Immortal Dreams (4 page)

He smiles this time, and then he shrugs before walking back toward me.  He gets dangerously close, letting his breath find my lips for a split second, and then he pulls back with my phone in his hand.

I was so enthralled and entranced by his near kiss that I never felt him pulling my phone out of my hand.  My breaths are heavy now, and then I hear a phone ringing - the sound coming from his pocket.  He smirks as it quits and hands me back my phone.

"Now you've got my number.  It's up to you whether or not you want to program it."

He starts walking away again, and I prop up while murmuring, "That goes both ways."

He turns around with his phone in his hand and waves it in front of him.

"Already done."

My heart flips over, and then the shadows swallow him as he disappears into the woods again.

Oh damn.

Obviously, I program his number in my phone before I even shut the damn door.  I glance around one last time before stepping inside, but something catches my eye before I can lock up.

There's a tall, lean figure in the distance across the street, and I hear the breaths growing rasp as a second figure goes limp in his arms.  Though they're in the shadows and between two houses, I can still somewhat make out what's going on, horrified by the reality I had hoped I wouldn't run into.

Night stalker.

Without any regard for my own safety, I throw off my heels and take off running, throwing my arms out to release my attack, and impacting him with my invisible force.  The feeding figure flies backwards, thudding against a house, and an alarm sounds as a window shatters.

Lights from several of the houses around us flash on in response to the loud wails.  The lights cast a bright glow on the scene of the crime, and I hear a hissing noise as the dark figure disappears into the shadows to avoid sight.  I rush over to the collapsed body on the ground, and my heartbeat charges fiercely as I slip her blond hair to the side to see the marks of proof on her neck.

Definitely a night stalker.  Changers have larger fangs, leaving bigger bite marks.  Lycans and Were are beasts who only feed in changed form, and that was a man's silhouette.

A guy rushes out of a house with his boxers and robe on - his white, hairy belly bouncing as he charges toward us with a bat.  He stumbles to a halt and turns pale when he sees the barely breathing girl's head cradled in my arms.

"Call an ambulance!" I scream.  "She's dying!"

Others rush out, and within seconds, I hear the whooping sounds of help on the way.  I only pray no one saw my release of power.  The council will string me up if they did.

––––––––

C
hapter Three

"Are you crazy, Alyssa?" Mom scolds through the phone.

No, just really unlucky.

"He was killing her.  What was I supposed to do?"

No good deed goes unpunished.  Calypso Coldwell punishes me for every good deed I do.

"It's not your place to get involved.  Night stalkers kill to live.  You can't go painting yourself a target by interrupting their meal."

"He was feeding in the open.  If anything, he painted himself a target.  Besides, they don't have to kill in order to live, they just need blood.  They don't have to pick young, pretty girls, but they choose to.  I simply reminded him that they’re not the only ones in the damn universe, and some of us don't approve of killing."

She groans, exasperation in her long, drawn-out breath.  "Alyssa, you're still incredibly vulnerable right now.  Going after a feeding night stalker is suicide.  That's it.  I'm coming to stay with you."

"You can't, Mom.  They need you in Tibet for the ceremonies.  You're the priestess.  I'm fine.  I can handle myself, and he never saw my face.  Don't worry."

"Then I'm calling Frankie to follow you."

"If Frankie starts following me, I'm going to be on edge.  His favorite pastime is scaring the shit out of me.  Definitely not."

She sighs loudly, her mind searching for a way to keep me safe.  I tuck the phone closer to me as I walk up to the diner.

"Look, I've got to head into work right now.  I'll be fine.  Don't worry.  You do need to say something to the night... um...
their
council about openly eating dinner... if you know what I mean."

"Oh believe me, I will."

I nod, as if she can see me, and then I hang up the phone before she has time to reprimand me more.  I'm the only person in the world who gets in trouble for saving a life.

Sheesh.

"Thanks for staying late again,
Alyssa," Mary, another waitress murmurs as she strips off her apron.

"It's fine.  It's dead in here anyway.  I should be able to handle it by myself."

