Wilder

by G. K. DeRosa

  “It’s been much too long since I last laid eyes on the two of you.” Stellan spoke hurriedly as he ushered the brothers into the expansive great room. “I’d like to start with some pleasantries, but from your tone when we spoke last night I imagine this is a rather urgent matter we need to discuss.” The fire crackled and hissed as Stellan threw another log into the fireplace. Though it was late spring, it was much cooler in the countryside and the fire was a necessity to keep the dampness from creeping into the stately home.

  Stellan situated his horn-rimmed glasses on his long aquiline nose, settled down in his brown leather club chair and looked at Roman expectantly. Roman, pacing in front of the fireplace, began by recounting the story of the new vampire in town and his concerns for Celeste’s safety.

  “What if this has something to do with Fabian?” Roman paced nervously. “Do you think it’s possible that he has found out about her?”

  “There’s always a possibility, but the question is why would he even want to interfere with guardian affairs? Those are matters beyond his concern, unless of course, he stumbled upon her while tracking the two of you. But you two haven’t been associating with her, have you?”

  Stellan looked questioningly at Roman then Nico. “Humph.” The response was obvious by the guilty looks on their faces. “What did I warn you two about before you came back to Oak Bluffs?” His voice rose as he moved to the edge of his seat. “You must not get involved with her; it is too dangerous for all of you. The only reason I told you about her was to protect you both, and now it seems I’ve done quite the opposite. Not to mention that I have put her at risk as well.”

  All three men sat in silence contemplating their next move. It was of the utmost importance for them to protect the secret of the Guardian. For centuries there had been a balance between good and evil—without guardians the world would plummet into chaos with all the creatures of the underworld running rampant. There had always been certain family lineages around the world that were burdened with the task of keeping the world safe for humans. These families had been protected over the ages by supernatural forces, and the knowledge of their existence had been limited to a select few who made up part of the Council.

  It just so happened that Stellan was one of the select few, and with that knowledge came the responsibility to protect the guardians and their secret. Roman and Nico’s mother, Lilliana, came from a line of great witches and had also been tasked with the same obligation. Or at least she had been until Fabian intervened in their lives.

  “Is it true about us being somehow drawn to her?” asked Nico, breaking the silence.

  “Yes and no. I have heard of some cases where supernatural creatures are irresistibly drawn to guardians, but I’ve only ever seen it happen with a few vampires and werewolves. Since those two species are the closest to their former human selves, I imagine that is why the attraction is the greatest. As you know, there must always be a balance between good and bad, light and dark. It seems that their light attracts your darkness and unfortunately the opposite is true as well.”

  “Well, I definitely feel something,” admitted Nico.

  “And you Roman?” Stellan lifted a graying brow.

  “Perhaps…” he answered with a guarded expression.

  “She must be a very strong candidate if you are both feeling something so soon.”

  “She’s also not bad to look at.” A smile tugged at Nico’s lips.

  Roman shot him a murderous glance.

  “So what are we going to do?” asked Nico.

  “We are going to protect her.” A menacing sparkle glinted in Roman’s eye.

  Celeste didn’t want to spend the day alone after her mom left for work, so she gave Natalie a call. She paused to think about how quickly she and Natalie had become so close again. It was like they were back in grade school and no time had passed at all. Spending the day with cheerful, bubbly Natalie would surely get her mind off her disturbing dream.

  Natalie picked up on the second ring. “Yeah, come on over, I was actually just planning on heading to the mall to get black gloves and a matching clutch for my prom dress. We can go together!”

  An hour later, Natalie and Celeste were at the mall. Celeste loved people watching, and the crowded mall on a weekend was the perfect place for it. She casually observed the happy couple walking in front of her hand in hand, whispering and giggling, oblivious to anyone else around them. She longed for that intimate connection with someone. She turned back to Natalie who was still gushing over the fact that Brian was taking her to prom. Celeste listened happily as she recounted all the details of their phone conversation.

