Enchanted (Torn Book 1)

by M. D. Bowden

  “It’s about to happen,” he says, breathless, turning to face me.

  He leaps forwards, closer to me, making me jump, and his back arches down and a second later he’s on all fours. He’s so close to me I could touch him, but I just sit there mesmerised, my mouth open in awe, as he contorts, shifts, his fur grows, nose extends, ears sprout from the top of his head, his boxers rip, and then he’s a wolf again – right there in front of me. My heart is hammering. It’s thrilling and scary and amazing. He is thrilling and scary and amazing.

  He is an enormous wolf, and he’s coming right up to me, his amber eyes glowing and to me it looks like they are glowing with affection. It makes me feel warm and protected, but also breathless with anticipation. I reach out my hand and stroke the soft fur to the left of his head, beneath his ear, and he nuzzles his wet nose against my cheek. Then he turns, runs around our camp in a loop, and then runs off towards the forest and out of sight.

  The tree line is black against the lightening sky as the edge of the moon appears on the horizon. An owl hoots, and now I’m alone my sense of the sounds of the outside world around me increases; the trees are rustling in the light wind, and I can hear something moving around the nearest trees behind me. I turn to look that way but I can’t see anything, even straining my eyes looking, but beyond where the firelight reaches it’s only darkness.

  I wrap the blanket tighter around me and walk to the tent to get supplies – I brought white wine to drink instead of beer, and right now it seems like a good idea to drink it – might make me a bit less paranoid about the sounds of the night. I pour some into a plastic cup then go and sit on a blanket closer to the gorgeous warmth of the fire, sipping at my wine and eating a pain au chocolat for my dinner. I wonder what Alfie is having for his dinner – a fox maybe, or a rabbit – I’m pleased I don’t have to share his meal.

  I look into the flames and smile, thinking about kissing Alfie before he turned. I feel a warm glow in my heart and long to kiss him again. I can’t believe I wasn’t sure if I fancied him when we met; he’s so good-looking, and kind, and fun. I want to cover him in kisses.

  I hear soft padding footsteps and my heart leaps and Alfie the wolf is before me again, his glowing amber eyes meeting mine. I put down my drink and open my arms. He comes closer and I wrap my arms around him and nuzzle my face into the fur on his chest. He’s like a giant fluffy hot water bottle, although quite an intimidating one. He leans against me and sticks his wet nose into my hair, sniffing. Suddenly he goes still and his head jerks upwards, looking towards the trees behind me. I let go of him and his fur sticks up on end along his back, making him look even bigger – and I feel a wave of fear. He leaps between me and the treeline, his teeth bared at something I can’t see.

  AMBUSH

  Alfie’s ears prick and his glowing eyes dart to the left, and then to the right. I draw out my gun and stand as still as a statue as Alfie starts to prowl around me in a circle, a low growl emanating from his chest. He’s a fearsome sight – but I’m not scared of him – I feel protected. I am, however, scared of whatever it is he’s sensed – my heart is going crazy, my breathing ragged and my palms sweaty. Suddenly there’s movement from all sides – something, multiple somethings, getting closer at lightning speed – materialising out of the dark, and then stopping in a circle around us.

  Vampires. The one in front of me is the blond guy who killed Trish. He sneers at me and I point my gun at his chest, not taking my eyes off him to see how many more vampires are surrounding us, but it feels like there are more than four – and I remember Alfie saying he was a match for four. This means we are outnumbered.

  The vampires are all silent, which somehow makes the situation even more creepy; the only sounds I can hear are coming from Alfie. He is at my back, I can feel warmth radiating from him on my legs, and he is growling and snapping at the vampires behind me.

  The blond vampire in front of me takes a step forwards, and he snaps playfully at me, showing extended fangs.

  “Leave her out of it,” a voice says, breaking their quiet. I recognise the voice – I think it’s Casper – I want to turn and see but I can’t stop looking at the guy in front, who takes another step towards me.

