by Casey Lane
All except one of them disappeared into the trees. I stared after the group. Unnatural howls followed Athan into the night. The lone werewolf walked back toward me. His green eyes met mine and held them as he crossed the space left between us.
He came to stand in front of me. His massive jaws could have devoured me, but they didn’t. We stood there for a long moment, looking at one another. I put my hand up to touch his face. He leaned into it, still looking into my eyes. I thought his fur was going to be coarse, but it was surprisingly soft.
A particularly loud howl pierced the night air cutting short the moment. Cade turned his head and my hand fell away. The sound was followed by a series of others. Had they caught him?
I looked at Cade. He had turned back toward me and dipped his head. I was unsure of what to do. I reached out to touch him again and found myself on his back as he swiftly shifted his body. I quickly realized he wanted me to ride him. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but he wasn’t really giving me a choice. I got a better hold on him and shifted my weight accordingly so that I wouldn’t fall.
He started walking tentatively. I grabbed onto his fur, feeling nervous. He walked faster. I held on tighter. His pace turned into a trot. I clung to him. He didn’t go any faster. We made it to the tree line and ran into the woods.
Minutes later we were out of the woods and headed toward the ocean. I hadn’t realized it was that close. I saw a group of people standing by the cliff. I tried to get Cade to stop, afraid they would see him, but he headed straight for them.
They turned to look at us as we approached and I immediately recognized Mason. I thought he was naked at first and I almost turned away until I saw that he was wearing a pair of cutoff workout shorts. Oh. He was a werewolf too. Of course. Things were starting to click into place.
Cade stopped in front of him and leaned down to let me off. I was glad when my feet touched solid ground. I turned toward Mason.
“Where is the vampire?” I asked, not wasting time on small talk.
“He’s dead,” Mason gazed out at the ocean. “We chased him off of the cliff. Then he fell down onto the rocks and into the water.”
I looked out at what I could see of the dark ocean below. It was a long drop. The water swirled and crashed.
“Can we be sure he’s dead, though?” I asked.
“He’s dead,” Mason said again.
The group around him murmured agreement. I looked around at them. I was surprised to see two women in the group. There were four of them in all, five when you counted Cade. They were all around the same age. I had so many questions about werewolves, but the most important one right now had to do with vampires. I turned back to the ocean, wishing I could see Athan’s body to be sure that he was really gone.
I had to voice my fears. My safety depended on him being dead. “But vampires don’t die like humans do from a fall like that. At least, they shouldn’t. Vampires are supposed to be immortal. Right?”
“That does make them different from us,” Mason agreed.
Cade was suddenly standing next to me in human form. I was glad that I hadn’t seen him change. I’d had enough shock for one night and that might have put me over the edge.
“But I bit him. That seemed to have a very real effect,” Cade said.
I tried not to focus on the fact that he was also shirtless.
“It did have a definite effect on him,” I said, focusing on Mason instead. “He was injured. I’m positive about that.”
There was no mistaking the pain in the vampire’s howl when he’d been bitten. That and the Witch’s Bottle had done major damage. Was either one of them enough to kill him, though?
Mason nodded. “And werewolf bites are fatal to a vampire. They take a while to kill, but even if he managed to survive that fall it will be the death of him. That witch’s spell didn’t help him out either. There will probably be effects from that too.”
“Are you sure?” I asked again.
“Positive,” Mason said.
The waves crashed on the rocks below. There was no sign of Athan. I looked over at Cade and his eyes met mine, this time in human form. I really wanted to believe that Athan was dead and that this nightmare was finally over.
Chapter Nine
Cade and I spent the night at Mason’s. Separately. It was for safety. I was still scared and there would be a whole pack of werewolves to protect me if Athan came back. Although, it seemed like I was the only one with doubts.
When they finally went to bed, most of the pack slept in sleeping bags on the floor of the living room. I managed to get my own room with Cade’s next to mine. He’d demanded it since it was his job to keep me safe. Mason got the other private room since it was his house.
