Prey (20 page)

Jade is telling Drake about the very first time she ever visited the farmhouse. She details all the renovations her parents made to the house and how they practically rebuilt the barn from the ground up and how all three of them spent the whole summer painting both the house and the barn. She also tells Drake about how her time at the farmhouse with her family really helped her to get over Alex’s death, which was only a year prior at the time.

“I think that’s what really made me love this place,” Jade concluded, staring up at the nighttime sky. “It lifted me to a better place. I’m sorry. I’ve been talking your ears off ever since we got here.”

“No, you’re good, babe. I like listening to you,” Drake admitted. “I can actually relate to where you’re coming from.”

Jade turns to Drake. “You can?”

“Yeah. I get what you mean about how an outside influence came along and changed you for the better.”

Continuing to lie in the hay, hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the stars, Drake explains, “I know because you did the same for me.”

Jade sits up and faces Drake. “I did?”

Smiling, he replies, “Yeah. It’s because of you my entire outlook towards things has changed. I mean I already knew I wasn’t happy with being what I am, but I figured there was nothing I could do about it…Just roll with it, you know? And then you came along. You made me remember a part of myself I thought died a long time ago. I never figured a human, especially one I was sent after, would ever impact me like that.”

“I’m surprised myself,” Jade blushed.

“Don’t be. You’re a lot more special than you give yourself credit for. I knew that the moment I realized my allure didn’t work on you.”

“That doesn’t make me special…It just means I’m unique.”

Drake sits up and stares Jade in the eyes. “Semantics, Jade. Either way, it’s something to be appreciated and cherished. Finding a person to love is something special, but finding someone who completes is something unique. Both are great things that should be treasured.”

Swept up in an emotional whirlwind by Drake’s words, Jade tries her best to maintain her composure. “Is that how I make you feel or are you only using that as an example? Honestly.”

Drake continues to stare into Jade’s eyes, answering her with the upmost sincerity, “That’s how you honestly make me feel.”

Lost in a moment of pure passion, Jade and Drake inch their faces towards one another’s until their lips touch gently. With their eyes closed, their kiss grows more and more passionate with every passing second. Drake softly caresses Jade’s neck. The two lean back on the hay, refusing to let their lips separate.

The two are only interrupted when the crackle of hay hits their ears. Startled, Drake and Jade turn their sights toward the disturbance. They’re both shocked to see Alex standing in the doorway, glaring at them.

“Oh, no, please don’t let me interrupt,” said Alex, his tone peculiar.

“Alex?!” Jade called out excitedly. “Alex, it’s you!”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Jade gets up from the pile of hay and rushes over to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Alex, however, doesn’t seem to be moved by the affectionate gesture. Sensing something is awry, Jade releases Alex and takes a couple steps back.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Wrong? What could be wrong,” asked Alex with a noticeable attitude. “I managed to fight off four demons and escape with my life. I ran a tad under three hundred miles to get back to you, only to find out that the one thing you’re not lacking is companionship.”

Standing to his feet with a grin on his face, Drake says, “Calm down, angel. You got it all wrong—”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Alex scornfully interrupted.

Jade tries to settle Alex down. “Alex, I know how this looks, but it’s—”

“Do you?! Do you really know how this looks, Jade? If you did you wouldn’t be standing here trying to convince me otherwise.”

Jade and Drake are both equally caught off guard by Alex’s unanticipated attitude. It’s expected for him to have a cold shoulder for Drake, but he’s never displayed this type of aggression toward Jade before.

Jade tries to clarify the situation. “I’m trying to tell you that it’s not what you think. Me and Drake have been talking about random things ever since we got here—all to keep me from worrying myself to death over you. We were sitting here talking when one thing led to another. Before we knew it, we—”

“You were magically playing lizard tongue with the scavenger,” Alex rudely inserted.

Jade is silenced and shocked by Alex’s crudeness. She has no idea what to say or think. The Alex standing in front of her isn’t the Alex she knows.

