Fugitive Fascination

Chapter Six

"Up, up now!"

Reece Drakes hated kids. Instead of children, he had long ago dubbed them Devil spawns in honor of the trouble they carried with them; worse than what any Siren or even werewolf could conjure up because they remained worshiped in everyday society due to their natural cherubic appeal. There was hardly ever an exception. This included his new friend, Malikai, even as he begged for attention, shards of plastic at his tiny feet from the newest toy he had just busted.

Lifting the little boy onto his shoulders, he grimaced as he laced his fingers into Reece's perfectly gelled hair in order to remain stable. Devil spawn.

"Don't look so miserable, he loves you already," Drea chortled, slapping his back heartily. "It’s nice to see him torturing someone else for a change. His father certainly doesn't give him the time of the day."

He rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the sense of accomplishment that came with gaining the affection of the little beast.

The past few days had gone by in a confusing manner, one that he hadn't cared for at all. Because Hunter had to fly under the radar, all of her family commitments were left to him. He'd stepped in to take over the company, although he was just a figurehead unlike Hunter had been; while she had had a hand in every decision, he simply let her trusted advisers do the work. He wasn't business savvy, and it showed true when he slept through the long meetings faithfully.

He'd taken over the parties too. It was an exhausting exertion to have to plan it all; he was used to just attending and crashing Hunter's. He'd managed to nearly give his parents a heart attack when he'd shown up with his first plus ones ever; Drea and Malikai.

The woman had ensnared his attention with her bizarre mannerisms, and so he'd got ahold of her and convinced her to go. Whatever her husband did for a living, both were acquainted with the etiquette of high society. They'd fit right in with his parents, and his mother had quickly taken to the two of them. He hadn't known what to make of it when he found the two of them snickering about how uncomfortable he looked in his suit, and sulked until the end of the first part of the party. Much to his surprise, even without his help, Drea glided throughout the room full of Sirens without a hitch just as Cierra had been able to; he wondered how she was immune to their glamour, watching her with awe.

Before the first line of cocaine had been broken out though, he had whisked them away.

"Reece!" Drea demanded his attention, tugging on his ear with a pout.

He yelped, blinking. "What did I do?"

His eyes were round and innocent, and Drea had to force herself from laughing. He looked just like her own son when he had been caught doing something wrong.

Pointing across the street, she tugged on his sleeve. "We're here."

'Here' was Drea and Malikai's favorite cake shop. It was a small, pink, unimpressive building with the words Sweet Delights written across the top in white lettering, made to look like icing.

He winced at the bright pink color, squinting to exaggerate his point. "This place hurts my manhood."

Rolling her eyes, Drea grasped his elbow and tugged him across the street. "You don't have any, so this should be easy for you. If you stop complaining, I'll buy you a piece of cake."

The little bell on the doorway tinkled as she pushed open the door, delicious scents of baked goods flooding out. Stooping over so as not to hit Malikai with the door-frame, he breathed in deeply, before nearly choking.

The shop wasn't very big; there were multiple display tables placed around with different types of baked goods, all fresh. There was a tall, fatherly looking guy behind the main display case, his shoulder length brown hair flecked with white flower despite being tied in a messy bun, a few strands escaping to feather his cheeks.

Besides him, there was only one other person in the shop.

Reece easily recognized the familiar shade of golden brownish blond hair and the broad shoulders even from the back.

"We need to go."

At the sound of his voice, the figure turned around.

It had been a little over a month and a month. He'd gotten a haircut and shaved, but those blue eyes were engraved into Reece's mind. He hated to admit it, but the clean cut look did Rider good.

"Reece?" Shifting a small brown box underneath his arm, he raised his hand in a half wave. "You look... well." He swallowed, obviously uncomfortable.

Reece shrugged. "I know."

How was it that despite the size of the city they lived in, despite all of the pastry shops within the confines of the city, that they managed to come into the one with this man in it? Sometimes, it seemed to Reece that the universe was out to get him.

