Two

Rosette gave me an hour break instead of fifteen minutes. I stared up at the ceiling in the office where I’d been lying down for that hour. I’ve never thrown up so much in my life, but the feeling was almost gone. With my stomach now empty, I felt drained of all my energy.

I tried to remember what I had eaten that could have made me sick, but all I've had since morning was a sandwich and then a muffin when I got to work. Maybe what I needed was a proper meal.

I grimaced. The thought of food was making me feel sick again, and I decided with the feeling passing I’d better get back to work. Rosette had argued with me for ten minutes that I should go home, but I need the money. My scholarship covers my school expenses, but I still have to eat.

I made my way back into the diner to take over from Brittany when my eyes landed on Xavier.

What was he still doing here?

He was alone but sitting in the exact spot he had been before. He looked up as I was putting my apron on and his eyes lowered into slits. My hands froze from tying my apron as his face morphed from relaxed to angry.

What in God’s name did I do to this man?

I’ve only seen him once before, that day in the library. And considering that I’m friends with Natalie, what reason does he have for looking at me as if I’m a plague beast? Did Natalie tell him what I had said, that I wasn’t interested in him, and he’s somehow upset about it? That was the only thing I could think of, but I wasn’t going to stand around and have this creep watch me my whole shift.

“Can I help you with something? Why do you keep staring at me?”

Xavier looked up at me and my heart lodged itself in my throat when he abruptly got to his feet, his nostrils flaring. I backed up, my eyes widening as his narrowed even further. My head was tilted back because of how he was towering over me, and just like that I was hit with another wave of nausea.

My face twisted in pain and he recoiled from me.

Was that it? Was he repulsed by me being sick or something? Jesus, what is with this guy? But God, was he even more perfect up close. I still didn’t like him. Why is he acting like this? For a second there I thought he was going to hit me.

He turned and stormed out of the diner, everyone having frozen to watch the scene.

“Do you know Xavier Blackwood?”

I looked over at Brittany and inhaled a breath. Throwing up even once more would surely kill me. “No. I don’t know what his problem is.”

She threw me a look I couldn’t decipher before turning away to clock out for the day. From what I understood, Xavier’s father was Mathieu Blackwood, business mogul and millionaire. They were among the elite,

and considering I was new in town there was no reason for this man to hate me.

By the time the last customer left I was again on the verge of fainting. I had munched on a few cookies throughout the night, but what I needed was rest. With tomorrow being Sunday and with my Monday assignments being completed, I could sleep in.

I closed up the diner and zipped my jacket as the chilly air nipped at my skin. In the distance I could hear music, no doubt from a bar or club or frat house nearby. Since my apartment was close by, many nights I walked home instead of calling an Uber. It’s the only exercise I get since I’ve never seen the inside of a gym.

Xavier's face flashed within my mind and I rolled my eyes. Something is seriously wrong with that guy, and you bet on Monday I'll confront him for it. His father could be the president, I didn't care. You don't get to do stuff like that and walk.

My eyes narrowed and my steps slowed when before me a man in a hoodie pushed himself off a wall and turned in my direction. He just stood there staring at me, his face cloaked in darkness with his hoodie pulled over his head.

Shit.

I turned around, but a chill ran down my spine when behind me was another man.

Oh, Jesus.

I turned and walked briskly down an alleyway, my hand rummaging through my handbag. I closed my eyes and cursed inwardly, my heart pounding in my head as I realized I'd left my pepper spray at home.

Behind me, I heard a whistle and another man appeared before me. No, no, this was not happening right now. This wasn't happening! Two weeks, I've been here for two weeks! My life's turning around! I got a scholarship!

The most gruesome thoughts started going through my head and I turned to run, but my way out of the alleyway was blocked by the first two men. They charged at me, grabbing both my arms and holding them apart.

"Hey, babe," the man who had appeared in the alleyway whispered, his voice low and gravelly. My skin started to crawl as he reached a finger out and ran it down my cheek. “Why are you walking home alone princess?”

“I like to stretch my legs.” I kicked him in the gut, sending him staggering backward. At the same time I yanked on my arms, but only one came free. Before I knew it the two men had grabbed me again. This time one of them held my face, squeezing my cheeks.

