King of Beasts

chapter 11

Gabe wouldn’t stop grinning.  The man had practically assaulted Charlotte, and he was grinning.

Charlotte regarded him from afar as he was talking to the townspeople.  Even the red mark on his cheek from where she slapped him had faded.  Now he was just a grinning idiot in a sea of beasts.

Charlotte rested on a high roof, the black tiles burning the backs of her legs.  She wondered if she was developing a fetish for roofs, then snorted.  She’d been wandering aimlessly through town, spotted the terribly installed solar panels, and had been hopeless to stop.  Her favorite lecture in the entire world had been when the visiting professor came to her class and discussed solar panels.  They were fascinating to her.

So she’d broken into the house when no one answered the door, then broke into the garage to steal the tools, then climbed up the stairs and out the window on the second floor.  She was getting good at walking without crutches, and although her arm was still a hindrance, things were healing nicely. 

She’d been gone for about fifteen minutes now, and wondered when Gabe would notice.  He’d been in deep discussion when she had left.  At first she’d wandered through the fresh foods market, and ate an apple.  When he didn’t come after her, Charlotte just sort of . . . slipped away.

Her head was in a different place, had been since Gabe kissed her the other night.  It had felt right, it had felt normal, and it had taken her longer than it should have to push him away.  It didn’t feel like a first kiss.  It felt like a thousandth kiss, like they’ve been touching each other their whole lives, like they knew everything about each other.  It had been beyond perfect, beyond normal, beyond right. 

Charlotte dropped the wrench back into the tool box and rubbed a hand down her sweating face.  It was hot out today, and the heat wasn’t distracting her from her thoughts.  Claimed?  Could she really have been claimed by Gabe?

Her eyes found him amidst a group of men.  He was handsome, terribly so.  Maybe not conventionally, but to Charlotte every piece of him was perfect.  Even the slight crookedness to his nose, even the way his chin was a bit too sharp, even that glow in his eyes.  He was perfect, and Charlotte swore under her breath because of it.

How could the elders of her town not tell her about this?  They taught her runes, all of them, entrusted her greatly.  They told her she would do important things, raised Charlotte like she was their own child.  They said one day she may be an elder, that she had the power for it.  Yet they didn’t entrust her with this information.  They let her believe, just like her whole town, that the beasts came, the beasts took, and the beasts killed.

As if sensing her eyes Gabe looked up, caught mid laugh so a smile was frozen, Gabe saw Charlotte a few streets away on the roof of a house much taller than the others.  His head cocked to the side, confused, while other face followed his line of sight.  She watched him mouth her name, then his eyes widen in surprise and fear before he took off through the streets.

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

Stupid claiming.  That was so . . . barbaric.  What happened to woman’s rights?  Didn’t destiny understand the importance of feminism?  “Charlotte!” she heard Gabe shouting, running onto her street much faster than anyone should be able to run.  “Are you alright?  What the hell are you doing up there?”

“I’m plotting my death, Gabe.” Charlotte replied dryly.  She expected a haughty retort, and when she got none she glanced to the ground warily.  “Gabe?”

Arms wrapped round her from behind and she screamed, fearing for her balance and the ground below.  She knew it was Gabe that had her, his touch was memorized, and she let out a shaky breath.  “I was kidding!” she cried, slapping at his arms.

Gabe growled and pulled her back along the roof.  “Wait!” she gasped.  “Wait—the panels!  Damn it Gabe if you don’t put me down I’ll—I’ll—I’ll kiss you again!”

Gabe froze, a surprised laugh escaping his mouth.  “So I should keep holding you?”

“I thought you’d be surprised and let me go.” Charlotte admitted weakly.

Gabe did, although carefully, and turned Charlotte to face him.  His hand brushed over her cheek and she trembled, although she told herself a breeze passed by.  “Your cheeks are burned.” Gabe muttered disapprovingly.

“Stop touching me.” She argued, but didn’t slap his hand away.  “I understand the whole claiming thing, sure, fine.  But I’m not okay with it.”

He pulled his hand back, nodding solemnly.  “I never would force you to do anything.”

She took a step back, swayed on the slant of the roof, and Gabe caught her and steadied her.  “What did I say about touching?”

“Fine, I’ll let you just fall off the roof next time.” He said with a smile. 

Charlotte swallowed, wondering how exactly this whole claiming thing worked, how it made her heart race when he smiled at her like that.  “I’ve got to fix the panels.” She muttered, turning and limping back.  Gabe followed closely in case she slipped.

“How’d you get up here?  And why?  You’re always on a damn roof of all places.”

Charlotte grinned and knelt down once more, retrieving he tools.  “I broke into the house.” She admitted coyly, feeling somewhat bad.  But she was about to give this house a boost of energy, so she figured it was fine.

“And the tools?”

“I broke into their garage too.”

A silence enveloped them before Gabe laughed once more and sat beside her.  “I didn’t know you knew how to do this.”

Charlotte shrugged.  “I love this kind of thing.  Energy was my passion.”

She could feel his eyes on her, and tried to ignore it.  “I’m sorry I kissed you.” He said after a long pause.

Charlotte nearly dropped her wrench, but fought to keep a hold of it and to not look at Gabe.  Once she looked into his eyes, she’d be gone.  “It’s stupid to be predetermined to be with someone, just because my town was cursed, get stolen from that town, and then have no choice but to fall in love with a man who kidnaps me.  I like my choices, Gabe, and right now I have absolutely none.”

Another long silence.  Charlotte was blushing, but she didn’t know why.  “I’m sorry.” He muttered again.

Charlotte cursed under her breath before turning and facing Gabe.  “Look, I want to know the details, okay?  I want an honest discussion.  I want to know what the hell is going on between you guys and my town, why it was cursed, and what you expect from me.  I’m not just going to sit here all docile and whatnot.”

Gabe paused for a moment, then nodded.  “Fine.  Then I want to know why the elders taught you those runes.”

Charlotte was taken aback.  She hadn’t been expecting that question.  “B-because.” She spluttered.  “I’m good at them.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes.  “We’ll talk when you’re done.”

Charlotte nodded carefully, her eyes guarded.  “Fine.”

She went back to work.  “Can I kiss you again?”

He laughed when he dodged the wrench thrown at his head, then sulked when Charlotte forced him to go retrieve it.  Damn Gabe, and the way she made Charlotte believe he was alright.  Damn him and his laugh and his smile and that fine, fine ass of his as he walked back along the roof.

Charlotte cursed herself, then stared at her hands.  How the hell was she supposed to figure anything out when all she wanted was for Gabe to stop asking if he could kiss her and to just do it again?  She shook her head, and because she was on a cursing role she cursed the claiming once more.