by Olivia Harp
She studied him. Her brown eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.
“My friend asked you a question,” a tall, mean looking guy said. He had a scar across his face. These guys think they can intimidate anyone. Scar Face stepped forward, a foot or two from Maverick, looking imposing as hell. Mav was tall but this guy was huge.
Maverick turned slowly and faced him, locked his eyes on Scar Face and spoke very slowly, so he could hear him.
“I don’t give a fuck about your friend.”
Mav’s eyes spat fury now, if they wanted trouble they could try him. They’d find out that messing with smaller girls was easier than with someone their own size, “now you either stop talking to us and enjoy the rest of the evening, or we go outside and I destroy the shit out of you.”
Scar Face stared at Maverick, two seconds ago he thought he was the biggest and meanest in the house. Now he wasn’t so sure. His eyes shifted.
“We cool, buddy?” Maverick said to Idiot Guy, who shook his head and grabbed his drink.
“Hey, I love that song!” he said turning away from Maverick and the girl, pretending nothing had happened.
Maverick smiled.
“Let’s go,” he said turning to the girl, but she wasn’t there anymore.
Chapter 3
Faith sat on the last available stool at the bar. Old Victorian light bulbs framed the huge mirror facing her. She met her own eyes, a dark creature among clueless humans. The soft light cast shadows on her sharp face.
“What can I get you?” a wrinkly middle aged man yelled behind the bar. He didn’t look that old, but the years hadn’t been good to him, apparently.
“What do you have?”
“Excuse me?”
The music was drowning her voice.
“What do you have?” She repeated, much louder this time.
The man smiled, “everything!”
“Okay, I’ll have a martini, please.”
“What kind?”
“Any kind,” she said, It’s not like I’m going to drink it anyway.
“Sure thing,” the bartender said and moved away to the next customer.
The night hadn’t started well at all. Maybe she should have come earlier, before everyone was drunk as heck. Damn it.
She needed to calm down. She almost broke that guy’s hand —not that he didn’t deserve it— but doing that was the exact opposite of what she needed. Drawing attention to herself was the worst thing she could do.
If it wasn’t for that guy appearing out of nowhere to help her, she would have probably ruined everything.
He was good looking too. And cool. At least cool enough to talk to her like a normal person. When was the last time that happened? Maybe the night wasn’t such a waste after all.
She looked at the mirror, trying to find him but it was impossible. She took a peek towards the door, but couldn’t see him. Maybe I shouldn’t have left like that. She laughed at herself, shaking her head. Stop wasting your time. She started to relax. It was good enough to be here, invisible amongst the crowd. Feeling a bit human.
“So, are you gonna say ‘thank you’, or are you gonna sit there moping all night?” a deep voice said.
She turned and there he was, right next to her, both arms resting on the bar. Strange, she hadn’t seen him approach, or felt his presence.
He was very good looking. Okay, very good looking had nothing on this guy, he was a straight up magazine cover model. Tall. I mean really tall, he was at least a head and a half taller than her. Big smile, short, dark brown hair, and hard muscles pressed against the dark gray dress shirt he wore, backlight outlined his broad back against the darkness.
“Ike,” he shouted at the bartender, “may I have a bottle of water, please?”
He wasn’t looking at her, he just casually talked to the barman, facing the mirror.
She was glad he wasn’t like one of the douchebags that tried to hit on her just before, with their half open shirt, loud and violent.
This guy kept his cool, glimpsed at her and looked back at the barman. Yes, he was paying attention to her but he wasn’t overbearing.
She realized she’d taken half a second longer to answer than she should.
As she raised her eyes to look at him, she found his deep green eyes and her whole body rose goose bumps.
“What?” she mumbled.
He took his arms off the bar and turned to her.
“Well, I think I just saved you from a very embarrassing situation, I just thought you could at least say thanks.”
She stared at him, half smiling.
“You’re funny.”
He clicked his tongue and nodded, studying her.
“That’s all I’m gonna get. Okay, no worries,” he offered his hand, “I’m Maverick, by the way.”
She shook it, the butterflies in her stomach surprising her. His handshake was firm, his skin hotter than normal. Darn it. She was over–analyzing everything. Okay, yes, she could admit she was somewhat attracted to him, but they’d only been talking for what? Eight seconds?
“I’m Faith,” she finally said.
“Faith, that’s a beautiful name.”
She laughed.
“Oh, come on,” she said “do you use that line with every girl you meet? Or am I special?”
His stomach tightened, who knows why.
“You’re special of course!”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“No, but seriously,” he continued, “that line is so cliché I don’t think anyone uses it. Besides, I don’t know anyone named Faith, I like the name!”
“Here’s your Bloody Martini,” Ike said, “and your water.”
“Thanks man, put it in my tab please—”
“Hey, wait! How much—” Faith said but Ike had already gone, “I don’t want you to pay for my drinks.”
