In the Claws of an Angel

AN:: alright guys, thank you for all your opinions (: after giving it a lot of thought, I've decided to give Logan's POV a shot. Still, the majority of the story will be kept in Anabelle's POV. The Logan chapters/sections are mainly so you know how he feels about Ana and certain things that may happen.

I promise I'll keep him totally in character, and his POV will stay right on track with the plot of the story. I hope you all enjoy!

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| Logan |

I had never really been a big fan of the beach. It's hot, and there's way too many people... But this little strip of sand Anabelle and I had stumbled across at the edge of Georgia... Well, it was pretty damn amazing.

There was a constant breeze, so even when the sun was shining down in the middle of the day, I could wear a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, go for a walk in the sand and never break a sweat.

And ever since I'd learned that Anabelle was pretty much a beach fanatic, that's where we spent most of our time... On the sand, next to the water. It was always quiet, just us... Never another soul in sight, and that's exactly how I liked it.

I knew Ana felt the same way I did... I just flat out didn't like other people, but I could tell they made her anxious. So, each time I parked my old truck for us to set up camp, I made sure we were as far away from other people as possible. It was more for her comfort than mine.

From my shady seat in the sand underneath one of the willow trees, I stared down at the shore line where Ana was taking a stroll. She had the bottoms of her ripped up jeans rolled up just above her tiny ankles, letting the waves lap over her feet. She was getting better at using her telekinesis, so when she spotted a shell or a stone in the sand that she wanted to look at, she just levitated it into her palm.

It was pretty windy today, so no matter how many times Anabelle reached up to tuck her long, chocolate colored hair behind her ears, the breeze just swept it right back up.

I smiled to myself as I kept my eyes on her. We had been camping here on this beach for about a week and a half now, so her skin was turning a warm golden brown color, making her big blue eyes and perfect, pearly white smile sparkle even more than they did before.

I found my eyes glued to Ana more and more lately... Mostly when she wasn't paying any attention, like right now... Walking on the beach, or reading a magazine on the couch, or sitting next to me in the passenger seat of my truck. I knew I had a thing for her, there was no doubt about that. But it was different than any physical attraction I had ever felt before. It wasn't just that I thought she was pretty, which don't get me wrong, I definitely did... She was beyond pretty. It was more than that, though.

When I looked at her, something inside me tweaked. I just wanted to smile, and when she laughed... I swear, I melted like butter in a hot skillet. I was just drawn to her, from the very beginning that night in the bar, with a little help from that weird voice in my head... No one had ever made me feel that way before, and it sort of freaked me out.

Obviously, I had been interested in other women before... Y'know, your everyday blonde with a tramp stamp, hangin' around the bar late at night. Never the kind of woman you plan to keep around for more than a couple hours. For the past few years of my life, though, that kind of stuff had been the last thing on my mind. In fact, I hadn't had much interest in people in general, and lately I just preferred to be alone.

But Ana was different. She was sweet and innocent, and I really did like having her around. I'm glad she wanted to stay, too, because I had such an overwhelming instinct to protect her. Just having her around for a month or so, I felt like it was my responsibility to keep her safe.

And honestly, I didn't mind it. That instinct inside me gave my life some sort of purpose... Ana gave my life purpose. Before I found her, I didn't give a damn about anyone, hardly even myself. I was just sort of an unknown soul, floatin' back and forth from place to place... Hell, I barely knew anything about myself. Still didn't.

What I did know was that Ana made me happy... I never thought I'd get so attached to someone so quickly, but... I guess it just felt nice to care about someone for a change, whether or not she cared back in the same way.

But, y'know... It'd be awesome if she did.

| Ana |

It was yet another perfect day on the Tybee Island beach. The sun was shining down, but it wasn't hot or uncomfortable. The constant, mild breeze rolling over the sand made the temperature just right.

