The Darkness We Hide

Gareth noticed the woman the minute he walked into the bar, something about her drawing his attention immediately. There was an aura about her that, to his lycan eyes, glowed like star light and sparklers. It was so intense he had a hard time taking his eyes from her.

Her skin was pale to the point of translucence under the soft lights of the room. She seemed to sense him too, her eyes meeting his, following his every move.

When he smiled at her, she’d blushed a charming shade of pink that added life to her face before quickly looking away.

Gareth was tempted to walk over and introduce himself, but she seemed to be deep in conversation with a group of friends at the end of the bar. It looked like they were having a party of some kind and he didn’t want to interrupt. Perhaps later in the evening, if he could catch her alone he could work out a way to meet her.

He sat at the far end of the bar most of the night, sipping his beer, wondering why he’d come in here tonight. Since coming back from Iraq he’d kept to himself, not sure how to be around normal people. His buddies had told him it would get easier, but it wasn’t just the emotional damage the war had done, it was also his physical injuries that held him back.

The left side of his body was covered with burn scars from a roadside bomb which had killed the rest of the men under his command. Even now, two years after the explosion he could still feel the fire as it licked its way over his skin, into his muscles. Even the enhanced healing of being a lycan wasn’t enough to prevent the damage that was done.

Along with the scars came frequent panic attacks that found him involuntarily shifting into his primal form despite how hard he tried to prevent it which had necessitated him living with his family in Montana since being discharged.

It had taken years of therapy for him to be able to regain control over his inner beast. Even now his lycan half was closer to the surface than he liked, but at least he'd managed to feel comfortable enough to leave the wilderness and return to Seattle.

Looking over his shoulder, Gareth watched the mystery woman as she joked and laughed with her small group as they were served drinks.

By Goddess she was beautiful. Occasionally their eyes would meet and it was all he could do to keep from jumping from his seat and forcing an introduction after he'd devoured her lips with his.

Even thinking about it made his pants uncomfortably tight, making him feel like a prepubescent teenager in need of a big binder to walk the halls of school.

“Well guys,” Michelle sighed, looking at her watch. “I’m out.”

Her comment was met by boos and hisses from her friends, but she shook her head.

“I’m tired,” she replied to their derision. “You guys have fun, but make sure you’re okay to drive before you leave. I don’t want to have to visit any of you in the ICU.”

“Night,” they chorused as she shrugged into her jacket.

Gareth sat sipping and watching, waiting for his moment to approach the woman, but never saw an opening. When the other bartender asked him a third time if he wanted something else, he thanked her, but only asked for his bill.

Looking again for his mystery woman, he was saddened to see that she’d disappeared. Swiveling left and right he wondered where she’d gone. He hadn’t sensed her leave. Cursing his own bad luck, Gareth sighed and placed thirty dollars on the counter under his empty mug.

Standing, he sighed, wishing he could have gotten the woman's scent so he could track her.