Mentally, he shook his fist at whoever his guardian angel was.

As he took a step closer, Rider's scent swirled the sweet smell of baked goods. Reece ignored how good he smelled in favor of moving towards Drea, taking in another whiff of her flowery perfume.

As if just noticing her presence as well as that of the little boy on his shoulders, Rider's eyebrows furrowed as Drea placed a hand on his arm possessively.

"Who are they?" He half asked, half demanded, his blue eyes narrowed.

Cursing under his breath, Reece scrambled.

"This is my girlfriend, Drea, and my boy, Malikai."

Luckily for him, Drea easily stepped into the role and played along, stepping more prominently into his personal space.

"Nice to meet you," Her hazel eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke in a voice more sugary than the cakes around them. "And you are?"

He could actively see the cogs struggling to turn in Rider's head.

"But aren't you...?"

Rider had probably assumed, as many others had, that Reece was gay. This was something that had bothered him in the beginning, but he had learned to live with it and allow others to live with their own assumptions. What did it matter who people thought he was sleeping with?

Smirking, Reece played off of the obvious discomfort of the entire situation. "Am I what?"

Rider's stare hardened and he shook his head. "Nothing. But listen, can I speak with you, in private?" His gaze rested Malikai with scrutiny, as if searching his face for something.

After a moment, he looked away, satisfied.

"Anything you can say in front of me you can say in front of them."

Annoyance flickered across his face before he quickly crossed the short distance between them, grasping Reece's arm to get less than 5 inches away from his face.

"I know you know where Hunter is," He spat maliciously. "Personal feelings aside, you need to turn her in before she kills again. Either you do, or I'll find her and do it myself."

Shoving between him and Drea, he exited the shop in a huff. Even the store clerk stood there, eyes wide at the confrontation. Glancing down, the questioning look on Drea's face confirmed that she had heard every word.

"Oh, for f**k's sake. Did he pay for that?"

Hunter lasted only a few more days until she began to feel it. After so many hours without extended rest and only occasional pit stops for Cierra's sake, she was reaching the end of her rope.

Her eyelids drooped as she leaned over, resting her chin on the steering wheel, waiting for Cierra to return from the gas station. She'd had to use the bathroom, so Hunter had given her extra money to pump $30 worth of gas as well as to purchase some sort of food.

She felt a little guilty; lost in her own thoughts, she had neglected to properly feed her. It was so easy for her to forget Cierra was only human.

It was once again night, and streets were illuminated by dimming street lamps. The gas station itself was a little run down, but even at that time of night was busy with cars pulling up and pulling out of the lot.

Shaking her head, she stepped out of the car and leaned against the side, ignoring the way the cold wind bit through her. She'd given Cierra her jacket, but it didn't really matter much. All she wore now was a dark green long sleeve v-neck; bad idea in Texas, perfect one here.

After setting up the gas pump, she crossed her arms. She didn't bother to keep up with a smartphone in order to look up a hotel nearby, so they would either have to keep driving until they found one or ask for directions to the nearest one.

Her gaze flitted to an expensive looking car that slid into the pumping station across the lot from hers before moving back to the doors of the store. Just in time, Cierra exited, the sleeves of her jacket falling past her hands, which held a plastic bag. Hunter nearly cooed at how cute she looked, but instead opted to start pumping the gas, turning her back slightly.

She didn't pay attention as she heard the sound of a car door slam. Her ears only perked when she heard Cierra's distinct footsteps falter.

"Cierra Speares?"

Hunter turned, eyes narrowed, to see two men blocking the ex Detective's path back to her.

They were dressed like any other random Joe on the street, however they stuck out like sore thumbs with their disciplined stances, their hands clasped behind their backs in the most stiff posture she had ever seen.

Officers?

Cierra didn't look at her, but Hunter could see the way her fingers tightened on the bag's strap. She didn't want to intervene just yet; Cierra could handle herself.

"That's me," She stated calmly. "How can I help you? And can it be quick, if you can't tell, it's nearly freezing out here."

