Courted by the Vampire (12 page)

He
regarded her, amusement sparkled in his eyes, now a midnight blue. “Consider that your first and only warning,
spatzi
. The next time you start something, do have a care, and make certain you can finish the task. I find an unfinished job to be a very inefficient use of time.” He winked.

Hannah’s jaw dropped open.
Could it be he was developing a sense of humor after all? She stared mutely after him.
If Edwin can kiss like that without even trying, what else can he do?

*****

Two hours later and shortly after midnight, they stopped for a brief rest to consume the last of their water. Edwin knew a brief moment of sadness when he emptied his bottle. If they did not find their quarry soon, they would need to abandon their quest in order to search for fresh water. He hesitated to broach the subject with Hannah.

“Are we close to this Horace the Black fellow?”

He glanced at his companion. She wore his borrowed handkerchief over her hair, a few red wisps escaped near the back. Tiredness showed in her eyes but not enough to dull the vibrant green color. His admiration grew. She was doing remarkably well under the circumstances.

You’re beautiful
.
The emotion behind the thought took him by surprise.

What a lie! I look like a reject from
Survivor
, and I’d gladly cut off my right leg for a pair of clean underwear.

He grinned. “Patience.” Edwin glanced around
at the silent trees and muted forest floor. “We are close.” With a forefinger, he lifted her chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “I promise to get you out of the forest and into a hotel room as soon as I can arrange it. You do not deserve to follow me around the wilderness, enduring these conditions.”

She shrugged and severed eye contact. “I won’t break, if that’s what you
mean. I can be tough when the situation calls for it. But I would just like to be tough when I know there’s a hot bath waiting for me at the end of the day.” She stretched out her back and groaned. “Or a change of clothes or a hot meal. I’m not picky.”

“I have to admit your courage in the face of continuous adversity is
admirable. When I first met you, I had my doubts. Your self-confidence was low. You refused to claim your power. You are different now.” He twined his fingers through hers and tugged her down the trail. “Horace the Black lives the life of a transient. He does not have a permanent residence. He tends to get bored in one area and moves on, especially when under the influence of alcohol or if his foul temper takes control.”

“At least if we aren’t going to leave the forest tonight, can you find a creek
or something? You might be a supernatural hottie who doesn’t require food or water, but we ordinary humans do. I’ll be a lot less cumbersome to you if I can walk instead of you having to carry me over your shoulder because I’ve collapsed due to dehydration.”

This time he allowed his laughter to erupt.
Ordinary is not a word that enters my vocabulary to describe you.

Thanks for the compliment, but I’m too tired to argue.

Edwin chose not to comment. He had learned from painful past experience that teasing a woman while she was tired would do nothing to further a friendship. Hannah’s outlook and goals were a puzzle to him. What did she hope to accomplish on this quest besides learning and accepting her power? And not for the first time did he question his own motives.

At the beginning, he had simply needed her for her powers as an
Enhancer, but as he spent more time with her, he realized he wanted her along for much more—friendship, companionship, and perhaps a physical relationship.

He allowed his glance to sweep over the curve of her breasts, to linger on the
swell of her hips that swayed slightly as she walked. His groin stirred in response. Yes, definitely a physical relationship at some point. Anticipation filled his being. His own pleasure would need to wait in the face of his mission.

When Hannah stumbled, he tightened his grip on her hand. She almost
tumbled head long into the mud. “Are you all right?”

“What the hell?” She reached down to pick up an object on the path. He
watched in some amusement as she held offending object close to her face. “It’s a shoe? I almost sprained an ankle because of an expensive, designer shoe?”

“How can you identify it in this darkness?” He grinned as she grew more
upset. His Hannah could shift between emotions without provocation. He let go her hand when she tugged and gave him her version of the famous “look.”

“Any woman can recognize this type of sandal, but who the hell wears
expensive footwear in the fucking woods?”

He lifted a
n eyebrow but swallowed his laugh in the face of her anger. “Such unladylike language.” He prodded into her mind, amused to see the riot of purple, green, and yellow that was her displeasure.

“I’m sorry.” Her shoulders slumped. “When I get very tired, I tend to
resort to profanity if humor isn’t available. But that’s a very rare occasion. I’m a very irreverent person.”

“Yes, I know.” He glanced warily at her, then added a curse of his own
when he stumbled over the shoe’s companion. As he retrieved the second one, he studied the footwear. In his opinion, there was barely enough silver leather to hold the shoe to a woman’s foot.

“Oh, please Edwin. I think they’re very cute and strappy.”

“You are certainly entitled to your opinion.”

She snorted.
Would they make my ankles look slimmer or my legs appear longer if they were my size? Would you enjoy it if I wore the shoes?

“Vanity is said to be one of the Seven Deadly Sins,” was Edwin’s only
comment as he handed her the errant shoe.

Hannah stuffed the footwear into her bag. “So is arrogance.”

He halted abruptly, grunting when she ran into his back.

“You’re going to have to stop doing that.”

“Hush.” Urgency gave life to the word as he flung out his arm to prevent her from moving. “Do not say anything else.” Annoyed when she jockeyed around his arm in order to see, he tried to block her. “Hannah!” He stiffened when a dark shape darted across the path to vanish into the trees.

“Who, or what, do you suppose that was?”
She gripped his arm with cold fingers. “Do you hear that?”

“What part of ‘do not say anything’ did you not comprehend?” He
reached for her but she slipped out of his grasp to dance just beyond his reach. “Hannah.”

