Nightly Howls

by Madeline Blake

  ***

  "Hey Ella," Wes pops his head through the doorway, his golden hair shining in the light, "what are you doing?"

  I pause at the refrigerator, turning my head at the sound of his voice. I smile a little, grabbing a few eggs and shutting the door afterwards. Wes weaves his way towards me, his movements fluid and smooth.

  "Breakfast?" he asks in wonder, "you are actually making breakfast for us?"

  "So what if I am?" I bend my head in embarrassment, knocking one egg against the bowl to crack it.

  Wes ignores this remark, smiling at me brightly. He reminds me of Nico in his puppy-like behavior, yet I have a feeling that Wes would treat anyone this way, while Nico doesn't care about other girls. Is this difference caused by the mating?

  "I'm making-" I start after guilty feelings enter at my cruelty, but he interrupts me eagerly.

  "Don't tell me! I love both surprises and homemade breakfast," he smiles, his teeth glistening, "Nico will especially love anything you make. By the way, when I passed his room all the way here, he was laughing hysterically. So I was wondering..."

  Yolk explodes onto the bowl, shell dribbling in shards down the side.

  "Ella?" Wes stares at my clenched fist in confusion.

  My hand trembles as I turn away to the sink to wash off the slime now adorning my palm. The water burns as it slips down my fingers, some splashing upon my face. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot wash away the blush from my cheeks.

  I turn back to Wes, smiling awkwardly. "I'm okay. It was an accident," I attempt to reassure him.

  "Are you su-"

  "Yes. I'm," I take the beater and punch the glob in the bowl, "Perfectly. Fine."

  "No you aren't." His voice is firm and resolute.

  Bitter words stay captive behind my lips, beating against its confinements. We both look at the crumbled shell mixed in with the yolk in silence, I desperately trying to hide the redness in my features.

  "I'll just... come back later then," Wes bows slightly, and then exits the room, his footsteps pounding through the hallway.

  I pick up the clear bowl, trumping over to the sink, and pour it down the drain, watching the egg disappear once and for all. Irritation grows within me, boiling inside my chest. Calming is impossible. He tricked me.

  Nico...

  What am I going to do with you?

  ***

  "Oh, you're back," I smile as Wes leads the way into the kitchen, followed by a slew of werewolves. Yi has the bed head, his ruffled black hair sticking straight up. His eyes are bloodshot, as if he just had a bad night's sleep.

  "Are you better now?" Wes asks concernedly.

  "Yes." I gesture to the dining room right next to the kitchen. "Just go sit in there and I will bring out the food soon."

  "You're amazing, Ella," Wes laughs, coming close and wrapping an arm around my waist. I stiffen a little, amazed at the way it seems completely different when Nico touches me. Nico tends to send sparks of flame through my body, while Wes freezes me like an icicle. With another happy-go-lucky grin, he sneaks forward and kisses my cheek.

  I smack him on the arm, slightly angered but still playful. "What are you thinking, trying to steal a kiss from me?" I ask in a teasing tone. But inwardly, I am wondering why, exactly, I feel nothing when Wes's truly delicious lips brush against my skin.

  "It is like a greeting with Wes. He kisses everybody," Jake shrugs, "all his girls. I suggest you get used to it."

  "And I suppose you do the same thing?" I raise one eyebrow.

  "We all do," Asher says, and then turns to Jake. "You haven't told her about the club yet, have you?"

  Jake shakes his head, "I thought we were going to have to quit because Nico finally got mated. I was going to close it for this week."

  "What club?" I ask, even more curious because Asher is talking.

  "Um, well..." Jake starts, and then trails off.

  "We'll tell you over breakfast," Wes finishes for him, "don't worry about it right now."

  Yi just stares at his shoes, not talking. What's wrong with him? It is as if he is afraid to look at me.

  Wes looks over his shoulder into the hallway, and his eyes widen. "Hurry guys, into the dining room," he pushes them out of the kitchen with great force. As he exits, he shoots me a wink.

  I take the French toast I had prepared and laid two on each plate. After scattering powdered sugar on it, as well as adding a tiny bowl of syrup and butter, it soon looks professional. After a healthy dab of whipped cream and a small strawberry, they are meals fit for a king. My cooking skills really haven't deteriorated.