I have one customer who is simply here for the Wifi.  He's about my age with black hair, tattoos peeking up from his shirt collar, and a piercing on his right eyebrow.  I've studied him too much, since it's a little dull in here tonight.

I've barely seen his face though.  He's kept his back to us since he arrived an hour ago.

Mary smiles, offering me a farewell-wave, and heads out to throw her arms around a beefed up guy who is leaning against his car.  I smirk as they entangle in a rather showy kiss, and then I flip on my phone to pick up reading my book where I left off.

"Need anything?" I ask the guy who has no interest in spending a dime in the diner.

"No, still fine," he chirps.

I hear the door open, and I look up to see a tan guy with onyx, glistening hair, as he walks in.  His eerie smile sends shivers down my spine, and I glance over to see the human in the corner shiver too.

Looking back, I see his glowing blue eyes spark and flicker before dying back down to a deep brown.

Shit.  Vampire.

Swallowing hard, I murmur, "Can I help you?"

He smiles bigger, malice burning in his eyes as he sits down at the bar directly in front of me.

"What time do you close?"

"Um, an hour."

"Ah.  Then I'll take some coffee while I wait."

I get sick as he stares at me, and I slowly back up, refusing to pull my eyes away.  He knows who I am, and I know who he is.  He's the night stalker from last night.

"You shouldn't be in here right now.  You know what I am," I almost whisper.

"You shouldn't have meddled in my meal and then sent the council after me," he growls.

I narrow my eyes as I place the cup of coffee in front of him, and then I do my best to act composed and in control.

"You shouldn't have been in the open.  You risk us all when you kill like that," I murmur in a nearly muted tone.

The sparks in his eyes ignite more fiercely as he smirks all the more - the devil's air in his breath.

"Well, I was famished, and there she was - drunk and alone."

"That's not how things work and you know it."

"Neither is interrupting one's kill.  You're just lucky no one wants a damn war."

I laugh a little louder than I meant to, and he glares at me.

"No one would start a war over this shit," I daringly release through my mocking laughter.  "You're a speck in a world far larger than you.  Interrupting your brazen, open kill was nothing but warranted in the eyes of everyone's councils.  I pray someone caught it on tape, and then they'll exterminate you."

He shakes his head, smiling more.  "If they saw me, they saw you.  You might want to recant that last little bit."

My feigned confidence doesn't waver, and I keep the conversation below the register a human can hear.  "The force I used was invisible.  You had a girl bent backwards with your fangs dug in.  All they'll see is you mysteriously flying backwards and me screaming for help as I rush to her body.  Believe me, I've ran through it a time or two."

He snarls, his eyes sparking blue again and his fangs slip free.

"How about I just pick up with you where I left off with her?"

He smirks as he stands, acting as though he's about to prove he hasn't just made an empty threat.  But then the door sounds out as new customers arrive, halting him from trying anything.

Thank God.

He snarls louder as he turns, and a wave of butterflies crash through my stomach when I see Kane and his friends walking in.

He smiles as he walks toward the counter, and then his smile falls when he sees the damn vampire still ready to rip my throat out.

"Hey," he says softly, his eyes returning to me and studying my face.

I try to seem casual, not wanting to give this fanged son of a bitch any ideas about going after Kane in order to get revenge on me.

"Hi," I say very professionally, showing indifference instead of pure lust.  "What can I get you?"

He frowns, feeling my chilly demeanor, and then he shrugs.  "Um, five coffees and a slice of pie each," he murmurs with a bit of disappointment.

I glance back to the night stalker, and then I head over to the coffee.  He won't attack with eyes on us.  He's in enough trouble as it is.

"I'll bring it to your table," I say with my back turned, and I hear a slight huff as Kane walks away.

"Thanks."

When I turn back, the night stalker is staring at me, slowly sipping his coffee, but I ignore him as I head over to Kane's table - the oversized corner booth.  The girl who glared at me the night before is sitting by his side, her body touching his.

Maybe it's good I'm being cold.  It seems he has someone already much too into him, and he obviously doesn't mind the attention, since he's sitting by her.