Alex’s harsh words don’t sit very well with Drake, either. Standing right in across from Alex, Drake assertively asks, “What did you call me?”

Ready to match Drake’s assertiveness, Alex stares him down with an icy glare. Once again, it is Jade who steps between the two, keeping them apart.

“You heard me, hellboy! I called you a scavenger! You do know what a scavenger is, don’t you? It’s a vulture. It’s something so pitiful that its entire existence relies on the remains and leftovers of others.”

Drake answers, “Look, I don’t know what your problem is—”

“You’re my damn problem!” Alex snapped. “And you’ve been my damn problem from the minute I met you!”

“I’m the one who got her out of the house while you were busy trying to make yourself look like some kind of hero,” Drake came back.

“I stayed behind to fight off the things you led to us! If you would’ve just stayed the hell away from us we could’ve both laid-low until I figured a way out of this shit,” Alex exclaimed.

“Don’t give me that shit,” said Drake. “You know just as well as I do they’re gonna come after her with everything they’ve got until the alignment passes.”

Jade maintains her post between the feuding pair, keeping a hand pressed against each of their chests.

“Knock it off you guys!” she exclaimed. “We need to stick together here! We don’t have time for pointless fighting right now!”

Alex’s angry eyes lock with Drake’s. “I don’t need him.” He turns and walks away, heading for the barn doors.

Just as Alex nears the doors, Drake tells him something that causes him to stop dead in his tracks.

“You’ll need my help more than you know, angel! Despite what you think, you aren’t strong enough to take on what lies ahead of you. The way Hell works is just like Heaven. The longer you’re there, the more you become that place and embrace its powers. There are some who’ve been collecting for hundreds of years—some even thousands. How many years do you have on your side…Two? Granted, for some odd reason the power you possess seems to be a lot greater than it should be, but that won’t mean a thing when you come across an elder. Someone who’s been acquiring their power for centuries. Hell, you’re not even strong enough to get through me.”

After hearing Drake’s last remark, Alex has been given all the reason he needs to lose his temper. He turns around to face Drake. His eyes are ignited, golden-flames glowing bright, his facial expression unmistakably indicating his intentions.

Attempting to convince Alex to stand down, Drake tells him, “Don’t do this, angel. This isn’t about us. Our focus should be set on keeping Jade safe until the window for the portal closes.”

Menacingly marching up to Drake, Alex replies, “That’s the point, demon. You think I’m not strong enough to protect her and I feel the same about you. The only way we’ll know who’s right is by seeing which of us is best.”

Jade steps directly in front of Alex and places her hands in his chest, preventing him from getting any closer to Drake.

“Alex, please,” she begged.

Alex’s pitch black eyes stare into Jade’s. “Get out of my way,” he coldly commanded. “I told you we couldn’t trust his kind, but you ignored me. Now look at you. I’ve worked with the savage long enough. All of this ends now.”

“What’s the matter with you, Alex?!” Jade asked. “Why can’t you see that he’s not the enemy? He’s been helping us.”

“You better listen to her, Alex,” said Drake. “Whatever your issue is with me, you better get over it fast.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Alex barked, his eyes reigniting, burning brighter than before.

He shoves Jade aside, knocking her into a pile of hay. Upon seeing this, Drake becomes enraged. Drake’s eyes instantly redden and burn so hot that thin streams of smoke emit from them. Alex aggressively stomps toward Drake, raising his fist, readying himself for the attack. On the other side, Drake gets into a defensive stance, preparing to counter.

Alex mysteriously pauses, his fist still in a cocked position. Drake is temporarily confused, but when Alex’s angry frown dons a sadistic grin, Drake realizes that he’s just been tricked.

Slowly lowering his fist and falling back to less hostile posture, Alex calmly tells him, “Now look at what you’ve done. You’ve gone and used your powers. I guess that means your friends can track you now, huh?”

Drake’s eyes return to their natural color as he stands in awe of Alex’s deceitfulness. And while he’s fuming over the devious deed, his evil side can’t help but admire and respect Alex’s wicked action.

