by Rose Pressey
Isabella had seemed genuine when she said she didn’t know where Jack was, and I had believed her when she acted concerned for him. But maybe she was just a really good actress? After all, she said she’d always wanted to be one. Then again, this could have something to do with the vampire leader. Isabella had said the note had come from him. But what was the ring doing in the little pouch? I may never know the answers. But regardless, right now I had only one thing on my mind, and that was to find Jack. The rest would have to wait. I studied the ring one last time, looking on the inside to see if there was an inscription. A date and the initials, Q.R.T were stamped inside.
I stuffed the ring back into the pouch, then tucked the little bag into my back pocket. I needed to get out of there before whoever lost the ring came back looking for it and found me instead. How did I consistently get myself into these kind of messes? I was a simple girl who just wanted to relax at home, reading a good book. Go out for the occasional good meal and some good music. But no, instead I was running from werewolves, vampires, soul collectors, and every other supernatural creature that anyone had every dreamed of.
Heck, I wished I didn’t know any of them ever existed. I eased back around the door and into the corridor. The building was eerily quiet, which to me was a warning sign of bad things to come. If I could only find where Quinton had gone. Maybe the ring really had belonged to him? He looked like he might wear some gaudy piece of jewelry like that. That’s when I remembered the initials. Okay, a little slow, I know, but I hadn’t eaten and the stress was getting to me.
The initials had to be Quinton’s. Not many people had the first initial Q. I’d confront him with it if I ever found him. That was if he didn’t try to kill me first. I wouldn’t go down without a fight though, and somehow I knew he knew that. The middle of a room seemed an odd place to find a ring in a little pouch like that. If someone dropped it, you’d think they’d realize it. It was kind of hard to miss it there in the center of the room like that.
Why hadn’t anyone walked past and spotted it? How long had it been here in the first place? So many questions and no answers. It felt weird being in this building alone, as if I was in a cobweb and the spiders were just waiting to pounce. At any second, they could find me, and all of this would be over. My mission to find Jack would all be for nothing.
After traveling down the corridor for what seemed like forever, I needed time to rest and think about my next move. To my right was a small empty room. It would be the only place to slip out of view and collect my thoughts. Paint was peeling from the pea-green walls and the concrete floor was covered in dirt.
I slid up against the wall near the door and pressed my back against the cool concrete. As I hid in the gloomy little space, contemplating where to go next, the only sound was my heavy breathing. I tried to steady my panting so no one would hear me. Sophie’s voice sounded from somewhere nearby. I’d never forget her shrill, whiny voice. It would be etched in my brain forever. Just like Lily’s annoying ear-penetrating tone. I inched back out into the dim corridor and made my way over to another area, hiding behind a large metal beam. The space was wide open in the middle of the building on the ground floor, not a great spot to attempt to disappear from vampires. When I peeked around the edge, I saw her right away. Sophie stood in the middle of the room. When she stepped to the side, I spotted Jack. My hand flew to my mouth to stop my gasp. He was strapped to a chair in the middle of the room. The dim lighting cast an eerie feeling around the space.
I knew I couldn't trust that woman. She had said she wanted to help Jack, but she really wanted to kill him. And to think I let that other evil vampire ride with me. He had known what Sophie had planned. He’d practically delivered me to her until I’d given him the slip. I’d followed him right into their trap. Just as he’d wanted.
She hovered over Jack. Her lips were almost touching his lips. Her fangs were exposed and she was just about to plant a kiss on Jack’s mouth.
“Stop,” I yelled with undisguised anger. “Get off him. Jack, I’ll help you.” The words rolled off my tongue as if I had all the confidence in the world.
My voice must have startled her because she jumped off him and spun around, giving me a death glare. Sophie had been straddling Jack. That was not what I'd wanted to see. The fangs were bad enough.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Back away from Jack and I won't have to kill you,” I demanded.
“He likes it. He’s really a yummy little treat. A fine specimen of male perfection. So why don't you go scratch your fleas.”