I had a hard time sleeping and only fell asleep sometime after the sun came up. I woke up after noon, still exhausted. The sun was already high in the sky and I could hear people moving around downstairs. My back hurt. I stretched. Hitting that cabin wall had definitely caused some bruising.
“Sera?”
My eyes flew to the bedroom door. “Cade?”
“Can I come in?”
I got out of bed and opened the door. Cade was already dressed. The clothes were a little bit big on him and I wondered if he’d borrowed them from Mason. I was surprised he hadn’t run back to his cabin to grab fresh clothes instead. Maybe he and Mason had made up while I’d slept. The pack had all worked together the night before, after all. Maybe things were okay between them now.
Cade walked past me and sat on the bed. I realized that I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I felt rumpled and dirty from battle. I touched my hair. It was a mess. I tried to smooth it down, but I really needed a mirror…and a hot shower.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Cade said.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting down next to him, hoping that I didn’t smell too bad.
Cade seemed unable to meet my eyes.
“What is it?” I asked again. Was it about my grandmother? Was she dead? “What is going on?”
After a moment, Cade looked at me. “I’m really sorry for not telling you that I was a werewolf.”
It was the last thing I’d expected him to say. Relief surged through me and I almost laughed. I caught myself in time. I didn’t want him to misinterpret it.
I looked at Cade seriously. “It’s okay. I can’t thank you enough for almost dying for me. I mean, there is no way that my stupid stakes, holy water, and soup cans would have been enough. The Witch’s Bottle didn’t even do the job. So, thank you. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Cade frowned. “No. That’s not why I came to talk to you. I don’t need a thank you. I’m just really sorry for leaving you like that. I know you panicked. I should have told you. I spent last night thinking about everything and…”
“It’s…”
“It’s not okay,” Cade finished for me. “The way you feel about being a witch is how I feel about being a werewolf.”
I was silent. I’d assumed I was the only one who had a hard time with the supernatural. It made sense that he didn’t like that part of himself. I definitely understood.
Cade continued, “So, thank you for embracing that part of yourself last night and saving me.”
“It sounds like we’re even,” I said. “You saved me too.”
Cade smiled. “We’re nowhere near even. You saved us both. I repay my debts.”
I disagreed. “No, we…”
Cade’s cell phone rang, startling us. It was the first time I’d heard it ring since we’d arrived. Cade seemed surprised too. He reached for it, glancing at it to see who was calling as he brought it out. He froze and then showed me the Caller ID. It was my grandmother.
A thousand thoughts flew through my mind, but I grabbed the phone and answered it. “Grandma! Where have you been?”
I held my breath and waited to hear her voice. I listened with every fiber of my being. It had to be her. It had to be…
Her soft gravely voice sound
ed on the line. “I’m so, so, so sorry, Seraphine. I’ve been dealing with things here.”
It sounded like my grandmother, but was it actually her? I hesitated. I’d been fooled before. I looked at the Caller ID on Cade’s phone. She was definitely at her house or someone was.
I met Cade’s eyes. He was frowning. He was thinking the same thing. The vampire had pretended to be my grandmother last night.
Still, this sounded like my grandmother and the vampire would barely have had time to get back to San Diego and call me. In addition to that, he’d had injuries and was likely dead. Plus, it was daylight and he’d waited until night to even try posing as my grandmother. Still. I had to be sure.
“This is you, right Grandma? You are my grandma?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
It rang true. It wasn’t a lie. It had to be her. I had to make sure this time, but I felt hopeful. She couldn’t cover up a lie to me. So far she was telling the truth. She was my grandmother. She’d said so.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m okay,” She said. “More importantly, how are you and Cade?”
“We’re surviving, but grandma, what happened to you? Why haven’t you called?” I asked. “I’ve been really worried.”
