by Danae Ayusso
‘Not likely.’
“You suck, more so than the in a vampiry way,” I mumbled before coughing up more blood. “Tybalt?” I called out, looking around for him.
He was bleeding and unconscious. The obelisk I sheered in two, the top half precariously landing upright in the grass, was dangerously leaning towards the unconscious man.
“No, no, no,” I whimpered; not again. I couldn’t lose another good, decent man, even if this was one I just met. There was no mistaking he was good and didn’t deserve to be killed, didn’t deserve to be crushed by a stupid slab of stone, because of me.
“Goddess, hear me, I beg of you,” I prayed. “Death you refused to bless me with, I have accepted that, but you cannot bestow upon this wolf and honorable man what you have denied me!”
‘No!’
“Please, I beg of you, a servant of Light and your faithful daughter from my first breath, protect this child of the moon for me,” I prayed, tears staining my cheeks, and they dripped down my chin, mixing with blood before falling to the ground.
The tear silently fell to the grass, but to my ears it was the loudest thing I had ever heard. It echoed all around me with thunderous force, even shaking the ground under me.
I’m sure it was all in my head, but when the obelisk started to fall over, heading towards the unconscious man, I knew it wasn’t.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Forgive me, please.”
As if everything was happening in slow motion, the grass started to move. Something under the surface zigged and zagged, racing towards Tybalt. Thick roots broke free from the ground and shot through the air, slamming into the side of the obelisk, its progression stopping. More and more roots and tendrils of vegetation freed themselves from the earth and wrapped around Tybalt’s legs and started to pull him away, to safety.
“There is no way,” I stammered, watching in wide-eyed disbelief.
It has to be blood loss…
I have to be dreaming!
There was no way that just happened.
Once Tybalt was out of harm’s way, the roots holding it back snapped, and the heavy obelisk slammed into the ground where the unconscious man once was.
“Thank you, Goddess,” I whispered, peppering myself with blood. “Thank you. Blessed be. Blessed be,” I repeated, over and over.
The silence was ended with loud fighting between the wolves on the other side of the cemetery.
“Now that you’re safe, for now, what to do about me?” I asked before coughing up an unhealthy amount of blood. “Crap on a cracker, that isn’t good.”
When I looked down, I groaned when I saw the reason for the blood filling my lungs; there was a piece of twisted wrought iron sticking out from my chest. “This has got to be the most over the top accidental staking of a vampire ever,” I complained before chuckling.
It wasn’t funny in the least, but I was finding amusement in it.
Blood covered my teeth, lips, dripped from my chin and dribbled down my chest, ruining my borrowed underwear set. The back of my head was split open and bleeding profusely, and numerous deep gashes littered my arms and legs from the rusted metal biting into them, and in a few places sticking out of them.
“I’m so going to need a tetanus shot,” I complained, trying to pull myself free, causing an unholy sounding wail of agony to break past my lips.
That was unexpected; usually I can take pain.
That wail pulled the gray wolf from his dizzy stupor, and he followed the sound and instantly started growling, staggering to his feet.
I chuckled; it wasn’t funny in the least, but I was finding way too much amusement in this at the moment.
That, I was certain, was from blood loss and completely losing my marbles.
“You aren’t terrifying in the least, Fleabag,” I informed him, desperately trying to keep his attention so he didn’t go after the easy, unconscious target that had been trying to protect me. “You know, there was a stray that used to roam around my apartment building. He wasn’t nearly as ugly as you though. Perhaps you’re one of his bastard offspring, the uglier parts of him?”
The gray wolf continued to growl and inched his way towards me.
I chuckled, expelling an unhealthy amount of blood from my lungs in the process. “What are you going to do?” I taunted. “Put this little broken vampire in her place?” I asked before hissing at him which turned into maniacal laughter that covered me in even more blood.
Yup, I lost it.
His top lip snarled up over his glistened fangs and he stopped.
“What’s wrong, Mutt? Can’t handle a little girl mocking you?” I continued, making a face.
If his attention was on me, that meant it wouldn’t be on Tybalt.
‘You are grounded!’
“Shut up,” I complained. “If you wouldn’t have thrown me out on the street in someone else’s underwear, wouldn’t have invoked your annoying diva of a little brother… Wait, Jerk Face?” I asked, that just registering with me. “Are you actually in my freaking head?!” I shrieked.
Of course, there was silence.
“Ugh! I am so going to stake you myself, and you will like it!” I sternly warned. “Are you seriously laughing?! I didn’t think you knew how to laugh or smile… Seriously, get out of my head.”
‘Nyte.’
“I so don’t like you right now,” I grumbled. “Since you’re stalking me, why don’t you get your slightly sexy butt over here and pull me out of this stupid fence. Huh?!”
The gray wolf gave me a look.
“I’m not talking to you,” I informed him. “Why don’t you go play in traffic,” I sneered.
Yes, looking back on it now it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to do. Just like with the jerk that jumped me in the park, what I should have done, what a normal person would have done, was the very last thing that I did. Antagonizing a wolf with murder on the mind wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last in the long list of stupid things I’ve done since the entire adventure began.
