Enchanting Wilder (12 page)

I blink a few times, totally forgetting we aren’t in a magical land without internet. Greece is up to speed with the world. Where equipment—like phones—still exist. “Technology is awesome.”

He chuckles and squeezes my hand.

We walk though the cobblestone streets, taking in the sights of people sitting outside their homes. A woman waves at us as we pass her sitting on a chair knitting some sort of clothing. Another man cleaning the bricks outside a store greets us using a word neither of us have heard before. “Kalimara!” he said.

Thanks to a quick Google search, we learn it means “good day.”

“Kalimara!” Declan and I greet every person we come across, laughing hysterically each time. His sickness forgotten, Declan looks lighter, healthier and more carefree. He twirls me around, dancing in the streets for everyone to see. This is a side of him I didn’t think I’d ever see. People clap as Declan dips me and I wonder if this is who he would be if he didn’t have the guilt of his life on his shoulders.

“We’re a couple of goofs,” I say when we find a small café in a village just off the water. Time passed at lightning speed, we’ve already been here a couple of hours.

Time is such a fickle thing. When you most want it to slow down, it puts on its running shoes and heads for the hills, leaving you behind in the dust feeling sad and alone, mourning the loss. And, in the moments you need it to speed up—the moments when you miss someone so badly you’ll do anything for the hands on the clock to tick faster just to be with them—they inch at a snail’s pace.

I’m still a little out of breath from dancing so I take the scarf off my neck and fan my face. The sparkling sun reflects off the water, creating a laser eye beam, and I’m glad I brought my sunglasses. It can’t be more than seventy degrees but it’s bright as hell. “I’m having a lot of fun.”

Declan pulls out my chair and then sits across from me. We bump feet underneath the tiny table. I relish in the feeling, questioning if I’m going crazy having that little contact with him, or if I’m just on a high from traveling across the world.

“Me too. Thank you for bringing me.”

Pulling my jacket off, I sit back in my chair. “Thank you for reminding me to live a little. I wouldn’t have done this without you.”

Declan flashes me a toothy smirk.

Under the table, he skates his foot next to mine. I’m far too scared to move, so I do my best to hide I’m totally freaking out.
Why is this freaking me out?
An amazing-looking guy is giving me a playful smirk with a metaphorical go-ahead, and I’m sitting here sweating bullets.

A beautiful, blue-eyed Greek goddess with raven hair walks up to us and I slump in my chair—embarrassed by my sloppy appearance. She eyes Declan with a palpable want. I can’t help but question my beauty. Especially with her standing within inches of my proximity, I’m contemplating it—and coming up short. I have an entire day and a night of drinking under my belt. To say I need a shower would be overly correct.

To my complete surprise, Declan doesn’t notice her. His eyes stay trained on me, and when she realizes he isn’t going to give her much thought, she begins to spout a bunch of Greek words Declan and I can’t understand. We look at each other in question and laugh. We hadn’t thought about the language barrier when we decided to come here. We try our best to point and make gestures, hoping she understands us. We probably should have gone somewhere where they speak English.
Stupid 20/20 hindsight.

“Oh, oh. You speak English?” the waitress says, laughing at our theatrics, her ego no longer hurt.

Declan breathes a sigh of relief and looks to me. “We do. What would you like, Mighty?”

Eyes wide, I stare at the menu, but, unlike America, it doesn’t have words I can comprehend, nor are there any pictures. “Oh, umm…eggs? Scrambled.”

The waitress smiles. “That, we can do.”

“A croissant? Orange juice?” I add.

She nods and slides her eyes at Declan. “And for you?”

He slides his foot farther under the table, fully wrapping his leg around mine. “I’ll have the same.”

Though the waitress ogled Declan when she first saw him, I’m pretty sure she noticed the way he just eyed me. Even I didn’t miss it, and I’m not usually one to see those sorts of signs. Hell—the butterflies in my stomach sure as hell didn’t miss it.

“We have to get back soon,” I say with a sad tone.
I am sad
. The past few hours have been by far the most amazing I’ve had in a long time.

It’s close to sun up back home, and if I’m not in my bed by the time Candy wakes up, she’s going to have a conniption. One that includes many various and colorful profanities.

“Let’s stay,” Declan offers.
Is he serious?
“We could find a little villa to live in. Find jobs at a local café, or you could find a flower shop. It would be the most spontaneous thing you’d ever do.”

Massive understatement.
And the word wouldn’t be spontaneous—it would be stupid. So so stupid.

I smirk his way because I know he’s challenging me. He’s joking; I can see it in his eyes.

Sure, what I’m feeling for him is starting to feel a little intense, but it’s not enough to make me leave my life behind.

On the other side of the table, he continues to stay stoic as my mind races. I mindlessly pick up my drink, guzzling down most of its contents.

I have give it to him, though. His smirk is back and his eyes are determined, he could probably get me to do pretty much anything if he really wanted to.

I laugh and pull my hair up into a ponytail, slightly uncomfortable because now I think he might be a little crazy for even suggesting such a thing.
Move away? The man has lost it.
“Maybe in a different life.”

