Title: Fangs, Leather, Love
Author:Love In Vein
Summary: Lost Boys fic. Takes place before A Vampire's Word and shortly after David's Revenge. How did Sela, Dwayne's mate, become part of the Pack? This is her story.
Disclaimer: the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. I own Annabelle, Sela, and Connor.
A/N: It would help a lot to read David's Revenge, as this is a DR Universe fic. That story explains Annabelle and how the Pack came back. You could read A Vampire's Word before this, as I wrote that one before this one, but really this takes place six months after DR and 10 years before AVW. Ok, on with the reading!
Part 1
The night air on the Santa Carla Boardwalk was warm and thick with the laughter, loud voices, and sweet smells of summer. Amidst the chaos a young girl of nineteen carefully stepped onto the hard, wooden planks of the boardwalk. She pushed her thick mane of bright red hair out of her eyes and nodded to herself silently when she saw the 'Help Wanted' sign in the window of a small clothing store. She walked confidently to the door and pulled it open. The smell of well-worn leather and cigarette smoke was overpowering but good. An older man with a dark brown ponytail flecked with gray gave her a smile. "May I help you with anything, young lady?" he asked.
"Yes, I am in need of a job," she said bluntly.
"Well you've come to the right place. My last salesclerk...left. You're welcome to the position. What is your name?"
"Sela Maxwell," she said, giving a false last name.
"Well, Miss. Maxwell, how about you come back tomorrow afternoon say...around three and I'll show you the ropes. If you do a good job then the position is yours. Oh, and my name is Connor McDaniel. Just call me Connor," he added with a smile.
"Yes, that sounds all right. Thank you very much, Connor. I will see you tomorrow," Sela bid Connor goodbye and walked out of the store with a spring in her step. This would be just her first step towards a whole new life.
She wondered idly if she looked very needy at all. She was wearing a pair of faded stonewashed jeans with holes in the thighs and knees and a plain, black tank top. Nothing fancy. In fact that was why she chose to wear this outfit, she did not want to stand out. Her hair would attract enough attention. It was thick, shiny, and a bright red-gold color. She pulled a silver barrette off of a belt loop and quickly anchored her hair low on the nape of her neck.
Sela reached into the pocket of her worn denim jacket and counted the bills that she knew were there. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty. Forty dollars. Enough for a night at a semi-decent motel. First back to the bus station to get her things from the locker where she had stored them. She never noticed the five pairs of interested eyes watching her from a distance.
-------------------
The Boys had been back a scant six months and already Santa Carla was once again the Murder Capital of the World.
David, Paul, Dwayne, and Marco dropped from their resting place in the back of the caves and glided to the main room where Annabelle was already awake and waiting, as she was most times. She looked up from her book and smiled as she watched each member of the Pack enter the room and land. David landed in front of her and she allowed him to pull her from her chair. She dropped the book onto the pile on the floor and leaned into him for a hungry kiss. After what seemed like such a short time the rest of the boys began to make noise: Paul coughing, Marco humming loudly, and Dwayne squeaking his chair along the floor. David broke away from Annabelle and turned around, glaring at them. "Trying to tell us something?" he asked sarcastically.
"Well, we just thought we'd subtly remind you that there *are* other people in the room," Paul said with laughter in his voice.
Annabelle stepped in before the fight could escalate. "Why don't we go to town, David? July is a great month for the hunt."
"All right," David huffed. "Let's go to the boardwalk then."
The Pack left their cave and climbed on their bikes, heading towards town.
-------------------
When they reached the Boardwalk, the Pack parked in their usual spot and each took up their usual post. David rested against the railing to watch the crowd go by. Marco leaned on the railing with his back towards the crowd to David's right. Paul hopped up on the railing to sit next to Marco. Dwayne crossed his arms and leaned on a concrete column. Annabelle decided to sit on the railing to the David's left with her legs hooked through the bars.
Dwayne noticed her before the others. He saw her step out of the store and slowly scan the crowd. He watched as she shook out her beautiful hair, running her fingers haphazardly through it. Paul noticed Dwayne watching the girl and stopped drumming on his thighs long enough to tap Marco on the head. Marco swatted his hand. "What?" he asked.
