Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(88)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“Are you claiming leader?”

Sam’s muscles bunched and shifted. In him I felt an overwhelming sense of power and need. He was quiet for long moments. “Yeah, I am,” he said, the challenging tone back in his voice.

What did they mean ‘leader’? Did that mean that he was going to control what they do? Did that mean they were going to be around a lot? I didn’t like that idea. I didn’t really know these guys, but I knew enough to know that I didn’t like them.

“What if we don’t want you to be leader?” one of his roommates asked, his voice laced with menace.

“Bring it on,” Sam snarled and motioned behind us to China’s scattered carcass. “Here’s a preview of what will happen to anyone who challenges me.”

One of them snorted.

I stood and stared in shock as the rapid movements of Sam caught me off guard.

He grabbed one of his roommates by the neck and slammed him into the ground. He made a move like he would bend low into the struggling man’s face, but then he swiftly pulled back and delivered a hard punch to his face.

He spoke so quietly that I had to strain to hear his words. “I am not in the mood for your shit. I’ve put up with a lot from you two and I’m done. You have a choice: accept me as leader or die.” The last word came out as a growl and the way his body arched over the stilled and listening roommate made me think he was fighting the urge to change. Then he shoved himself away and stood. “What’s it going to be?”

“You’re crazy,” the guy on the ground said, his eyes narrowing.

Sam didn’t respond. He just stood there waiting to see what they would do.

“What do you want us to do?” The guy on the ground gave in while the other nodded.

“As leader I’m telling you to leave town. Don’t come back.”

“What if we don’t want to leave?”

“You don’t have a choice.” His hands flexed at his sides as he waited for them to argue.

I sucked in a breath. My legs were shaking, and I reached around my neck for the cord that held the whistle, thankful I found it at the base of the tree after the fight was over.

“Mind if we get our stuff before we go?”

He shook his head.

“Thanks for taking her down. She was a real bitch.” The dark-headed roommate said.

“Stay out of trouble,” Sam said, and I thought I heard the slightest hint of fondness in his voice. It made me wonder if he regretted sending away the only people he knew who understood what it was like to be a hellhound.

“Not everyone’s a hero like you.” With that the two of them turned and walked away.

Sam didn’t respond, but stood and watched until they were out of sight. A million questions raced through my head, and I opened my mouth to start asking. But then he turned toward me, and my words died on my lips. His eyes were hard, but the weariness was undeniable.

He approached and held out his hand, and I took it. We walked through the woods in silence.

The scent of peroxide filled my nostrils as I doused a cotton ball in the bubbly liquid. Sam watched me quietly as I leaned forward to begin cleaning the deep cut on his skin. “You might need stitches.” I told him, as I gently wiped away blood and dirt.

“I’ll heal,” he murmured as I went for another cotton ball to repeat the same process as before. “I have to go back to work.”

“Did you get in trouble for leaving?”

“No, but I need to go back.”

“Would you have killed them too? Your roommates, I mean?” I asked, picking up a tube of antibiotic ointment.

“I would have done what I had to do. If they had challenged me…I wouldn’t have had a choice.”

I nodded and focused on taking care of his injury. “I understand,” I said quietly even though I didn’t really know what it meant for him to be ‘leader’. I didn’t want to get into it now after everything that just happened. I wanted to relish in the fact that my stalker was dead, and we could finally relax, let our guard down, and just be us – even if it was for only a little while.

Thank you for coming after me. I pushed at him, looking up into his eyes to smile.

He grasped my hands and kissed the tips of my fingers. Always.

Once the bandage was applied and I cleaned up the first aid kit, I handed him his shirt. He accepted it but made no move to put it on. He looked down at the kit in my hands and grinned. “I carried this thing around for months, thinking that I might need it for you – praying that I wouldn’t – but wanting to be prepared if I did. I’m glad it’s only me who’s needed it.”

“You carried this around for me?”

He laughed. “Do I look like the kind of guy who would need to carry around some Band-Aids?” He arched an eyebrow and looked down at me.

“No?” I asked laughing, injecting a bit of doubt into my voice.

He growled and came forward, tackling me to the ground. “You would dare insult me after everything I just went through for you?” He pinned me to the ground, his eyes sparkling gold again, and I enjoyed the sensation of his bare chest against me.

“What are you going to do about it?” I asked, breathless.

He lowered his head, his full lips parting slightly, and my eyes fluttered closed. I waited for that first moment when his lips would brush mine, that first little brush of excitement before the fire he always lighted in me took hold.

“I sure could go for one of those Bubble Teas about right now,” he said mere inches from my lips.

I paused and my eyes flashed open. “What?”

He laughed. “They’re pretty good, and I’m hungry.”

I attempted his growling noise, and he laughed. I pushed at him, but it was half-hearted. Then he finally pressed his lips to mine. Laughter spilled through his mouth and into mine. The kiss was full of swirling emotions: happiness, fear, relief.

When he pulled back he sighed. “I wish I could stay, and we could celebrate.”

“You’ll be back later…” I smiled. “We can go get one of those teas then.”

He grinned, a wolfish grin, and stood, pulling me up along with him and reached for his shirt. I watched, a little disappointed, as he covered up his spectacular body.

“I think when I get back I want to be alone with you.” His deep voice dropped and goose bumps raced along my arms. I hoped that the excitement I felt wasn’t tinting my cheeks pink.

He smiled and caught my chin to look into my eyes, “I’ll be back later.”