Authors: Tara Brown
Suddenly he was standing with his mouth on her.
He kissed her hungrily.
"Is there something you need to tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Who do you belong to?"
She let his mouth invade hers. He pulled away
caressing and kissing her throat, "You. I belong with you."
He pulled away. His warmth was gone. She looked
up to see an empty room. His laugh seemed to ride along the wind
coming in her open window.
She screamed, "GET BACK HERE!"
He was gone.
She looked down at her red silk underwear around
her ankles over her red pumps, "Fucker." She whispered. Her satin
dress was hiked up around her thighs still.
She ripped the dress off and kicked the panties
across the room. She stormed to the window and closed it. She
locked it for good measure.
She stomped to the bathroom to at least attempt
to calm herself before bed. It was Christmas in the morning and she
didn’t want to mess it up for Roland. He'd worked hard at making it
special for her. She had hardly noticed the season, the death of
her friend and father had been hard to handle. Becoming a monster
and seductress had been impossible.
Chapter Forty-One: New Gas Prices,
Kisses
Aleksander
He paced by the lake, seeing the calm of the
water made him feel better, usually.
"Aleks?"
He turned to see Hanna. Ben followed behind her.
He saw Sam watching as well.
He stared to laugh, "Oh wow. Uh Ben, want to
give us a minute?"
He gave him a look filled with daggers.
Hanna walked looking back, "It happened the
minute I got out of the car here with Ben and at the gas station.
The attendant tried to kiss me."
He grimaced, "Kind of glad I took the cure, no
offense."
She laughed, "None taken. I would never want my
free will messed with like that either. I don’t blame anyone for
not wanting to have their emotions played with."
"I don’t think it’s the emotions you're messing
with."
She looked up the yard frowning at Ben watching
her. She laughed, "Its awful isn’t it."
"Funny, now that I'm on the other side of
it."
Her gaze fixed on Sam at the top of the yard. He
pretended to be milling. "I need some help. Some advice
rather."
He nodded, "Shoot."
She looked tense and stressed, "I have a
predicament." She ran a hand through her strawberry bond hair.
"It's worse than that. It's bad. I could be madly in love with
Marcus, he makes me feel things I never knew I could. It might be
love. I really want to be with him but at the same time I have some
feelings for other people. Plus I don’t even know if my feelings
for Marcus are real." Her eyes turned pained as she looked up the
hill at Sam again, "I don’t know if any of my feelings are
real."
Aleks felt a small laugh building but he kept it
contained, "Am I one of those other people?"
She looked humiliated but nodded subtly.
"You don’t need to worry about that. I have that
reaction on every woman. Well except for Giselle."
She looked relieved, "You make every woman want
to uhm, well you know?"
He nodded, "Yeah, part of the curse."
She smiled, "Oh well that’s good news."
"Not when you’re the guy making everyone feel
that way."
"And Marcus?"
Aleks nodded, "He has the same effect. It isn’t
real Hanna. He can't really even feel love. You force people to
feel something, unless they take the cure."
"So well anyway I also feel that way about other
guys. One is a guy I met a while ago. But it's different with him.
He's like the boy next door. He makes me happy and makes me feel
like a normal girl. He's regular, you know?"
Aleks frowned, "A human?"
She nodded, "A cop named Andy Paulson."
"Hanna that’s a tough one but I think what you
need to do it step back from both guys and take yourself out of the
equation. Marcus is a tough bastard, I've tried killing him tons,
it never takes. So you're safe from hurting him but you're not safe
from him hurting you. He's still Marcus. If I were you I would use
the advantage you have and kill him in his sleep."
"Aleks!"
He laughed, "Well it's true. I'm trying to work
something out with Henry but unfortunately he hates me just as
much."
She laughed.
He continued, "The cop is a tough guy I'm sure
but at the end of the day, he's a human. Hanna that’s a dangerous
game to play. Aimee is with a human and she hides it everyday, from
everyone. Shane never comes here, ever. If she sees him it's behind
closed doors at his house or her dads new place."
She looked upset by the answer.