Paul just grinned and nodded his head towards Dwayne. Marco followed Dwayne line of vision and when he saw who he was watching he grinned back at Paul. David noticed the two silently laughing and when he saw why, he had to smile too. The girl was lovely, although serious looking. Perhaps a match for Dwayne. Annabelle smiled brightly when she saw the way Dwayne watched the girl. Maybe she would be his mate.
The Pack watched as the girl cautiously took in her surroundings then pulled her hair back with a thick, silver barrette. Her hands moved to her jacket pocket and she seemed to be checking for something. It looked like she found it, and then she was walking away. They collectively wondered if they would ever see her again.
-------------------
Sela awoke the next morning at 9AM. She was unable to sleep any longer than that. The nightmares plagued her. It was always in her head and she was always powerless to stop it. The blood, the screaming, the hurt, the death. Always there when she closed her eyes. He said that he would be back for her and she believed him. That was why she was here now, and now it was time to forget. She stretched and swung her legs off the end of the bed, then stood up and stretched again, her nightshirt inching past her thighs. After taking a shower (a cold one, no hot water today), she dressed in a nicer outfit than the day before: a knee-length, flowing black skirt and a gauzy black shirt with intricate stitching along the hem and short sleeves. She quickly braided her hair and slipped into a pair of lace-up black sandals. Her make-up consisted of face powder, blush, and some light mascara. She smoothed a lightly tinted pink lip-gloss over her lips, completing her look.
Walking down the sidewalk, she allowed herself the luxury of just sightseeing. Most of the shops were closed but a diner was open and she had just enough money for breakfast. Taking a seat at a small booth she ordered plain pancakes and strong coffee.
Sela spent about an hour and a half at the diner, drinking three cups of coffee and strategizing. If she managed to keep this job, she could possibly get a small apartment and live here for the rest of the tourist season. But what about after that? If Mr. McDaniel...Connor didn't keep his store open during the off-season, or if he didn't need any help during that time, where would she go? She sighed out loud. No need to think about that now.
At a little before three, Sela walked into Connor's. Connor was standing behind the counter and waved her over. "Hi, Sela! Good to see you again," he said cheerfully.
"Hello. So, what can I do?" she asked, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the hook by the door.
"Do you know how to work the cash register?" he asked and Sela shook her head. "Well then, let me show you."
Connor spent the next hour showing Sela how to work the register, how the stockroom was organized, and other things. At about five he was satisfied that she could handle things on her own and told her to mind the store while he went out. She knew it was a test.
She sat on a stool behind the counter and looked around. The store was comfortably quiet but not for long. A young boy of about ten and a worn-out looking mother walked through the door. "Can I get a leather jacket, Lucy?" he asked.
Lucy sighed. "Yes, I suppose you can. Nothing else," she answered.
"Yes! This is going to be so cool!" he shouted, then looked at Lucy apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It's all right, Laddie."
She turned to Sela and handed her seventy dollars. "You'll help him choose one, won't you? I'm going to be just outside."
Sela nodded and turned back to Laddie, who was already rummaging through racks of jackets. "So, Laddie, what are you looking for exactly? Lucy gave me seventy dollars for you," Sela said.
"Something cool! Just like the Pack's got!" Laddie said enthusiastically.
"What's the Pack?" Sela asked, just as the door opened.
"They're the Pack! Hi, guys!" he exclaimed.
Sela turned around and saw a gang of four guys and one girl, all dressed in biker-punk style outfits. One of them immediately caught her eye. He was wearing dark jeans and a worn, black leather jacket with no shirt underneath. Around his neck and wrists was Native-American style jewelry and he had long, dark hair. She tried hard not to stare. "Can I help you?" she asked, breaking the short silence.
"Just saw our little buddy in here and thought we'd say 'hi'," said the one with white-blond, spiky hair. He was obviously in charge.
Sela shifted nervously and looked out the window. She could feel the danger they exuded. "Where's Lucy?" she asked.
"She had to go," answered the shortest one, grinning slightly.
"Yeah, I don't think she likes us too much," added the tall one with long, dark blond hair. He gave a short laugh.