  When the topic changed to her dress, Natalie turned to Celeste with a frown. “You don’t have a dress yet?”

  The rest of the afternoon focused on finding Celeste the perfect dress. “You want something that’s not too ‘costumey’ but still clearly 1920’s style.” Natalie scoured the racks, hangers hanging from her arm.

  After what seemed like hours, Celeste found a sophisticated black flapper dress, knee-length with a matching bejeweled headpiece complete with a fancy white feather. She made a mental note to ask her mother to let her borrow her long pearl necklace, which would perfectly complete the ensemble.

  “Okay, so you have the picture-perfect outfit, now you just need the perfect date to go along with it,” said Natalie with a smile. “Decisions, decisions, oh which of the Constantin brothers will you take?”

  “Ha-ha, Nat, and I was planning on going solo actually.”

  “No! We are ladies and should always be escorted by a handsome gentleman – especially for a Roaring Twenties Casino.” Natalie used her most sophisticated accent. “Just leave everything up to me. I’ll make sure you have the appropriate arm candy to immortalize the momentous occasion of our senior prom picture.”

  “That’s what worries me,” said Celeste.

  After a lengthy discussion, Stellan, Roman and Nico decided that the best course of action would be to determine if this new vampire was indeed a threat.

  “We have to find out what brought this guy to Oak Bluffs and what he knows.” Roman paced in front of the fireplace.

  Stellan nodded. “Yes, I believe an interrogation is needed.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Nico added.

  Roman seriously hoped that this was all a terrible coincidence, and that they could convince this intruder to leave Oak Bluffs without further complications.

  As they drove back into town, the sun was setting over the hills in the distance. Perfect timing for vampire tracking. The two brothers split up to cover more ground, hoping to find the vampire before he caused any trouble.

  After all the shopping, Celeste and Natalie were starving and headed to the center of town for a bite. The Oak Bluffs’ town square was reminiscent of old Western movies. A lush green park in the center surrounded the Town Hall and a brick-paved sidewalk encircled it. The girls were greeted by the familiar neon red sign of Ralph’s Diner and the jingling bell as the door swung open. Ralph’s was a 50’s themed late night hot spot with the high school and college crowds alike, and even on a quiet Sunday evening the place was packed. The girls ordered a couple things to snack on from the waitress in the poodle skirt and sat back to watch all the action around them. A pinball machine sat next to their booth, and the tall red-headed boy playing the vintage Star Wars game seemed completely enthralled by it. Every so often he’d back right into the booth and cause the whole table to shake.

  Natalie looked at Celeste, utter annoyance written on her face. “Excuse me, you’re spilling my soda all over the place. Can you try to calm down over there?”

  At that, the boy stopped playing and turned around with a conciliatory smile. “Sorry girls, I guess I just don’t know my own strength. Let me make it up to you by buying you drinks.” He flashed his gleaming white teeth and revealed a charming dimple on his left cheek.

  “It is the least you could do especially since you spilled all of ours
,” retorted Natalie, but her teasing tone was back.

  Still smiling, he put his tan leather jacket down in the seat next to Natalie.

  As he walked away, Natalie beamed. “What’s up with all of these new boys in town? Has Oak Bluffs CC suddenly moved up in the college rankings? This is so great!”

  Celeste just rolled her eyes and laughed. A few minutes later, the cute boy was back with three frosty beers in his hands.

  “Can we please start over?” he asked with a pleading grin. “I’m Patrick.” He had a cocky swagger about him – this was exactly the kind of guy that Celeste hated. But she put a smile on her face for Natalie’s sake as she could tell her friend was into it.

  Natalie smiled back and gestured across the table, “This is my friend Celeste, and I’m Natalie. How come I’ve never seen you before?”

  Patrick sat down with the girls, and explained that he had just started at Oak Bluffs CC as Natalie had guessed. He had pale skin with a few freckles on his nose, coupled with the ginger hair and name, Celeste guessed he had to be of Irish descent. “I’m from Woodfield. It’s even smaller than Oak Bluffs and this was my closest option for college.”