He felt guilty but smiled weakly, "Look at it
this way, if you ever got angry someone like me or Marcus could
defend against the beast whereas Andy would probably die. Or worse
end up like Giselle, changed into a monster just to survive."
"How do I make myself stop wanting to be with
him?"
He laughed, "When you find the answer to that
you let me know."
She looked at him, "Aimee?"
He nodded, "I loved her more than I can tell
you." His stomach ached as he spoke the words.
"You still love her?"
He nodded again, "Of course, in a way. How does
the heart stop wanting what it feels is best?"
She sat on the bench by the water, "If I never
see the cop again I feel like that human, simple, fun loving part
of me will be dead. I will live in the darkness and magic of this
world. All that will be left of the old me is the memories of when
I was a simple regular human."
"Hanna once a long time ago I was a regular boy
thinking I made the right choice to help my father. It's been six
hundred years and I can't seem to find an end to this world. You
just have to accept what you are."
Her eyes glistened, "Have you done it yet?"
He shook his head, "Not completely."
She laughed, "Is that why you haven’t asked
Giselle out yet?"
"I don’t know." He laughed, "I can't stand the
way she babbles on about nothing. She uses the word 'like' as if
she has no education. She constantly tells me things I know, stupid
things that everyone knows. She lacks common sense and she shops
too much."
"You like her, no one gets that worked up about
how much someone shops unless they like them. Or they have to pay
the bill."
He shook his head, "She drives me insane."
"What if she went on a date with another
guy?"
His chest tightened, "Why? What do you
know?"
Hanna laughed at him, "Nothing. I barely know
her. She hangs with Aimee all the time. Aimee's not really my type
of fun. I'm just saying though that Giselle is hot, blind men can
see how hot she is. Someone is going to ask her out."
He smirked looking up the hill, "Not while
you're around."
Her smiled vanished, "Ha ha ha, have you ever
been stalked?"
"Yeah, I have the same problem as you. I thought
we had this discussion."
She laughed, "So you think I should pick
Marcus?"
"I think you should do whatever feels right but
I think you should also think about why you're choosing Andy. Is it
love or the fact he makes you feel like you used to?"
A dark voice interrupted them, "Aleks, my dear
brother is this her? Is this the infamous Siren? Dear god someone
has gotten you ruffled up lately haven’t they love?"
Aleks watched Dorian walk down the path.
Hanna smiled at him, "Who are you?" She looked
lost in his eyes.
Aleks put his hands over his eyes, "Not a good
time Dorian."
Dorian glared at him, "You can't have all the
single girls to yourself." He grinned at Hanna.
Aleks could smell her response to Dorian, it was
strong.
"Shall we?" Dorian asked offering her an
arm.
Hanna took it, not even looking back at Aleks,
"See you later Aleks." She muttered still staring at Dorian.
"You smell delicious."
Hanna smiled, "Imagine how we would smell
together?"
Aleks watched them walk half way up the yard and
called out to Sam and Ben, "Guys, Dorian thinks he's won her
over."
Ben phased into a wolf mid air and Sam vanished
only to reappear behind Dorian. Aleks hadn't even realized Sam
could travel like that.
Suddenly Hanna screamed as Sam and Dorian both
grabbed at her.
Aleks flashed behind them instantly. He shoved
them into each other and grabbed her.
Away from the scent of Dorian and his magical
eyes, she came out of his spell. He could tell she was puzzled,
"What was that?"
He laughed, "Dorian. You need that charm
bracelet."
She looked confused seeing that they were
standing beside her car. She hugged him, "Thanks Aleks. I
think."
He waved as she drove away and went to the
backyard to watch Dorian in his death match.
He chuckled seeing that Sam appeared to be the
champion. Ben was unconscious and naked on the grass while Sam held
Dorian on the ground. It appeared as if Dorian was missing a large
piece of thigh.
"Okay guys she's gone. Sam is the winner."
Sam laughed, "Where is she? Where is my
prize?"
Aleks shook his head, "She went home, she
doesn’t like violence."