  "That looks really good," a voice murmurs beside my ear. I smile slightly, not looking up, drunk in my own pleasurable thoughts.

  "Thanks."

  "Where did you learn to cook?"

  "I used to help at the orphanage. The cook would always give me extra scraps if I washed the dishes, and eventually she let me cook most of the food for her while she was the one to get paid. But I didn't mind, because the cook was nice to me... and it was better than playing with the other kids." I stop in my tracks, staring at the granite sadly.

  "What happened? Ms. Penn found out?"

  "Of course," I laugh shakily, "Ms. Penn knows everything. At first she wanted me to continue cooking so she wouldn't have to pay the cook, but then, once she realized I was happy to do it, she fired the cook and hired another one. She banished me from the kitchen for just being happy."

  "I'm sorry," the voice sparks electricity in my blood, arousing desire within me. Wait... it is as if I am waking from a dream, the fog lifted, and then I look up at his face.

  "Nico," I back away from the devilishly handsome figure.

  "You didn't know it was me?" he asks innocently, "I made no attempt to disguise myself."

  "That's not the point," I say, anger boiling in my blood, "you were completely awake the whole time, even when you tried to kiss me? You laughed at me?"

  Nico covers his mouth to stifle another chuckle. "Oh, I thought you were actually mad-"

  "What do you mean, ‘actually mad’?!" I snap, feeling rather immature under Nico's laughing gaze.

  "I thought you were mad about something important," he clarifies laughingly. I punch him in the arm, and he staggers back a little. I start to see red, almost forgetting why I am mad at him.

  "You're so mean, Nico! Why would you laugh about one little mistake..." I punch him again, fury emanating from me.

  "I laughed because of how cute you were," he smiles, stopping me in my tracks, "I just had to try and kiss you." My clenched fist hovers right beside his arm, all force evaporated.

  "You get so angry and embarrassed over little things... I think it’s adorable," Nico winks, whirling me towards him with his hand and plopping his lips on my cheek. Immediately passion and lust arise, flowing between us both. I look to the ground, breaking away from his grasp. My breathing is heavy, face flushed. How can his kisses affect me so much?

  "Are you serious?" my voice is tiny, squeaky.

  Nico nods, reaching forward with one finger and tilting my face upwards. He laughs in amusement. "You're blushing," he observes, a smirk slowly creeping onto his features.

  I yank his hand away, anger sparked once more. "I'm not!" I protest uselessly, picking up a few of the plates hurriedly.

  "Whatever you say," he says, voice dripping with amused sarcasm. I have never heard him use sarcasm before.

  He follows me into the dining room, where everyone is seated and perfectly still. I narrow my eyes at the mischievous werewolves, knowing exactly why they are so quiet. "You heard it all, didn't you?" I ask, expressionless.

  All of them, excluding Asher and Yi, break out into a sly smile. "Having a lover's spat?" Jake teases, elbowing Nico who just sat down next to him.

  "Just shut up," I place one plate in front of Nico, then hesitate before giving Jake his share, "or I won't give you breakfast."

  "Okay, okay," Jake concedes defeat, though still grinning. I place the
other plates in front of Asher and Wes, then retreat to grab Yi's.

  Shouts immediately erupt from the dining room. "This is fantastic!"

  "I love French toast!"

  "I love you Ella!"

  "That's my mate you're talking about..."

  I inwardly laugh, entering the room once more with my plate and Yi's plate. Yi is staring at the table, almost completely lifeless. I put the plate in front of him, and then gently touch his shoulder. "Yi?" I ask.

  He tilts his head sharply to meet my gaze, anger in his features. "Don't touch me," he snaps, jumping to his feet. Immediately he turns away from me, facing the others. "I'm going to eat in the courtyard today," he states robotically, then picks up his plate and brushes past me.

  "What's with him?" I ask worriedly, sitting down in his old spot. They just shake their heads.

  "He was staring at you as if he had seen a ghost yesterday..." Wes points out, "and has been sort of weird ever since."

