A Nightly Howl

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

All of the sudden, I snapped back to reality, ignoring the alcohol that jetted through my system, and took a step back. I glanced around, wondering if Jasper was somewhere nearby while Georgiana tried to distract me. I didn't know why I hadn't thought about this before, but Jasper was a wizard. He would have known about the Sabbath.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Georgiana and I used to be friends; she’d introduced me to Jasper. She blamed me for ruining the relationship after I broke up with him. Obviously, our friendship didn't mean anything to her because she’d stopped talking to me.

  "Just having fun, why?” I asked, irritated. “Are you going to tell me where I can or can’t be?"

  She hadn't changed much, hiding her pale blue eyes behind designer glasses. Her strong energy always affected me; tiny goosebumps appeared all over my skin; her magic surrounded us, chasing mine.

  "As usual, you’re being a bitch," she said, tensing her jaw. She used to do that when she was nervous. Her eyes were darting around like she was trying to guess if I was alone or not. Georgiana was a beautiful girl with long, straight blonde hair, flawless skin, and long thin legs. She’d taught Jasper everything and took care of him when their parents died. Panic struck me, and I began to wonder if he was around, watching me right now.

  “I’m busy and not in the mood to listen to your insults."

  "Wait, I meant to talk to you," she said, touching my arm. A cold shiver blazed through my body as a tingle of magic travelled across my fingertips.

  "What do you want?" I asked in an icy tone, pulling away. "We have nothing to talk about."

  “I've got a message for you."

  “I'm not interested," I snapped.

  "Jasper never meant to hurt you."

  I clenched my fists, turning to face her. I wasn't sure what she expected me to say. She had no idea what her brother was capable of, or that he was a stalking psycho.

  "You don’t know what you’re talking about Georgiana," I said, moving closer. "Jasper attacked me. He used dark magic to convince my ex-boyfriend, Nathaniel, that he didn't know me. Those are crimes—Jasper broke the law. Are you still going to defend him?"

  Her face went red and she held a breath. “Jasper's still in love with you; he did that because he wants you back."

  “And that is supposed to excuse his behaviour?” I took a breath, feeling my frustration rise. "We were never meant to be together; he wasn't for me. I only went out with him because of you." I threw the truth straight in her face. She didn't understand that Jasper needed help; I had to stay away from him. She narrowed her eyes and looked away.

  "Jasper isn’t perfect, but he’s a good person."

  My pulse rocketed, and I moved closer to face her, to make sure that she would understand me well enough this time around.

  "Listen to me, Georgiana. I don’t want to talk to Jasper. I want him to stay away from me. Pass him that message and make sure he understands," I said through gritted teeth.

  “You're a fool, Julia," she spat, stepping backward. "Jasper has a bad temper but you won’t be happy with that vampire. Jasper is abroad, but he’s looking to talk to you as soon as he gets back to London."

  "Let me straighten this up for you. You can’t tell me who I can and cannot be happy with. I’m not interested in talking to Jasper. I’ve moved on and I suggest he do the same."

  She didn't stop me this time. Georgiana obviously didn't know the dark side of her brother and wanted to protect him. She had no idea what he was like. When we were together, he was controlling, impulsive, and completely obsessed with me. We did share some loving moments together but those were few and far between. He travelled a few times a month, leaving without any explanation. There had been times when he would beat guys up just because they stared at me for too long. I was much happier without him. My ex-boyfriend just wouldn’t give up. I knew he’d find a way to talk to me and I needed to be ready. With Jasper, I had to have eyes in the back of my head.

  Kate found me about an hour later; this time around she was drunk, kissing a good-looking, dark-haired wizard. The fire burned, and people danced and sang around it. I drank more, but in the back of my mind I kept hearing Georgiana. I didn't quite remember what happened after my conversation with her. The next thing I knew I was in my own bed, moaning about the loud music before drifting off to sleep.