  “I don’t think so,” the blond vampire says – and suddenly they’re all moving at once. He is coming at me – and I’m firing – but there’s movement behind me too. Something knocks against my arm and I miss. I try to get the gun pointing at the blond vampire again but he knocks it out of my hand as I’m grabbed from behind – someone’s arms are around me and my feet are lifted off the ground – it’s all happening too fast – I’m moving away, so fast the darkness is blurring around me and a blur is moving towards me; I can just about see it in the light from the moon.

  Suddenly I stop moving and I’m being put on my feet and whoever is holding me is in front of me, holding me in place with his left arm holding onto my left arm. I stagger but he holds me up. It’s Casper. The blur stops moving towards us and the blond vampire is standing still inches in front of him.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he spits at Casper.

  “She’s mine,” Casper hisses back at him.

  “I’m not anyone’s!” I shout, as there is now plenty of noise coming from the area near the fire – fighting – but I can’t see what’s going on, I can’t see how Alfie is doing, it’s too dark, they are too far away, and moving too fast.

  The blond vampire laughs; the sound is hollow and mocking. “‘She’s not anyone’s’, she says. She might as well be mine then – I’ve already had her friend.”

  “No,” Casper snarls.

  I try to break away from him, struggling to get out of his grip, but he tightens his hold on my wrist and his grip is too strong to break; he’s like a rock.

  The blond vampire shrugs, turns, starts to walk away, and then he’s like a blur again, coming towards me from the side. Casper lets go of my arm and I stagger backwards as Casper gets between me and the blond vampire and in one movement, so swift, he grabs hold of the blond vampire’s head, or neck, and twists, and the vampire drops to the ground.

  I watch open mouthed, forgetting I should be running away.

  Casper turns to look at me. “You have a stake?”

  I nod, and hands shaking, I pull one out of my jacket. Casper is holding out his hand so I toss it to him. He catches it and drives it into the chest of the fallen vampire, smoke wisps from the vampire’s body and then in a puff he’s dust.

  Casper’s at my side in an instant, looking over my body, checking I’m ok; I think. Then his arms are around me again and we’re moving so fast all I can see is darkness.

  “Alfie!” I scream, my voice lost on the wind, but there’s no reply.

  I’m still moving fast, held in Casper’s cool grip. I feel sick, disorientated, and dizzy. Too dizzy, things are fading away … my perceptions fading … I’m losing my hold on reality … blankness.

  “Ava! Ava!”

  Casper’s voice.

  Ugh, I feel weird, my head is spinning – but I seem to be still now, lying on the ground, someone – Casper – is shaking my shoulder.

  “Ava,” he hisses.

  “I’m awake,” I manage. “Dizzy. Alfie?”

  “No. Casper.” He sounds really close.

  I open my eyes and Casper’s face is hovering close to mine, but I can hardly see him as it’s so dark.

  “Where are we?” I say.

  “Still in the forest – I need to get you further away.”

  “No – Alfie – I need to help him.”

  “He can look after himself, Ava. You can’t. I’m taking you home.”

  “Home? Really? You’re not kidnapping me? Or killing me?”

  “Not this time,” he says, and it sounds like he’s smiling.

  “But you kill people – I saw you. You’re a vampire!” My delirium is obviously affecting my judgement about what it’s sensible to say.

  “True,” he says. “But not you.”
r />   He lifts me back into his arms, holding me like a baby with my head against his shoulder.

  “But Alfie!”

  “You can’t help him now. Close your eyes – I won’t move so quickly this time.”

  He starts to move and I close my eyes involuntarily, too dizzy to argue anymore. Next thing I know Casper is putting me on my feet and directing me to get into the passenger side of a car. When I don’t do it he actually lifts me in. An instant later he’s in the driver’s seat starting the engine. As the lights come on I can make out his face better – he’s looking at the road ahead. He glances at me and then looks back to the road.

