16. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Aiden
O f course, we couldn’t manage to get from point A to point B without interference. I guess that was too much to ask for. No, that would have been too easy, especially in a small town like this one.
Everyone always likes to boast about small-town charm, but what they don’t tell you is it doesn’t work that way if you’re different. If you don’t fall in line with socially acceptable terms. People like to degrade and belittle things that they don’t understand or that make them feel uncomfortable.
My very presence always seems to challenge people’s comfort. Whether it’s the way that I dress or the eyeliner I wear, maybe it’s the fact that I’m attracted to guys. I have always been too much for most people. It’s always something, and people don’t seem to understand that that’s why I self-isolate.
“Halloween is over freak,” as far as insults are concerned, I’m not too impressed with this one. Though it gets rather old from hearing it so often. These fuckers really need to get better insults. My gaze darts toward the sound of the voice from a knee-jerk reaction.
The man from across the street glares right at me like I officially offended him by my existence. Well, excuse the fuck out of me for taking up space. This trucker-looking fucker with the backward ballcap and red flannel gives me the hibby jibbies. Some serious Rusty Nails vibes going on for sure.
I let out a little disappointed sigh because really fuck this asshole, and try my best to ignore the shit stain of this world. It doesn’t take long for him to cross the street grunting like a pig on a mission to get to us. This is exactly why I try my best to avoid human contact at all costs. Calder growls under his breath even as he follows my lead.
I can tell he wants to do more than just ignore this guy. All I want to do is get to his house so that we can pick up where we left off back at my place.
“Hey freak,” the guy snarls, “I’m talking to you!” Oh really, I couldn’t tell by you hollering on the other side of the street.
“And I’m ignoring you,” I huff out in exasperation, “why can’t people ever take the hint?”
Calder snickers by my side and wraps his arm around my shoulder pulling me closer.
“Great, another freak and fucking faeries to boot,” the man grunts out. His beer belly jiggles as he steps closer, and I shudder. I grit my teeth until they feel like they’re about to break. I force one foot in front of the other in a desperate attempt to get away from this horrid human.
“Fuck off,” I grit out as my irritation continues to rise.
I guess the man didn’t like being ignored or maybe he didn’t like my comment. He grabs the back of my hood yanking me out from Calder’s grasp and nearly choking me in the process. I’m so stunned that it takes my brain a long moment to catch up to what’s going on.
I stumble on clumsy feet at the sudden movement, and I glance up in time as the man punches me in the gut. It all feels like it’s happening in slow motion. The sneer on the guy’s face, Calder’s shocked expression, and then the attack. The air in my lungs knocks out of me and I shut my eyes tightly as I try not to throw up.
I’m ripped around back and forth like a fucking ragdoll as I try my best to stay on my feet. A vicious snarl has my eyes slitting open to find Calder’s face distorted in rage. He looks like he’s ready to murder this guy, and I’m right there with him. His red eyes seem to burn with his anger as he bares his sharp glistening fangs at the man.
I hear a sharp intake of breath beside me as the man stumbles back a step with me still his in firm grasp. He seemed to have completely forgotten about me in favor of the real threat here. My brain seems to have a hard time catching up to what’s going on right now. I never would have thought Calder had it in him.
He doesn’t seem like the type to become overly aggressive. Ever since being in his presence, he’s always been so soft-spoken and kind. I mean, even Eve couldn’t get a rise out of him. He seems like the type that would rather use his words than his fists. So, this new version of him is like a shock to my system, but I find myself not at all afraid.
Calder’s chest heaves with his anger making him look larger as his shirt stretches against his tense bulging muscles. The veins in his neck pulse and his hands clench at his sides.
“Let him go,” he grits out through a clenched jaw.
“What are you going to do about it,” the other man asks in a dismissive tone, clearly too stupid for his own good. He obviously doesn’t sense the danger that he’s in.
In a flash of movement, I’m ripped away from the man and pulled behind Calder’s larger frame. It’s so fast that I’m left spinning, but I feel his hand run down my arm as if to relax my frazzled nerves. A high-pitched scream breaks off in the middle. I blink a couple of times before slowly peering around Calder. My eyes widen and my brows shoot up in surprise at the sight before me.
Calder’s hand is wrapped around the man’s throat crushing it in the palm of his hand. He has him lifted off the ground with his vampire strength like he weighs nothing. It’s an impressive sight. The man’s face is bright red as he kicks his legs trying to break free. His hands struggle to get Calder to release him yanking feebly against his hold. He pulls the man closer under their noses are almost touching.
“What makes you think in your little fucking brain that you have the right to touch what is mine ,” he grits out in a venom-laced tone. Swoon. My stomach dips with Calder’s words and I don’t think I’ve ever been this turned on in my entire life.
