The Angel's Curse

Chapter Four

~Veronica's POV~

Trey Westing, a man far too charming for his own good. As well as a blessing in disguise. It was hard to tell if the kindness he shared was from his heart or if he was only trying to impress me. What's worse is... I can't keep my mind off of him. Standing in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, I found myself just watching him, taking in every detail as he worked. He had started taking measurements of the counters first before moving onto the cabinets above him. Each motion felt to be playing out in slow motion. Every change in his stance felt like it had been done to deliberately show off a little more of him each time. From what I had seen, he is a very nicely built adult male, with a muscular body that made my heart swoon. His back muscles flexed when he stretched to get the width of the first row of cabinets. The pale blue shirt he wore threatened to rip each time it tightened.

It was far from fair having a man like this in my home. I had to fight so hard to keep myself in check. I was an adult but more importantly, a parent. Any choices I made wouldn't affect just me this time around. So I needed to be careful of who I gave my heart to.

Despite knowing this, he was making my knees weak. Here I thought his bright emerald eyes would be what would cause me to fall into temptation over time. Hell, that sweet crooked smile would have been my next guess. But not once had I thought I would be leaning against the archway resisting this growing urge to touch him. Fighting off this ever-growing desire to feel those toned muscles with my own hands.

Shaking my head, I turned away from him, feeling my defenses falter. Biting down on the tip of my thumb I needed to do something, and quickly. Otherwise, I wouldn't be any better than Ember fawning over a guy she didn't know. Who am I kidding? I was just as bad. Standing stuck in a trance drooling over this red-headed god, was far from my list of wants right now. It's no wonder I ended up with a child at seventeen. I would think I had learned my lesson years ago and yet, here I was falling for another charming face. Feeling myself nearing the road of hurt despite this man not doing anything but be kind.

Pushing off the side of the doorway, I made myself move. My shoulder was feeling stiff and numb from leaning it against the hardwood. Turning, I left the room quickly. Cutting through the dining room, making sure not to knock into the remaining boxes on the floor. I still had so much unpacking to do and boxes to take upstairs. It would be the perfect excuse to keep myself away from that charming adonis.

"If you need me, I'll be unpacking!" I called loud enough for him to hear. Leaning down and picking up the first box to bring upstairs.

"Alright! "He called back, seeming focused on his work. It was a good thing he was too. Now I didn't have to worry about him catching me staring, or needing to make up an excuse as to why there was nothing done. Which was what Ember would be quick to ask once she saw the man in the kitchen and nothing changed since she had left.

Kneeling down, I looked over the first of many boxes that needed to be moved from the living room upstairs. From the looks of the cardboard and mounds of tape, it went to Ember's room. If I had to guess, it had taken her several attempts to get the flaps taped shut, creating a thick shiny band of packing tape. She was either in no mood to fight with the box, or she was better with a gun than a tape gun.

'Maybe next time I'll handle the taping.' I giggled to myself. Using my legs to stand up properly with the box in hand, shifting my hands a bit on the handles, I wanted to be sure I had a good grip before attempting to climb the stairs. Holding the box close to my body, I made my way to the stairs.

First step.

Second step.

My mind had drifted away from the present, my eyes glancing at the box in my arms. I can picture the scenario that would play out. I am sitting in Ember's room on the floor, tape gun in hand. There would be a pool of boxes around that had been filled and just needed to be closed.

Third step.

Fourth step.

I would reach out to begin the process of taping everything shut. Then, in comes Ember; her hair tied back in a messy bun. She would be dressed in her running clothes, breathing heavily like she normally does. Her eyes were looking over the boxes before narrowing in aggravation. A wrestling match would start over the tape and, like most physical competitions, she would win.

Fifth step.

Distracted by my thoughts, I stopped paying attention to how I was stepping. My foot was barely on the next step when I felt my body jolt forward, forcing me from my thoughts. I had bumped the edge of the box against the railing. As a result, my foot slipped and down I went. My knees slammed hard into the steps, the box getting tossed up in the air. Closing my eyes tightly, I braced for the impact when the box would finally either hit me or the floor.

"You should be a little more careful. " Trey's pleasantly warm voice spoke from above. His voice was full of compassion and worry... I have never heard a man speak in such a way. When I opened my eyes, turning my head to meet his gaze, he was holding the box in his hands. He had caught it before it could fall on me. But how? Wasn't he in the kitchen? There was no way humanly possible for him to be there at that moment. Especially without uttering a single sound.

"How? " I breathed, carefully turning myself, so I was now sitting on the step facing him. My eyes looking back into those bright green gems of his.

"Family secret. Maybe I'll tell you sometime." He chuckled, shifting the box into one arm, so he could help me up with his newly free hand. Taking hold of it, I could feel the heat coming off of him. It had to be almost a hundred or so. The worry kicked in almost instantly. Was he here with a fever? If so, why was he pushing himself so hard? It wouldn't be good for his health working if he was. Jumping to my feet, I stood at eye level with him now. Looking over his face carefully for signs of labored breathing or sweating. Other than a light tinge of pink that crept across his face, there was nothing.

