Welcome to the Neighborhood (2 page)

“It sounds like a civilized celebration.”

“Yes, you’ll find this is a close-knit community. People are very polite, friendly and willing to help each other.”

She grinned at Mr. Hadley, wondering if the Peeping Tom next door was polite and friendly too. Curious to know if her neighbor was still watching, Alexi glanced at the window. The dark-haired man stood in the same spot.

“And if you feel the need to explore, the woods to the south offer miles of privacy. The owner purchased the extra land for those who need to stretch and hunt. There’s even a large pond and creek deep in the woods.”

Miles of privacy to roam and hunt sounded delightful. Alexi enjoyed long walks at night, along with a warm-blooded snack. After all, she was a part of nature just as much as other creatures were. Human blood tasted far superior, but why should she waste time searching for a donor when the cafeteria of wild animals was within walking distance?

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy it here,” Alexi said as the movers walked by with more boxes.

Mr. Hadley dug into his back pocket. “If you have questions, or something isn’t working right, don’t hesitate to call me.” He handed his business card to her.

“Thank you, Mr. Hadley. I’m sure I can manage.”

“Please, call me Brian. You’re part of the community now. If you need anything–”

“I’ll call you.” She lied with a slight grin. If she needed anything, she’d get it herself. Why did men always think they could provide for everything? When would they realize women were strong, smart and quite capable of surviving on their own?

Brian gave her a smile. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“You can count on it.”

Alexi watched Brian walk to his vehicle. The scent of his blood lingered in the breeze. Her gums tingled. She hadn’t fed in two nights and with all the warm bodies nearby, her dry mouth thirsted for a little sip. Damn, she needed a drink soon.

“M-am,” one of the movers said as he came to a stop, holding a box on his shoulder. Big letters on the outside read GLASS. “I spoke with the driver of the other truck. He should be here in an hour.”

“Thanks for the update.”

Glass rattled as he shifted the box on his shoulder and headed inside. She winced inwardly, dreading the thought of them breaking her valuables. If they did, she would make them pay for it. Hell, they needed to compensate her for causing a delay in her move.

She shifted her gaze to her neighbor’s house. The same man continued to watch her. She wondered how much longer her nosy neighbor would spy on her. Didn’t he have anything better to do?

She twisted, swinging her ponytail, and giving him a view of her back. Frustration found its way into her system and she felt the urge to vent about her ignorant movers and nosy neighbors. She withdrew her cell phone from her purse. Only one person could talk to her for hours and calm her spirit. She pressed the phone to her ear.

“What’s new?” Cassandra asked, and a smile broke free on Alexi’s face.

“I’m going to concede that I may have made a mistake.”

Cass’s laughter spilled through the phone line. “No way!”

“Maybe moving to paranormal suburbia was a bad idea after all.”

* * * *

Gregory Holmes stood at the window, holding the curtain while he gazed at the lovely female. Upon seeing the movers, he presumed she was his new neighbor. She was shorter than most women and had a slim frame. Her businesslike clothes consisted of stiff slacks and a button-down blouse. She had a professional look. Greg pondered what line of work she was in. Finance? Detective? Teacher? Management? Owner of a company?

“Is she still standing on the sidewalk?” Corey asked.

A loud sizzle of grease along with the thick scent of steak distracted Greg. His stomach rumbled and mouth watered. “She’s on the phone again.”

Corey strode into the living room. He stopped next to Greg. “Let me see.” He peered over Greg’s shoulder. “My, my. What a fine piece of ass.”

“Is that the first thing you look at on a woman?”

“When all I can see is the back side, hell yes.”

Greg’s eyes lowered to the curves of her rear. Indeed, his roommate was right. Her tight ass looked delightful. He should’ve known Corey spoke the truth as they had similar tastes in women. Whenever they were together and found a female attractive, they challenged each other to see who could claim her first. Corey had won the last contest, and as usual, the relationship didn’t work out.

“A shame Andy isn’t here to see our new neighbor,” Corey said. “He might change his mind on committing to Vanessa.”

“I doubt it. He seems happy with her.”

“‘Cause he’s getting laid every night.”