“I’ve been busy trying to vanquish the vampire before he got to you, but now he’s gone,” she said.
“He’s gone?” I asked. I still had my doubts, but I suddenly felt more hopeful about this too. “How? What happened?”
Cade leaned toward me. The phone was the only thing separating our faces. I did my best not to look over at his lips. I focused on what my grandmother was saying instead.
My grandmother sighed. “Well, it’s a bit of a tale, but after I sent Cade to take you away, I went to find the vampire. I summoned him and we fought, but he was too strong. The coven and I gathered and they were helping me prepare a very complicated spell, but when we tried it, I realized that he was gone. What happened out there? He found you, didn’t he? Did Cade…”
“But you’re okay?” I interrupted her. “How’s Bella?”
“Bella? Are you alright? Bella’s been dead for the last year. Honey, what is…”
Bella had been my grandmother’s favorite dog. I was testing her. She’d passed.
“I’m alright, grandma,” I said. “I was just really worried about you.”
“But Bella?” she asked.
“It’s nothing,” I said.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. I was just worried when you didn’t call.”
“I know and I’m sorry I couldn’t call. I was trying to protect you and I knew you’d have a hard time believing me. There wasn’t even time to call. I was trying to get to him before he found you. I was sure Cade would get through to you, though. Now, what happened out there?” my grandmother asked again.
“Have you talked to dad?” I asked instead of answering her.
“About this? Of course not.”
“Don’t you think he should know?” I asked.
“No. Besides, he’s at that science conference he goes to every year. There was no need to worry him. He wouldn’t have understood anyway. Your father is a very logical man. I would recommend that you don’t talk to him about this. Your mother never did.”
Grandma had passed my second test. The vampire shouldn’t know any real details about my family and this statement rang true too. I’d also learned something that I hadn’t expected to: my mom was a witch and my dad either didn’t like it or didn’t really know. I wondered if my mom had married him because she wanted to be normal too. I didn’t blame her. Being a witch made my life feel unnaturally complicated.
“So, dad doesn’t need protection?” I asked.
“No. Besides, as far as I can tell the vampire is gone now.”
I had one more question. “How did you know a vampire was even after me?”
“I felt it. Sort of like your dreams. I knew you could die. I had to try and protect you from it.”
“You did. The vampire is dead,” I said.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Will you finally tell me what happened out there?”
Cade nodded at me. I took a deep breath. Talking about it felt a little like reliving it.
I just said it. “He did find us and he did try to kill me. I threw the Witch’s Bottle at him and it smashed, hurting him. Cade attacked him and bit him as a werewolf, wounding him even more. Then he fell off of a cliff and into the ocean.”
I glanced at Cade again. I had assumed my grandmother knew he was a werewolf, but I hadn’t asked. He didn’t even flinch. She knew. I wondered what debt he was repaying to her. It must have been a big one to agree to risk his life for mine.
My grandmother sighed. “I was hoping that he’d never even made it to the two of you, but I had another bad feeling last night just before we did the spell. Then when it seemed like he’d been killed, I felt relieved. I called you as soon as the coven left.”
The coven had been there all night and into the day? What was my grandmother not telling me? If the vampire had already been vanquished why had they pulled an all nighter? They were not young women.
“I actually had a dream the night that Cade showed up,” I said.
My grandmother was quiet. “I know. And I know all of this must remind you of the night your mother died.”
Grandma had passed my last test. It had to be her. The vampire was not this good at pretending. Truthfully, I should have seen it last night. My grandmother would not have needed help to walk around a dead deer even in the dark.
“Was it a vampire, grandma? Did a vampire really kill my mother?” I had to know.
She was silent for a moment. “Yes. I’m sorry, honey. I know she wouldn’t have wanted you to dwell on her death, though. I’m very sorry this happened. I’ve kept you so safe until now.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see it. I had tears in my eyes and a frog in my throat. I took a deep breath. I felt Cade’s warm hand on my back. I looked over at him and his eyes held mine.
