CHAPTER THREE - Who the Hell is She?

Gabriel’s POV

What the fuck was that? I stormed into my house and headed straight to the fridge. I grabbed a beer and chugged. I was pissed out of my mind. Who the hell is she?

After she ran away from me and I managed to pull my head out of my ass, I quickly got in my car and tried to find her. I was out of luck, of course. After an hour of driving around the town like a crazy person, I decided to go home. I was risking being caught by those fire-loving fuckers.

I had seen a lot of pretty women in my life. Fucked a lot of them. But never in my life was I frozen and speechless by just looking into the eyes of one. It was driving me crazy.

What confused me, even more, was that I didn’t want to fuck her. I mean, she was gorgeous. Small, curvy, silky hair, round lips, and those mesmerizing green eyes. But I didn’t want to fuck her. I just wanted to be with her. Talk to her. Protect her. And that scared the crap out of me.

I even thought she charmed me. I mean she was a witch after all. But I would have recognized the spell being thrown my way. My grandma taught me well. And if she wanted me, she would have stayed. She looked like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. It definitely wasn’t a spell. But what was it then?

“FUCK,” I screamed and threw a beer bottle into the wall.

I need to calm down. I went upstairs and took a cold shower. I stayed under the cold water long enough to freeze my bones. I was finally calm enough to go downstairs and order a pizza. I hadn’t eaten anything today and if I wanted to drink hard liquor tonight, I had to be prepared.

I glanced at the clock in my kitchen. It was 8 pm. Nick would probably come around 9:30. The club opens at 10 and we had to go through security first.

The owner, Sebastian Davis, a vampire, was my old boxing coach. He always said I was like a son to him. He and his wife Eva couldn’t have children. He started coaching me when I was just 7 years old and was my coach until I quit about a year and a half ago. So, I understood why he thought of me as his child. He was a big part of my life and he watched me growing up. I don’t see him as my family. He was an okay guy, but the vampire thing always gave me the creeps. He was a great coach though, and he was an even better provider of fun nights and unlimited alcohol for me and Nick. The only thing he asked in return was for me to sort out any fights that occur in the club. He says I should at least use what he taught me if I was going to empty his fridge.

I ordered a pizza and opened a beer. I was going to drown those green eyes in so much alcohol today that I won’t remember them tomorrow. That was the best damn plan I could think of.

When I finished eating, I went to my bedroom to find something to wear. I ended up wearing blue jeans and a black shirt. I was just tying my shoelaces when I heard doors opening downstairs.

“Gabe, for fuck’s sake, what the hell happened here?” Nick yelled.

I knew he was referring to the broken beer bottle I didn’t clean up.

“I had a small anger issue,” I answered, coming downstairs.

“Why now?” he frowned.

I debated if I should tell him about her. He could help me find her. If I even wanted to. If she managed to fuck me up in those 10 seconds I saw her, I didn’t want to know what she would do to me if she was around me longer.

“Earth to Gabriel?” Nick said, waving his hands in front of my face.

“Stop that. I will tell you,” I caught his hands and gestured towards the couch.

“Sit. You want a beer?”

“Yeah man, sure. You are freaking me out. What happened?” he looked worried.

I grabbed two beer bottles from the fridge and sat on the sofa.

“I met a girl today,” I sighed.

Nick laughed, “That’s it? Man, I thought somebody died. Why are you this angry? What’s got your panties in a bunch?” he teased.

I looked at him coldly.

“Wow, Gabe, chill. No need to look at me like that. Tell me what happened.”

I quickly told him about her and when I finished, he was intrigued.

“Well, I never saw you this worked up over a girl. Are you sure you don’t want to fuck her? Because I will man. She sounds delicious,” he said, licking his lips.

The intensity of rage that hit me after what he said surprised even me. Delicious? Was he a fucking vampire?

“You. Will. Not. Touch. One. Hair. On. Her. Head,” I said, emphasizing each word.

I must have looked terrifying because for the first time in my life I saw Nick feared me. I quickly tried to get a grip on my emotions. I didn’t want to make Nick feel uncomfortable. I don’t know what was happening to me.

“Gabriel, man, it was just a joke. I will not touch her with a ten-foot pole, okay?” he said carefully.

“Sorry, Nick. I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” I sighed.