  I take the first bite of my home-made breakfast, reveling at the sweetness I am finally able to indulge in. No matter how annoying Nico may be, I still feel lucky that things have turned out this way.

  "Let's not talk about Yi," Wes dismisses after a long, awkward silence, "tell her about the club, Jake."

  "Yeah," I agree, "what club?"

  "We own a nightclub in the city called Moonlight. It is one of the most exclusive clubs you will find anywhere in the state," Jake says, "and it is also how we make our money."

  "It is also where we get our woman of the week," Asher interrupts, smiling.

  "Asher... just shut up," Nico cuts in. Asher lazily ambles from the table to the door, exiting to go who-knows-where.

  "I'm done," he throws over his shoulder, and I look at his perfectly clean plate. How can he eat so fast?

  "Anyways," Jake continues, "we only open on Saturday nights, and charge an astronomical entrance fee. All the rich and famous locals go there."

  "Woman of the week?" I probe, to Wes's obvious dismay.

  "Don't think bad of me..." he stresses.

  "We enter the nightclub every two weeks and… auction ourselves off, if that makes any sense," Jake tries to explain. My eyes widen.

  "A bachelor auction!" I exclaim, "is it just you guys or do you auction off more men?"

  "Nah, only werewolves will do," Wes laughs, "we don't need any more bachelors than the five, no, four ones right here."

  "Women pay serious bucks for boyfriends," Jake says, "especially if they are wanted by their other rich friends."

  So that's how they have so much money...

  I stand up while I listen, taking their perfectly clean plates to the kitchen. "So the money's not for charity or something?" I call from the sink.

  "We say it is," Nico says.

  "And, you know, we do give some of it away. Maybe half," Jake grins. I laugh, although still a little bewildered. "We auction off boyfriend for the week, which includes three dates, our phone number, three requests, and a bouquet of roses. We all sell for big cash, though Nico is king," Jake adds rather enviously.

  "How much?" I ask curiously. I can understand rich women paying a lot of money for these handsome flirts.

  "Around ten thousand to twenty thousand," Jake laughs, "although one time Nico did sell for fifty thousand. Two women were feeling rather competitive."

  "Fifty thousand!" I couldn't imagine that number in my wildest daydreams. I haven't even seen a fifty dollar bill in years.

  "You don't understand," Wes starts in, "to get us for one week is the ultimate trophy. Our women get supreme bragging rights for the entire time they have us. Our looks are above ordinary, especially Nico's crazy hair, and we are famous among the Moonlight attendance. We are like what you would call 'trophy wives', but are temporary and also men, of course."

  "The trophy men..." I snicker quietly.

  "I don't know what we are going to do without Nico... it'll be an outrage among the women," Jake shakes his head regretfully, "let's hope none of us get mated as well."

  I scan the area for any hint of Asher, and then I lean in slowly. "Why do women even bid on Asher? He's practically a monster, and so rude too!" I whisper, my voice lingering on the wind before reaching their ears. Wes bursts out into laughter, Nico soon joining in. Jake is the only one managing to stay calm, answering my question smoothly.

  "You haven't seen him around the ladies... and he is practically a mirror image of Nico, minus the hair and a few other details. Many women think of him as Nico's slightly less desirable double."

  "So he sells for a lot..."

  "Well, pretty much. It usually goes in this order, from least amount of money to most; Yi, Me, Asher, Wes, and Nico. We all sell really close together though, except for that one fifty thousand."

  "Wow," I say, "this is amazing. Do you guys ever get attached to your women?"

  "Never," Wes says darkly, serious for the first time ever, "it's not allowed."

  "But I'm sure they get attached to you," I grin, crossing my arms, "maybe a few stalkers?" I pointedly stare at the blushing Nico.

  "That's the fun part," Wes smiles, "no one knows anything about us. They only know us by our first names. . In return for being their boyfriend for a week, we make them sign a contract of strict confidentiality. They are not allowed to ask us questions about our past, family, or even where we live. They are also required to only use our number during the week we are their boyfriends. After that week, if they use our number they will be fined $500 or more. For many, it is like a dream with a rough awakening at the end."

