Chapter 3: Chapter Three
Elric stirred uncomfortably in his seat as he watched Ann deal with the fallout of the incident with her employees.
He read her mind during the attempted robbery. He usually wasn't interested in going inside human minds. It felt odd, mundane, and a little icky. He didn't generally care what they were thinking, either.
With her, he thought it was more interesting watching her and trying to figure out her thoughts of him from her actions. All her nervous little looks. The way her body reacted when he was near. When the men had come in he immediately sensed fear from her without knowing why, and he had no choice. He read her thoughts.
Shapeshifters often spoke telepathically. Reading minds was more like speaking. Human thoughts, on the other hand, were the things they were afraid to say out loud. In that instance he saw her fear for her employees, the text message she sent, and her thoughts that the men were there to rob and, or harm her.
He had wondered if she were paranoid. The men didn't appear particularly threatening or large, to him. Although their choice of clothing was odd. He had been admiring how she protected her human colleagues. Another thing that proved she was the one he needed.
Then one of them out their hands on his mate and Elric felt a bonfire surge through him. Anger and possession filled him into a twisted mess in his head faster than he thought possible. Further proof that after hundreds of years as a bachelor and then hibernating, he had found a mate.
While he had no idea how that typically worked for his kind, he could work it out. For now, Ann was safe. The measly humans used a lame knife. It would take more than that to harm him, even with his powers, except defensive ones, mostly locked away. The only potential threat to him would be another of his kind from his time. As far as he was aware, none of them were around.
"Should we call the police?" one of the employees asked biting her nails.
"I don't know. We don't have cameras," Ann replied. "No proof. They wore gloves, so no fingerprints. What do the cops care about this area anyway?"
"Good point," said the make employee with long hair said, flipping the length over his slender shoulder.
"For now, I want to close up and go home," Ann declared.
"What about that guy?" The make employee gestured to Elric, who glared at him. "He isn't going to follow you or something, is he?"
Ann sighed and brought her employees over to him. She looked tired as she spoke, "Elric, this is Michelle and Zak. Zak and Michelle, Elric. This guy saved me during the robbery. So no, I'm not too worried about him."
Zak raised an eyebrow but then smiled, "I should thank you, then." He put a hand out but Elric ignored it.
"Why?" Elric asked, dark eyes flicking to Ann. "Is she yours? Do you have claim on her?"
Zak and Michelle shared a look before laughing together. "No competition from me on that level." He winked and looked Elric over, "If you know what I mean."
Elric didn't.
"Anyway, are you going to be okay if we head out?" Zak asked. "Michelle is pretty upset."
Ann nodded. "Elric will take good care of me, right?" she said, sounding tired.
He almost protested. Yes, the female called Michelle looked distraught, but it was Ann who had been through so much on her own. She should be the one leaving, or at least having them there for support. After all, she didn't really trust Elric, but he saw Ann shake her head at him and sat back with an affirmative nod.
"Good night," she said.
The two employees waved and left. Elric stood and locked the door, like he had seen Ann before, behind them. "Why did you let them leave?"
She shrugged, her rounded shoulders looking droopy and tired, "They would have been more trouble than help."
"That's too bad," he said, mentally assigning them both a negative point for humanity.
Ann was racking up too many positive points to count. She truly had a heart unlike any he had met. Brave. Strong. Perhaps she was something more than human in her lineage.
"So you need somewhere to stay," she said.
He nodded, "I now insist on staying with you. You are in danger."
"They won't come to my house."
"I insist on watching over you."
She frowned, "How do I know you aren't dangerous?"
"I saved you."
She folded her arms, "Saving me doesn't mean you won't attack me later."
He trailed his fingers over the heavy metal chain around his neck, "I cannot attack you. Not unless you attack me. This ensures your safety from me."
She took a step toward him and put her hand up like she might touch him, then she pulled back, almost recoiling. "What is it?"
"It is a control device. The one who sent me here, you could say she does not trust me. I am unable to attack humans will nilly."
She giggled, "Willy nilly."
"Yes, yes, make fun of my words," he grunted. "Anyway..."
She eyed the chain, "If she doesn't trust you, why should I?"
He frowned, turning the ring on his right hand thoughtfully, "I could give you my ring."
She shook her head, "What good would that do?"
"It is something that means a lot to me. I will want it back. If I do anything you do not like, you can refuse to return it."
It was risky. If the ring were somehow lost...
Luckily, she turned down that suggestion, "No."
"What would make you trust me?" he asked.
