A breeze blows through the air, catching her scent and bringing it directly to my nostrils. I close my eyes and bite back a groan as the heady floral scent that is pure Elena wraps around me.
She's like nothing I've ever smelled before. My own personal nirvana.
She finally enters her apartment building, and I frown when she's no longer in my sight. I don't like not being able to see her.
I stand outside the crumbling apartment building, staring up at the window that I know houses my little angel. One perk of being a vampire is that I have no physical requirement for sleep.
I stand vigil outside her apartment all night long, my mind churning the entire time.
I consider creeping into her room to watch her sleep but ultimately decide against it, afraid that I might not be able to control myself if I'm in her presence for too long.
I still haven't fed. Ever since Elena literally ran right into my path, I've been watching her. My hunger gnaws at me, but I ignore it. I've gone much longer than this without sustenance. I'll eventually feed, but right now, the need to watch her is more pressing than that for blood.
I don't understand this pull I have to her, but Ineedto watch Elena more than I've ever needed anything before.
I keep up the same ritual for the next three days, following her to work and sitting at the secluded table to watch her as she goes about her duties. I'm mentally keeping a tally of all the men I'm going to kill for making her laugh when I'm denied that privilege. It takes every ounce of self-control I own not to rip their throats out when I can sense their lascivious thoughts about her from across the room.
And she's so painstakingly innocent. It's obvious she has no idea the filth in every man's mind when they look at her.
They long to defile her—just as I do.
Perhaps that's what pisses me off the most. The knowledge that being with me would defile her more than being with any of these self-entitled pricks.
I torture myself by watching her interact with other men, watching her jump to do their bidding. I think the hardest thing is seeing her smile at them.
What I wouldn't give to feel the full force of that smile shining up at me. Fuck the sun. The only warmth I need is that smile. The notion that vampires can't tolerate sunlight is just a myth anyway. Sunlight has absolutely no effect on me or my stamina whatsoever, though I do prefer the solitude of the nighttime.
I keep my silent vigil over her all day before I see her safely home and stand guard outside her window every night.
On the fourth day, I get a call from my office. I sigh heavily as I listen to one of my senior management partners droning on about business. I pass a weary hand over my face.
It's true. I've been neglecting my business ever since I found Elena.
Before her, I spent nearly all of my time at the office, doing everything I could to acquire more companies and expand my own.
It's not that I need the money, but work is something to fill the void and pass the never-ending haze of time. Unlike many of my kind who wile away the hours, I learned early on that staying busy helps keep me sane.
Plus, I have plenty of employees who depend on me to keep them with a job, and, of course, my absence has been noted.
I glance back up at Elena's window and watch as the light goes off. I imagine her slipping into bed and wonder if she's wearing those same little pink pajama shorts I dressed her in that night I carried her home in my arms.
My arms feel empty and ache at the remembered feel of her weight in them.
I realize that I can't spend every moment of every day watching Elena, but the thought of leaving her unprotected gnaws at me. I know I won't be able to focus on anything if I don't know where she is at all times.
I continue to consider her, my lips curving up as a plan finally begins to hatch in my mind.
My eyes glance back up at her window as if I can summon her image to the windowpane by sheer force of will alone.
My plan is taking shape in my mind as I plot out all the details. If I had a pulse, it would race with excitement. I'm suddenly very eager for the morning to come so I can get things underway.
Is my plan underhanded and manipulative? Yes.
Do I give a fuck? No.
Not if it gets me closer toher.
Elena, my pretty little angel, I might not be able to reveal myself to you fully, but that doesn't mean I can't pull you into my orbit where I can keep a watchful eye on you.