  "Harsh," I shake slightly. They truly are the pack of players. Nico looks at me, and I suddenly think of a question. "Are you going to still auction yourself off?" I ask him, trying to remain indifferent.

  Nico smiles. "Of course not, Ella. I'm all yours."

  I look away to hide my growing blush. Why is it that I always get red around him?

  "You should have met Nico before he got mated to you," Wes laughs, "he was a bigger player than I am now." I find that rather hard to imagine. Nico... a player? Never.

  "Twenty thousand dollars less every week," Jake almost moans, "it's very sad."

  "Don't worry buddy," Wes pats him on the back, "I'll be your moneymaker from now on. Nico, we got to find another job for you."

  "Why wouldn't women want him?" I interrupt.

  There is silence, then uncontrollable laughter. "I don't think you understand, Ella," Wes gasps, sputtering with chuckles, "they do want him. But wouldn't that be unfair to you if he becomes some other girl's boyfriend?"

  "Hey Nico," Jake smiles, "you should be partying right now. Ella just indirectly admitted she was attracted to you."

  "Shut up!" I say angrily, and they eventually quiet down. Silence reigns in the room, each of us unsure of what to say. It seems to suit them; this glamorous lifestyle they hold. Their looks guarantee nothing less.

  "Where is the person you guys almost killed?" I suddenly start up, remembering past events.

  "In the guest bedroom," Wes says dismissively. I look at him in bafflement, and he laughs. "It's not like we have a dungeon to throw him in," he points out.

  "I don't understand why you didn't just let us kill him-" Jake begins.

  "No!" I stand up, banging my hands on the table, "I think I can force the shifter out of him."

  They all stare at me, Nico becoming rather distressed. "No, Ella, please," he starts, and then stops abruptly.

  "I could access his mind, and I was able to hear the two voices. If I can somehow... further this ability, then I know I can save him!" I say determinedly, "then you will never have to kill another human again!"

  "You can't think of them as humans, Ella," Jake sighs, "once they're possessed, their soul is as good as gone. We aren't murderers."

  "But he was there!" I exclaim, and then my hand is fiercely grabbed by Nico.

  "We need to continue this conversation elsewhere," he whispers into my ear, standing up.

  "Let go!" I struggle
as he forces me out of the room. I am whisked away, super speed taking over, air rushing past me like a tornado.

  We end up back in the garden, Nico standing right in front of me, still holding my hands. Skies as clear as can be hang above us, a slew of colors in the flowers below. Everything is so beautiful, although now a piece of yellow tape stretches from tree to tree of the entrance to the path I had traveled before. It says DANGER.

  Wow. They must really think I'm stupid.

  "Please, Ella, forget about the man," he begs, "we'll take care of him. Worry about... I don't know... just don't worry about anything. You don't have to get into this."

  "But I do! I can't just let you guys kill him while knowing I can save his life-"

  "How, exactly?" Nico says slowly, "How can you save his life?"

  Time stops as I look to the floor, examining my shoes. "I don't know much about being a Spier, but from what I heard, it seems as if I could really help you guys-"

  "No!" he says agitatedly, "you're helping us just fine by being right here."

  "But even if I wasn't able to help you, rescuing that man... wouldn't that be worth the risk?" In my head, it is perfectly simple. I can't live with the fact that I could have saved a person and didn’t. Why can't he get it?

  "Nothing is worth you," he says with pain, squeezing my hands tightly.

  "Nico..." I sigh, "Please understand."

  "I understand perfectly," he says angrily, his voice dangerously low, "and I'm not letting you blow your life away for a lost cause."

  "You don't believe I can do it?" my voice is sharp, shrill.

  He pauses, drawing a little picture in the dirt with his foot. "Ella, it's not like I think you can't, but it does seem rather-"

  "I get it, Nico. You don't want me to do it. You don't believe I can," my voice is low, defeated. I start walking towards the door, desperately trying to veil the determination bursting within.

  "No, it's not that! It's just that there is a big chance you will die," he yells after me, "I... don't want that. Please, Ella..."

  I reach the wooden door, turning the knob to swing it open. Without casting one glance behind my shoulder, I slip inside, closing it after me. It feels, strangely, as if I have shut him out forever.