“Don’t worry, you can pay me later. Paying for each drink is a chore, and Ike doesn’t handle any money, you’d have to ask a waiter—”
“—You come here a lot, don’t you?”
Mav thought for a second.
“Not as often as it may seem, the owner is my friend.”
“Listen, I’m just here to relax a little, I’m not looking for a hookup or anything.”
“Don’t worry, I’m gay.”
Of course he was. Good looking guy, well built, able to articulate his thoughts in a non–loud, non–flashy “I’m–awesome–look–at–me” kind of way. She should have known.
“I’m kidding,” he said, “but that face you just made? Best thing I’ve ever seen. And don’t worry, I’m not looking for a hookup either. Cheers to that.”
He raised his water bottle and sipped. She just smiled.
“So,” he continued, “I thought vampires were extinct, what are you doing here?”
All her muscles tensed hard, the hair on the back of her neck raised in an instant, she felt her fangs slowly protruding, the tip of her fingers going hard and sharp. She was ready for a fight.
“What?” she said.
“What what? You’re a vampire, am I right?”
Who the hell is this guy? How does he know?
“Don’t be scared,” he continued, “I have nothing against your kind. Especially the pretty ones like you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, and prepared to stand but his hand grazed her leg for a millisecond, a reassuring gesture. He smiled.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I fucked up, I didn’t want to scare you.”
He stepped back, so she could leave if she wanted to. He looked genuinely apologetic.
“I just figured if we’re gonna be friends we might as well be honest from the start.”
He had scared her. Her stomach felt hard, her back cold and tense. No one knew what she was. No one around at least. She never told anyone her secret, everything had been fine for years up until now.
He looked at her, calm, relaxed.
This was one of those moments in her ni
ghtmares where she imagined herself running away as fast as she could. But for some reason she didn’t. What was wrong with her? Why was she staying?
Well, he wasn’t a threat. At least it didn’t seem so. He wasn’t blocking her way. And if he tried to, she could blink away and disappear.
She looked at him, still half in shock.
He said ‘vampire,’ just like that, as if it was nothing to worry about.
Humans feared vampires, and after the Houston Revolts, they started actively hunting them all over the country. The few that remained after, went into hiding.
“How do you know?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
He looked at her, nodding.
“It’s not how you look, or anything,” he said, half joking, “you’re a little pale, yes, but not immortal–creature–of–the–night pale.”
She did not say anything.
“That was a joke.”
“I know.”
The music was now louder than ever, people around pushed their way towards the bar, their conversation lost in all the drunken madness.
“I know you’re a vampire because, one, we’re not yelling right now, we can hear each other just fine, you can focus your senses pretty admirably.”
Crap. She hadn’t even noticed. She’d have to be more careful from now on.
“That’s how you found out?” she asked.
Then it hit her, maybe things were worse than she thought, “you’re a vampire too?”
Maverick laughed, “No, I’m a bear shifter.”
Her stomach churned. He was an apex predator. A lot of shifters were used in the vampire purge decades ago, mostly wolves, but still. Shifters were creatures of life, supremely strong, and connected to nature. Vampires were the opposite. Night creatures, mostly urban, and their powers came from blood... from death. They were natural enemies.
She took a peek; the nearest exit was far. At least a hundred feet away. If something happened, there was a chance she couldn’t move fast enough to leave.
He softly placed his hand on hers, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
His gaze was fixed on her. He smiled and took his hand away.
“I know what your kind has been through, and some of them maybe even deserved it. But not all. You didn’t go on a berserker rage when that guy messed with you earlier so I figure you are not one of the bad guys.”
She remembered to blink now. Calm yourself, you need to think straight.
“What else?” she asked.
He was taking a sip of water and turned to her, his brow arched.
“What do you mean what else?”
“You said you knew I was a vampire because, and I quote, ‘we can hear each other just fine,’ or something like that. There must be other reasons.”
“Oh, that! Yeah. You don’t smell like a regular human,” he said, matter of factly. “You smell great! I’m not saying you don’t, really, humans have that pheromone slash sweat scent in them, it’s not bad, it’s just how it is.”
“And when we shook hands,” he continued, a smile just barely decorating his stupid know–it–all face, “you didn’t have a pulse. That’s a big giveaway, I think. And your skin is kinda cool. I mean, not cool as in nice. It is nice, but I mean, the—”
“The temperature,” she interrupted.
He nodded. “You’re here to feed?”
She glared at him in silence. It was as if they were alone, in a little private bubble amongst the chaos.
“What would happen if I said yes? What would you do?”
He smiled and looked at their reflection in the mirror, as he took another sip of water.
“Honestly? I don’t know. You’re not giving me a creepy Nosferatu vibe, I don’t think you’d drink someone to death, that’d give you away in a hurry. Besides, the guy or girl would probably enjoy it, thinking you’re that good at kissing so, as long as everyone’s happy, I don’t judge.”
Vampires who killed their victims were not rare, back in the day. Killing a person by drinking their blood was a sure way for a vamp to call attention to itself, the worst kind of attention. Besides, she wasn’t a monster. Killing someone would probably traumatize her.
