Page 17 of Hound

She leveled her head, the large, broad shades mirroring my reflection. “Both, Christopher. I’ve said enough by revealing it to be a clicker.”

My name along her tongue held a thrum that revived the pain I had buried alongside our mother. But it was an unceasing reminder that pain didn’t die, it simply awakened when least expected, to twist and batter what little remained of my heart.

Yet, as her heartbeat remained steady in the tense, silent air, at the same pace every half-human bore, within the tight crevices of her words hid an emotion she had never exhibited before.

Fear.

“Would you disclose if I were to ask where you discovered this?”

“If you reveal how this pertains to you.”

“The CEG has?—”

“They,” I spat, “are not who I asked about.”

The tension between us grew palpable as she settled into the unbearable silence these walls harbored. “Balance will crumble and there will be no restoration.”

Another hanging statement, this more obscure than the last, yet this held a weight that I couldn’t decipher.

“You’re dismissed.”

Humans had many misconceptions of vampires, fed through fear-mongering folklore and baseless lies. Coffins were our place of rest only in death. Wooden stakes pierced through our skin but did nothing to destroy our existence. Religious implementations were a creative illusion to a science-based species. Garlic was an erroneous assumption. While human food was edible, it was deeply disgusting. Human food warranted death only when ingested in continuous large amounts.

However, the few characteristics that withstood time were our heightened abilities, cold temperatures, and sensitivity to sun. Media portrayed us as beings who erupted into flames underneath the sun’s potent heat. But all we harbored was an allergic reaction if under daylight for too long, a sting that swelled our skin. Modern sunscreen prevented that; however, our susceptibility still remained during the day.

During the night, though, those chains didn’t trail along. They were utterly broken free.

A haloed ring of light parted the dark sea in the sky and obstructed the shadowed clouds. My surroundings reflected the same depth, but it made no difference to the vampiric eye. Treesand leaves sharpened against my gaze, the trail apparent as I followed it to the cave. Chilled wind crawled along my skin. There was no desire to shorten this walk as a new unease twisted my chest. It had begun the moment I saw Lorenzo at his post.

From my chamber, in the far distance from the outer gate, I had found him instantly, a force tugging me to him like a string. His expression hadn’t faltered, stone-still alike the rest of the outer guardians. Yet, the heat of his gaze met mine through tinted windows. He’d found me just like I did him and this realization seeped through my skin, burrowing deeper as I stepped into the cave’s opening and met him.

Whenever he looked at me, a part of me craved to be uncovered. Which piece could that be? I wasn’t sure.

Lorenzo brought forth a sleek motorbike, its dark polished exterior complementing his attire which molded to his body—one utterly similar to a guardian's uniform.

“You can’t wear that.”

He stopped before me with an arched brow. “And why’s that?”

“We’re going to Le Maudit. They’ll immediately recognize you as a guardian, and you hold no invitation for tonight.” It had been short notice, and without the proper time frame, it was near impossible to request one. Practically inconceivable to receive one for a guardian who had no history underneath our name.

“The vampire parlor? Mallory must fucking love that place.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not changing.”

“Then you can wait outside,” I retorted. Truthfully, the best for Lorenzo would be to remain yards apart from Le Maudit. Tonight’s activities weren't keen on prying eyes without actions following suit, and if Lorenzo was to witness such a thing, it could result in him participating or attaining extraneous attention.

Irritation jabbed at my chest at the very thought of him accepting an invitation from copulating vampires.

“Pompous fucks.” He raised the cushioned seat and dragged a familiar trench coat, his arms swift to pull it around and on himself. While the leather obscured his bulky chest, it enhanced his stature, especially once he buttoned the front lapels. How could one appear larger in size and swallow his surroundings in a fraction?

“There. Quick fix, yeah?” A hard helmet met my abdomen, my hands quick to wrap around it. “Let’s go.”

Lorenzo placed his on and tightened the chin strap, the face shield hiding his eyes as he angled his face to me. I placed mine on with a slight daze, provoked by his harsh beauty obscuring my sight within the helmet. The uneasy sensation twisted into a flare of carnality, burning bone-deep once I settled behind him onto the soft seat. Large hands swathed around mine and forced me against his back as he wrapped my arms around his waist.

“Hold on tight,” he muffled through his helmet, “We don’t want any casualties under my guardian supervision. Ain’t that right,Christopher?”

The intensity of my name on his tongue pierced my skin, the mocking tone one that carried enough weight to irk me. However, warmth alike the sun’s kiss flooded my system, followed by a churning feeling that heated my abdomen whenever literature spoke to me.

I wasn’t sure what was worse; the fact I liked it or knowing I shouldn’t?

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