for,” he breathed, words harsh.

I swallowed, head swimming. Really? I didn’t recall…

He pressed himself closer, and I had to cover my eyes. It was just…too much.

“I…” swallowing, I couldn’t think. I knew I was hyperventilating, but I couldn’t quite stop myself.

“You…” he pressed his mouth against mine again, stealing the last of my breath. Just before I passed out, I heard him finish, “…are a tease.”

***************Author’s Note**************

Reviews---

Johnny—Here it is! Yay! And I am on fictionpress.com. Same title, nearly same author name. ☺ enjoy.

MnMs—the way I see it, no one is totally sure of anything yet…except the vampire…and he won’t tell me what he’s got planned…stingy. XD

Jenn—We’ll learn more about Matt later, when Andy does…;)

Shadowkeeper—XD. He’s so smexy.

Firebreather—ooh. How did he get so popular?

Mondamme—Yeah. Saliva is one of the top 14 things that grosses me out. And a big gob…yeeeuuuuk. As to your questions….won’t tell XD.

Cubiclesecrets—Andy so agrees with you.

DHM—took I a while I know. But yay, I got it out!

Speachestx—Hopefully XD

SightSoBlind---COOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKIIIIIIEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

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