Page 13 of Little Wing (Shades of Fairhaven #1)

T he noise from the bar accompanied us as we made our way through the crowd toward the back patio.

When one too many tipsy humans nearly stumbled into me, Silas closed the distance between us quickly.

He kept his hand on the small of my back the rest of the way to the patio, and when he moved his hand away, I swore I could feel its absence.

Once we made it, the heat from the bar was replaced with a crisp late winter breeze. Despite there being a handful of people enjoying their drinks and cigarettes, I felt like there was a spotlight on me. Any time Silas looked at me, spoke to me, I felt like I truly was the only one in his presence.

As I walked toward the edge of the small patio, I paused when I could no longer hear Silas’s footsteps behind me.

“You know,” he started with a smirk. “I’ve lived here long enough to have come across plenty of people. I’ve met just about every local, and yet… here you are.”

I turned to find him with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at me.

“I see you once on a random fucking night at a bar I set foot in maybe once or twice, and now I can’t get you out of my head. ”

The sudden confession startled me.

“What are you talking about, Silas?” My brows furrowed as I took a step back, trying to move us further away from curious ears.

He turned and stuck his hands in his pockets, prowling closer to me. Again, not bothering to answer my question. It’s like I was there before him, but he was just flipping through questions on a notepad, not taking the time to hear my responses.

“Why do you do that?” he uttered, his voice a low grumble that bordered on a growl.

“Excuse me?”

“This,” he asked, reaching to touch my cheek, but I quickly turned to avoid him.

“What the hell?” I hissed. “Why are you showing up everywhere I am?”

“Why are you hiding what you are?” he countered. His voice grew more strained.

“I’m not hiding anything.”

That was the truth. I wasn’t hiding, I was simply gliding under the radar to stay as ordinary as possible.

Silas wasn’t letting up. He stepped closer while I moved back until I found I had no more room to evade him, and bumped into the fence.

Each step he took, I felt his eyes darting around my body.

He paused and shook his head. I felt no ill-intention in his presence despite how close he was to me now.

I could feel how heavy his breath felt on my skin.

“Blue isn’t your color,” he hissed, his body getting dangerously close to mine, so close he could reach and press his hand to the wood fence I leaned back against.

“And what is?” I asked softly, my eyelids heavy, drinking in his presence .

“Whatever is under those lenses,” he finally answered.

“I like to change my eye color—is that a crime?” I managed to say.

“No, but why hide?” he asked again. This time I heard the wood creak under what I assumed was a tight fist.

“I’m not…” I huffed, pulling myself from the intensity of his stare. Why was he still interrogating me like this? “I’m not hiding. Why are you asking me all these questions? What have I done to you? Why are you following me?”

Silas leaned in a little closer, watching me intently to see if I would push him away.

Whatever was happening, I couldn’t show an ounce of how uneasy he made me feel.

Not out of fear, but something I didn’t dare put words to.

What cover I had was shattered, because he knew very well that if I was human then my heart would be beating out of my chest at the scent he carried.

Leather, pine, and a touch of crimson on his breath.

My Gods, it was intoxicating. So infuriatingly intoxicating.

“So, nothing to hide?” His voice was low as he leaned in closer, until his full lips barely brushed the thin skin on my neck.

I felt his nose twitch. He smelled me. He knew.

Yet he said nothing before whispering against my skin.

“In that case, you wouldn’t mind if I had a bite of you, right?

I could go for an aftertaste of red… whatever it is you were drinking. What was it, Lotus? Wine, really?”

“What do you want me to say?” I uttered, remaining as still as I could. His lips continued to wander along my neck, stopping at my throat, and I didn’t want to admit how it sent a lightning bolt to my core.

That was enough. I squeezed my eyes shut to pull myself from whatever twisted game he was dragging me into. I pushed him off me by the shoulders and he moved with little effort, responding to my delicate touch. “What do you want from me? ”

Silas stepped back, his hands back in his pocket with an unmoved reaction.

He wasn’t startled at my question, nor was he shocked.

I mean, he could probably smell me from a mile away but why make it such a big deal that he had to show up everywhere?

I was not doing anything wrong. It was as if I told him that his perfectly-fitted pants were an eye-sore, because they pointed me directly at his crotch.