The dark one remained silent. He seemed to be watching her. Her instincts were saying run but she tried to remain calm. "Well, it looks like you've said 'hi.' Maybe you should leave?" she mentally slapped herself for making that a question.
"Nah, we haven't even been properly introduced. I'm David, this is Annabelle," Annabelle gave a short wave. "And these are Paul, Marco, and Dwayne," each vampire nodded his head in turn.
"What's your name?" Paul asked.
"Sela," she answered quietly.
"Sela...Sela. Hmmm, nice to meet you. Work here long? Never seen ya before," David lied smoothly.
"No," she replied shortly, her demeanor changing from frightened to angry in less than a second.
-------------------
Dwayne watched in amazement as the young girl's posture changed from scared to angry. Less than a second ago her fear had been thick in the air, something he didn't really understand. They hadn't threatened her in any way, and their posture was nothing but friendly. They hadn't come here because of Laddie, not really. Annabelle had spotted the girl sitting in the store and David thought they should meet her. So they had made a conscious effort to be as non-threatening as possible which was quite hard, especially for David. And still she acted as if she wanted to run and hide, even if she tried her hardest to cover up her reaction towards them.
"Look, I have people to help so either you're buying something or you're leaving," she snapped, bringing Dwayne out of his thoughts.
"People? What people...besides Laddie, of course?" asked David.
"Maybe other people would be in here if you weren't standing in attack formation in front of the door!"
"Attack formation?" David's next words were cut off when Sela's eyes widened in horror. Her heartbeat quickened and her fear shot up.
David followed her horrified gaze and saw an older looking man walking past the store. Dwayne looked, although less obviously, too.
"Uh, excuse me. I have to ummm...sit down? Yeah, sit down for a minute," she said shakily. She walked behind the counter and lowered herself onto the stool. Her face was completely white and she was taking slow, shallow breaths.
"Hey kid, you okay?" asked Paul.
Laddie had been in the back looking at jackets when he came bouncing up with one clutched in his hands, interrupting the scene. "Is this okay, lady?" he asked.
Sela took the jacket with slightly shaking hands and looked at the price tag. It was sixty dollars. She smiled lightly at Laddie. "Yes, this one is fine. Let me give you the change to take back to Lucy, okay?" She opened the register and handed Laddie his change.
"Oh, there she is! Bye, thanks a lot! Bye guys!" he shouted as he bounded out the door.
Sela stared after him until she saw that he was safely with Lucy. She looked over to see the Pack still watching her curiously. "What?" she asked.
"What's wrong?" asked David pointedly.
"Nothing. I just saw something I'd rather not see," she answered quietly.
"Huh. Well, we'll be going. See you around, Sela."
The other boys and Annabelle bade their goodbyes', Dwayne lingering longer at the door. "Be careful," he whispered to her.
She was surprised to see the expression of worry on his face and nodded quietly.
Once outside, the boys walked a short distance away from the store and stopped at some benches. "Well?" Marco asked.
"Something's up. We'll keep an eye on her," David replied firmly.
"I think maybe I'll walk her home," Dwayne said, more to himself than anyone else.
"If by walking her home you mean skulking in her shadow and watching her longingly, then man, I knew you would," Paul joked, Marco joining in on his raucous laughter.
Dwayne growled slightly and David just rolled his eyes. "Enough you three, we need to hunt if Dwayne wants to be back in time for Sela."
The Pack concurred and walked down the steps to the beach.
-----------------------
Sela could not believe she let them see her like that. She rang up a girl's purchase and waved goodbye absently. She was confused by the Pack, and she had only met them once. Although they exuded an aura of danger, she now realized that it hadn't been directed at her. That was so strange. She didn't understand why they had tried so hard to give her a friendly vibe. And the dark haired one, Dwayne. The way he looked at her, the way she felt the concern coming off of him. But why? 'No,' she thought. 'Right now I have bigger problems.' How had he gotten here? Did he know she was here or was this all just a coincidence? She didn't want to believe that it was already time to move on. She liked it here. She didn't want to leave.
Just then Connor walked in with a large smile on his face. "So you survived, I see," he joked.
