The Guardian

I spun around so hard I felt pain radiate from my nape. He must be joking right? But his face was even more serious.

'How can I be the guardian when I'm not even a vampire?'

'Are you sure about that Ash?'

'Of course, I am. I don't have heightened senses, I don't drink blood, I'm not like you Dave.'

'I know you're not like me. Do you think I don't know that?' he said with a mysterious gleam in his eyes. Leaning on his right hand, he pushed himself in an upright position before shifting to my direction. I just had the time to take one last breath before he covered my body with his. I could feel the entire weight of his body crushing mine, but I didn't mind it. The hardness of his body was pressing in my softness. He lifted his upper body slightly so that my chest was not constricted anymore and I took a shuddering breath.

'Yes, you're not like me. I am a man and you are a woman full of surprises Miss Runner.' Even though his chest was not crushing me anymore, I could still hear his heart which was beating faster. Even he was affected by our proximity. At that moment I thought of Claudia's outrageous statement; should I just give in to to the desire, should I acknowledge the passion that was burning between us? I just had to take one step, raise my head ever so slightly and capture his plump lips. I had already felt their softness on two different occasions, but it was not enough. I wanted to prolong the contact this time, have the time to enjoy his taste.

Why are you not reading my mind this time? You know what I want, so give it to me, I pleaded. Only the corner of his lips lifted to let me know that he received my message, but he still did not act on it. His eyes were daring me to take the first step.

My hands had been lying limply by my sides and Dave lifted both of them above my head, catching it with only one hand. This movement brought my breasts in closer contact with him and my nipples became erect. My hardened nipples were grazing against the material of the bathrobe, releasing sensations that I had never felt before.

This reminded me that I wasn't wearing any underwear underneath. When Claudia was around it hadn't seemed like a problem, but here with Dave, in this position, I felt exposed and naked.

'No underwear, huh?' the subject of my thoughts said, nuzzling my neck with his nose. Each of his touch was causing tingles up my spine. I rubbed my thighs together, trying to release the pressure that was building within me, but it was hard with his body lying on him. Each movement I made had the opposite effect, instead of releasing the pressure, it increased it. The warmth in my pelvic area became too hot to handle and I wanted Dave to do something about it. Even though I had not had a sexual encounter before, I was not a complete prude and I knew what I wanted him to do.

'You want me to scratch your itch?' he whispered at my ear, before gently biting on the lobe and licking it. I didn't know that my ears could be so sensitive.

'You want more?'

I ground my crotch against his helplessly and nodded.

'Tell me what do you want?'

'I want you.'

'You want this?' he asked, streaming little kisses across my hairline, starting from my left temple to the right.'

'Yes.'

'And this?' he further asked, kissing my jawline softly. I suddenly felt a vibration around my right hip.

'Oh my god, is that a dildo?' I asked with disbelief at the hard vibrating object?

Dave nearly choked with laughter and rolling onto his feet, he pulled out his phone from his left pocket.

'Yes? Okay.' He grunted a few times before bidding goodbye to the caller after a few minutes.

I took the time to rearrange my bathrobe whose neckline had become quite wide, revealing the top of my breasts. I started feeling embarrassed at my brazenness.

I didn't know whether I was grateful that his phone rang or deceived.

By his terse tone, I knew that the call had been an important one. I made a deliberate effort to release the pent-up frustration that was invading the very core of my being. I took a few deep breaths to calm my heart which had been beating erratically a few minutes earlier and looked in Dave's direction.

'Was that your informer?'

'Yes,' he muttered driving his fingers through his hair. He turned to me and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. It was so sudden that I didn't have time to brace myself and felt a jolt to my pelvic area.

'Sorry for the interruption. I've gotta go.'

Touching my tingling lips as if trying to preserve the memory of my first real kiss, I looked at Dave, perplexed.

'Go? Where?'

'I know where the two boys, who attacked you, are.'

My first reaction was fear, fear of what could have happened the other day in the forest, fear for what happen if or when I met them, fear of what they might do to Dave. Then, so quickly that even I was surprised, surged an intense anger at what they did. They tried to threaten me in my own space.

'I'll come with you,' I told Dave in a firm tone. I could see that refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but looking at my determination, he nodded and merely said, 'You stay in the car.' That was enough for me. I knew that I wasn't strong enough to battle against vampires or werewolves, but at least I would have Dave's back. On my way I picked an old baseball bat that Claudia had given me when i started living alone. I kept it in the kitchen cabinet under the sink and had never thought I would have to use it. But I would bring it, just in case. I followed Dave and had almost reached the door when he put one arm across the door, stopping me. He looked at me, highly amused. Had he changed his mind about lettingme come with him?

'No, I haven't changed my mind. But are you coming dressed like this?' he said toying with the belt of my bathrobe. Shit, I hadn't even thought about that. Embarrassed, I took a few steps back and then sprinted to my bedroom. I grabbed my most comfortable pair of black jeans and a black shirt. I quickly grabbed a pair of socks and my tennis shoes and ran barefoot to the door. I would wear them in the car. Dave locked the door behind me and we went to his rental.

He sped in a familiar direction.

'Why are you going in the direction of the Academy?'

'They're in the forest.'

'But why? There's nothing over there, just trees,'

Without turning his gaze from the road, Dave replied, 'Apparently the peaks in energy were observed in that area.' He then turned to give me a quick look and at the same time, we concluded, 'The passageway.'

They must be looking for it. We couldn't let them reach it before us.

'Faster,' I ordered.

With a grim smile, he noted, 'Spoken like a real guardian.'

That side-tracked me a little bit. I turned to Dave and throwing my hands up in frustration, I half-shouted, 'I'm not a guardian. I'm not a vampire!'

'Time will tell us who's right,' were his last words before he braked in front of the path leading to the forest which was shrouded in darkness.