“I will not leave unless he is leaving with me.” I pointed at Jack. “Now back off.”
“I can’t believe you actually think you can save him.”
“You can’t think you’ll get away with this, can you? Why do you want him? He has nothing for you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. But what he has for me is none of your concern.” She stared over my shoulder, letting me know someone stood behind me. I was afraid to turn around. “Why did you bring her here?” Sophie asked Quinton.
I whipped around to find Quinton behind me. He stood near—almost close enough to whisper in my ear. I jumped back, and my heart thumped in my chest. I guess I should have known he’d find me. How would I fight both of them? I was surrounded by vampires. Not the kind of situation you’d want to find yourself in. I didn’t have enough blood to go around.
“I don't know why you’re behaving this way, Sophie, but you know why I brought her here.”
“I’ll get you for this, Quinton,” Sophie hissed.
Couldn't they just come out and say what they were thinking? Did every word out of their mouths have to be a puzzle?
“I don't even know why you brought me here, so why don't you share with me.” I frowned at Quinton. “Stop playing your silly little games.”
“I will share later. Right now you need to get your boyfriend out of here.” He gestured behind him.
That was easy for him to say. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I could find my way back out of this huge building.
“I intend on it,” I said as I moved closer to Jack.
Sophie hissed and I stopped, unsure of what move I should make next. Jack couldn't move, not with the ropes tightly wrapped around his wrists. He sat there staring blankly straight ahead. He didn’t look at me. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his skin looked paler than ever. I wasn’t a vampire and even I knew he needed blood. From the large streaks of blood running down the side of his arms, I knew Sophie had been up to no good. I wasn't sure how much longer he would last under these conditions.
The dirt covering the windows filtered out most of the sunlight, making the area mostly dim. I couldn’t make out for sure, but what I thought to be bags of blood set on the ground behind Jack, lined up in a neat little row. Had she been draining the blood from him? How much blood had she taken from him? He couldn’t afford to lose anymore. It would kill him. The bitch. She’d pay for this.
“Jack, my little pet, I suggest you get her out of here before she gets hurt.” Sophie stood next to Jack, stroking his hair. The sight of it made me want to hurl all over her ugly shoes. It would be hard for him to get me out of there since he was tied up. He was barely alive thanks to her. How could he tell me to do anything?
“I advise you to remove your hands from him.”
“The only one getting hurt is you, Elvira. So back off.”
With my snarky comment, she lunged. I darted to my right.
Quinton jumped on Sophie, tackling her as if they were on a football field. Well, I hadn’t expected that turn of events. She hissed and he pinned her to the ground holding her hands.
“Get off me, you stupid fool. I’ll have your head on a platter for this.”
“I don’t think so, Sophie. This is where it ends. I won’t let you do this.”
They rolled to the left, alternating between Sophie on top, then Quinton. Wow, she was stronger than she looked.
While Q
uinton rumbled with Sophie, I ran over to Jack. “I'm going to get you out of here. Do you hear me? Do you understand?”
He mumbled something, but the message was incoherent. “Can you nod if you understand me?” I asked.
He nodded. Well, that was some progress. I’d take any acknowledgement at this point. I struggled with the rope fixed firmly around his wrists, but it was wound tightly, fastened with a secure knot. Sophie was an evil bitch for what she’d done to Jack. I struggled but couldn't get a strong grip on the rope. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Sophie was making progress in breaking free from Quinton. My time was running out, I sensed it. Sophie would break free from Quinton soon. She'd swoop in on Jack like a vulture. I wouldn’t be able to free him if I had to fight her.
Sophie had to have known I would come for him. She didn’t care; she probably loved to fight. After several seconds, what seemed like forever, I loosened one of the knots, then slipped his hand out. After fumbling with the other, I loosened the other one, and freed his right hand.
“Come on Jack. Can you stand up?” I pulled on him, trying to help him to his feet.
He mumbled again. Had they drugged him? He wasn't making any sense.