"Yeah, I did," she replied, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Well if you want the job, it's yours."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Connor squinted at his watch. "Well you can go home now, if you want," he said, then looked at her for a moment. He dug in his pocket and pressed two twenty dollar bills into her hand. "Here consider this an advance on your first paycheck. I'll see you tomorrow evening at five?"
"Yes, okay. I'll see you then."
Sela walked out the door and was suddenly aware that she was alone on the boardwalk. She hugged her arms tightly around her body and walked faster. She was aware of a presence near her and her heart dropped. She stopped and stood stiffly. "Who...who's there?" she called.
Dwayne stepped out of the shadows and had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I'm sorry I scared you. But you looked so scared before and it didn't seem right for you to walk alone," he explained.
"Oh," she said after a minute. "Well, were you going to just watch me from the shadows there?"
"Well, I wasn't sure whether you'd let me walk you."
"Ummm...I would like you to walk me. Please," she said quietly.
Dwayne nodded silently and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he laced his fingers through hers. They walked in a comfortable silence through the empty boardwalk. Sela need to ask him a question. "Why are you so concerned about me, Dwayne? We just met."
"I...I really don't know why. When I first saw you I just wanted to keep you safe, as corny as that might sound. Do you want me to back off?" Dwayne asked, starting to pull his hand out of hers.
She tightened her hold on his hand and shook her head. "No, I don't. I just haven't had anyone care for my safety in a long time," she admitted softly.
Suddenly they were at the motel where she was staying. "Oh, we're here," Sela said with some disappointment in her voice.
"Maybe we'll be by the store tomorrow," said Dwayne almost cautiously.
"If you want to," she replied.
They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds when Dwayne reached out his hand and gently cupped her face. She sighed lightly and didn't object when Dwayne's lips descended onto hers. Their kiss was sweet and gentle but electric. She pulled away and pressed her fingers to his lips and he kissed her fingertips. "I have to go," she said.
"Yes, so do I," Dwayne responded.
As she walked to her door she turned a final time and smiled. He returned her smile and disappeared into the darkness. Sela slept well that night for the first time in a very long time.
Author:Love In Vein
Summary: Lost Boys fic. Takes place before A Vampire's Word and shortly after David's Revenge. How did Sela, Dwayne's mate, become part of the Pack? This is her story.
Disclaimer: the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. I own Annabelle, Sela, and Connor.
A/N: It would help a lot to read David's Revenge, as this is a DR Universe fic. That story explains Annabelle and how the Pack came back. You could read A Vampire's Word before this, as I wrote that one before this one, but really this takes place six months after DR and 10 years before AVW. Ok, on with the reading!
Part 1
The night air on the Santa Carla Boardwalk was warm and thick with the laughter, loud voices, and sweet smells of summer. Amidst the chaos a young girl of nineteen carefully stepped onto the hard, wooden planks of the boardwalk. She pushed her thick mane of bright red hair out of her eyes and nodded to herself silently when she saw the 'Help Wanted' sign in the window of a small clothing store. She walked confidently to the door and pulled it open. The smell of well-worn leather and cigarette smoke was overpowering but good. An older man with a dark brown ponytail flecked with gray gave her a smile. "May I help you with anything, young lady?" he asked.
"Yes, I am in need of a job," she said bluntly.
"Well you've come to the right place. My last salesclerk...left. You're welcome to the position. What is your name?"
"Sela Maxwell," she said, giving a false last name.
"Well, Miss. Maxwell, how about you come back tomorrow afternoon say...around three and I'll show you the ropes. If you do a good job then the position is yours. Oh, and my name is Connor McDaniel. Just call me Connor," he added with a smile.
"Yes, that sounds all right. Thank you very much, Connor. I will see you tomorrow," Sela bid Connor goodbye and walked out of the store with a spring in her step. This would be just her first step towards a whole new life.
She wondered idly if she looked very needy at all. She was wearing a pair of faded stonewashed jeans with holes in the thighs and knees and a plain, black tank top. Nothing fancy. In fact that was why she chose to wear this outfit, she did not want to stand out. Her hair would attract enough attention. It was thick, shiny, and a bright red-gold color. She pulled a silver barrette off of a belt loop and quickly anchored her hair low on the nape of her neck.