Without speaking, I pass out the coffee and pie, avoiding eye contact with Kane, and then I force an obligatory smile before wandering back behind the counter.  They're too close for the night stalker to say more, so he continues to stare at me, trying to scare me.

This could get bad when we're alone, so I decide to text Frankie.  I know he's still in town.

Night stalker in diner.  Could use your help.

This will cement my mother's fear, and I know she'll be out here as soon as she's finished with the ceremonies.

Crap.

Almost instantly, the door swings open, and in walks Frankie.  Kane's head turns to investigate, and he watches the night stalker watching me as Frankie takes a seat at his side.

I smirk as Frankie cracks his fingers, warming up to intimidate the fanged asshole.  "I'll take some coffee, Miss."

I stifle a laugh, and I serve him his coffee as requested, my eyes studying the night stalker who is oblivious to the immortal on his side.  Realizing we're out of cream, I head to the back to grab a fresh stash.

As I turn around, I gasp for air when I see a body standing too close.  I sigh in relief when I see it's Kane.

"You keep scaring the shit out of me," I grumble, shoving him lightly, and he smirks.

"I was starting to wonder if you recognized me."  He almost pouts, making me tingle in
all
the wrong places.

I can't fight my foolish grin, and then I roll my eyes.  "I recognize you, but I'm at work."

He smiles as he leans over, and his arm presses against the wall over my head.

"Is that guy bothering you?  You seem a little rattled around him."

Knowing he'd probably say something to him, I decide it's best to lie.  I don't need Kane throwing himself in the middle of a vampire/witch debacle.

"No.  I'm just not used to working so long.  Apparently the new girl gets used and abused the first few days."

He smiles bigger, and then he leans back.

"What are you doing after work?" he asks while propping up on some crates behind him.

"Why?  You having another party?"

He lets out a small laugh and shakes his head.  "No party, but I wouldn't mind you coming over... if you want to that is."

"You wouldn't
mind
me coming over?  That doesn't sound like much of an invitation," I tease while stacking a few more boxes of stuff in the corner, pretending to stay busy so I don't fall prey to his emerald green eyes.

"I suppose it didn't.  Let me rephrase it.  Would you like to come over after work?"

Trying not to grin like a girly idiot, I shrug as I turn around.  "I could, but it'll be late.  I'm closing up at eleven, and then I'll need to go change and wash away the diner."

"I could come to your place if you prefer," he suggests, his lips turning up in a seductive grin.

We'd be alone at my place, and I don't know if that's a good idea... Definitely not a good idea.

"That sounds better, actually," I blurt out. 
What?
  "You want to meet me there around eleven thirty?"

I've lost my damn mind.

"I'll just swing by and walk you home.  I don't like the vibe I'm getting from that guy.  I don't mind waiting in your living room."

Oh damn.  Tell him no.  Tell him never mind.

"Sounds good."

Dumbass girl.

"Great," he says with a smile, and then he ushers me back out.

I glance over to the counter to see Frankie sipping his coffee beside the night stalker who seems a little paler now.  Frankie gives me a wink, letting me know he just gave the lone stalker a hint that I have backup.

Kane glances over his shoulder, making butterflies stir when his eyes meet mine, and then he slides back into the booth beside the girl who is now fuming.

"Would you like some more coffee, sir?" I ask while staring at the less antagonistic night stalker.

"No thank you," he says, and then clears his throat.  "I should be on my way."

He stands up and throws a ten on the table before walking out with his tail between his legs.  I smile at Frankie who leans back with a triumphant grin.

"Well, that's that."

"What'd you say to him?" I whisper.

"Nothing.  Sometimes words aren't necessary," he whispers back, and then he gives me a menacing wink.  "Just give me a call if you have any more problems."

He stands up and then waves before walking out the door.

Kane turns around and comes to the counter as I wipe it clean and cash out the night stalker's coffee.

"So, it's almost eleven.  Can I just stick around?" he asks as his friends come up to leave their money behind on the counter.