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Chapter 5

The dream left my thoughts in a jumbled mess, bouncing around so erratically I couldn't seem to get a grip on what I was actually thinking. Images and sensations flooding my mind and washing over my body almost as if part of me was still there. How could one man, one vampire, effect me in such a way, so strongly that it interrupted even my sleeping mind? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"I'm not sure what that donut did to you but I'm glad I wasn't involved," Nova said, breaking into my thoughts.

I looked up at him quickly and saw his face lit with amusement. He glanced down and back to my face causing me to look down as well. Sure enough, the donut I had gotten for breakfast lay in tiny little pieces all over my plate. My fingers paused in the middle of ripping apart another section.

Great, just great. He's even invaded my ability to eat! What's next? My showers? Oh, gods, why did I even think about that?!

"Nevada, what's going on with you?" Nova asked, his voice laced with curiosity. "I've never seen you like this, so scatterbrained."

I took my time wiping my hands, my fingers coated with the sticky glaze from the massacred donut and pushed my plate away. Leaning back in my chair, I chewed on my lip, contemplating on whether or not to mention it to Nova. I didn't think this had anything to do with the threat looming over us. On the contrary, I felt oddly safe when I thought about August Maines or when I had been near him. The two times I had been near him, he had projected feelings of calm and security, nothing even remotely sinister.

I shook my head, deciding not to say anything to Nova for the time being. There wasn't much to tell. I literally bumped into the guy twice and I had no intentions of telling Nova about the dream. Some things just weren't up for public discussion. I glanced around the diner, scanning the faces and feelings around us.

"Nothing, just trying to get used to my job and not being paranoid about every old lady that comes near me," I finally said, still not looking at Nova. He would know I wasn't being completely honest if I met his eyes.

"Are you sure? You seem... I don't know.  Flustered, maybe... " he replied thoughtfully, causing me to give in and look at him. His indigo eyes roamed my face searchingly before he shrugged. "As long as you're okay."

It was obvious that he wasn't entirely convinced and I wasn't surprised. Nova knew me better than anyone which made it nearly impossible for me to lie to him. Normally I wouldn't lie to him about anything but something held me back from telling him about August, at least for now.

"Anyway, anything interesting happen at the music store lately?" I asked, changing the subject.

Nova immediately rolled his eyes.

"There'll be a new store manager coming in tonight. It's about time too because I'm sick of them continuously calling me when they have problems," he replied, the annoyance clear in his voice.

"Why don't they just give the position to you? You've been there for years and are already practically a manager."

"I don't want it. They've asked me numerous times but I've always turned it down," he answered shrugging one shoulder. "I don't want that kind of responsibility for a place I don't want to be at for the rest of my life."

I nodded in understanding. Nova was never one to take on something he didn't plan to stay committed to, except for relationships. Those, he didn't do because he said he liked having options and nothing ever got stale and boring.

"Come on, let's go do some grocery shopping before I drop you off at work. I want to get there early and see my new boss," he said with a smirk as he stood, his eyes glittering mischievously.

I couldn't help but laugh.

●●●●

After we unloaded the food and put it away, Nova dropped me off at work before heading to his. After realizing we both felt something hovering over our heads, we felt better if we stayed together as often as possible. Life couldn't be put on hold for a simple feeling, however, so we continued with our normal lives as if everything was okay.

Throughout my shift, I couldn't stop myself from watching the door, hoping to see a glimpse of August again. Anticipation was making me jittery like I was verging on a sugar high. Every time the bell above the door would jingle, butterflies would dance the macarena in my belly and then die a sad death of disappointment when it wouldn't be him.

It was beyond frustrating and ridiculous so I was relieved when it came time for me to clock out. Thankfully, I wasn't scheduled to close because I wasn't sure I could make it two more hours like that. Rushing from the shop, I practically jumped into the passenger seat of Nova's car earning me a disgruntled looked from him.

"Where's the fire?" Nova asked as he pulled out onto the street.

"Just ready to be out of there," I replied, not wanting to explain the full truth.

"Whatever," he said, glaring through the windshield the muscle in his jaw ticking.

"What's wrong?"

Nova glared harder and didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"My new boss," he growled but didn't offer further explanation.

"Okay... " I replied, dragging the word out as I was a bit confused. "What about him?"

Nova stopped at a red light and looked at me, his eyes blazing with the violet much more prominent than usual.

"It's the guy from the bar, the one I was talking to."

