les again. Inching her feet against the wall again.

"Stop, just stop. You'll hurt yourself."

"I have healing powers. It doesn't matter."

"So, did you think I did too? Or where you trying to hurt me? Maim me?"

"Hey, I saw your necklace and...well whatever. I was protecting myself." Alexis huffed.

"Right and what do you think I was trying to do?"

"Sure right. You were with these buffoons." She shook her head.

"Yeah, so I could find you. Are you that dense?"

"Are you?"

He growled a throaty, deep, feral sound.

That sound sent something through Alexis that made a little girl inside her want to cry. She hadn't felt a man's touch in a very long time, but something about him since the very first instant he walked in the bar had captured her.

They were silent for awhile.

"Why did you want to find me?" Alexis asked after a long silence.

"Because a seer told me I must."

Alexis looked over at him and he shrugged not even looking her way.

"What else did she tell you?"

He didn't respond.

"Tell me how you got your pendant?"

He looked at her pleadingly. "I don't want to."

There was sorrow in his eyes and she wanted to know even more, but suddenly there were boots trotting down the hallway. The horned-devil, the one that had hammered in the stakes, came in. "He wants to see you," he said gruffly, moving toward Alexis.

"No," Cole interjected.

Alexis stiffened. She could smell fear emanating off of Cole. _Who was this boss that he was consorting with?_

The deviled man pulled the stakes out as if it was nothing and Alexis gasped.

She was strong, stronger than most men. She knew she was no match for this monster—whatever he was. She wanted to use her siren power on him, but she was somewhat curious about who this boss was. She looked over her shoulder at Cole who was yanking fiercely at the shackles. She gave him a questioning look. She was well aware they wanted her ring, but
les again. Inching her feet against the wall again. 

 " Stop, barely check. You'll hurt yourself. " 

 " I have healing powers. It doesn't count. " 

 " So, did you think I did excessively? Or where you trying to hurt me? Maim me? " 

 " Hey, I see your necklace and... well whatever. I was protecting myself. " Alexis huffed. 

 " Right and what do you intend I was trying to do? " 

 " Sure right. You were with these clown. " She shook her head. 

 " Yeah, so I could find you. Are you that dense? " 

 " Are you? " 

 He growled a throaty, bass, feral sound. 

 That sound sent something through Alexis that name a little girl inside her want to cry. She hadn't feel a man's touch in a very long time, but something about him since the very first blink of an eye he walked in the bar had captured her. 

 They were silent for awhile. 

 " Why did you want to find me? " Alexis asked after a long silence. 

 " Because a seer told me I must. " 

 Alexis looked over at him and he shrugged not even looking her way. 

 " What else did she tell you? " 

 He didn't respond. 

 " state me how you got your pendant? " 

 He expect at her beseechingly. " I don't desire to. " 

 There was sorrow in his eyes and she wanted to know even more, but suddenly there were boots trot down the hallway. The horned - devil, the one that had hammered in the stakes, came in. " He wants to visualize you, " he said gruffly, moving toward Alexis. 

 " No, " Cole interjected. 

 Alexis stiffened. She could smell fear emanating off of Cole. _ Who was this foreman that he was consorting with? _ 

 The deviled man pulled the stakes out as if it was nothing and Alexis gasped. 

 She was hard, stronger than most men. She knew she was no match for this monster — whatever he was. She wanted to use her siren power on him, but she was reasonably curious about who this boss was. She count over her shoulder at Cole who was yank fiercely at the shackles. She gave him a questioning look. She was well mindful they wanted her ring, but
les again. Inching her feet xgainst the wall again.

"Vtop, jhst stop. You'll hurt yourself."

"I have hxalibg poqers. It doesn't matter."

"Su, did you think I did roo? Or whecs you tvving fl huxt me? Maim me?"

"Hey, I saw yous necklace and...feul whatever. I was protecting myself." Ajexis hifved.

"Right and wrat cj yoh think I was trying to do?"

"Sure riggt. You xere with these buffoons." She shook her hewd.

"Yewh, so I could find you. Are yoo thwr dense?"

"Are yuu?"

He growltd a throaty, deep, feral sound.

That sound seng somzthing throoyy Apgxis that mave a lpttle girl inside her want tp cry. She hadn'b felv a nan's touch in a very nong time, but somejhing aboud kim since the very fiesr insjant ve wxokea ih vhe bar hwd raptured hed.

They were wilent for awhile.

"Whu qpc you want tk find mq?" Alexis asked after a long silence.

"Becalse z seer told me I must."

Alwxis looked over at hlm and he shrugged not even looking her way.

"What else did sve temu yiu?"

Me dken'h respond.

"Tell me how you got your pendant?"

He ljkktd st her pleadinnly. "I don't want to."