Greg gazed into his friend’s green eyes. “I think he’s in love with Vanessa.”

Happiness filled Greg as he thought about his pack brother and roommate. Andy had changed over the last six months. He slept maybe two out of seven nights at the house and rarely spent time with them. They worked in the same building, but met for lunch only twice a week. Andy was always with Vanessa, his latest girlfriend. Maybe he had found true love. Maybe it existed after all.

“That could be bad news for us. I don’t want to look for another roommate.”

“Look at the bright side if he does decide to move out–we can change his room into an office and work from home more.”

“Yeah, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”

Greg focused his attention on the lovely lady outside, clutching the phone to her ear. Her brunet hair, tied behind her head, swayed as she twisted to face them. He imagined untying the band and lacing his fingers through her strands. He loved a woman with long, thick hair.

Loud pops and a hissing sound from the kitchen stole his attention. “Don’t you need to check on our dinner?”

“On it.” Corey dashed into the kitchen.

Greg returned to examining his new neighbor. She intrigued him and he didn’t want to remove his gaze from her. Even though her skin was paler than normal and she looked young, her confident poise impressed him. Was she fae, elf, demon or vampire? Maybe she was a witch. At such a distance, he couldn’t determine the answer, but he knew without question she was not one of his kind.

Greg watched her every move in an effort to figure out what she was. The fact she wasn’t a werewolf didn’t bother him. He’d had relationships with women from other races, and truth be told, he favored them. Soft skin, a polite attitude and intelligence, were important qualities in his book. Better yet, he preferred a woman who didn’t sprout coarse hair all over her body. He wanted to hold a woman, love her and have passionate sex. His heart turned away from those who were demanding, aggressive and controlling, which was the entire female werewolf population.

“Dinner’s ready,” Corey hollered, distracting Greg from the beautiful woman outside. Greg turned to find Corey striding toward him with a plate in each hand. He stopped and handed Greg one of the dishes.

Greg eyed the slab of thick steak. The charred meat gave him pause. “A little overdone?”

Corey tugged on the plate. “If you don’t want it–”

“Are you kidding?” Greg snatched his dish. “I’m starving.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Don’t complain, or I’ll eat it.”

As they both took a bite of their dinner, they heard commotion outside. They shifted their attention back to the window. The young lady stood near the van, yelling at two of the movers. One of them held a broken mirror. Pieces of it lay on the ground near their feet.

“That doesn’t look good,” Corey said.

Greg swallowed. “No, it doesn’t.”

He strode into the kitchen and set his plate on the counter. Broken bits of glass could cut his new neighbor and he couldn’t let that happen. He opened the pantry door and grabbed the trash can.

“What are you doing?” Corey mumbled.

Holding the trash can, Greg snatched the broom and dustpan. “Our neighbor needs help. I doubt she wants to clean up glass on her first night. Besides, she might cut herself.” He walked out of the kitchen carrying the three items in his hands.

“Wait. I should help too.”

Glass clanked on the counter as Greg headed for the front door. Two seconds later, Corey appeared at his side.

Greg reached for the knob. “Stay here. I can handle this.”

“But–”

He opened the door. “Just stay here.”

Greg strode out of the house without further delay. He followed the sidewalk to the driveway, crossed it then strode over the lawn. His neighbor’s voice sounded harsh and angry. He heard her curse at the movers. They grumbled at her. As he drew closer, he sniffed the wind and detected the scent of werewolves. He sharpened his hearing and picked up the rapid thumps of heartbeats. Tension grew by the second.

Greg’s anger and concern doubled as he hurried toward her. The movers needed to be more respectful. Idiots. Such a young and attractive woman shouldn’t have to face a bunch of ignorant werewolves, especially on her moving day. He didn’t know her from any stranger on the street, but his soul told him he had to protect her. And he would.

2

“That mirror was an antique,” Alexi said loudly.

Two movers waited inside the truck, watching. The third one stood at her side with his hands up in a stopping motion. “Calm down, ma’am. The company will pay for it.”

“I’m not concerned about getting reimbursed. Someone special gave that mirror to me. You can’t replace the emotional value.”

