Chapter 3
When they pulled up to her apartment she had just finished telling him about her best friend and roommate Crae. Lance grabbed a duffle from the back seat and followed her to her apartment. He couldn’t help but watch her ass shake from side to side as she walked. He could picture himself taking her from behind, maybe fisting her hair as he pounded into her. Focus Lance, you got trouble to worry about, don’t get caught up. When she reached her door on the fourth floor she turned to him. “This is us.” She noticed what he was carrying. “What’s with the bag?”
He slung it over his shoulder. “I promised I would protect you. Sorry, Angel, but you’re stuck with me. At least for the time being. Don’t worry, couches don’t bother me, I can sleep anywhere.”
Shaylee’s mouth dropped open, ready to protest. “That's not…”
Lance took her chin so he could stare down into her eyes, his voice gentle and direct. Her breath caught at his touch. “This is to keep you safe. I know you're strong and can probably take care of yourself, but you’re in more danger than you probably realize. The Wyvern are dangerous. Dominic, the boss, he’ll be looking for you. The guys in the warehouse were his main henchmen, now they’re dead. He’s gonna be pissed and he loves a challenge. It’s like a game to him. Understand?” Shaylee nodded. He looked at her soft pink lips, he wanted to inch forward and feel the softness of them. She bit her lip. He forced his eyes up to hers, searching them for any sign of defiance, he saw none. Unaware of his slip up, he let go of her face, then smiled.
Wyvern? Oh shit. Shaylee remembered Amelia, her guardian, telling her to stay away from the Legendary when she was a little girl. “Some are dangerous trouble makers. You have to be careful. Wyverns are the worst. They like to cause pain and suffering. I think it’s because they want the power that Dragons have. Little wannabes. Dragons keep our world hidden from humans, they consider themselves guardians. They’ll destroy towns to keep our world secret. Then there are more Legendary. Some like to take advantage of other kinds, use and abuse their powers. But there are some that like to help. I purposely try to avoid Legendary. Our kinds are powerful. We’ve been sought after for millennium." Amelia’s warnings suddenly hit home.
How does he know about Legendary? Shaylee did one more head to toe, looking for any mark. His uniform completely covered him, except for his forearms. She’s never met a human his size, but then, she’s never met a Legendary. Well, besides Crae, but she’s as gentle as they come. She turned and unlocked the door. “Crae, are you here?" Shaylee called as she walked through the front door of the apartment. Officer O’Neil right behind her.
Her apartment was elegant, yet comfortable. A dining nook sat to the right with a rectangular table and 4 chairs. The living room area sat to the left with a flat screen TV, a reclining sectional, a wall of books, and a storage ottoman. The kitchen was separated by a wall. It was small but had excellent appliances, plenty of counter space, and an apron sink. Down the hall sat 3 bedrooms, a laundry space, and one large bathroom.
“Yeah, babe. I’m just finishing up in here. I hope you’re hungry. Can you get the plates?” Crae was always in the kitchen, she loved to cook. Shaylee didn’t mind at all, her food was delicious. She and Crae had been roommates for 9 years now. They were opposites, but they were the best of friends. They did everything together. Shaylee was outgoing and strong. Crae was the more timid of the two.
Crae came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of chicken fettuccine Alfredo. Salad and garlic bread already sat on the table. The kitchen was small so the table sat in the little nook. “Oh, hello there.” Noticing the tall drink of water standing just inside the door. He was huge. Huge and gorgeous. “There’s plenty. I hope you’re hungry.” Looking to her friend ”Shay? Who's your guest. And what the hell happened to you, darlin’?”
Lance stepped forward extending his hand “I’m officer O’Neil. Please, call me Lance.” Crae sat the platter on the table and took his hand.
“Officer, huh? Shay have you been causing trouble again?” Shay knew she was joking. If only she knew. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to the kitchen to get the plates and some utensils. Crae continued to engage the hot cop. “As I said, there’s plenty. Please.” She motioned to a chair at the table while Shaylee placed the dinnerware.
Lance took the seat. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting a beautiful meal and such beautiful company.” He winked at Shaylee causing heat to rise to her face. “I’m actually here for Shaylee. She had a bit of trouble today.”
Crae looked her friend up and down. “Looks like it. You want to eat before or after you shower?”
Looking at the spread, her stomach rumbled. “Eat first, I’m starving.” Going back to the kitchen she called out "Lance, you want a beer?” They didn’t have beer. Alcohol had no effect on Legendary, their blood was too powerful for the alcohol to take affect. She just wanted to check her suspicions.
