Soul Bound

Unforeseen circumstances

Carrigan made sure to keep his body relaxed. His fingers were tapping gently away at the wheel as he waited for the woman to buckle in. Although he knew her identity now.

Alissa Thompson. 28 years old. No family. No boyfriend. Moved to the town roughly a month ago with no prior connections. And most importantly no current connections except for a coworker that had raised the alarm when she didn't show up to work for three days. He understood why Daniel Danvil had picked her.

A sense of annoyance at her foolishness made him want to frown at her but he quickly pushed the feeling aside. He would drop her off at her home and then be done with all this.

"So where do you live", he asked and turned the key in the ignition, the car jumping to life at the first try.

The pause that followed from her made him want to laugh. If she only knew how much about her that wasn't a secret anymore to him.

"Evergreen Street, number 18", came quietly from beside him.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye and took in the sickly pallor of her skin and the darkness under her eyes. He nodded shortly and started driving.

It would probably be some days before she was totally back to normal he reckoned. Especially considering how she was when they found her. Daniel Danvil had made a number on her. Drinking too often and too much under too short time. It was a wonder that she had made it through the forest and away from him.

"What's your name?"

He looked at her. Something in his mien must have made her nervous since she quickly added with a wavering smile. "I don't remember if you have already told me... I would like to know who I have to thank for this."

He debated for a second whether he should share it with her. If it wouldn't be better for him to be an anonymous stranger so that she wouldn't feel tempted to search him out later. For some reason he didn't want to be anonymous with her.

"Carrigan Moore."

He saw her nod faintly and push some strands of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you Carrigan."

The quiet words made warmth spread through him and he nodded shortly, pushing that feeling away too.

The drive wasn't too long and he pulled over outside of her apartment complex. A tense kind of silence settled between them as he waited for her to get out.

"Could I perhaps invite you in for some coffee? If you have time for that of course."

He threw a quick glance at her, taking in the way she avoided his gaze and how her fingers were tugging relentlessly on a loose thread. He nodded and turned off the ignition. There was something special about this woman. Thinking back to how his fangs dropped when she ran into him, there had been something special about her from the start.

He jumped out of the truck and waited for her to do the same. Discreetly sniffing the air when she passed him her scent wrapped around him, making his heart beat faster and his fangs itch. Interesting.

"How come that you moved to this town?"

She paused and turned halfway to look at him. "How did you know that I moved here recently?"

He had to suppress a smile at the suspicion that was lurking in her gaze. "I have a memory for faces and I know that I haven't seen you around before."

Her cheeks took on a pink tint before she continued, pressing in the code before opening the entry door.

"I guess I just needed a change of environment. Dear God, it makes me sound like I got dumped or something like that." She blushed even more and laughed before quickly adding "Which I didn't. It was just so much going on in town so when I was offered this promotion I went for it."

He nodded but he was only listening half-heartedly. Cause a faint whiff was all he needed to recognize the smell of Daniel Danvil. He tensed up. The smell was too diminished to be recent but he didn't like that the vampire had been here at all. Her apartment was far beyond the boarder and it also showed that the young vampire didn't consider himself to be done with Alissa. He clenched his jaws.

He followed her up the stairs, his eyes scanning the staircase around him, eyeing each door as they passed. The smell of the other vampire alone told him when they had reached the right apartment. 12B. They were standing just outside the door when Alissa cursed softly.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have my keys. You didn't find any handbag next to me?"

He shook his head and she groaned lightly before placing her hand on the door handle and pushing down. The door didn't budge.

"When one wishes that one was bad at remembering things," she muttered to herself before starting her way down the stairs again. "Hopefully Mrs. Newcastle is home."

Slowly he followed her down the staircase again to the apartment just below hers and he listened to her knocking. The door was just opening when he came down and the elderly lady squinted at first Alissa and then him. He plastered on a smile when he saw the small furrow between the woman's eyes and her gaze left him to settle on Alissa again.

"Who is this dear? Your new boyfriend?"

"Just a friend, Mrs. Newcastle. Could I have the spare key that I left with you? It seems like I have misplaced mine."

"Oh. Just let me go and fetch it."

Alissa gave him a sheepish smile and he could feel the corners of his mouth tilting up a little in response when she turned back towards the door. The elderly lady returned, her feet audibly shuffling along the floor and she shakily extended a key to Alissa.

"Thank you very much, you're a gem, Mrs. Newcastle."

A beaming smile overtook the woman's feature and she pressed Alissa's hand with both of her own.

"No problem at all, dear. Your brother was very charming and polite by the way. He even helped me up with my bags when he visited a few days back."

He saw how Alissa paused. "My brother?"

"Yes. Very charming man. Have a lovely day dear."

Mrs. Newcastle closed the door in their faces and he studied Alissa as she stood staring at it, her back rigid.

"Don't bother," he said calmly when she lifted her hand to knock again.

Those chocolate brown irises turned questioningly towards him. "Why not?"

"She has probably mistaken you for someone else."

He knew that if she started digging into this she might start remembering what really happened and question his involvement in it all. Or even realize that her memory from before of his fangs were all too real. According to the rules of his coven he would then have to make sure that she didn't spread the knowledge and that would mean a whole new world of problems. Problems he didn't feel like dealing with right now.

She nodded slowly, watching him. "Yeah, you're right. She has been a little bad at recalling things lately."

She started up the stairs again and he followed her. When she opened the door he had to keep his nose from scrounging up. The apartment reeked of the younger vampire in a way that told him that Daniel Danvil had spent many hours waiting. Had he been lying in wait for her to come home alone? The thought made the darkness move inside him like a slumbering beast just waking up. She started making her way into the kitchen. It was old style and his eyes were drawn to the gas stove. An idea struck him.

As she was looking through the refrigerator he moved to seemingly lean against the stovetop, carefully turning all the dials. It only took a minute before she closed the refrigerator door and scrunched up her nose.

"Do you smell gas?"

He made a show of sniffing the air and nodded, intentionally furrowing his brows. His fingers turned all the dials back before moving to the side as she approached. Her gaze ran over the stove.

"f**k. I don't need this too," she said, slumping against the counter.

"It's probably best if you come back with me. You can stay at my place for the time being."

She looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Pack what you need and we'll go."

She nodded and he waited until she had left the room before taking out his phone. He needed to bring the others up to speed on the development.