84: Muscle Memory

My chest is tight and heavy as I desperately try to take in enough oxygen. With each step my feet struggle to keep up, to keep me standing. Right behind Alli is tightly held by one single wolf as the other stays with Monty. But Alli’s instincts only look out for herself and she fights relentlessly against the hands that trap her.

She comes close and my plea to Caleb is ignored as he uses the distraction to his benefit. Or so he thought. The second his hands try to yank me free from Jeffrey there’s a loud, crisp snap that silences the room, that stops all bodies.

Monty’s howl of agonizing pain fills the shop.

“I’ll let you have this one if I can kill the other one.” Jeffrey teases, his voice a mere whisper. “But will she look at you the same if you let her friend die after she already offered herself up?” He enjoys the game, the toying with people’s emotions. He’s a true predator.

“Stay with Monty.” I hiss through clenched teeth battling my own pain. Caleb doesn’t even know that I had an encounter with a demon yesterday. And once he finds out he’ll be even more pissed.

Caleb reluctantly listens and lets Jeffrey’s hands replace his. Alli is held down by both wolves now since monty no longer is a threat or a pawn any longer. She lays on the floor cradling her arm.

It’s only seconds before we’re pushed out onto the sidewalk and then into separate cars. I don’t even have a chance to look back at the chaos left behind. Alli is shoved in the first car and Jeffrey and I in the second. He sits next to me in the backseat with roaming eyes. There’s no hiding the disgust I feel from his vile thoughts that he doesn’t try to hide.

Mystic Moon gets further and further away as we drive through the city. My heart races as we come to a stop at a stoplight. His hand goes to the top of my knee as we sit idle waiting for the red light to turn green. With each second his hand creeps further and further up my thigh. It keeps me frozen in my seat.

Until the passenger door opens and a body quickly slips into the empty seat. “I think you have something of mine, Jeffrey.” The familiar voice, outgrown blonde hair has my beatless heart finally pump again. He moves the rear view mirror to bring Jeffrey into view. Gabriel’s golden eyes are perfectly framed in the small mirror as he looks back at us. “Take the next turn and pull into the second alley...or our contract can be revoked.”

The driver grips the steering wheel in distress. Should he listen to Gabriel or his superior. Jeffrey takes his time before he groans in acceptance. The thick air seems to lighten with Gabriel in the car and when we take the next turn and pull into the second alley, I can breathe a lot easier.

Gabriel wastes no time before slipping out of the passenger seat and opening my door. My head snaps in his direction relieved to be in familiar hands. There’s a flash of anger in his eyes as he looks down at me, his fingers gliding over my cheek. Even the lightest of touches stings the developing bruise.

“Can’t stay out of trouble can you?” He whispers as he helps me out of the car.

It’s then that I notice that the other car holding Alli is nowhere in sight. She’s still on her way to the den. “Alli.” I mutter. The movement of just talking makes my jaw ache.
“Ah, that one is mine.” Jeffrey says with hateful passion. “I was looking forward to having another witch, but I value our agreement, so enjoy her, Gabriel. But just know that I can’t guarantee that I’ll be so considerate next time. She’s not marked and we all know that means she’s fair game.”

His words send a chill down my spine for more than one reason. Next time? Fair game? Marked?

“I never understood wolves and their need to mark their territory. But, you don’t have to worry, I don’t let what’s mine out of sight or out of reach for too long.” Gabriel says seconds before slamming the door shut in Jeffrey’s face.

He buries his face into my hair, his nearly touching my ear, “let’s get you home before more demons and wolves come out,” he whispers.

One word croaks out of my mouth, “Caleb.” It takes a few tries before more audible words come out. “He thinks I’m on my way to-”

Gabriel reaches around my waist to dig out my phone from my back pocket. “Text him,” he groans, “but I’m taking you home.” His words are abrupt and short. His anger is still very present.

“But they broke Monty’s arm. We have to go back.” I argue before turning around and heading in the direction we came from.

“So stubborn.” Gabriel jokes from a far, but within seconds he’s right behind me, arms scooping me off my feet. We arrive back at Mystic Moon in seconds.

We walk in to find Monty in a chair with Caleb pacing in front of her. Gretchen is awake and chanting something over Monty’s arm. A healing spell of sorts. All three pairs of eyes snap to us the second we enter.

Relief, confusion and frustration fill the shop. Caleb rushes over to me and engulfs me in a bone crushing hug. “What the hell were you thinking?” His eyes move to Gabriel. “What is he doing here? What happened? Where’s Jeffrey?”

“All is handled, wolf.” Gabriel steps forward. “Hazel, you can see your friends are okay. Can I take you home now? You need to rest.”

“Rest? Why? What did he do? What did you do?” Caleb shouts at Gabriel.