“Are you okay?” my grandmother asked.
I took a deep breath before I answered. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s just a lot to think about. I definitely need to talk to you more when I get home, grandma. I have so many questions.”
“About being a witch?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And I’m happy to answer them,” she said.
I smiled, but all was not resolved for me still. “Grandma, I just have to ask one more time. Was the werewolf bite enough to kill the vampire? I mean, it’s not a stake or anything, but…”
“A werewolf bite is lethal to vampires. It’s enough,” my grandmother said.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Mason had told me the same thing repeatedly, but hearing my grandmother say it made me feel so much safer.
“Where are you now?” my grandmother asked.
“We’re still in Big Sur. We were just waiting to make sure that it was safe to go home.”
“You can come home,” my grandmother said.
“Really?” I felt tears in my eyes.
Cade smiled at me over the phone. I returned his grin. It was over.
“Really,” my grandmother said.
“I’m going to let you go, grandma. I’ll call you when I get back home.”
“Alright, honey. Stay safe.”
“I will,” I said.
I barely waited to hear her goodbye before I ended the call.
“She’s alive?” Cade asked, turning his body to face me, his leg brushing mine.
An electric current flashed through my body. I tried not to react. I couldn’t tell if Cade noticed or not.
I simply nodded. “Yes. I even checked like four times. It’s definitely her. There’s no way the vampire could know some of those details. Besides, she said it was her. I’d have known if it was a lie.”
“Great,” Cade sounded relieved. “I’ll feel better when I see her, though.”
“Me too,” I said.
I smiled, feeling significantly lighter. I think we had both assumed my grandmother was dead when Athan transformed into her. There was no way Athan could have known the details she’d just responded back to me, though. It had to be her.
I turned to Cade. “Can I ask you a question?”
“What?” Cade asked.
“You owe me a favor, right?” I felt bold. I’d almost just died the night before. I could ask for this.
“I do owe you a debt,” Cade corrected me.
“Whatever. Would you like to repay it right now?”
Cade seemed suspicious. “How?”
“Can I have a hug?” I asked.
Cade half laughed.
“I’m serious,” I said. “I hurt everywhere and there’s just so much to process. I could really use one.”
Cade looked at me. I waited to see what he would do. After a moment he moved toward me and enveloped me in a hug. Currents of electricity surrounded me, lighting my body on fire. I leaned against him and his head rested on top of mine. I relaxed. I felt protected. Everything was going to be alright. I listened to his heart as it beat in rhythm to mine. I wanted more, but I was happy at this moment. Cade’s arms were around me and I wrapped mine around him. We stayed that way, embracing each other, for what felt like a blissful eternity.
Athan was dead. We were safe. I could even have a happily ever after if I found one. I could go back to my normal life and everything would be fine. It was too bad that normal suddenly seemed way less appealing.
If you plan to continue with this series, there’s an epilogue…but I suggest you stop here if you don’t like cliffhangers and don’t plan to continue.
Thanks for reading!
Epilogue
I was back at work on Monday morning. It felt strange. Normal definitely didn’t feel right anymore. I took another sip of my coffee and focused on my work. I glanced at my phone. There were no new messages. I pondered writing Cade another one, but I set my phone down instead. I’d already texted him once this morning with a good morning, but he hadn’t responded.
It was driving me crazy. Maybe that was the problem. Since he’d dropped me off on Saturday night, I couldn’t get my mind off of him. There were a thousand things wrong with that. We’d only just met. We lived hours apart. He was a lawyer. Okay, that wasn’t a bad thing. Still, he was also a werewolf. Did he really fit into my life? How were we going to make this work? His job took a billion hours a week and his supernatural life took the rest. I took another sip of coffee. I had work to do. I really didn’t have time to think about this. Besides, he hadn’t even made a move on me before he dropped me back off at my apartment. I might never see him again.
