Inside the Fire Book One in the Warden's Series (8 page)

“What are you doing?” I asked trying to
breathe between my laughing fits.

“Shh don’t ruin the moment.” He tried not to
laugh and instead held the ring up at my chest. “Dawn Weathers I
have known you a whole week and I feel as if I have known you my
whole life. You make me feel alive when so often I feel dead.” He
was serious now.

My smile faded, and I looked at him in
wonder.

What was he doing?

“I would be honored if you would allow me
the honor of being your boyfriend.” He looked at me and nodded
towards the ring.

Oh! I was supposed to take it from him. I
touched the metal and held it to my face. It was far too big to fit
on my ringer finger but maybe it would fit on my middle. He looked
at me like I needed to answer him.

“OH! Sorry.” I shrugged. “Wesley Jensen.
I... hmm… this seems rather plain.” I held the ring out towards him
and I thought he would fall over.

“Seriously!” He groaned his head slumping to
his chest.

“Yes.” I said simply and his head shot up as
he eyed me.

“You sure?” He asked as if I would say I
changed my mind.

“I don’t think I’m the one you should ask
that to.” I laughed as I slid the key ring onto my middle finger.
It fit almost perfectly.

He cocked his head to the side and looked at
me. Standing up he wrapped his arms around me again and put his
forehead to mine.

“It’s official then.” He stated as I looked
up at him.

“Yeah. I would say it’s about as official as
it will get.” I said as his lips found mine again.

The Claiming

It was dark, and I was standing in an open
field; the grass soft under my bare feet when the world erupted
into a soft red glow.

Standing across from me was Wesley. A
red-headed woman clutched in his arms. His head was bowed at her
neck and blood was pouring down to the earth from the wounds
pierced into her skin. Where each of the splatters hit a black
flower would grow. When it bloomed I was wowed by its beauty.

Once the woman was obviously drained he
dropped her limp body to the ground and looked at me with a
sinister smile. His eyes glowed red and his fangs reflected the
light of the moon above, showing to be fierce and sharp. Fear and
anger seared through my body. My fingers itched, and suddenly I was
levitating, lightning shooting from my fingertips, and setting fire
to the field between us.

The red-head rose from the ground anger in
her eyes as she ran towards the fire only to stop. I screamed in a
language I did not understand and the fire grew.

I threw my head back and a laugh as menacing
as his smile erupted from my throat. The red-head screamed back at
me but I did not hear her words.

“Dawn! Dawn!” My mother’s frantic voice tore
through my dream.

My eyes shot open and my mother let out a
short gasp.

“What mom?” I replied just as frantic. “What
is it?”

“Your eyes!” She let out another gasp and
put her hand to her mouth. “No, no, no this isn’t right.”

I shot out of bed, sprinted to the bathroom
and glared in the mirror. Staring back at me was mass orbital
confusion. One eye was blue one eye was chocolate and my pupils
were nowhere to be seen. How the Hell was I able to see?

“MOM!” I screeched from the bathroom. “What
is going on here? Why are my eyes like this? This has never
happened before.” I was scared to death.

I blinked several times hoping that it would
clear up the problem. It was quite amazing when I thought about it.
Right here was the proof I had always wanted showing I indeed had
both bloods.

“I don’t know honey. I’m calling the school
telling them you aren’t coming today. We should be able to figure
this out within the next few hours or so.” She was already punching
the numbers into her phone when I came out of the bathroom.

“
Go back to bed!” she
demanded shooing me out of the kitchen toward my room. She didn’t
want to see them. She didn’t want to face the fact that my father
still had power in my veins.

I couldn’t object. Seriously how would I be
able to face the jury at school looking like this? I mean one look
from me and they would probably drop dead. Either that or grab
pitchforks and torches and chase me into the woods. For some reason
I have a distinct feeling I do not want to know what is in these
woods.