Alexi bit her tongue and tasted blood. Her temple throbbed and her fangs tingled. She wanted to attack, let go of her anger and sink her canines into the idiot’s neck. Cass had given the mirror to her as a deathday gift. For vampires, celebrating death was like celebrating one’s birth. The mirror held sentimental value the stupid werewolves could never replace.

“I’m truly sorry, ma’am,” the mover said in a noncaring tone that would’ve raised her temperature if she had one.

Fury consumed her. She envisioned punching his face and sending him flying into the next county. His apology was unacceptable.

“Excuse me,” she heard someone say as they approached from behind.

Alexi turned to face the stranger. A tall man with a stocky build headed toward her, carrying a trash can, a broom and a dustpan. He had dark hair on his head and face. An aura of confidence and strength surrounded him. She slipped into his mind to find out who he was and found nothing, not a single thought or memory. That meant one thing. He wasn’t human.

Her senses rummaged through the possible supernatural creatures whom she couldn’t read and narrowed the list to warlock and werewolf. Those two creatures alone had minds resembling dark voids. Mother nature or magic decided to protect their thoughts from vampires. Lucky them, but unfortunate for her.

Alexi quickly appraised the stranger’s physique. His broad shoulders, long torso and beefy arms seemed to favor those of werewolves. If she guessed right, he was one. In the next second, she recognized him as the Peeping Tom from the window.

He stopped at her side and directed his firm gaze at the movers. “Is there a problem?”

“No problem,” one of the idiots replied with a shake of his head.

Alexi tightened her grip on the handle of her purse. It took all her will not to backhand him with her bag.

“Did you break this young lady’s mirror?” Peeping Tom asked.

“It was an accident.”

“I hope you intend to compensate her for it.”

“Of course. I’ve already informed her we would.”

“Money will not replace the value of the mirror.” Alexi sneered, her pointed teeth dipping from her lip.

“I regret your loss, ma’am, but–”

“I want my belongings here within the hour and everything moved into my house. Then, I want the name and numbers of your superiors and the owner of the company. If you don’t give the information, I’ll find it myself, and I’ll–”

“Miss…” A warm hand rested on her shoulder, quieting her. “As an attorney, I can assure you that you are entitled to compensation and perhaps have a civil suit if you can prove the company has neglected to handle your move based on the contract you signed with them.”

Warmth spread down her arm as she stared into his bluish eyes. Normally, she didn’t like strangers touching her, but his gentle touch soothed her. And his eyes reminded her of the ocean. They brought a sense of tranquility to her soul. There was something different about him. Oddly, she found herself unable to look or step away. He had her undivided attention.

Her fangs retreated as her anger calmed. “I have my contract and I will most certainly pursue a civil action. They had my exact address, yet the other van drove to the wrong location, in Ohio. And now this.” She lowered her gaze to the broken mirror bits on the ground.

“Young man, what is your name?” Alexi’s neighbor asked.

“Dennis Watson.”

Alexi’s neighbor handed the broom and dustpan to the mover. “Mr. Watson, for your own benefit, I suggest you clean up the mess. After you finish, you should contact your coworkers to ensure they arrive on time. If you wish to prevent further damages against the company, you should ensure this young lady’s belongings are placed inside her home in a timely fashion.”

Mr. Watson gave him a cold glare as he took the items.

Her neighbor glided his hand down her arm and tugged lightly on her elbow. “Would you like to come with me, please?”

“Sure.” The word slid from her mouth before she could stop it, not that she wanted to. The zing shooting up her arm flowed to the sensitive parts of her body and electrified her. She bit her tongue, trying to hide the desire rising within her.

He removed his fingers from her elbow as they walked side by side. Within seconds, she missed his warm touch and pined for it to return. It had been a long time since man had touched her so tenderly. Too long.

They passed her driveway and continued toward his yard. Behind her, glass scrapped on the concrete sidewalk. Hearing the sound of glass shattering, she glanced over her shoulder. The mover tapped the dustpan against the trash can.

Her neighbor stopped and extended his hand toward her. “I want to first properly introduce myself. My name is Gregory Holmes. Please, call me Greg.”