Upon Waking (Youngling Series) (4 page)

“This
place is absolutely fantastic!” Penny nodded her head in agreement, dancing to the beat. Tessa thought she looked like an epileptic on crack but she could never tell her best friend that. Besides, with Penny’s flowing red curls and startling green eyes, you could almost forget that she was a horrible dancer. “How did you find it?”

“Louie recommended it; a few of his friends from work come here a couple of times a week!” The two women had to practically yell over the loud, pulsing music but they didn’t mind. It had been a hellish week and they were ready to drink it all away. “That asshole had better get back with the drinks soon!” Tessa laughed and gave a little twirl, her hair flashing silver in the dim lights. She glanced around the club, searching for Louie’s tall frame in the crowd and found her gaze drawn to a dark corner where two men sat by themselves. She could only make one out clearly, the other hidden in shadow. The one she could see though was delicious enough and she smiled a little, meeting his gaze. She wasn’t usually very straight forward with men but tonight she threw caution to the wind. To her delight, the man smiled and raised his glass to her; a stem less wine glass with a deep bowl and narrow lip.

“That was you, wasn’t it?” Harper nodded and perched on the edge of the bed, motioning for Tessa to join him which she declined. He sighed quietly and lay back, staring up at the canopy of the bed. “What happened then?”

“What usually happens in the dark of a nightclub? You got drunk and I watched you.” She screwed up her nose at the thought.

“Creeper.”

“Shut up and listen.”

“I think Louie and I are ready to go.” Penny was leaning heavily on her boyfriend’s side, barely able to stand on her own. Tessa was standing against a brick column, one of many that supported the club’s high ceiling. The room was spinning fiercely and she tried to blink the darkness from the edges of her eyesight.

“Come on, Penny! The night is still young, isn’t that right Louie?” she grinned and batted her eyes at the quiet giant supporting her friend. He laughed softly and shook his head.

“I think you look pretty run down too, T. I’m going to have to carry both of you out of here, aren’t I?”

“Hell no.” Tessa was busy searching the club for her mystery man who seemed to have disappeared from sight, again. “Look, why don’t you two head on out? I’ll call a cab or something once I'm ready to head out.” Penny started shaking her head but stopped as her face turned an odd shade of green. “Seriously, Louie, get her out of here before she hurls everywhere. I'm not that drunk. I’ll be fine, promise.

“I could give you a ride home.”

Tessa whirled off and away from her spot, a hand going to her mouth. It was him!

Louie’s eyes narrowed and he started to take a step forward but stopped when Penny didn’t move with him. “Who the hell are you?”

“Louie!” Tessa shot him a glare before smiling at the stranger again. “Sorry, you were saying?” The man chuckled and Tessa's heart skipped a beat.

“I said I could give you a ride home.”

“See, Louie? I’ll be fine-“

“Alright, I get it already. You showed up, swept me off my feet and I totally fell for it. Fast forward to the part where I
died
, please.”

“Well, they left, we danced and you drank a little more and then we headed outside for a breather-“ Tessa choked out a laugh, pacing back and forth in front of Harper's legs.

“A breather, that’s funny.  Move on.”

“Well, as I was
saying
before I was so rudely interrupted…We headed outside so
you
could get some fresh air and we made our way to the pier where things got a little…heavy…”

The aged wooden railing dug painfully into Tessa's back but she ignored it, focusing intently on unbuttoning Harper’s shirt. They were the tiniest, most infuriating buttons she had ever had the misfortune of meeting and she was pissed. With a little growl Tessa ripped the shirt away, her hands finding the flesh beneath the offending cloth finally. Harper chuckled against her mouth and she sighed softly, slipping her arms around his slim waist.

Everywhere she touched him she found muscle, firm and unyielding under her fingertips. His lips against hers were more intoxicating than any drink she’d had that night and she couldn’t seem to get enough. She only hoped the feeling was mutual. It was like he was trying to swallow her whole, his lips meeting hers with a passion that burned straight through her.

Moaning softly, Tessa placed her hands on his shoulders and hopped up, wrapping her long legs around his hips and resting her weight on the top rail of the pier. Harper gripped her thighs tightly and pulled her closer, pressing his hips to hers.

“It was delightful, really.” Tessa grimaced then punched his knee, walking over and sitting in an overstuffed chair. Harper winced and sat up, rubbing his leg.

“Do we really need to go into detail over this? Just get to the good stuff.”

“I thought I was.” Tessa glared and he chuckled, flopping back down. “Things were going great and then…I think the last couple drinks you had kicked in. In the throes of passion you bit my lip and I bled a little and our blood tends to…drive you people crazy.”

Laughing loudly and suddenly, Tessa pulled back and squeezed her legs.

“This feels amazing, Harper! I feel like I could fly!” They hadn’t progressed much past pulling her dress up a little and the ripping of his shirt when Tessa suddenly pushed Harper away and stood up on the flat railing, throwing her arms straight out and her head back.

“Tessa-“ Harper tugged his jeans up a bit and moved towards her, a hand out to grab her should she fall. “Tessa, don’t stand up there like that. You’re drunk and wearing 3 inch heels, silly girl.”

“Silly girl, really?”

“Better than drunken idiot, yes?”

“…Yes.”

Her head snapped up and she grinned, eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“You’re worried, Harper? Isn’t that sweet?” She giggled and lurched a little but she steadied herself before she could fall. “You know, I was really hoping to get to talk to you back at the club. I’m glad you came up to me.” Her smile softened and she slowly lowered her arms to her sides. “I’m not usually the…outgoing type so this is all a bit strange to me.” Harper smiled and her heart melted into a little puddle at her feet.