The cool water of the Savannah River felt heavenly as it lapped over my feet, making the sand below me feel as though it was melting away with the withdrawing waves. My lips curved into a small smile as I wiggled my toes... I loved that feeling. Really, I loved everything about this place.

It was so quiet and peaceful, and I could never get enough of the view. Miles of soft, powdery white sand stretching to the left and right, seeming so pure and untouched by the world. At one edge of the beach were clusters of weepy willow trees and tall Sawgrass, creating little nooks and secret pathways, just waiting to be explored. I had it marked in my mental notes to do just that sometime soon.

At the other edge of the beach, the one I was walking along, was a vast body of sparkling water, tinted in a clear-turquoise hugh; the calm Savannah River.

Along the coast there were clusters of large rocks that linked together and crawled their way out into the water. The waves festered into white foam as they gently sloshed and lapped against the small wall that the rocks formed, echoing a very soothing sound that could almost put me to sleep.

I kept my eyes down as I slowly strolled through the sand, making sure my jeans were cuffed above my ankles. Even though I had a change of clothes maybe sixty feet away inside the camper, I just hated the feeling of wet jeans.

I'd been practicing with my telekinesis a lot, and pretty much perfected picking things up. Small things, like books and pillows... Maybe a 12 pack case if I was really on a roll. But today I was taking it easy, simply lifting  colorful shells and shimmery pebbles from the sand that caught my eye.

Lately, I hadn't had any flares with my mutation, and my sleep had been restful and dreamless, which gave me hope. Maybe all the craziness was starting to die out and my body was finally getting used to this mutant thing. But, only time would tell.

The breeze suddenly whipped around my head, catching strands of my hair and tossing it all about. My hands reached up and tried to tame it, smoothing it down and tucking it behind my ears. The breeze was just too much, though, and each time I thought I had my hair in the perfect place, it was swept right back into craziness. So, after a few seconds, I decided it was pointless to try and control it, and just let it flow freely.

When I had my fill of splashing around in the cool waves, I trudged back up through the sand, searching for Logan. I'd left him sitting underneath a willow tree in the sand somewhere, but as my eyes scanned the treeline, I couldn't pin point him.

"Over here." I heard his familiar voice pipe up after a few seconds.

I stopped my footsteps and glanced around, finally catching sight of Logan leaning out from behind a curtain of Sawgrass. I instantly felt a smile tug my lips upward, and my eyes sent a giddy signal to my stomach, causing it to twist into knots at the sight of his scruffy face.

"I guess I walked a little farther than I thought." I muttered to Logan with a small smile as I approached him.

The sand was soft and warm underneath my feet, and the fine grains were clinging to the moisture from the river.

Logan was seated in the sand with his back propped against the trunk of a willow tree, his legs outstretched and his bare feet digging into the sand. He had a cool beer in his left hand, and he really seemed to be enjoying the shade.

I took a seat next to him, and he scooted over to make room for my back on the tree trunk. When I was comfortable, I let out a long, content sigh.

"Want a sip?" Logan asked, offering me his bottle of beer, "Still cold."

I shrugged and grasped the glass bottle. It felt cool and moist in my hand from the condensation, and I caught a whiff of the hops and alcohol as I lifted it to my lips.

The cool, fizzy liquid filled my mouth, and I made a face at the bitter taste before forcing a swallow and passing the bottle back to Logan. He chuckled at my reaction to the beer, and took a long swig for himself.

"Blegh, I hate beer." I grumbled with a shudder.

"Then why'd you drink it?" Logan asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"It has alcohol in it." I replied honestly.

"Why don't you ever say anything? Y'know, we've passed about fifty liquor stores since we've been on the road, I could have easily stopped to get you some..." His voice trailed off for a second before he started naming liquors, trying to pinpoint my favorite, "What, whiskey? Vodka? Tequila?"

I giggled and ran a hand through my hair, avoiding Logan's gaze. His eyes caught the golden sunlight so easily, casting a shimmer over the hazel orbs. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his general image, bathed in the shade and completely relaxed. His white tank top snuggly hugged his muscles, tempting my eyes to shamelessly roam his body. Of course, I controlled myself.