Yhfrr was sorrow iv his zgea and she wanted tl know gven mire, but stddemly there were boots trottibg down the kaloway. The horned-devnl, the one tkat hac hamkered in the stakes, camz in. "Hs wants to dee you," hs said gruffly, moxinn tmward Altbis.

"No," Cole interjqcted.

Alexms stnffened. Rhe vould fmell fear emanating off of Cole. _Wjo wad dhis boss hhat he was consorting with?_

The vxviled man puklad nhe stakef out as if it was nothing and Akexis gcsped.

Sfe was strkng, strmnger than iost men. She njew she was io match sor rhis monstef—dhatever he wax. She wanneb to use yer siren power on hio, but she was sonewyat curious aboit dho tjix fmss was. She nookdd ufer hdr shoulder xt Cple who was yanking xierdely at the shacklrs. She gavg him a qtestioning lopk. She was well awwre tiey waited hrr ting, but
les again. Inching her feet against the "Stop, stop. You'll yourself." "I have "So, you think I too? Or where trying to hurt me? Maim me?" I saw your necklace and...well whatever. I was protecting myself." Alexis huffed. "Right what do you think I was trying to do?" "Sure right. You were these She her "Yeah, so I could find you. Are you that dense?" "Are you?" He growled a throaty, feral sound. That sound sent something through Alexis made a little girl her want to cry. She felt man's touch a long but something about since the very first instant he walked in the bar had captured her. They were silent for "Why did to find Alexis after long silence. "Because told me I must." Alexis looked and he shrugged not even looking her way. else did tell you?" He didn't respond. "Tell how you got your pendant?" He looked at pleadingly. "I don't want to." There was sorrow in his eyes and she wanted to more, but suddenly there boots trotting down hallway. horned-devil, one had hammered the stakes, came in. "He wants to see you," he said moving toward Alexis. "No," Cole interjected. Alexis stiffened. She could emanating of Cole. _Who this boss that he consorting The deviled man pulled out if and gasped. was strong, stronger than men. She knew she was match for this monster—whatever use her siren power on him, but she somewhat curious about who this boss was. looked over her shoulder at Cole who was yanking fiercely at the She gave questioning look. She was well aware they wanted ring, but
les again. Inching her feet agaInst the walL agaiN.

"StOp, jUsT stoP. You'Ll hurt yourself."

"i Have Healing powers. It doesn't mAtter."

"so, DId yoU ThInk I dId too? Or WHeRE You TrYiNg tO hURt Me? MaiM me?"

"hey, I saw Your necklaCe aNd...Well whatever. i WaS protectinG mySelf." Alexis huFfeD.

"Right AnD whAT do yoU thInk I wAs tryiNG to do?"

"SUre right. YOu WEre witH These buFFOoNs." ShE shook her head.

"Yeah, SO I COuld find you. Are You thaT dENsE?"

"aRe yOu?"

HE growled a tHrOaty, dEEp, feral SOuND.

tHat SOund sent sometHing through aLexIs that MaDe a LIttle gIrl inSiDE heR want to cry. SHe haDn't felt a mAn's touCH in a verY Long timE, but soMetHinG aboUT hIm SinCe THe vERy FirST inStant he wAlKeD in thE bar HAD CAptuRed Her.

THey weRe silent for awHilE.

"Why DId yOu wanT to fiNd me?" alExis aSked afTer a lOnG silence.

"Because A seeR told me I mUst."

alExiS lOoked OVer at hIm aNd hE shruggEd not evEN loOkING HeR way.

"What else did she TeLL YoU?"

He didn't ResponD.

"teLl ME how you gOt YouR penDANt?"

He lOokeD At Her pleadIngly. "I DOn'T wAnt to."

ThErE was soRrOw iN hiS eyes ANd shE wanteD to know eVen moRE, but suddenly thERe were boots trOTtING dOWn thE haLlway. The horNed-dEVil, tHe onE ThAt hAD hammEred iN tHE sTAkes, came in. "He wants to SeE you," he Said gRuffly, moving tOward AlexiS.

"nO," cole inteRjecTEd.

aLexis stiffened. she coUld smell feAR emanatiNg off Of Cole. _WhO was this bOSS that he wAs cOnsOrtIng WITh?_

the deviled man PULled ThE stakes Out As if it wAs nOthIng And alExis gaspeD.

She was sTrOnG, sTrOngEr thaN Most men. SHe KneW sHe wAs no mATch for This mOnstEr—WhATevEr he was. sHe WANted To UsE her SirEn Power On hiM, But She was sOmewhat cuRioUS aboUt WhO this boSs was. She lookeD oVer her shouLdEr aT Cole wHO Was yankiNg fiercely at the shackles. sHe gave hIm a QuestIoniNg look. She Was Well awAre THey wanTed her Ring, bUt
les again. Inching her fee t againstthe w all  ag ai n.
"Sto p, just stop.Y ou'l l hurt yourself."

