Tempted - Chapter Three

Alessandra started when the smooth pavement of the highway turned into the uneaven tread of a dirt road. She looked around, surprised to find that she had fallen asleep on the way to Jason's territory.

Eastern Hemlock and White Pine trees engulfed either side of the road, blocking out the sun as the Escalade moved effortlessly through the dirt-packed path. Slivers of light passed through the trees, illuminating the ground foliage and giving an etherial glow to the forest.

The wildness of the adirondacks spoke to her, beckoning her into its depths. She rolled down the window and breathed deep of the sharp spice of pine trees and earthy taste of damp leaves.

Memories threatened to engulf her in their poisonous embrace. Threatened to break the barrier of ice she had erected around her heart to keep the bitter taste of grief, anger, loneliness from seeping into her soul. She blinked fast and looked over at Jason.

He was staring intently at the road, but turned to look at her as he felt her stare. A slow smiled crept across his face as he said, “Welcome home, Alessandra.”

She ignored the remark and turned to look out of the windshield. The image that met her was one that made up the memories of her childhood. Brought back the childish innocence that she once had and left her feeling both warm and cold all at once.

She had left Jason's territory because of the memories that tore at her heart. Memories she tried to hold at bay. But she could not deny the effect that this town, this community had on her. It was like coming home. The only difference was, she didn't think she could handle being here for long.

Call her a coward, but some memories were too hard to bear. And being here, in this place, only made them ring starkly through her mind. But despite her discomfort at the memories awaiting her, she smiled at the children playing in the street, at the women chattering amongst themselves on the porches of their homes. The women waved at Jason as they drove past, shooting a wary glance in her direction.

Visitors did not frequent their territory for good reason. Knowledge of their existence would mean the destruction of their race. Humans feared what they did not understand and it would be difficult to understand how people merely shifted into the form of a panther.

As it was, Jack was the only human that knew what she was. He simply acknowledged that she was an extraordinary agent, but did not ask questions outside of work. She liked that about him. He was as private about his life as she was and consequently did not bother to ask questions. As long as she did her job, he was happy.

The community wasn't unlike any other. The dirt road ran through the town, and beige houses lined the streets. Of course, the forest was an ever-present entity, but that was why they lived here. They, like her, worshipped the freedom that the Adirondacks provided from prying eyes.

The territory itself covered over six hundred acres. Families were spread out over the territory, but several chose to live within the center. They liked the closeness of their leader and the safety he and his soldiers provided. If anything happened within the center of Jason's territory, retaliation would be swift. But danger rarely appeared here.

The Big House lied ahead of her. It was separated from the rest of the houses by a dirt road that took them deeper into the woods. It was nearly 5,000 sq ft, held eight bedrooms, and just as many bathrooms. Many of Jason's single soldiers lived in the house, providing immediate protection to the members of the pack.

The warm glow of lights beckoned her as they drove towards the house. It blended seamlessly into the background with its dark gray walls and wooden porch that wrapped around the front of the house. She remembered being in awe of its size when she was younger.

Jason parked the Escalade in front of the house and went around to the back of the SUV to retrieve her luggage. Alessandra slowly stepped out of the vehicle and stood silently, waiting for Jason to retrieve her bags. Anxiety trickled through her as Jason picked up her bags and led the way into the house.

She didn't know what to expect. Would anyone recognize her? Did he have enough rooms to house her as well as his soldiers? Would she feel comfortable staying here? Questions raced through her as she ascended the steps onto the stained wooden porch of the house. Jason held open the door into his home, signaling for her to go ahead of him.

She stepped tentatively into the foyer and couldn't help but admire the beauty that was Jason McLeary's home, that which was once her home.

The house was just as she had remembered it. The gleaming hardwood floors were spotless despite the constant dirt-filled traffic brought on by the males in the house. The stairway lay to her right and led up to the second floor that housed six of the bedrooms. She could see the upstairs railing from the entryway as the ceiling did not enclose each level separately.

Despite her seven year absence, the polished wood flooring and deep blue décor spoke of her mother's ageless taste in interior design. Midnight blue décor merged seamlessly with ivory colored furniture, marrying the masculinity of her father and timeless femininity of her mother.

She took a deep breath, emersing herself in the smell of pine needles and the cleanse of spring's morning dew that permeated through house.

