Unlikely Meetings

CHAPTER 7 - CONFLICT

"Thank you for today, I really had a fantastic time." Eli stood just beyond her door letting the waves of heat spill over her new partner above the small storefront of an older couple letting her rent the apartment for fairly cheap. Her now gloveless hands fiddled with each other as her tongue flicked and a wide goofy smile graced her lips. Max was about to speak as Eli lashed out and grabbed him by the arms and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Her thin scaled lips sucked the heat from his as his eyes shot wide before fluttering closed like hers and he relaxed in her grasp. Their arms wrapped around each other as their embrace deepened along with their first kiss.

It felt like an eternity to Max as he pulled back, opening his light blue eyes to stare into her own ruby orbs. His breath was labored as he held his new partner close enough to feel her hammering heartbeat. "What was that for?" His arms around her tightened their hold on her waist as he fully embraced his feelings for her. "Not that I'm complaining."

The chuckle that passed her lips made his heart skip as her head came to rest on his shoulder and cradle his face. Her voice was right in his ear which brought a warm blush to his face. "Can't a girl kiss her boyfriend?"

Holding her head he pulls her back to look into her eyes once more. "Then I guess I get to kiss you back." His warm breath washed over her face as their faces met once more in the intimate display before they parted again at the same time. The kiss was just as powerful as the first and Max wished that it would stay that way for however long she would be giving them. "I'm coming tomorrow to cook for you. Unless you have plans."

"Assertive. I like that and yes that sounds divine." Eli slunk back beyond the threshold letting her hands fall back to his. "Shame it took you so long to show me this side of you."

Max chuckled as he let her slide back into the warmth of her home with dopey smiles across both of their faces. "Honestly I'm pretty dense so thank you for taking the first steps. I can handle the rest from here." Their hands parted as he began to walk backwards down the short hallway. "It'll be venison, bring your appetite and goodnight Eli."

"Sounds delicious, see you tomorrow loverboy!" With a wave and blowing a kiss she tried to keep him in sight until the door shut behind her that was quickly followed by the sound of her muffled squeals of excitement. With a warm heart and a wide smile he moved back out into the dark cold night and walked the short distance to his small car.

His feet stopped in place and he ruffled through his pockets searching for a long unused packet of cigarettes and an almost empty lighter. Placing the stale stick between his no longer smiling lips he flashed the bit of flame across the tip and drew a few pulls. The red cherry lit up his stern features as the puff of smoke left his lungs. "Are you going to step out of the shadows or do you want me to pull you out?" Silence followed as Max slowly became more irate. "I have all night. Your choice."

With another draw of his cigarette he held his ground and leveled his eyes where this stalker was hiding. His boots crunched the thin layer of snow beneath them as he steadied his stance and pulled his sidearm, the cold metal sapping the heat from his hand and steadying his nerves. "How did you know I was here?"

Max's brow furrowed as an unfamiliar voice struck out into the light breeze. "I can smell and hear just fine. If you breathed any louder then I'd hear you from across the street and it's kind of hard to miss the smell of a wet mutt." Max's face was twisted into a perfect visage of disgust and rage as he leveled the barrel of his pistol on the corner of the building.

"Mutt!?" There was a snarl under his breath as a dark form rounded the corner directly in his crosshairs. The wolf was almost as tall as Trevor along with a similar coloration hued slightly differently in the orange streetlights. "Who the fuck do you think you-" His rage and bluster died in his throat as he saw the human in a deep battle stance with his pistol leveled on his chest. Within moments his eyes went from narrowed and inflamed to wide with fear. "My brother said you were quick to draw but I didn't think you'd have that itchy of a trigger finger."