Again, the wolf snarled and headed towards me.
“You’re making a mistake,” I warned, struggling to free myself, but my body was unbelievably numb. “I’m pretty sure Andrei is the only one allowed to kill me, he’s made that rather clear.”
With that warning, the wolf stopped and his eyes widened.
That, should have told me something.
“Oh come on,” I taunted. “Don’t tell me the big, bad wolf is scared of a little Russian doll with his panties in a twist! Imagine what the others will say when they learn you took on the personality challenged vampire’s whatever and survived. I’m sure they’ll give you an award or something, a ticker tape parade… Do they still do those?” I asked, getting confused. “Come on, Wolfy, Wolfy, Wolfy.”
‘Are you done?’
“No, I’m not. Since you weren’t Russian enough to finish the job, I’ll have this ugly fleabag do it,” I said, waving the growling wolf on. “Come on, Fido. Here, Boy. Come on, Boy.”
The gray wolf’s yellow eyes narrowed and his hackle rose many inches along his spine and his tail tucked between his legs.
This was going to hurt.
“Finally,” I proudly proclaimed before my head lolled forward and my eyes fell shut.
My brother would have been disappointed, but he’d get over it; Giovanni always forgave me for whatever foolishness I found myself neck deep in.
I couldn’t watch the end, so I clenched my eye shut then jumped, startled, when wind blew my hair into my face and it was followed by a loud yelp of pain then the snapping of bone.
“Tybalt?” I whispered, trying to open my eyes, pulling my heavy head back.
I wasn’t sure what I was seeing.
Standing with their back to me was the very person I was trying to get away from, that had thrown me out on the streets, and that condemned me to an eternity of loneliness and misery.
It was more than apparent tha
t I couldn’t get rid of him.
We both knew that I couldn’t be in the same room with him, or the same church, and I couldn’t get his annoying voice out of my head.
So why was he here?
“Crap, you found me,” I mumbled.
Andrei snarled, effortlessly hurling the lifeless body of the wolf I was just antagonizing away from us.
The body slammed into his wolfy companions, knocking them off their feet and into a tangle of gray fur, effectively stealing all of their attention.
“She is mine!” Andrei venomously informed them with a deep snarl that was so menacing that it scared me.
Wait, what?
Now I know I was hearing things.
There’s no way he just said that!
Wasn’t Andrei the jerk that threatened to kill me if I told Luka that I’m actually his scion and not Luka’s? And now he’s informing these werewolves that I’m his?
What in the…. Ugh! Someone seriously needed to up his meds.
“What a mess,” Luka said, leisurely strolling along, taking his time to join us.
Oh great. The douche decides to join the party. That’s just lovely.
“Yes, it is,” Andrei dryly agreed.
Tybalt groaned, rubbing his eyes before trying to pick himself up. “Shawn, are you okay?” he asked, trying to get his bearings.
Am I?
No.
Not even close.
I have a stupid vampire stuck in my head!
‘Agree to disagree on the intelligence of the vampire stuck in your head at the moment.’
That would be a lengthy and never ending debate when we weren’t seeing eye-to-eye on something.
Andrei considered the potential threat before turning his attention to me. “Grounded,” he whispered.
“Uh huh,” I agreed, peppering him with blood. “Crap on a cracker. I’m sorry.”
He wiped his face off with one hand, not amused or impressed in the least. “It is to be expected since you have a piece of iron sticking out from your chest. It would be safe to assume you punctured your lung,” he said, eying the iron sticking out from my body.
“It’s rude to eye a woman’s breasts when she’s in someone else’s underwear,” I scolded.
Just above my left breast a pointy piece of metal was protruding, tearing through the delicate fabric. “Should I be freaking out that I don’t feel that?” I asked, touching the metal.
Andrei nodded, softly swatting my hand away when I started flicking it to see if it were solidly in my body.
“Of course the annoying, troublesome little girl would be playing with dirty wolves and vile shifters,” Luka said with disgust more than apparent in his tone, kicking one of the fallen grey wolves as he went, sending it flying across the cemetery.
I tried to give him a rude gesture, but my arm fell halfway through the motion and knocked against the wrought iron I was impaled on. “Watch out behind you, Douche Bag,” I mumbled. “I’m pretty sure that one has rape on the mind and he’s looking at you rather longingly… I meant to say that in my head.”
Luka spun around, pulling his hand through the air between him and the grey wolf that jumped at him. The wolf’s body went one way and his head the opposite, in the same smooth movement, Luka was once again walking towards us.
“Aw, I knew you’d come around, Little Girl,” he mused, spinning the machete around in his hand, the very same machete he was going to use on me earlier.
Perhaps he was coming to finish the job.
I gagged. “Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth,” I said.
The corners of Andrei’s lips twitched.
“Shawn?” Tybalt cried out when he saw me and I waved.
“Hey! You okay?” I asked.
He shook his head with wide eyes as he crawled over to where I was before shoving Andrei out of the way.