"I like rum. But I don't need any on hand, I just like having a few drinks while I'm out somewhere." I replied as I picked at a small patch of grass that was sprouting from beneath the sand.

Logan paused to down the last gulp of the beer in the bottle, smacking his lips together afterwards.

"So let's go out tonight." He suggested.

His voice was casual, but I whipped my head to look at him anyway, my eyes wide as if Logan had just asked me to run inside a burning building, or something.

"Go out...?" My voice repeated his, sounding a lot more nervous than I wanted it to.

Logan gave me a nod and a smile, making me internally melt.

"Yea, why not?" He said with a shrug of his masculine shoulders, "It'll be fun. We don't have to go anywhere crazy, just a quiet little pool hall or something. Pretty sure I saw a couple in town."

I felt my eyebrows furrow together as I chewed on my bottom lip, going right back to plucking those little blades of grass in front of me.

"Um... I don't know, Logan..." I mumbled, my voice and body language full of uncertainty.

When I heard the words 'go out', all I could think of was being attacked by those four grease balls at the bar the first night I had met Logan, and of course the gunmen who had invaded the Denny's we had decided to stop at a few weeks ago. Needless to say, public places, regular people, and Anabelle didn't make a great mixture.

I could feel Logan staring at me, which honestly made my anxiety even worse.  My heart beat started to rattle in my ribcage, just as he spoke up again.

"C'mon, it'll just be for a little while." He continued to gently press as he stood up from next to me, brushing the sand off his jeans, "We'll just shoot a few games of pool, have a drink or two, then come home. Sound good?"

I gazed up at Logan skeptically, finding it hard not to trace the toned lines of his muscles with my eyes.

"I don't know how to play pool." I admitted to him quietly.

Logan chuckled, then extended his hand down to me to help me up.

"I'll teach ya." He said, flashing me that heart melting smile of his one more time.

I knew I was blushing a deep crimson color, but I didn't try to hide it anymore. Instead I just let out a small, defeated sigh, and reached up to clasp his awaiting hand.

"Alright, alright." I reluctantly agreed as Logan swiftly pulled me off the sand and onto my feet, "You win. I'll go out... But only for a little while."

"There we go, that's the spirit!" He chuckled while giving my back a light pat, and I jokingly swatted his hand away, shooting him a playful glare. "Let's get back to the camper. I'll cook lunch and then we'll get ready to go, okay?"

"All right." I muttered back, still sounding just as unsure as I felt.

We walked side by side in silence until we approached the camper. I made a B-line to the front door, when suddenly Logan reached out and gently grasped my wrist.

"Hey, Ana, hold on a sec." He said in a soft voice, and I turned to face him.

"Hm?" I hummed in reply, studying the suddenly concerned expression weighing on his attractive facial features.

"Look, I know you're worried about going out." Logan began, releasing my wrist and running his fingers through his hair, "And I completely understand why. But do you remember that night in the camper a few weeks ago, when I told you I'd always keep you safe?"

My stomach fluttered at his words, and I simply nodded, unable to say or do anything else.

"Well I just want you to know I meant that, 100%." Logan's voice grew serious, his eyes intensely staring into mine. "I won't let anyone else hurt you, or even come close. You can count on it. So, don't be scared, okay?"

His words were serious yet soothing to hear, and I felt my muscles noticeably relax. A small smile crept across my lips, and I nodded to the man in front of me before turning and heading into the camper to grab what we needed for lunch.

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Sitting in the passenger seat of the truck heading into town a few hours later, my nerves were still bundled into a giant knot, like a wad of tangled rubber bands.

I gnawed on my thumbnail absent-mindedly as we idled at a red light, behind an old beat up Toyota Camry. My eyes glanced around anxiously, finally catching sight of a large, triangle shaped sign two intersections away, illuminated in orange and blue neon lights.