"Are you feeling alright? You're very hot." I remarked, reaching out to touch his forehead to check, just like I did with Lily. But his hand let go of mine to take hold of the hand advancing on his face. Holding it gently, yet firmly, in place.

"I'm alright, Miss Veronica. Though, I will thank you for the compliment. It's good to know you find me hot. " He then teased, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it. I was at a loss for words. My heart skipped a beat the second those lips grazed my skin. I was done. There was no fending off the feelings this man brought out of me within the whole two and a half hours of knowing him. Heat rose to my cheeks, my eyes getting lost in his. I could feel it, the space closing between us. His hot breath brushed against my lips. Silence had fallen over us, the world drifting away.

His arm snaked its way around my waist, pulling me against him. His whole body was giving off this comforting heat that engulfed me like a blanket. My heart begged to feel more of him, to have him right there, and I was willing to listen. My hand lightly touched his chest, feeling out the curves barely hidden underneath his clothing. A light-loving growl slipped through his lips as he waited patiently for me to give him the okay. Gazing into his eyes, I could see the love and want within them. It was raw emotion in his eyes, nothing about them tainted or faulted.

"Veronica…" Trey breathed. The sound of my name coming from him brought a smile to my face. He was just as hopeless as I was. Even my reflection in his eyes told me how badly I was struck by Cupid's arrow. But I needed to stop. I couldn't do this so soon into knowing him. As much as my heart wanted me too, and I wanted to, I had to put Lily first. If Trey could accept my daughter...then I would be willing to give him what I had left.

"Trey...we sho-" I went to speak, feeling his arm slip away from me. His eyes closed briefly, as if to collect himself.

"Someone's coming. I'll take this box the rest of the way upstairs. You rest. " He spoke up, giving me that same crooked smile. Though I couldn't help but notice the hint of worry that clouded over the want I had seen. Was... he stopping himself or was there really someone coming? Better yet, how did he know someone was coming, the windows are covered. Not saying anything further, I turned, gripping the banister, so he could move past me. His body grazed mine as he passed. Each touch felt like sparks were flying between us. He just didn't have a visible reaction from what I noticed. Whereas, I could feel my heartbeat change and desperation tried to take over.

Separating was for the better in the end. It gave us time to calm down and focus on what needed to be taken care of. Plus, my knee was killing me and that wasn't something I was about to tell him. As tempting as a sexy male-nurse was, I didn't want to put myself in that situation again. Not right away anyway.

"MOM! MOM! MOM!" I could hear through the door. My heart dropped as a breathless Lily burst through the door, tears staining her face. There was fear in her eyes. Something had happened and it had her horrified. Ignoring the pain in my knee, I rushed to my daughter's aid. Her hands gripping like her life had depended on it. Her little body trembled in fear.

"Lily, what's wrong? I thought Ember was bringing you home?" I questioned, barely hearing Trey coming down the stairs. Now was a better time than any for him to see her, I guess. I would have preferred the introduction to be on my terms. However, right now was not the time to worry about small details. Though there was still the question of where the hell my sister was. Lily hiccuped through her tears, trying to form words. Letting me go so she could vigorously rub her eyes.

"Lily, where is Ember?" I asked again, feeling Trey touch my shoulder as he knelt down. He got down to her level, trying his best to help. Giving her a soft smile, I could tell right away I wouldn't have to worry about him accepting her.

"Hey. Hey, it's going to be okay. " He stated, running his fingers through her hair to help calm her down. His voice never once sounded panicked or rushed." You can tell me, I'll make sure she gets home. I promise. "

Looking up at the two of us, she sniffled, rubbing her now puffy eyes once more. " She's being chased by wolves." She answered. My blood ran cold within seconds. My sister...was trying to out-run wolves?! How could today get any worse?!

"Stay here, I'll bring her home," Trey said, removing his shirt as he stepped out the door. I looked up at him, not attempting to argue. There was too much going through my mind to comprehend an argument. If there were wolves in the area, I'm sure Trey knew how to deal with them. Putting my arms around Lily, I felt the fear returning to my heart. How could this have happened? How could we not have known about wolves in the area? Either way, we were left to worry about not only Ember’s life but now Trey’s. My heart tightened, the fear of losing them being too real for my liking.

“Mom... the wolves...were the ones from that lady’s story.” Lily whispered. Her little voice horse from her tears. Looking down at her, I couldn't hide the shock in my face. Shape-shifting werewolves? Here? No that can't be right. They were creatures of fiction that made up for an interesting story. Even my mother used to tell stories about how wolves fell in love with... an angel.

“S-s**t…” I breathed, feeling like an i***t. Could both stories be the same? Was the story actually real? If that was the case, then... Ember had better pray that Trey made it to her before the wolves did. Otherwise, she would be in more danger than anyone could ever know. After all... Angels weren’t safe with wolves.