Cam became aware of muted sounds—people calling out, stomping footsteps, the pattering of the rain—as he refocused and made sense of the moment.

They were upside down, held in place by their seatbelts. Alyssa groaned softly beside him. Looking around the rain-soaked street as best he could, Cam could see the back end of the black car that had hit them, several feet away surrounded by shattered glass.

More voices and footsteps came from outside. A sudden sense of urgency came to Cam and he snapped to attention.

Demons. In that car.

He unbuckled his belt and fell to the dented roof of the car. Reaching for Alyssa, he checked for any major injuries, and was relieved to see that she was relatively unharmed, aside from a cut to the forehead. She groaned softly, her eyes half closed. He unbuckled her seat and wormed his way out of the car, pulling her along with him, careful not to cause any further harm to her.

The rain pounded them as they left the car. Several people stood around, watching with shocked faces, some on their phones.

As he helped Alyssa to her feet, Cam had a good look at the car that had hit them. Four passengers, all wearing hoodies and loose clothing from what he could tell. They appeared to be dazed also, one of them slowly exiting the car. Cam knew they would not need long to recover.

“Come on,” he said, taking Alyssa’s hand and breaking into a run.

She faltered beside him and he steadied her, urging her on. While Cam was only mildly shaken from the crash, he knew that she would need a greater amount of time to recover. Nonetheless, he pulled her along as they ran down the street. He doubted that he could take on four demons and guarantee her safety too.

Cam looked back and saw the four demons had left the vehicle and were now chasing them, weaving through the cars that had stopped behind their crashed vehicle. Turning a corner, he saw a large multi-levelled building ahead of them. A tall signpost in front of the building listed many shop names and eateries.

Perfect, Cam thought. We’ll lose them in the shopping centre.

“In here,” he said, pulling Alyssa up the stairs by the front entrance.

They entered a wide tunnel with a curved glass roof, small shops lining each side. Past the tunnel, they came to the shopping centre proper; a large open space with escalators and walkways connecting several floors.

Stopping briefly to study the area, Cam figured that they’d do better away from the major shops. A building of this size must have many back rooms and tunnels to hide in.

“Those men,” Alyssa said, catching her breath. “What do they want?”

Cam saw a path to the upper levels and yanked her arm when he broke into a run.

“Safety first,” he said, stepping onto an inclining escalator.

Several people watched them—soaking wet and running hand in hand—but Cam had no time for his usual covertness. At least he did not have to reveal his Light or face the demons in their larger forms.

On the higher level, he looked down and saw the dark shapes of their pursuers below them. He led Alyssa further away from the balcony section and through an open area of tables and chairs, with a wide, concave wall lined with food vendors.

Along the wall, he saw a fire exit door, and he ran through it with Alyssa in tow. They found themselves in a narrow tunnel, pipes and circuitry running along the low ceiling. Looking down each end of the corridor, Cam turned left and rounded the nearest corner, coming to a similar looking tunnel.

After some time, they came to a long corridor with doors on the right wall. Cam looked through the window of the first door, seeing a narrow maintenance cupboard, and continued down the corridor. The next door was windowless. He tried the handle and found it unlocked. Inside, he saw a small room with shelves on each wall, and waved for Alyssa to enter, before closing the door behind him.

He stood with his back against the door, catching his breath. Alyssa panted heavily opposite him, her head lowered and her hands on her knees. Their breaths were the only sounds in the quiet room.

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Cam scanned the shelves, seeing they were filled with paint tins and labelled boxes. A collection of mops and brooms were up against one corner. Alyssa leaned against a pile of cardboard boxes that were covered with a paint-spattered white cloth.

“Are you okay?” Cam asked.

She nodded, keeping her eyes down and still attempting to catch her breath.

Cam watched her. Beneath her suit jacket, her white blouse had been soaked and was now partially see-through, revealing a black bra. Her chest heaved as she regained her breath, her wet hair cascading over her in shiny ringlets. Cam felt a stirring within him, once again overwhelmed by her immense sexuality.

With a soft whimper, Alyssa began to cry in stuttering breaths. Cam went to her.

“Hey, it’s all right now. We’re safe,” he said, taking hold of her upper arms. “Alyssa, look at me.”

Slowly, her head lifted, and Cam bore the full extent of her intense gaze. His grip tightened as his breath was taken, her emerald eyes enthralling him. Though there was pain in her expression, her full lips glistening and parted, invited him closer.