As the traffic light flicked from red to green and we slowly approached the sign, I could see it read "8-Ball Pool Lounge", and I figured that's where we were headed. As we drew even closer, Logan flipped his right turn signal on, which confirmed my hunch.

I let out a quiet sigh when he cranked the wheel and directed the truck into the small parking lot, which was only about a third of the way full.

"Just remember what I said, Ana." Logan gently reminded me as he parked the truck and shut off the engine, "You're safe with me."

I stared out my window at the small, square building to my right, painted a mossy green color. From this distance, the paint looked faded and cracked... The whole place could have used another coat or two.

"Okay." I replied with a weak nod and smile, before popping my door open and adding in, "Let's go."

I peered cautiously around the parking lot, which was well lit in some places, but had lots of shadows... Too many. I found myself drifting closer to Logan, hurrying my steps and just wanting to get inside.

When the doors opened and we waltzed inside the tiny building, I was immediately smacked in the face with the smell of stale cigarette smoke and booze. Surprisingly, though, it didn't bother me too much. I was sadly raised around both of those constant odors.

The pool hall was just as small as it looked on the outside. Straight in front of us was a bar with six or seven barstools, and only three people seated there with drinks. Next to the bar was a small group of tables and chairs, and the restrooms were to the left.

To the right, on a slightly lower floor, were eight pool tables, only three of which were occupied. All along the walls were old posters and framed black and white photos of pool league teams, posing with trophies. There were countless pool sticks hung between them, and a juke box in the far left corner.

"Here," Logan's voice snapped me back to reality, and I turned to see him digging in his pockets. He pulled out a few quarters, then dropped them into my palm, "Take these and go pick a song on the juke box, I'll get the drinks and meet you at table two. What's your poison?"

"Rum and coke's good." I replied, and Logan nodded before strolling toward the bar.

I let my eyes linger on the back of his leather jacket for a moment before turning toward the small staircase, leading down to the group of pool tables. As I slowly made my way downward, I noticed two men wearing baseball caps, one much thinner than the other, eyeing me as I walked by. It made me nervous, but I kept my head held high and acted like I didn't even notice them. I was sure they were just like regular men with wandering eyes.

The other two occupied pool tables were more to themselves, all the way in the other corner. There was a young couple playing at each, and by the way they were all talking and laughing with each other, I assumed they were all friends.

Table two was on the opposite end of the room, away from most of the people, thankfully. It was only Tuesday night, so the bar wasn't too crowded.

"God, what is this shit...?" I mumbled as I approached the juke box, tuning into the god awful pop song that was currently playing. One of those girls at the other tables must have picked that one...

I was thankful for the quarters Logan gave me, eagerly slipping two of them into the slot, listening to the metallic clang that echoed through the bright neon machine. I flipped through the songs, searching for one I liked. I pursed my lips, flipping back and forth between two pages, trying to decide between 'Drive' by Incubus and 'Now or Never' by Three Days Grace.

Suddenly, I felt someone move up behind me, and then I heard a voice that sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine.

"Hey there, purty girl."

I quickly glanced to my right where someone was now leaning their elbow on top of the juke box, hovering over me slightly. As I side stepped a little to put some space between the stranger and I, I noticed it was one of the men from the first pool table; the thinner one.

"Uh... hi," I replied slowly and nervously, shifting my eyes uncomfortably.

"I ain't ever seen you 'round here before. I'm a regular." He slurred drunkenly, as if that was something to be proud of.

"Yea... I'm not from around here." I muttered back to the stranger, turning back to the juke box and hoping he'd just go away.

I was stupid to think that, though. Drunk idiots don't just go away, especially not if they want something from you, which obviously this guy did.

"You got some purty eyes, sweetheart." He cooed at me as he leaned into the machine, inching closer to me. "Never quite seen a color blue like that."

I could smell the booze on his breath and made a face. It was really strong, maybe about seven shots of whiskey strong.

