Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Xander
Noah.
My mind doesn’t stray far from the adorable, red-haired, young man who now resides in my house. I bite back a smile as I pick a few towels and washcloths from the shelf and throw them in my basket.
The store is quiet this time of day as I browse the endless options of supplies. I’ve already chosen a simple black bedspread for Noah and some other amenities I think he’d appreciate.
Is it weird? Sure. Will Noah think I'm a complete creep for doing all of this?
Probably. But I can't get past the two sad-looking suitcases I had carried up to the front door. I would have taken them straight to his room, but it’s been a very long time since I've spent much time around someone…
living. And the last thing I want is to be any weirder than I already have been around Noah.
Little does the young man know that I've seen him before. In drifting thoughts and passing scents that are carried in the wind. Every time I’ve wandered the forest beyond Moonfell, I've caught his scent. Yet it was always faint, like a whisper about to be spoken.
I’ve seen his locks of red hair in dreams, like a blur on the horizon. And his bright green eyes I see everywhere. In the mountains, and the first light of day. Even in the corner of my eye, I've captured only a flicker before it disappears.
I’d been taking my usual circuit around my territory when I scented him. Not a wisp of fresh air but a lungful of spice and vanilla. So, of course, I tracked him down to the gas station earlier today and watched from the tree line.
I couldn’t take my eyes away from his tiny frame as he leaned against his car with his phone in his hand and a sad look in his eyes.
So when my phone buzzed with a new application, and his face popped up on the profile, I didn't think twice before accepting. My entire body shook with anticipation to meet the man who had been following my subconscious everywhere.
And now here he is. Living under my roof, where he’ll be sleeping a few feet from me every night and filling every room with his mouthwatering scent.
I shake my head clear of my racing thoughts before they turn into something inappropriate towards someone I met less than an hour ago. Yet I can't ignore the way the air around him shifted with spice and lust as his gaze swept over me. It’s undeniable he’s attracted to me.
I grin to myself and take my haul of supplies to the counter and pay. Even with the cashier chatting away about the weather, I can barely focus on the words that tumble from her mouth. Instead, like a lovesick schoolboy, my thoughts float to Noah, and I wonder exactly why he’s suddenly here.
I must ask him. I want to know everything about him. His childhood, his hobbies, the movies he likes, and the food he hates. Maybe I should cook for him. Would that be weird?
The rain has turned into a drizzle as I step onto the sidewalk and pull out the keys to my bike. My helmet sits on the seat just where I left it. The joys of a small town. Collecting it and slotting it over my head, I throw my leg over my bike and start it up, before racing back home.
My heart thumps in my chest as I weave down the suburban streets until I glimpse the dark looming shutters of my house and Noah’s bright yellow car still parked before the driveway. I check the front door and notice his bags are gone.
I guess he found them after all. Yet I still sniff the air, checking for anything beyond the ordinary. I catch the new scent of Noah and Pumpkin and even the faint hint of Nyx, but she isn’t nearby.
As I pull into the driveway, looking up at the windows lining the hallway, I notice a shadow passing right in front of Noah’s bedroom door, but it’s not him. For a second, I tense, my jaw aching as my fangs try to descend, but I grind my teeth tightly.
“Nyx!” I hiss, knowing she’d hear my voice over the growl of my bike, but she doesn’t appear. I roll my eyes as I slide into the empty spot next to my car and kill the engine. “Useless cat.”
Nyx has a very specific job, and she seems to be taking a day off if there are shadows wandering in my residence.
Pulling my helmet and riding jacket off, I suck in a deep breath.
Noah’s vanilla fragrance coats the back of my throat, and I instantly relax.
Out of the millions of humans wandering this planet and the many more supernatural creatures, Noah seems to be the only one who has this effect on me.
As if my soul has known him far longer than I have myself.
Stepping into the house, Pumpkin comes bounding down the stairs with a cheerful chirp and wraps himself around my ankle, begging for pats.
I rub between his ears, “Hey, dude. Where’s Noah?”
Ignoring me, Pumpkin begins to purr and lifts his tail, showing me a clear view of his butthole. I chuckle, “Cats.”
Closing the garage door behind me and hurrying down the entryway, I pull the bag of supplies from my shoulder and climb the stairs until a sickly-sweet scent fills my nose. I freeze. The wooden banister groans under my grip, and my fangs descend with a snap, cutting my own tongue in the process.