  As they sat talking, Celeste saw Roman stalk into the restaurant. Without looking around, as if he had sensed that she was there, his eyes immediately locked onto hers in a tense gaze. He marched to their table, switching his focus to Patrick as he got closer.

  “Celeste, hello, introduce me to your new friend.” Roman glared at the guy. Celeste could feel the tension emanating from Roman. Something about his stance reminded her of a snarling dog ready to pounce. She wasn’t the only who had noticed, the entire crowd at Ralph’s had gone silent.

  Awkwardly, she managed, “This is Patrick. We just met him here and Patrick this is Roman, my, uh, friend’s brother. And Roman this is Natalie; I don’t think you have ever met her either.”

  Roman nodded to Natalie without taking his eyes off Patrick, who finally broke the uncomfortable silence. “Hello, Roman. I think I’ve heard about you actually. You’re Nico’s brother, right?”

  At the mention of Nico, Roman’s face tensed up again. “Yes, I am. And how is it that you know my brother?”

  “I don’t really know him, but we were at the same party the other night. I overheard some people talking. I guess being new in town, we all have something in common,” Patrick said grinning, as if the two of them were in on some private joke.

  Roman was still standing at the edge of the table, every muscle tense. Celeste reached for his hand hoping to coax him into sitting. The electricity sparked like a live wire when their hands touched and for a split second he relented.

  “Sit down with us,” she said sweetly.

  He clenched his teeth and then slid into the booth next to Celeste. Having Roman so close to her sent a tingling chill down her spine. Natalie tried to get the casual conversation going again, but there was no denying the tension in the air. Celeste had an overwhelming urge to get up and make a run for the girls’ bathroom with Natalie, but she was scared to leave the two guys alone.

  Natalie began chatting with Patrick again, which gave Celeste the chance to give Roman a questioning look. He glanced anxiously back at her, but would give no sign as to what had made him so upset. The conversation carried on awkwardly when to Celeste’s relief, she saw Nico’s smiling face enter the diner. He came straight over and greeted everyone amicably as he pulled up a chair at the end of the table.

  Nico stared at the stranger sitting next to Natalie. “Good evening all – and you are?”

  “Patrick. You’re Nico right?” he asked, extending his hand politely.

  “Exactly.” He grasped Patrick’s hand tightly, causing him to wince.

  Celeste hoped that Nico’s appearance would brighten the mood, and after a few minutes she could see that Roman had visibly relaxed. With the drama seemingly concluded peacefully, everyone in the diner had returned to their normal conversations.

  “So tell us something about yourself.” Nico leaned in toward Patrick.

  Roman eyed the stranger suspiciously as he searched for a response.

  “Before you two got here I was telling the girls that I just started at the community college.” He sipped his beer slowly.

  “Interesting, that’s where I go as well, and yet I’ve never seen you. What’s your major?”

  “I’m still undecided.”

  “And what made you come to Oak Bluffs?” Nico pierced him with a dark stare.

  “Nico, stop giving him the third degree!” interjected Natalie.

  “I’m sorry, I hope I wasn’t rude. I simply wanted to get to know the guy vying for my ladies’ attentions.”

  Celeste cheeks burned and she took the opportunity to head to the ladies room. Besides, after two beers she couldn’t put it off any longer.

  What a bizarre night this is turning out to be.

  When she stepped out of the bathroom, Roman stood by the door outside waiting for her. His posture was tense, his hands clenched at this sides. “Celeste, listen to me, you need to stay away from Patrick. He’s not what he seems to be, and you could get hurt…” His dark eyes were full of concern.

  “What are you talking about, Roman? Do you even know Patrick? Why would he hurt me? You have been acting so weird ever since you walked in here. Just tell me what’s going on,” she pleaded.

  “I can’t, but please—you just have to trust me.” His voice was rough with emotion.