"True. We'll get straight to the point; I'm Agent Bryce Keller, and this is Agent McKee. I'm sure we both know you didn't just decide to pick up everything and go on a road trip, so let's just start off being honest with each other; where is Hunter Drakes?" He spoke in a flat, grave tone.

Hunter turned her back completely then, hissing softly under her breath. The numbers of the pump seemed to go by even slower if possible, only halfway done.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm on vacation with family."

One of the Agents scoffed. "We checked on your background. You don't have any living family members."

That was when Hunter intervened; she didn't know the exact story behind it, but she knew Cierra was touchy about it. It was something she'd learned the hard way during their 'get-to-know-me' conversations along the way.

"Can I help you guys?" Hunter appeared next to Cierra, leveling out her voice to a somewhat less feminine tone.

With her shorter haircut and no makeup, she could indefinitely pass as androgynous.

Cierra eyed her with an unidentifiable look before glaring at the Agents. "This is my cousin by marriage, Dru. He's taking me to his place here in Missouri. If you must know, he took me so that I could get my kind off of Hunter." She fumed.

The Agents looked dismayed as Hunter offered them a half grin. A dazed expression took over both of their faces before they easily shook it off, exchanging eye contact.

"Sorry for bothering you," Agent Keller murmured, and they both seemed conflicted before going back to their car. Hunter waited until it pulled off before she grabbed Cierra's free hand, dragging her back to their own vehicle.

"Cousins by marriage?" She asked, amused as she brushed her fingers across Cierra's cheek, pressing a small kiss to the tip of her nose. "He?"

Rolling her eyes, she ignored the way her cheeks tinged slightly pink. "I had to come up with it quick."

"You did a good job," Hunter nodded, re-holstering the gas pump. "I have a surprise for you, when we get to a hotel. There's one about 20 minutes from here," Yawning, she ran a hand through her hair, opening Cierra's door for her. "I'd rather get there sooner rather than later; I'm beat."

What was supposed to be a 20 minute drive turned into a 10 minute one with Hunter's manic driving; Cierra as per usual clung to the seat as if her life depended on it. It probably did. If anything at all, she was shocked they hadn’t gotten pulled over.

As Hunter checked into the hotel, Cierra wrapped her arms around Hunter's waist from behind, leaning her head against the Siren's back, her eyes closed. She wasn't very tired as she had been asleep for more than three quarters of the long car ride, but she felt the need to be close to Hunter.

The officers had shaken her up; she knew very well that the higher ups knew how not to be seen if they didn’t want to be, and what those agents had done was a very clear power play. Cierra had known something was up when she saw the sleek, expensive black car pull up into the nearly vacant gas station. Maybe in a more central location in Missouri this could’ve been acceptable; however, they had stopped in a very rural location specifically to avoid more people. The most expensive vehicle they should’ve been seeing at that gas station was a semi new truck, speckled with mud.

"We're in room 507, sweetheart. I forgot to get something from the car, you go on up and get settled," Hunter slid a key card into her palm, kissing her cheek before moving into the opposite direction of the elevator, back outside.

The concierge, a woman who appeared to be in her late 30s at the least, gave Cierra an envious look before turning to work on something on her computer. There was no one else in the lobby, so she guessed that the woman had nothing better to do.

Clutching the bag, Cierra made her way to the elevator. Thankfully, that was empty too; she hated being stuffed in the closed, isolated space with people who could potentially try to make awkward conversation.

Pressing the shiny silver button of the fifth floor, she shifted her weight uncomfortably as her stomach lifted with the elevator.

The doors opened with a ping, and she was making her way down the hallway, entering her own room.

There was something about hotel rooms, specifically the beds; almost immediately, Cierra dove into the plush white sheets, underneath the thick, dark brown blanket on the queen sized bed. Pressing her face into the pillow, she breathed in the clean scent; that was the only way to describe it.

She wasn't there for more than five minutes before she heard the door click open.