“I think it’s… giggling.” She sniffed the air and groaned. “
Someone is cooking actual food!”

He scowled into the darkness when she shuffled toward the smell. He had
to admit, the aroma of roasting food made his stomach rumble in sympathy, but the need to be vigilant outweighed squelching his hunger. “Please have a caution.” Edwin pulled on her hand, swinging her around to face him. “It could be a trap. As much as you desire food and water, I would not put it past you to ignore any sort of warning you may feel.”

“It’s nice of you to be concerned, Snookums, but I can take care of myself.”
She patted his stubble-covered cheek. “I’ll be fine.”

“I would ask you not to call me Snookums in the future,” Edwin said
stiffly, but he allowed her to draw him through the trees toward the noise and revelry.

“Fine by me. If you let me bum some food off of these folks, I’ll call you
anything you want.”

He once again checked her progress when they reached the periphery of
the camp. “We will err on the side of caution and play it safe. I believe we have just located our quarry.” He grasped her hand tightly then tugged her into the camp.

*****

The light from the bonfire illumined a rather motley crew.

“Horace the Black, I presume?” Edwin’s baritone voice was deceptively
low and friendly, but even Hannah knew the silken danger his voice hid.

She looked into his face. Little thrills raced up and down her spine as his
eyes darkened to a stormy grayish-blue color.
One of these days, I hope to see you in action.
She smiled with anticipation. All those muscles rippling, sweat glistening over his dusky skin, locked in a fight to the death. She shivered with imagined delight, the needs of her stomach momentarily forgotten.

When I am engaged in combat, you would not find it glamorous,
spatzi
. There are times when I am wounded and times when I am forced to kill. Real life does not resemble a Hollywood movie.

R
oasted meat and campfire smoke perfumed the air, and she sighed.
I don’t mind you tapping into my thoughts, but at least leave my fantasies alone.

The goat man’s unrefined voice yanked her out of her fictional dreams.
“Ah, that depends on who wants to know, doesn’t it?” A hint of an Irish accent roughened his voice.

Horace approached them,
walking upright on his hoofed back feet. Rich mahogany colored fur, mottled and coarse, covered his lower body, from waist to hoof. The upper half was that of a rather stout and potbellied man. His chest hair appeared to be the same red color of his fur. His whole being reeked of a septic tank backup after a hard rain. Two small horns sprouted from his receding hairline and grease glistened on his lips.

Hannah wrinkled her nose as he paused before them.
Obviously, he’s never heard of deodorant or bathing!

Edwin lifted a
n eyebrow at her comment but held out his hand. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Edwin Mason, and this is Hannah Weybourne. We are merely travelers passing through the area in search of a missing princess. It is our hope you can show us a bit of hospitality and provide us with a meal before we journey onward.”

She
knew Edwin possessed manners, but she had no idea he could be so eloquent with his speech. “Good evening,” was her only contribution to the conversation. As she shook Horace’s sticky, sweaty hand, she resisted the urge to wipe her palm on her jeans afterwards. She didn’t want to offend him – much.

The goat man’s
laughter was robust and barking. “You are hardly mere travelers. I’ve heard the stories about you, Edwin Mason, bounty hunter. The Forest Witch sent out a notice two days ago advising me you were in the area with your ah, companion of the moment.”

Edwin growled. “You will deal with me alone. Hannah is off limits.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line.

“Interesting.” Horace turned his pudgy face to Hannah. She fought down
her revulsion when he winked. “Since I have nothing to hide, feel free to enjoy all I have to offer. It’s not every day someone as honored as you lowers themselves to dine with me.” His dark eyes flashed in the flickering light. “Perhaps your lady friend will find the accommodations here much more to her liking than following you around the forest. She would be a refreshing addition.”

Edwin’s grip on her hand tightened until she cried out with pain. “We
would be grateful for the chance of a meal, but I have to disappoint you regarding Hannah. She will leave when I leave. You will need to look elsewhere for another woman to rut with. She is mine.”

Hannah blinked as
his voice went from silky to downright antagonistic in the space of two seconds but she took exception to his possessive claim. “Wait just a minute.” She planted her hands on her hips. “When did I become your property?”

He recaptured her hand. “I am making a point to our
overzealous host.”

Somewhat mollified, she squeezed his fingers in thanks. “I’m hungry,
Edwin. Why don’t you leave off with the posturing? Let’s investigate the food.”

Horace roared with laughter and moved aside. “Feast and enjoy! You may
want to freshen up in the small hut there. I find humans are more finicky about hygiene than other creatures of the forest.” He clapped his hands. “Cessily will assist your lady friend with her bath. She would be happy to help you with yours if you should require her, ah, services.” There was no mistaking the hidden meaning of the goat man’s words this time.

“I need no assistance.” Edwin stiffly moved past the goat man. He pulled
Hannah along behind him, his shoulders rigid with indignation.

The hut, which was their destination, was just that. A small thatched roof
covered a shack-like structure made of tree trunks and vines. It appeared to be five feet square in total floor space. Obviously, Horace didn’t believe in living large.

They followed Cessily through the door.

Hannah tried to hate her for her thin figure and clouds of lush blonde hair, but she couldn’t summon up enough jealousy. The girl had the face of an angel and the mannerisms to match. It took the wind out of her sails to be mean-spirited. She stared again. Pointy ears poked out from the clouds of that wonderful hair. Was she part elf? Her breath caught with excitement.
Do you think Cessily would let me interview her?