Chapter 32 Shea

"How's it going in there?" Adam asked, rapping on the dressing room door.

I was fighting with another shirt, the knit fabric squeezing like one of those Chinese finger traps.

"Almost done," I called back.

I grunted as the shirt finally popped off, and I threw it onto the bench built into the alcove.

"Let me know if you want any help," Adam said.

I rolled my eyes. This guy was definitely a cocky bastard, wasn't he. "You wish."

I threw on a turquoise sweater from the approved pile, not wanting to put my ruined sweater back on, and opened the door. Adam's attention was buried in his phone, but as soon as he heard the door, his gaze slid up.

"You look hot."

I flipped my hair over my shoulder. "What gave it away? The flushed cheeks? "

He stalked toward me, coming a little too close as he slipped his phone into his pocket. "Find everything you want?"

The way he looked at me made me almost wish I could just be into him—he was clearly into me. Life would be so much easier if I could just date a normal guy, rather than being hung up on not one, but two supernatural heartthrobs.

But then again, this guy could also be a stalker. He had appeared randomly in my life several times in various places. Oddly enough, that wasn't exactly a deal breaker for me. But apparently, being a boring human was.

I gently pushed him away and began gathering my stuff, shoving the pile of rejected clothing at him. "Here, hang these up."

He looked at me over the mountain of clothing, chuckling. "What did you actually choose?"

I shook my head. "Not until you get those clothes up."

Adam regarded me for a long moment, then went to the rack standing outside the changing area and began putting everything on it. I grabbed the three other shirts and my bag, then stood behind him, tapping my foot.

When he was finished, he pivoted to face me and clapped his hands together. "So, what am I buying?"

I chuckled. "Besides what I'm currently wearing, I've got this one," I said, holding up the purple knit I'd chosen. "And there's this one." I shuffled through the hangers, pulling up a red sweater with gems and sequins woven into the design. "And finally, there's this." The last hanger held a gold sequin shirt, which changed to a hot pink color depending on which way the sequins lay. "It's not a sweater, but I like it."

"Me too," he said, his brows flaring. "You should wear it. "

I shook my head, amusement tugging at my lips. "It's far too cold today for this shirt."

"I'd be happy to keep you warm."

Damn, I really had to admire his confidence.

I shook my head. "Come on. Let's check out with these. I need to get home."

"What's the hurry? You haven't even found a dress yet."

"It's time to wrap it up," the store clerk said from across the floor, an elderly woman whose girth made her look cuddly and soft. "I'm getting ready to close down."

"Well, there's that," I said to Adam, casting a worried glance at the storefront. I hadn't realized how much time I'd spent. "Wait, what time is it?"

I reached for my phone, but Adam got to his first. "A little after four."

"What? Let me see that."

He turned his phone around, and I stared at the mocking numbers, marking it as 4:08 in the afternoon. The sun would be setting soon. I was in so much trouble.

"Aw, fudgesicles. Come on." I grabbed his forearm and dragged him to the counter. Plopping the shirts down, I threw my thumb at Adam. "He's paying."

The woman nodded and began ringing everything up, including the shirt I was still wearing. She rattled off the total as she carefully folded the shirts and bagged them, and Adam handed over a card.

I looked at the window again, my foot tapping, my fingers beating an anxious rhythm against my thigh. The Christmas display across the street was glowing in the darkened shade of the buildings, but it did nothing to warm my frantically beating heart. This was taking too long, and I was already late. I'd need to send Gram a text, and soon.

The clerk wished us a Merry Christmas, and I gave her a quick smile before darting for the door. Halfway there, I realized I'd forgotten to grab the bag, and turned back, but Adam was sauntering my way, swinging my purchases from two fingers.

I ducked out of the store and waited for him to follow. The clerk was just behind him, and as soon as he was out, she pulled the door closed and locked it.

I angled toward the L, expecting Adam to follow. After a moment, I turned to find him lagging behind. I hurried back to him and made to snatch my bag, but he held it above his head, just out of my reach.

"Hey! You bought those for me, remember?" I put my hand on my hips, putting on my best angry face.

He laughed. "And I think it's only fair I get to see them all on you."

"I don't have time for this," I said, stepping back but not lowering my chin. "You should give me my bag so I can go."

I still needed to send that text. I cast a worried glance at the last hints of pink peeking through the skyscrapers.

"Only if you agree to a proper date with me." He flared a flirtatious eyebrow over his guy-linered eyes.

"You know what. Keep them." I spun on my heel and marched off, giving him the one-finger-salute over my shoulder. I had my replacement sweater on, and that was good enough for me.