Gabriel and I exchange looks, but neither of us admit anything. We keep the demon attack to ourselves and I can only hope that Gretchen and Monty do the same. The stress is taking a toll on Caleb. He looks older, tired. I don’t want to be the death of him.

“She’s safer with me.” Caleb says breaking the silence.

“Actually, she’s safer with me. I was the one that freed her of Jeffrey.” Gabriel doesn’t hide the mocking tone to his voice. He takes every chance he can to rub it in Caleb’s face. That Caleb failed and he succeeded.

They both look at me, but it’s Caleb that says, “Hazel.” Leaving me to be the one to decide.

“Gabriel can take me home. Stay with Monty and Gretchen. We don’t know if Jeffrey will come back.” My words are almost painful to say and they’re painful to hear. Caleb nearly cringes as I say them.

Gabriel doesn’t push it, doesn’t taunt. He doesn’t look back as he leads me outside, which I’m grateful for. We’re not far from my apartment, but with his vampire speed, we get there in record time. The travel makes me a little woozy and shaky on my feet, but Gabriel’s strong grasp keeps me standing.

“I’m gonna go lay down.” I say as I turn away from him, but his hand latches onto my forearm bringing me to a halt.

“Let me take a look at you again.” He asks and I have a hard time facing him, because I know I must look terrible.

Without meeting his eyes I tell him about Gretchen’s balm in my purse which is still at the shop. How it’s not that bad and can wait. He doesn’t believe me, I can see it in the way his eyes stare down at me. But he allows me the space that I so desperately want.

Being a gentleman he gently grabs the collar of my jacket to help me slide it off and as he does so, I yelp as my arm flares with an unbearable pain. We both look down at it. The semi-healed skin is ripped apart and bleeding from Jeffrey’s grabby hands.

“It’s fine.” I mutter, but as the fresh, cool air touches the wound it burns with a new vengeance. It nearly takes my breath away.

Lost in a fog, trying to stay upright, I don’t notice Gabriel disappear within the house. By time my eyes open wider ready to meet his eyes, I catch him approaching my side with the same glass in hand from this morning. Fresh red liquid already fills it.

He knows my words before I have a chance to say them. “You need rest. I can help you be comfortable.” He takes a step closer to me. “Let me help you, Hazel.”

That’s all it takes. His tender words, his need to take care of me. I look past the fact that it’s a vampire asking me to drink their blood for a second time today. The pain in my arm starts to radiate to my entire body. My back aches, my head pounds. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. So I down the two mouthfuls of blood and hand the empty glass back to him.

A rush of heat washes over me, a tingle buzzes through me. It doesn’t take long to start to feel the lightheaded drunkenness that comes with ingesting vampire blood.
Gabriel guides me to the bedroom. I can feel the pull of unconsciousness as he gently sets me down on the edge of the bed, but I fight against it. My mouth mutters words I can hear, but they slur together. I try again, trying to pronounce each word, ‘what business did you make with Scarlet River’, but Gabriel either doesn’t understand me or he doesn’t want to discuss it.

A quiet shhh comes from his lips before a soft kiss is placed to my forehead before the slight chill of his skin disappears. “Get some rest.”

And then it all goes black.

*I open my eyes to meet Gabriel’s. Our limbs tangled together, our naked bodies flush. He goes to lay beside me, but I roll with him and end up straddling him. My body moves without my brain telling it to. Muscle memory. I let the actions happen either unable to stop them or not wanting to. The lines are blurred and I don’t know where dream me begins and where the real me starts.

The space between us is nonexistent and as he flexes his stomach muscles to sit up, our eyes are finally level with each other. Staring into that golden gaze head on has me dizzy. My hands scramble around his body to steady myself. I don’t even realize that my hips are rocking against him until his aggressive hands press firmly onto my skin pushing me faster, harder. I quickly become breathless.

But I need more, I want more.

He wants more too. His fangs scrap down my neck and I become frozen. Sensing my fear he starts to pull away, but bury my fingers in hair pulling his mouth back to my neck.

“Do it.” The words are breathy and I don’t know where they came from. They don’t seem like my words, but it’s my voice, so it has to be me. “Do it,” I repeat.
He doesn’t need to be told twice and his lips are soft and gentle against my flesh. I wait for the puncture of fangs, but instead I feel the simplest, lightest scratch that’s quickly covered with his tongue.*

His words wake me, ‘Not yet, Love.’ I jolt in bed drenched in sweat, panting for breath. Gabriel comes rushing in, concern in his eyes. He calls my name, but it sounds so far away.

My brain is so fixated on what just happened that everyone and everything fades away. It felt so real. I still feel it, the feel of him between my legs, the scratch on my neck, his lips, his hands. But it had to have been a dream, a delusion brought on by the blood I ingested. It can’t be muscle memory or reliving a memory, because Gabriel and I haven’t been together, not like that.