It took me a moment but I finally put the pieces together of who he was talking about. I raised my eyebrows, unsure of what the actual issue was other than the guy hadn't exactly returned Nova's interest.

"He's my boss and seems to... enjoy telling me what to do," Nova continued to explain when I didn't say anything. "And he's a vampire... I think."

"You think?" I asked in surprise.

Nova was usually pretty accurate when it came to reading other supes, their race, power level, etc. So it was definitely unusual for him to not know what someone was.

"I don't know," he groaned as the light finally turned green. "I'm aware that he's a vampire, I've seen the proof of that with his eyes. But his energy feels different than other vampires."

"How so?"

"There's something... " Nova began but trailed off as he drove, his brows drawn together in thought. Suddenly, he smacked the steering wheel with his hand and let out a frustrated noise. "I don't know how to explain it and I'm not even sure it's real. But that man is so irritating!"

I choked back my laugh at his temper tantrum.

"I thought you liked the guy?" I asked, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

Nova shot me a glare as he turned into a parking lot. Looking out of my window, I saw that we were at the movie theater. It was an unexpected stop but definitely not unwelcome after the tense few days I've had. I joined Nova at the front of the car and we began our walk to the entrance.

"I said he was hot and I'd fuck him six ways from Sunday. Not that I liked him," Nova grumbled quietly, the tips of his ears slightly pink as we approached the ticket counter.

I fought the urge to laugh, pressing my lips together as we faced the girl behind the counter. Her hair was short with pink and black chunky streaks and thick eyeliner surrounded her chocolate brown eyes. She was a shifter, I could tell, and looked to be a few years younger than us. Her child-like face was extremely bored as if she would rather be anywhere else.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked, her tone matching her expression as she studied her nails.

"Yes, you can... Avery," Nova replied as he read off her nametag and gave her his signature mouthwatering smile. "We need two tickets to see whatever, a large popcorn, and two large cokes."

The girl, Avery, finally looked up at him with a raised brow but the looked turned to surprise as her eyes flicked between the two of us. Suddenly, the energy around her felt guarded and my senses went on alert. Nova tensed beside me and I felt his power begin to slowly rise as he kept his smile securely in place.

"And a box of gummy bears," he added, his eyes boring into her's.

She visibly swallowed and gave a small nod of her head as she turned away from us. I took a small step closer to Nova, my own power humming steadily through my body as I watched her every move. A commotion from the arcade to our right drew my attention from the girl and onto a group of young men rough housing, laughing as they stumbled into the lobby behind us.

"Here you go," the girl said as she handed our order across the counter, her voice slightly shaky. "En-enjoy the movie."

"Thanks," I answered with a forced smile.

We made our way to the screen room, quickly taking seats at the back of the room and watching the crowd as they continued to file in. I had no idea what the name of the movie was or what it was even about, at this point it was the farthest thing from my mind. The behavior of that shifter girl had left me uneasy and I knew Nova felt the same, tension rolling off of him in waves as he sat stiffly beside me.

"So much for a relaxing evening," he whispered sarcastically as the group of rowdy boys came in.

I nodded my agreement as I watched the boys take seats a few rows ahead of us near the aisle. There were about seven or eight of them but I couldn't make out their faces clearly in the dim lighting, at least not without attracting attention. I kept my power damped down, simmering just beneath the surface as a precaution.

The lights in the room dimmed down even further as the beginning credits began to play across the large screen. I zoned out as I studied the crowd. The girl's behavior had left me unnerved, but I didn't recognize her the way she had unmistakably recognized us. I searched my memory for her face, even the barest glimpse but came up with nothing. Who was that girl and how did she know us?

So lost in my thoughts and the people surrounding me, I didn't realize that the movie had ended until I felt Nova nudge my arm. Looking around, I noticed that the lights had come back on and everyone was making their way down the aisles towards the exits. Nova and I waited until the last of them had left before we stood to leave, watching as each of them disappeared.

The closer I got to the exit the more uneasy I felt, my fingers tingling and the necklace around my neck slowly growing warmer against my skin. Dread began to pool in the pit of my stomach as we wove through the lobby towards the outside. Unconsciously, I moved closer to Nova, my arm barely grazing his as we walked.

The night had grown humid and the smell of rain hung thick in the air as clouds blotted out the moon and the stars. As soon as our feet touched the sidewalk, I felt eyes on me. We were being watched but after a subtle glance around the parking lot, I couldn't find anyone. I looked up at Nova, his jaw set and his face grim. Schooling my own features, we rounded the building towards the side parking area where he had parked and walked as fast as possible without being obvious.

