Stolen Fates - Anna

Walk Me Home

Charlie released Anna's hand once they were about a half a block away from the bar and shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark denim jeans.

"So, no luck with Red, huh," she asked with a hint of humor in her tone as she cast a sideways glance at him and for the first time, really looked at him.

Charlie was a frequent customer at the bar and always tipped very well. Beyond that, she honestly didn't know that much about him. He stood a whole head taller than her 5'4 frame and had the messiest, sandy-blonde hair she'd ever seen. Long enough to cover the tips of his ears, she watched as he pushed the length back from his forehead before using the same hand to rub the back of his neck.

"I wasn't really that interested anyway," he replied to her question with a small laugh and a look in her direction. "Someone else kept shooting me down, though. So, I figured I might as well give it a shot," he continued, a devilish smile appearing on his lips for a moment before disappearing with another low chuckle.

In truth, he never even approached the redhead. She wasn't his type. He could tell just by the smell of her and how she moved through the bar. He had made a few laps through the crowd, greeted some people he knew, talked for a bit and then headed back to Anna. Little did he know what he'd walk back into but he was relieved that he'd been there to intervene and calm her down after.

Anna cleared her throat softly and turned her eyes away, the tips of her ears turning a slight pink with Charlie's words. If she'd just had that shot with him, things might have gone a completely different way.

"You know," he drew out to pull her attention back to him. Taking a large step forward, he spun himself around and walked backwards in front of her. "We could still have that drink. There's only about a hundred bars around here," he continued in a playful tone and smiled when he got a genuine laugh from her.

"I appreciate the offer, Charlie. But, after tonight, I think I just want to go home and pretend it was all just a bad dream," she said sincerely and sighed softly when she read the disappointment in his hazel eyes. "Raincheck. I promise," she continued, hoping to brighten his mood back up a little. She reached her small hand up and pushed back some of his hair that had fallen in his eyes again and followed up the touch with a playful flick to the end of his nose.

Before she could lower her hand back to her side, Charlie had taken hold of her hand and hooked his pinkie with hers. "Deal," he replied and grinned when she laughed at his childish mannerism. "Hey, don't laugh. Everyone knows that you can't break a pinkie promise, sweetheart and I intend to hold you to this one," he said as seriously as he could but didn't hold the tone long. Her laughter was infectious and drew a low chuckle from his chest.

A small bit of movement caught his attention and he squinted his eyes to see into the darkness. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary but something was causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand alert. Never one to ignore his instincts, he continued to scan the dark street behind them, knowing something was lurking.

Anna saw his mood suddenly shift and turned her head to look behind them also. "What is it," she asked after gazing around for a moment and not seeing anything.

"I'm not sure," Charlie muttered and pulled his eyes back to Anna. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought I saw something," he said in a soft, apologetic tone and flicked the long length of her pigtail back over her shoulder. "We should get you home," he said in a soft tone as he turned back around and reached his hand out to her.

She nodded her head and placed her hand in his, smiling softly when he gently pulled her arm through his and took her hand in his opposite hand as they started walking again.

"It's not much further," she informed him as she walked closely to his side. She'd chosen Swan's because it was close enough to her apartment that she could walk to and from work without breaking a sweat. At this very moment, however, she silently wished it was a little further away. She should've accepted his offer to get a drink. Then she could spend a little more time getting to know him.

They walked the last block and a half in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. Every few seconds, Charlie would move his thumb gently over her knuckles, causing small jolts of electricity to shoot up her arm. She shivered with the sensation and Charlie turned a concerned look in her direction.

"Getting cold," he asked with a slight tilt of his head and didn't wait for a reply before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer into his side. He couldn't resist the urge to rest his forehead against the side of her head and deeply inhale her scent. The alcohol and cigarette smell was still heavy but the fresh air was helping to draw out that delicious lavender scent from her skin. He could easily get lost in that scent if he let himself. However, tonight was not the night to let himself get lost in her. Reluctantly, he pulled his head back and tried to clear his mind.

Anna shook her head to his question but he didn't seem to notice and tucked her into his side. She snuggled more deeply against him and closed her eyes, sighing as he rested his head against hers. The moment didn't last more than a few seconds but in those seconds, she'd felt more safe than she had in as long as she could remember.

"Thank you for walking me home," she spoke softly, pulling away from his side slowly. Turning her head, she looked back at her apartment building and smiled when she turned back to him. Unzipping the side pocket of her small, crossbody purse, she pulled her keychain from inside.

"You sure you'll be okay," he asked seriously, taking a step closer to her and using the index finger of his right hand to lift her chin so he could look into her eyes. He sighed gently when she nodded just slightly. He wasn't entirely comfortable leaving her alone with the feeling he had in his gut but he was left with little choice at the moment. "Okay," he said in resignation and placed a feather-light kiss on her forehead. "Get some sleep, beautiful," he whispered against her skin before taking a full step back from her and releasing all contact.

Anna grinned at the endearment and nodded her head again. "Goodnight Charlie," she said with a half-smile and slowly turned to climb the steps to the front door of her apartment building. Sliding the key into the lock, she turned the handle. After opening the door and stepping inside, she turned around and gave a small wave to the man still standing outside.

Charlie gave a smile and slight inclination of his head to her wave. It wasn't until the door was shut and she'd disappeared completely from his view that he turned his head and looked back down the street into the darkness. His hazel eyes shifted to a brighter emerald green, seeing the night as clearly as the day. He still didn't see anything of concern but the nagging deep in his belly told him that something, or someone was out there and was a danger to Anna. He growled deep in his chest, frustrated with the decision he was about to make. Blinking, his eyes moved back to their hazel hue and he moved away from her building. He backtracked to the bar parking lot to retrieve his car and headed home, his body humming in pent up energy.

"That son of a b***h," Chase breathed to himself as he quickly ducked into another alley to hide his form as the bright green eyes scanned the area. He knew there was something about that guy. He should have realized back at the bar but admittedly, his mind was on other things. This was definitely going to change his plans because this guy wasn't just wolf. He was an Alpha...and a powerful one at that. "s**t," he cursed under his breath as he thought and abandoned his current course of action, turning away and heading home to strategize.