by Emma Carter
My beer bottle shattered to pieces in my hand before I realized I was squeezing it too tight. I was bothered by very little in life but my relationship with my pack still bothered me. They never failed to let me know I hadn’t been there when they needed me most. No wonder I’d left for good. I understood the entire pack had great losses but so did I. I was the only surviving member of my family.
“What the fuck man!” the bartender exclaimed and moved forward to remove the pieces of glass and mop up the mess from the counter.
“Sorry about that,” I returned and got to my feet. I had pieces of glass stuck into my skin and needed to get them out. I turned to stare Butch straight in the eye. “My loyalty has always been to my people and that will never change.”
I stalked away from him to the restroom. Inside, I walked over to the vanity and picked out the pieces of glass I could see in my flesh. I ran water over my hand then dried with a napkin. I could already feel the wounds healing themselves. I flexed my hand and the remaining splinters fell off into the sink, pushed out by my natural self-healing abilities.
The door squeaked open and two loud drunks tumbled into the bathroom. I pushed my hands into my pockets and headed for the door. On the way back to the bar, I glanced towards the table where Santos had been seated. Gone.
“Shit!”
I broke for a run out the bar, sniffing the air. There were way too much different scents to get a lock in on Santos, especially since I hadn’t been that close to him to inhale his distinct scent. By the time I was outside in the parking lot, I could tell it was too late. I had lost him, and it was all Butch and Rover’s fault. Dammit. As elusive as Santos could be, this had been an opportunity to nab him easily.
Moody as hell, I slinked back into the bar and ordered another bottle of Budweiser. I had almost taken the first swig of the beer when a floral scent hit me so hard I had to lower the bottle. My nostrils flared as I inhaled deeply. Vanilla but mixed with a hint of spice I could not identify. My mouth watered, and I had to work hard for my tongue not to roll out and hit the bar. Whatever the hell was behind me, if it looked as good as it smelled, I just might have found my distraction for the rest of the night. For a werewolf, my sense of smelling was key but it was the first I was turned on by that smell before I saw the woman who brought it in.
I turned slightly to the right, my ears picking up the heavy boots on the floor before I even saw her. She looked even better than she smelled. She was tall and slender, dressed in a halter top that left her midriff bare and a pair of low riding dark blue jeans. As she approached me, she pushed a lock of her black curls behind her left ear, exposing multiple piercings. She also had an intricate looking tattoo extending from the middle of her hand to just over her wrist. Her fingers all had silver rings except for the thumb.
“Evening,” she greeted me directly, leaning on the bar. “You Ralf?”
I straightened, curious that she knew me by name. Usually the only persons who knew me by name were the ones who wanted my help in tracking down someone. Or something. She didn’t look like the type who wanted someone hunted. She seemed a little too young for that. I searched her face, noticing the smattering of freckles that marred her beautiful features. Her green eyes stared back at me, unflinching at my appraisal of her. She looked to be in her early twenties. My night seemed to be shaping up better than I had hoped.
“Depends,” I answered, taking a swig of my beer so she would have to wait.
“On what?” she asked.
“On who’s asking.” She extended her right hand towards me and still didn’t crack even a smile. I ignored her hand and she dropped it. “I’m not big on handshaking.”
“That’s fine,” she responded. “Handshaking isn’t what I need anyway.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yeah? And what is it that you’ll be needing from me, sweetheart?”
Her lips pursed in a disapproving line. “Don’t call me sweetheart.”
“Sweetness.” I did it just to annoy the heck out of her and it worked. I smiled, amused at the hint of anger she displayed. She didn’t really want to be here. It was obvious from her body language. She wanted to walk away and forget that she ever walked into this bar asking for me. Then why didn’t she?
“Look, I’m not here to play games,” she remarked. “Someone recommended you to me. You see, my sister has been kidnapped and I want your help in finding her.”
I paused at that. “Are you sure she didn’t run away with her little boyfriend? You know that happens more often than not.”
“She did not run away with a boyfriend.” She said the words through clenched teeth. She took a deep breath and started again. “Maybe I started off wrong so let me try again. My name is Lilly and I need your help in finding my sixteen-year-old sister, Annie. I believe she is in grave danger and I have only five days to get to her.”
That peaked my attention. “Seems like you know who took her. Why don’t you go to the police?”
“The police won’t find who we’ll be looking for.”
I had to say she had confidence. She was already taking it that I had agreed to her request. “Who are you looking for?”
“Sinn.”
The beer I took a swig off flew down my throat and I developed a coughing fit.
“I know it’s not going to be easy,” she said, her words running together. “And I know it’s going to cost but I’ve all the cash I could scrape together here.”
I only noticed then she had on a drawstring bag which she took off and pulled the strings apart to show me a wad of cash inside. I knocked her hands aside and jerked the mouth of the bag closed. Clutching the bag in my hand, I reached for my wallet.
“You can’t take that,” she began to protest but I gave her a glare that silenced her.
