Creature of Habit (Creature of Habit #1) (26 page)

Of course. The girl was a Melungeon. I hadn’t made the connection during her attempts to secure me as a potential mate. I held back a snort. What a pair we would have made.

Amelia took a deep breath and continued, "She told me this crazy legend about how her family believes in vampires and how they used to hunt in the Smokey Mountains. The church leaders in Lost Cove think they’re back.  Her community is convinced Jenna is a victim of a vampire attack." She rolled her eyes at the end, making me think she didn't fully believe the story.

Who would?

I wasn't exactly sure how to respond and finally spit out with a nervous chuckle, "That's an interesting story. Did she say anything else?"

Amelia hopped up from the bench and walked over to another painting. "She went on to tell me about shape-shifters and all this totally weird religious stuff." She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. "She wasn't much of a believer. It's so strange, me having these horrible dreams and then she told me these crazy legends. I felt like they were connected. Your family is from that area and you're in my dreams. It all seemed like maybe it was more than an odd coincidence."

I pushed off the bench and stood behind her, watching her as she studied the painting in front of us. I wanted to tell her everything but she was so unnerved, and disturbed by the information, I was worried I would only make it worse. Instead, I leaned in and said, "I am sorry about your nightmares. I don't want you to worry. I promised you I would make sure that you are always safe."

She turned and we were now facing one another, so close I could see my reflection in her eyes. I absorbed her face, soaking up every detail. The smattering of pale freckles across her nose, her long feminine lashes, the crease under her left eye…I felt a jolt of energy spreading from my left hand up my arm.

She'd placed her hand in mine. Her skin was warm and soft and filled me with such a strong current of electricity I thought my heart may actually start beating. Amelia's eyes widened and I heard a small, but sharp, intake of breath come from her mouth but she didn't let go.

Please never let go.

She dipped her head for a moment, forcing me to lose eye contact, and I heard her softly say, "Thank you for keeping me safe." The back of her neck burned scarlet and she whispered, "In real life and in my dreams."

Intentionally this time, I found the strength to lift my free hand and placed my fingers under her chin, tipping her face upwards. The softness of her body amazed me and it took all the control I had not to run my fingers down her neck and push my nose into her hair. With one hand clasped in mine and the other cupping her face, I met her eyes. "You're welcome."

Chapter 40

Amelia

"Amelia, you have to wipe that smile off your face or Thomas is going to get the wrong idea," Drew scolded.

I tried. I did. I even used my fingers to push the corners of my lips downward but couldn't. They were permanently stuck upwards. Like the Joker.

The Joker. This made my smile widen even further as I laughed to myself thinking about comic books, Batman, and the best date I'd had in my life. Drew rolled his eyes while I giggled at one-sided jokes, and eventually directed his attention to the large stage in the middle of the park and the roadies setting up the next band's instruments. Jess and Thomas were attempting to get beer in the staggering lines across the field, and we saved our spot laying on blankets that we’d spread across the grass.

I was beaming. I knew it. I could feel the girly, pathetic, "I'm falling for him" giddiness emanating off of my body. My non-date with Grant took a sharp and sudden turn when I slid my hand into his very smooth, cool one. It was forward of me, I knew from experience that he wasn't fond of touching, but as he towered over me and promised to keep me safe, I knew I had to see what would happen if I did. I wasn't disappointed. Separate, we were two people muddling through life. Together we were electric. I knew this the instant we finally, physically connected.

"Amelia, you're almost vibrating." Drew looked me up and down slowly with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "Hell, did you have sex with him? You have this post-coital glow going on."

"What?" I shouted, a little too excitedly. "No! God. No. Nothing like that." The thought horrified and excited me at the same time. Grant was barely receptive of me touching him. At this point I could hardly imagine anything further.

That was a lie. I had imagined it. For weeks now, if I was honest with myself about it. The thought of his perfect lips on mine and those freakishly long fingers roaming around my body. Fantasies that had distracted me more than once when I should have been focused on other things. I considered it the whole time we drove home from the museum.

He walked me up the stairs as usual. The only difference was, he walked a little closer and once or twice I felt his tentative hand graze my back, which was enough to cause shivers to run down my spine. I thought for sure he would kiss me at the door, and I waited eagerly as he stared at my mouth instead of my eyes. I noted how his gaze kept shifting down to my exposed neck, hunger and desire present behind every blink. But behind the desire, I could see the smallest hint of fear and doubt filling his violet eyes. Something held him back, and I wasn't going to blow it by shoving my tongue down his throat.

"No. He didn't even kiss me," I confessed unhappily.

