3

by Shera Eitel-Casey

  Jett got up slowly and walked to the opposite side of the bar. It was huge and when he got there Cale had put his arm around some girl’s neck and started to leave. I followed Jett as he followed Cale. It wasn’t easy maneuvering around all the people.

  We got out to the beach and stopped. We had to look around as people were mingling everywhere. There were a few tables and chairs in the sand, I plopped all my stuff down on one of them; Jett went one way and I went the other.

  As I was walking down the beach I saw Cale kissing the girl at the water’s edge, it was brushing up against their feet. I started walking faster and stopped when he looked at me. Walking toward him again, slowly, he smiled at me with his dark eyes, pale skin and veiny face, I saw him bite the girl while still looking at me. She screamed. Jett grabbed onto me, “What’s wrong.” I realized it was me screaming. I pointed toward Cale who was continuing to suck the life out of the poor helpless girl. Jett turned to me, “Do you trust me?” I stammered out “of course” and before I could get another word out he said “Stay here” and took off after Cale kicking up sand in his wake.

  As Jett approached rapidly, Cale let the girl drop to the ground and tossed Jett into the water. The girl stood up shakily, got her bearings and ran away. Jett went back at Cale on all fours, tearing through the water like it wasn't even there. When Jett reached him, Cale swiped his arm at him in a stabbing motion like you would a knife, but when he let go a syringe was stuck in Jett’s shoulder. They wrestled around and when Cale got free he ran down the beach and through some residents yards. Jett followed but when he came back he was by himself, wet, sandy and walking with a limp.

  He walked up to me, without slowing his stride, put his arm around me and out of breath said “he's gone, but I think he'll leave the girl alone.” We collected our stuff and headed home. He was getting me wet and sandy and I was holding some of his weight, we were struggling. Halfway home he said “That son-of-a-bitch bit me” and started walking a little more on his own.

  “He stabbed you with a syringe too.” I responded, Jett reached around to feel his shoulder where he was jabbed, so he knew.

  We were both exhausted when we got to the cabin. Jett unlocked the door grabbed some firewood before going in, tossed it into the fireplace, started it and headed for the bedroom. “I'll be right back.” You could tell that was his usual routine.

  I waited a few minutes before heating up the rest of the Chinese food. There was no TV, so I turned on the radio. Jett was on auto-pilot, he got more firewood and put it on the fire but held his back and moaned as he stood up. When he came into the kitchen with dry clothes he said “Awesome. Food, I forgot we had leftovers, I thought I'd have to make sandwiches.”

  He grabbed his plate off the counter and tucked two sodas into his arm, I grabbed my plate and followed him into the living room, we sat on the couch together.

  When we were finished eating I took our plates to the kitchen and washed them. When I got back Jett hadn't moved. His head was leaning back on the couch. He looked lifeless.

  I stepped up on the couch and pushed him forward sliding between him and the couch and started to rub his neck, rubbing deep and squeezing his muscles gently. I could feel all the tension in him. What he needed was a full massage. It was hard with his shirt on so I gave it a little tug and he leaned forward and I pulled it up and rested it on his shoulders. His skin was smooth and warm. His back was beautiful along with the rest of him. His shirt kept falling down, so I tapped his shoulder and said "Up" he lifted his arms up and I scooped his shirt off. I smelled it, it smelled of him, fresh air and soap.

  "Lay on the carpet and I'll rub your lower back.” He didn't move. “You hurt yourself right?"

  "Yeah", he mumbled, he crawled forward to the carpet in front of the fire. I tossed him a pillow from the couch; he grabbed it and put it under his head and hands. His shoulders were much broader than his waist, his back long and tan. I was almost afraid to touch him. I sat on top of him and started to massage his neck, then shoulders all the way down to his lower back. "I must not be doing this right."

  "Hmm" was all he said.

  I put all my weight on my knees and leaned into it. "I must not be very good at this you're still very tense" I was talking softly, and without notice he turned over. "You're doing just fine."

