books about ancient Celtic lore, besides the normal everyday dusting. It was time to move the store into the modern age and begin making a computerized record of all the stock we had, what was coming in on order, and what items were being sold quickly. I spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of the random customer, cataloguing, and organizing the shelves.
Shortly after the sun went down, the door chimes sounded. The temperature in the store suddenly dropped a few degrees, and goose bumps ran up my arms. The man at the door was dressed in a well-tailored suit with a white dress shirt. Even though the sun had set, he wore dark sunglasses.
The second he walked into the store, it was clear he was a vampire from the temperature change. That and the unpleasant tingly sensations making the hair on my neck stand on end.
“Good evening, miss.” The man continued into the store and stopped a few feet from me. “My name is Aaron, the delegate sent by Kieran to collect you.” His arrogant stance said that he clearly expected me to drop everything and go with him that very moment.
“Uh, yeah, about the ’collecting’ me thing. There won’t be any collecting, as you say. You see, there’s a store here to run, and it can’t just be closed up because I’ve been summoned by your boss, so that’s not going to work.”
The vampire spoke in a very monotone voice. “I was given the understanding that you would be ready upon my arrival. Please excuse the oversight.” Aaron took off his sunglasses and stared at me with his deep red eyes. I felt a pushing-pulling pain on my brain. That’s when he tried to dominate my mind, and that’s what made me red hot and mad.
First, Blake tried to tell me what jewelry to wear and who to date. Now this vampire was in my store trying to control my mind! Didn’t he know anything? That was the only benefit I’d seen so far with being the Selected—vampires couldn’t control my mind. It was hard to believe some felt it was okay to control someone. Well it wasn’t okay, and his trying to do that made me think Blake might be right. Vampires shouldn’t go around making people do whatever they wanted. That was plain unethical.
I was about to tell him where he should shove his mind control act when the door chimes jangled, and Blake walked in. When he saw who was standing in front of me, with his obviously vampire eyes, the temperature in the room rose. Come to think of it, the temperature outside the werewolf den seemed a little warmer than in the city. That thought hadn’t registered before now.
Despite my resolve, I gave Blake a ‘you couldn’t have come at a better time than right now’ smile. He didn’t return the expression. In fact, he barely acknowledged me. Blake and Aaron circled each other in the center of the store. A deep inhuman growl began to rumble from Blake’s throat, and his eyes changed from dark brown to that gold-bronzed color when he was feeling a strong emotion. Apparently, Blake didn’t like the vampire too much, either. Aaron opened his mouth, and long pointy fangs sprang from the top row of his teeth.
“Okay boys, enough posturing,” I said, my voice shaky. “The testosterone in this room can be cut with a knife.” Even humor wasn’t going to be enough to make the situation go any better.
“Ms. Sedrick, it will be my pleasure to inform Kieran you are not available to accept his invitation for tonight’s events. I’m sure he will be in touch.” Aaron bowed his head slightly in my direction, glared at Blake, then hissed at him like a cat before leaving through the front door, letting the door bang against the frame as it slammed shut.
Blake took an aggressive step to follow Aaron, and my instincts made me put my arm around Blake’s waist and squeeze tight. The instant our bodies touched, his heat both surprised and comforted me.
“So, Blake, what brings you by?” This time he didn’t try to stop me from ending our physical connection when
Shortly after the sun went down, the door chimes sounded. The temperature in the store suddenly dropped a few degrees, and goose bumps ran up my arms. The man at the door was dressed in a well-tailored suit with a white dress shirt. Even though the sun had set, he wore dark sunglasses.
The second he walked into the store, it was clear he was a vampire from the temperature change. That and the unpleasant tingly sensations making the hair on my neck stand on end.
“Good evening, miss.” The man continued into the store and stopped a few feet from me. “My name is Aaron, the delegate sent by Kieran to collect you.” His arrogant stance said that he clearly expected me to drop everything and go with him that very moment.
“Uh, yeah, about the ’collecting’ me thing. There won’t be any collecting, as you say. You see, there’s a store here to run, and it can’t just be closed up because I’ve been summoned by your boss, so that’s not going to work.”
The vampire spoke in a very monotone voice. “I was given the understanding that you would be ready upon my arrival. Please excuse the oversight.” Aaron took off his sunglasses and stared at me with his deep red eyes. I felt a pushing-pulling pain on my brain. That’s when he tried to dominate my mind, and that’s what made me red hot and mad.
First, Blake tried to tell me what jewelry to wear and who to date. Now this vampire was in my store trying to control my mind! Didn’t he know anything? That was the only benefit I’d seen so far with being the Selected—vampires couldn’t control my mind. It was hard to believe some felt it was okay to control someone. Well it wasn’t okay, and his trying to do that made me think Blake might be right. Vampires shouldn’t go around making people do whatever they wanted. That was plain unethical.
I was about to tell him where he should shove his mind control act when the door chimes jangled, and Blake walked in. When he saw who was standing in front of me, with his obviously vampire eyes, the temperature in the room rose. Come to think of it, the temperature outside the werewolf den seemed a little warmer than in the city. That thought hadn’t registered before now.
Despite my resolve, I gave Blake a ‘you couldn’t have come at a better time than right now’ smile. He didn’t return the expression. In fact, he barely acknowledged me. Blake and Aaron circled each other in the center of the store. A deep inhuman growl began to rumble from Blake’s throat, and his eyes changed from dark brown to that gold-bronzed color when he was feeling a strong emotion. Apparently, Blake didn’t like the vampire too much, either. Aaron opened his mouth, and long pointy fangs sprang from the top row of his teeth.
“Okay boys, enough posturing,” I said, my voice shaky. “The testosterone in this room can be cut with a knife.” Even humor wasn’t going to be enough to make the situation go any better.
“Ms. Sedrick, it will be my pleasure to inform Kieran you are not available to accept his invitation for tonight’s events. I’m sure he will be in touch.” Aaron bowed his head slightly in my direction, glared at Blake, then hissed at him like a cat before leaving through the front door, letting the door bang against the frame as it slammed shut.
Blake took an aggressive step to follow Aaron, and my instincts made me put my arm around Blake’s waist and squeeze tight. The instant our bodies touched, his heat both surprised and comforted me.
“So, Blake, what brings you by?” This time he didn’t try to stop me from ending our physical connection when
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