My Guardian Angel (In Combat Boots)

Chapter Six: Stalker Much?

So I had blonde boy in my anatomy class, no big deal right? I didn’t think much of it when I went to get a chicken ranch wrap from the dining hall before my next class. But wouldn’t you know he showed up in my next class… and my next… and my next.

I was annoyed and borderline creeped-out as I watched the secondhand tick away the dwindling few minutes of my last class of the day.

I saw him get up from his seat and head out the door without another look back over his shoulder, which seemed to make me madder. Was it a coincidence that two months into the semester he happens to obtain every single class that I have at the exact same time that I have them? I’m thinking not.

I gathered my things as quickly as I could and ran after him. His tall build had him taking three of my steps at a time.

“Hey!” I shouted after him.

He didn’t look back. 

I groaned and cut into a jog.

“Hey.” I said again as I came up beside him.

His eyes shot sideways at me. “Hi.” He said, deadpan.

“You mind explaining to me why you’re suddenly in all of my classes?” I asked between breaths as I was still half-running-half-walking to keep up with his long strides.

“I’m an uh, uh… what’s your major again?”

“Nursing?” I cocked an eyebrow.

He smiled—no it wasn’t a smile, it was a smirk.

“Yeah, I’m a nursing major.”

My eyebrows folded together and I stopped walking. He continued ahead of me.

He didn’t actually expect me to just believe that, did he?

“You don’t actually expect me to believe that do you?”

For the first time since I had chased him down he turned to look at me, full on.

He had stopped right in front of four giant, open glass windows overlooking one of the many ponds on campus. The sun poured in through the glass and illuminated his silhouette like a halo.

“Actually yes, yes I do.” His fake smile of a smirk was back on his face, and I hate to sound slightly on the ridiculous side, but I was so distracted by the way he looked in the window that I didn’t argue with the fact that his reasons made absolutely no sense.

He returned to his fast and long strides and before I could chase after him again I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

“Violet? Hello, Violet?” I hadn’t realized I’d watched the boy walk off until Jeremy’s hand was waving quizzically in my face.

“You alright?” Jeremy stepped in front of me now. I blinked back to reality and shook my head, “I’m fine.”

Jeremy started talking about his previous class but it all came out as white noise to me. Instead I wondered if I was going to see the boy tomorrow and if he would ever explain to me what in the heck was going on.

That’s when it hit me… I didn’t even know his name.

*

Wesley didn’t have to have supersonic hearing to hear Marcus enter his house this time. The French window doors flew open as his wings beat ferociously into the house. They created a wind current that had his new corgi struggling to keep to the floor. Luckily the large dog put a paw on the tiny one’s back and kept him grounded.

Wes squinted and shielded his eyes to the bright white of Marcus’ wings. Marcus landed gracefully, tucking his wings behind him.

“I thought I told you to get closer.” Marcus’ voice boomed with anger.

“I did. I’ve slipped into all of her classes so I’ve got eyes on her throughout her whole day.”

“She tried talking to you, did she not?” Marcus’ stern expression did not change.

Wes frowned slightly. “Yeah, I guess she did.”

“You did not engage very well.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Wes shrugged, “I guess not.”

Marcus started to pace the living room floor. “You need to talk to the girl, earn her trust so that she is comfortable with having you around all the time. It will make protecting her much more efficient and easier.”

Wes sighed, clearly aggravated. “Why do I have to waste my time following around some girl when my skills could be used elsewhere?” He was one of the best warriors to roam the earth and they wanted him to babysit.

“I know it is our policy to limit interaction with humans,” he paused looking at Wesley, “because of the unfortunate consequences of getting too close to them. But the other Archangels and I believe that you are suitable for the job because of your…” Marcus paused.

Wes noticed Marcus falter and felt anger building in his chest. “My what?” He pushed.

Marcus’s stern expression softened slightly. “Your record of being rather er…. cold and emotionless.”

Wes nodded sharply. “Right. You think because I’m someone who kills demons without mercy, I won’t get too attached to the girl and fall.”

“Exactly.” Marcus confirmed.

Wes pulled out a cigarette again, shaking as he struggled to light it. “Fine. I will feign humanity and charm the girl and gain her trust.”

What other choice did Wes have? He had to do what his superiors wanted of him. That is part of being in the angelic realm—the cascade of authority. Like a pyramid, it started at the top with their Lord and Savior and rippled through the levels until it got down to him: a walker. A walker was the lowest of the angels. They did the dirty work. They fought the demons of Lucifer or died trying. They walked amongst humanity to seek out these demons, which could often hide among them, and kill them, or/and sometimes guarded over a human who would become important in the “ever shifting battle of good versus evil” –as cliché as it sounded. There were usually two types of walkers, those who fought and those who guarded.

You can guess which one Wes was used to.

But his order was to guard, truly guard over someone who was deemed ‘important’ for the first time since he became an angel and he was not about to screw it up.

Marcus nodded with approval. “Very well. I hope I will not have to visit you again, Wesley. Or it will not be a pleasant visit.”

Wes bit back his grimace and nodded to Marcus that he understood. Without a sound Marcus was gone and Wes was left with his eternity, his cigarette, and his mild understanding of women.