Fearless (2 page)

“I’m not leaving the poor man after he tried to help the
boys.” Abby shook her head and reached in to hook her arms under his shoulders.
He was warm and heavy as the trunk’s lid. She slid him inelegantly onto the
floor and pursed her lips as she debated what to do next.

He likely needed medical help. She should call 911. Yet then
he’d get arrested for breaking into the house. Abby could drag him out, but not
silently. She couldn’t risk getting caught.

Okay, you helped him
.
Let’s go
.

“We shouldn’t really leave him. He’ll wake up and likely
startle the boys, maybe wake their parents. It’ll be messy. Maybe I should try
to rouse him—”

Abby
! Tawa growled.
No
.
Listen to me for
once
.
Leave now
.

“I can’t just leave him.” Abby protested.

“And I thank you for that, cookie.” The man stretched and
propped himself up on his elbows. He grinned, wicked and gorgeous. “It saves me
from having to track you down to settle my blood debt.”

Run, Abby
!
Run
!

“Did you just call me cookie?” Abby folded her arms and
lifted her chin.

“I did.” He stretched out his long legs and ran his hands
along them. Then he eased himself up to stand in front of her. He was pure
muscled grace. He had about ten inches on her five foot six.

Abby found herself staring at his broad chest and his fascinating
tattoos. She had a few of her own that weren’t visible at the moment, but
nothing as big and intricate as his. The ink amplified his natural physique and
exotic features, making him even more sexy. Oh man, she could not let herself
get taken with a man she saved from monsters. She had no room in her life for
relationships.

Damn right you don’t
. Tawa interrupted her thoughts.
I
told you to run, but no
.
I mean, who listens to an old spirit with
centuries of wisdom
?
Maybe if you had a G.I. Joe as a favorite toy when
you were a kid, I’d be stuck in a figure you’d actually pay attention to
.

“Shut up.” Abby hissed at the hippo.

“Are you telling me to shut up?” The stranger blinked.

“No. It’s—” Abby grumbled. “Who are you? How did you get
captured by the monsters?”

“Ah yes, proper introductions are in order. My name is
Demetrius of the Darkwood clan.” He dipped his head, smiling again. Holding out
his hand to her, he raised an eyebrow as she hesitated.

Darkwood
.
Even worse
. Tawa grunted.

“Abigail White.” Abby paused again, considering Tawa’s
comment. Yet shaking his hand couldn’t hurt.

She reached out to take his hand, but as her palm almost
settled into his larger one, he slid his hand up to clasp her upper forearm.
Her immediate reaction was to grip his as well and shift her body back as his
moved closer. Abby willed her swords to be at the ready, but her hands didn’t
even spark with a glow. At least she was reassured he wasn’t a threat. Not in
the traditional I’m-going-rip-off-your-head-and-eat-you monster kind of way at
any rate.

“Well met, Abigail White.” His voice graveled in her ears in
just the right way.

“Yeah, uh, nice to meet you too, Demetrius of the Darkwood
clan.” Did he see her eyes drop down past his beltline when she said Darkwood?
Why did she have to look down there? Pulling her arm free, she took a few steps
back. “How’d you get locked in that trunk?”

“Ah, well, unfortunate incident. I tracked this pack of
beasts here, and I would have killed them all, but the boys stumbled into the
mix. I let myself be captured for the sake of the children, but I didn’t expect
the beasts to put me into that box.” Demetrius shook his head and threw a dirty
look over his shoulder at the steamer trunk. “I don’t suspect they knew they
had me contained quite so well, but that they did.”

“But it’s just a trunk. You could have kicked through the
lid.” Abby didn’t believe the trunk, no matter how heavy it was, could trap him
inside.

He couldn’t kick through it
.
The trunk is ribbed
with iron
. Tawa pointed out, and when Abby didn’t react, she went on.
He’s
one of the Fae
.
If you remove your eyes from his crotch for a few
seconds, you’ll see the pointed ears
.

