Courted by the Vampire Read Online Free

in a protective stance.

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
     
    Edwin kept his head tucked against hers for a second longer than was necessary. The woman smelled good. He inhaled again in order to properly identify the scent—violets and jasmine. The combination was at once Old World and contemporary. He approved. She beat a hand against his chest, bringing him back to reality.
    “Mr. Mason?” She paused and when he didn’t answer, said, “Edwin? Let me up.”
    “You are unharmed?” His senses on high alert, he stared at the being that lingered in the broken doorframe as wooden splinters floated in the air around them. Short, squat, and extremely smelly, the goblin toddled hesitantly into the room to kick at various bits of rubble. Slobber oozed down its chin, pooling on the floor by its three toed feet.
    “Of course I’m unharmed, but look at my apartment!” She scrambled to her feet then teetered on a broken photo frame. “There goes my security deposit.”
    “I think that is the least of your problems.” He stood then glanced around the woefully inadequate living space. He did not understand how the woman had existed on so minimal square footage. “The goblin is a scout. Somehow they followed me here.”
    T he high-strung female emitted a snort. “That’s all well and good, but what do we do about him right now?”
    “We will try not to antagonize it.” The goblin waded its ponderous way through the living room in an apparent attempt to seek them out. Its hairy green hide trailed stink and slobber behind its misshapen body. He hated goblins.
    “Can’t it see us?” Hannah clutched at his arm, digging her nails into his forearm.
    “Their eyesight and hearing isn’t very keen. They have tremendous upper arm strength and are very hard to kill.” Edwin extricated himself from her grip. How much did she know about the paranormal world? She was not sufficiently terrified enough to warrant a first time meeting. “Generally, only an explosion can expel a goblin. That is the reason they are sent in first. They are like a two-footed plague.”
    “ It’ll destroy my apartment.” Her whine grated on his nerves.
    “That would be the logical conclusion.” He grabbed her arm then skirted around the goblin as it proceeded to bite into a wooden bookshelf. He shuddered. Goblins were foul creatures. “We must go. Time is of the essence.”
    She dug her heels into the carpet. “Where? I do have obligations here, you know. I just can’t go gallivanting around the country. I have a job, rent to pay.”
    Frustration coursed through his veins. Perhaps the prophecy was wrong.
    “…the one who wields the power of the Light will challenge the Dark and defeat it even beyond Death…”
    No matter how many times he had tried to puzzle out the meaning of the words, he simply could not understand. “The things on the periphery of your life do not concern me. My job depends on you, and whether you cooperate with me is a moot point. I will bring you with me one way or the other.”
    “ If I refuse, you’ll kiss me again? Ooh, I’m scared.”
    Another crash from the goblin signified the being had destroyed the entertainment center. The television shattered and was followed by a wisp of smoke.
    “Oh my God! Not the TV!”
    Edwin’s gaze strayed from the destruction to the woman. He did not understand her angst over a simple appliance. With a grunt of satisfaction, he yanked her into the hallway of the generic brown warren of walls she called home.
    “Wait! I need my bag.” He loosened his grip long enough for her to duck back inside the doorway and snag the strap of the shapeless monstrosity. “I never go anywhere without it.”
    “No more delays.” Edwin cleared his throat, wishing to set her mind at ease but not accustomed to dealing with recalcitrant females. “I apologize for my behavior. You vexed me with your inability to follow orders. I will not repeat the actions.” As his mind lingered on the impromptu embrace,