CHAPTER TWO: MOTORCYCLES AND COFFEE

GRODEN'S POV

I awake to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining a little too bright. Today is the day. The first time I will be in contact with humans. Hopefully, finding this woman and convincing her to come with me won't be hard. I'm not a huge fan of being away from the Demon Realm or my post in the castle.

Standing up from my spot under the tree, I stretch my arms upwards, still feeling the burn of an eight-inch dagger tear through my back and chest. Time to get going. The sooner I get back home to the castle, the better. I grab my backpack from the ground and sling one strap on my shoulder, letting the brown leather hang loosely from my body.

Walking into the city of Anaheim was actually pretty exciting. The human realm is the only one I've never been to. I see why so many supernatural decide to make their lives here. It's bright, colorful, and bustling with activity.

I pass by a few different vendors before settling on a coffee shop. Demons normally prefer wine or liquor, but I've always had a love for coffee. I order a regular mug and a few pastries and take a seat near the window.

Still debating on what sort of approach I should take on this crazy quest, I pull out the manila folder and look over the contents for the next thirty minutes or so. The target is young, just turned twenty-one. She has dark hair and green eyes. The file states that she works in an office building for a law firm, but it doesn't give her title or position. As much information as this file is lacking, I might be here for a while.

After finally deciding I would ask around about housing near the address I was given, I stand to take my leave. If I am going to be here for a while, I might as well find a place to stay. The large tree I slept under last night will not be enough protection from the elements. I walk over to the counter and ask the tiny blonde barista for directions to the address I was given. As I throw my trash into the bin, I notice her scribble words onto a piece of receipt paper, with a name and number under a heart. I smile as I take the paper from her painted blue nails and notice the light pink color spread across her face. Leaving the café, I start heading toward the bus stop.

It takes about twenty minutes to reach the apartments at the address. Once I step off the bus, I walk down the little courtyard path toward the office. The manager is an old, wrinkled man, he stands as I enter, and I ask him if he has anything available for the next few months. Using the identification cards that the King supplied me with, I sign the paperwork for a one-bedroom apartment. The old man slides a set of keys on a green plastic card over the counter and offers to show me around. I accept and we make our way out of the office and into the courtyard.

We walk up the stairs to my new home and I slide the key into the lock of the green door. I'm guessing bright colors are a must around here. The inside of my apartment is small but seems a lot bigger than my quarters back home. I step into the living room and can see the kitchen through a small dining room. The bedroom has a small, connected bathroom with a shower. I'll have to go into town to buy furniture and groceries.

I hang my bag on a hook in the bedroom and decide to go take a shower. I pull out a towel and bar of soap that I brought from the castle and step into the shower stall. Leaning down, I pull the shower knob all the way to the red marker. The shower starts to steam up and the glass beside me fogs over. I lean my forearms against the white tile in front of me and let the hot water run down my back, soothing the tightness in my muscles.

When I'm finished washing the dirt from my body, I turn the water off and grab my towel. I dry my face and long hair first, then wrap it around my waist. Stepping out into my room, I dig the extra clothes from my bag and slip them on. I grab my wallet and start my walk back into town.

My first stop in town is the car lot. I feel like it would be really useful to have my own ride. There is a beautiful motorcycle in the corner of the lot, and I find myself standing in front of it. It's a black and green Ducati Scrambler. I've seen these all over our realm, brought down by demons who live among humans. I cannot wait to get my hands on this bike and I basically run to the office. After an hour of paperwork, I walk out with the keys. I run my hand over the seat of the bike and whistle. Throwing my leg over the side, I pull the helmet over my head and flip down my visor. Time to see what this baby is made of. I hit the throttle and speed out of the lot.

At the furniture store, I purchase a living room set consisting of a sofa, two armchairs, and a coffee table. The sofa is a deep brown leather while the armchairs are a light green upholstery. The coffee table looks like someone sliced a tree down and added metal legs. I also bought a queen-sized bed and a small dresser. The attendant had someone set everything into a truck to be delivered. I ran by the grocery store to pick up some dinner and a case of water along with some dishes and bedding.