“What are you trying to say? Do you understand me, Jack? I need you to get up. Nod if you understand me.”
He nodded, but I didn't think he was really comprehending what I was saying.
“We have to get you out of here.” I reached down and placed my arms under Jack's armpits. I had to lift him and carry him out of there. But being half-turned and completely out of it wasn’t helping matters. It didn’t make the process any easier. It would be tough to carry a grown man and run at the same time. I had werewolf strength, but there was only so much I could do. I grunted while hoisting and heaving him to his feet. He wobbled back and forth a couple of time, then I righted him. He made eye contact with me, and for a moment, I thought there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes, but then he looked away and my hope faded.
“We’re going to run. Okay, Jack?” I struggled to pull him up. Holding on to him for much longer would be impossible. I wasn’t that tough, was I?
He nodded, but he had no idea what he was consenting to. I thought he’d agree to anything I said at this point. I sensed Sophie nearing us like a panther sneaking up on its prey. I knew she was somewhere just out of my line of vision. She was just waiting for her chance to pounce.
“Jack, you are going to have to run. We have no other options.” I spoke the words and he agreed, but would he run? Did he really want to be with her like she said? Had he really come of his own free will?
“Sophie is watching us. She's going to attack at any moment.”
As the words left my lips, Sophie pounced on my back.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
How to Date a Vampire, Rule #28:
Follow rules 1 through 28 and you can’t go wrong. Almost.
I tumbled to the ground, letting out a groan as my shoulder smashed against the concrete. That was going to leave an ugly bruise. What had happened to Quinton? I glanced around until I spotted him fighting with another vampire in the corner of the room. It was Nelson from the graveyard. Without warning, Sophie lunged on top of me and I pushed to free her grip. With her face just inches from mine, her exposed fangs were all I saw… well, that and her smeared lipstick and mascara streaked across her cheeks.
Just my luck. If a werewolf wasn’t trying to kill me, then a vampire stepped in to take its place. This was crazy. Why couldn't these paranormals just act normal? Do their paranormal thing without getting me involved.
I rolled Sophie around on the dirty concrete floor and managed to punch her as my transformation began. I needed to shift quickly so I would have the extra strength. But it would be almost impossible with her on top of me. The hair slowly began to spread across my body. My eyes changed to their usual animalistic glowing hue and my canines lengthened in my mouth. She probably didn’t realize that I could bite better than her. I bet she hadn't bargained for that. Her slender little fangs were no match for my thick choppers.
“I will take you down, vampy. You think you’re so tough. I have more strength than you thought, huh?” I kicked her off me and jumped up to a standing position. She tumbled backward, releasing a loud grunt. She jumped up easier than I’d expected though, and stood in front of me again. Sophie lunged forward once more.
Still not fully turned, I swung my arm, cutting a slice through the air. My fist was about a mile from this floozy’s face. Perhaps I needed to check out that punching bag at the gym. Or, quit running with the paranormal crowd. It was kind of hard to ignore them when you got sucked into these situations. But I was ready to turn in my paranormal members card.
I stumbled forward, throwing my hands in front of me to keep my face from becoming one with the pavement. If only I could fully change. Quinton pulled me up by my shirt. Somehow, he’d broken away from the other fight to lend me a hand. As soon as I righted myself, stumbling until I was upright, Quinton lunged at Sophie again. What? Was I seeing things? Had I been knocked out cold and this was some crazy dream? Nope. I was fully awake. He was actually helping me. Score one for team werewolf. His fist met with Sophie’s face. Nice shot.
“Good one, Quinton,” I yelled. Was I cheering on the vampires? What bizarre world had I stepped into?
Before Quinton had a chance to respond, Nelson zipped around behind Jack and placed him in a headlock. My skin continued to tingle. The burning and pulling raged through my body, stronger than it ever had before. I clawed the front of Nelson’s face, forcing him to release his grip on Jack. Before Jack had a chance to escape, the male vampire attacked Jack again.