"So you're acting like this and you didn't even get a kiss? Wow. Remind me not to be there when you finally do take this further."

I blushed, but it was more about my own silliness than his innuendos. Drew and I had discussed sex more often than was probably normal. We didn't keep secrets, but something about my relationship with Grant kept me teetering on the edge. I wasn't even sure it was a relationship. I was close to squeeing just from simply holding his hand. That was very fourth grade and not impressive, but with Grant something told me it meant much, much more.

"I have no idea where this is going so don't get your hopes up. Grant is…well the more I get to know him, the more questions I have.”

"That doesn't make any sense," Drew said.

"Well, Grant is…" I stumbled, looking for the right way to say it. "Grant is, you know, wealthy, intelligent, young, amazing looking, talented, but…"

"But? He sounds perfect to me."

I grimaced a little and stretched my legs out on the red and blue blanket we had brought with us. "But he's not perfect. At all. He is completely compulsive to the point he can hardly function. He is alarmingly socially awkward. And half the time he acts like a 45 year-old, repressed man hell bent on maintaining a perfect lifestyle at the expense of actually living his life."

Drew leaned back on her palms, his legs crossed. "And the other half of the time?"

I smiled at the thought of the other Grant. "The rest of the time he is like a twenty year-old who loves gadgets, fast cars and hiding from his family."

My fingers found a tuft of grass on the edge of the blanket. I tugged at it softly. "But then, there is something else. I don't know what it is. It runs deeper. Sometimes it scares me and other times it just pulls me to him like whatever he's hiding is the most amazing thing I could ever desire. Like
he’s
the most amazing thing I could ever desire." He caught my eye and I confessed, "He also has this whole 'tortured soul' quality. Somehow, he's damaged, and I want to help fix him."

I continued my grass molestation while Drew was oddly quiet. The field around us was filling up with happy festival-goers.  Drew said, "Amelia. That sounds really intense. But, you can't save people, you know that."

"I know. I don't know why, but I am so drawn to him. Well, part of it may be the fact I think he may be Batman. You should see his car." And I rambled on about the convertible for a while and our date trying to lighten the mood. I did not tell him about Lost Cove, Jenna or the spark that flared when Grant and I touched. Those were my thoughts to ponder and I wasn't prepared to share.

Luckily, Jess and Thomas came back carrying plastic cups of beer and the music started. From there, the night flew by. Thomas was great, he seemed perfectly clear we were nothing more than friends, which made it more bearable to listen to his conversations about B movies and horror film costumes. By dark, we were having a great time dancing and spilling drinks all over ourselves. I inhaled the cool summer night air, realizing how nice it was to get out and enjoy life a little. I had definitely spent too much time cooped up indoors all summer.

Before the final act began, I decided to make a bathroom run while the crowds were low. "Hey guys, I'm going to go run to the restrooms over there, the one by the beer truck," I said, pointing to the well-lit pavilion.

"Do you want company?" Thomas asked.

I laughed. "No, you know it will take you half the time in the men's room as it takes me in the women's. Plus you'll miss too much of the show. I'll be right back." I darted off though the crowd. The line snaked out the door and around the side, still crowded, even at this point in the show. I waited patiently until something caught my eye.

Leaning against the wall was a small girl with long dark hair. Her back was to me but when she turned I saw the side of her face I immediately recognized her. Jenna.

I hopped out of line and called out, "Hey!"

She didn't respond and turned away.

"Jenna!" I yelled over the music and crowds, picking up my pace. I searched for her in the mass of people. I should have gone for the police, or gotten help but I had this intense connection to the girl. I couldn’t let her out of my sight. Maybe, I thought, as I pushed past a couple making out, this was what my dreams were about. Maybe I was supposed to be the one to find her.

She was several people ahead, swiftly ducking between people. The girl moved easily, just beyond my reach. I struggled against the crush of the crowd, stepping on one woman's foot and had a full beer cup spilled on my shoes as I searched the crowd.

“Jenna!” I called again, panic swelling in my chest. I lost her.

I spun in a circle.  I spotted the shiny black of her hair as it broke through the swell of people. I followed, scooting past the First Aid tent and into a darker area of the field. Pushing my way through, I eventually freed myself from the throngs of people.

"Jenna! Wait!" I shouted, louder this time. She had quite the distance on me. To my relief, she slowed her pace and looked around for who was calling her name.

I started running a little. If it was her, I had to catch up. I had to help her. I'd been dreaming about her for weeks and I knew her parents must be worried sick. I couldn't believe she was here. Right in front of me.

