Dark Haven

by Leigh Allen

  “I said, you can’t leave,” Brad stated harsher this time.

  I recoiled, feeling myself growing afraid for the first time since I had been around Brad. Something about the way his eyes watched every move I made, had me shudder.

  “I am not following you,” I said. “Why won’t you let me leave?” I asked, my voice shaking with fear.

  “I am not trying to frighten you,” Brad said, this time with more calmness and empathy in his voice. “I can’t let you leave because if I do, people will notice you when you begin to change. You need to be near me. To be near others like us. Your body will begin to transform into a werewolf at any moment. You need to be able to hunt, and run.”

  “Others like us?” I questioned. He was really starting to creep me out now and with my hangover and obvious sore body from... well, I don’t know what, I needed to get out of here and now. “Is that cage for me?” I asked, feeling tears pricking my eyes.

  “Yes, I told you. I changed you. When I drained your blood and allowed my venom to course into your veins, you began the process of shifting into a werewolf,” he stated, without so much as a smile or hint of joking. “And possibly. If you refuse to stay, I will have no other choice but to place you in that cage until the transformation is completed.”

  My body froze and I knew my mouth was hanging wide open. Brad was telling me all of this like it were real and not some crazy, made up twisted fairy tale he was retelling.

  “Brad, you are starting to really freak me out,” I cried out.

  Shaking his head, Brad looked conflicted. Sighing, he ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. He looked around like he was searching the air for his answers.

  “I bit you, I drained your blood. Try and cut yourself,” Brad stated. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. Handing it to me, he watched me intently.

  I took the blade and sliced my finger. The pain last momentarily, but nothing happened. No blood spilled from my skin as it should have. My eyes grew wide as I looked down at my open flesh.

  “There’s no blood,” I said, more to myself than to Brad.

  “No, you don’t have any human blood anymore,” he added.

  “What did you do?” I cried out as I jumped up and threw the covers away from my body. “How did I get here? Why are you doing this to me?”

  Moving to me, Brad placed his hands up in defense. “Please, you promised not to get upset,” he pleaded.

  “Yes, that was before you drained my blood,” I shrieked.

  “I gave you another chance. If I would have allowed you to kill yourself, you wouldn’t be here anymore. You might be in some purgatory or hell or just gone,” Brad said.

  “And this isn’t hell?” I yelled.

  I shouldn’t believe what he was telling me. This was insane. But, for some reason, my body, mind, and soul were all telling me this was real. I wasn’t asleep or being made into a fool by some cruel joke. Brad was telling me the truth.

  “No. This may not be ideal, but it is better than you not existing,” Brad stated.

  That caught my attention. I stopped my movements and stood in front of him. “Why do you care what happens to me?” I asked.

  “I just do,” he answered.

  “What is going to happen to me?” I asked, this time slumping back down onto the bed. I sat on the edge and placed my head in my hands. Tears were freely flowing down my face now as my world slowly came crashing down. How is it that my life could be ruined twice?

  “Please don’t be upset. You said you wanted to have another chance. If you just let me show you, I promise, this is better than death,” Brad said calmly.

  “Don’t be upset? You killed me!” I cried out in anger.

  Placing a hand on my thigh, Brad looked at me, his golden eyes piercing through my green eyes. “Amelia, I asked you if you wanted to die. You said yes. What I have given you isn’t death. This is a different type of living,” he offered.

  I watched him closely, allowing his words to sink in. Could he be correct? I am still breathing and feeling and...living. But I am dead too. It was all so confusing I felt my head swimming.

  He sat down next to me and I felt the bed give from his weight. “Brad, Isn’t this death?” I asked, now clearly confused.

  Shaking his head, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. “Death is no longer living. Death is your mind, body, and soul gone from this earth. I am still physically here. My mind and body too. We are just living a different kind of life,” he stated.

  Somehow, that made sense. I don’t know how or why, but it did.

  “So, should I be afraid of you? Are you going to keep me here forever as some type of prisoner?” I asked. My mind instantly went to images of Brad keeping me as some naughty sex prisoner and the idea didn’t seem so bad after all.

  For the first time since we had met, Brad let out a loud laugh. His head fell back and his hair bounced around his head. There was even a spark of life or fire in his eyes too. “You are not my prisoner. In fact, if you really wanted to leave I guess I couldn’t stop you, but I ask that you stay. Allow myself and the others to help you. As much as I love being a werewolf, the transition period is difficult. It is painful and confusing and you will have cravings you won’t understand. You will need support and help.”

  “Others?” I asked. “There are more like you, like us?” I asked.

  “Yes, I live here with several others like me. I will introduce you soon. Just let me help you,” Brad offered with a sincere smile.

  Damn, if he wasn’t a werewolf, a filthy animal, I could totally fall for a smile like that. It was crazy to imagine that werewolves were roaming the earth with humans and we had no idea. What was even more insane was that I was amongst many of them and had no idea what was in store for me.

  “How many people know about you?” I asked.

  I was sure Brad was growing tired of all of my questioning, but I didn’t care. He did this to me, willing or not. I was drunk last night, clearly out of my mind, so he had to face the consequences of what he had done.