Sela reached into the pocket of her worn denim jacket and counted the bills that she knew were there. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty. Forty dollars. Enough for a night at a semi-decent motel. First back to the bus station to get her things from the locker where she had stored them. She never noticed the five pairs of interested eyes watching her from a distance.
-------------------
The Boys had been back a scant six months and already Santa Carla was once again the Murder Capital of the World.
David, Paul, Dwayne, and Marco dropped from their resting place in the back of the caves and glided to the main room where Annabelle was already awake and waiting, as she was most times. She looked up from her book and smiled as she watched each member of the Pack enter the room and land. David landed in front of her and she allowed him to pull her from her chair. She dropped the book onto the pile on the floor and leaned into him for a hungry kiss. After what seemed like such a short time the rest of the boys began to make noise: Paul coughing, Marco humming loudly, and Dwayne squeaking his chair along the floor. David broke away from Annabelle and turned around, glaring at them. "Trying to tell us something?" he asked sarcastically.
"Well, we just thought we'd subtly remind you that there *are* other people in the room," Paul said with laughter in his voice.
Annabelle stepped in before the fight could escalate. "Why don't we go to town, David? July is a great month for the hunt."
"All right," David huffed. "Let's go to the boardwalk then."
The Pack left their cave and climbed on their bikes, heading towards town.
-------------------
When they reached the Boardwalk, the Pack parked in their usual spot and each took up their usual post. David rested against the railing to watch the crowd go by. Marco leaned on the railing with his back towards the crowd to David's right. Paul hopped up on the railing to sit next to Marco. Dwayne crossed his arms and leaned on a concrete column. Annabelle decided to sit on the railing to the David's left with her legs hooked through the bars.
Dwayne noticed her before the others. He saw her step out of the store and slowly scan the crowd. He watched as she shook out her beautiful hair, running her fingers haphazardly through it. Paul noticed Dwayne watching the girl and stopped drumming on his thighs long enough to tap Marco on the head. Marco swatted his hand. "What?" he asked.
Paul just grinned and nodded his head towards Dwayne. Marco followed Dwayne line of vision and when he saw who he was watching he grinned back at Paul. David noticed the two silently laughing and when he saw why, he had to smile too. The girl was lovely, although serious looking. Perhaps a match for Dwayne. Annabelle smiled brightly when she saw the way Dwayne watched the girl. Maybe she would be his mate.
The Pack watched as the girl cautiously took in her surroundings then pulled her hair back with a thick, silver barrette. Her hands moved to her jacket pocket and she seemed to be checking for something. It looked like she found it, and then she was walking away. They collectively wondered if they would ever see her again.
-------------------
Sela awoke the next morning at 9AM. She was unable to sleep any longer than that. The nightmares plagued her. It was always in her head and she was always powerless to stop it. The blood, the screaming, the hurt, the death. Always there when she closed her eyes. He said that he would be back for her and she believed him. That was why she was here now, and now it was time to forget. She stretched and swung her legs off the end of the bed, then stood up and stretched again, her nightshirt inching past her thighs. After taking a shower (a cold one, no hot water today), she dressed in a nicer outfit than the day before: a knee-length, flowing black skirt and a gauzy black shirt with intricate stitching along the hem and short sleeves. She quickly braided her hair and slipped into a pair of lace-up black sandals. Her make-up consisted of face powder, blush, and some light mascara. She smoothed a lightly tinted pink lip-gloss over her lips, completing her look.
Walking down the sidewalk, she allowed herself the luxury of just sightseeing. Most of the shops were closed but a diner was open and she had just enough money for breakfast. Taking a seat at a small booth she ordered plain pancakes and strong coffee.
Sela spent about an hour and a half at the diner, drinking three cups of coffee and strategizing. If she managed to keep this job, she could possibly get a small apartment and live here for the rest of the tourist season. But what about after that? If Mr. McDaniel...Connor didn't keep his store open during the off-season, or if he didn't need any help during that time, where would she go? She sighed out loud. No need to think about that now.
