Their tension eased, their hands squeezed hers gently as their fears lessened. She understood their concerns about telling Devon, they didn’t know him, or how deeply she felt about him. It was their secret, and their lives too, and it would also have to be their choice.

Cassie turned back to the ocean, her questions and doubts twisted her stomach. She didn’t know what to say or do, but she doubted that all of the answers would come to her at that moment. They sat silently together until the tide washed in to their feet, and the sky was rumbling. Cassie was too comfortable to move. She found solace in their strength, in their presences.

“It’s going to pour,” Chris said softly.

“We should go,” Melissa whispered.

Cassie sighed, not wanting to move, but knowing that they had to. The sky was about ready to split open and release a torrent of rain upon them. She climbed stiffly to her feet, wiping the sand off her legs and butt. She followed silently behind as they made their way over the dunes to the parking lot.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked softly.

“I had a glimpse,” Melissa answered.

‘Of course she did,’ Cassie thought silently, trying hard not to roll her eyes. She may have discovered a new inner strength and tranquility, but she still did not like the idea of Melissa knowing her future, or her whereabouts.

Cassie reached the car as the wind picked up. She took hold of her hair, trying to keep it out of her face as she grasped the handle on the passenger side door. The hair suddenly stood up on the nape of her neck, the blood in her veins turned to ice as a chill swept down her spine.

Lifting her gaze, she scanned the empty parking lot. Sand blew across the numerous parking spaces, scraps of garbage skittered along with it. Past the parking lot wild trees, Rosa rugosa, beach grass, and sand dunes spotted with scraggly bayberry rolled forth. Though there were few places to hide, she knew that there was someone out there, something watching them. However, this feeling of being watched was not like the one she’d had last night. This feeling was something evil, something malevolent, and wrong. She could sense the hunger and bloodlust in the thing that she could not see.

Cassie glanced at Chris and Melissa. They were both frozen, their gazes locked on the wild area she had been searching. “You feel that?” she asked, pitching her voice above the rising crescendo of the wind.

They both nodded. “There is something out there,” Melissa said softly, her nostrils flaring slightly.

“And it’s not good,” Chris agreed.

“Should we go look?” Cassie inquired.

They glanced briefly at her. Thunder shook the sky and rumbled the earth. Lightning flashed brightly, blazing across the dark sky as it sizzled to the ground with a loud pop that caused goose bumps to break out on her skin. The air was heavy with the scent of ozone as the sky split open and a deluge of rain fell upon them.

Cassie ducked into the car, already soaked as she slid into the backseat. Her gaze remained riveted upon the scraggly woods, but nothing fled from the rain as it pounded loudly upon the roof of the car. Chris and Melissa slammed their doors shut, but Chris did not start the car. They sat in silence, waiting for whatever it was to reveal itself.

It did not.

***

The ringing of the doorbell was diminished by the hard rain hitting the windows. Cassie frowned at Chris and Melissa as she uncurled herself from her bed. Chris didn’t look up from the episode of Deadliest Catch he was engrossed in. “Awesome,” he muttered.

Cassie shook her head at him as Melissa rolled her eyes. “Be right back.”

Cassie hurried from her room, curious as to who could be at her door. Though she was popular at school, it had been a few years since she had invited anyone over. Plus the school day was still in progress, even though the three of them had opted not to return. Flinging the door open, she froze; her mouth went dry as her heart fluttered wildly in her chest. Devon stood upon her doorstep, his wet hair tussled and windblown. He looked heartbreakingly beautiful as drops of rain trailed over the hard contours of his face. His bright emerald eyes met hers; a small smile curved his full mouth.

“Devon,” she said softly, surprised that her voice actually worked.

His smile widened enough to reveal his perfect teeth. “Melissa said you went home sick, I wanted to see how you were feeling.”

She swallowed heavily, trying to regain control of herself but failing miserably. “I feel a lot better now.” It wasn’t entirely a lie; she did feel better than she had this morning. “Thank you.”

He continued to stare at her, leaning slightly forward as he rested his hand on the door jam. “You look well.”

Her face flared with heat as he perused her with a look that caused her toes to curl. “Who is it?” Melissa called as she pounded down the steps. She froze at the bottom of the stairs. “Devon, how are you?” She inquired as she walked over to stand beside Cassie.

“Fine. I just came to make sure Cassie was feeling better.”

“Oh, that’s really nice of you. Why don’t you come in out of the rain?”

Cassie cast a sharp, panicked look at Melissa that she chose to ignore. “Cassie?”

She turned back to Devon, knowing her fear and distress was written all over her face, but she unable to keep her expression neutral. He was staring at her expectantly, his green eyes troubled and intense. She knew that she looked like an idiot, and a cold hearted jerk for not inviting him in, but her thoughts would not form a coherent sentence in her shaken brain. She did know one thing; she could not leave him out there in the rain.

“Yes, of course, come in,” she managed in a choked voice, and somehow getting her feet to move out of his way.

Her heart hammered as he moved with easy grace into the house, his shoulder briefly brushed against hers. A tremor raced through her, causing her heart to lurch, and her body to hum with electricity once more. His powerful frame seemed to take up the entire foyer, her entire world. Fascination seized her as he ran an elegant hand through his damp hair, shaking the rain from it. Melissa nudged her, her eyes wide as she nodded slightly toward the kitchen in an attempt to make Cassie at least act somewhat normal.

“Do you want something to eat, or drink?” Cassie asked quickly, a little too quickly as she realized she sounded like a complete idiot. His close proximity was shaking her to the core though.