"Look," she said locking the register after returning the money from the robbers dropped bag. "I'm grateful to you for rescuing me. I get it now. There's something different about you, but I can't just take you home with me. I'll happily call a shelter, or hell, even rent a hotel room for you, but I just... I'm this town, I can't afford taking a risk like that."
"At least allow me to escort you safely home," he offered.
She nodded reaching over and turning out the lights in the salon, "Fine. If you try and follow me inside, I'm going to scream for the neighbors."
He nodded, "Fine." He would just stay outside and protect her.
She locked the door and then the heavy security gate outside, staring at the empty salon for a long while before heading down the street. Dark figures lined the sidewalk on either side of the street, watching them and Elric glared back.
He felt strangely protective of her. He didn't like other humans even staring. Then again, he was known for guarding his treasure and Ann was a treasure if he ever met one. Although she remained completely unaware of it. Such a rare specimen of humanity needed to be protected.
"Stop glaring at everyone," she muttered softly beside him as they walked. "Humans aren't that bad, maybe you should stop judging them."
"Perhaps you should consider the current state of your world. I cannot watch the news."
She sighed, "You have a point there. However, the fact that we haven't been destroyed means, technically, the good are still winning."
He snorted, "Maybe not for long."
She had no idea, did she? No clue of the shifter world encroaching. The fragile balance between their world's that could easily end with human enslavement or annihilation if certain factions had their way. The fact that modern shifters were nothing like his kind, even being descended from their ancestors who were formidable in his time. These modern shifters were the only thing keeping people like her safe.
If things went right, he might just join them in protecting precious humans like Ann. He never expected to meet such a good, kind human so fast. The fact she was cute and curvy with a sweet, musical voice was an added bonus.
"Can you stop looking at me like that?" she asked.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm a piece of meat."
He scoffed, "Not a piece of meat. A beautiful jewel."
They turned down a dark side street, and he looked around suspiciously for any threats. Nothing was going to happen to her while he was around. Unfortunately, the very qualities that impressed him about her, also made her a terrible candidate for dealing with evil. She was far too soft and kind to handle it on her own, but that was fine. Now she had him to be and deal with evil for her.
He cracked his knuckles, thinking about it as they turned into a better lot street that lead toward a small cul-de-sac filled with tall, claustrophobic buildings he knew to be apartments. She stopped in front of a small house with identical sides off to one side of the apartment buildings. There were lights on in the other side of the house. Odd to have a wall down the center of a dwelling to turn it into two, but it was something he had noticed a lot while exploring this area of the city. Though at that time he had no idea Ann lived in the area.
She rummaged in her purse, "I have to go in and call my boss, because my phone was, you know, ruined. First, though, I want to make sure you have enough to find a hotel."
She pulled out a was of paper currency and began to hand it to him, but he put up a hand, "I'm staying here."
"You've got to be kidding." She looked around the street, "It's not safe."
"I assure you nothing here can hurt me," he said sardonically and eyed her. "You, on the other hand, you're squishy. Anything can hurt you."
Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in a small O shape before those kind chocolate eyes narrowed and hardened in offense. "Excuse me?"
He sat down on the curb then laid back on the sidewalk awkwardly, looking up at her. "Do not be offended. All humans are." His eyes moved over her hungrily, "Some more pleasingly than others."
She let out a hiss of breath, "You really need to learn what to say and keep to yourself sometimes."
He grinned, "So, teach me."
"I don't have time. I need to go inside and eat dinner, and call my boss, and..." She released a tense sigh and tucked the stray strands of her long hair behind her ears, "Damn it, I can't leave you out here."
"Then let me in," he said, grinning slowly.
"Why do I feel like I would be letting a wolf in my home?" she asked.
"Not a wolf," he corrected.
"I'm sorry, but I need to think about this." She set the money beside him, sighing softly when he ignored it, "Go get something to eat and a place to stay. You can come see me again tomorrow at the salon, but I can't just let you in my house."
"Then here I shall remain," he repeated stubbornly.
"It's going to be cold tonight."
He rested back on his hands and looked up at the sky, "The Oracle will not allow me to perish before her decision on whether or not I am useful."
"Fine, then! Freeze to death for all I care," she snapped, storming up her front steps and slamming the door shut behind her.
He grinned, lying back on the sidewalk. She would be back. She was the helping type, not one who could leave someone out on the sidewalk, even if their situation was entirely their fault. He was willing to bet on it.
He watched the money blow away in the wind as a breeze kicked up and he scoffed. He did not need it.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
LCHolloway
LCHolloway I did not steal this!
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