The Struggles of Dating a Demon [Completed]

Swordplay

Mabel glared at her car as though the action would somehow get the stubborn hunk of metal to suddenly start working.

It figured that, with her luck, Mabel's car would die in the dead of a freezing night on the side of a highway extremely close to the most dangerous town in the state. She'd already called the towing company, but they wouldn't get there for another thirty minutes, and Mabel really didn't want to wait that long.

Of course, the most obvious answer was to call on Aleron, but Mabel wasn't sure this was a plausible reason. As nice as he'd been, she didn't want to disturb a killer if he was in the middle of something important (like napping, for instance).

The abrupt hooting of an owl caused her to shriek with fright and make her decision. "Aleron!" the word was strangled around her chattering teeth, "A-Aleron!"

Not even a second passed before the man was in front of her, a snarl on his lips and a giant sword in his hand.

"Holy crap!" Mabel stumbled back a step, hitting the side of her car with a thud.

Aleron was in front of her in two strides, pushing her behind him while he swept his gaze around their surroundings. He nodded once he deemed it safe, sheathing his sword by his hip and rotating to face her. "You are unharmed?" he asked, his hands traveling down her arms.

"Yes," she confirmed, wide eyes staring at his stashed blade, "You have a sword?"

He chuckled, patting the sword like it was a trusty pet. "Of course I have a sword, Little One. What is wrong?" She shook her head in disbelief, calming with his presence and sending him a crooked smile.

Because yes, of course he has a sword. He's like no one I've ever known; I'd probably be surprised if he didn't have a sword.

"Since I'm totally ignoring the fact that you have a sword for now, thanks for coming. My car broke down."

He sent the car an unimpressed look, toeing at one of the tires with his boot. "I do not trust this machine if it does not protect you, as is its duty. How long have you been here? It is not safe."

Mabel's grin turned sheepish, and she shrugged, feeling like a kid who'd been caught out after curfew. "Um, like, thirty-ish minutes? I was trying to fix it, but I don't know how, so that didn't go well . . . obviously." She waved dismissively at the popped hood of her vehicle, wishing—not for the first time—that she'd paid more attention to her mechanic when the man had spoken to her about her car's issues.

Aleron growled in the back of his throat, leveling her with a scolding look. "If anything happens, you are supposed to call for me immediately."

"Okay, okay," Mabel held her hands up in a sign of submission. "But, in my defense, I didn't want to bother you, and—"

"You cannot bother me ever, Little One," he interjected. "You will call me, even if you do not have a problem."

She mulled over his words for a minute. "So . . . if I just want some company?"

"You will call me." He reiterated, eyes staring into hers imploringly.

For some reason, that was the sweetest thing Mabel had ever heard, and she couldn't stop a cheesy grin from overtaking her lips. "Thanks, Aleron."

Perhaps this whole having a shadow guardian/murderer at her beck and call thing wouldn't be so bad after all.

***

"Al-er-on," Mabel sang, feet just barely touching the tips of the grass underneath the park bench she was seated on.

As expected, there was a moment of silence, followed by a hulking shadow appearing over her. "What do you need?" He asked immediately, head slanted to the side as he searched her body for injuries.