The man before me started laughing and removed his hood, revealing a deep scar running down the side of his face. His skin was pale and his breath reeked of alcohol. I wanted to cry. My eyes were stinging and I knew what was coming next when he smiled at me.

“I love them feisty.”

My world started crumbling when he started grabbing at me, his cold fingers prying at my body until I felt them like ice cubes dip into my top and grab my breast. I screamed. I screamed for my life, for someone to save me, when suddenly the man to my left was yanked away.

I slapped my attacker in the face and pushed the other away, but they had already forgotten me because, behind us, their friend was suspended in the air.

His neck snapped to the side with a sickening sound that echoed in the darkness around us. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. What man has the strength to hold another off the ground like that?

The body was thrown to the side and I got my answer as Xavier stepped forward.

Ruby

I think I've fallen into some alternate reality where there is a man who looks exactly like Xavier but can hold a grown man off the ground like he's a doll.

“What the fuck did you just do?” the man to my right yelled, but he made no move to his friend lying on the ground, his eyes open but lifeless.

I swallowed and backed up as my attacker, the sick piece of shit who had had his hand down my top, whipped out a knife. "You're going to pay for that! You're a dead fucking man!"

"Do you really think so?" Xavier asked. It was the first I'd ever heard his voice. It tickled my skin like a feather’s stroke, but it also made me feel faint. I narrowed my eyes, for his voice was also softer than I had expected. He sounded so calm, so collected, for a man who had just committed murder. "Leave."

The man to my right pulled his hoodie down, revealing a bald head, and he too whipped out a knife. “We’re not leaving, but you are. You’re going to the fucking afterlife for what you just did freak!”

Xavier’s head tilted to the side. “I wasn’t speaking to you.” His eyes drifted to me and my body went rigid. “Leave,” he repeated.

My eyes widened as his dark brown irises, almost black, began to bleed into the whites of his eyes. His eyeballs turned entirely black and a chill went down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold air. I started to sweat because he suddenly seemed taller and more muscular. But I wasn’t going to let him order me to leave.

“What the…”

“Go!” he barked at me, and my body jumped as I stepped back. His teeth had elongated so much that his canines were touching the bottom of his lower lip.

The men on either side of me started backing up as well, their eyes wide with fear, as Xavier took a step forward. I swallowed, suddenly feeling the urge to piss myself, as his fingers began to twitch before black nails

pierced through his cuticles. On second thought, maybe I would follow that order.

"What the fuck are you?" the man to my right said, his voice shaking, and Xavier raised his head, his nostrils flaring.

“The man who’s going to make you wish you had picked another woman to fuck with.”

This wasn’t Xavier. I’ve really stepped into an alternate universe or a fucking horror show! The man before me was a demon, a creature, a beast! He wasn’t human, he wasn’t Xavier!

I screamed as Xavier rushed forward, a deep growl vibrating up from his chest. I pressed my back against the wall and watched as he held onto the man’s arm, the one that was holding the knife and the hand that had been down my shirt, and ripped it from his body.

I gagged, my nearly empty stomach wanting me to vomit the two cookies I had eaten, as I watched Xavier throw the man’s arm to the side, blood flying everywhere. He opened his mouth and sank his fangs into the man’s throat and my legs started moving.

I could hear the man’s horrible screams as I ran from the alleyway. I closed my eyes for just a second as I heard the other man start to scream as well. I could hear the sound of breaking bones. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for being saved, but I think I would have preferred being raped and left alone because now I’m about to be eaten alive!

What the hell kind of town did I move to?

I want to cry, scream, and curl up into a ball. I wanted an explanation for what I had just witnessed because, as terrified as I am, that was still the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

No, not the killing. That was surely going to scar me for life. But Xavier, what the hell is he?

The screaming abruptly stopped, but I kept pumping my legs, the mouth of the alleyway just before me. But I didn’t get far, oh how I didn’t get far, because the moment I screamed to hail a passing cab a hand made its way around my mouth and I was out cold in the next second.

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Ruby

I rolled onto my side and frowned, surprised I wasn’t greeted with a view of the sky. I got out of bed sluggishly and pulled my curtain back, the way I always keep it because I wasn’t a morning person. All I need is to see the sky to get me out of bed.