Andrei quickly caught himself; suddenly a silver tipped stake was in one hand, the other was outreached as if readying to grab him by the neck. His features seemingly hardened and his expression terrified me, his beautiful eyes darkened and appeared like cold stones, fangs elongated from his mouth, and the veins along the sides of his neck bulged with the clenching of his jaw.
“Don’t touch him,” I warned the seething vampire, kicking at him. “I mean it. I will make you and Luka’s lives a living nightmare of hellish proportions if you do,” I promised.
Andrei’s eyes snapped to mine and he growled.
Please don’t hurt him. I can’t handle that right now, Andrei. I’ll do anything you ask.
Andrei’s expression softened and the stake disappeared from his hand. ‘This is the only pass the vile creature will get.’
“Thank you,” I said, surprising him.
Tybalt pulled himself up, using the fencing I wasn’t dangling from to get to his feet. He looked between me and Andrei many times before his eyes widened with understanding. “Kill the others! I will join you shortly, and do not tell my father or the Queen,” he ordered his companions. “Now!”
Dang it. He didn’t have to do that!
“Yes, he did,” Andrei corrected. “They know too much. Luka, do the needful and make sure the bodies are disposed of in a way that will not come back on us or the werewolves. Make it appear as if witches were to blame.”
I giggled. The red head?
‘The red head.’
You’re mean.
‘She is a pain in the ass that more than deserves it.’
Agree to disagree.
‘I would be suspicious if you did.’
Luka groaned, making a face. “Why do I have to do it? It’s her damn mess. Make the little girl do it!” he whined.
Tybalt growled at him.
“You don’t scare me,” Luka informed him. “My personality challenged brother won’t let anyone touch me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Diva, table for one,” I commented.
Whatever I said made Tybalt smirk and he looked up to no good all of a sudden.
“Yes you are untouchable,” he agreed. “Vigiles Urbani Andrei Rasputin Belova–Revnik, Scion of Aleksei Chaikovskaya and Maiya Illich-Svitych, would never allow another to harm his pesky, troublesome little brother. However, that’s never stopped the Queen before, and I highly doubt it will now. Shall I give them a call?”
Luka’s eyes widened before he hurried off with one of the bodies in hand.
That was interesting and demanded an explanation.
“Well played,” Andrei commented, to my surprise.
Tybalt nodded. “It is a card that I hate playing, but it comes in handy. If the Queen wasn’t enjoying pleasures of the flesh as required on lunar events, they would have been out here taking care of this situation with us. The Queen truly loves to torment Shifters that encroach on our territory.”
“With good reason,” he agreed.
I hate to break up the love fest between them, but if the only thing they have in common was killing people, then I wanted to get as far away from them as possible, regardless how hot they are.
I don’t do murder and I don’t hang out with murderers.
“You two need to stop ordering people to kill,” I scolded, blood dripping from my lips and down my chin. “Can you two move away from me? I already have to pay for Andrei’s dry cleaning, and even though Tybalt’s naked, bleeding all over you two is really gross. I’m respiring more blood than air,” I pointed out.
Andrei shook his head.
“I don’t like killing,” I complained. “My life isn’t worth more than theirs.”
Tybalt looked at me curiously. “The hunting dog that was more stray than hunting dog, that enjoyed rolling in shit and on dead things, his life is worth ten times what those vile Shifters the others are taking care of are worth.”
I glared at him. “I thought you were different, but you’re just like the jerk that threw me out in someone else’s underwear.”
His eyes widened. “I am nothing like Marshal Belova–Revnik, however your survi
val over theirs may be the one thing we agree on. You truly are a strange little creature,” he whispered. “There is no way you are a fledgling. You are much too rational, and blood is turning your stomach instead of you being blood crazed and consumed by hunger pangs-”
“I am hungry,” I interrupted. “I want a cheeseburger and fries.”
He chuckled.
“I’m serious,” I said, confused as to why that’s so amusing.
“You are truly adorable, Shawn of Forgotten Park Cemetery. Why is she not healing?” Tybalt asked when he stepped in the puddle of blood pooling under me.
So are we no longer talking about getting dinner?
“Too much human blood in her system still,” Andrei said, pulling my arms around his neck so we were face to face. “This will most certainly hurt,” he warned then stepped back, pulling me along with him.
My mouth opened but no sound came out.
Hurt was an understatement, but I kept the scream of agony contained this time.
‘Impressive.’
Get out of my head!
‘Nyte.’
Since you won’t leave me alone, will you feed me? I want a double cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate malt. Can I borrow some money so I can get it?
‘Nyte.’
Ugh! I hate you sometimes.
‘Good.’
“If there’s that much human blood still… Oh holy hell,” Tybalt choked, his eyes wide. “She truly is a new born. And you let her out unaccompanied on a full moon!” he shouted.
Andrei snarled in warning, pulling me into his arms and protectively cradled me to his chest.
“No, I will not shut up!” Tybalt snapped at him. “You allowed a new born out on tonight of all nights. She could have been killed!”
I groaned, closing my eyes. “Please stop fighting. The night is young and I may still die so there’s no need to fight about it now.”
Tybalt sighed. “You can’t die, Shawn. If you die, how am I supposed to take you out?”
My eyes shot open. “What?”