With a reluctant smirk, Drake says, “Well played, angel…Well played.”

“Thank you,” Alex responded. “Now if you really care about Jade as much as you claim to, you’ll get the hell out of here before your pals find you.”

Drake is disgusted with the fact he allowed himself to be suckered in to Alex’s trap. Nevertheless, the damage has been done and he knows that for Jade’s sake he can no longer stay in Wakarusa. Before leaving, he glances over at Jade. The look in his eyes clearly illustrates defeat. Without saying a word, Drake takes off running, immediately blurring out of vision. The only thing he leaves behind is a trail of kicked-up hay.

Alex stands proudly in the center of the barn, watching the hay settle. Reveling in his victory, he momentarily forgets he’s not alone in the barn. When he spots Jade still sitting in the pile of hay he pushed her in, a look of remorse surfaces. He knows there’s no excuse for what he did to her.

“I’m sorry about that, Jade,” he began, moving towards her, his hand extended.

As he nears Jade, she scoots back—almost as if she’s afraid.

He lowers his hand and asks, “What’s the matter? You know I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Confused, Jade asks, “You planned that whole thing, didn’t you?”

“I had no choice. You wouldn’t get rid of him, so I did. I did it for you own good, Jade.” Alex extended his hand out once again.

“I don’t know who you are, but you’re not the Alex Henley I know,” said Jade, getting up on her own, disregarding Alex’s hand.

“Yeah, you’re right…I’m not the same person you know,” Alex told her. “The person I am now is stronger—mentally and physically. I’m done sugar-coating everything and I’m done entertaining situations I’m not comfortable with. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep you safe—whether you agree with my tactics or not.”

Jade stared at Alex as if she didn’t recognize him. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you acting like—”

“Like what? You’re the one acting like a nut-case. You’re more worried about Drake than you are me. You do know that it’s his kind that’s after you, right?”

“I know that you have a lot more in common with his kind than you know.” Jade’s words silence Alex. “I’m going to bed,” she finished, making her way past Alex. Alex grabs her by the hand.

“Jade, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It was like I lost control for a minute. I was aware of everything I was doing, I just couldn’t…I didn’t want to stop myself. It was like I was hooked.”

Unmoved by Alex’s confession, Jade responds, “Yeah, well, because of your temporary lack of self-control, you left Drake with no other choice but to leave. And regardless of what you think, we needed him more than you know.”

An irritated look appears on Alex’s face. “We need him, huh? I don’t need the help of any demon…Never have…Never will. Be honest, Jade. You just want him around for your own personal benefit. Admit it. Who knows how far you two would’ve gone if I didn’t interrupt.”

Appalled by Alex’s crude remarks, Jade snatches her hand away from him and exits the barn. As he stands alone in the barn, watching Jade walk away, Alex realizes that he’s done it again.

“Jade, I’m sorry,” he told her.

Jade continues walking, ignoring Alex. Frustrated, Alex runs his hands through his hair. He walks back over to a pile of hay and lies down. Staring up at the stars, a single thought commands his mind.

“What the hell’s happening to me?”

CHAPTER 24

The still night has come and gone. The rising sun sheds new light on the small town of Wakarusa. Roosters can be heard in the far distance and the glossy reflection on the crops created by the morning dew helps to bring out the true beauty of the countryside.

Inside the hushed farmhouse, Jade lies in an upstairs bedroom, fast asleep. Standing in the doorway, quietly watching her rest is Alex. He walks into the room and heads for her bed. He stands over her, watching her for several seconds before grabbing a nearby chair and sitting it down next to the head of the bed. Minutes go by as Alex stares peacefully at a resting Jade.

Alex can’t help but to admire Jade’s elegant and unique features. The smoothness of her skin and how it always seems to be glowing—the perfect facial structure that gives shape to her beautiful face—and the way the darkness of her hair accent all of these qualities to the fullest.