Making it back to my new apartment, I notice the delivery van in the parking lot. I pull my bike up to the side of the building closest to the stairs and cut it off. Hanging the helmet on the handlebar, I pull out my keys and grab the few bags I bought. The guys in the van follow me to my door with the furniture and sit it all in the respective rooms. When they leave I start unpacking the grocery bags and sliding the furniture around to where I want it. I finally decide to get some sleep and change into some gray sweatpants. I brush my teeth and climb into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

The next morning, I woke up from some of the best sleep I have had in a while. I liked that no one was running up and down the hall outside of my door like they do in the castle. Being a guard of the King, we have to run drills randomly. My guys will run by my door and shout or bang on it. Sometimes, the assholes just throw it open and yell at me. Running my hand through my long hair, I decide it's time to get up and get going. I swing my legs over the side of the bed as I push the cover to the side. I need breakfast if I am going to be running all over Anaheim again today.

Once I'm done showering and I slide my combat boots on with my dark jeans and white tee shirt, I run my hands through my wet hair and shake the water out. Grabbing my bag and keys, I hop on my motorcycle and speed off toward the coffee shop from yesterday.

The little blonde barista is at the counter again, her face lights up when I walk through the door and take my place in line. An image of her name in red ink pops up in my mind, Stella. She hands me the same order I got yesterday before I can even ask, throwing in a "Thursday Special", as she called it. It looked like a strawberry-filled pastry with white powdered sugar on top. I thank her as I pay for my breakfast and make sure to leave a generous tip. Walking to the window seats, I plop down and practically inhale the coffee in my mug. When I'm finished, I throw away my trash and wink at Stella. I know I'm here on a mission but damn, can't I have a little fun while I'm at it? Walking out of the little cafe, I decided to take a few minutes to look around.

Leaning against the brick wall of the building, I light a cigarette and take a long drag. Looking up into the shop window, I notice beautiful long black hair and a stack of coffee cups in cardboard holders. Doesn't look like anyone's going to help her. I take a few steps forward just as she is coming out of the door. She trips in the ridiculously high heels she is wearing, and I reach for her instinctively. Her body falls into mine and I can feel her small waist and curvy hips as my arms go around her. "Careful there, darlin'! You need some help?" I ask, steadying her and grabbing a few of the cup holders. When I see her face, I know instantly that she isn't human. Her emerald green eyes practically glow as her face turns a bright shade of pink. She doesn't say anything, just stares at me, her blush turning to an even deeper shade of red.

"What's your name?"

"E-Elyse. Elyse Summers." She finally manages. This can't possibly be the woman I am looking for. Can it? This beautiful green-eyed goddess is the one wanted by the King? I can't help but feel a little jealous. What does he want with her? I hope not to add her to his collection of pretty things. She deserves better than something like that. Shaking my head of the negative thoughts, I quickly find my bearings.

I offer to help her carry the coffee, which I find out is for the staff of the law firm she works in. It's just a few blocks from the cafe, so I don't have much time to get to know her. We exchange basic pleasantries and ask each other a few questions.

"What's a guy like you, doing in a place like this? Are you here for work?"

"I guess you could say that. Ha! I'm actually here on a little side job from my boss. He's a really big name where I'm from and if he says go, you gotta go."

We make it to the office building in no time and Elyse's attitude does a three-sixty. I can tell she doesn't like being here and ask her if she needs any help taking the coffee holders up to her floor. She accepts and we make our way to the elevator. Being in such a small space with her is excruciating. The smell of demon flowers is all around us and it is extremely intoxicating. I wonder if she smells the demon realm on me like I do her. I want to reach out and take her in my arms again. Hell, if I didn't have both my hands full, I probably would have. The elevator dings and the metal doors open, pulling me from thoughts of pinning her to them. We step out into a large white room and walk down a hallway into another boring white room. This one had a round table and some counter space along with a refrigerator and microwave in the corner. After dropping the cups off in the lounge room, she walks me back to the door. Thanking me again for not letting her make a complete fool of herself.

"Before I go, I'd like to know if you'd like to get some breakfast in the morning," I ask slowly, hoping she doesn't turn me down.

"I think I would like that." Her face turns pink again. "Although, I never got your name."

"Oh! Yeah. It's Groden O'Davi. Sorry, I was too busy admiring how many holders you were trying to juggle." She's giggling. That's good, right?

We make plans to meet at the same coffee shop for breakfast at six in the morning. She tells me she has to get to work before her boss comes down and I reluctantly let her walk away.

Later on that night, I fall asleep on my new bed thinking of how perfectly Elyse fits in my arms and how her long black hair smells like our realm's flowers.