THE WAY KEEPER

CHAPTER II

I stepped down from the bus with all of my bags, looking at the sign before me, WILDERS CREEK. ‘This is it Desire, no turning back’ I whispered to myself before I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell in the air. It smelt like rain, my favorite scent. I opened my eyes and looked at the activities around me.

The bus station was filled with so many people of various age groups. Walking about their lives, I watched them with a smile on my face as I carried my bags towards the aisle. I saw a lady with a broad brimmed hat and a long flowing gown sitting on one of the many benches typing on her phone. I walked up to her hoping to ask for directions.

‘Good afternoon Madam, could you please help me?’ I asked

Several men stood up around her as I approached and I halted a little scared. She looked up from her phone and smiled at me.

‘Well aren’t you the most polite teenager I have ever met? Your mother really raised you well. So how can I help you?

I moved closer but one man who was bald headed stood to block my view.

‘Oh for heaven’s sake Bill, let her through, can’t you see she needs help? The poor girl seems lost.’

‘But Alpha…’

‘Isn’t here so you do what I say, or would you rather I told him you were all troubling me and his son?’ she replied squinting her eyes with a smile in pure mischief rubbing her belly which I now noticed was swollen.

Bill audibly gulped with is eyes popping up like saucers while all the other men stepped back cautiously. Whoever Mr. Alpha was he didn’t seem like someone you want to mess with.

‘I am sorry; I didn’t mean to bother you madam. I will just ask someone else’.

‘Nonsense, please come. I was getting bored out of my skull sitting among these machos, it’s nice to have some female company’ she replied. ‘So how can I help you?’

‘I was wondering if you could direct me to Willows Lounge.’

‘Wow, are you a tourist?’

‘No my aunt owns it.’

‘You are Willows niece, bless my soul.’

‘She doesn’t look like Willow’ stated a voice behind us and just as I was about turning to see who it was the lady screamed ‘Honey!’ jumping off her side of the bench, causing me to fall off the other end on the concrete floor.

‘Oh my goodness, are you ok? She asked trying to bend to pick me up.

‘Lara’ another voice said ‘You are not in the condition to bend’

I was picking myself up when I felt a strong current pass through me as two strong hands held me by the shoulders to help me back on my feet. The hands dropped me abruptly causing me to again fall face first into the concrete. I screamed from the impact grabbing my nose, trying to lessen the pain as I felt my blood oozing down.

‘Marcus what happened? Bill help her’ I heard the lady shouting.

I felt the current all over me again as I was scooped off the floor and held close to a body that I guess was seated because I was cocooned between a broad chest and strong arms.

‘I am so sorry, I’m so sorry’ the voice kept saying rubbing my back. Normally I would have scrambled down and probably hit whoever this stranger was but the mixture of pain and current passing through me left me grounded. I closed my eyes in excruciating pain as tears streamed down my face and blood filled my hands holding my nose.

‘My dear I am so sorry, here let me see’ said the lady I now knew to be Lara. I shook my head with my eyes still closed.

‘Please let me take a look, I am a doctor; I can help’ she said sadly

‘Please let her take a look.’ said the deep voice again.

I turned and open my eyes through tears to stare into deep green eyes that bore into my soul. The aches and pains previously felt all seemed to disappear at once. I felt his grip tighten as he looked at me.

‘Look at me sweetheart’ Lara said turning my face softly with her fingers wearing a sad smile.

I looked in her direction to find her sitting close to me and a very tall man with bulging biceps dressed in visibly expensive clothing standing behind her.

‘Robert please tell one of the men to get me the med-kit in the car with an ice pack.’ She asked looking at the man I presumed to be her partner or husband. He simply nodded and one of the men standing with us ran to get it.

‘What’s your name honey?’ she asked gently tilting my head backwards.

‘Desire’ I whimpered as I followed her motion closing my eyes.

‘What a beautiful name for a beautiful young lady.’

‘How old are you dear?’

‘Twenty three’

‘Are you serious?’ she asked ‘you look a lot younger than your age’.

I smiled as talking was a bit difficult due to the pain.

‘Desire, I need you to hold that position to stop the bleeding ok sweetheart.’

I nodded holding the position, feeling the current pass from the back of my head as a large hand held my head to cushion my neck. I felt the coolness of the wipes cleaning my nose and cotton swabs cleaning my nostrils before she started feeling my nose bridge. I flinched from the pain and the mystery man beside me growled. I flinched almost falling off if he didn’t hold me well. No one else seemed to react so I might just be hearing things, I must have hit my head pretty hard.

I’m simply checking for broken bones’ she said to me softly as she continued feeling gently. After a few more minutes, she finished patching me up and placed the ice pack on my face and asked me to hold it down with my hand.

‘Thank you so much madam, I am grateful.’ I said to her. She looked at me seemingly surprised before giving me a smile and held my hand. ‘I practically caused your fall and still you thank me. You are one of a kind Desire and I have a feeling you and me are going to be great friends.’ She stood up slowly, arching her back and Robert came rushing to help her. I also tried to stand but the hands still held on tightly to me. I looked at him and saw him staring intensely at me. He has dark hair packed up in a tight bun with forest green eyes, and a straight long nose. His heart shaped lips and soft jaw gave him an almost feminine appearance but something about him seemed dangerous and yet I had never felt safer than this. Suddenly I felt him shaking and shutting his eyes.

‘Sir, are you ok? Please unhand me, I have to go now’

I tried getting up again but he held unto me and placed his forehead against mine.

‘Hey, what are you…’

‘Please, please …..’ He said, his voice sounding deeper than before and I stayed still.

‘Desire, please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. I would never dream of hurting you. It kills me seeing you like this.’ He held my hand placing it on his chest with both of his ‘Its hurts here’. His voice was deep like a drum but sounded smooth like velvet.

‘It’s alright, I’m not upset. It was an accident and I’m going to be fine, see the bleeding has stopped.’ I said removing my hand from his chest because I wasn’t really comfortable placing it there as I stood up. He rose beside me and I saw he was a behemoth, standing clearly over 6ft. It hurt my neck just to look at him. We held each other’s stares for a while before we heard someone cough which snapped us out of our trance. I looked to see Lara standing close to her husband smiling.

‘Thank you for your help, I have to go now’ I said picking up my bags.

‘Is your aunt picking you up?’ asked Lara’s husband.

‘No Mr. Alpha sir.’

He squinted his eyes at me as if surprised at my words, even Lara gasped.

‘I’m sorry did I say something wrong? I heard Mr. Bill calling you Alpha and I thought it was your name.’

‘Everyone turned to Bill who stepped back slowly and said ‘I think I need to go start the car.’

Lara shook her head giggling as she hugged her husband and he just sighed.

‘My name is Robert’ he said, ‘and that clumsy ox behind you is my best friend and brother-in-law Marcus. Since you don’t have a ride, we will be taking you to your aunt’s house, it’s the least we can do after all the trouble caused today.’

‘Mark, please take her bags’ said Lara.

‘Place them in my car, she’ll ride with me so you can be with Lara’ Marcus said looking at Robert. Mark replied ‘yes sir’ and looked down to resume picking up her bags.

‘Honey wait for me in the car, guys follow her’ said Robert.

‘Robert…’ she said turning to face him, he kissed her on the temple smiling and whispered, ‘go now, my son must be hungry with all the waiting and excitement.’ She smiled touching her belly and he placed his hand on top of hers. She turned and walked away with several men surrounding and following her. I suspect he must be a mafia boss of some sort.

‘Desire you can come with me.’ Lara said

‘Okay’ I replied before walking in their direction, Lara was waiting for me to catch up before walking me to the cars taking us to our destinations.