At a little before three, Sela walked into Connor's. Connor was standing behind the counter and waved her over. "Hi, Sela! Good to see you again," he said cheerfully.
"Hello. So, what can I do?" she asked, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the hook by the door.
"Do you know how to work the cash register?" he asked and Sela shook her head. "Well then, let me show you."
Connor spent the next hour showing Sela how to work the register, how the stockroom was organized, and other things. At about five he was satisfied that she could handle things on her own and told her to mind the store while he went out. She knew it was a test.
She sat on a stool behind the counter and looked around. The store was comfortably quiet but not for long. A young boy of about ten and a worn-out looking mother walked through the door. "Can I get a leather jacket, Lucy?" he asked.
Lucy sighed. "Yes, I suppose you can. Nothing else," she answered.
"Yes! This is going to be so cool!" he shouted, then looked at Lucy apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It's all right, Laddie."
She turned to Sela and handed her seventy dollars. "You'll help him choose one, won't you? I'm going to be just outside."
Sela nodded and turned back to Laddie, who was already rummaging through racks of jackets. "So, Laddie, what are you looking for exactly? Lucy gave me seventy dollars for you," Sela said.
"Something cool! Just like the Pack's got!" Laddie said enthusiastically.
"What's the Pack?" Sela asked, just as the door opened.
"They're the Pack! Hi, guys!" he exclaimed.
Sela turned around and saw a gang of four guys and one girl, all dressed in biker-punk style outfits. One of them immediately caught her eye. He was wearing dark jeans and a worn, black leather jacket with no shirt underneath. Around his neck and wrists was Native-American style jewelry and he had long, dark hair. She tried hard not to stare. "Can I help you?" she asked, breaking the short silence.
"Just saw our little buddy in here and thought we'd say 'hi'," said the one with white-blond, spiky hair. He was obviously in charge.
Sela shifted nervously and looked out the window. She could feel the danger they exuded. "Where's Lucy?" she asked.
"She had to go," answered the shortest one, grinning slightly.
"Yeah, I don't think she likes us too much," added the tall one with long, dark blond hair. He gave a short laugh.
The dark one remained silent. He seemed to be watching her. Her instincts were saying run but she tried to remain calm. "Well, it looks like you've said 'hi.' Maybe you should leave?" she mentally slapped herself for making that a question.
"Nah, we haven't even been properly introduced. I'm David, this is Annabelle," Annabelle gave a short wave. "And these are Paul, Marco, and Dwayne," each vampire nodded his head in turn.
"What's your name?" Paul asked.
"Sela," she answered quietly.
"Sela...Sela. Hmmm, nice to meet you. Work here long? Never seen ya before," David lied smoothly.
"No," she replied shortly, her demeanor changing from frightened to angry in less than a second.
-------------------
Dwayne watched in amazement as the young girl's posture changed from scared to angry. Less than a second ago her fear had been thick in the air, something he didn't really understand. They hadn't threatened her in any way, and their posture was nothing but friendly. They hadn't come here because of Laddie, not really. Annabelle had spotted the girl sitting in the store and David thought they should meet her. So they had made a conscious effort to be as non-threatening as possible which was quite hard, especially for David. And still she acted as if she wanted to run and hide, even if she tried her hardest to cover up her reaction towards them.
"Look, I have people to help so either you're buying something or you're leaving," she snapped, bringing Dwayne out of his thoughts.
"People? What people...besides Laddie, of course?" asked David.
"Maybe other people would be in here if you weren't standing in attack formation in front of the door!"
"Attack formation?" David's next words were cut off when Sela's eyes widened in horror. Her heartbeat quickened and her fear shot up.
David followed her horrified gaze and saw an older looking man walking past the store. Dwayne looked, although less obviously, too.
"Uh, excuse me. I have to ummm...sit down? Yeah, sit down for a minute," she said shakily. She walked behind the counter and lowered herself onto the stool. Her face was completely white and she was taking slow, shallow breaths.
"Hey kid, you okay?" asked Paul.
Laddie had been in the back looking at jackets when he came bouncing up with one clutched in his hands, interrupting the scene. "Is this okay, lady?" he asked.