"Hunter?"

"It's me," Came the soft reply, much closer than Cierra would've thought. Just as she spoke, the bed sank slightly as Hunter sat beside her. "I have something for you. I picked it up while you were sleeping in the car awhile ago. I would've waited until tomorrow, but well, eleven forty counts."

Sitting up, Cierra narrowed her eyes and caught sight of a small, flat black box in Hunter's hand.

Cierra stiffened as her thoughts immediately tangled up. It was too big to be a ring, so that ruled out a proposal...

"It's not a ring, Cierra," Hunter voiced her thoughts, smiling humorously. "Just open it."

Cautiously, she lifted the lid.

Inside was a thin, sterling silver chain with a tiny ring attaching both sides of the chain together. Hanging from the ring was a small flat black tag. Upon further inspection, Cierra could see a short phrase scratched into the surface.

You are my favorite melody.

"Wow," The word slipped from Cierra's mouth in an emotional whisper.

Her heart ached at the gesture, and her eyes nearly pricked with tears before she forced the back.

"Is this your way of still collaring me?" She finally asked, lifting the chain from the box. "If so, I appreciate it a lot more than that old collar."

She didn't wait to see her reaction as she pulled Hunter close, embracing her affectionately. Cierra had never been good with expressing her appreciation or emotions, so she hoped that Hunter understood.

"Its a bit of a promise as well," She murmured once Cierra pulled back. "I want you to know that it won't always be like this, me always having to look over my shoulder and be conscious of being followed." She paused, her fingers brushing against Cierra's neck as she retracted them. The cold silver rested against her skin, a comfortable weight.

"I want... I want better things than this for you, especially since it's my fault you're in this predicament." The confession made Cierra's throat thick with emotion for a moment. To make matters worse, she felt Hunter's hands on her face, urging her head up.

She met Hunter's gaze. It felt slightly odd, because she wore the colored contacts concealing her favorite smokey green orbs, but Cierra ignored the feeling.

"Happy birthday, Cierra."

Cierra was used to looking out for herself; even as a child, she'd had to fend for herself. With a mother that was never around and a father that was less than enthusiastic about having a kid, she learned to never expect anything from anyone.

And now a woman who had literally started off their relationship by kidnapped her was showing her otherwise. She’d forgotten her own birthday in the midst of everything that was happening, yet here was Hunter; she couldn’t even remember when she’d told the Siren her birthday,

"Hunter. Thank you." She hated the way her voice shook.

Biting her lip, the Siren withdrew a little bit, putting space between them. Confused, Cierra waited until she sorted out what she wanted to say.

"I have to know... are you with me now... because you want to be? I didn't care at first but... I don't want to have to force you to be with me anymore." Cierra had never seen a vulnerable Hunter, but that's exactly what she saw in that moment as she struggled to even meet her eyes.

Releasing a breath, Cierra smiled genuinely.

"You've given me over several times to out you to the police or to run. Honestly, I've come to realize I really don't want to. Even though we came to be in a... less traditional way, I feel like us, we were meant to happen at some point," She took Hunter's hands in her own. "And even though you're some supernatural creature hell bent on chaos, and I still think you're f*****g insane, I think me allowing you to collar me is proof enough that I want to be yours. That I truly do love you."

After her small speech, there wasn't much left to say. Hunter all but passed out soon after, and Cierra couldn't help but take advantage of it.

It was always Hunter holding her, so she didn't deny herself the secret delight as she wound her arms around Hunter's sleeping form, resting her head against her back. She found the steady rising and falling of her shoulders comforting, and sank into an easy sleep.

When Cierra awoke next, it was no longer in the comfortable bed. Her limbs were stiff, and it didn't take long for her to realize it was because she had been stuffed into the front seat of a car again, the seat belt digging into her neck.

Grunting, she shoved it down underneath her arms, stretching out her sore legs as much as possible.

"You know, that's dangerous. What if we were to get into an accident?"

