Emerald Eyes (10 page)

“You
miss
the sunshine?”

He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. You see, Madison, unlike your friend Chuck, I’m not afraid to tell you what I am.”

“Chuck? What do you know about Chuck? What do you mean?”

“He has a secret too. One he’s terrified to share with you. Afraid of losing you. But it seems he may have lost you anyway.” He tilted his head questioningly. “Has he?”

She was flabbergasted. “How did you know? Were you standing on my porch listening? Have you been spying on me?” She tried to step back, but he held her fingers fast. She didn’t push the issue.

“Not spying exactly, Madison…Watching out for you. Your Aunt Mattie asked me to watch over you before she passed away. And I’m keeping my promise to her.”

She thought about it, remembering the times when she’d seen her aunt and Devin gently hugging one another, even witnessing them kissing a time or two, but for the most part, they spent time together playing cards, taking evening walks – with Madison trailing along – and listening to classical music in front of the fireplace in his old cabin of an evening. There never had been anything but adoration in their attitudes for one another. She decided that if Aunt Mattie could have such complete trust in him, then there was no reason for her not to.

“All right,” she said with acquiescence.

He was obviously more than pleased, broke into an infectious grin. “I knew you’d come around.”

“But what are you? How is it that you’ve never aged a day in all this time?’

He leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. “Such innocence. I love it! Madison, my sweet,” he said pulling back so she could see his face. “I am a vampire.”

Surely she had heard wrong. “A
what?”

“I am a vampire. Have been for five hundred years.”

“But…But vampires are just a myth…Aren’t they?” Was he joking? But he hadn’t aged! Gawd!

“I assure you, Madison…I am very real.” He opened his mouth then and slowly revealed his fangs to her.

“Oh shit!” she breathed.

He quickly drew them back in, not wishing to frighten her further. “I admit that it took Mattie a while to accept me for who I am, but I loved her so much I was willing to have the patience. And she finally did come around.”

“Then…if you’re a vampire. And vampires
are
real – Then what is Chuck? You said you know what he is. Is he a vampire too?”

This seemed to amuse him too. “No, my sweet. Chuck’s a werewolf.”

“
Huh?”

“You heard me correctly,” he said, now gently leading her down the side of the road towards her place. “He can’t be around you when the moon is full…because he would probably kill you.”

She stopped cold, staring at him. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Couldn’t be more.”

“That’s why he leaves every month for a while?”

“Yes. Indian Joe has provided a place for him to run during the night in a remote area of the reservation. The Indians all stay out of the area when the moon’s full.”

“So all the Indians know?”

“Yeah they do. Of course, they understand things most ‘modern’ men don’t.”

“He should have told me.”

“Would you have believed him?”

“I believe you.”

“Yes…But you have memories of me. And you’ve seen me…perform. Know that I am different. Also, I showed you my fangs. He has nothing to show you – apart from the fact that he is a lot stronger than normal men, though not quite as strong as I – other than himself as a wolf. And if he were to allow that to happen, it would surely mean your demise.”

She was no longer really angry with Chuck. “Then he’s only trying to protect me?”

“As much as I hate to admit it…Yes!” They had reached her cottage. “Do you want him back now? Now that you know the truth?”

“I honestly don’t know. I still wish he had made an effort to explain things to me. Then I would have known that I could believe him…no matter what.”

There was just a nuance of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

“I need time to think about things. This is a lot to digest all at once.”

“Perfectly understandable.” They had reached her porch. He wasn’t quite ready to let her know he had a romantic interest in her too. It was too soon for her.

Now that he had told her the truth – though he hated taking the chance – he was too much of a gentleman not to let her make that decision for herself. “I will leave you now. I trust you won’t take anymore walks alone this evening.”

She unlocked her door. “I won’t. And thanks for rescuing me. But it is a little hard for me to digest the number you did on that guy back there.”

“That guy,” he said distinctly, “had nothing but bad intentions where you were concerned. He would have raped you. And probably have left you in a ditch someplace…wounded or worse.”