So I did just what my mother said for me to
do, I went back to my room and I lay down and closed my eyes. I
felt a cool hand on my forehead not long after. I peered up at her
through the slits of my eyelids as my mother shook her head and
left the room.

I fell asleep before I could even send
Wesley a message telling him I wouldn’t be at school. He would just
have to forgive me sleep was more important right now. That dream
plagued me. Why was my subconscious connecting him to vampires?

****

I slept for several hours before I woke up
shivering, it had dropped ten degrees in my room. I had Goosebumps
on my flesh. I grabbed the covers and went to pull them up over my
head to hide from the cold when I heard a smooth voice from across
my room.

“She doesn’t look so bad Ms. Weathers.” He
was standing there, in my room.

Humans were not supposed to see me this way,
what was my mother thinking?

“Please, Wesley, call me Angie. She looks
better now than she did this morning.” There was a momentary pause.
“Thank you for dropping her schoolwork off for her today. I don’t
know how long she will be out. She doesn’t get sick often but when
she does it takes a lot out of her.” My mother sounded worried.

The thing is I never get sick. I’ve never
had the flu or a sinus infection. I was as healthy as a horse, she
knew this. I had been in areas where disease and death surrounded
us but yet we would walk away with nothing. It was as if our skin
instantly cleansed the world. This very well could be an Angel
trait.

“It was nothing. I didn’t want her to get
behind. It’s hard enough coming in several weeks after classes
started. It was easier for me to pick it up and bring it here than
have her miss an assignment. I can even stick around for a bit and
go over things with her if she wakes up. I have nothing better to
do this afternoon.” He was being overly polite to her. I squinted,
she would love him.

“How did you know where to bring
everything?” My mother asked him sweetly.

“If you ask the right people they know where
everyone lives.” He made a valid point.

This was a very small town. All he would
have to do was talk to the lady at the General Store, she knew
where everything was.

“Alright, well come with me we can have a
cup of tea and get to know each other better. She didn’t mention
she had a boyfriend.” She swat me hard on the butt as they were
leaving the room. Oh God, my mother planned on bonding with him, my
heart was pounding.

They left my room, and I sat up trying to
ease my erratic heartbeat. I counted to ten and stood up. Shuffling
to the mirror I glanced at my eyes. They were chocolate brown
again, crisis averted, however instead of no pupils like this
morning the black was devouring the iris.

I figured it was safe enough, so I brushed
my hair and put it up. Smoothed out my shirt and took a deep
breath. He had put my books on my desk in a neat pile.

God, was that every class?

One last look and I was out the door
sauntering half asleep into the kitchen.

They were sitting at the table laughing,
each of them holding onto a coffee cup filled with hot tea. My
mother was the first to notice me and fear crossed her face as she
glanced at my eyes. I shook my head, and she softened, she had
noticed. Wesley then turned towards me and gave me a huge
smile.

“Hey, princess. How’d you sleep?” He teased
me looking me from top to bottom his eyes lingering on my chest. It
sent chills down my spine and I had to fight the urge to blush.

How could this boy be the monster from my
dream? My blood must be playing jokes on me again. This wasn’t the
first time it made me think someone was a vampire.

Vampires don’t
exist
. I had to tell myself.

“Not well. You see I had these two loud
mouths in my room that woke my ass up.” I grumbled and took a seat
at the table.

“I knew we would wake you. I don’t know why
I thought putting your books in your room was such a good idea.” My
mother sounded apologetic, however there was a smile lingering on
her lips.

“It’s ok mom, I don’t mind. I needed to get
up anyway.” I yawned and looked at Wesley again. He was still
smiling. Did this boy do anything but smile?

“So when were you going to tell me this
strapping young man was your boyfriend.” She bat her eyes at
me.

“For that reason right there.” I pointed at
her and rolled my eyes. “You always find a way to embarrass
me.”

“Wesley. Does your father ever embarrass
you?” She asked looking at him and winking.

“All the time.” Wesley laughed as he reached
under the table and grabbed my hand in his.

