(no subject)
Title: Surrogate - Prolouge
Author: Christine Collins
Genere: Supernatural Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1171
Comments: Unedited
Prologue
He was watching her again. It seems like all he ever does now is watch her. All he wants to do now is watch her. All the other things he does during his day are just ways to fill the empty time until he could see her again.
She was foolishly predictable in her actions. Almost obsessively so. He had her movements memorized. As soon as she walked through her front door - no matter the time of day - she was up her stairs and in her room to change into her pajamas. Since it was summer (yeah for summer!) she was wore only a thin tank dress, like a swimsuit cover up.
It was night now, late for her - almost 10pm. He could see her through the living room window, kissing her husband and kids good night. Her voice wafted up to him through the screen, not that he'd need the window open to hear her.
“Night Hun, not to late now. I have to work in the morning. Make sure they come up in half an hour or so,” she murmured to her husband as she bent over him to kiss his cheek.
“Of course,” came his mumbled reply. His eyes never left the computer monitor he was focused on.
She kissed the top of her son's head as he sat in the chair next to his dad raptly gazing at the game he was playing. She ruffled the hair of the older girl the desk catty corner to her dad's as she walked past.
“'Night mom,” she said looking up to beam a smile at her.
“Goodnight love. Don't stay up to late now. I don't want you to give me any trouble in the morning.”
“Of course not mom.”
“Riiiight.”
He lost sight of her for a moment but he didn't mind because now she'd go upstairs and he could have her to 'himself' for awhile. He could hear her soft footsteps on the steps. Even though she trudged up the stairs each night using only the light from the living room she always flicked on the light in the hallway before she entered her dark room.
She turned on her bedside lamp and then came the rattling of the blinds being pulled up as she let the night air in. First the one that faced south and then the one right next to it that faced west. And just like that, he was gazing at her again.
For a moment she leaned against her windowsill and breathed in the cool night air. Even though it was only June the weather had been freakishly hot the past 10 days or so, it's even hit 108 degrees! Thankfully toady it only reached 94. But as was typical for the Southern California coastal influenced weather of San Diego it had cooled down considerably since the sun went down. Using his unerring weather sense he noted that it was a mere 79, with a cool breeze blowing in from the west.
He sighed. He loved to watch her as she settled down for the night. She truly was a creature of habit. Both her children were night owls like their dad and she took advantage of that to go up early to have some alone time. This worked out great for him. He loved nothing more than to share her alone time with her.
Even the nights she crawled under the covers and immediately started to snore were a gift for him but tonight it looked like he was truly in luck. She was carrying a book. Nothing pleased him more than watching her read. Especially if it was a good book. Her facial expressions were so precious. She always got completely absorbed by in whatever she was reading. She smiled, she sniffled, she laughed out loud.
As she started to turn away from the window something caught her eye. He instinctively stiffened and then held himself very still as she gazed into the think foliage of the oak tree he was hiding in. For a moment he was sure that she saw him. She seemed to look directly at him but just as he thought he was caught for sure this time she frowned and turned away muttering to herself, “Time for bed Marie. You must be tired if you think you're seeing dogs in trees.”
He breathed a sigh of relief as Marie propped herself up on her pillows to sneak a few pages of reading before she had to go to sleep. She was so perfect. Her honey brown skin glowed softly in the light cast by her bedside lamp. Her hair looked a flat black in the dim light of her bedroom but he knew better. He'd seen it shine a red so coppery and vivid in the sunlight he'd dubbed it 'strawberry black.' It was all the more unique for the streaks of pure silver that peaked out at the bottom whenever she turned her head just right. Her eyes were a deep chocolate. He longed to make a slight noise so she'd turn her head to gaze uselessly into the dark night so he could look at them. Her -
a-hem
A very familiar snort of disapproval broke his reverie.
“Yes Sera, what now.”
oh nothing. I just thought I'd check on you.
“As you can see I'm fine. I thought you were going to hunt tonight?”
I thought you were going to hunt with me instead of staring at her again. It's unhealthy the way you lust after her. She already has a mate. And little ones too! You need to run. Let the wind blow through your fur. Chase a rabbit or two - or better yet I heard that there's a wolverine down by the reservoir, or we can try to rustle up a bobcat - it's been awhile since we had a good fight.
“No thank you Annie, you go. I'll try to catch up in a bit.”
An impatient growl erupted from the deep shadows at the base of the tree.
Just look at you! You're an embarrassment to our kind. Enthralled by a human. What about me, Nathaniel? What about our bond? You disgust me. She has you cowering in the trees like a common house cat! Show some pride. Act like a warrior for Christ sake, not some lovesick fool!
“Hey now Sera. That's enough of that. No need to take Our Lords name in vain. I told you I'd be along in a bit. Now go.” He let a note of command creep into his last statement. He pushed the guilt that accompanied that action aside. She was the one who'd brought up their bond.
fine, she spat, suit yourself, Master.
He barely registered her hurt reaction as he turned back to the object of his desire. His obsession.
“No where was I?” he murmured quietly to himself. He settled down more comfortably in the tree and watched.
Over towards the hills behind the house a coyote howled.