“Oh?”

“I could smell his intent, Madison.”

She had no argument. Knew he was probably right. “Okay…Well, goodnight.”

“And just so you’ll know…I can’t be about in bright sunlight. Get really bad burns. But I don’t ignite into flames. When it’s strongly overcast I can move about outside, and of a morning, and of an evening. I sleep primarily during the day, in my basement. So if you need me, that is where I will be. Knock. I will hear you.” He gently held out his hand then and she accepted. He gave a gentle squeeze and let go. “Night, Madison.”

“Night.” She stepped inside, closed her door and locked it.

She didn’t hear him walk off. So she glanced outside, and all she saw was that raven back on the railing. She took about two steps and it hit her. “Can it be?” She swung around and yanked the door open and stared at the bird. “It’s you! Isn’t it?”

At once, he stood in front of her again, iridescent eyes smiling smugly. “Guilty.”

“Oh my God! You’ve been watching me all along, haven’t you?”

“I won’t lie to you, Madison. Yes!”

“You…You watched Chuck and me—! Oh my God!”

“I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”

“But—!” She didn’t know whether to be furious, humiliated or glad. “That’s not the point.”

“Again…Wasn’t spying, Madison. Watching over you. Wanted to make sure he was being good to you…That is all. I promise.”

Angry or not, she understood that there was nothing she could do about it. At least, he seemed to have her best interest at heart. He was doing what her Aunt Mattie had requested. “Okay…Still, it makes me feel very…”

“Naked,” he filled in for her.

“Yes. Something like that. Am I ever going to have any privacy around you?”

He let out a slight sigh. “During the day when I’m sleeping…And when I feel you are reasonably safe.”

She blew out air. “I suppose that’s something.”

“Now that you know I am here, I suggest you just go back to bed and get some sleep. I will leave when the sun comes up…cloudy or not.”

She didn’t know what else to say. “Okay…Thanks again. Goodnight.”

“And to you. Sleep tight.” He suddenly shrunk into a raven again and hopped back on the railing.

“Shi-it!” Once more she went inside and closed the door, let out a long sigh of exasperation and went to take her shower. Maybe tomorrow she’d drive to the store and see if she could talk to Chuck. Somehow make up with him without telling him she knew. For she wanted him to be the one to tell her. She would give him that chance. She felt he deserved that much. And she knew she had Devin to thank for that. It was something he didn’t have to do.

Chuck had had a rough night; gotten plastered after leaving Madison. And it was with a heavy hangover that he woke up when the alarm went off at seven-thirty. His head pounded and his eyes burned. “Jeezzz!” He shuffled into the bathroom and washed his face with cold water, stared into the mirror and frowned. His eyes were bloodshot. Looked like he’d been on a week-long binge. “What the crap did I drink last night?”

Then he remembered. He’d downed half a bottle of tequila that had been sitting on his kitchen counter for six months. “Gawd!” The house phone rang then, sending sharp pains through his head. “Sonovabitch!”

It was Indian Joe wanting to know how he was doing. Apparently, he had phoned him in the middle of the night to tell him his woes. “Sorry, man. I’m really sorry.”

Joe scolded him for apologizing. Being there for him was his job as a friend.

“Thanks, man. I owe you so much already. Now this! You told me it wasn’t a good idea for me to keep seeing her. I knew you were right. But damn!” he said, fighting back tears again. “I really like her. I mean a lot!”

“You could tell her the truth, Chuck.”

“No! I don’t want her to know the truth. It’s better this way. Hurts like hell, but at least staying away from me she’ll be safe.”

“It is good that you accept it.” He changed the subject then. “You want me to come in this morning? Let you get over your hangover?”

“You’ve done enough for me, Joe. No. I’m good. Work is what I need. Besides, tomorrow I’ll be heading for the reservation.”

“It is that time. Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“I will. But I intend to stick it out today.”

“I will see you this evening, my friend.”

“Yeah…See you later.”

Chuck couldn’t believe it when Madison walked in the store about an hour after he opened.

