Star-Crossed

Chapter Nineteen: I will not ask you where you come from

The sounds of staggering footsteps grow closer and closer still until I can smell the stench of sweat, alcohol, and weed permeating the air around me. Two men circle around to stare in front of me and leer at my face and the front half of my body while another man stands behind me, his hot breath brushing the nape of my neck and making me cringe.

"She's cute," one man slurs, swaying as he struggles to stay upright, his glassy eyes gazing at me lustfully. "I call dibs."

"I saw her first," says the accented voice of the man behind me. "That means if anyone gets dibs, it's me."

The other guy in the group is just staring at me. The thing with this guy is, he's clearly not drunk. This is clear because his gaze is unclouded with the influence of alcohol or drugs, he is staring at me in a way that makes my skin crawl and something that can only be described as terror rocket from the crown of my head all the way to the tip of my toes.

He has the look of a predator on his face. His eyes gleam in the darkness as he stares at me, that same look of intoxication that happens to most males in my presence shines in his eyes. It's dark where we're all standing, the only light is about thirty feet away and it shines on his hair and makes his eyes slightly more visible in the dark. I can see the shadows of his face, but I cannot really make out what he looks like.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers so quietly it's as if he's talking to himself. He steps closer, eyes slightly glazed over. "Stay with me forever, my goddess."

The crazed look in his eyes mixed with his proximity is unnerving. I want to back away from him or scream or bolt around him and put my running skills to good use, surrounding myself with people and a busy city. What I want most, though, is to find Xerxion. To be in the shelter of his presence and soak it up.

Why in the hell did I shake him off my trail?

I shake my head inwardly before I can fully blame myself. It's not completely my fault. I mean, sure, I did slip into a drugstore and then sneak out the back, but it's cruel of Xerxion to follow me and not show his face. He knows how this Consort thing works. He knows it would drive him crazy, too. Not to mention, I've gone jogging every night for the past three years and nothing crazy has happened before. Why am I being stalked by crazies now?

And that woman...

I shift my gaze over and sure enough, she standing there. She is too far away for me to see her face. All she is to me is a tall figure with killer curves and brunette hair that flows over her shoulders in waves. The harder I squint at her, the more I start to feel like I've met her before. There's something shockingly familiar about the way she stands...

Where have I seen that posture before...?

Suddenly, clammy hands are grabbing hold of my chin, forcing my eyes to turn back to face the crazed man who is grinning at me. There are a few spaces where his teeth should be and I chalk it down to him either having poor hygiene or taking some kind of drug on other nights.

"Let me be worthy of you, goddess," he whispers, his breath hits me with a stench so vile if I could move I would have surely thrown up. "Let me show you I can be worthy of you."

He moves toward me, his lips puckered in a way that suggests he intends to kiss me. My eyes widen as I begin to panic. I have never been kissed before and I really don't wish to share my first kiss with a man old enough to be my father. In fact, I refuse to have my first kiss with anyone expect Xerxion.

"What are you doing, old man?" Asks the guy who was standing beside the guy trying to kiss me, touching the man's shoulder in confusion. "You really don't intend to take her all for yourself, do you?"