Chapter One
TILDA
When the rest of Harmony Glen goes to sleep, I head for the lake to swim. The cool water gliding over my skin is as close as I can come to my former life. I stroke through from one end to the other, and all the while I’m hyper-aware of the Sasquatch watching me from the shore.
I’ve often wondered how his kind can go unnoticed to the point of becoming myth. At his size, it’s hard to imagine him hiding, though he does blend into nature more easily than I would have imagined.
Officer Maxime Gant is almost as big as my vampire sister’s giant. He’s not in his police uniform as he watches me swim. Last night, he must have been on duty, but tonight, he’s wearing jeans and a white tee shirt that shows off his thick biceps and the brown hair that covers his arms. I’ve wondered more than once how much of his body is covered and which parts are smooth like his hands.
Since Harmony Glen is populated, and this is a public lake, I’m wearing a bathing suit just in case one of my neighbors decides to take a walk at one in the morning.
My skin has started to prune, leaving me little choice but to end my swim. I step out, and Max meets me at the spot where I’ve left my things. He leans down and picks up my towel, then hands it to me.
“Thank you, Officer Gant.” I take the soft white towel and wrap it around my chest, tucking the end into my black suit. “What brings you out again tonight?”
His voice is deep and rumbles. “As you know, the sheriff asked me to keep an eye on you in case Brochet finds his way back here, Miss Schwan.”
“It’s Tilda, and I can take care of myself when you’re not on duty.” My cheeks heat for no reason other than he’s tall, broad, and makes me feel safe, which is ridiculous. I’m not safe. Safety is an illusion. “Besides, Ion Radu is a formidable vampire. He won’t let Pierre Brochet get loose again.”
Pierre made me a vampire. Normally a creature, as in not human, cannot be made into another creature, but somehow when my swan was sleeping deep within, Pierre managed to cheat the rules. Now I’m a miscreation. I have no place in the monster world or any world.
“I’m sorry if my presence is uncomfortable for you, Tilda. I’m tasked with your safety until we hear back from Mr. Radu about how his attempts to rehabilitate Brochet have gone. If anything happened…” He doesn’t finish his thought, but his deep voice is strained, as if my life means something to him.
That’s probably just my own vanity reacting to an attractive male. I brush aside the notion. Max is just doing his job. “I’m not uncomfortable. It’s only that there must be other things for you to do in Harmony Glen. I’m not the only resident who might need police assistance.”
His smile is rare and too beautiful as he shows off his long, white canines. “I’m happy to watch you, Tilda. You’re not hard to look at.”
My vampire canines elongate and ache with need. “Thank you, Officer Gant.” My voice is soft and not as self-assured as I’d like.
“Max.”
My face is on fire. “Max.”
A low grumble rises from his chest. The sound is sudden and brief before he takes a step back from me. “I’ll walk you home.”
I should tell him not to bother, but I know he’ll follow behind if I refuse his offer, and I’d much rather have his company than feel stalked. “Give me a minute to dress?”
Either he’s blushing around the hair that covers a good portion of his face, or my eyes are playing tricks on me as he quickly turns his back.
Pulling on a long white skirt, I shimmy out of my wet suit bottoms and toss them into my bag. The white top I brought has buttons and ties at my waist. I pull the tie at the back of my neck and at my back and remove the suit top as well. The shirt clings to my damp skin, and I hope the dark will hide the fact that I’m not wearing underwear. I don’t know why I care all of a sudden. I never wear a bra because I don’t need one, and I find them stifling.
With a shrug, I pick up my white bag with its bright pink flowers. “I’m ready, Off…Max.”
He takes my bag as if he’s used to carrying a very feminine beach bag. Maybe he’s just secure enough not to worry about what anyone else thinks. It’s possible that at one in the morning, he knows it’s unlikely we’ll encounter anyone.
I like that he’s a gentleman and not a big talker. Quiet and thoughtful is a nice change. Still, I’m curious about him. “How did you come to be in Harmony Glen?”
“My family is in the Pacific Northwest, where my people come from. They don’t want to mix with the public, preferring to remain hidden and constantly pursued by myth-busters. I wanted a different kind of life. So, when the Great Revelation happened, I came here, and Chief Martinez helped me get into the police academy. Once I graduated, he hired me.” He swings my bag, and we walk in silence for half a block.
“The chief is a good man.”
Chief Jorge Martinez is human, but still asked all the right questions and has been good to me since Pierre sent me to find my sister, Mari, for him. Pierre collected me just like he collected Mari. She got away, and luckily for me, the giant she’s mated to is stronger than a very old vampire.
“He is.” Max clears his throat. “I don’t want to sound ignorant, but will you tell me about being a swan maiden?”
“I’m not that anymore.” My gut knots.
Stopping, he gently holds my wrist so that I turn to look at him. “You are. Every move you make has the pure grace of a swan.” His eyes are dark and seem lit from behind with warmth and caring.
