Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(23)
Author: Cambria Hebert

She was riding a horse, the animal was large and powerful looking, but it was she who commanded the attention. She was sitting in the saddle full of confidence and grace. Her light blond hair floated out around her and flirted with the breeze. It had been late summer and her skin was kissed by the sun; she was wearing a top that bared her shoulders and arms.

As I watched, the horse seemed to sense my presence and dance beneath the canopy of green the trees provided. In fluid, calm movements she leaned forward and spoke stroking her hand along the horse’s neck.

“Settle, Jasper. We’re safe.”

Envy speared through me. I wanted to be that horse. I wanted her to stroke me the way she did it. The intensity of my reaction scared me, and I wanted to flee.

Yet I was rooted where I stood.

I felt as though an invisible tether reached out of me and went directly to her. It tugged at me as I stood there, begging me to close the distance, for just one chance to see her smile.

Of course, I denied myself the urge. She was too good for me. My parents made it clear that I wasn’t good enough for anyone. Besides, what a shame it would be to taint such beauty with such a beast. Instead I settled on watching her from afar. I haunted the woods like a ghost just praying to catch a glimpse of her. Then, it wasn’t enough and the fleeting glances that I caught became teasing and taunting. I wanted more.

So I followed her.

I stalked her.

I let her presence fill up every hole inside me. And that first time I saw her smile I knew that I loved her. Unfortunately, my love ruined her life.

Beneath the hood of the truck, a strange noise grinded and pulled me from my memory. I glanced down at the gauges and realized that I had been going over seventy miles an hour. Way too fast for this old truck. If I wanted it to last then I couldn’t drive it the way I wanted to drive. And since I didn’t have any money to buy something new, I needed it to last. With a regretful glance at the speedometer I let off the gas.

I felt edgy tonight. I counted the minutes until my shift was over at work so I could get here and reassure myself that she was okay. She had no idea of the danger that she was in. She had no idea what kind of monster was obsessed with her. But I did.

Because I was a monster too.

The only difference is that I don’t want to hurt her. And because of that I am in this situation. I’m trapped. I’m caught in a web of lies so thick that I might never get out. If I told Heven the truth she would push me away, she would hate me for life. I could accept her hatred, but not her absence.

I’m the only thing standing between her and death.

As I got closer to the church my heart began to hammer in my chest. Uncomfortable, I rolled down the window and let the air rush in. Something wasn’t right. I slammed my foot down on the gas, ignoring the groaning of the engine and prayed I wouldn’t be too late.

I heard a cry and then a snarl and my skin started to burn. Had. To. Get. Out.

The front of the church came into view, and I swerved to the curb and leapt out of the truck. I tossed aside my shirt and pants as I went and broke into a run. I could hear her crying and I could hear loud banging and growling. At least she was still alive. I wasn’t too late. I rounded the corner, resisting the pain in my joints and the fire in my veins.

The monster was toying with her, knowing that I would be here, knowing that I would see. As if on cue our eyes met. The challenge was there. Anger ripped through me and I let it out, the sounds burning my throat. My cry was met with another, and I raced forward.

We met head on, slamming into one another. The giant beast towered over me, but I held myself in check, even though it hurt and even though my limbs shook with need.

I slammed the monster into the asphalt, trying to dodge the swipe of its claws. I couldn’t. Pain lanced through my side, and I realized if I wanted to win this fight, I couldn’t hold back. Inhuman sounds roared out of my throat and a battle began.

You should never have come here. I told you to leave her alone.

I sent the monster hurling away, only to have it come back. Our arms locked together and I brought my legs up between us and kicked. I felt bones give way but a few broken bones wouldn’t be enough to convey my message.

When I threw off the monster, I lunged, hovering over it, and sank my teeth into a fur coated neck.

I’m not playing games with you. I will kill you right now and this will be over.

Suddenly, I found myself lying against the hard ground, teeth snapped at my face and soulless eyes seemed to laugh down at me. Not ready to admit defeat, I lashed out catching my opponent by surprise.

We went at it again and again, rolling across the ground, landing punches and taking hits.

Through the snarling and the shrieking a small sound stopped me cold. A small hiccup. Heven. She could hear this fight and was probably paralyzed with fear. Who knew how long it would take her to recover from this. Because of my distraction I took a hit to the side of my head. Automatically I roared and flipped myself off the ground. In one swift movement I locked my opponent in a hold and dragged the body away from the container and into a line of nearby trees. When released, my captive sunk razor sharp teeth into my leg, but I bit back a howl and punched out, connecting with flesh and heard another crunch of bone.

The hateful eyes that watched me glazed over, but not before a streak of shock shot through them. Then it turned tail and ran away.

I thought about giving chase. I wanted to rip it apart and scatter the pieces. I was so angry I could do it. But I couldn’t leave her here alone, shivering and scared to death while sitting in a trash heap waiting to die.

Heven, what have I done to you?

I raced back through the parking lot, sticking to the shadows, moving with stealth and silence. I barely noticed the cuts on my side; they had already stopped bleeding and would be healed soon. I hurried to dress, thankful that my clothes seemed to be unruffled and wouldn’t look like I had been fighting. On my way back around the side of the building I heard a woman calling out for Heven.

Shit. I didn’t want anyone in my way.

With a deep breath I told myself to chill, and I stepped out of the shadows.

“Excuse me, Ma’am? Is everything alright?”

The woman calling out for Heven jumped and pressed a hand to her chest. “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Heven’s, I heard you calling for her.”

The woman’s obvious distress over Heven won out over her surprise at seeing me. “She came out to take out the trash…she’s been gone a long time. I shouldn’t have let her come out here alone.” The woman wrung her hands, clearly upset. Little did she know if she had come out with Heven, she would now be dead.