Willow bit into the crispy chicken, its juices trailing down her chin.
She moaned into the bite as she said, "this is so good."
She is two-thirds into her meal when a weight landed unceremoniously on the opposite chair.
She didn't have to look from her meal to know who is, but just to curb that small hope within her, she raised her eyes and met with seething honey-brown eyes.
"You stabbed me," Lothaire growled. Willow noticed the change of clothes. He wore a leather jacket, black tee, and jeans.
"Yet you are still here. Looking almost new. No harm done," Willow shrugged her shoulders as she concentrated on her meal.
She really needs to know the recipe. Her mouth salivated as she thought of eating this daily. It's that good.
"You stabbed me. Me. I could crush you with my bare hands," Lothaire gritted, rage bubbling inside him. Willow looked at him as if he was a fly she wanted to swat away.
"And I could have used a silver one instead of normal, bland steel. See how considerate I'm? You must be thanking me. But no, you have to grumble that I stabbed you. Okay. I admit I was stabbed. So what? It's just a prick and you are a vampire. What's the big deal! I should have left you to rot in that haunting castle. What a way to show appreciation"
"You are nuts if you think I'm thanking you for stabbing me," Lothaire scoffed, his anger abating as he gazed at her munching her food.
It must not arouse him yet he couldn't help himself but get hard as he watched her lips glistened with the juices. Lothaire adjusted himself, thanking the table between them that helped hide his member.
"Why are you here bones?" Willow sighed placing the chicken on the plate.
"Why do you think so? I know no one. I can't trust anyone except you. You are stuck with me until I think about something," Lothaire smirked as he enjoyed watching the color drain from her face.
Willow groaned in her hands. Since she met him all she is doing is sighing and groaning. Why... Why her!
"If I wanted a pet I would have gotten one sucker"
Lothaire fisted his hands on the table, leaned forward almost to the point of touching her nose, and said calmly, "taunt me one more time tinker bell and I will make you, MY pet."
Willow gulped at the heat in his eyes. Her mouth dried comprehending his innuendo. She licked her dry lips which made his gaze shift there.
Before he can leap and bite her lips she chided, "bad puppy... bad bad puppy"
Lothaire landed in his seat with a thump. His face turned red. "I'm not a fucking dog," he growled louder than intended gaining the attention of the remaining customers.
"Stop screaming at me. People are looking at this side," Willow took a sweep at the crowd to check if they were listening.
"It's the dress Tinkerbell," Lothaire said, trying to calm himself. His gaze tracing the skin on display. No one has ever railed him like her. He has endured many years of torture yet his jailers were not able to get a reaction out of him. But this woman succeeded in a few minutes. He thanked her for being on his side or will be soon once he convinced her.
"God you are such a misogynist"
"By the time we part ways, you will tick all the negative adjectives in the dictionary like me," Lothaire countered, his mood back to normal.
"You know me so well," Willow batted her eyelashes or tried to and said, "rather you know yourself so well"
"You look so cute when you try to speak like a grownup," one side of his lips pulled up in a half-smile enjoying the banter with this woman.
"I should have used the silver one," Willow grumbled.
"Careful tinker bell. You are sitting here unharmed because I allowed it. Don't test my patience," Lothaire warned with no air behind it.
"Call me Tinkerbell one more time and I will personally introduce you to the tooth fairy. What do you call a vampire? She likes fangs a lot, "Willow arched her eyebrow daring him.
"What are you doing here tink- I mean," Lothaire cocked his head, noticing for the first time that they didn't exchange their names.
"What's your name?"
"As if I will tell you," Willow scoffed.
Names have power. In a magical world, a name can be used to cast a spell, command the person making him/her a puppet. Hence, each supernatural uses a given name and the name they are called. The given name is known only to three people. The parents and the baby. Sometimes if the mate is lucky then him/her. But in an uncertain world, it's not common.
"You know what I mean," Lothaire raised his hands at her defiance.