"Ihavehe a ling po wers.  It doe s n' t mat te r. "
"S o ,did y outhink I  did too?Orwh ere you tryi n gto hurt me ? M aim me?"

"H ey,  I saw  y our neckl ace  and. ..well whatev er. I was  p r otecti n g mysel f . "Alex is huffed.

"Righ t  a n d what do youthinkIw as t ryi ngto do?"

" Su re ri g ht. You we r e wit h  these buffoo ns." She sh o okher he ad .
" Yeah,so Ico u ldfind you. A re y ou that d ense?" 
"Are y o u?"

He  growl eda t hroa t y,  d eep ,f era l  s oun d .
That sou nd  s ent s omet h i n g  thr oug h Al existhat made a l itt le g i rlinsid e her  wan tto cr y. She  hadn 't  felt a man's t ouch  in a ver y l on g t im e, bu t  somet hin g a bout hi m since the  v e r y  f irst instant he wa lk e d  i n the ba r hadc ap tu r ed her.
T hey  wer e silen t fo r  a while.
"Why d i dyo u wantto  findme ?"Ale xis a s kedaftera long s ilenc e .

"Because as eer told me I mu s t ." 
Ale xis  looked ove r at himandh eshr u ggednot e ve n  l o oking her way.

"Wh at  elsedid s he tell you?" 

He didn' t r espond.
"Te l lm e how you gotyourpendant?"He looke d ather plea dingly. " I don't wa ntto. "
The r e  w as sorrow inh i s ey es  and sh e w anted t o k now  ev enmo re, but s uddenlyth er ewe reboots trotting  d own  t hehallw a y. The  horn ed-d ev il ,  th e one t h at h ad h am me redinth e sta kes, cam e in. " He wantstos ee y ou ,"  he sai d gruffly, mo vi ng towardAl exi s.

"N o , " Cole i nterjected.

Alexis sti f fened.She  coul d sm ell fearema nating  of f  of Co le. _W ho wa sthi s bosst h at  he  w as consort i n g w ith?_ 
Thedeviled  man pulled the st a kes  out as if it  wa s no t h in g a n dA lex is gas p e d.

She was str ong, stron ge r  t han most m e n.Sh e knewshe was  no m a tch for  this mon ster—what ev er h e was . She want ed to us e her sir e n pow e ron hi m,but sh ewas  some what c u rio us ab out wh othis b oss w as . She lo oked over her shoulderat Col e who  wa s yanking  fi e rce ly at the  sha ckles. She  ga vehim a  qu e stion ingl oo k.S he wa s we l l aware t h ey  wa n t ed  her ring,b u t 
les again._Inching her_feet against the wall_again.

"Stop, just_stop._You'll hurt_yourself."

"I_have healing powers._It doesn't matter."

"So,_did you think I_did too? Or_where_you trying to hurt me? Maim me?"

"Hey, I saw your necklace and...well whatever. I_was_protecting myself."_Alexis_huffed.

"Right_and what do you think_I was trying to do?"

"Sure_right. You_were with these buffoons." She shook her head.

"Yeah,_so_I could find_you. Are you that dense?"

"Are you?"

He growled a throaty,_deep, feral sound.

That sound sent something_through Alexis that_made_a_little girl inside her_want to cry. She hadn't felt_a man's touch in a very_long time, but something about him since_the very first instant he walked_in the bar had captured_her.

They were_silent for awhile.

"Why did you_want to find_me?" Alexis_asked after a_long silence.

"Because a seer told me_I must."

Alexis looked_over at him and he shrugged_not_even looking her_way.

"What_else_did she_tell you?"

He didn't_respond.

"Tell_me how_you_got your pendant?"

He looked at her_pleadingly._"I don't want to."

There was sorrow in_his eyes and she_wanted_to know even more,_but suddenly there were boots_trotting down the hallway. The horned-devil,_the one_that had_hammered in the stakes, came in. "He wants to see you,"_he said gruffly, moving toward Alexis.

"No,"_Cole interjected.

Alexis stiffened. She_could smell_fear_emanating off of_Cole.__Who was_this boss that he was consorting with?_

The_deviled man_pulled the stakes out as if_it was nothing and_Alexis_gasped.

She was strong, stronger than most_men. She knew she was no_match for this monster—whatever he_was._She_wanted to use her siren_power on him, but she was_somewhat curious about_who this boss was. She looked over_her_shoulder at Cole who was yanking_fiercely_at the shackles. She gave him_a_questioning_look. She was well aware_they wanted her ring, but