Beta'd by Angelfan984
(She is amazing! Love her!)
Chapter 5 - Protection
Emma took him back to her hotel room. Closing the door behind them, she leaned against the door. The adrenaline running through her veins was making her shake. Her attention focused on Killian pacing the room in front of her.
"What were those things? Vampires?" She questioned when he remained silent.
"Not exactly. They do suck blood but it is the souls that they need to live. As the souls they have previously taken die then need more to sustain them."
"Souls?" She shook her head not sure she heard him correctly.
"That is correct. I am what is called 'A Dark-Hunter'. I hunt them down and kill them." He told her in all seriousness.
"So you're like Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" She laughed and pushed off the door, walking over to him. He rolled his eyes at her comment and shook his head no.
"Nothing like that love. We are so much more than that."
"We?" She inquired her eyebrows shooting up. "There is more than one of you?" Her eyes traveled up and down the length of him in appreciation, her interest finally showing a little in her eyes.
"Aye." He grinned and took a step closer to her. She could feel the heat of him radiating out towards her. "But none of them are exactly like me." His silky voice purred as he leaned down and took a deep breath. Vanilla and honey reached his senses and he felt light headed.
Stepping back from him, she took a shallow breath. "So tell me about those things." She instructed trying to refocus his intense attention away from her.
"They don't start out that way. All of them are born Apollite's, they are unable to go out in the sun and live in darkness, but for the most part they are very similar to humans. Apollo, one of the Greek gods, has cursed them. To die a slow and horrible death when they turn 27. To prevent that fate some of them turn into Damion's and they need souls to continue living."
"So basically it is either die a horrible death or kill other people to continue living? Why would the god do that?"
"Aye, they only have those two choices. I'm not sure what I would choose if I ever had that choice. For every soul they take the more evil the Damion's become and sometimes the crazier they become. As for Apollo, he cursed them because he blamed them for killing a woman he loved and his child. The irony of it all is that he cursed one of his own son's to the same fate. He actually was the first Damion, and still is. Let's hope you never come across him." He told her.
"What about you?" Emma asked curiously.
"What do you mean, what about me? If you are questioning if I need souls to continue living, the answer is no. I was created by Apollo's sister Artemis to hunt the Damion's and protect humans and Apollite's alike. Which is why I am unable to walk in the sun. Apollo will kill any of us on sight, and since he is the God of the Sun." He explained, unused to being so open about who and what he was. But this was needed.
"Okay, got it." Emma replied sarcastically pushing a stray hair behind her ear. This guy was nuts. "Now, how exactly does any of this effect me?"
"You were seen talking to me." He said simply as if that explained everything.
"And? Do they go after anyone they see you chatting with? That sounds dangerous."
"I don't have conversations with anyone. Not normally." Killian admitted. Emma's mouth dropped open at his admission before she snapped it quickly shut at his grin.
"I find that hard to believe. I mean someone like you—" she gestured at him "—has to talk to people all the time."
"Oh it's not talking I am normally doing, love." He winked at her. That was not helping her attraction to him.
"I'd rather not find out." She laughed nervously. Liar. The danger she had felt earlier when those men attacked turned into a different sort of danger now. Heat flooded her center, her body betraying her words.
"Oh, it is only a matter of time lass. No one can resist this." Killian teased her. Only her, he thought, what was it about this woman that had her denying him and why did that make him want her more?
"Let's get back on topic, shall we?" She redirected his attention once again. "I'm not staying in town long enough to be in danger. So you really have nothing to worry about. Like I said I don't stay in one place that long."
"Be that as it may, I have an obligation to protect you, now you can come home with me—I assure you there is plenty of room—or I could secure a room for you at Sanctuary. It is a safe house for sups and you will be safe there. Especially with Ruby my friend working there, she would be able to protect you during the day." Killian told her warming to the idea of having her stay at Sanctuary with Ruby and Wren. Both of them could be trusted to keep her safe, and that didn't even take into account the family of were-bears that owned the place.
"Sanctuary?" Her eyes widened at him. "What the hell is Sanctuary, it sounds like some kind of church." Emma didn't do churches, praying had never gotten her anything in life.
He laughed at her words. "Not even close. It is a bar and a sanctuary for those that need it. You will be safe within the walls." He paused and looked her over making her grow warm all over again. "Unless you'd like to come home with me, I did say it was only a matter of time."
"How about, no. I can just stay here, I'm only here for a few more days."
"Very well, I'll stay with you. I will get you moved to a suite with a separate bedroom and I will sleep on the pull out couch." He suggested. The crazy part was she was pretty sure he was serious.
"This has been a nightmare of a night." She groaned under her breath. "Look you seem to be pretty stubborn, but I don't plan on letting you stay with me and I don't plan on going home with you. I'm just not that kind of girl. I've learned my lessons the hard way."
