DF Chapter 22

It had started with a kiss and ended in a claim. Now that Zane had tasted her blood, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Others like him wouldn’t touch her; his scent already flowed through her blood. There was only one step left, a step he wouldn’t take until she was ready. In the end, though, it made Zane want to roar with victory. Kalina Johnson was his and no one could take that from him.

 

The situation with Kalina’s father had been controlled artfully. Other than the first out burst, no voices had been raised. Zane answered each of the man’s questions with ease, only gained from years of experience. His intentions with Kalina were only pure, in a vampire way. But to reassure the man, Zane explained that Kalina made him happy and he only meant to return the favor.

 

It caused Kalina to wonder, though. Did Zane use his vampire abilities on her father? Or was he that experience with daughter’s fathers? If it was the experience, Kalina was slightly nervous over her own lack of it.

 

“And we are doing this why?” Zane’s voice pulled Kalina back to the present. They walked past the booths toward a large house. It had been decorated for the holidays, providing the best “haunted” house in the state. Kalina, Reen, and May have been going to the house every year since they were six. Even after they learned what truly went bump in the night, they went to be spooked.

 

“Tradition,” Kalina answered with a smile. “We know they are only weak imitations of the truth, but they are our weak imitations.”

 

Zane shook his head and took her hand in his. With a tug, she was flush against him. “I’ll never get you or your friends Lina. But if you want me to go into this stupid haunted house with you, I will.”

 

“That’s a good little vampire,” Kalina joked before leaning in for a kiss. Before their lips could touch, someone cleared their throat interrupting them.

 

“I won’t report you guys. However if you continue to be late, I will become very angry.” Careen’s voice cut through the atmosphere, just as efficiently as Kalina’s father had. She stood there, arms crossed over her chest with her foot tapping.

 

Kalina couldn’t help but laugh at the picture. She never expected to be on the receiving end of one of her friend’s looks. If it wasn’t so laughable, Kalina might have apologized. Patting Zane’s cheek, she stepped away from the vampire and kissed her friend’s cheek. “We were late because my father wanted to meet the ‘young man in my daughter’s life’”

 

Careen sighed, understanding that to well. For the longest time her father treated Gavino like a mosquito attached to his daughter’s heart. No matter how many times he swatted or sprayed though Gavino stayed. “Okay, this one time...” She waved her hand in the air, as if waving it away.

 

A glitter of light caught Kalina’s eye, causing her to snatch Reen’s hand from the air. On her ring finger sat a diamond large enough to feed a starving family for months. “You didn’t, he didn’t.” Eyes looked into Careen’s eyes and found that she did. Her best friend had gotten engaged. “Where is he? How come he isn’t here so I can slap him on the back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Zane watched the entire exchange with amusement in his eyes. Even if he didn’t particularly like Kalina’s friends, he accepted that they were apart of her life. But times like this, when he could see the joy and love in her eyes, Zane inched towards more than acceptance. The enjoyment didn’t last long though.

 

Careen lowered her head, a tear glittering in her eye. “He was called in by the council. There was a fire, a large fire. Kalin, it’s a magical fire the next step.”

 

Kalina rocked back on her heels and blinked. Why hadn’t anyone told her? She was the leader of this group, the one destined to stop this. Why couldn’t the council recognize that?

 

“Lina…” Zane reached out a hand, concerned on how this news affected her.

 

“Did you know?” Kalina asked without looking back at him.

 

He couldn’t lie to her, or wouldn’t. Not when her voice was on the edge of torment. “The report came in about six today. It’s still burning as we speak. Witch’s were called in to try and extinguish it, but nothing is working.”

 

Fists clenched at her sides and teeth gritted. “You knew and didn’t tell me. Why?” The anger boiled just under the surface, leaking through clenched teeth. Turning on him, her eyes burnt with it. “How come no one tells me anything?”

 

“I was trying to protect you. Lina, you’re not pre…”

 

“Don’t you dare tell me I’m not prepared! Everyone is trying to protect me; everyone thinks I can’t handle myself. I’m not a child or some ticking time bomb!” Kalina roared at him as Careen gawked behind her.

 

Sure Careen didn’t agree with the relationship and this fight should thrill her. But there was something hidden deeper in her friend’s voice. Something that had nothing to do with being told about the fire or not. Deciding to leave the two at it, secretly hoping that Zane would be out of the picture, Careen headed towards the rest of the group.

 

Zane could do nothing but blink. He’d only been trying to keep her from harm, nothing else. If something should happen to her, he’d be a wreck. Then add the fact that he loved her, there was no way he could willingly put Kalina in danger. “I don’t think you’re a ticking time bomb or what ever else. I was just keeping you out of harms way.”

 

“You have no right to do such a thing!” Stabbing her finger into his chest, Kalina ignored that it would do nothing to him. It just helped release some of the anger built up inside her. “Listen to me carefully. I’m going to be in harms way, constantly. As a guardian in training, it will soon be my job to stop harms way, whether a certain vampire likes it or not. It’s not just my life you’re dealing with buddy boy; it’s the life of my entire coven. How am I to protect them if I don’t know the dangers lurking in the dark?”

 

“And who is to protect you?” Zane willed himself to swallow, trying to keep his own anger in check. Once again she was putting other’s lives in front of hers and it was beginning to piss him off.

 

“No one,” the answer had come out automatically without thought. Maybe it had always been lurking inside her. That aching question one always pushes to the corners of their mind, not to be thought about. It hadn’t been something Kalina wanted to think about. From as long as she could remember, even in Badanie’s memories, she’d always protected others. No one had ever watched her back, willingly or not. Even in a coven she was a lone wolf.

 

Turning away, Kalina prepared to end the argument right there. If he couldn’t understand her need to keep her friends safe, then he didn’t deserve to be in her life. But his arms wrapped around her, trapping her arms at her sides.

 

“I’ve got your back now Lina.” He whispered into her ear. “I won’t keep stuff from you anymore, but I will protect you. I promise you that.”

 

Zane held on tight, not budging until he felt her relax. Even then he only turned her around and hugged her tight. Lips brushed her hair and they both stood there, unmoving. They’d taken another step. Whether into hell or heaven was unknown, but a step had been made.

 

“Hey... un...hick…hand her, y...y…you vile fi…hick…end.” The voice had been slurred, evidently from a very drunken person. The couple turned to watch a female stumble into the light, eyelids heavy and a beer can in hand.

 

Kalina stiffened, recognizing the girl right away. Her prayer had been answered and air had arrived, but in what state?

 

Author's Note

Please review! Any sort of review. Im still looking for an editor!