What I couldn't figure out was why she was back here all alone. If she wasn't being held against her wishes, why was she wandering around the festival? I stopped running as it dawned on me that maybe things weren't as they seemed with this girl. Maybe she was a runaway? What if she didn’t want to be found?  It was too late for me to stop though. I had to know if she was okay. She'd haunted me, and there was no way I was letting her loose until I found out she was okay.

We were close to the edge of the field but the lights from the concert were still illuminating the area, casting a shadowy glow over the grass. I was breathing heavily from running and was glad to see her finally stop and turn around.

"Jenna? Is that you?" It was hard for me to see her face the way she was standing.

"Who are you?" she said, in a small weird voice.

I took a tentative step forward. "I'm Amelia. I saw your photo on a poster at my coffee shop. Your parents are looking for you. Are you okay?"

Her upper lip curled slightly and I watched as she inhaled deeply. The gesture was oddly familiar and Grant's face flashed in my mind. She turned to face me and said, "I’ve been looking for you.”

“For me?”

“I was sent here to find you. Thank you for making it so easy." She took another breath through her nose. "You smell nice."

Sent to find me? I peered at her in the darkness while my internal alarms began to sound. I found her eyes in the darkness.

Black. Soulless.

Jenna’s face was pale, her cheekbones hollow. Her eyes sunk into her skull and she had a maniacal expression on her face. This was not the little girl whose picture I obsessed over and dreamt about night after night. This girl was a monster, like…

Oh no, oh no, oh no…..

I heard a branch snap beside me and I looked over quickly. In the odd lighting I could see the spikes of short dark hair. No. This couldn't be happening.

Not again.

"Aw… you're not happy to see me?" Sasha purred. "I’ve really missed you. So much that I've come to visit you more than once. We even left you a gift. But I was a little disappointed that you didn't send a thank you card. You know, one of those pieces is an antique and very special to Caleb.”

What? I never understood this woman’s crazy mind-fuckery. I did know from the dark glint in her eye she wanted to hurt me and this time I wouldn’t be so lucky. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

Under Sasha's booming laughter, Jenna hissed.  Glad they thought this was so hilarious. "Your boyfriend didn't tell you about your gift? How selfish of him."

The police always said to keep an attacker talking and never let them take you to a second location. Great Amelia, that seemed really helpful against a psychopathic stalker, who bragged about breaking into my house.  I tried anyway. "My boyfriend?"

Unnaturally fast, Sasha appeared in front of me and reached out. Her ragged fingernail scraped across the contours of my cheek and she brushed my chin with her disturbingly smooth and cool hand.

Smooth and cool.

I shook her off, but for the second time, the image of Grant appeared in my mind and this time it made me stop. "You think Grant's my boyfriend," I stated more than asked, finally making the connection. I hastily took a step backwards, trying to get some space between us.

She gave me an odd smirk and said, "Of course he is. More than that even. He's your mate. Or he wants you to be." She laughed and stole a glance at Jenna who looked like she was coming down from a high. Sasha made a cooing sound in her direction. "I know you're hungry, young one, but you know the rules. Only Caleb tastes the blood of this treasure."

Her words slid around me like pieces of a puzzle, sometimes they didn't fit but others were interlocking and everything looked clearer. Before I could stop myself I whispered, "You’re a vampire."

Sasha cackled and clapped her hands. "Welcome to the game, Amelia! Everyone has been playing, now you can join in, too. Although it is too bad you don't get to pick which team you want to play for."

I saw the evil glint in her eye. My feet moved instinctively, fight or flight kicking in. I raced toward the crowds but it was futile. Before I moved five feet Jenna was behind me, hands clasped around my upper arms. I could feel her cool breath on my neck as she panted like an animal. She smelled fresh, like flowers, but when I looked down her hands were filthy, covered in a thick coat of grime.

I felt pathetic, but there was no way I could fight her off. She and Sasha were vampires and had been stalking me for weeks.

Vampires.

My whole body shook with the realization she would take me to Caleb and I didn't have any way to stop her.

Sasha settled her hard eyes on Jenna. "Young one, you can touch, but do not taste." She laid a hand on top of Jenna’s head and said in a vicious tone, "Do not damage her or we will all pay."

She spoke so freely of my death, as though it was inevitable. Desperate, I tried the last thing I could think of, hoping someone would stumble upon us and save me from this impossible nightmare.

"What do you mean Grant wants me for his mate?" I asked shakily.

Jenna never loosened her grip but Sasha did pause for a moment before giving me an amused eye. "You really don't know?"