  My thoughts are confused by motion sickness and just not knowing what’s going on. Alfie is out there fighting, I think; hopefully he’s fighting – hopefully he’s still alive. And I’m here with Casper. He protected me, he even killed another vampire, and he didn’t go for Alfie – he wanted to get me away from there. Why?

  “How many of you were there?” I say.

  “Five, including me, and—”

  “So three – there were three left for Alfie to fight.”

  Casper nods. I feel a tiny ray of hope blossom in my chest; Alfie might be alright … he really might survive this.

  I think of the blond vampire. “You killed him,” I say.

  Casper nods. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Thank you. He killed my friend.”

  “And he would have killed you,” he says, still looking at the road.

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask.

  “Why do anything?” he says, shooting me another sideways glance. “I wanted to.”

  “You said I’m yours.”

  He turns and shoots me a melting smile, and raises his eyebrows. “Aren’t you?”

  My heart thuds, my mouth dry, too dry to answer. I shake my head, and look back to the road, feeling ill.

  He looks back to the road too. “I think you are,” he says. The way he says it sounds like he thinks it’s inevitable; like he believes we are meant to be together.

  I feel too weird to argue. I tilt my head back against the headrest and close my eyes. The motion must have really knocked it out of me since I come to as Casper is shaking my leg.

  “Ava, you’re home.”

  I open my eyes and his face is close to mine, lit up by the street lights. His black eyes are fixed on me and when I look into them I practically melt. Remember, Ava, I think, he killed that girl. Her face flashes before my eyes, and I’m not sure what registers on my face, but a crease forms between Casper’s eyebrows.

  “Let’s get you in,” he says.

  I look out at the night and see familiar buildings – Casper really has brought me home, we are just around the corner from my block of flats – this is as close as you can get to it by car. The night is still and no-one is about, and I can see the full moon low in the sky. The whole pack will still be wolves and I won’t be able to contact anyone until they turn back; there is nothing I can do to help Alfie until then. Nothing I can do apart from get back to the safety of my flat without Casper deciding he’d rather kill me than leave me safely at home.

  “You don’t need to be scared of me,” he says, like he can read my mind.

  I hope he can’t.

  “Don’t I?” I whisper, my chest tight.

  He reaches towards my face, like he’s going to stroke it, but I lean back, towards the door, and his hand drops.

  A second later and he’s out of the car, around at my side, opening the passenger door. He’s standing there, under the streetlight, looking like the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, holding open the door and waiting for me to get out.

  I take a deep breath, swing my legs round and get to my feet, still feeling unsteady. I hold onto the side of the shiny black car, so I don’t fall, and Casper closes the door. He takes my arm, and I stop, closing my eyes, torn about what to do. I feel like I’ll fall without him, but is accepting his help wrong? Am I betraying Alfie? Betraying myself?

  “Open your eyes, Ava,” he says, and he’s standing in front of me – holding onto my upper arms. He’s very close – I can feel his cool breath on my lips. I remember what it was like to kiss him. I remember the girl he killed.

  I shake my head. He’s so close. “Don’t kiss me,” I whisper.

  “We’re meant to be together, Ava. I can feel it. I can tell you can too.”

  “It’s an illusion. You’re a vampire. What I feel isn’t real.”

  A slow smile creeps across his face and he nods at me. “It is.”

  I swallow. “I should … get inside.”

  He moves back to my side and I let him hold onto my arm. I let him hold me until I’m at my door. I look from his beautiful face to the front door of my building, and then rummage for my keys. My fingers are shaking but I manage to get the right one in the lock.

  I look at Casper. He is standing there, leaning against the edge of the door frame.

  “I could help you up?” he says, his face serious.

  I almost laugh. As if. “I’m not inviting you in.”

  He shrugs. “I’ll wait here until you’re inside.”