“It’s okay, man. Look, let's go out tonight. Let’s get drunk, fuck something and first thing tomorrow morning I will help you find her. You said she had a pretty big bag with her, right?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe she just came into the city. Maybe she is staying in a hotel. We could start asking around in some of the hotels near that hair salon,” he suggested.

It actually wasn’t a bad idea. I could look for her. Try to find out who she was. Why did she mess me up this much? I’m still not sure if I even want to find her. Maybe I will be smarter in the morning.

“Yeah, Nick. That’s a great idea man. Thanks.”

“Anytime bro. Let’s go. We are so going to get fucked up tonight.”

We left my house and hopped in Nick’s car. Tonight, I was drinking and fucking. Tomorrow, I will find her.

Aria’s POV

The first thing that came into my head when I woke up was that I wasn’t in my bed. I don’t remember going anywhere last night. Where was I? My dreams were terrible. I dreamt of fire, death, and walking aimlessly around the woods.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a hotel room. I started to remember what had happened yesterday. My grandma was gone. My village didn’t exist anymore. I was in Moon City trying to find Claudia Richardson and my childhood friend Annie. Tears started falling down my cheeks. It wasn’t a dream. I turned to my side and hugged my knees. I was alone.

The reality of the events that happened yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks. I was alone in a city filled with hunters trying to find my friend who I haven’t spoken to in years and a woman who I don’t even know. I wasn’t ready for this. I was going to make a mistake and end up tied to a pole in the middle of a city square.

I couldn’t breathe. I got up and ran to a window. I opened it and took a few deep breaths. It calmed me a bit.

I turned around and looked at the clock. It was 7 am. I slept for over 12 hours. I was not surprised. I was exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. As if what happened in my village wasn’t enough, I ran into the most terrifying man and got myself another dose of fear.

I need to pull myself together. I have to find Annie. I will feel better when I see a familiar face.

I got dressed. It was cold outside, so I put on my jeans, my sneakers, and my warm sweater. I grabbed my phone, jacket, wallet, and room key and I walked downstairs.

I saw Ian’s smiling face and I already felt a little bit better.

“Good morning, Aria.”

“Hey, Ian. It’s nice to see you,” I said, smiling at him and handing him my room key.

I didn’t want to risk losing it.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, putting my room key in a safe.

“Great, thanks. Hey, do you know any good places I could get breakfast around here?”

I was getting hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning.

“Yeah, there is a great bakery just around the corner from here. Pete’s. Pete is the owner. He is a great guy, and he makes the best coffee. You can sit and eat inside. Make sure to get a donut. It is the best,” he told me.

“Thank you, Ian. I will definitely get a donut,” I smiled.

“I wish I could go with you,” he smiled at me significantly, “but I have a lot to do here.”

“It’s okay, Ian. Maybe another time,” I smiled and turned around.

“Definitely another time. Bye Aria,” he yelled after me.

I smiled and waved at him.

The bakery was close by. I got inside and was welcomed by so many amazing smells. A chubby middle-aged man smiled at me. That must be Pete.

“Hello, beautiful. What can I get you?”

“Hello, Sir,” I said politely. “I would like one coffee with cream and sugar and one donut. My friend Ian said they are the best.”

“Ah, Ian,” Pete smiled. “He is one of my best customers. I would have to thank him for sending such a charming young woman to my humble shop.”

“And I will have to thank him for recommending such a lovely place,” I smiled as I took my order.

Pete winked at me. He was a warlock. I wonder if Ian knew. Or if he even believed in supernatural beings. Pete knew I was a witch. I could tell by the way he emphasized the word “charming”.

It wasn’t hard for us to recognize the supernatural. We smelled different. Only humans couldn’t tell. Their sense of smell wasn’t as powerful as ours.

I sat close to a window and looked outside. The city was charming. Nature was a big part of the city’s design. Buildings were big and modern and if there weren’t parks everywhere it would look like an ocean of concrete. I liked it. I was always a fan of modern, minimalist designs. But I also loved nature. If the city’s main square wasn’t turned into an execution stage, I could see myself living here. But the smell of burning human flesh was omnipresent in the air and it made me sick.

I finished my breakfast. Ian was right. Pete’s donuts were amazing. I paid and said my goodbyes to Pete.

“Be careful, beautiful,” Pete advised me as I was getting out.

He was giving me the look ‘I know you are a witch, please don’t get caught’ kind of look.

“I will. Thank you, Pete,” I smiled and left. It was time to find Annie.