Blood.
The house is silent, except for Pumpkin's purr and Noah’s scent, but the overwhelming fragrance of fresh blood has me speeding up the stairs at a supernatural pace and slamming my knuckles against Noah’s door.
With my heart in my throat, I barely hold myself back from ripping the door from the hinges, before Noah is pulling it open with a worried look filling his adorable heart-shaped face.
“Xander? Is everything alright?” Noah asks, clutching the door and looking all too apologetic for someone who has every right to be angered by my rudeness of barging in.
“Are you hurt?” I cover my mouth with the back of my hand, hiding my teeth.
Noah gives me an adorable head tilt, his eyes moving up and down my face.
“Uh… I scraped my knee when I tripped up the stairs.” Uncertainty fills his voice before his eyes widen and he claps a hand over his mouth.
“Oh, no! Did I damage something? I’m so sorry, I'll pay for it to get fixed!” He tries to slide past me, but I strike a hand out, blocking his exit.
God, I need more practice at this whole ‘interacting with humans’ thing.
“No,” I struggle to form a sentence, my lips brushing the back of my hand. I force my fangs to return to their resting spot, feeling the way my blunt teeth slide into place with a silent crunch that only I can hear. I drop my hand, giving him a tentative smile. “I thought you’d want these.”
I hold out the bag, and Noah takes it slowly, his finger knocking mine, and a shiver crosses my skin. He peers inside, and his entire face lights up. I take in the way his dimples bloom in his cheeks, the way his green eyes seem to flare with life, and the toothy smile I want to see every day.
“These are great! Thank you!” Noah pulls out the bedsheets and towels, already making his way to the bathroom to deposit them while dropping the box of bedding onto the mattress.
His giggle is so sweet when he finds the last few items. Vanilla-scented toiletries and a block of dark chocolate.
“You didn’t have to do this, Xander.” Noah smiles warmly at me, but I catch the hint of sadness in his eyes.
“It’s nothing, really.” I bite the inside of my cheek. It’s a damn lie. It’s everything. I could buy Noah a gift every day and never grow tired of doing it. I’d make him breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it meant he’d stay here.
Noah’s eyes fill with clear tears, and he wipes them with the back of his hand. “Thank you.”
I take a step forward only to realize how strange it would be for me to walk right over to him and wipe his tears for him. I'm sure if I did, he’d be packing his bags, snagging his cat, and throwing the block of chocolate at my head.
Instead, I busy my hands and clear my throat. “Did you have plans tonight? I was thinking of making chicken alfredo.”
The laugh that fills the air is like music to my ears. “That sounds great, Xander. Again, thank you for all of this and for letting me live here.”
I nod and quickly turn before I make a complete fool of myself. Heading down the stairs, I smile to myself as I catch Noah’s whisper.
“Please don't be a dream.”
His cheerful giggle follows me all the way into the kitchen, where I pull out all the ingredients needed for dinner. My mind whirls as I pull the faint memory of the recipe to the front of my thoughts and begin preparing the chicken.
As I make my way through the steps, keeping the sauce thick and the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, I focus on the light footsteps from Noah’s room. If he isn’t humming, he’s talking to himself, and I find his mind fascinating.
The sun sets quickly, casting the house into a deeper stretch of darkness, and the shadow from before moves across my peripheral.
“That smells so good,” Noah calls out as he descends into the kitchen and takes a seat at one of the barstools. “Is there anything I can do?”
I fold the pasta into the creamy sauce and add the seasoned chicken chunks. “Not at all; it’s ready.”
I dish our dinner into bowls and hand him a fork. Noah thanks me again and digs in, groaning, and my body heats up.
“Oh, yeah. This is so good.” He speaks around a mouthful of pasta. I chuckle and take a bite of my own. Normal food doesn’t do much for me, besides taste and texture; only blood nourishes me. But it is nice to have an excuse to eat food for once.
The house is quiet as we eat, and I find I can't take my eyes away from the man who sits across from me at the kitchen island.
He looks so young, yet his eyes tell me he’s lived through enough. They look tired despite their warm shine.
“So what brought you to Moonfell?” I ask.
Noah’s fork is an inch from his lips as he suddenly stops and puts it back in his bowl. His scent turns sour, and I wonder if I've just overstepped.