Sela took the jacket with slightly shaking hands and looked at the price tag. It was sixty dollars. She smiled lightly at Laddie. "Yes, this one is fine. Let me give you the change to take back to Lucy, okay?" She opened the register and handed Laddie his change.
"Oh, there she is! Bye, thanks a lot! Bye guys!" he shouted as he bounded out the door.
Sela stared after him until she saw that he was safely with Lucy. She looked over to see the Pack still watching her curiously. "What?" she asked.
"What's wrong?" asked David pointedly.
"Nothing. I just saw something I'd rather not see," she answered quietly.
"Huh. Well, we'll be going. See you around, Sela."
The other boys and Annabelle bade their goodbyes', Dwayne lingering longer at the door. "Be careful," he whispered to her.
She was surprised to see the expression of worry on his face and nodded quietly.
Once outside, the boys walked a short distance away from the store and stopped at some benches. "Well?" Marco asked.
"Something's up. We'll keep an eye on her," David replied firmly.
"I think maybe I'll walk her home," Dwayne said, more to himself than anyone else.
"If by walking her home you mean skulking in her shadow and watching her longingly, then man, I knew you would," Paul joked, Marco joining in on his raucous laughter.
Dwayne growled slightly and David just rolled his eyes. "Enough you three, we need to hunt if Dwayne wants to be back in time for Sela."
The Pack concurred and walked down the steps to the beach.
-----------------------
Sela could not believe she let them see her like that. She rang up a girl's purchase and waved goodbye absently. She was confused by the Pack, and she had only met them once. Although they exuded an aura of danger, she now realized that it hadn't been directed at her. That was so strange. She didn't understand why they had tried so hard to give her a friendly vibe. And the dark haired one, Dwayne. The way he looked at her, the way she felt the concern coming off of him. But why? 'No,' she thought. 'Right now I have bigger problems.' How had he gotten here? Did he know she was here or was this all just a coincidence? She didn't want to believe that it was already time to move on. She liked it here. She didn't want to leave.
Just then Connor walked in with a large smile on his face. "So you survived, I see," he joked.
"Yeah, I did," she replied, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Well if you want the job, it's yours."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Connor squinted at his watch. "Well you can go home now, if you want," he said, then looked at her for a moment. He dug in his pocket and pressed two twenty dollar bills into her hand. "Here consider this an advance on your first paycheck. I'll see you tomorrow evening at five?"
"Yes, okay. I'll see you then."
Sela walked out the door and was suddenly aware that she was alone on the boardwalk. She hugged her arms tightly around her body and walked faster. She was aware of a presence near her and her heart dropped. She stopped and stood stiffly. "Who...who's there?" she called.
Dwayne stepped out of the shadows and had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I'm sorry I scared you. But you looked so scared before and it didn't seem right for you to walk alone," he explained.
"Oh," she said after a minute. "Well, were you going to just watch me from the shadows there?"
"Well, I wasn't sure whether you'd let me walk you."
"Ummm...I would like you to walk me. Please," she said quietly.
Dwayne nodded silently and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he laced his fingers through hers. They walked in a comfortable silence through the empty boardwalk. Sela need to ask him a question. "Why are you so concerned about me, Dwayne? We just met."
"I...I really don't know why. When I first saw you I just wanted to keep you safe, as corny as that might sound. Do you want me to back off?" Dwayne asked, starting to pull his hand out of hers.
She tightened her hold on his hand and shook her head. "No, I don't. I just haven't had anyone care for my safety in a long time," she admitted softly.
Suddenly they were at the motel where she was staying. "Oh, we're here," Sela said with some disappointment in her voice.
"Maybe we'll be by the store tomorrow," said Dwayne almost cautiously.
"If you want to," she replied.
They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds when Dwayne reached out his hand and gently cupped her face. She sighed lightly and didn't object when Dwayne's lips descended onto hers. Their kiss was sweet and gentle but electric. She pulled away and pressed her fingers to his lips and he kissed her fingertips. "I have to go," she said.
"Yes, so do I," Dwayne responded.
As she walked to her door she turned a final time and smiled. He returned her smile and disappeared into the darkness. Sela slept well that night for the first time in a very long time.