"You traitorous bastard." Dorian shouted at him,
climbing off the ground and brushing dirt and blood off his
designer jeans.
Aleks laughed, "You were using your mojo on her.
You know that’s against the house rules."
"She uses hers. I could sense her from the front
of the house."
"Not the same, she can't control it. You were
cheating."
Sam shoved past him, "Cheater."
Dorian growled, "Next time that kid leaves the
house, it's on."
Aleks laughed watching the skin fill in on the
bite marks, "You got beat up by a couple kids."
Dorian raised an eyebrow, "The guards prevent me
from using my powers."
"Not the ones that get you into trouble
unfortunately."
"Where did she go?"
"I would imagine Marcus Dragomir's house."
Dorian snorted, "You mean his castle.
Insufferable wanker." He gave it thought and frowned, "Is Henry
still there?"
Aleks nodded, "Yup and he really likes
Hanna."
"Not worth it, even if she is in heat."
"You're an animal."
Chapter Forty-Two: Steam Boat Hanna
Hanna
She drove around the block but decided her need
was too desperate. She went back to the house sneaking through the
halls. She crept up to Lydia's room to find her alone.
"Hanna dear how are you?" She asked from what
had appeared to be a coma.
Hanna laughed, "I guess I should have expected
you to know I was here."
"Yes and I know why." She opened her eyes and
reached for a small box on her night table. It was white with
shells on it.
She passed it to Hanna, "This will stop the ones
that wouldn’t normally be attracted to you. The ones your charms
are forcing."
Hanna took the small white box and opened it.
Inside was a small white bracelet with four small shells hanging
from it.
"Thank you Lydia."
Lydia frowned, "The ones who can smell what you
are, like Dorian and Sam and Ben and Marcus, this won't stop them.
Regular humans and a few odd special people will be safe from
you."
Hanna tried not to be disappointed, "Okay. What
can I do about them?"
Lydia laughed, "Run."
Hanna frowned, "Will they always just love
me?"
"The cure is the only hope. You have some?"
Hanna nodded, "I have a little. I can ask Marcus
to make more though."
Lydia smiled like a sweet old grandma, "I would
save what you have for people you will be around a lot."
"Okay."
Hanna took the bracelet in her hand and closed
the box. She passed it to Lydia, "No dear you keep it. Always store
it in there. It is charmed to make it protected against anyone who
would try to take it. Only a Siren can open the box." She paused
and gave Hanna a once over making her uncomfortable.
"You know you're blasting sexual energy
right?"
Hanna blushed stammering, "W-W-What?"
Lydia nodded, "The last book on the shelf over
there, the one that has the dark purple spine. You may borrow it.
It will explain things. The bracelet probably wont be able to
handle the work load until you're feeling more yourself."
Hanna turned humiliated and picked the book up
from the shelf. The book was old with a broken spine. She turned
back, "I'm going to go home now. I'm so sorry. I didn’t know."
Lydia shook her head, "No dear, never be sorry
for what you are. None of us can help it. If you were down town
tricking humans into giving you all their money and possessions
then I would expect that sorry."
Hanna raised an eyebrow, "I can do that?"
"Read the book." Lydia chuckled.
Hanna turned and walked out of the room, "Thanks
for everything Lydia."
"Lorri will be coming to see you next week.
You're being tested for the Roses. If you want?"
Hanna paused in the doorway, "The Roses? Me?
What can I do?"
Lydia's eyes sparkled, "I guess we will have to
wait and see."
Hanna nodded sneaking back out of the room and
down the hall.
"There you are. I knew I could still sense you
here." Words were whispered into her neck.
She felt someone press against the back of her.
He smelled like dessert. She turned to see Sam.
His hands wrapped around her waist pulling her
into him. He spun her around. His lips met hers instantly.
His tongue invaded her mouth. Her free hand slid
up into his hair pulling him down into her. His hands reached back
lifting her up into the air. Her legs wrapped around him. Her
tongue caressed his.
His mouth slipped down her throat kissing and
caressing her. She moaned.
"STOP!"