“It was a break-up. My ex-boyfriend, Richard, kicked me out of his apartment.” Noah continues, his voice strained as if he’s holding back tears. “I guess I just stumbled upon Moonfell. I didn’t even know it existed until this morning.”
I nod my head, understanding him as best as I can. It’s been so long since I've had a lover. Let alone a break-up. Since I was turned, I've been relatively busy dealing with the supernatural world.
“I’m sorry about your break-up; that must hurt.” I manage to string a sentence out that sounds close enough to normal. It isn’t like I have any experience consoling grieving humans after they’ve been dumped.
Noah nods and continues to eat, but he isn't quiet for long. “Richard was a dick.” He giggles, and I realize the pun. I chuckle too.
“But tell me about yourself, Xander.” Noah smiles shyly up at me.
My heart skips a beat. Shit. I didn’t think this through.
This little human has me so infatuated, I completely forgot to prepare my alibi.
I can’t outright tell him I'm a two-century-old vampire that spends his time walking the boundary of his territory and scaring away the spirits that wander through town.
“I work in security,” I manage. It’s close enough.
Noah’s brows shoot up, his gaze traversing the expanse of my chest before he blushes and scratches the back of his neck. “I guess that’s why you're built like a bodybuilder.”
I smile and take another bite of pasta. “What about you?”
Noah’s face lights up just as it did upstairs, and his smile lightens the house's darkness. “I’m an author. I write romance novels.”
I nearly shake my head in awe. He’s gorgeous, thoughtful, and creative. “That’s fantastic. I’d love to read your work.”
Noah’s smile turns shy, and his cheeks heat a pretty pink as his gaze solidifies on his half-eaten bowl of pasta. “It’s um… I write gay romance. Specifically fantasy.”
I quirk a brow. “What kind of fantasy?”
Noah lets out a breathy chuckle, his eyes meeting mine. “Werewolves and vampires. That kind of stuff.”
I grin. “In that case, I'd absolutely love to read your books.”
Just as he’s about to respond, the sudden shift of air explodes through the house, and every hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Noah twists in his seat, and I follow his gaze; my jaw ticks.
In the darkness of the living room, two glowing red eyes peer back at us, following our every move. Specifically, Noah’s.
“What the hell is that?” He hisses, not taking his eyes away from the onlooker. My gut churns, and I nearly pick up the spatula from the sink, ready to toss it into the void.
With a black and white tuxedo fur coat, Nyx saunters into the light of the kitchen. She meows up at me with two sharp fangs and stretches lazily.
“Is that your cat? She’s the size of a horse!” Noah proclaims, still unmoving from his spot. He isn't entirely wrong. With Nyx reaching my knees, she’s far larger than any domesticated cat.
Another meow erupts from the top of the steps, and Pumpkin comes racing down, his tail flicking wildly behind him, only to come face to face with Nyx, who towers over him. Her thick coat makes her look three times the size of the tabby.
The duo simply sniffs at each other, and I tense, expecting at least a hiss or two, but for a few strained heartbeats, Pumpkin slides his cheek against Nyx. She lifts a paw as if unsure what is going on before she takes a seat and lets him brush up against her flank.
“Aww, they like each other,” Noah coos, and I let out a relieved sigh. If I had known Nyx was going to return from the underworld, I would have made sure to let Noah know to keep Pumpkin locked away until she settled. But I guess it all worked out in the end.
We both sit in an easy silence as we finish our meals and watch the two cats get to know one another. If Pumpkin could smile, he would be, by the cheerful chirps he lets out as Nyx finally gives him a few tentative licks. Her tongue covers at least half of his furry face.
Noah giggles, and I find myself once again unable to tear my gaze away from him.
I want to know more. No, I need to know more about him.
From what he’s shared so far, his previous relationship was reasonably terrible, but I can't help the weight that grows in my stomach as I wonder exactly how terrible it was.
For him to have found Moonfell, he must have been desperate to get away.
Moonfell isn't a town that appears on any map. It’s shrouded in supernatural barriers, allowing only those who seek peace and safety from the world beyond the mountains to enter. The town is mostly inhabited by supernatural beings, but there is a small pocket of humans.
As I watch my new roommate coo at the cats with a gentle smile on his lips, I itch to find out exactly what he was running from. And I silently promise myself I will do everything in my power to protect him from whatever it might be.