“You’re a freakin’ fairy!” Abby yelped and shook her hands
as if she could somehow make her swords come out. Still nothing. She could see
the whole of him now. The pointed ears and fine features. His fingers and legs
were a little longer than what would be normal for humans. His black pants
looked almost leather, but weren’t quite anything she recognized. The matching
boots went to his knees, and then there were the strange tattoos. Black ink and
yet something more than regular ink. Something that seemed to subtly flow
beneath his skin.

“Well, fairy’s not exactly the right term, but human minds
are limited. Yet I’m pleased to see you worked it out on your own.” Demetrius
smirked and then he was down on his knees in front of her. His hands lay on his
thighs as he looked up at her. His eyes were the color of twilight, so close to
night.

“Abigail White, one of the Fearless chosen by the gods, you
have saved my life this night. My life is yours until I can repay blood for
blood and breath for breath.” His tattoos shimmered with his words. “I,
Demetrius of the Darkwood clan, will not leave your side until my blood debt is
paid. My body and soul are yours.”

Abby swallowed. His soul and, oh, his body were hers. Erotic
images danced through her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
No way. The Fae were always bad news, especially since he knew what she was.

“I release you from your debt. I don’t need you following me
around. I’ve got work to do.” Abby turned and walked to the stairs. She had to
get out of there, get away from him. “You go home, or wherever. Whatever. I
need to leave.”

“It’s not that easy to rid yourself of me, baby doll.”
Demetrius whispered near her ear with a quiet laugh. Abby hadn’t even heard him
come up behind her.

I did tell you to run
. Tawa sighed.

Chapter 2

“If you don’t stop following me, I
will kill you.” Abby marched along the dark street. Her body was very aware of
him keeping pace beside her, arms nearly brushing. But she at least tried to
ignore it. She should have left him in the trunk.

He’s going to be hard to get rid of, you know
.
You
should have listened to me
. Tawa said in her lecturing voice.
Maybe you
could let the next monster eat him
.

Abby softly grunted, wanting to agree but knowing she couldn’t
let such a thing happen. Being one of the good guys sucked sometimes.

“No, you won’t.” Demetrius smiled, as if they were taking a
casual stroll. “I’ve always wanted to see one of the Fearless in action.”

“And what do you know of the Fearless?” Abby couldn’t deny
her curiosity. Tawa had taught her the history of what she was, but it was
supposed to be a secret. Only a few privileged others were to know of their
existence.

“The Fearless.” Demetrius pronounced the name in a deep,
dramatic voice and made a grand gesture with his arms. “Chosen by the gods to
protect the children from their fears made real. They’re given blessed weapons,
magical sight, and superior strength and dexterity. They’re rumored to be
fierce beauties.” He eyed her with a smirk. “There’s truth in that one. It’s
also said that since they are fearless, they die young because they lack the
wisdom to know when to retreat.”

“You never run away.” Abby huffed with a shake of her head.
Trying to compliment her and call her stupid at the same time. He was the
idiot. So he knew a few things, but he didn’t know her. She was smart. Yet she
refused to run away when there was a child’s life at stake.

“Exactly.” Demetrius looked smug. “Lucky you have me with
you now.”

Yeah, lucky you
. Tawa snorted.

Abby turned right and headed up the driveway to her second
stop of the night. For the longest time, she only fought once or twice a week.
Then this last year, the number of monsters had rapidly increased. She’d been
unsuccessfully trying to find out why. Even with Tawa’s guidance, the answers
eluded her.

“You want to see one of the Fearless in action? Here’s your
chance. Just make sure you don’t get in my way.” Abby went around to the back
of the house and scanned the second floor windows. Thick shadows rimmed one in
particular. Making sure Tawa was secure, she then climbed onto the roof above
the porch and crept to the window. She paused to peer into the dark room
through the slats of the blind, and his warm breath near her cheek caused her
to jump a bit.

“Nasty beast in there.” Demetrius attempted to remove the
screen. “Best let me go first.”

“And you best not set off the alarm.” Abby pushed him aside
and touched the sides of the window. Her hands glowed, and the tiny light
blinking on the top inside corner went out. She slid the window up and slipped
into the girl’s room to dispatch the monster in the closet.

*

“You scared that girl more than the
monster.” Abby wiped her face with an old towel from her car’s trunk. When he
held out his hand for one, she ignored the blood splattered fae.