“I’m not here to feed,” she finally said, “I don’t feed on people.”
“Animals?” he said.
“Ew, gross! No. Not animals either.”
He laughed, “damn, you got me, how do you feed, then?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you that, shifter?”
He touched her hand, “no need to be so defensive. I was just trying to make a little conversation.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes.
“So you’re here just to enjoy yourself?”
She nodded, “Vampires are people too.”
He chuckled, “sure, you’re right.”
“Not all of us are lonely, depressed monsters, hunting in the darkness. Besides, I don’t want to be one of those Vees who lose touch with humanity.”
“How old are you?”
“Wow, you really just asked my age.”
“I know, I know, never ask a woman her—”
“I’m young, don’t worry.”
He finished his water. Her martini was untouched, of course.
“So, now that you’ve freaked out and we’ve told each other our deepest secrets and the world didn’t end, can I ask you one question?”
He looked so relaxed. Part of her wanted to go with the flow but she still had to be very careful about this whole exchange.
“What?”
“Would you like to dance?
Her mouth fell open.
“I thought bear shifters had the grace of a tasered boar.”
He turned to the dance floor and extended his hand to her.
“They do, mostly. I was hoping a vampire’s grace would balance things out, I love dancing.”
This is a bad idea, Faith. The worst. She had to leave. She could never come back to this place; it was the only way she’d be safe. A vamp and a bear shifter hitting the dance floor, in a crowded club, like normal people. What was the world coming to?
He waited for her, his gaze almost bringing her to her knees. This is the moment. Just leave. Don’t be stupid.
The exit was right there. It had been a good evening, but it was time to go.
Against all logic, she took his hand, following him to the dance floor.
Chapter 4
The DJ was on a roll, he played everything from 70’s disco classics to grunge era rock and roll to the newest hits, all mashed up perfectly. The underlying electronic beat carried each song to the next one.
Faith knew her moves, too. She was kinda wooden at first but once she relaxed you couldn’t stop her.
It was just pure, plain fun.
Maverick shot a glance at the crew down at the VIP table. Yeah, they understood. They were talking and laughing and having a good time. After a couple of hours, they waved him goodbye and left.
He was proud of being a White Paw. The crew was awesome. They didn’t need to say anything to understand each other.
Then, without warning, Take my breath away, by Berlin, started. Was it already that late? They always played the mellower songs towards the end of the evening, Ike said it was a sure way to start clearing the dance floor, and people generally relaxed and understood that it was almost time to go.
Mav wasn’t going to miss this opportunity, though. He smiled at her and pulled her softly to him. She was a perfect fit in his arms. She shrugged, leaned into him, and slow danced. Was he nervous? Nah, not nervous at all, he was sure. Almost sure.
He liked this girl, she was way cooler than him, he conceded.
Man, this is awesome. Having fun with a girl without actively wanting to take her panties off and forget about her. Is this what Damien feels around Zoe?
He stopped there.
Damien was his alpha, he mated a human —Zoe— about a year ago. He wasn’t going to go there. No mate talk. Nothing
like that.
“So, what do you do?” he said, trying to focus on something else.
“I...” she hesitated, “I’m kind of in the health care industry.”
He stopped for a moment, looking at her in surprise.
“What? Is that so hard to believe?” she pulled his hand and he carried on dancing.
“A little, I guess. I just don’t understand how that could work.”
“It works just fine,” she said as the song reached its final note and spun under Maverick’s raised hand, “you’re a Ranger?”
He let out a small laugh, nodding, “you could say that, yes.”
“Oh, mysterious!” She said, “all right, mister bear man, it’s late. I need to go.”
He knew she’d be leaving soon; it really was late. What he didn’t anticipate was himself feeling so bummed about it. His stomach tightened, she was much too fun to be around with.
She didn’t pretend she was oh–so–crazy–and–wild, didn’t stand in front of the mirror for hours putting on makeup so she could meet someone, date him and get married. Her beauty was natural.
He had nothing left. He couldn’t take her for dinner —vampires don’t eat— so he nodded.
“Yeah, me too,” he said, “let’s go, I’ll walk you out.”
They went to the bar and asked for the bill. A waiter brought it to them and he took out his wallet to pay.
“How much was the Martini?”
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“No. We had a deal, don’t be a jerk about it.”
“Come on, it’s nothing, I’ll pay for it—”, he said as he placed the bills on the bar.
“I’m sorry but that wasn’t the deal. I had a lot of fun tonight, don’t ruin it going all macho on me.”
He studied her, eyes wide. Damn it, this girl’s gonna be the end of me.
“It’s nine fifty,” he said, defeated.
“Cool, here you go,” she gave him some bills, “the rest is the tip, are we good?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
They exited the club. Outside, the cool breeze carried the scent of the ancient forests and mountains all around them.
“Where’s your car?” he said.