“Why don’t you come down from there, darling, before you get hurt.” Tessa nodded and held out her hands. Harper stepped forward to take her hand but before he could one of Tessa's heels snapped and she gave a little shriek, falling backwards off the pier and into the darkness below. There was a little splash and then silence.

“Tessa!”

“I fell off the pier. How…lame.” Harper gave a little shrug and sat up once again, brushing dark hair out of his eyes. Again Tessa felt the urge to do it for him but still she resisted. “So, did I drown?” Harper nodded and she fell silent.

“I leapt out into the water and managed to get you to shore. You were breathing but just barely and there was no one else around. So I-“

“Finished the job.”

“Tessa-“

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? I
almost
died so you finished the job.”

“You don’t understand. It took me several minutes to find you. The tide had washed you out to deeper waters and I was lucky I was able to get you breathing at all. At best, you would have been a vegetable. At least this way you can have a second chance.”

Tessa didn’t know what to say to that so she moved on.

“Ok, so I was dying and you changed me. Why did you do that? And don’t give me that
second chance
crap. I want a real reason and I want it now, Harper.” With a sigh, he stood and moved silently behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

“Because I felt…something. A pull and I couldn’t lose you when I had just found you.” He ran his callused fingers down the slender column of her throat and she sighed, tipping her head to the side. “Is that better than
to give you a second chance
?”

“Much better,” she whispered, her hand coming up to cover his, stopping it where it rested on her collarbone.  Harper's other hand slipped under the neckline of her dress, cupping her breast in his hand and she gasped softly, eyes flying open.

“I couldn’t let you go without finishing what we started.”

“Harper-“

The door banged open and Tessa jumped up, moving away from Harper and his roaming hands. The person who walked in was tall and broad shouldered, his face obscured under the hood of his expensive looking jacket. A feral growl escaped Harper's lips and Tessa shot a look at him, wondering who the stranger was.

“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were leaving town for a while.” The stranger gave a shake of his head, a strand of white blonde hair escaping his hood to trail down the front of his chest.

“You know I can’t, Loki. Not with the mess you’ve made now.”

“Loki? Who the hell is Loki?” Tessa turned back to Harper who smiled.

“My first name is Loki but I tend to go by my last name.”

“Always trying to be someone you’re not, brother.” The voice was distinctly male with a soft lilt to it that Tessa couldn’t place. It fascinated her but she shoved it to the back of her mind. “I can’t believe you changed her, you idiot. You swore-“

“I swore nothing and you know it. Jealous, brother? Unusual for you, isn’t it?” Tessa threw up her hands, calling for a time out.

“Harper, what the hell is going on? This is your brother?” The brother chuckled and reached up, throwing back the hood. Tessa gasped softly and took a tiny step back, her voice caught in her throat. “No need to be frightened, Tessa.”

His face was sharply chiseled with a straight nose and a strong mouth. Hair the color of new snow cascaded down his shoulders, easily reaching his elbows in length. It shimmered with a light all its own, a glow that emanated from his honey colored skin as well. His aqua eyes reminded her of the time her family had gone to the Bahamas. The waters there had been so clear and blue and she had lost herself in the waves, a feeling she felt now as she met his steady gaze.  As he smiled, she saw a flash of small fangs denting his bottom lip.

“Tessa meet my older brother, Elijah Harper.

Elijah stepped forward and took Tessa's hand, laying a soft kiss on her upturned palm. Harper looked like he wanted to slap his brother away but Tessa was glad he didn’t. If her heart still beat it would have been going a hundred miles an hour. Some memory fluttered in a dark corner of her mind but she couldn’t focus on it, couldn’t focus on anything except for Elijah’s eyes which still held hers. She dimly felt someone take her arm and pull her back and she slowly snapped out of her daze, smiling weakly.

“A pleasure to meet you, Elijah. Harper never mentioned that he had a brother.” Elijah snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

“No, I wouldn’t think he had. Loki likes to imagine himself an only child.”

“Again, I ask, what are you doing here exactly, Elijah? Tessa and I were in the middle of something.”

“So I saw and I must say I feel no regret at barging in. You’ve gone too far this time, brother and I'm here to clean up your mess. The girl has to go.” Again Harper snarled and Tessa furrowed her brow in confusion. She didn’t know if she’d ever get use to calling him Loki.

“What do you mean I have to go? Go where? I just got here and no offense but I don’t know you.” Was it just her imagination or did hurt flash through his eyes, swiftly hid behind a look of indifference? The situation was just getting more and more confusing and Tessa's head was starting to hurt. “You don’t get to just storm in here and start ordering me around.” Elijah raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth curved.

“Feisty. No wonder you like her, Loki. Look, I don’t know what my brother has been telling you but-“

“Elijah, shut up.” Loki's voice was sharp and harsh, his face contorted in barely contained anger. “You need to leave, right now.” His grip on Tessa's arm tightened and she shrugged his hand off, stepping away from the both of them.

“Forget it, he’s right. I need to get out of here, like now. “

“I didn’t mean-“

“Seriously, this is all a little too much for me right now and I need to go find Penny anyways before she gets worried and starts looking for me.” She backed up further, creeping towards the door. The two brothers stared after her, neither one making a move to stop her. Harper sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair. It was amazing to her how different the two were. One was like darkness itself while the other seemed bathed in sunlight.

“We’ll talk later, right?” Harper was almost pleading with her, his eyes worried and anxious. Elijah just seemed amused. Tessa nodded slowly before locking eyes with the older brother. His amusement drained away, replaced with…something else. She wasn’t sure what that something was.

“As I, too, shall see you again, Tessa. That, I assure you, is a promise.” It was like her unbeating heart leapt into her throat and she swallowed hard then bobbed her head quickly.

“A-Alright.”

“Till we meet again.” There was that smug smile again, his eyes unbelievably warm.