“No thanks, Angel. I don’t drink. A soda or water is fine.” She smiled to herself, grabbed some sodas and headed back to the table, placing them in front of everyone. She sat down next to her friend, since the beast of a man took up the other side. “Thanks.” He popped the top and saluted the ladies before taking a swig.
“So when you say you’re here for Shaylee, what exactly does that mean?” Crae asked between bites of pasta.
“It means I have a babysitter for a little while.” Shaylee replied cocking a perfect eyebrow straight at Lance. She was challenging him to deny her claim.
He chuckled. Smiling at the ladies. “Pretty much, although I think bodyguard has a better ring to it.” They ate the rest of the meal peacefully.
Normally Shaylee would clean up after dinner, but she was exhausted and in desperate need of a hot bath. “Crae, would you mind showing Lance around? I’m about to crash.” Crae nodded once. “Goodnight, and thanks for dinner, babe.” She excused herself and headed to her room. Lance watched her retreat, checking out her ass, all the way down the hall. Damn. This is going to be tough. She turned as she reached her door. “Oh, Lance? Thank you.” He nodded in reply, narrowly avoiding being caught checking her out. He adjusted his pants before standing up. He grabbed the dishes, went to the sink and began washing.
Shaylee stepped into the bathtub and let the hot water relax her muscles. The apartment only had one bathroom, but it was amazing. It had a stand up shower and a large soaker tub. Both of the girl loved to indulge in it whenever they got the chance, so it was a win. When she was finally able to relax she washed herself and drained the tub. She wrapped a towel around herself and went to the mirror. Her eyes were tired, obviously, but the bruise on her neck is what she was checking out. It had already faded. It would be gone by morning. She ran a brush through her hair, then went to her room and laid down. As soon as her head hit the pillow she fell asleep.
“You really don’t have to do that.” Crae said to Lance as she was putting the leftovers away. He started the dishwasher.
She was beautiful too with long platinum hair that fell to her waist and bright blue eyes. She was more slim than Shaylee. And even more delicate looking. She had a certain grace to her in the way she moved. I could break her just by giving her a hug. “No worries, it’s the least I could do. Dinner was delicious, thank you. It’s not often I get a home cooked meal.”
Crae smiled at him. "Get used to it, it’s the norm here. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Since the apartment had three bedrooms, Lance got a bed after all. “Bathroom is across from your room. You might want to lock it while you’re in there, Shay and I hardly ever knock.” He nodded his understanding. “I’m going to veg out before bed, you're welcome to join me, but I doubt that uniform is all that comfortable.
He chuckled. “Thanks, I have to make a phone call, then I’d like to take a shower, but maybe I’ll join you later.”
“Sure thing.” She turned back down the hall and disappeared around the corner. He could hear the TV as he went into the guest room.
He sat on the bed and pulled out his phone. “Hey. We got Wyvern trouble. Garrett wants you here.” He hung up the phone and laid back on the bed. What are they? I haven’t met either one of them before. They’re different Legendaries, that’s obvious. But they get along, that's weird. Usually I can smell them out, but I’ve never smelled either of them… They’re not dragon, so why the fire? Ugh… Come on Lance, you can figure this out tomorrow, you stink.
Lance grabbed his bag. He always had it in his truck for occasions just like this. He stripped out of his uniform keeping hit t-shirt and boxer briefs on, grabbed his toiletry bag and went to the bathroom. The room was still steamy from Shaylee. Her floral cinnamon scent still hung in the air. Just her smell brought his dick to attention. What is it about this girl? In his 3000 plus years he never reacted to a woman quite like this. He showered quickly then threw on some pajama pants and a clean t-shirt.
He walked out to the living room. Crae looked up and moved over to make room on the couch. “Hey Crae.” He sat down sniffing the air. Crae smelled like sunshine and flowers. She’s not fire, probably earth. “Thanks for putting me up. I hope I’m not too much trouble.”
“No problem. We’re used to giants invading our territory.” He laughed at that. Her smile dropped. “How bad is it? Is Shay going to be alright?”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s bad. She’s got a pretty bad guy after her. He tried to kidnap here already. That’s why I’m here, to keep her safe. I don’t think he knows where you both live, but if he does you’ll be in danger too. I have backup coming in. We’ve dealt with this guy before. She, you both, are in good hands.” She nodded her understanding. “For now, I think it would be best if neither of you left the apartment.”
“I knew something was wrong today. I had a bad feeling, but then she text me. She’s my best friend, actually she’s more like a sister to me. I’m very protective of her. Keep her safe. I’m trusting you Officer O’Neil.” Crae stood up, folded her blanket and laid it in the ottoman. “Good night.” She padded down the hall.
Lance heard the bedroom door latch. He got up, turned off the TV and did his rounds making sure the apartment was secure before going to bed.