  “Just those like us. werewolves like to live a quiet and hidden life. When we find others like ourselves, we try to keep peace and remain allies. There are parts of this lifestyle that are dangerous and I need to make you aware of everything. However, all of that will come in time. We need to take this one step at a time,” Brad offered.

  I could tell he wanted to tell me more but for some reason was hesitant to share everything with me now. Maybe that was for my benefit, or more for his. Either way, I wasn’t sure I could handle any more news. Regardless of how much I wanted to know, I wasn’t sure I was mentally prepared to learn what this life would be like. I guess I had forever to find out.

  “Ok, but where am I?” I asked, deciding to just give in and change the subject.

  “Dark Haven. This is my compound. It’s a lodge in Shady Hollow, about thirty miles from Lexington.”

  “A lodge?” I questioned.

  “I guess I need to give you more information. Well, I own a large hunting compound. I allow hunters to hunt on my two hundred acres of property. We butcher and prepare the meat from the animals they hunt. We keep some for ourselves too, but mainly we get paid to teach these guys to hunt like we do—like real killers.”

  Brad finished and looked at me to make sure I was keeping up. I almost laughed, his idea was kind of brilliant.

  “So, you just live here by yourself?” I asked.

  “No, I live here with others like myself. Remember I told you there were others around here, well they live at the compound too. We are sort of a family. We all found one another throughout the years, which I will share those stories with you later. But, we all live and work here. I have already told everyone you are here. Some are not happy, but they will get over it. Anyway, this is a guest room, but you can have it and make it your own,” he added.

  “Oh, that won’t be necessary. I live on campus,” I said.

  “I suggest you live here. It is saf
er for a new werewolf to be near others and our food supply,” he stated.

  “Well, I will see about that,” I said as I crossed my arms.

  Huffing, Brad rolled his eyes. “You like to argue, don’t you?” he asked.

  My mouth fell open at this. Brad was brave, no one had ever talked to me like that before. “I’m not arguing,” I fought back. “I just don’t like being told what to do.”

  “Well, get used to it living here,” he stated with finality.

  Realizing he was being harsh with me, Brad suddenly softened and his face became less tense. “Look, I know this is a lot to accept, but you really do need to just trust me that I know what I am doing,” he stated.

  As I looked Brad over, I realized arguing with him and acting like a bitch wasn’t going to help either one of us. I needed to just give in and learn to accept my fate. “Fine, I’m sorry I’m acting so rude. I promise, I will try to listen to you,” I agreed.

  “Thank you,” Brad stated as a spark lit in his eyes.

  “Go ahead and finish what you needed to tell me, I am ready to listen,” I urged with a smile.

  Nodding his head, Brad seemed pleased with our compromise.

  “As I show you around the compound, I will be able to give you more insight into this life. I promise, everything will be ok. The only thing is, you have to leave your old world behind. Your family and friends won’t understand your new cravings. They won’t accept the changes in your appearance or behavior,” Brad stated. “When you become angry, you might growl and show your fangs. When you feel the need to shift and run, you need to be near woods. Living in a busy city is too dangerous for both you and the other humans.”

  Other humans. Meaning, I am no longer a human.

  Finally, he said something that made this all seem like great news. “Well since I no longer have family or friends, that won’t be a problem. If anything, I want to leave my life behind. Maybe being a ... werewolf, won’t be so bad,” I smirked.

  Standing, Brad offered me his hand. “Come on, I need to show you the compound,” he said as he began to lead me out of the room.

  As I followed close behind with our hands locked together, I thought maybe, just maybe, Brad really had given me a second chance at life.

  CHAPTER 3

  “This is all yours?” I asked as my eyes roamed over the expansive space. From everywhere my eyes could see, I was surrounded by green grass and rolling hills. Brad had led me out of the guest room, which was nestled down a long hallway on the second story of the large home. We walked by a huge gourmet kitchen and open living room area with dark wood boulders placed throughout. I didn’t have a lot of time to glance around, Brad walked fast, but I made a note to check this place out later.

  “Yes, we own all of this land. It took a while to secure it, but it’s all ours,” Brad said with a smile.

  That was the first time I had seen him really smile and it was glorious. Sure he had been offering smirks and little sly half smiles, but this was a true, genuine grin. I was mesmerized by his appearance and the way his shiny, and may I add sharp teeth, shined against the backdrop.

  “Wow,” I mused.

  I heard a loud noise as a four-runner came up the hill to my right. Both Brad and I tore our attention away from the land and to the noise.

  “That is John. He works here too,” Brad said. I understood what was hidden beneath his words. John was also a werewolf, a hunter on this land.

  John drove up to the long driveway and parked the four-runner behind another large Ford truck. As he got out of the vehicle, I inspected him closely. He had long, brown hair that was tied back in a long ponytail. His beard covered most of his face, but I could tell he was young- maybe mid-thirties.

  A woman walked out of another side door and smiled as she spotted John. She also had long brown hair but she was thin and very tall. She was beautiful with strong and sharp features.

  “That’s Sarah, John’s wife. They married shortly after we purchased this land,” Brad said.

