Red Blooded

Chapter 5 - Dragging in the dog

I don't know what logically sane person reaches for a knife when they know they're not in danger, but it was the first thing my eyes fell on. I would defend myself, even though I had no reason to. A low growl emanated from him, shaking my form from disgust. Had I really been that close to becoming one of them? Only the distance of the kitchen island kept us apart. He stopped in his tracks and stared with confusion at first before it flattened.

"Walk any closer and I hurt you!" I glared, struggling with my clothes in one hand and keeping the bread knife steady in the other.

Hayden's face stilled, from shock no doubt. "You want to...hurt me?" His plump lips turned into a scowl.

I scoffed. "No, you dick, I want to cut you some fucking bread! Yes, I'll hurt you if you come any closer...and especially if you say those words again!"

He tilted his head and squinted, questioning with his eyes before his face lit up in amusement, his lips pulling up at the corners. "Oh, you mean...mate." I actually cringed at the word. A frown suddenly clouded his face when I recoiled. "Do you...have a problem with that word? Mate?"

"Yeah," I clamped down on my teeth and nodded. "I have a massive fucking problem with the word. And I have a problem with you too - so get the fuck out of my house!"

"I can't do that." He said, simply shaking his head. I watched his blond hair fall onto his forehead. An urge deep inside of me wanted to yank my arm away from my body to touch the man on my territory.

"What do you mean you can't? Why not?" I lowered the hand with the knife in it and glared with hard eyes at the man that should have been mine.

"Because I live here now."

I registered that thought but somewhere along the plains of understanding, reason and denial, it got lost in translation - or so I had hoped.

"I beg your pardon?"

He resumed walking closer, like the predator he was born to be. A dog. Fear actually had me moving back a few steps. I watched carefully as his arms flexed with his movements, the rocky abs tightened and his hair moved with so much freedom. This man should have been mine.

But he belongs to HILARY!

"I. Live. Here. Now."

The scent of lavender and chamomile had me backed into a corner. I felt the cold tiles against my bare legs and remembered instantly that I was standing in my kitchen in just my silk night gown, with only my wet clothes - plus a knife - to guard my modesty. I stopped breathing, literally. I held my breath and waited for him to come to a stop...but he didn't. The thunderous beating of my heart seemed to take on an irregular pattern. He paid no attention to the fact that I struggled to breathe. Mercilessly, he came to a stop before me as I cowered into the corner, holding on to my wet laundry and knife. His disastrously handsome face leaned in closer, forcing my head away to the side. My eyes closed, and to my surprise, water escaped. I was in tears - why hadn't I realized that?

"You're afraid of me." He whispered suddenly, his breath fanning me slightly as he moved backwards, away from me. When I felt his presence leave, I gasped for breath and dropped the clothes and the knife on the floor. With tears came the anguish.

Why was he doing this to me?

Why could he not be somewhere else?

Why did I care? Why?

Haphazardly, I wiped at my tears with the palm of my head and shot my eyes to a solemn Hayden standing next to a bar stool at the island. I breathed and blinked the last remnants of tears away.