  He put his rough hands on my waist just under my shirt and pulled me forward, I put a hand on his chest for balance and just the touch of his skin sent a tingle through my body. He moved one hand to the back of my neck and then into my hair pulling me closer and kissing me softly, gently and then vigorously. I sat up a little and we held a gaze, I leaned down to kiss his muscular chest. He rolled us over and started kissing my neck. He held himself above me gently, not letting all his weight on me; I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

  The phone rang, he stopped and didn't move. The phone rang again and we released each other and got up. I leaned on the counter across from him waiting to hear what was said.

  "That was my uncle just giving us an update." I half smiled at him. The only light in the room was from the fire and it silhouetted his body perfectly. I slid myself to the other end of the counter where he met me. I laid my hands on his chest gently, and told him "I definitely need a shower."

  He bent down and kissed me on the neck I felt his tongue glide up sending a shiver right down my spine all the way to my toes. He was kissing me again. I pushed on his chest a little and said again "I ah, need a shower."

  He let his hands fall to my waist and said "me too." I opened my eyes wide, I was not prepared for this - no way! He looked at me and saw my expression. He let go of me patted me on the butt and said "Don't use up all the hot water."

  “I thought you already took a shower.”

  “No I cleaned up a little and called my uncle, how do you think he knew to call us here.”

  “Oh yeah, I hadn't thought about that, my mind was elsewhere.”

  I tried to hurry, afraid that Jett might decide to join me. I went as fast as I could through the shower, but stayed under the hot water for a long minute before I came out and noticed a towel laying on the counter and my clothes gone. I can't believe I didn't hear him come in, plus, I know I had locked the door – I checked it again still locked. I towel dried my hair and dried myself quickly then wrapped the towel around myself tightly. When I was brushing my teeth I was reminded of Jett and his missing teeth at Nic's house.

  I went to the door, opened it slowly and peeked out toward the family room, stuck my head out further and then turned the other way to dart toward my room. I screamed and put my hand to my chest, Jett was leaning up against the wall. With no shirt, no shoes no socks just sweat shorts and a towel on his shoulder.

  He asked “Who you looking for.”

  My cheeks were flushed, and my hair still dripping. I stepped into the hallway. “You.”

  He stepped in front of me put his hands on my waist and pushed me back into the bathroom up against the sink. “I'm right here.” He gave me a peck on the lips, and I waited, I didn't move or say anything. He went over to the shower and turned it on and said “Are you staying?” He put his hands on his shorts, ready to pull them off and gave me a half smile. I pushed off the counter and said “No way!' and darted toward the bedroom.

  I got dressed quickly and picked out my hair, towel dried it some more and put some mascara on – Tori told me the least I should do is put mascara and color on my lips. It's not so bad, I found myself doing it more around Jett. I went back down the hall and the bathroom door was open. I peeked in and Jett was in a towel in front of the mirror brushing his teeth. I leaned against the wall across from the bathroom and watched him. He rinsed and turned around, leaned against the sink putting his arms on the counter on either side of him. They were flexed you could see all the ridges of muscle he had, I let my eyes glide over each one of them.

  By the time I looked back up at his face he was smiling, he knew I was checking him out. I quickly looked at the floo
r and scuffed it with my foot. He made a sudden movement and was in front me with his shorts back on.

  I kept looking at the floor, “You know as much as I ah, liked my dream,” I stammered “I just don't think I am ready for “it” to come true.” After my last word I looked up at him to see what his reaction was. He didn't seem to have one. He touched my forehead and caressed my face downward pushing my hair away from my face. “I understand.” he said.

  “You sound tired.” I said.

  “I am, I feel a little odd almost like I’m getting sick again. It’s a tiredness I have a hard time fighting.”

  He led me over to the couch, he sat down and I sat in his lap, and put my head on his shoulder, he put his arms around me. We sat in silence for a while. It was nice, he was warm and I could hear his heartbeat. I closed my eyes, before I knew it I found myself kissing his chest - I stopped suddenly and moved to sit next to him.