It was clear that though Jason had taken over in her father's absence, his personal taste had not trespassed on the house that was built by her father.

She stood motionless. Memories came crashing into her as she tried in vain to close her heart and mind to the onslaught of happy, childhood memories. She did not want to remember anything about her life before New York. The nightmares of her past were bad enough, but the happy memories simply reminded her of what she had lost.

Memories of her mother reading to her as she fell asleep. Her father waking her up on Sunday mornings to take her running with him through the Adirondacks. The smell of damp earth assaulting her as her father came home from visiting with the families, tracking in leaves through her mother's meticulous house. Her mother's resounding chide even as she smiled at the sight of her husband.

Their death at the hands of vampires...

She closed her eyes briefly to regain her focus. She was here to do a job. She glanced quickly at Jason as he walked and paused beside her, seeming to take in the view of the house for the first time.

Though it pained her to see the reflection of her childhood in every pore of the home, her heart warmed at the preservation Jason had maintained in the house. She wondered why he had not added his own touches, it was his house afterall. Perhaps he was too busy with the going ons of the pack to worry about the interior design of his home.

“Here, I'll show you to your room.” He motioned her forward with the incline of his head towards the staircase. She passed by vibrantly colored paintings that adorned the wall alongside the stairs before stepping onto the second floor of the immaculately maintained home.

Jason led her to a wide hallway where she was met by six bedroom doors standing side by side. There was nothing discerning them from one another, but the soft waves of resonance that washed over her told her that some of them were occupied.

Jason walked to the center of the hall and stopped in front of a door on the left hand side before turning the knob and walking into the brightly lit room.

A large window sat to the far end of the bedroom, illuminating the room with warm rays of sunlight. The walls were painted the lightest shade of yellow, lending a feminine ambience to the room. A queen bed settled on the left hand corner of the space while a second doorway to her right led into the personal bathroom.

Jason set her bags beside the bed and looked around the room, checking to see that everything was in place. She was still standing on the threshold of the bedroom as Jason made his way towards her.

Jason moved to stand beside her and put one warm, large hand on her shoulder. “I need to make a few phone calls, but I'll be in my office if you need me.”

She nodded, feigning a smile as she stepped aside to let him pass. Alessandra shut the door behind her, seeking privacy. She had to gather her thoughts before she began the investigation. Her job was dangerous, but walking into known vampire territory unfocused was deadly.

She took a sweater out of her suitcase and put it on; she had underestimated February in Upsate New York. The plane ride and hour long drive left her feeling dingy so she walked into the bathroom to splash warm water on her face.

Her dark red locks fell in curly cues down the sides of her face in an unkempt mess. Sighing, she rubbed a hand through her hair before dismissing the unruly strands and splashing warm water onto her face. She turned to dry her face on the white towel hanging beside the sink before removing a rubber band from her wrist and tying her locks into a loose bun on her neck.

She stood in front of the mirror, assessing the damage of limited sleep and a job that had her risking her life on a daily basis. Dark circles lied beneath light green eyes, but there was naught to do about that except sleep. She turned her attention to the rest of her face, pulling and plucking at her ivory cheeks, willing color into them. She usually did not bother with makeup as it only seemed to get in the way when it rained and took too much time.

However, she could not stand the feel of dry skin or chapped lips so she walked back into the room and applied lotion to her face and chapstick to her full lips.

The icy winters of New York left her skin and lips painfully cracked so she diligently maintained a routine of chapstick and lotion whenever possible.

Her thoughts turned to Jason. A man she had known her entire life and yet, had not seen in nearly seven years. The confrontation was slightly awkward as she was not sure how to act around him. She was technically part of his pack, but had chosen to remove herself.

Was she his subordinate or a free agent? As a member of his pack she would have to obey the commands of her leader. A leader that was over-protective, especially over the females of the pack.

She frowned, considering what sort of barriers he would erect in her investigation as he went about “protecting” her.

She shook her head in rejection at the thought. She would simply have to assume the position as free agent regardless of technicalities. There was just no way she could possibly subject herself to that level of “protection” or control.

Strengthened by the reminder of her own independence, she steeled herself and walked out of the bedroom. She had a job to do and she owed it to the lives of these families to find their attacker.

And she would succeed at all costs.

Reviews

[Kyle]

I deleted my previous comment. I like the changes. I like that she appears stronger and more realistic. I'll read reading.