  “Trust you? I barely know you, Roman.” She turned to walk away, but he caught her by the arm and pulled her firmly toward him. Celeste’s eyes widened at his unexpected proximity.

  “Please Celeste, I promise I will explain everything to you, I just can’t right now,” he whispered, his eyes locking onto hers, just inches from her face. As strange as all of this seemed, the intense connection she felt with Roman compelled her to listen to him. “Take Natalie and go home and let Nico and me deal with Patrick. Trust me.”

  There was something about that look and his mesmerizing blue eyes that were so hauntingly familiar that made Celeste do exactly as he asked.

  Once the girls left the diner, Roman and Nico escorted Patrick into the back alley.

  “What are you really doing here, Patrick?” Nico asked forcefully.

  “Whoa, guys, I think we got off on the wrong foot here or something. I didn’t know those girls were with you, okay? I just came in here looking for a bite.” He smirked. “I’m sure there are plenty of humans to go around, right?”

  “That’s not what my brother asked. Now answer us: what are you doing here in Oak Bluffs?” growled Roman as he shoved him up against the wall. A cat jumped out of the adjacent dumpster with a clang startling the three of them. Patrick tried to break free of Roman’s grasp, but he held strong. Tightening his grip around his throat, Roman hissed, “Answer me.”

  “Nothing, I swear. A couple of weeks ago I was just a normal guy, and then one day I wake up, and I’m a vampire. All I wanted to do was sink my teeth into my little sister, so I freaked out and left town. Oak Bluffs seemed as good a place as any to start my new life so I stopped here. You two are the only other vampires I’ve ever met. I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

  “What were you doing outside of Celeste’s house the other night?” questioned Nico, his brows arched.

  Patrick wiggled and Roman loosened his grasp a hair. “I was out flying around looking for a willing donor, and I saw someone walking by themselves so I stopped for a closer look. Geez, what is it about this girl that has you two so worked up?”

  “That’s our business, not yours. This is my suggestion to you Patrick: go home, pack your stuff, leave Oak Bluffs and never come back,” threatened Roman.

  Patrick looked over at Nico who glared back. Patrick seemed to weigh his options. He must have realized he would be no match for these older and stronger vampires. “Okay, okay, there’s no need to get violent. This place wasn’t that great anyway, I’m outta here.”

 
Roman and Nico watched as Patrick got into his car and drove off, and both let out a sigh of relief.

  “That was easy,” said Nico.

  “Too easy,” retorted Roman.

  “That guy didn’t know anything. He was a new vampire and obviously didn’t have the brains to be behind any sort of plot against Celeste. He probably really was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Nico began walking toward the car.

  “I’m not convinced, little brother. It’s all too much of a coincidence. I’m going to keep watch over Celeste tonight just in case. We can’t risk anything happening to her.”

  “I can go,” offered Nico. “When was the last time you got a full night’s sleep?”

  “I’m fine, I can handle it.” The air glimmered around him and every molecule in his body vibrated for a split second. And Roman was no longer Roman, instead, a majestic black falcon with piercing blue eyes stood in his place. He flapped his powerful wings and took off into the dark sky. Nico watched for a few seconds as his looming silhouette faded against the bright moon and disappeared into the night.

  As Celeste and Natalie drove home from the diner, they couldn’t stop talking about their peculiar evening.

  “What in the world was up with Roman?” asked Natalie. “Is he always so intense?”

  “I guess he kind of is, but this was way beyond normal.” Celeste mulled over the entire series of events in her head.

  “Patrick seemed like a nice enough guy, so I just don’t get why Roman went all crazy when he saw us with him.”

  “Me either. He came into the diner acting like he didn’t know him, but the way they stared each other down, you’d think they had been mortal enemies or something.”

  “Maybe he was jealous because you were talking to another guy.” Natalie shot her a devious smile.

  “Ha, funny, but it really felt like something much more serious than that. I mean I can’t say I know Roman well at all, but there was a genuine desperation in his voice when he told me to leave. It actually scared me…” Celeste stared out the window at the passing trees.