Page 13 of Guarded By the Hellhound
I squint my eyes, trying to identify the owner of the voice, while I climb to my feet. A man wearing a priest’s clothes is looking at me.
“Oh, sorry, I guess I should have helped you up.” He gives me a wry smile before shrugging it off. “If you’ll excuse me, most people who lie on the ground here don't need to get up anymore.”
I laugh out loud, the sound so unexpected I immediately clap my hands across my mouth. The priest smiles. It’s a good smile, a genuine smile; his eyes twinkle, and laughing lines appear around them.
“I’m Eli,” he says as he extends his hand. “I am the guardian of this fine establishment.”
I shake his hand but don’t say anything. He gives Raider a long stare before looking back at me.
“I like your dog. He kind of looks like a statue I used to have out back.”
Raider barks out a loud woof, and Eli steps closer to pet his head. “The statue got stolen a week ago. Police say it’s just teenagers pulling a prank, but I think I might have lost him forever.”
“What’s out back?” I ask before thinking. Eli takes a step back, putting his hand in his pocket.
“The back door, of course,” he says. “How else would an unwilling bride escape the confines of marriage?”
I snicker. This is one weird priest, that’s for sure.
Raider starts pulling on his leash, and it’s clear he wants to go to this back door.
“Do you mind if I take a look? It’s so beautiful. I can’t believe I have never been here before.”
Eli cocks his head and waves an arm. “Feel free to explore, though I would very much love it if you would explore the inside on Sunday morning as well.”
I smile. “Maybe I will, Father.”
He nods before turning to walk back into the church. He turns around before he closes the door and looks at Raider. “Goodbye, Raider.” And then he’s gone.
Raider is already on the move, and I rush after him towards the back door, which looks exactly the same as the front door, only slightly smaller. I feel disappointment setting in. This turn of events is very anticlimactic.
Then Raider starts vibrating again; in the blink of an eye, his human form stands before me, his right hand reverently touching the door. His leash uselessly falling to the ground.
“This is it,” he whispers.
“What is it?”
“Home,” he whispers with a voice filled with awe.
I take a step towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he says. “I feel the fires burning behind it. I don’t think I can open the doors, neither do I think I should.”
He turns around to face me. “I feel like it’s right there. The final piece that I need to restore my memory. It’s just out of reach, taunting me.” He clenches his fists. Suddenly, he turns around and slams a fist into the doors. They rattle but don’t give an inch. He bows his head, devastation apparent in his demeanor.
I do the only thing I can think of: I comfort him.
Slowly, I walk towards him and pull my body flush against his, my arms coming around his waist.
“It will be alright,” I reassure him. “We have come so far, and we will get there. Give it time.”
He growls. “I have this gut feeling we are running out of time.”
He turns around and cups my chin with his big hand. “We have no clue who your stalker is; we don’t know who drugged me or why. With Halloween just around the corner, I feel an itch under my skin I just can’t shake.”
His thumb caresses my jaw, and his eyes burn into mine. There’s something about this place that brings out his vulnerable side. Which means it’s time for me to reclaim some of my confidence.
I grab his forearms to steady myself as I channel my fierce former self. “You’ve got this. You are a big bad Hellhound; my stalker will not get to me because you will protect me. You are the strongest, most protective creature I have ever seen. Your attacker has nothing on you; they will never get to you again.”