  I meet his black eyes one final time, and then twist the key and step inside, then holding onto the door for support I shut it behind me, stagger to the first step and sit down, resting my head on my knees, my breath coming too fast. Too much is going on. Too much for my dizzy brain to handle. I’m inside. I’m alive. Relief. And pangs. I’m relieved that Casper didn’t kill me. He brought me home. It’s almost too much to believe. But I’m here. I’m home. But another part of me wants him to be inside with me – actually wanted to invite him in … even though he’s a vampire. What the hell is wrong with me? And Alfie … I don’t know what has happened to him … how can I be here and he’s out there in trouble … and he might be dead. They might have killed him. Or he might have fought them off and now he doesn’t know where I am, or what’s happened to me. What if he does something stupid?

  I don’t even consider going to bed. As soon as the moon sets I pick up my phone and dial Alfie’s number. He doesn’t answer. I try again. And again.

  Still no answer.

  I ring Mic and he does answer. I tell him what has happened and he says he’ll send a team out at once. He hangs up and I’m filled with too much emotion – fear and dread – that I can’t keep it together anymore. I curl up in a ball on my sofa and cry, holding my phone like a lifeline.

  CONFLICT

  An hour passes. I’m still on the sofa. Another hour passes. I finally manage to get up, still clutching my cup of tea. I drink it.

  My phone rings.

  Alfie’s name appears on the screen.

  Please let it be him, I think.

  I answer it.

  “Ava!” Alfie’s voice!

  Relief swells in me. I burst into tears.

  “Ava, are you ok?” Alfie sounds like he’s panicking.

  I half laugh, half cry. “Yes, I’m just relieved you are,” I say, sobbing. “How are you? What happened?”

  “Nightmare – was worried sick about you. Where on earth are you?”

  “Err … I’m at home actually. Weird story.”

  “How weird?”

  “Well … Casper was there and he … err … got me out of there.”

  “Casper … the bloodsucker?!” Alfie says, the tone of his voice rising.

  “Yeah … weird huh?”

  “He just … picked you up and took you home?”

  “Basically, but … what about you? I’ve been worried sick about you – and I felt so bad – I tried to stop Casper taking me – I wanted to help you!”

  “I’m not great actually, at least I’m alive though – bloody bloodsuckers – don’t know what they’re playing at.”

  “What do you mean – what’s wrong?”

  “I got bitten and … stuff – but I’ll heal quickly – I have superpowers remember.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Just at
the base.”

  “Can you come over?”

  “Err … well … see … I’m a bit too injured—”

  “What?! Can I come see you?”

  “Yep, will get my bro to come pick you up in an hour – then you better tell me everything that happened last night.”

  “You too. Thank you. See you soon.”

  I jump in the shower and eat a big breakfast, with a very strong cup of coffee, finally feeling able to stomach something, and get dressed quickly. I’m just ready when Sammy knocks on the door. He has a car, not a bike like Alfie, so I get to sit next to him and bombard him with questions. No luck though.

  Sammy laughs and says, “I’m tellin’ you nothing – that’s Alfie’s place.”

  Eventually I sit back, feeling grumpy and tired, and wait until we are there.

  “Where is Alfie?” I ask Sammy.

  “He’s just in his cabin,” he says, and grins at me. “He’s not at death’s door.”

  I run up there anyway and knock on the glass on his door.

  “Come in,” I just about hear.

  I go in and look around – there is a pile of Alfie’s discarded clothes on the table, but I still can’t see him.

  “Where are you?” I say, my voice quivering.

  “In here.”

  I rush into Alfie’s bedroom. He’s lying on top of the covers, propped up on about four pillows, just wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He beams at me as I go in, but my eyes are drawn to his leg – which is swollen to double the size.”

  “Oh my God – Alfie! That looks really bad – why aren’t you in hospital?”

  “I’ll heal – werewolf remember. Come here,” he says, holding out his right arm towards me.

  I go to him and sit on the bed at his side. He puts his arm around me and I lean over to kiss his cheek, but he winces.

  “What is it? Are you hurt somewhere else?”

  He pulls up his t-shirt and under is a big patch of gauze – much like what was stuck on my neck after I was bitten. Blood has seeped through and shows up vibrantly against the white plaster.