"Willow," she grumbled as if it's being pulled out of her forcefully. She doesn't like to give her name, even the one she is called.
"Willow," Lothaire tasted the name on his tongue. The corner of his lips turned slightly up. It suits her.
"And yours?"
"Lothaire," he replied grudgingly.
"You knew your name and you bullshitted that you knew nothing! I should have let that mage shred you when I had the chance."
A dark look crossed his face at the mention of the mage. Willow instantly regretted bringing the mage up and ruining the environment. His body was coiled with tension. His eyes glazed as if thinking about the past memories.
Willow rubbed her chest with her right hand as if she was feeling his pain.
"Sorry," she whispered, her hand closing on his right fist.
Lothaire jerked at the touch. Rage forgotten; his eyes cast down at their hands. Her skin is not soft, not calloused, it's just right. That of a warrior.
Lothaire shook his head lightly to clear the dark thoughts that were threatening to tear him.
He raised his chin letting her know she was off the hook.
"Never bring that up," he said through his teeth.
"Noted"
She looked at her plate. She didn't feel hungry anymore but to clear the tension she stupidly created between them, she picked the chicken and munched on it.
Lothaire clasped his hand as she tried to withdraw her hand.
"Aren't you taking advantage of the situation?"
"I'm a vampire. It's our birthright"
"Arrogant, egotistical, narcissistic chauvinist," Willow muttered under her breath.
"At this rate, you will need a new dictionary," Lothaire teased, his mood once again restored. Only her... he never had so many mood swings in so little time. But this tinker bell is adamant at giving him whiplash.
"Ha!" Willow smiled, happy that he is not in that dark place.
Though she doesn't want him to tag along, she can't see any other option than to bring him with her.
Perhaps, two is better than one. But what if they capture him once again? They did once, they can do it again. Willow chewed her lower lip as worry gnawed her insides.
She scoffed at herself. One conversation and she is worrying over a vampire. Damn, she must have hit her head yesterday.
"You never answered what you are doing here Willow," Lothaire prompted, saying his name for the first time.
A tingle spread through her hearing her name through his lips.
"Gathering intel," she muttered. It's no use avoiding him.
"Intel?"
"About yesterday's rescue. But funnily no one knows anything about it. Or they are feigning ignorance. It's as if they are not aware of what transpired in this city last night. They are behaving so normally. I'm confused"
"Perhaps they really don't know anything about it"
"How could that be? There were over 1000 captives"
"And releasing them in the same city will be a sure way to alert the kidnappers. Moreover, if they had known about it, do you think they wouldn't have tried to help the others?"
"But someone has to know something. The ones who are in this. Why aren't they discussing anything?"
"And what pray tell shall they discuss? Do you think they will be sitting here waiting until you come here and discuss how someone sabotaged them?"
"No. Of course not. I just thought-"
"That it would be that easy"
"You don't have to gloat," Willow bit her lip, feeling stupid now that he said it out loud. She really thought she could catch someone who might be discussing it. Because she has no lead to go from here. No one to chase. No suspect. She is at a dead end.
"I'm just saying the facts which you are too dimwitted to comprehend"
She glared at him and opened her mouth to scold him once again when her gaze landed on the figure outside her window.
It's a rogue. The rogue is not looking at her but from what she can depict is stalking his prey.
Willow threw the napkin she was holding on the table, stood, and started running towards the entrance.
"What about the bill?" The waiter asked, blocking her way.
Willow pointed at Lothaire and replied, "he will pay."
As she exited the diner, she heard his bellow, "with what you idiot!"
She hid her laugh and crept slowly on the rogue.
He is a rogue; she is sure of that. She also knows where she has seen him before. He is the vampire who has stared daggers at her from his cage while she fed the other Supernaturals with her fruits.
He is the vampire from one of the warehouses, the guy who was taken before the eclipse. The bound, starved vampire is now a free, healthy rogue.
Willow's mind worked overtime trying to depict what it meant. But she has to face the rogue first. He is the only lead she has now to catch the mage. To know who is behind this.