"I don't think you are grasping the seriousness of this situation that you are unfortunately in. If I could change it I would, but I can not, so all I can do now is protect you." Killian told her putting on a pair of black sunglasses that completely hide his eyes from her. Almost like a shield. "Let me do my duty."
"Your duty?" She laughed and walked over to one of the only chairs in the room, perching on the edge of it she looked up at him. "You are serious about this?"
"Aye that I am."
"Okay, then it looks like I am moving to another room, but I will be locking the bedroom door and you will be staying on the pull out." She finally gave in. It was useless to keep going in circles about it when she had seen the monsters with her own eyes. If she were honest having him around would make her feel a little more secure.
"Will there be a lock on the outside of the door as well? I need to think about my virtue as well." He teased her with a wink. A satisfied smile curved his lips and she almost, just almost, wanted to kiss it away. She might be safer on her own.
"Just let me get my stuff together and we can move to a new room." She ignored his comment and started to throw her stuff into her suitcase. "If they have one open that is." Emma added absently. Her thoughts drifted to the idea of sharing this room with him and she quickly pushed it away.
"Oh there is always a room open for me. Did I forget to mention that I own this hotel?"
"Priceless. Not only are you a crazy stalker that I have agreed to stay with against my better judgment but you also own the hotel I picked to stay in." She rolled her eyes in expiration and started to zip up her now full suitcase.
"Actually, the odds were against you. I own three of the hotels in the quarter. I learned long ago that having secure lodging if I get stuck to close to the sun coming up was needed." Killian explained as he picked up her now full suitcase off of the bed. "Is this everything?"
"Yeah, I travel light." Really, she just didn't own a whole lot. Her whole life fit into that suitcase, but she wasn't about to tell him that.
"The door, if you will." He gestured to the door with his hook and she quickly made her way to the door to hold it open for him. Closing the door behind her she followed him down the hall and into the elevator. "Top floor." He instructed. Pressing the button she leaned against the railing and studied him. The reflection of light off of his sunglasses had her smiling. Who wears sunglasses at night? It was a pity his blue eyes were hidden behind them. "What are you thinking, love?"
"Honestly? How crazy it is for me to willingly go with you anywhere, especially when I know we will be alone."
"I can see where that would be concerning. But there is no other way." Killian paused before lowering his voice to add, "I promise not to harm you or do anything that you do not wish me to do."
"Right," Emma snorted at his words, shortly after that the elevator doors opened to a small corridor with two double doors on each side of the hall. She stepped out of the elevator and waited for him to follow. "Here let me take my stuff so you can get the door."
"The keycard is in my pocket if you'd like to get it out for me." He teased her as he handed over her bag.
"You wish." She rolled her eyes and took her stuff from him, then motioned for him to pass. "After you."
Emma stopped dead in her tracks as she walked into the 'room' that was actually much larger than a one bedroom. It was the largest hotel room she had ever been in and was bigger than that apartment flat she tried to settle down in a few years ago. It had a small kitchen with a little nook table tucked into a corner. The living room had a couch, love seat and a sitting chair with a huge flat screen TV on one wall. There was a door off of the right side of the living room that when pushed open lead to a huge master bedroom with it's own private bath and shower. Who had bathrooms that had separate showering areas? Holy shit this place was huge. Double doors lead out to a balcony that overlooked Bourbon street and the partying that was still going on down there.
"Will this work for you?" She heard his soft voice behind her.
"Are you crazy? This place is huge! I've never even owned an apartment this large. And a separate shower from that huge bathtub?" She found herself rambling. "I feel like I've been inserted into that movie from when I was younger—Pretty Woman, but without the whole hooker part, or like I've won the lottery."
"The feeling is mutual." Killian informed her as he took in her flushed cheeks and kissable lips. His eyes traveled the length of her behind his sunglasses. At his words he watched as she rolled her eyes again, only this time he caught the slight smile at the corner of her mouth before she wiped it away. At the mention of that movie he found it hard not to think about her trying to pleasure him the same way the woman had in the movie. She made him feel protective of her, the way the man had become in the movie as well. What was it about this woman? Where had this connection come from?
"Right. Well, I'm going to call it a night. You did say you would be on the sleeper sofa right?"
"Och, love do you plan on paying me a visit?" He stepped closer to her angling his head in her direction. So close.
"You wish." She laughed and retreated away from him. Turning she closed and locked the doors to the balcony. Then she turned back to him, her hands resting on the nobs behind her.
"Aye, I do." She thought she heard him murmur below his breath before raising his voice to answer her. "Actually, I will be in the other bedroom. But I'll be sure not to lock it, incase you need anything. But be aware, I sleep the same way that I was born."
"Oh god, just go." She told him and then pushed him from the room, closing the door in his face.
He heard the click of the lock a moment later. Sighing he reached up and touched the solid wood a moment before turning to go to the other room. A smile firmly in place on his handsome face, the ability to get under the lasses skin pleased him. It meant that she wasn't as immune to his charms as he had previously thought.