The Hunt

One SNOW FELL GENTLY from the black sky, covering my long auburn hair with a white veil of perfect snowy stars. I tightened my scarf as I looked up. This time of year was my personal favourite; it was beautiful and magical. It was hard to explain really, but I loved everything about it, the snow most especially. I looked down in time to hit my face off of someone’s shoulder. I almost fell backwards, muttering an apology just as strong hands wrapped around my wrists and pulled me back to my feet. I looked up and was almost rendered speechless by the deep intensity of the emerald eyes that met my own honey coloured ones. “Are you okay?” The voice was deep and husky with the accent it carried; Irish maybe? I couldn’t be sure. I smiled and hope to God it didn’t look like the hopeless kind. “Yeah,” I replied, moving out of his grasp as I tried to examine his face. “Are you?” He smiled and it literally took my breath away. He had those perfect sensual lips that made you want to kiss them until you forgot your own name. He had jet black hair, curled slightly at the ends where it flopped onto his forehead. His face was beautiful, the kind of face you’d expect to see on an avenging angel. There was no doubt about it, he was a gorgeous man, and I was staring at him like a fool, how original. “I’m smashing.” he replied, running his gaze over me the way I had just done to him. “You’re sure you’re okay, love?” I shot him what I hoped was a dazzling smile and nodded, “Thanks for keeping me upright.” I laughed slightly, stuffing my hands into my long coat. “Have a good night.” He frowned at me and it looked so perfect on his incredible face that I wanted to applaud. “Where are you headed?” A startlingly mischievous smile toyed with his lips and I hated that it made my stomach do a somersault. “Just to the Grocery store, I need to stock up on things Genevieve doesn’t carry.” I frowned, wondering why I was sharing so much with a stranger I’d bumped into on a cold city street. His grin was amazingly feral; a glint of something I couldn’t catch in time glimmered in the depths of his perfect green irises. “I was just headed to the store myself. Mind if I join you?” I didn’t, but I didn’t want him to know that. “If you were going to the store why were you headed in the wrong direction?” He winked at me; a cocky smile twisting his perfect grin. “Maybe I wanted to run into such a pretty lady.” I smiled tightly, looking up at least a foot and a half to meet his eyes. “I’m flattered, really, but I don’t have time for this. Thanks for saving me from hurting myself.” I moved away, heading for the light that bathed the corner of the street where I knew the store would be. But he wasn’t the type to give up so easily. He caught up with me in two long strides and matched my pace evenly, watching me as we walked. “Genevieve is a really small town.” he said it conversationally, a smile in his voice. “Yep, it‘s got a population of a hundred and fifty people.” “That’s a lot smaller than Vase Line.” I felt my eyes narrow but I didn’t turn to him. We were in Vase Line, the only real city for miles and separated from Genevieve by a thick smattering of forestry. It had nearly quadruple the amount of people than Genevieve did and a hell of a lot more stores. “What’s your name?” I stopped and turned to him, my gaze flitting from his cocky grin to his snow covered black hair to his exquisite emerald eyes. “I don’t live here and I don’t plan to stay long. I didn’t mean to bump into you and I apologized, what more could you possibly want from me?” He smiled, his eyes glittering with pleasure, “Just a name, love.” I frowned as I looked at him, noticing for the first time a peculiar hue in his eyes. I moved forward, gazing into his eyes as they widened in surprise and then narrowed with something else entirely. When I was within inches of him I looked up again. “Compulsion doesn’t work on me.” I whispered with a smile. His grin never faltered. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, love” I nodded, stepping away, “Sure you don’t. Goodbye.” “What, not even a name?” I walked backwards, flashing him my best smile. “The name’s Gray.” I said, offering him a delicate but hopefully seductive wink. “It’s been lovely.” He tipped an invisible hat in my direction before winking out, leaving the street dark and sadly empty of his alluring and sunny presence. I wondered briefly if I would ever see him again and then hoped I wouldn’t. I could handle being an outcast in Genevieve and I could even handle coming into Vase Line once a week to buy my Grams groceries but I couldn’t handle a man like that no matter how much I wanted to. I sighed as I turned around and moved into the grocery store, my smile wide and my body thrumming with adrenaline. Grams wouldn’t be happy about this.