“You’re safe now,” he repeated, not knowing what else to say, unsure if he was capable of saying much else at that moment. The room had musky, damp odour to it, along with a faint paint smell, which had started to give him a light-headed feeling.

Alyssa’s face twisted with grief. “Oh what the fuck am I doing here?” She looked around, as if the room would give her answers, and then sighed. “How did I get into this? Whatever the fuck this is. I’m supposed to be at work right now. I’m supposed to be in a fucking meeting right now!”

Cam leaned closer and cupped his hand over her cheek. His heart raced. Her skin felt soft and smooth, and his hand trembled a little.

What am I doing?

“We’ll get you back to your life. I promise,” he said. “But those things are after you, and until we figure out why, the safest place you can be is with me.”

He didn’t know why he said that. He had meant to say that his brethren could keep her safe. Her gaze was muddling his mind. Nothing felt right.

“Everything you said is true, isn’t it?” she said weakly. “Those men chasing me. What they are?”

Cam swallowed, and nodded gravely. He watched her eyes for an indication of her thoughts, and was surprised to see a strength and resolve within their depths.

“And you…” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re…”

He resisted saying the response that came to him, but then a deep longing overwhelmed him and he was no longer in control of his actions. Her sweet, honey-scented skin, her large, pouty lips, her shuddering breaths. Everything became too much for him to bear.

I’m your guardian angel.

He slid his fingers behind her neck and pulled her closer.

Their lips met, soft, hesitantly at first, before their passions took over and they pressed their mouths together.

He breathed her in, inhaling her sweet, honey-scented aroma, absorbing all that he could of her. She groaned and he sucked her lower lip, biting it lightly—she tasted like hot vanilla. His hands roamed her body, sliding over her soft skin, and he lifted her up against the piles of boxes. He adjusted her position as some of the boxes gave way, but they mostly remained in place and supported her weight. Yanking her tight skirt up, he pressed himself against her. His manhood swelled between her legs.

She tugged at his T-shirt, pulling it up and over his broad shoulders. Her eyes widened as she took in his bulging muscles, before she brought him closer and kissed him more.

Cam moved his hands over her shoulders, lifting her suit jacket and allowing it to fall past her arms and hit the floor. His hands continued moving, down her blouse, unbuttoning as he went. Their heavy breaths increased, their faces huffing against each other.

He pulled her shirt open, tearing loose the remaining buttons and causing her to gasp. He took in her full breasts with both hands and kissed them, his fingers playing with her black laced bra. She groaned with pleasure, tilting her head back. He came up and found her lips again, pulling her face closer. There was no closeness that would satisfy his hunger.

When she unclasped his belt and pulled his buttoned jeans down, he helped her lower them to just below his bare ass. They groaned together when he slipped inside her. His hands moved down her lower back and cupped her cheeks, pulling her closer as he thrusted, again and again.

Cam grabbed her breasts, too roughly, he thought, but the heat of the moment overtook him. He thrusted harder, pushing her further up against the boxes.

She groaned with pleasure, and he held a hand up over her mouth. His eyes told her they needed to be quiet, reminding her that they were still hiding from dangerous creatures. She licked his palm, taking his hand and sucking his finger, smiling as she bit it lightly. Her brows furrowed as she moaned, licking her glistening lips with pleasure. The sight urged Cam on and he pressed himself harder against her.

With each thrust, he felt himself nearing completion. He took her head in his hands, holding her close. He kissed her and pumped harder, their bodies rhythmically moving together as she writhed against him. He felt her body tense around him and she arched in his arms, crying out softly. Pressing his lips against hers to stifle the sounds of her pleasure, Cam stiffened, his powerful legs tightening and then feeling weaker. He dropped his head, burying his face in her shoulder and pressed his mouth over her soft skin. She moaned softly, her hot, vanilla-scented breath huffing on his neck.

They remained in each other’s arms. Cam realised he had softened within her, and wished that he could remain inside her forever. Even though danger lay not far beyond the door, he wanted to remember this moment, to recall her in his arms for the rest of his days.

Lifting his head, he locked eyes with her. Sweat dripped from his brow as he looked over her flushed face. She was the most angelic being he had ever seen. He kissed her again, savouring her lips, his hands moving over her defined torso. He couldn’t take in enough of her.

Exhilaration rippled through him and he smiled, almost laughing. He had never felt anything like this before.