I threw some money from my wallet onto the counter, then grabbed the girl by her upper arm and pulled her along with me out of the bar. I glanced over my shoulder to ensure no one was following us. There were a few curious eyes aimed in our direction, but nobody moved.
“What are you doing?” she complained when we spilled out the bar into the cool night air. I hoped it was cold enough to drive some senses back into her head.
I paused and glared at her. “Don’t you ever do that again!” I snapped.
“Do what? I merely offered to show you that I can pay you for your services.”
“Are you this naïve that you walk up into a bar and flash money at a complete stranger?” I demanded. “Are you even thinking?”
“I’m sorry if all my faculties aren’t intact at the moment,” she argued. “I am worried about my sister. Sinn’s already had her for a couple of days and—”
“What the hell do you know about Sinn?” I snarled uneasy. The door at the bar opened and I pulled her deeper into the shadows where no one would be able to make out our faces even if they did hear us. I turned back to her. “And why do you think I can help you?”
“Look, I really need to find my sister,” she answered. “And they swear by you that you’re the best tracker there is.”
“Sinn isn’t your everyday prey.”
“And you’re not an everyday predator,” she snapped back.
I swallowed hard, nervous excitement fluttering around in my belly. She knew something but just how much and was this a trap? If she was lying, I would know. I gripped her by the chin and turned her head in my direction, staring into her eyes.
“What exactly is your connection to Sinn?”
3
Lilly
I willed myself not to let my fear show as the werewolf gripped me by the chin. He held me tight and I was certain his grip would bruise my skin, but I remained erect, staring back at him. If he even suspected for a second that I was coming to him under false pretenses, he could and probably would rip my head off my body.
Ralf was not what I expected. I certainly never thought he would be so devilishly handsome. Even worried as I was about my sister, that little detail did not escape my attenti
on. Because of the conflict between the witches and werewolves which came about because of my parents, my sister and I stayed as far away from them as possible. I wouldn’t be around him if I wasn’t in need of his help. Trigger, a banished vampire informant most people knew on the streets swore by him that he was the best. I needed the best in order to save Annie. I would deal with the consequence after.
“I’ve no idea why he snatched my sister,” I replied my carefully rehearsed statement. “But, my guess is that he wants to silence us because we know of his existence. And yours.”
He didn’t respond but continued staring me into his hazel eyes with the golden flecks. They were unusual eyes and anyone looking into them should have known he wasn’t just the average man. But of course people were too caught up in their lives and would rather deny the existence of other beings living among them.
I had rehearsed everything back at my apartment but despite this, I could feel myself starting to get nervous. If he didn’t break our gaze soon, I would react and if I reacted, he would suspect that I was hiding something. I fought against the urge to curl my hands into fists so I didn’t reach for the sweat that was beginning to form on my upper lip.
“I need your help, please,” I said, talking because it beat the silence between us. “My sister is the only one I have left in the world and I can’t lose her.”
His fangs lowered, his eyes changing colors to reflect the wolf within him. I didn’t have time to scream as he thrust me from him. I hit into the wall behind us, pain shooting up my shoulder that had smashed into the concrete. I heard snarls and the deep rumble of an animal’s growl. Clutching my shoulder, I turned to figure out what was happening. I stared in horror at the vampire Ralf had in his grip. His big arms circled the vampire’s neck.
“Who sent you?” Ralf growled at the other man. I marveled at the incomplete change in Ralf. Normally a werewolf would exist in the form of either man or wolf but not both at the same time. Yet, I could see his canines exposed and the bulge of his arms reacting to the strength of the wolf within him. It took extreme control for a werewolf to be able to control his shifting.
“I don’t answer to you,” the vampire said in a strangled voice.
“You’ve three seconds to tell me who sent you and I’ll let you live to die another day.”
Instead of responding to him, the vampire turned his soulless black eyes towards me. He grinned, showing his fangs. “He will find you. He knows you’re coming.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his words. Sinn had sent someone to stalk me and report to him. I should have known. Anger surging through me, I pushed off the wall, ignoring the ache in my arm and marched up to the vampire.
“Stay back,” Ralf urged me when the vampire bared his fangs at me. I didn’t listen but faced the vampire.
“Where is Sinn and my sister?” I demanded. “Where is he keeping her?”
“Somewhere—” he gulped for breath. “You’ll never find her.”
“You tell me right now where Annie is—”
“Or what?”
I realized then that I wouldn’t be getting any answers out of him. Whatever he knew he would take with him to the underworld. He would rather die an eternal death than betray his vampire prince. And here I was left without any more information than before about my sister, her wellbeing and if she was even alive.
Rage seized me and I bent to pull the dagger from the right foot of my boots. The one in the left was for the werewolf if he attacked me but the one in the right was specially designed.
“You don’t—” Ralf started to protest but I had already plunged the knife straight through the vampire’s heart. For over a millennium, vampires had tricked people into believing only a wooden stake through the heart would work. They knew people would see the futility in trying if they didn’t have one at hand. And how many people carried a wooden stake around? Raised by witches who had taught me the magical creatures that lived in this world, their strengths and their weaknesses, I knew differently.
