Ashe’s two-story antebellum, and overrun with vines and flowers and late tomatoes climbing up the porch railings. The last resident had been an older female who’d kept mostly to herself and had loved everything green and growing, so the exterior of the small two-bedroom cottage appeared to be constructed almost entirely of moss and spotted bee balm. Under the cover of night, the scent of all the living things was intoxicating.
But Rosalie only scented human.
“Are you really going to stand outside the house all night?”
Her back to the front door, Rosalie stared straight ahead, across the long expanse of moonlit yard. The human male had been trying to engage her since they’d arrived an hour ago, this time coming to the open window to speak to her.
“You’ve gotta be hungry,” he added.
She said nothing. Just as she’d said nothing when Raphael, Genevieve, and Lian had brought over food and supplies. While the leader of the Pantera spoke with Killian, the Suit female and the Hunter had tried like hell to not only discuss the human, but get her to relinquish her post as his guard. Lian had even offered to take her place. Said any of the Hunters would. But she’d refused them with a shake of the head.
They thought she’d break. Would give in to her puma’s desire for human blood and get sent away from the Wildlands for it. She understood their worry, and she appreciated their care. But no one “handled” Rosalie except Rosalie.
“There’s a great spread in here,” the human called.
She rolled her eyes. Forget the human part—this man was going to irritate her into killing him. “No thanks,” she ground out. “Unless you’re offering me your blood.”
“And if I am…?”
“Then you’ll be dead before dessert.”
“You know you just smiled when you said that, right?”
Her lips twitched. Again. “I don’t doubt it.”
He released a breath. “Come on. Eat with me.”
“No.”
“Rosalie—”
Her head came around fast and she hissed at him. “Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that.”
He wasn’t at all put out by her ferocity. “What should I call you, then?” His thick, dark eyebrows lifted. “Hunter? Mistress?” He grinned. “Kitten?”
Oh, the puma wanted out so badly… “Listen, Human. I’m not coming in there and eating with you. Period. End of discussion.”
“All right.” He shrugged, then left the window, disappeared inside the house.
Finally. She heaved a sigh of relief. She didn’t like being around him. Not just because he was human, one of them . But because, unfortunately, she found him attractive. She shook her head. Very attractive . Like when he spoke, she watched the way his lips moved.
Goddess, she didn’t deserve to breathe. For the fifth time since leaving Medical, she asked herself why she was doing this. Guarding the human. Why she’d insisted on it. Especially after Raphael had made her swear she wouldn’t hurt him. Well, kill him is what she’d actually promised. But one would surely lead swiftly to the other, wouldn’t it?
Why hadn’t she walked away right when the leader had announced the human was staying? She should be patrolling the border, looking for more of them. Groups of them. Enemies of the Pantera.
The screen door pressed against her back then, and instantly she whirled around, her puma ready to spring. Down girl. You’re not getting me kicked out of my home. Not today.
“Making a break for it, Human?” she snarled as the door opened and Killian emerged.
“For the porch, absolutely,” he returned, moving past her with a snort.
She watched him as he headed for the faded floral loveseat with the small table in front of it and proceeded to set up dinner. A dinner for two. He was wearing the new clothes Lian had brought over: a pair of jeans and a blue Guns N’ Roses T-shirt. Granted, this man was no Pantera male, but he surely equaled one in size. From his height, to the bulging biceps, to the way the
But Rosalie only scented human.
“Are you really going to stand outside the house all night?”
Her back to the front door, Rosalie stared straight ahead, across the long expanse of moonlit yard. The human male had been trying to engage her since they’d arrived an hour ago, this time coming to the open window to speak to her.
“You’ve gotta be hungry,” he added.
She said nothing. Just as she’d said nothing when Raphael, Genevieve, and Lian had brought over food and supplies. While the leader of the Pantera spoke with Killian, the Suit female and the Hunter had tried like hell to not only discuss the human, but get her to relinquish her post as his guard. Lian had even offered to take her place. Said any of the Hunters would. But she’d refused them with a shake of the head.
They thought she’d break. Would give in to her puma’s desire for human blood and get sent away from the Wildlands for it. She understood their worry, and she appreciated their care. But no one “handled” Rosalie except Rosalie.
“There’s a great spread in here,” the human called.
She rolled her eyes. Forget the human part—this man was going to irritate her into killing him. “No thanks,” she ground out. “Unless you’re offering me your blood.”
“And if I am…?”
“Then you’ll be dead before dessert.”
“You know you just smiled when you said that, right?”
Her lips twitched. Again. “I don’t doubt it.”
He released a breath. “Come on. Eat with me.”
“No.”
“Rosalie—”
Her head came around fast and she hissed at him. “Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that.”
He wasn’t at all put out by her ferocity. “What should I call you, then?” His thick, dark eyebrows lifted. “Hunter? Mistress?” He grinned. “Kitten?”
Oh, the puma wanted out so badly… “Listen, Human. I’m not coming in there and eating with you. Period. End of discussion.”
“All right.” He shrugged, then left the window, disappeared inside the house.
Finally. She heaved a sigh of relief. She didn’t like being around him. Not just because he was human, one of them . But because, unfortunately, she found him attractive. She shook her head. Very attractive . Like when he spoke, she watched the way his lips moved.
Goddess, she didn’t deserve to breathe. For the fifth time since leaving Medical, she asked herself why she was doing this. Guarding the human. Why she’d insisted on it. Especially after Raphael had made her swear she wouldn’t hurt him. Well, kill him is what she’d actually promised. But one would surely lead swiftly to the other, wouldn’t it?
Why hadn’t she walked away right when the leader had announced the human was staying? She should be patrolling the border, looking for more of them. Groups of them. Enemies of the Pantera.
The screen door pressed against her back then, and instantly she whirled around, her puma ready to spring. Down girl. You’re not getting me kicked out of my home. Not today.
“Making a break for it, Human?” she snarled as the door opened and Killian emerged.
“For the porch, absolutely,” he returned, moving past her with a snort.
She watched him as he headed for the faded floral loveseat with the small table in front of it and proceeded to set up dinner. A dinner for two. He was wearing the new clothes Lian had brought over: a pair of jeans and a blue Guns N’ Roses T-shirt. Granted, this man was no Pantera male, but he surely equaled one in size. From his height, to the bulging biceps, to the way the
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