  The following morning, my head was throbbing with pain and my stomach growled. I made a mental note to avoid going out with Kate’s family in the future. The clock on the wall was showing a quarter to eleven in the morning. For a long moment I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to move, and somehow, fell back to sleep. A loud knock woke me just after midday and I covered my face with a pillow.

  It took me a moment to get up; dizziness hit me, but I kept walking. I made another mental note to ask Kate if I had a drinking problem. I didn't dare look in the mirror; I couldn't worry about my looks when I was dying from the biggest hangover of my life.

  "Hello, beautiful. You look like you had a hell of a night."

  Under normal circumstances, I would have closed the door and told him to wait until I made myself look decent. Right then, I didn't care; my head was hurting, and I had to get back to bed. Nathaniel looked immaculate, as usual, wearing a white T-shirt and black pants.

  "I don’t remember inviting you here," I muttered, yawning. Maybe I should’ve cared more. After all, the man who I shared the most intimate moments with was in my apartment and he looked deliciously handsome.

  He smiled, and something melted inside me. "I meant to see you later, but I changed my mind. Can I come in?"

  "Fine, but I don’t even know why you’re here. I’m not feeling well, and I plan to sleep for the rest of the day." He walked in and shut the door behind him. Instead of going back to bed, I went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water.

  "How much did you drink?" he asked, taking the kettle out of my hands. Our fingers brushed, charging my wrecked body with electricity. I clenched my teeth and tried to ignore it.

  "I can’t remember."

  "Come on, go lie down and I’ll look after you," he suggested, watching me intensely.

  "You don’t have to do that."

  "I want to, so go back to bed and let your boyfriend take care of everything."

  "But you’re not my boyfriend," I corrected him.

  "I will be."

  I didn't have the energy to fight with him, so I left him to it and went back to bed. Half an hour later, when I thought he was already gone, the scent of lemon and cedar notes swirled my senses. When I opened my eyes, his face was only a couple of inches away from mine.

  "I made you breakfast," he said quietly. I could have sworn that my heartbeat stopped, but I pretended to look away.

  He stood up, smiling, and placed a tray on my lap. He’d made me scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast.

  "Thank you, I feel better already." I smiled.

  "You don’t need magic to cure a hangover, just good food. Come on, eat up, because I’ve got a surprise for you."

  "Surprise?"

  “I'm taking you somewhere."

  I tucked into my food, keeping away from sexual thoughts. He was playing his role well, but I planned on making him work harder. I hated that he didn't realise how much he hurt me, acting like nothing happened.

  Nathaniel knew how to prepare a breakfast. I cleaned my plate and watched him for a moment, indulging my mind with his body. He took my plate to the kitchen, so I snuck out to the bathroom. I looked like I’d been hit by a thunderstorm, so I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and used makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes. He was lying on my bed when I came out of the bathroom.

  "Do you remember how much fun we had on this bed not too long ago?"

  Of course, I remembered. I would never forget that intense, sensual night we’d shared together. The next day, I had to go shopping to replace the mirror and two light bulbs we’d broken. Whenever we made love my power came alive, exploding and
damaging everything around us. I flushed, and a smile crept over his face.

  "Not really," I lied, but my voice was hoarse, giving me away.

  "I love when you go all shy; it turns me on."

  "Stop talking and listen," I warned him. “I'll go wherever you want but under one condition."

  "Which is?"

  "Today, we’re going to talk, that’s all. There won’t be any kissing and we most certainly won’t be having sex," I said firmly. Something shimmered in his eyes.

  “We're both sexually frustrated." He licked his lips, looking sexy as hell. He really needed to stop doing that!

  "It doesn't matter. This relationship isn’t about sex." I folded my arms together.

  "You know, I can’t stop thinking about that night, when you were spread underneath me, naked."

  “That's what I mean," I hissed. “We're going out for a normal date like normal people do. I’m sure you shagged someone while we were apart."

  He narrowed his eyes and stood.