When I turned a corner and out of Adam's sight, I broke into a sprint, looking for the nearest L platform. A train decked out with twinkling lights, Christmas trees, and Santa's sleigh, barreled past on the L above, broadcasting merry holiday tunes. On any other Christmas Eve, I'd be delighted to see the Holiday Train, but worry and hurry had me looking beyond it.

I spotted the accompanying platform and slowed, pulling my phone from my pocket. Twilight was gathering in husky blues, and my heart hammered against my chest as I sent a text to Gram saying I was going to be late. Hopefully, that little bit of forewarning, and the magic of Christmas, would ensure I got off easy.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and took off again, but a force slammed into me, sending me sprawling and knocking the wind out of me. Hand to my head, I tried to steady my vision, searching for the source of my collision.

What I saw sent ice through my already-chilled body.

The pale face smiling down at me bore a wicked grin—one that definitely didn't belong to my cocky goth stalker. Two sharp teeth glinted in the yellow glow of the streetlamp, dark hair styled into boyband perfection. But it was the eyes, with their red sinister glow, that turned my mouth to a desert wasteland.

The vampire took a deep breath, reveling in my helplessness.

"Ah, a witch," he said, his voice carrying a heavy accent. Australian, if I had to guess. "I haven't run across one of your kind in a while. I hear magic makes the blood exceptionally sweet."

"Wouldn't you rather have a shrimp on the barbie?" I snarked, trying to buy myself some time. That was something Australians said, right?

"You look like a shrimp, and I'd be happy to call you Barbie." His sinister sneer grew wider.

My breath came in hurried puffs, the light playing off the escaping steam. I had to get out, away from this red-eyed creep. I needed to use my magic, but the words escaped me .

I'm going to die.

Something caught the attention of the vampire, whose head snapped in the direction of whatever he'd sensed. I stumbled to my feet, tried to run, but the man cornering me was faster and stronger than I could ever hope to be. He wrapped me in a bear hug after barely a step, pinning my arms to my sides and hampering my frantic breaths.

"Mmm. Fast food," he said, then clamped down on my neck.

I screamed, flailing against the pain spiking in my neck. This was nothing like Julian's bite. This was a fucking nightmare!

I kicked and squirmed, but his icy limbs were like rocks, locking me in place. And my terror was just feeding him faster.

As he continued to draw my blood, a silky coolness filled my veins. A kind of lull dampened my mind, and I stopped struggling. I needed to escape, but why? This was nice, luxuriant, intoxicating. A shuddering sigh escaped my lips, and the strong arms hugging me loosened. Why had I thought his smile so different from Julian's? They were the same—dark, sexy, and with just the right promise of danger.

But the welcome lips at my neck produced a pulling sensation that sparked a memory, a frantic hammering just on the edge of my mind, screaming that this was wrong. It all felt so distant. Still, they shouted a series of sounds at me that my lips ached to produce.

"Wi di sa," I started in a whisper.

Warmth slid through me, fighting off the ice sloshing through my veins. The draining feeling in my neck slowed, then stopped, but my eyelids were still so heavy.

"Ma'at sheut asfet," I continued between shallow breaths. "Hekah mehhhhh." The final word drew out with the last of my weak breaths, and the strong arm holding me upright let go.

I fell to the ground, an unwelcome coldness chilling my legs, my hands, my face. My body took to coughing, and I pulled my knees to my chest to try to fight against the pain blossoming there. A stinging in my neck brought a hand to clamp over it, something warm and sticky coating my fingers. I scrunched my face.

I knew I needed to get up, get away, but my limbs were too weak to do more than limply push against the ground.

Reaching a hand into my pocket, I pulled my phone out. With fingers that trembled so badly I could hardly command them, I managed to open my messages and, one pain-staking letter at a time, typed at least what I thought was the word "help."

My arm collapsed to the ground, my skin scraping against the rough asphalt as it landed. My head rolled to the side, and I just lay there, trying to breathe as my heart weakly and slowly beat in my chest.

I don't know how long I stayed that way, hoping Caesar would get the message and come find me, hoping my spell would hold the vampire in place long enough for me to be saved, and then thinking nothing at all as my mind and senses dulled.

"Shea. Omigod, Shea!" I heard the familiar timber and felt strong arms lifting me forcing my eyes to open slightly.

Caesar's handsome face came into blurry view, and I could just barely recognize the deep concern in his eyes as they looked down at me.

"Imma fine," I mumbled, my head lolling back.

"Shea, hang in there. You're gonna be okay. Please, be okay. "

I tried to speak, to tell him about the vampire, but the words slurred and muffled against his firm chest. His musky scent was the last thing I took in before darkness claimed me completely.