"I'm here with someone." I told the man, attempting to sound firm and sure of myself, but instead my voice came out shaky and anxious.

I mentally kicked myself. Dammit, Ana, why can't you just keep it together?

The man made a snorting sound, I think it was some sort of laugh, before taking a sloppy swig of the beer I hadn't even noticed he had.

"Yea, I seen 'im." He muttered with a smug smirk before peering at me with wandering eyes, giving me the creeps. "What're you doin' with a tool like that, honey?"

He looked like he was expecting me to seriously answer that question, and he tapped his fingers to the beat of the music against the juke box. When all he got was a pair of furrowed eyebrows from me, he downed the last sip of his beer before leaning even closer to me.

"Listen, me and my buddy over there," He paused to nod backward to where the other stalker man was standing, watching us and sipping a glass of dark liquor, "We're parked right outside, and we got a house out in the hills, a big ole' place with lotsa room, and we could use a little company."

My eyes grew wide and terrified at the sound of his offer, but he just kept talking. I could feel my anxiety tugging at the barriers of my mind, pushing at my telekinesis. I could hear the plastic pages full of songs lightly rattling behind the glass of the juke box, and I knew my mind was the cause of it. Luckily, though, the skinny man in the baseball cap was too intoxicated to notice.

"So, I was thinkin', why dontcha ditch that guy you're with and come on home with me and my-"

At that moment, right when I thought I might puke both from disgust and just plain freaking out, another body propped itself up on the juke box on my other side. When I glanced over to my left, I felt a huge wave of relief cleanse my mind as I saw a familiar arm coated in a leather jacket.

"Hey, pal." Logan's voice growled from above me, and I backed away from the stranger, sinking back into Logan's chest a little bit, "She's with me. Back off."

I inhaled the comforting scent of Logan's crisp cologne, such a contrast to the stale booze I had smelled on the disgusting bar rat still standing in front of me.

"No reason to get snappy there, stranger." The man said to Logan, keeping his tone casual and cocky, "I was just offerin' little miss blue eyes here a chance at some real fun."

I stared at the drunk in disbelief, quickly turning my gaze up to Logan to try and catch his reaction. His brows were furrowed and his eyes intense, narrowing slightly as he flashed the man in front of us a small, but threatening and deadly grin. Oh, something about it gave me a bubbly feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"She doesn't want to have the kind of fun you're talking about, buddy." Logan assured the man.

"Well, now, I think the girl can answer for herself." The man continued to slur, fixation his eyes and crooked, yellow smile back on me now. "Cantcha, doll face?"

He reached out toward me as if he was trying to touch my face or hair, and I felt a gasp escape my lips just as Logan gently grasped my shoulder and tugged me closer to him.

"I said, back off." He hissed in a low voice, leaning closer to the drunk man in a threatening way.

He glared and frowned at Logan, and the two men had a mini stare down before the drunk wisely backed down. His eyes grazed me as he turned and trudged back to the pool table where his buddy was waiting, grumbling the entire way.

Logan glared at his back as he gained distance across the bar, releasing my shoulder when he was a safe enough distance away. I turned to face him.

"Thanks..." I muttered sheepishly, "He kinda snuck up on me."

"No problem." Logan replied, pushing himself off the juke box and standing up straight, "You know, you don't have to hesitate before telling guys like that to fuck off. Trust me, those scumbags are used to hearing that from women."

"I know," I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest, "Honestly, that's all I was thinking in my head, I just couldn't make the words come out."

Logan then moved over to table two, and I followed behind after finally selecting 'Now or Never' on the juke box.

"Well, if that ever happens again, just punch the guy in the face." He suggested bluntly, making me laugh.

Suddenly, a chubby blonde woman dressed in all black made her way over to us. She balanced a tray on her right hand, and on top of it was a glass of dark liquid, and a pitcher of beer with an empty glass next to it.