  "There hasn’t been anyone else since we’ve been together," he said, approaching me. "I have an eternity to fuck your brains out and I'm going to show you that you can trust me again."

  "And just how are you going to do that?"

  "You’ll see," he replied, sending me a wink. "Women have been asking me for exclusive relationships for years, but I never listened. I didn't want to listen, until I met you."

  His voice was smooth and hypnotic, and I wanted to believe him, but I didn't know if I should. We’d only known each other for a few months, but I was still afraid to commit, knowing that I would fall in love with him. My body wouldn’t say no if he asked me to make love to him right now. I was lost and captured by these new unexpected emotions.

  Nathaniel didn't use his limousine; instead he drove toward central London. We didn't talk much, and I wasn't sure what to expect from our romantic rendezvous in the city. Many people were taking advantage of today’s glorious weather. The sky was clear of clouds and the temperature was high. Londoners had enough of the rain that kept bothering everyone over the past few weeks. I was on a date with Nathaniel La Caz; I still couldn’t quite believe it.

  "Where are we going?" I asked, feeling a little nervous.

  “We're going to walk alongside the river and then we’ll have a late lunch," he explained. "You know, like ordinary people do."

  "Lovely, so that’s your master seduction plan?" I smirked.

  “We're just having lunch." He smiled. "We won’t be sleeping together until you beg me to fuck you."

  "I doubt very much that I’ll ever beg," I said, waving off erotic memories from the elevator. He smiled again but didn't say anymore. He was dreaming if he thought for a second that I was going to beg him for sex. We walked by the river, passing families with children, enjoying the sunshine. I liked lazy late Sunday mornings in Central London.

  "What did you do last night? I mean, if you care to tell me?" he asked.

  Until Georgiana showed up I was having a good time. After that, I drank way too much and lost the plot. I could only hope that I didn't make a fool of myself like I did during my date with Loony.

  "My work colleague invited me to a family barbecue," I said. "But instead, I ended up taking part in a Sabbath."

  "Sabbath?" He frowned. "I thought only witches and wizards participated in those gatherings."

  "Well, I thought that too. Kate mentioned that her plans changed, and her family suggested that I come with them. It was like going to a supernatural festival. The food was amazing, but I think I’ll stay away from alcohol for a while."

  "So, you’re glad I rescued you this morning?" He turned to face me. Out of the blue, the light insignificant conversation had turned into an intimate moment. Nathaniel looped his hand around mine, staring directly into my eyes, drinking me in.

  "Hmm, I appreciate what you did for me," I began, ignoring my racing pulse.

  “You're beautiful, my firecracker," he whispered. I swallowed a giant lump in my throat, ignoring the fluttering sensation in my stomach. I started counting to ten again; the useless exercise failed me before, but I didn't know what else to do.

  "I won’t be sleeping with you tonight."

  "You have a very dirty mind, Julia." He smiled, leaning away from me. "I wasn’t planning on sleeping with you tonight anyway, but you know you would love it if I did."

  I shivered, warmth dancing along my neck. His hazel eyes met mine, but he said nothing. A violent jolt of desire fired through my cheeks. Flustered, I tried to walk away, but he took my hand.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  “Isn't that what couples do? I'm holding your hand."

  "But we aren’t a couple, Nathaniel. You’re still working on that." I chuckled, but my heart beat strong in my chest. Many human women were looking at Nathaniel when we passed through. He was so attractive; it was easy to get distracted. The air around him buzzed with power; his movements were thoughtful but controlled. The heat between us eased off, but I knew that I would be back to square one very soon.

  "We will be," he added confidently. He was so full of himself, but I had to admit I liked his arrogant side. I was working so hard to hide the attraction between us.

  We talked about Rufus for a while. Nathaniel didn't believe that Rufus would sell out the agency and work for our rivals. Caleb McGregor was still a threat, and he hadn't been seen in London for a while. I was sure that my dad knew more than he was prepared to say. After all, I ruined Caleb’s business, so I was next in the line to be assassinated. He, no doubt, wanted revenge.