Snorting, Cierra eyed Hunter's chest. "I don't see you wearing a seat belt."

The other woman rolled her eyes. "I'm also next to invincible, while you could get a paper cut and be down for the count. There's a difference, sweetheart."

Huffing, Cierra looked out the window. Wherever they were, there was snow piling up by the inches on the ground. There weren't very many buildings; in fact, the area wasn't very developed at all. It was mostly rural, with fields stretching out until they met dense forestry. The dashboard indicated that it was after midnight, and the sky was that odd grayish violet color with clouds full of snow.

"Where are we? What day is it?"

Time had blurred together so much Cierra couldn't even tell what month it was.

Shrugging, Hunter flipped on the windshield wipers. "We're just about leaving Missouri, I think. We've been driving for nearly 24 hours. It's November 29th."

Startled, the Siren rolled her head lazily to look out the window some more. Stroking her chin for a moment, she hummed. "Hm. My birthday is in a couple of days."

"When?"

"The 4th of December."

At that moment, Cierra was glad the road was empty as her arm instinctively shot out to punch Hunter’s shoulder.

"And why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I didn't see a point."

Cierra gave a small, threatening noise at the back of her throat before turning back to the road. "December 4th." She murmured the words to herself, then fell silent.

Shifting once more, Cierra wracked her brain for a way to restart a conversation. She suddenly felt... intimidated by Hunter's imposing aura, and didn't know how to speak normally with her. It seemed like there was hardly a middle ground for them; either they were fighting, or they were coexisting physically, but never having any actual in depth connections.

It hit her then that she didn't really even know anything about Hunter.

"Hunter."

Taken off guard, the Siren glanced at her companion to see her cinnamon eyes on her, cautious curiosity in their depths.

"Yes?"

"Tell me about yourself. You never talk about yourself and since we're on the topic, I'd like to hear about you."

Mulling this over, Hunter absentmindedly chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Well... well, what do you want to know?"

Sighing in quiet relief, Cierra shrugged. "Well... how old are you?"

There was a beat of silence.

"That's a good question." Pausing, a crinkle appeared between Hunter's eyebrows as she ran a hand through her short hair. "I know I'm not older than 70, but definitely older than 50... so somewhere in between that."

Cierra's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "But how? What-"

"Let's just say that I age a lot slower than you, although it's actually a lot more complex than that," She stated simply, then winked. "Look pretty good for my age though, don't I?"

Pushing Hunter's arm, she rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Next question. Why don't you sing more? You clearly seem to like it."

Hunter paused again, clearly racking her brain for a proper response. "Contrary to popular belief, Sirens don't sit on rocks and sing wayward sailors to their doom all day. We tend to outgrow our singing phase around 15.

"Very few of us continue after we stop; we rely on our physical attraction and pheromones. It's kind of like... blasphemy to do it like in the old days. It’s so easy to risk exposure." Ruffling her hair, she sighed. "My parents squashed my passion the moment I took over the company and our social obligations, anyway."

Cierra couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the clear disappointment in her voice.

"Well, why don't you start back again? You're so good at it, and Noelle's giving you an easy platform to do it." She placed a hand on Hunter's forearm, tilting her head as she watched her expression.

Hunter's lips twitched downwards. "Noelle wants money, and I'm just another gold encrusted avenue for her to get it. And could you really imagine me, famous? Those people get no privacy, and my home was built onto the edge of a small city so that I wouldn't even have neighbors. Plus, in case you've forgotten, I am a fugitive."

Shaking her head, she then met Cierra's gaze for a moment.

"When we get somewhere more arbitrary, I'm buying you some more clothes. Why was that your first choice out of all the clothes in my room, anyway?"

Heat flared in Cierra's cheeks as she looked back out the window.

"When you were gone, it smelled just like you," She murmured, embarrassed. "It was the next best thing, I guess."

Hunter didn't respond, but felt a warmth that commonly accompanied Cierra spread in her chest. Beneath it though, there was an uneasy feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Something wasn't sitting right