  He turned and kissed me on the lips pushing me back on the couch. My legs wrapped around his. My heart was beating so loud I could no longer hear his. I felt warmth run all over my body. He kissed my cheek and then my neck. “Stop” I whispered I couldn’t move. He was kissing my breast bone and started moving toward my neck, where he bit me lightly and it sent chills all the way down my left side. “Please stop.” I whispered again and pushed on him gently. Yet my head fell slightly back and he bit me again. This time I felt a searing pain in my neck, I released my legs from him trying to push him up “Stop” I yelled, trying to push him from underneath.

  He pulled up his face, it was veiny and pale his eyes dark as night and he was panting, out of breath. He rolled off me quickly and ran into the bathroom. I just laid there holding my neck, frozen, not knowing what just happened. I was trying to put a logical thought together; he turns into whatever he turns into when he gets excited or mad...I looked at my hand there was blood, I felt a warm sensation roll to the back of my neck and put my hand back on it.

  There I was in the middle of a cabin I didn’t belong to, far away from home, holding my neck tightly, I felt an icy quake go through my entire body, a bitter sensation like no other. I could feel the warm blood spreading underneath my clammy trembling hand and it seeping through my fingers and spreading. I jumped up petrified with bare feet that were now rooted to the floor, not knowing if I should move, hide or even try to run. I just stood there in shock; the flames of the fire warmed one side of me and the other remained ice cold from fright.

  I was so distracted, being in love not seeing all the signs of danger. But now I could see them all, I was finally having my moment of clarity, like I was seeing everything for the first time.

  Cale is the monster who has been following me and trying to capture me, not sure why he wasn’t successful, but I now know why he’s after me; for a cure which had something to do with my blood, whether it be to change himself back to his human state or into a full monster I’m not sure, but I have a sneaky suspicion it is the latter.

  Poor Jett, my first love, my protector, my soul mate got himself caught in the middle trying to protect me and now his life will be forever changed and not for the good either. I’m sure he blames me for what he is and what he is becoming, I know I would.

  I tried moving again and my feet carried me shakily to the hall; the bathroom door wasn't completely shut. I walked over to it and pushed it open cautiously. He was sitting on the toilet, the lights were off and his head in his hands, “I'm sorry” he said in a very sympathetic and weakened state. “I'm not sure what I was thinking or what just happened” still not looking up. I could see all the veins in his arms protruding.

  I leaned over the sink and slowly moved my hand away. My neck was stained red with a couple of small dark puncture marks. I turned on the sink to rinse it all away, when I was done I turned toward Jett, “If you left a permanent mark on my neck you are in so much trouble, my dad will have a fit!”

  He let out a snicker “that’s what you are worried about?” I went over to him and put my hand on his shoulder slid down and gave him a hug. He grabbed hold of me desperately and didn't let go. I think he may have been crying. I felt so bad for him. “We'll figure this out.” I said hoping I sounded confident. I couldn't tell if he was the one trembling or me. I laughed a little and then pushed back from our embrace, “You made a mark” I said showing him my neck.

  He caressed my neck with his index finger sliding it down my neck.

  “Stop that!” I said excitedly and slapping his hand away. He stopped cold.

  “I didn't mean to….” He remarked. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” There was pause “Of what's happening to me or that I could hurt you?” He asked.

  I got up and leaned against the bathroom sink and crossed my arms. “Na” I said. “You aren't scary yet, but just so you know I can drop your ass anytime I want, I got moves.”

  He really laughed at me “You are something else you know that Addie.”

  “I know. At least you're as big of a pain in the ass as I am now – creating so much drama I don't know if I can stand it.”

  He swung in for a kiss, I turned my cheek and we hugged.

  He led me to 'my' bedroom and said good night. I went and crawled on top of the covers. He turned off my light on his way out leaving my door slightly ajar. I couldn't sleep I was restless, I couldn't stop thinking. I started counting….