I sighed and rubbed at my eyes before looking down at the street below, my eyes following a couple as they strolled by hand in hand.

Cute couple, I thought to myself as my stomach began to growl loudly, like an animal was in there. I wasn't hungry, I was starving. I dragged myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth and tame my hair before making my way to the kitchen. I wasn't sure why I felt so tired or so hungry, but the sooner I had food in my system the better. I already felt like shit and didn't want to risk getting a headache.

“Oh my God!” I clutched at my chest as I walked in on Natalie sitting at my tiny island. “What the hell are you doing in my kitchen? How did you even get in?”

Natalie raised a brow. “Your door was open. I’ve been calling you all day. You missed class.”

“What?” I looked away and frowned. “What do you mean I missed class? It’s Sunday.”

Her eyes narrowed at me. “Ruby, it’s Monday. I’ve been calling you since yesterday, which was Sunday, and then all day today. I was worried about you, and your ass has been sleeping all this time.”

What the hell was she saying? There was no way I’d been sleeping for two days. I held my head and sat down and she slid her mug, rather my mug, toward me.

“Have some coffee. You look like shit. What happened to you?”

I sipped the coffee and sighed. I wish I had an answer for her, but I was busy trying to understand how I had slept for two days. Why was I still so tired then? I pressed my fingers to my temples and peeped at her from under my lashes.

“Sorry I missed your calls. I must have been more tired than I thought after work on Saturday.” My eyes widened. “Speaking of Saturday, your creepy ass cousin attacked me.”

Natalie blinked slowly. “Xavier attacked you? Attacked you how?” "In the diner. And he didn't literally attack me. He was staring at me,

so I asked him what his problem was, and he, I don't know, reacted. I thought he was going to hit me."

Natalie looked away, her brows furrowed in thought. "He would never do that. Do you remember anything else? What else did he do?"

I gripped my cup with both hands and took another sip of my coffee, already feeling my energy returning. “Nothing else. He left and I got back to work.”

That’s odd. Something tugged at my memory as I looked at my left wrist. Slowly I placed my cup down to swipe a finger across my wrist. It was smooth, with blue-colored veins showing beneath my skin.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked. I looked up at her and then down at my wrist again. Something was wrong here; something was really wrong. First, my curtain was drawn at my window; my curtain is always open. And now my scar was gone. A thought occurred to me and I looked over at Natalie once more.

“How did you know where I live?”

She shrugged and puckered her lips. “I went to the admissions office. I told you, I was worried about you.”

I didn’t believe her.

My eyes widened as she faded, becoming almost transparent right before my eyes, and I got up, almost falling off my stool.

“Who the hell are you?” I reached behind me and grabbed a knife. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

She tilted her head to the side and dared to look concerned when I was the one looking through her body. "Ruby, you need to calm down."

The wall to my right cracked and I lost it. “Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me who you are right now! What have you done with Natalie? Where is she? What the hell is going on here?”

The knife dropped out of my hand as more walls began to crack and Natalie started to flash in and out of existence. I hadn’t taken any drugs, I was sure of it. I’ve never even done drugs, not even once, so why was I tripping? I must be tripping, because none of this is possible.

My hand fell to my side as I looked into Natalie’s eyes. “This isn’t

real.”

I sat up in bed with a start, my breathing shallow as I clutched at my

chest. I was under sheets that weren't my own, black silk sheets at that. And when I looked to my left, I backed up so much I almost fell off the bed.

Natalie was sitting in a chair by my bed. No, not my bed. I wasn’t even in my room. She was holding her head, her face twisted in pain, with

Xavier by her side. His hands were on her shoulders as he begged her to speak to him.

What the hell is going on?

I tried to get out of bed and away from them, but my focus was going in and out, my eyes blurry. Before my very eyes what I was seeing changed from the room with Xavier and Natalie to just Natalie and me in my kitchen.

“What the hell are the two of you doing to me?” My head felt like it was going to explode. There was a weight on my chest so heavy it was like something was sitting on me. “What’s going on!?”

Xavier looked my way, his jaws clenched tightly, and Natalie held her hand out to me, her face red. “Sleep.”

I wasn’t given the chance to fight it. I was hit with a wave of drowsiness that was so strong I was out cold before my head smacked against the cold hard floor.

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