Page 9 of Big Enough to Bite (Harmony Glen #3)

Chapter Nine

Mari

M y tower has become one of my favorite places. Meditation keeps me in control of the monster inside me. It centers me. Tonight, I’m staring at the moon, and a long-contented sigh slips from my lips.

Happiness is not something I’m accustomed to.

This sense of everything being right that has washed over me for the last month feels totally out of place in my life.

I realize the dichotomy of everything being right feeling wrong.

Still, that’s my life now. I’m happy. I’m in love.

I have a full schedule of students, well, at least, all I care to take on for the moment.

Every day I go to my wall and meditate. Sam finished the inside floor with fieldstone and bought me a pouf to sit on, along with other assorted pillows, in case I wish to lie down.

Tonight, after the sun went down, I lay back into my mountain of pillows to listen to the sounds of the breeze in the trees and deer tromping in the woods before I head home to Sam.

I have as many as three students per day, and I teach them either to sing or play piano. I’ve had a few who came to me for voice lessons, but after hearing their voices, I gently suggested they might be better suited to learning piano.

At night, we walk in the park, drink wine on the porch, and talk about our day. We have the most fantastic sex, and he falls asleep with me in his arms. Sleep is not something I need a lot of, but I enjoy his arms and watching him. I like the way his expression softens when he’s at rest.

Everything about Sam is a miracle to me.

Of course, all creatures know that giants exist. We generally know about all the nonhuman species in the world.

It’s only that giants rarely mingle. Harmony Glen is different.

It draws people in. I can’t imagine many towns have a Bigfoot sworn in as a police officer, either.

Ready to get to Sam, I stand on my tower and stretch before fixing my pillows the way I like them. If I had a phone, I’d call him to come to me and enjoy the peaceful setting. I’m still not ready to be attached to something that can be tracked, like a smartphone. Maybe we need walkie-talkies.

With a chuckle, I use the steps that carry me down to the newly laid sod. Getting my bag from the house, I lock up and walk through Harmony Glen toward Sam. A very nice werewolf named Asher waves and says hello.

It’s a cool summer night, and a lot of people are out walking.

I smell her before I see her—a vampire.

Stopping, I look around. My heart pounds several times as I sense a possible threat. I half expect to see Pierre, but the smell is wrong. I’ll never forget the spice of him, clove and rosemary. This scent is lighter, with hints of edelweiss and lavender.

At the corner, she steps from behind a house. Bright blue eyes and long platinum hair, she’s elegant and moves as if she were gliding. “Hello Maria,” she whispers, but my vampire senses are on high alert.

I close the distance in a flash. Gratified by her shocked expression, I grip her throat. “Who are you?”

“He sent me,” she says through a tight throat. Her eyes are void of fear, and she stares into mine as if asking me to end her life.

Letting go, I step back. “What is your name?”

“Tilda.” A hint of an Austrian accent is noticeable. Disappointment or sorrow shines in her eyes, and they gleam in the moonlight like crystals. “Tilda Shwan.”

“What does he want you to do now that you’ve found me?”

“I’ll call him.” She looks at a family of humans heading toward the center of town—the young are excited about ice cream.

“Were you supposed to talk to me?”

“No, Maria, I was curious about a woman who could make him scour the earth for over a century.” She scans me from head to toe.

I’m wearing jeans and a pink blouse. It’s the only item of clothing in this color that I have and was a gift from the Mannings.

I’m growing fond of it. “I go by Mari now. I don’t know why he has always been obsessed with me.

I hated him from the moment he took my life and made me choose being a vampire or death. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

“Mari.” She tests it out. “It suits you. I have to tell him where you are. I’ve delayed as long as I could. Now he’s coming to find me. It will be better if he knows I found you.”

Fear.

I can smell it.

“How long ago did you find me?” I can’t help my terror at the idea that Pierre is about to cage me again. I swallow it down and keep my focus on Tilda.

“Over a month, but he grows impatient. You could run. You’d have a day to get as far away from here as you can.” It could be sympathy in the soft tone of her voice.

“You could run, too.” In the back of my mind, I’m already calculating how long it will take to pack a small bag and find a taxi to take me to Syracuse. I can be lost in the masses and fly from there to New York.

She shakes her head and rubs behind her ear. “He knows where I am. He always knows where I am.”

“Who is your new friend, Mari?” Sam’s voice comes from my right.

I was so caught up in Tilda and how to get away from here that I didn’t notice his approach. “I have to leave.” It comes out as a cry. Tears push through my tight hold and run down my cheeks.

He looks from me to Tilda. “I see.” He looks at her. “I guess you’re a friend of Pierre’s.” There’s bite in his voice.

“I wouldn’t put it that way.” She lets her shoulders slump but keeps her gaze on Sam. “But I can see why you would.”

Quickly assessing the response, Sam nods. “I don’t think you should run.” He looks at me. “Either of you.”

Sam

Before I can make my argument, the blonde vampire uses her speed to blur out of sight. Maybe she thought I would try to hurt her, but she’s gone before I can ask her to come back to the house and talk about options.

Taking Mari’s hand, I look into her frightened eyes. “When you didn’t come home at the normal time, I came to find you. I thought you’d be in the tower or cemetery.” My heart is breaking from what I overheard. “Don’t leave me, Mari.”

“Pierre is coming. I have to go.” She holds my hand tighter and makes no move to get away.

“Come home. We can figure this out.” My rage at Pierre has to stay bottled up. The terror he’s instilled in the woman I love is more than enough to warrant my seething.