  I woke up screaming, or did I? I glanced around until they landed on the clock, I got that awful eerie feeling creeping thru me. It was 3:17a.m. My neck was wet. I ran to the window to see if it was locked. I checked Jett’s room; he was asleep, I tried to wake him, nothing. I tiptoed into the family room and then the kitchen, the door was wide open. I creeped up to it, Cale was standing in the driveway. I walked outside cautiously. His arms were to his sides but restless, his eyes glowed like the wolf in my dream. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans that were distressed and ripped, a button down shirt with only a couple buttoned in the middle the rest were missing, it was splattered and stained of what I assumed to be blood. He was tanned from the sun but his veins still protruded all over his body, he had dark circles under his eyes that were crimson red and dark. No shoes. He shifted his weight. I moved back.

  “We tried turning him you know. I'm sorry but some of them go bad. Bryce was trying to cure us. There’s nothing you can do about that....Logan was a bad seed to start.... I wish to this day I would have jumped through that window and saved you sooner…” My breath caught and hitched in my throat. “But your brother, thank goodness for him right?” He was almost talking too calmly for me and in a low voice unlike him. “I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you that..... and I haven't killed anyone, I don't know what's happening to the people around me, but I'm not hurting them. If I could have transfixed you, this would have been easier, but you're special Addie, I knew the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  I was frozen with fear, but I had a feeling he wasn’t there to kill me because he would have already. I concentrated on watching and listening to him. A breeze came by blowing his hair and opened his shirt and revealed a nasty cut, it seemed to calm him, his fingers relaxed. The veins on him began to disappear. “What are you?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Whatever we are Addie, there’s no words for it, monsters. We crave blood, get violently ill and almost change at the full moon; almost a vampire, almost a werewolf but neither. Maybe …” he stated as if in deep thought and then continued. “My father’s journals state but don’t elaborate that we are multifarious inbreeds with sanguinary tendencies and Bryce agrees….. Bryce and I have very different personalities, I am more, good” he hesitated, his brilliant eyes began to fade “and he’s more…” He didn’t finish that sentence took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “We are stuck in limbo” he mumbled “an experiment my father didn’t finish.” I could tell he was starting to get tired. “He also thinks we could be hybrids, maybe a mix of both vampire and werewolf, but we aren’t complete. That’s what he’s trying to figure out and he’s close. We've been sick
since we were kids and my father had tried curing us but gave us something else instead... more sickness. We ran out of the serum that kept us well and now we don’t have all my father’s journals to reproduce it. That’s why we need you, to help us.”

  I cleared my throat “What did you do to Jett?”

  “I didn't do anything to him” he said plain as day.

  “I don't believe you Cale, when he changes he looks like you and why would anybody else hurt Jett, you're the only one that would…..”

  “That's not true, I really need you to believe me…” He backed up until he was in the shadows his eyes fired back up. I wanted to call out to him and ask him more questions but didn't after my consciousness kicked in. Last minute Cale added “You were right to break it off with me you know, I had ulterior motives… another thing I didn’t expect from you, to really see me.” He tapped his chest and contorted and yelped, fell to the ground on all fours. He looked up at me and growled, “it’s working” he said under his breath. I heard bones crunching and things breaking and he said “you better run” in a growl. His eyes were ravage red and mirror like in the center. I ran back in the house locked the door and yelled for Jett, checked all the other windows and doors and locked them tight. Looked back outside for Cale, he was nowhere in sight. His shredded clothes lay on the ground.

  Jett didn’t come, I walked down the dark hall leading to his room cautiously wondering why Jett hadn’t heard any of this. His door was ajar, I pushed it open all the way. He was laying there motionless, frozen in place I watched him intently not daring to blink and finally saw his chest rise and fall. I felt a rush of relief come over me. “Jett?” I said softly “Jett?” he didn’t reply or move as if he was comatose. I tiptoed over, I didn’t know what to do, I gave him a little shake but nothing. Exhausted I gave up and laid next to him and pulled his arm over me like a blanket.