The girl appeared to be fond of these humans. All of them were laughing as they exited the apartment building and climbed into the beat-up car. He enjoyed seeing her smile. It had been quite some time since he seen her face light up. Her face always showed her emotions, or at least to his trained eye it had. A strange knot developed in his gut as he watched them briefly. How could these humans make her happy?
He overheard the dark-haired girl say the name of their destination. Jared dug out his cell phone and googled it as the car pulled away. The night club would be a twenty-minute walk from here for a human. He scanned the area, trying to catch a glimpse of a ley line. He was unable to sense any in the vicinity, much to his chagrin. A yellow taxi pulled up to an adjacent complex and he walked over to it. The older couple got out and he slipped in.
The drive here took longer than the walk would have. As he stepped inside the door the stench and noise assailed him. The number of humans in here would make it impossible for him to catch her scent. He paused beside the dance floor to scan the crowd. A sudden pull deep within him drew his attention to the far corner. She stood there looking lost for a moment before moving away from the rest of the people dancing.
He shadowed her through the crowded club. Each of her movement's flawless, fluid, the style and grace of a natural fighter. She cast furtive glances over the crowd on several occasions. He hoped she could sense him, exactly as he could sense her. If so, there would be a chance she may not be utterly lost to him.
The choice of attire she wore exposed too much of her, he did not approve of it, nor the individual she danced with. The male's aura appeared plagued in hues of lust, power and anger. Jared's concern for her grew, as did the pull to be with her, he knew better than do so. Follow and report, but do not interfere. That's what Master Mimeo ordered. Disobeying would be something he never did, but as they disappeared out the back door, the need to snatch her away from here intensified. It was clear the man's intentions for her were less than honorable.
Two of her male cohorts talked in a feverish fashion; the mask of concern clearly showing on the blue-haired man's face. He abruptly left his shorter companion and headed for the back door. Jared trailed after him. The crowd parted as if they were mindless sheep, none even acknowledging his presence.
As he marched outside, the ruckus of a fight reached him before he saw it. He walked into the garbage-strewn alley, the sour stench percolated from the trash cans, engulfing the entire lane. The girl sat half crumpled on the ground, her attire in a state of disarray. The subtle essence of Kiyo mingled in her aura. He could tell the beast was close to surfacing.
A few feet away, the two men threw fists at each other. Jared kept sentry at the mouth of the alley as he viewed the events before him. He smiled at their rustic display of combat. To his amazement, both managed to strike one another repeatedly. If the wiry blue-haired punk didn't dispatch of the other man, Jared would.
The scuffle didn't last long, even though the blue-haired man was considerably smaller; he overtook the other without much harm to himself. Jared assumed the amount of alcohol in the redhead might be the reason for his defeat. The oaf was lucky; his conqueror inadvertently saved his life.
Afterward, the young man helped her up and guided her from the alley. Jared trailed, keeping some distance between. They made their way back to the rundown apartment complex. He found a nearby balcony to settle on as he spied on them. While the evening wore on, his own rage grew. This was torture.
Their escapades didn't come to fruition, yet his own desire for the gentle caress of her hands and her lips on his own overwhelmed him. He couldn't take anymore. Jared released his murderous grip on the concrete barrier before eyeing the deep gouges he made. Retracting his talons, he regained his composure and set about doing as he was ordered to.