It didn’t take much for the vampire to knock Jack out this time. With his lack of blood, he was weak. Jack tumbled to the ground, then the vampire turned his attention to me. He reached for my arm, but I jerked it out of his reach. Before I got very far, he rushed up behind me and yanked me back toward his body. My stomach churned with the slightest touch from him, but I was able to control my queasiness. As he pinned me against the wall, I realized he was stronger than I expected. But I didn’t worry. I could take him down if I had to—one kick to his nether regions would do it.
With one big wallop, he tumbled to the ground. Within a second, he stood, but his back was facing me. As I attacked the back of Nelson, I continued to try to shift into werewolf form. He stumbled around with me on his back.
When I whacked his head, he stumbled backward and tripped on a concrete block that sat on the floor. The husky vampire fell backward, hitting his head on the ground. The loud thud rang out. He lay motionless, out cold to the world.
After I managed to break free from the male vampire, I jumped up. Sophie still struggled with Quinton. Why was he helping me?
When I glanced over my shoulder, Jack had disappeared. Had he ran outside? Or had another vampire grabbed him? Leaving Quinton fighting with Sophie, I took off down the long catwalk, not sure of what creature might jump out at me next. Doorways lined each side, and at any moment, someone or something could jump out at me. I finally reached a broken out window and ran over to it.
There was nowhere else for me to run. I peered down at the alleyway below. The jump wouldn’t be far, so I figured I had to take my chances and go for it. Being in werewolf form would make the jump relatively easy. There wasn't much time; I had to make a go of it. The vampires would find me soon. I wouldn't be of any help to Jack if they caught up with me. I jumped up onto the edge of the window, took in a deep breath, and in one fluid movement, leapt into the alleyway.
The pads of my feet hit the pavement with a loud thud. Thank goodness for being a werewolf in times such as these. Although if I wasn't a werewolf, probably none of this would have happened in the first place. But that was neither here nor there now. As I stood there, I decided it was best if I didn’t shift completely. The little bit of hair on my body would disappear soon. It would be easier to travel around the market without excess hair. N
o matter my clothes had rips, tears, and dirt smeared all over them. I looked around the alleyway and no one was around. Everything was calm as if any ordinary day, unlike the chaos that had been going on in the building. Birds perched on the rooftop chirped and humans on their normal routine sounded in the near distance. The alley flowed into the street behind me.
As my eyes adjusted to the sunlight, I spotted Quinton. He hovered over Jack, his mouth pressed to his neck. Jack didn’t move. It was as if he was already dead. I couldn’t bear to think of it.
“Get your fangs off of him,” I yelled. “Step away from Jack.”
Had Quinton pretended to help me just so he could get to Jack? He’d had me fooled. Quinton didn’t stop his attack; he didn’t look up when I called out to him. Apparently he had one mission and he wouldn’t let a little thing like a werewolf stop him. He wanted Jack drained. He wanted to kill him. Why hadn’t he tried to kill me when he had the chance?
In super werewolf mode, I ran down the alleyway toward Jack. But before I reached his side, Sophie jumped out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. “You didn't think you'd get away from us that easily, did you? You aren't nearly as smart as you think you are.” I glared at her, not backing down.
“Yeah, well, you're as dumb as I know you are.”
She frowned, not quite sure if I'd insulted her or not. As I moved to zip around her, she pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. Again with the weapons? Didn’t anyone fight the old-fashioned way anymore? Weren’t her fangs weapons enough for her?
It didn't look as if there would be a way out of this situation. She had me cornered, and a bullet was kind of hard to avoid. As she perfected her aim, with venom in her eyes, I was pretty sure she wanted me gone. Like permanently gone. Just like Jack. Getting rid of both of us had been their mission all along. There was a lot of stuff I still wanted to do with my life. I wanted to see Jack again. I wanted to spend time with my family and Jennifer. I wanted to continue being a matchmaker; I liked playing Cupid. Sure, I had made mistakes in my life, and now I couldn't correct them. I couldn't fix this mistake. No matter how hard I tried.