The vampire smiled at me, blood spurting from its mouth which indicated he had recently fed. I was puzzled at his response as my anger drained from my being. I’d acted out of rage instead of rational thought.
“Thank you,” the vampire said before he crumbled into ash. Ralf released the residue that was in his hand and glared at her.
“Why the hell did you do that?”
I stooped to reclaim my knife from the ground. “He wouldn’t tell me where my sister is.”
“So you’re going to kill everyone who doesn’t know where your sister is?”
“He knows—”
“He did not know anything.” His growled at her. “His only aim was for us to kill him. These are different types. Not many vampires are welcomed to the change of living forever in their parasitic state.”
“Then I did him a favor. You weren’t getting any information out of him.”
He threw up his hands in the air and retracted his fangs. “That’s it. I cannot help you. You seem capable of handling yourself anyway. See ya!”
He stalked away and after my initial shock wore off, I ran after him, my boots scuffing on the ground.
“I can’t do this alone,” I pleaded, catching up to him which was pretty damn hard to do, even in chunky heels. When I had dressed for tonight, I’d had no intentions of chasing after a werewolf and killing a vampire, although it wouldn’t be the first time that I did the latter. When you were the only witch in existence, you learned to protect yourself. “Please, Ralf. I need to find my sister. One vampire I may be able to handle but I can’t take on, Sinn on my own.”
He reached his motorcycle and removed his helmet where he had locked it into place. I grabbed for his arm, desperate for attention. His muscles bunched under my hand where I grabbed him, but he did not turn to me.
“I can’t allow my sister to remain in the hands of Sinn!” I cried. “Please. I’ll pay you whatever you want. I don’t care how much it is. I just want her home.”
He turned then, inclining his head towards me. His eyes glowed inhuman but I refused to let go of his arm. I feared the moment I let go, he would disappear and along with him, my hope.
“This is not about the money,” he stated and peeled my hand from his arm. “You should go home and lack all your doors. Or are you planning to kill more vampires tonight?”
“I can’t believe you’re just going to walk away and let an innocent girl suffer at the hands of Sinn!” I watched in disbelief as he mounted his motorcycle, slipped on his helmet and revved the engine.
“See ya, sweetheart.”
“Fine, I’ll do it on my own!” I yelled at him. “I’ll find her on my own. I don’t need you!” I did need him but he was already leaving so it wasn’t like I was in danger of driving him away with my words. He shot the motorcycle forward and rode away, leaving exhaust fumes in his wake.
“Shut up!” someone yelled at me.
I whirled on the individual who commented, not caring who it was. “Fuck you!” I shouted back at the figure.
“Say what now?”
I stood my ground, my hand still clutching my knife as two thick men materialized out of the dark. I’d never had to harm another human before but I was pretty close.
“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” I said and stepped back. “I’ll be on my way.”
“Not so fast,” the taller of the two remarked, looking her up and down. “I think we can have some fun before you go.”
Beneath my breath, I immediately chanted a magic spell. Nothing happened. Nor would it. I had stripped myself of my ability to manipulate and use magic before I arrived at the bar. It was the only way I could have thought of, for Ralf to not smell the magic on me.
An approaching motorcycle sounded, getting closer and closer. Gravel spit under the wheels as the black hog skated to a stop by me. Ralf removed his helmet and handed it to me. “Get on.”
I stared at him like he was crazy. “On that?”
“Yo
u’ve like two seconds to get on or I’ll rethink my decision to help.”
That was all I needed to hear. Jamming the helmet over my head, I climbed the back of his motorcycle. I glanced back at the two men who had decided to leave me alone upon Ralf’s return.
“Hold onto me tight,” Ralf said.
I wrapped my arms tight around his waist and pressed my face into his back as he peeled out of the parking lot once more. At the speed we were going, I could only cling to him tighter, afraid to fall off. I couldn’t be persuaded to let go for love or money. I kept my face pressed firmly to his back, aware of the play of muscles as he shifted from side to side. At the raw power that I sensed in his form, I knew I had found the right man to take Sinn down.
I just needed to keep my secret until we get to Sinn’s hideout. Whatever happened, I could not let Ralf find out that I was a witch.
After riding for about fifteen minutes, he slowed down and entered an apartment building. I was so cold that I couldn’t release him to check out where we were. He drove up the roof top parking deck of the apartment building and slowed down. The motorcycle deaccelerated until it came to a complete stop.
“You can let go now,” he said, cutting the ignition.
“I can’t,” I remarked, my fingers too cold to unfold.
He grumbled beneath his breath and carefully peeled my hands away from his waist. He swung his leg over the motorcycle getting to his feet. With hands under my pits, he lifted me and deposited me on my feet. He worked the straps of the helmet loose and removed it.
“Thank you,” I told him, shaking my legs a little because they still felt as though I was still on the motorcycle.
He grunted. “Don’t thank me yet.”
“Where are we?” I asked, watching as he chained his motorcycle in position.
“This is my home,” he answered, straightening from the vehicle. He started walking away and I stood rooted to the spot.