  “He's hiding; the police are after him, but he probably has people all over London," I said, contemplating the situation as we sat down in the restaurant a few hours later.

  “You're right. He had years to build his network; money gave him power and people that he can rely on. After you and I broke up, I was worried that he might want to look for revenge; that’s why I hired that bodyguard. I wanted to make sure that you stayed safe, and now he’s dead because of me."

  "So, why does he hate you so much? I mean, what did you do to him?"

  Nathaniel was looking at the menu; his shoulders tensed, but he didn't meet my eyes. "I didn't do anything to him. Don’t let him ruin our lunch," he said with that odd tone he always used when he was uncomfortable.

  I could see he wasn't prepared to talk about it and I didn't want to push him. They obviously had some unresolved conflict, but I doubted that Nathaniel was ever going to reveal why they hated each other so much. The waiter approached our table just in time to take our orders. I still had a light headache, but I felt better than I did that morning.

  "So, did you like my flowers on Friday?"

  "Yes, they were very beautiful. How very thoughtful of you," I said, smiling. We were coming to that point in our conversation where I wasn't sure what we should talk about next. Every time he looked at me I couldn’t stop thinking about our recent naughty encounter in the lift. His leg brushed mine, bringing back the feelings I wanted to hide, and I shivered.

  "I'm sorry about what I said."

  "Hmm?"

  "I should have protected you better. I couldn’t stand that you nearly died because of me, so I did what I thought was right."

  Chapter 13

  The past and doubts.

  I swallowed hard, drinking some water.

  "Yeah, you were an areshole." I tried to make joke out of it, but he was having none of it. He touched my hand, then leaned over the table so our faces were only couple inches apart. My heart was out of control, pumping blood through my veins way too fast. I needed to stop talking; I couldn’t do this right now.

  "I couldn’t bear it; that another vampire tasted your blood, then you nearly died because of the fire, all because of me. I care more about you than you realise."

  My throat was dry, and I had no idea what to say. Pressure was building up inside me, releasing tiny sparks of light through my fingertips.

  "Nathaniel, I want to make this
work, but I'm scared."

  I didn't want to say how I really felt about him; the realisation hit me out of the blue. He was a Dhampir and I was an elf, so there were other issues that we needed to consider. I didn't think I cared about what my grandmother thought anymore—about my blood—or her will. I kept saying I didn't want to be in love with him—but what if I was already in love with him?

  "We belong together, Julia. The sooner you understand that, the better."

  My cheeks flamed. I wanted him to kiss me, but I held his gaze, inhaling sharply, licking my lips. He’d already burned me once; how could I be sure that he wouldn’t to do it again?

  "What about my blood, Nathaniel? Underneath everything, you’re still a vampire."

  “I've already proven to you I can control my thirst. Your scent drives me fucking insane, but I’ll deal with it," he paused, smiling. "I would never deliberately hurt you."

  There would always be a problem with my blood. I couldn’t possibly have any feelings for him already; he confused me and corrupted my mind. I needed to take things slowly with him. I didn't want to love him yet, not until he was serious about me—but I was afraid it might be too late.

  We spent a pleasant early afternoon together and, somehow, Nathaniel helped to lift the guilt about Rufus off my chest. After lunch, he took me to one of his favourite sweet shops in London where we had coffee and cake. When we were leaving, my phone started vibrating; I picked it up without thinking about who would be on the other line.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, Julia, it’s Elena."

  "Elena, hi, how are you?" I asked, my voice breaking. I should have called her, but I was scared that she would blame me for Rufus’s disappearance. I knew things I wanted to keep to myself, but she was Rufus’s wife. She had a right to know what was going on with her husband.

  "Fine. I was just wondering if you could come see me today,” she said in a small voice. “I need to talk to you.” I looked at Nathaniel and my internal fight began. She needed a shoulder to cry on, but I wasn't prepared sit with her and lie to her face.