"Here we go you two, rum and coke," The woman said to us as she first placed the glass of dark liquid on the small table we were seated at, "And a pitcher of Budweiser. Can I just take a look at your ID real quick, sweetheart?"

I realized she was talking to me, and quickly jumped to search through my small black purse that I had brought with me.

"Oh! Sure, of course..." I mumbled to the waitress, digging around until I found my leopard print wallet. I opened it up, then pulled out my glossy ID and handed it to the blonde woman. "There ya go."

"Thank you," She said with a warm smile. She glanced at the plastic card, then handed it back to me in a matter of seconds. "You're all good, sweetie. And I see you've got a birthday comin' up in a few weeks. Happy birthday!"

"Thank you." I chuckled with a shy smile as I tucked my ID back into my wallet, then slipping the wallet back into my purse.

With that, she waltzed away to check on the young couples across the room. By now, the two sleezy men had finished their drinks and left the bar... Thank God.

I sipped my drink and watched Logan as he grabbed the triangle from under the pool table, and racked all the billiards inside it.

"Alright, pick a stick, Ana." Logan instructed me over his shoulder as he situated the colorful balls, "You're breakin'."

I took one more sip of my drink, licking my lips and savoring the sweet taste of the rum.

"Okay." I replied, standing from the small table and turning towards the wall of pool sticks.

I softly sang along to the words of the Three Days Grace song I had selected from the juke box, which was just now starting to play through the bar's speakers. I didn't exactly know if there was a difference in the sticks, they all looked the same to me... So I just picked out two at random, and walked over to Logan.

"Thanks." He said to me as I handed him a stick. "All right, you know how to hold the cue? That's the stick."

"Um, sorta..." I replied, "I've only seen people do this on TV. Like this?"

I leaned against the pool table, propping the cue on my fingers like I had seen people on TV do it.

"Yup, there ya go." Logan confirmed I was holding the cue right, pouring himself a glass of beer from the pitcher. "Now just smack the billiards real good. Not too hard, though, or you'll knock them off the table."

I nodded, taking aim at the billiards, and finally thrusted the cue toward them. They clicked and clacked together as they dispersed across the green felt, lightly bouncing off the walls of the pool table until slowing back down to complete stops.

"Hey, that was pretty good!" Logan exclaimed with a smile, patting my shoulder as he passed by me, "All right, my turn."

And so the night went on. Before I knew it, I was three rum and cokes in, and Logan had downed a pitcher and a half of beer. I was getting the hang of playing pool, and it was actually pretty fun. Still, I was a little shaky when I handled the cue, and my tipsyness didn't help that much.

"Your turn, Anabelle." Logan informed me after his last shot, backing up to give me some room to shoot.

"All righty, let's see..." I said as I made my way around the table, leaning onto the edge and aiming the cue... Well, attempting to aim.

"Gettin' a little tipsy, huh?" Logan chuckled from behind me as he watched me wobble back and forth slightly.

"Maybe," I shot him a smile over my shoulder, "Don't tease me."

"I'm not." Logan assured me, returning my smile. He watched me wobble a little more before setting his stick down, leaning it against the wall. "Here, let me help you out a little."

The next thing I knew, Logan was really close... He had the front of his body gently pressed to the back of mine, placing both his hands on either of mine to help  guide them.

"Like this... Just gotta stay steady. I know alcohol doesn't really help that." He muttered softly, his voice low and husky, and close to my ear. The feeling of his warm breath brushing against my neck and earlobe instantly caused goosebumps to rise all over my body, and I mentally thanked myself for wearing long sleeves.

It may have been the alcohol making me feel this way, or my raging feminine hormones, or maybe both... But in that moment, I completely forgot about the game of pool.

Standing there like that, pressed so shamefully close to Logan... My body just ached for him.

I knew I wanted Logan... I wanted to be with him more than I'd ever wanted anything else.

But, I was too timid to say anything about it, and I was sure he didn't feel the same way about me... And maybe that was just the way life was supposed to be.

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To be continued...