  “Married?” I asked. “Yes, werewolves can fall in love,” he finished with a slight cough in his throat.

  “Oh,” was all I could say.

  I guess I never considered werewolves would marry. Hell, I never considered werewolves were real but here we are living it in our reality.

  “Let me take you on a tour of the house first, then some of the land, and then we can meet everyone,” Brad said.

  I began to feel hesitant. Meeting new people was exactly what I didn’t want. It was what I had been running from. “I’m not sure this is for me,” I said as I didn’t follow Brad as he began to walk back toward the backdoor we had come from.

  “You don’t have a choice anymore,” Brad said sternly. “When you made the decision to allow me to bite you, to turn you, you gave up the option of going back to your old life. It was just too difficult to feed among humans. Besides, isn’t that what you wanted? To be forgotten?”

  Brad had me there. I hated when I was proven wrong. He definitely wasn’t like any werewolves I had read about, this guy was kind of a smart ass but with a country twang.

  “Yes, I did want to be forgotten,” I began as I was stumbling over my own words. “I just didn’t think it would really happen.”

  “You changed. Your old life is over now,” Brad said harshly.

  He walked away and went back inside the house. I stood there with my mouth gaping wide open. I wasn’t used to being told no.

  Realizing I didn’t know exactly where this compound was located or what I should be doing, I had no choice but to race after Brad.

  I followed him into the house where he stood by a large island centered in the middle of the spacious kitchen. Black granite countertops lined the numerous gray cabinets and stainless steel appliances. His hands were holding onto the counter, gripping it for support. By the way his shoulders tensed, it was clear he was upset.

  “Brad,” I said in a quiet voice.

  Brad slowly turned around and looked at me with sadness in his eyes. “Yes,” he replied.

  “I’m sorry if I upset you. You are right, I did say I wanted to die. Honestly, I did. I am really messed up. My life is one big fucked up drama. I don’t know who I am anymore or who I can trust,” I admitted.

  I didn’t know what it was about Brad, but somehow I found it easy to share my feelings with him. I had bottled up all of these strange emotions since my life crumbled and now, I was telling Brad everything. I didn’t understand the effect he had on me, but I was starting to like it.

  “I was selfish for changing you, but you were willing,” he stated more to himself than to me.

  Confusion set in as I thought about what he had just said. How was he selfish?

  “Brad,” I began, but he held up a hand to cut me off from further speaking.

  “Don’t Amelia. I understand you are scared and confused. But, what’s done is done. I can’t change it now. The only other option is to end your life, completely,” he stated, his golden eyes smothering me.

  I took a step back, my body trembling from his words. “I don’t think I want that either,” I argued.

  Brad shook his head and turned around completely so that we were face to face. “You are the most indecisive person I’ve ever met. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t choose to die and then become enraged when it happens. Once the others meet you, they won’t tolerate this behavior. You need to decide right now. What do you want? To die forever or live like this,” Brad offered. “I can’t protect you if you behave this way in front of everyone else.”

  I opened my mouth, but only a gasp came out. No one had ever been so blatantly honest with me before. When you are cherished and envied in life, people tend to say what you want to hear. They always kept their harsh opinions to themselves. He was acting like I was some spoiled brat, which I guess I sort of was. At least that’s what I used to be anyway. I wasn’t sure if this made me hate Brad or like him.

  Only, now he had me fearing the others
who were supposed to be just like me. What would they do if they discovered I hadn’t openly chosen this life?

  “I guess I really have no choice but to live like this,” I said, as I waved my hands around my body. “I will try my best to put on a big fake smile and make the others happy,” I said, in a sarcastic tone.

  “Wonderful,” Brad stated as he rolled his eyes at me.

  Placing my hands on my hips, I realized I was still in the dark skinny jeans and maroon halter top I had worn last night. “I might need to change before you begin the tour and introductions,” I said, as my eyes watched him scan my body.

  I swear, I almost felt like he was imagining me naked as his eyes sensually raked over my body.

  “Fine, I will show you where we keep some extra women’s clothing,” Brad began as he started to walk away.

  Knowing I didn’t have a choice, I followed him as I realized this would be my first stop on my tour to becoming a werewolf.

  CHAPTER 4

  I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  Brad had led me back up the large spiral staircase to the second story of the home. We walked past the room where I stayed and went into a large room with a king size sleigh bed and lavender walls. The room was void of any personal touches and I assumed it must be another guest room in the house. We walked past the bed and through another doorway.

  Brad opened a set of French doors and I gasped as my eyes took in the scene before me. A closet, larger than my own at my old penthouse apartment in New York City appeared before me. Rows of clothes organized by color and season were displayed.

  It was like a dream, all of these amazing clothes in front of me. I stepped into the room and allowed my hands to touch the soft fabrics as I passed through, assessing each item with care.

  “I believe there are various sizes in here. You can select an outfit and then meet me downstairs in the kitchen. I have alerted the others of your being here. They want to meet you before the tour,” Brad stated with no emotion in his voice.

  For some reason, he stood in the doorway, not daring to enter the space. He almost looked uncomfortable.