“I did not. She saw how handsome and heroic I am and
swooned.” When she was done, Demetrius snatched the towel from her. The black
blood was like jelly, but the stench didn’t whet the appetite in the least.

“You barreled in through her window and growled like an
animal just as I had the monster. The girl screamed and fainted.” Abby opened
the driver’s side door and unhooked Tawa from her belt. She tossed the hippo
into the backseat. “I told you to stay outside and watch.”

Hey
!
I don’t care if you’re mad at that brute, but
be a little gentler with me
. Tawa complained.

“The beast was going to suck you dry. If I hadn’t helped—”
Demetrius threw the towel back into the trunk and slammed it shut.

“It was not! I could’ve tied its proboscis in knots, but I
was going for the quick, clean kill. You’re the one that made it messy.” Abby
sat in the driver’s seat and jammed the keys into the ignition. This night had
gone to hell. First a pack of monsters in the attic. She’d never seen so many
together. They were usually solitary creatures. Then this damn annoying fae had
attached himself to her and gotten in the way of what would have been an easy
kill. The mess from the fight was extensive, but all evidence of the monster in
the closet would be gone as soon as the sun rose. The little girl would
remember, but her memory would fade with time.

Unfortunately Abby’s would not.

Demetrius stood beside the car with his arms folded. The
moonlight highlighted and complimented his profile. Even covered in filth, he
still managed to look hot. Abby yanked her door closed and cursed herself for
noticing.

“Well?” Abby glared at him.

“Well what?” He snipped back.

“I’m going home now.” She couldn’t believe she was waiting
for him.

Neither can I
. Tawa huffed.

“Where do you live? I’ll meet you there.” Demetrius said
with a nonchalance that made Abby frown all the more.

“It’s a bit of a drive. Just get in.” Abby sighed.

“I’m not getting into an iron box for the second time
tonight.” He stood his ground.

Ha
!
That’s right
.
The fae hate cars
.
Tawa laughed.
Drive off and leave him in the dust
.

“All right then. Can’t say it was nice meeting you. Bye.”
Abby shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. He cursed and
snarled in her rearview mirror and then ran to grab the passenger side door.

“I’m coming with you.” Demetrius sat down and shut the door.
His hand gripped the handle and his face paled.

“Don’t worry.” Abby smirked as she drove down the street and
headed for the highway. “I won’t take advantage of you in your weakened state.”

“You can give it a try, if you’d like, babe.” His sly smile
made hers evaporate.

“Enough with the pet names already!” Abby gripped the wheel
tight in both hands. “Freakin’ fae. Prancing around all fancy and pretty,
thinking they can have any woman or man. I’m sure you all laugh about it at
court and drink your fruity fairy wines. I will not be one of those humans.
Flirt with someone else.”

“So you think I’m pretty?” His smile was weak, but it was
still there, still tempting.

Open the car door and kick him out
.
He won’t have
the strength to fight you
. Tawa suggested.
You should have listened to
me
.

“Enough with your comments too.” Abby shot a look over her
shoulder at the hippo. Then she poked Demetrius in the arm with a rigid finger.
“You’re an egotistical jerk. You’re only here because of your blood debt or
whatever. Act like you’re an honorable being, for goodness sake.”

“My honor demands that I give my life for yours if the
situation necessitates it. I will hold true to it. Do not doubt me.” Demetrius’
voice was quiet and serious. He swallowed thickly. “I’m not one of those, as
you said, freakin’ fae from the court. Those are distant cousins and I dislike
them as much as you. I’m of the wild, a hunter. One of the best of my clan. No
prancing, no fruity wines, no silly gossiping.”

Despite the chill of the night, Abby pressed the button to lower
his window and let the fresh air wash over him. He breathed in deeply, looking
a little less tense.

He’s still an egotistical jerk
.

“You’re one of the Fearless. I have much to prove in your
eyes it seems.” Demetrius stuck an arm outside and rested his hand on the roof.

I wonder if he’ll stick his head outside like a dog
.
The hippo chuckled, but it tapered off. Abby ignored her again.