She was the last person he’d expected to walk in the store today. He had thought surely she would avoid him like the plague, at least for a few days, but here she was, walking up to him, eyes fixed on his – and she was smiling. Not big. But it was a smile.

“Hello, Chuck,” she said, stopping just in front of the counter.

“Madison.” He shoved the register drawer shut. “What can I help you with this morning?”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

His brow wrinkled. “Sorry? For what?”

“For not giving you the benefit of a doubt.”

He blew out air. “Look. It was hard when I left your place last night. I was angry. Really angry. Because I was hurt. But you are right. I should be perfectly honest with you. And I want to be. Only, sometimes there are things people just can’t tell. No matter how much they want to.”

She reached over and laid her hand on his. “You said you love me.”

“I did…” He shook his head. “I do. But it just can’t work. I know that now. You did us a favor. I got stinkin’ drunk last night. I got one hell of a hangover for it. But I’m working it out. I’ll get over it.”

“You’re not listening to me, Chuck! I want to give us another chance.”

“I hear you loud and clear, Madison. Only I have finally accepted it. Now you need to. It was great while it lasted. And I’ll never forget the short time we had together…But no. It’s over.”

She was at the point of tears; stood there staring at him. He meant it. “Would it make any difference if I said I think I love you too? I’m willing to work with you on this problem you have. I won’t question you any more as to what it is.”

The lights in his eyes shifted. Her words had touched him deeply. It was several long seconds before he spoke again, “No…It
doesn’t
make any difference.”

“Is there anything I can say to change your mind? Because I came here this morning determined to make this work. I’m willing to be here for you no matter what your problem is.”

“God! Madison. If you’d said those words last night, I would have been foolish enough to accept them. But I’ve had time to think about it now. Things happen for a reason. We can’t be together.”

“That’s your final say?”

He held her gaze with his blood-shot eyes. “Yes! That’s my final say.”

“All right.” She turned and hurried out of the store, breaking into a run as soon as she cleared the door.

“Dammit!” It tore him up to see her so upset. She really did love him. Still, there was nothing he could do. Of all the freakin’ timing! Jeezze!”

Five

Madison never felt such a fool. She’d walked into the store believing Chuck would be thrilled she still wanted him. Instead, rejection had been her reward. She understood that she now felt the sting he had suffered last night. It was more than anger on his part, he had made his decision and he wasn’t going to back down. What’s more, she realized that even if she told him that she knew his secret that, at this point, it no longer mattered.

She broke the speed limit all the way home; something she normally didn’t do, but she was in the boondocks. Patrol cars were far and few between, and she just floor boarded it, and almost lost control several times in negotiating curves. She was actually surprised that she made it home in one piece. She sat in her car shaking, thinking that she had been stupid to be so careless. She said a silent prayer of thanks that God had watched over her.

Madison’s despair was immediate to Devin. He’d been asleep in his basement when he sensed her distress and woke up. Having rested all he desired, he got up, showered and put on clean clothes, dressing in jeans and a black turtleneck, and his black leather, cowboy boots. He wanted to go to Madison but the sun was out bright and it was nearing noon. It would be a few more hours before he could leave his cabin safely.

In his den, he poured himself a shot of whiskey at his little bar, drank it down in one gulp and swiftly followed it with another. It was his hope that she would come to him for moral support, as he was fairly certain that he was now her only friend around.

Until then or dark-fall, with little else to do, he selected Moby Dick from his classics collection and sat down in his wine-colored leather recliner to read. Something he often did to pass away the time. If he had learned one thing in his five hundred years, it was patience. After all, he had all the time in the world.

Madison cried until she felt she couldn’t cry anymore, got up, washed her face, put on fresh makeup and sat up her tripod on the back porch, as it looked suspiciously like it might rain in a while – clouds off to the north – even though the sun had been out all day. She sat up an eighteen by twenty-four inch canvass, opened up her tackle box with her paints, got out her paint brushes and opened up the turpentine. She was ready.

Or so she thought.