Victor smiled as they sat at a park bench, enjoying the outside air. There was a wonderful, crisp breeze floating through the air and Victor was truly appreciating having Summer next to him, spending the day together. He turned his head when he saw what looked like a determined middle-aged man walking towards them. Normally, he would’ve thought nothing of it, but the breeze blew the sharp, musty scent of dog into his face. Victor bared his teeth and sat a little straighter. The man approached them with a nervous stride.
“Derrian Smith?”
Victor perked up, “Yeah, who’s asking?”
The man shifted his weight, “Erick Jacobson sent me, he said you fix problems pretty good, even if you are a vamp.”
Victor stood up and growled a bit, “Then Erick should’ve told you tha’ you need t’ make an appointment. I don’ like ‘walk-ins’.”
Summer had been lying across the bench, head in Victor’s lap and eyes closed. She probably wouldn’t have even paid the approaching person any mind at all if Victor’s spike of aggression hadn’t caught her attention. It wasn’t like when they were playing bedroom games; this had a real edge to it, and she opened her eyes.
She sat up when Victor stood up, keeping her expression cool despite the increasing tension in the air. One arm looped about her knees, she looked the petitioner over. He practically dripped nervousness, though she couldn’t tell if it was from approaching a vampire, or from what he wanted from the vampire.
Rather than interfere in Victor’s business, though, she stayed silent.
“I-I heard from him that you helped him with his rogue vampire problem a few years back. Said you did real good an’ I have a problem of my own with another rogue. He’s been terrorizin’ our pack for the past 6 months.” The other man fidgeted, obviously scared of Victor and very uncomfortable with asking a vampire for help.
Victor’s hands twitched into fists for a second. “I’m with someone, right now an’ like I said, you can make an appointment jus’ like Erick did. I don’t take kindly to my work following me when I’m out an’ about.”
The other man’s eyes drifted over Summer and Victor quickly stood in front of Summer, a low growl erupting from his throat. “An’ gawking at my mate doesn’t help your case either.” Victor’s body language practically shouted at the other man to leave but the other man visibly broke down. “Look, we really need help, I mean, I’m asking you, a vampire for Christ’s sake!”
Summer reached out to brush Victor’s elbow. “Hear him out, before he draws attention to us.” They would have to talk about his protectiveness some other time. Right now, she just wanted this intruder to go away, and the fastest way to make that happen was to find out what he wanted.