“I’m just fascinated, that’s all. And frankly, irritated.” He stepped back suddenly, running his thumb over his lower lip. I could see his chest expanding more rapidly. “You know I’m a vampire too, Lotus.”

“Of course.”

And what a beautiful one he was, too.

“Why are you pretending to be human?” he asked, finally a direct question. Again, no malice but more… intrigue wrapped around his sharp tongue.

Pretending, hiding, cosplaying; I heard it all from him.

Sure, I had other vampires give me the quick once over, but they usually just turned their head and went on their way.

Silas, however, was stuck on this like a leech.

What did it matter how I carried myself?

I wasn’t putting anyone in danger nor was I getting in anyone’s way.

If he wanted to live his life without a hint of fear of being a vampire, flashing his brilliant fangs and stunning eyes, then I wouldn’t judge him for it.

So why was he judging me for needing to live in a more muted way?

“I never said I was pretending,” I said again. “I never said I was human, but am I really supposed to be throwing my hands up and announcing that my main source of nourishment is fucking pig’s blood?”

“No, but—”

“But what, Silas?” I growled, stepping toward him. “But what? Is this not what you wanted to hear?”

“Lotus, I didn’t mean— ”

My hair fell over my face as I clenched my fists tightly at my sides. My freshly trimmed nails bit into my skin. “Do you seriously think I’m pretending? That I don’t know what I am?”

“I didn’t know,” he replied quickly and quietly, the strain in his voice just moments ago quickly reduced to something much smaller.

“Exactly,” I exclaimed before a weary sigh escaped me. “You do not know me.”

I didn’t get him. All this back and forth—what was it for?

I didn’t want to argue, nor did I want to pour more fuel on the fire of our interaction.

There was already a rush that fluttered in my chest that I needed to settle, and I couldn’t do it standing on that patio.

While Silas watched me carefully, I shook my head and pointed to the door leading back to the bar.

“What?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

“I have to get back otherwise I may say something I’ll regret.”

The man before me stood, stiff and contemplating. He gently rubbed the corner of his eyes and for the first time that evening he avoided my gaze. “Sorry.”

I was ready for the night to end right there. End scene. Let this just be over for my sake, not his. I wanted him to steep in that embarrassment for a bit longer, especially for how worked up he made me feel when all I wanted was a relaxing night after work.

As I only nodded in acknowledgment of his apology, he glanced toward the noise coming from inside and pivoted. “Let me cover our tabs, okay? Can we at least walk together? I feel like an ass.”

Though my mind wanted to shut him out completely and just leave my card, I swallowed and nodded slowly.

“Good,” I said. “You should. ”

Whatever just happened, whatever energy shifted, I didn’t think he’d do something stupid like attack me. If he wanted to pay for my drinks and walk me home, I wouldn’t say no.

The walk back along my favorite cobblestone streets was normally one I enjoyed.

Tonight, it felt eerily quiet and charged with whatever energy that still lingered between me and Silas.

Like static in the air. Since the moment we left the bar, we walked in silence.

The only sound between us was the click-clacking of our shoes against the stones and I didn’t think it could have been any louder.

I could feel we both wanted to speak, but were we supposed to insert small talk after what happened on that patio?

Was Silas waiting to throw out more questions that would send us both into a rage?

I considered every word that I was holding on the tip of my tongue, even as I noticed Silas glancing at me.

His lips parted then closed as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

It wasn’t until we stopped by the gated entrance to my apartment building that I turned to him and opened my mouth to speak, yet nothing came out.

As frustrated as I felt in the last hour, I knew that Silas was everything I feared and envied.

And when my eyes, concealed by uncomfortable lenses, locked in on his gentle silver orbs, I felt my mouth become dry.

Could he tell how fast my mind was racing when I looked at him? Was he as wound up as I was?

Was he recalling what it felt like to graze his lips over my delicate flesh? Perhaps that was why he was looking down at me with the same hunger he had in his eyes when he had me pressed up against the fence.

“S-Silas?” I finally found my voice, even if it was a bit hoarse.

“Yes, Lotus?” he said, his voice steady.

Each beat of my heart thrummed in my throat as my memory ushered a single question past my plump lips:

“What would you have done if I told you I was human?”