I wasn't scared of someone coming at us. No, I was angry. I had done nothing to deserve the hostility I felt being directed at us. The air was thick with malevolent energy, waves of anger and fear coming from all around us, too many places to pin down any one spot. It was then that I realized no one was in the lot besides us.

There was only one street lamp on this side and its dimming bulb cast flickering shadows all around, making it impossible to make out more than silhouettes that could easily just be mere bushes.

"Why did you park us way the fuck out here, Nova?" I growled under my breath, referring to the fact we were almost as far away as one could get.

"The lot was full when we got here. What else was I supposed to do?" He snipped, surveying the area around us as we walked.

Suddenly, the malice reached a peak and the dread in my stomach coiled to a splitting point. Simultaneously, my power burst to life, consuming every part of me, humming and singing through my veins, begging to be unleashed. A low rumbling growl filled the air around us soon followed by more, coming from every direction yet still shrouded in the shadows.

"Cowards," I mumbled as Nova and I stood back to back, our bodies poised for action.

The edges of my vision tinged green as I watched yellow orbs appear in the darkness several yards away.

"Wolves," Nova growled lowly, mirroring my own thoughts.

A presence to my left drew my attention and surprise rippled through me as I recognized the being. It was the woman from the book club, the one I had been so certain was an elf. As I watched, she raised her hands and began to mumble something in a language I couldn't understand, her words lost in the wind from the coming storm. I felt her draw power before what looked like a sheet of water began to surround us all, clear yet wavy distorting the world beyond it.

A . She was definitely an elf.

The woman looked to her right, towards the eyes watching me and gave a slight nod. Suddenly the night was filled with howls and snarls, growls so deep I felt the vibration in my chest. Slowly but steadily, the wolves began to creep closer, caging us in on all sides as Nova and I slowly turned in a circle to keep them all in view. There were around a dozen wolves, all different sizes and colors. A brown and gray wolf seemed particularly interested in me, my skin crawling under the gaze of the glowing yellow orbs.

This seems familiar.

"You've got to be kidding me," I whispered in disbelief at the realization. "It's the dick from the club and the bookstore."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Nova hissed sounding fed up.

"Got a plan?" I asked as I eyed the wolves as they continued to edge closer.

"Yeah... kick some puppy dog ass."

Despite the seriousness of the situation and the impending pain I knew I would soon be feeling, I smiled at his words. I wasn't sure why Jackal was doing this or what he could possibly hope to gain from it, but I wasn't going to stop and ask questions if he wanted to rip my throat out.

As if by some unspoken command, the wolves rushed towards us. The pendant between my breasts burst with heat as energy rushed to my hands. A ball of blue energy filled my palms, crackling and spitting sparks as I launched orb after orb towards them, Nova doing the same. The larger wolf was quick, dodging my first attacks but the ones behind him weren't as lucky.

Yelps and whimpers filled the silence, sweat beading on my brow as I rolled to the side away from a wolf when it jumped at me. I cried out as claws dug into my back and teeth pierced the skin on my right arm, the coppery smell of blood filling my nose. Throwing my left elbow back, I clenched my jaw as it hit the intended target, a yelp sounding in my ear as the pressure disappeared.

The small wolf went down hard as I struck it in the face with a crackling orb, power igniting in my fingertips. I jumped to my feet ignoring the pain but I didn't have time to appreciate my win as something heavy slammed into my side. The back of my head hit the pavement and spots filled my vision, my head swimming as the taste of my own blood coated my tongue.

I heard an unearthly roar of anger and the weight disappeared from my body. Disoriented, I couldn't make sense of the scene around me as I attempted to sit up. The sound of splitting flesh and breaking bones surrounded me along with the smell of singed fur and blood. However, the night was once again quiet moments later, eerily yet the danger I had felt was not longer there

What in the hell just happened?

"Ms. Warren? Are you alright?" a deep voice asked as a blob loomed in front of me.

Butterflies erupted at the sound.

No. It can't be.

I blinked until my vision cleared and sure enough, there he was. August Maines crouched in front me, with blood from his mouth down to his shirt and concern in his eyes. I raised my hand to his cheek to make sure he was more than a figment of my imagination, tingles shooting down my arm as my fingers brushed his cool skin. He grew very still, his eyes darkening but before either of us could speak Nova's voice rang out.

"What the fuck are you doing here?! And who the hell has a name like Hatman?!"

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