The man’s eyes widen in terror as he opens and closes his mouth like a gaping idiot and his face turns a rather unappealing shade of deep red. A little vicious part of me is whispering in my ear for Calder to make him pay. Though a loud part is screaming at me that I need to stop this before it gets even more out of hand.
“Calder, I don’t think he can answer you with your hand cutting off his air supply,” I mutter. Damn me for having a conscious. The guy clearly deserves to learn a lesson, but I guess it isn’t death.
Calder glances back at me with a knowing smirk as if he heard all the bad thoughts running around inside my head, “Who said I wanted to hear his answer?” A shiver runs through my body, and I shift closer to him almost as if subconsciously needing to be closer.
Before I can even say anything, he turns back around and sinks his fangs into the man’s throat with brutal efficiency. A little gasp escapes my throat. Well, I guess that’s one way to solve a problem.
“Are you going to kill him,” I mutter as my gaze darts around the currently empty street that we’re on.
Calder pulls back dropping the man like a sack of potatoes onto the concrete.
“Is that what you want, little bat?” I scoff my shoe against the asphalt as I think it over.
“I mean, I guess it’s up to you,” I shrug.
“I shouldn’t,” he grumbles swiping his sleeve over his mouth to wipe the blood away, “he’s definitely not worth it. He tastes fucking foul and I’m sure Marcus would have a fit.” “What does Marcus have to do with any of this,” I huff out in irritation.
“Aiden,” he huffs out with a sigh before shaking his head like he doesn’t know what to do with me.
“Don’t Aiden me,” I grumble, “and you didn’t answer my question.” He makes a sound in the back of his throat as he looks over his shoulder back at me.
“You know, you really don’t need to be jealous of Marcus,” he mumbles, “we’re just friends.”
Okay, so I’m not over the whole jealousy thing, so sue me. I let out a little noise of frustration and Calder pulled me to him clutching my shoulders. He looks me over without answering my question which makes my eye twitch.
Apparently, we’re just going to be ignoring the unconscious body lying on the sidewalk now.
“I’m fine,” I grumble pushing away his hands a little harder than need be.
“No, you’re not,” he snarks back, “no one has the right to put their hands on you like that.”
“Well, I mean that’s a given,” I say sarcastically, “can we go now.”
“Yeah, little bat,” he mumbles reluctantly looking me up and down one more time before he lets out a sigh. He gently pulls me to him tucking me into his side.
“I’m sorry,” Calder mumbles after a couple of awkward moments pass by as we continue walking down the street like nothing even happened.
“It’s fine. I’ve had worst.” When you deal with situations like this all the time you become desensitized to it, I suppose. I try my best to come off as nonchalant, but I can tell it doesn’t really land its mark.
His whole body tenses at that little confession, “I won’t let anything happen to you again. You shouldn’t have to deal with the worst. You shouldn’t even have to deal with that at all. It’s not right.” His heated words have the backs of my eyes burning with suppressed emotion. I shrug my shoulders, because really what the hell am I supposed to say to that? He comes to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk and looks down at me.
His warm hand cups my cheek and I press into his touch closing my eyes. The emotion is back with a vengeance, and I have to bite down on my cheek to hold it back.
“So, do you think that guy’s dead,” I mumbled breaking the silence without moving away as well as trying to switch the subject.
I can’t help but be completely content to feel his warmth against me. Calder lets out a scoff before responding, “Yeah, he’s fine. He’ll probably wake up with a headache, but really that’s the least of what he actually deserves.”
“Good to know,” I say leaning back and looking up at him.
“I’m serious, Aiden,” he pulls me into his chest wrapping his arms around me, “You deserve to be able to walk down the street without having to worry about someone attacking you. How many times has this happened?”
“Umm…” I hesitate to answer.
“You didn’t even seem phased by it,” he grits out without even letting me answer. I don’t really mind though since I didn’t want to answer anyway, and the anger is back in his eyes. I could tell it wouldn’t have mattered if I had answered him because he already knew.
For a second, I think he’s going to go back and find that guy for another round. Is wrong that I got a little thrill of excitement from the thought of it? The way Calder mercilessly attacked that man. I’ve never had another person stand up for me. That’s probably why I’m such a snarky little shit.
“I’m not phased because it happened, Calder. It happens more than I’d like to admit,” I mutter the truth tugging on my hoodie with a self-conscious nervousness swirling through me. He goes to open his mouth again, but I cut off his words before he even has a chance to get them out.
“Can we just drop it?”
He searches my expression and whatever he finds there must be enough for him to relent with a nod.
“Okay, little bat,” he murmurs, “let’s get home. I need to wash that guy’s blood out of my mouth and then we need to figure out when we’re leaving for New York. The sooner the better.”
I want to argue, but I know he’s right, so I keep my mouth closed.