Treasured Secrets (The Coveted Saga 1)

Aster rolled her eyes as Chris leaned over and kissed her. "Be careful, boys. Don't let yourselves be seen."

Chris chuckled as he spoke teasingly. "I don't know about him, but I'll be going too fast for the mortal eye to see." Then with a whirling sound of wind, they were gone.

Aster and I walked around to the side of the restaurant. She laughed lightly as she spoke. "Boys will be boys I guess. I suppose it doesn't matter how many centuries they have under their belt."

"Apparently." I laughed, too.

Then we heard voices. It was the guy who had made Tallis mad earlier by whistling at me, along with some other rough looking guys.

"What's up ladies?"

The fatter one licked his lips as he walked toward us. His bulging belly shook as he approached. I cringed at how grotesque I found him to be.

"How's about we go have a little fun?"

Aster looked at him threateningly and replied sarcastically. "Oh gee, what's that on my finger? Oh yeah, it's a wedding band. My big strong husband wears one that matches."

The guy didn't care about her noted rejection. Now he locked his eyes on me. "What about you? You aren't wearing a ring, honey."

I pulled back, but I wasn't scared. I knew Aster could take them with no problem. Not to mention what Tallis would do to them, or what Chris would do.

"I don't see why not. You guys want to come back in about twenty minutes and see if we're still here?" I could hear my sarcasm matching Aster's, and I admit, I got a bit of an adrenaline rush.

"You girls think you're cute," the greasy guy sneered.

They all reeked of alcohol. The wild in their eyes was scarier now that I had upset them. Something was off. The darkness swallowing their eyes up was almost inhuman. Though they were foul, they didn't carry the stench the creepy guy from the woods held.

"You think it's comical to poke fun of people because you think you're hot and rich? Let's see how funny you think this is."

He reached over and grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder very forcefully before carrying me away. I pounded his back ineffectively. He didn't even flinch.

I was looking for Aster to save me, but she didn't. Finally, I spotted her. She was on the ground, holding her stomach, eyes squeezed shut in pain. I didn't know what just happened.

I struggled to get free, but he was too strong and he wasn't letting me go.

He finally dropped me to the ground. My knees hit first and I felt them bust open against the pavement. I could feel shooting pain as someone kicked me in the stomach. They seemed possessed as they showed no mercy, but their strikes were mortal. What the hell was going on?

A voice taunted me with no compassion. "How hot are you now. smartass?"

I tried to get up, but my knees hurt too badly. They burned like they were on fire. I could feel the blood running down my legs. One of them grabbed me by my hair and slung me into the side of a dumpster.

I felt my lip split open, my breaths grow coarser, and my eye swell. I could taste blood now.

They just laughed as they passed around a bottle of liquor. Then one of them sucked on something that resembled a pipe. They were deranged and sadistic as they took pleasure in beating me to a pulp.

With every new blow, I worried about what would be next. I worried that despite the immortal attack I had survived, I was going to be killed by strung-out, alcoholic mortals.

I heard someone talking, though the sound seemed echoed and distant. I struggled to move, and my breaths were painful.

"Yo man. We're just teaching her some manners. Rich girls think they own this town. This ain't got nothin' to do with you. Just walk away before you get hurt."

The next thing I knew, there was a guy sailing through the air, slamming into the dumpster right beside me. Then I heard the greatest sound in the world ring out - Tallis's voice.

"Really? Six guys beating the hell out of one girl?" A string of curse words flew from his mouth as he lost control, breaking anything he touched.

The guys were running and screaming, but Tallis was bringing them back. Each one of them was lucky they only looked as bad as I did. Tallis showed restraint not killing them. I'm sure he wanted to.

When he finished, my attackers were all lying on the ground, unconscious, but still breathing. Tallis turned to me with tears in his eyes. He picked me up and started carrying me away from the disaster zone. I stifled the wince that begged to be freed. It hurt... everywhere.