“I don’t see how I can do anything but run as far and as fast as possible. He’ll take me back by force if he has to.” Even though she’s making an argument for running, she walks hand in hand with me to the house we’ve shared for the past month.

My phone pings with a text message.

Determined to get Mari home and behind a door where a vampire has to ask to be admitted, I ignore the message.

There’s another ping and another as we arrive at the house. I hold the door for her and bolt it once we’re inside.

The text lists a phone number with a European country code.

Unknown:

That Vampire is mine.

Unknown:

She doesn’t belong to you.

Unknown:

If you give her to me now, I’ll let you live.

Mari looks at the phone in my hand and then at me. She sinks her left fang into her lip, drawing blood, but the wound heals quickly. “It’s him?”

“Let’s sit down.” I pull her close, wanting to feel her body and know she’s safe. I should be able to keep her safe.

With more strength than she’s shown me before, she shoves out of my arms and lands like a cat. Straightening, she eyes me. “Who was the text from?”

Part of me wants to protect her from the truth. For a month, she’s been happy and content. I want that time back, because it’s all about to change. “It wasn’t from anyone in my contacts.”

“Sam?” Her stare is deadly. “Tell me.”

I unlock my phone and hand it to her.

“Thirty-three is France. After all these years, I became complacent, and he has found me. I have to leave this town right now.” She dashes a tear away.

“You should stay here. As much as I’d like to ask you to come with me, he’ll kill you and have no remorse.

Stay here and explain as best you can to my students, especially the twins.

” Fresh terror pushes more tears from her dark eyes.

She grabs her purse and heads for the door.

Stopping, she turns and throws herself into my arms. “I’m sorry. ”

Rather than letting go, I hold her to me. “Don’t run. He will only follow. Stay and make a stand here, with me. I’ll call Chief Martinez and have him send an officer.” When she pushes against my chest, I loosen my hold, but don’t let go.

Her eyes are pleading. “You don’t understand.

Pierre is six hundred years old. He’s stronger than I am, and I could destroy this town.

He’ll kill them all. If you call the police, he’ll kill the officer who’s trying to protect me.

If I stay, he’ll kill you. He might hurt one of the Mannings just because he thinks I like them. I can’t risk it.”

“You underestimate this town and me. We protect our own.” I release her.

“You can’t know what a vampire like Pierre can do.” Regret in her eyes, she places her hand flat on my chest.

“So far, all he’s done is find you by using a woman whom he’s probably made his servant, just as he did with you.

He’s sent me a few texts that he thinks will send you running, and you’re about to play right into his hands.

” My voice is louder than I’d like. I take a deep breath and reel in my emotions.

“Don’t leave me, Mari. This is your home. ”

She stares at me, then at the door. It’s the first time I’ve seen her out of sorts, afraid. “I can’t be responsible for the people here getting hurt. You could be killed.” She touches my cheek.

Turning into her palm, I kiss the soft flesh. “Stay. Try this my way. Running will only make him chase. He’s found you, but he’s not here, or he could have knocked on the door or shown up when you were with your students.”

“Oh god.” She lowers her gaze to the floor.

“I’ve put everyone in the line of fire. He’ll kill everyone and everything I care about.

” She crumbles to the floor, sitting with her legs crossed and her head in her hands.

“For over a hundred years, I’ve kept him at bay, and the moment I let my guard down, he’s here. ”

Pierre Brochet has to be stopped.

For a giant, I’m pretty passive, but I’m not without passion. Mari is my passion, and anyone who threatens her is my enemy. I sit facing her. “He’s not here. He’s a text message. When he gets here, we’ll be ready for him.”

I pick up my phone and type.

Sam:

Never going to happen.

I dial the police station.

“Harmony Glen Police. Officer Williamson. How can I help you?” Officer Willa Williamson’s serious voice comes across firm and sure.

“Hello, Officer. This is Sam Reus. We’ve had a threat through texting, and I want to report it.” The more I think about Pierre, the angrier I get.

Mari tugs my arm. “This is a mistake.”

“I need to report this, Mari.” My heart is pounding. If I don’t involve law enforcement, there’s a very good chance I’ll take care of it myself. I’m not opposed to that, but it would require me to be something I prefer to leave to my ancestors.

She must sense the desperation, or smell it, because Mari nods and sits back against the couch again.

“Are you still there, Mr. Reus?” Officer Williamson asks.

“I’m here. Can you come out? I don’t want to talk about it over the phone.”

There’s typing in the background. “I understand. I’m on the desk tonight, but Officer Gant will be there soon. Are you at home?”

“Yes. We’ll wait for him.” The knot in my chest loosens slightly. Though I’m not sure even a Sasquatch police officer can help us. I’m willing to share our story with him and see what he thinks.

“Who’s there with you?” she asks.

“Miss Mari Shepherd. The threat came through my phone, but it was made against her.” The knot tightens.

More typing. “Hang on, and we’ll do what we can to help, Sam.”

We’ve met at least a dozen times. I’m the one who gets called if the police need help with anything rock-related, including rock slides and repairs. I even helped pull a car out of the lake once.

“Thank you, Willa.”

She clears her throat. “Do you think I need to wake the chief? I mean, is there a threat to the community?”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

If it were up to Mari, no one would know about this.

She’d run away in the night as if she were a criminal, and Harmony Glen would never hear from her again.

That’s the last thing I want to happen. She’s made a home here, and frankly, so have I.

She said she wouldn’t ask me to leave and go with her, but if she goes, I’m following.

“Better be on the safe side.”