Declan’s lips purse momentarily, keeping up the charade, and then he smiles his signature smirk. “You’ve only got one, Mighty.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I swat my hand at him, picking up my drink again. “So you’ve said.” I sigh. “I have responsibilities and you have to save the world.”

“I know. It would be fun to tell the grandkids, though.” He winks. The man winks! I think my uterus just tapped on my heart and told it to wake the hell up.

I roll my eyes. “Shut up, you crazy man.”

He cackles, holding his stomach as he did earlier but this time it’s in jest. “I’m kidding, I’m not that insane. Though, I’d spend a good week here with you if you let me. It’s kind of nice not to have all of the responsibility on my shoulders. And, to be fair, I’ve never saved anything really. Especially the world. At least not yet.”

I laugh and thank the waitress when she places our food in front of us. “Yeah, well, it’s all just a bunch of semantics. You do a lot of good.”

Declan clears his throat and takes a bite of his eggs. “Enough of that. I know we have to get home soon, but I’d like to go out to the water before we leave.”

“I think I can handle that.”

When we’re done with our food, Declan pays the tab, laces our hands together and we walk up the coast, our feet in the Mediterranean.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so light in my entire life.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the relaxed smile on Declan’s lips as he felt the water for the first time, or the way he pulled me into his embrace when we finally decided to leave. His needy hands trembling on my leg as we drove back to town because we both knew this was it. Or even the way he looked at me with earnest when he dropped me off at home—promising it wouldn’t be the last time. I won’t forget the forced, dejected smile he had as he waved goodbye because he recognized what he had just promised was a lie. I won’t forget the taillights as he drove around the corner and out of my sight. And, I won’t forget the way my heart ached when I was all alone because I’ve never felt such a sensation before.

I’ll chase those feelings—the ones I shared with Declan. The good and the bad—I’ll pursue those forever. Because they’re some of the best ones I’ve got.

“That was a stupid move and you know it.”

I grunt, choosing not to respond. We got word from another group of Pursuers that a coven of vamps are hiding out in a secluded part of the woods—the woods we’re walking through now. We figure it’s the same coven that has been terrorizing the families of Summerson, so we decided to make our way out here and take care of it.

The sun is still shining with intensity, which is a massive advantage for us. Usually, we do our work at night. That tends to be when the monsters like to show their faces, but plans change when vampires are concerned. Contrary to popular belief, the sun doesn’t kill them, but it hurts like hell. So, hopefully they’ll be sleeping when we get there.

“So you’re not going to say anything?” Wood probes.

“You can be pissed all you want. I can’t change that.”

“You can’t even admit you going out with her was a bad idea.” Wood stops, giving me a look of anger that practically pours out of him.

“So I went out with her. What’s the big deal? I’ve hooked up with countless women before and you’ve never said a word.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “She’s different and you know it.”

Maybe. But it’s way too early to even think about a relationship with her.
We just met.

“You know just as well as I do we can’t have relationships. I know you like to delude yourself and believe what you’re doing with her is just fun and games, but I can see it. I see the way you look at her. Those few seconds while she was in the car, I knew something was off with you two.”

My mouth turns down. “Something was off, Wood? It was just a random off-hand date. There’s no relationship. Don’t look into it too much. I’m not.”

He stays quiet for a few seconds, taking in my words. Sure, I like McKenna, but I’m not looking to fight with Wood. We spend way too much time together to be arguing over a girl. A girl who is important to me—sure—but a girl nonetheless.

“I’m looking out for you,” he says and I wonder if he feels bad saying it. It’s my job to look out for
him
. “I’ve never seen you like this with a chick. Dad would be pissed.”

Dad would be pissed I went out with a girl? That’s such bullshit. I can’t help getting a little angry. “Dad has no say in what I do, Wood. Besides, he has mom. He can’t persecute me for wanting to date. I like her, so what? I can do something other than this.” I gesture around us—at our life. I’m not even saying I have the time or the mind to date her, but I’d at least like to have the option. Why is it so wrong for me to want something other than what I’m told I can have? I want to do things my own way, in my own time. With whomever I want. I shouldn’t always have to get the green light from dad, or anyone else for that matter.

Wood licks his lips and his eyes soften. “I know, but you know he doesn’t see it that way. He’s going to be in an uproar you seeing her.”

“Because she’s a Strix or because he thinks we have some ‘connection?’” I scoff. He needs to chill the hell out.

I stay silent and walk past him. Dad is going to have to deal with what I decide to do. I’m twenty-seven, and have been under his thumb for my entire life. Being a ‘yes-man’ was always my thing. I did as Dad said and there was no fighting it. I’ve never once complained, but it’s getting old—quick.

Although, we could be considered lucky in the grand scheme of things. Sure, we’ve never been able to date or have any sort of relationship outside of family, but mom pushed Dad, and he allowed us to stay in school so we could graduate. That’s totally unheard of nowadays. Pursuers are Pursuers from the moment they’re born. So being able to graduate high school, in Dad’s eyes, was a luxury.