Charm Of Sensuality

Chapter 12

Eden stacked the box of new knick-knacks on the shelf behind the counter. Business had been picking up lately. With the summer heat growing everyday people flocked in for snacks and drinks to ward off some of the Mississippi heat.

It had been a week since she had last used her powers and was told that the league wanted her now. She was honestly too afraid to use her powers at this point. If her powers were what the league wanted than using them seemed kind of foolish.

Kane was always glued to her side these days. Of course he had never really been far at first but now, he was literally always beside her. He watched her every move like a hawk stalking a mouse.

She was unsettled by it but couldn't deny that his attentiveness made her feel safe. The doorbell chimed as a customer walked in. It was a little girl who looked to be around ten or eleven. She grinned and headed straight for the freezer, picking out an ice-cream cone and running to the register. "That'll be one dollar, honey."

The little girl handed her four quarters before running toward the door, ripping the ice-cream open without a second of hesitation.

"You charged me one dollar and fifty cents for the same ice-cream." Kane suddenly said, making her jump.

She smirked before shrugging her shoulders, "You're you and that little girl... well...-," he cut her off, "You over charged me."

She tsked, "I did not! The ice cream is $1.50!"

Kane chuckled softly. "You're just a softie."

Eden shrugged again, "She's a little girl and it's hot out. Besides, you kept paying with large bills and never took your change. You basically paid for her ice cream."

Kane watched her for a moment, staying quiet as he assessed her. He shook his head. She really was sweet... but that wasn't as much of a good thing as it should have been.

"They'll eat you alive." He murmured underneath his breath.

She turned to look back at him, tilting her head in curiosity, "Huh?"

"Nothing." He proclaimed as he leaned against the counter. His mind wandered to the days to come. Her birthday was quickly approaching and her time was virtually up. He had been humoring her for the last week. Telling her want she had wanted to hear when in reality... she would soon be saying goodbye to the human realm.

He watched her as she straightened out the small box of trinkets on the counter, placing them on shelves, humming quietly to herself. The purity that seemed to ooze off of her would not protect her from anything, he mused. She would be like a single patch of grass in a field of hungry bucks. How long would she last once the league got a hold of her?

How long would her goodness stay in balance with the potential darkness in her once they tainted her?

He frowned, realizing that his thoughts were on the wrong thing. He shouldn't care about her future. Honestly her future was none of his business. He had one job and one job only. And that was to protect her until her birthday. Once that time was up, she was no longer his responsibility.

He knew that... and yet apart of him refused to ignore that nagging sense that her future was his business.

"Kane?" Eden called, her head tilted to the side as she gazed at him. "You okay?"

He blinked before nodding, crossing his arms over his chest.

She smiled softly before picking up a little plastic figurine filled with candy. She turned and reached up, standing on her tip-toes to place it on the top shelf. She strained but it was obvious that she couldn't reach it.

He walked toward her, stepping behind her, his chest pressing against her back. His fingers grazed the soft skin of her hand as he took the candy dispenser from her and placed it on the shelf. She gasped, swiftly turning around to look up at him.

Her eyes met his and her lips parted. He watched as her pupils dilated, her breathing quickened. It took everything in him not to lean down and kiss her. Her smell. The pheromones that she exuded had nothing to do with his attraction to her. And that was dangerous.

Because he couldn't have her. She wasn't his to want. Her mate had already been chosen.

He gripped the shelf hard before turning away from her. He couldn't continue to indulge in his desire for her.

She was off limits to him. And she always would be. He cleared his throat before resuming his position against the counter, leaning on it leisurely. Eden gripped a handful of her shirt, her fist right over her heart. It was pounding in her chest, beating so loud she was surprised he couldn't hear it.

She watched Kane for a moment before blinking back the aching need that was growing a little too familiar to her.

She couldn't deny the fact that she liked the man. Because she did, too much. Based off of what he had already told her, she had no free will to love whom she pleased. And she knew she couldn't escape this, running would get her nowhere. She wasn't even sure if it was possible to run from magic in the first place. The very idea seemed silly and impossible.

She ran a hand down the side of her short hair and sighed before faking a smile that she was sure didn't reach her eyes.

"Kane?" She started, taking a small step forward to reach for more candy filled items to stock, "Do you think... I'll be happy there?" She asked on a whisper.

Kane's head snapped in her direction, his face twisted up entirely, as if she had said something to piss him off. He licked his lips before closing his eyes for a moment. "I can't answer that question, Eden. Only you can."

She blinked slowly, her shoulder's sagging. She didn't think she would be happy at all.

"I...-," her words were suddenly cut short by a burst of thunder so explosive it seemed like the world shook. She shrieked, falling forward to grip the counter.

Kane cursed, moving toward her stealthily, wrapping an arm around her delicate waist. He held her close, one of his large hands planted at her lower back. Her face was buried in his chest, her hands gripping his shirt in handfuls.

"Shit," he snapped, "you can never seem to get a break, huh, sweetheart?"