Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
MIDNIGHT MEETING
CARSON
The art show was a smashing success. People actually attended, they liked my work—I even sold a few pieces—and Orie the mysterious demoness showed up. I wasn’t so sure if she would or not, but Gods, am I glad she did.
She is even more radiant in the sunlight than I could imagine. The way her skin practically glistened and looked so very smooth, I think it’s my new favorite color.
The only thing that didn’t go to plan was Orie disappearing into the crowd shortly after I unveiled my first ever masterpiece. Being able to watch her view it definitely confirmed that those eyes from the forest are hers.
I mean, they have to be.
She looked completely shocked when she saw my painting, her eyes going wide and sparkling, just how I painted them. Now I’m at a crossroads, though. Do I go to her store and blatantly ask her why she’s been watching me, or do I just try to get to know her without bringing up the, well, stalking?
Actually…I’ll go to the woods.
I mean, it’s the perfect idea. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve felt the sensation of being watched at some point. If I can catch her, or at least, the eyes, I can say something in the moment.
This time, I don’t even think I’ll bring my art supplies. Purely an adventure for me. If I happen to see something that I want to paint, I’ll go back tomorrow.
Snatching my jacket off the back of the chair, I pull it on. While the days are still nice and warm, the evenings really cool down. The light breezes that comes and goes is a telltale sign of the incoming crisp fall air.
Summer brings vibrant colors to the world: bright blue skies, flowers in reds, purples, and pinks, green grass that shines in the sunlight. The best part is the sunsets, the way the sky is painted with rich colors that meld together.
Fall brings a different beauty, with rich reds and oranges, accompanied by browns that exude warmth even in the cool temperatures. Leaves fall from the trees and decorate the ground, hiding the fading greens from view.
I bet the conservation area will look so picturesque when the leaves start to change. Oh, and I can only imagine how all the tall trees will look when icicles dangle from their branches, reflecting sunbeams against snow-covered rocks and frozen water.
A chill runs down my back, and I’m abruptly drawn from my thoughts. Looking around, I’m deeper in the forest than I realized. I was so lost in thought, my feet took me carelessly forward.
Nothing around me looks familiar. The trees are denser, and I don’t see a path anywhere, not even below my feet. How did I veer off course so quickly? I really need to pay more attention to where I’m going.
I should probably keep moving. No sense in standing still, that won’t get me anywhere.
As I venture onward, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, the darkness seeming to thicken around me. The sensation of eyes on me returns, but it doesn’t feel the same as normal. It feels more dangerous.
Slowly, I stop walking, breathing as quietly as I can while scanning my surroundings. My gaze meets another in the shadows, but these eyes are not the ones I saw before. These are different.
Hazel colored.
More round.
The pupils are a different shape.
And there’s a face attached to them—the face of a bobcat.
It emerges from the shadows, and if it weren’t approaching me with hunger in its eyes, I’d think it’s kind of cute. I mean, just look at those giant murder mittens.
“Hey, big kitty…” I keep my voice soft and don’t move a muscle. “I thought bobcats didn’t attack humans.”
Suddenly, the bobcat freezes, and its focus shifts past me. Oh Gods, is there something else here with us? Something bigger than it, or me?
The bobcat retreats cautiously, and I hear footsteps behind me—so it’s not another bobcat, which walked silently. What could it be, though? Are there wolves out here? Bears?
With a dash, the bobcat darts away, and I slowly turn to see what else lurks in this part of the woods. All the panic inside me instantly rushes away as I see Orie approaching me slowly.
“Orie, what are you doing out here?” I ask, letting out a sigh of relief.
She stops moving, crossing her arms. “That bobcat was protecting her babies, which are only about ten feet away from you.”
Well, that doesn’t answer my question. Not at all.
“How could you even see that? And where did you come from?” I try my luck again, stepping toward her and giving her a smile.
Her lips thin for a moment, and she looks me up and down. Before she says anything, she releases a deep, frustrated breath. “Shadow demons have perfect vision in the dark, and our senses are more heightened than humans.”
“What about my other question?” I scan her face closely, looking for any window into her soul—looking for something that will tell me what the answer really is.
As her tail flicks behind her, there’s a moment of silence before she speaks. “I think you know the answer already.”
So, she has been watching me.
“Why have you been following me? How do you do it so quickly, so stealthily?” The questions flow out before I can control them, but I still let my lips curve up.
Having someone stalk me should frighten me or stress me out…but since it’s her, it doesn’t bother me at all. It actually entices me more, as if her beauty and icy demeanor weren’t enough to pique my interest.
She shrugs, averting her eyes. “I don’t know why, and I use one of my demon abilities. I can travel through shadows to cover distance quickly, as well disguise myself in the shadows.”
How does she not know why she’s been following me? Maybe she’s just not telling me, or she’s worried about my reaction—as I would be if I got caught stalking someone.
“It doesn’t bother me, by the way,” I say quickly, rubbing the back of my neck and giving her a toothy grin.
Her head tilts to the side as she raises a brow. “Maybe it should.”
I mimic her, raising one brow. “Why? Do you plan on hurting me or something?”
Even now, there’s not an ounce of fear in my body. No chill runs through my bones. Face-to-face with the eyes that have been raising the hairs on my neck, I actually feel really calm.
“I did briefly contemplate killing you.” The words flow so casually from her mouth that they almost don’t register.
Almost. My smile falters, my eyes widening as my mind fights with my tongue to find the words. “You…what?”
She shrugs, turning her shoulders slightly away from me, as if preparing to leave. “Clearly, I’m not going through with that, at least not yet.”
Okay, slightly unsettling, but maybe she has a dark sense of humor. Maybe I just don’t quite get her yet—but I want to.
Everything about her is alluring, even if the comment about maybe killing me makes me intrigued. Slightly fearful of what she’s capable, but that’s minor. A little bit of fear is something I want to feel with my muse.
And that’s still who she is, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
“So, once we’re out of the woods, can I take you out sometime?” Hopefully, my forwardness earns me some brownie points.
The hard expression on her face finally breaks, her stunning eyes widening and her tail flicking rapidly behind her. She scans my face, the corner of her lips curving upward to show just a hint of what I can tell is a smile I will be falling for.
She lets out a gentle, scoff-like laugh. “I just told you I contemplated killing you, and you want to take me out?”
“If you let me.” I nod, my heart pounding.
Can she hear it? How heightened are her demon senses? Why would I want to hide the way she makes my heart soar?
Within seconds, she makes my heart crack, shaking her head. “You don’t even know me.”
Oh, my muse, how I yearn to know you. The ins and outs. The things that make you tick, the things that make you smile, even the things that make you cry.
But that’s too much to say right now…even after the things she’s admitted tonight.
“Let me get to know you, Orie,” I say softly, attempting to charm her and also not be too pushy.
Her eyes travel slowly over me, making my skin feel like fire beneath my jacket, which I wish I could rip off right about now.
The way my blood feels as if it’s flowing more freely…
my dick begins to betray me. I fight against everything inside of me to not get an erection while in the middle of the woods with the woman I’m trying to woo.
“I’ll think about it.” She turns slowly, her tail moving in a mesmerizing way. “Now, follow me—unless you wanted to spend the night out here with the bobcats.”
I’d spend the night out here with her, though minus the bobcats. Unfortunately, that isn’t an option.
As she walks away, I follow closely, trying to maintain control over my thoughts—and eyes. But those hips, that ass, and the tail that almost seems to dance…
There’s no doubt about it; she is my muse.