“See!” She exclaimed throwing her arms in
the air.

“It doesn’t make it any better.” I
laughed.

“Well then.” My mother stood. “It has been a
blast to talk with you Wesley. I will let you two go over your
assignments. I’m sure it will take a while.” She looked at her
watch. “I have an appointment with the pastor in an hour. I won’t
be gone long can you handle dinner on your own tonight?”

“Yeah.” I said softly.

“Good. It was great to meet you Wesley. I
hope we see more of you. Down doesn’t bring home many
boyfriends.”

Why did she just tell him that?

She grabbed her purse and her keys and
walked out the door.

“Your mother is great.” He finally said
breaking the silence.

“Yeah, she has her moments though.” I
mumbled. “Do you mind if we just relax for a bit before jumping on
the homework. I would like to be awake before having to read.”

“No not at all.” He replied.

“I’m sorry for not texting you.” I said as
he caressed my hand.

“It’s fine I went to the office at lunch and
they told me your mother called in.” He was concerned about me!

“My mom is pretty big on the bed rest for
the weary.” I shrugged. “Wanna go into the living room? It’s far
more comfortable in there with the couch and all.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to be rude. I think my
ass fell asleep.” He laughed as we got up and walked into the
room.

I grabbed the remote and put it on a movie
channel. We could watch whatever came on. Sometimes the movie was
lame but mostly there was some good stuff.

He took my hand in his and pulled it to his
mouth to kiss the back of it. I smiled at him sweetly as he leaned
back so I could get closer. Everything seemed innocent enough. That
was until he had the bright idea to kiss me. The best word to
describe that five minute kiss is: WOAH! I was taken by surprise
but the kiss was amazing, his lips were warm and inviting. Each
second felt as if he would devour my soul.

My heart was pounding my mind was screaming
and my body was aching. I pushed him back against the couch and
straddled his legs between mine. I sat up to look at him and smiled
before crushing my lips to his again. So much heat so much passion,
we fit together as if we were made of the same flesh.

His hands slid up my shirt. They were
amazingly warm now caressing my back as he nipped hungrily at my
bottom lip. I looked at his face he was flushed the increased blood
flow had turned his cheeks pink. The way he glowed almost seemed
like I had brought him back from the dead.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he
placed his hands on my hips and pulled me closer.

“You are so beautiful.” His mouth met mine
again the only answer I could give was the moan from my throat.

I wanted him and I wanted him more than I
had ever wanted anyone before him. Not that there had been a long
list before him. This was still a relatively new feeling. I did not
understand what I was doing or where this was going, but I wanted
it to go somewhere that was for certain.

He picked me up easily and carried me
through the living room and kitchen and laid me down on my bed. He
lay down next to me pinning me to the mattress.

“Have you ever?” He asked me softly between
kisses and I nodded.

“Once. Have you?” I whimpered as his lips
brushed my neck then my shoulder blades.

I felt a familiar cold tingle in my finger
tips and clutched my hands into fists.

No, no not now!

“No.” He breathed, “I always said my first
time would be with the woman I am intended to marry.”

There were several more soft caresses of his
lips to my neck. The world was spinning above me. We had been alone
before. Why was this particular moment any different than any of
the others? Why had this not happened sooner? Wait what was
actually happening?

There was something pulling me telling me it
would be fine. This voice kept repeating the same phrase over and
over again in the back of my mind.

Claim him.

I felt a darkness flutter through my chest
but I pushed it back in place.

He leaned up on his elbows and looked me
square in the eyes.

“I have a confession to make.” He said as he
caressed my cheek. “I knew your face before you ever set foot in
class last week. I have been dreaming about you for years.”

What did he just say?

I pulled him back towards me and wrapped my
arms around his neck hungrily biting at his lips. I don’t know what
exactly transpired. I was seeing rainbows, and butterflies, and
seeing fireworks pop. When I felt his hands on the waist of my
pants. My mind came fluttering back to Earth.