“No, thank you.”

She nodded, her gaze darted to Melissa. She didn’t know what to say or do. “Hey, grab me a Coke!” Chris shouted down the steps, apparently on commercial break.

“Please!” Melissa yelled back.

“Please!”

“I’ll get it.” Melissa headed for the kitchen, leaving the two of them painfully alone.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting nervously with the edge of her shirt. “You won’t get in trouble for leaving school will you?” she asked softly.

He shrugged absently. “It’s worth it to make sure that you’re ok.”

Cassie hated the heat that flooded her face, but she could not stop the fire that burned over her skin. “We were uh just watching TV and hanging out,” she managed to stammer out. “Do you want to join us?”

He grinned at her, his dimples flashed as his head cocked slightly to the side. “Sure.”

His gaze roamed over the house as she led him up the stairs. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, her throat was dry as excitement and terror tore through her in equal waves. The heat of his body was fierce in the small confines of the stairwell. It burned through her clothes, heating her to the core of her being.

Chris did not look up as she pushed the door open, his attention was still riveted on the TV. “Who was it?” he muttered, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.

Cassie shook her head at him in disbelief. He was like a zombie when TV and food were involved. He didn’t even sense a new presence in the room. “It’s Devon.”

He turned slowly toward them, his eyes widened in startled disbelief. “Hey,” he greeted dully.

Devon nodded to him as his gaze ran over Cassie’s room. She glanced around, her eyes darting over her mahogany dresser with its assortment of jewelry boxes, knickknacks, and hair care products. The only thing decorating her cream colored walls was a picture of her parents. It hung above an overstuffed armchair next to the window that Chris climbed through. On the other side of the window were two large bookcases stuffed full of books neatly organized alphabetically. The nightstand, beside her queen sized sleigh bed, held only an alarm clock.

For the first time she noticed how sparse it was, how much it did not look like a normal teen’s room with all the cluster, posters, and chaos that were usually present. Then again, she was anything but a normal teen. She looked back at him, not at all surprised to find his steady gaze focused upon her once more. She couldn’t stop the blush burning into the roots of her hair.

“Here you go.” Melissa breezed into the room; she tossed a can of Coke to Chris, who was still staring at Devon in disbelief.

Melissa plopped onto the bed and drew her legs up beneath her. “Do you want to sit?” Cassie asked Devon softly.

Melissa scooted over on the bed, making room for him as he sat on the edge of it. Cassie’s heart fluttered, a strange sensation took over. She had never had a boy in her room before, unless she counted Chris, which she didn’t. And Devon was most certainly not a boy, or at least not like any boy she had ever known.

“You like this show?” Chris asked Devon.

Devon turned slowly away from her, his forehead furrowed slightly as he watched the ship battling the fierce weather and sea. “Never seen it.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat then, this show is the best!” Chris said eagerly, thrusting the bag of chips at Devon which he politely waved away. Apparently watching TV was Chris’s favorite way to bond.

“Looks interesting,” Devon replied. “Are you going to sit?”

Cassie’s eyes widened as he patted the spot beside him on the bed. She glanced wildly at Melissa, but her friend was watching TV, an annoyingly bright smile on her face. There would be no hope from her, and Chris was already engrossed in the program again. Moving stiffly, she perched gingerly on the corner of the bed, unable to fully relax with him only tantalizing inches from her.

Her hands clenched upon her legs, her fingers dug into her jeans. She could feel the strength of his aura. Unknowingly she leaned closer to him, a current shooting through her as they touched briefly. His fingers intertwined with hers, locking tight as he pulled her hand into his lap.

She glanced up at him, her mouth parting as she found his emerald eyes on her. She knew that she try and slow her involvement with him, but she could not bring herself to move away, could not bring herself to put any distance between them again. She was mesmerized by him, enchanted like a cobra under the snake charmer’s spell.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she fully resigned herself to the fact that she was not going to be able to stay away from him. She could not stand to part with him for more than a few hours, never mind the rest of her short life. She would just have to make sure that she kept him safe. That they all kept him protected from the dangers and brutality of their world. She did not kid herself into thinking it would be easy.

CHAPTER 12

Cassie sucked on the end of her straw, pulling the thick shake through it as she studied the group gathered around the picnic tables. The crowded area was loud as kids shouted, laughed, and threw things at one another. The football team had won their game tonight and it seemed that the entire school had turned out to celebrate.

Chris shifted slightly beside her, his large body was crammed into the tiny corner they had managed to snag. “Freaking mad house,” he muttered.

“It’s because you guys are so great, you should be happy,” Melissa told him.

He rolled his eyes, but they gleamed with pride. Though he tried to play it off like it was no big deal, he loved being the star of the team. Cassie’s gaze scanned the crowd as she waited impatiently for Devon to arrive. He hadn’t been able to make it to the football game, but he’d said he would be here.

It was amazing how attached she had become to him in the past week. She itched when he was not around; her skin was uncomfortable when he was not there to soothe the burning that his absence created. She still didn’t understand the strange power he had over her, the fierce connection that blazed between them, but she had accepted the fact that she had no control over it.

He had inserted himself permanently into her life, creating chaos where there had been none. But it was a chaos that she relished in, and needed as much as she needed air to survive. She would be completely lost without his strong presence, and the hope that he had brought to her life.

Her phone went off, the faint beep barely audible above the din surrounding her. Digging it out of her pocket, she flipped it open relieved to see the text from Devon saying that he was on his way. Flipping it closed, she shoved it back in her pocket, unable to stop the small smile that flitted across her mouth.

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