“People can believe in the unusual variety of sharks, but not us. It doesn’t seem to make sense.” She lifted her hand toward the glass. “I mean, really, look at the flat head and eyes on that creature. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but it fascinates me.” They watched in silence for a minute. “If you think about it, people have known about them for a long time. Sharks didn’t recently announce their existence.”
“Are you saying fifty years down the road people will start to believe we exist?”
He shrugged and faced her. “Maybe, or they could put us behind glass and watch us.”
“That’s so not funny.”
He strolled past her and stopped and the information signs posted near the glass. Alexi moved closer to him.
“They mostly eat fish. The position of their eyes gives them superior vision.”
“Really?”
“I doubt it’s superior to us, but we could take off our clothes and swim with them to find out.”
“No thanks, but I’d watch you,” she said, chuckling.
He grinned. “It’s both of us or not at all.”
His humor lightened her mood, and she smiled. The werewolf had a charming, yet candid personality. Definitely a rare find.
She placed her hand on his shoulder. Heat penetrated her skin as she nudged him. “Let’s move on.”
Their next stop was in front of a large penguin exhibit. Most stood like statues.
“Now that’s a nice tux,” Greg said as he crossed his arms. “I wonder where they got it from.”
Grinning, she shook her head. “Ask and maybe one of them will give you a number.”
“I don’t think I’d understand them, nor would they comprehend me. Which raises an interesting question. People find other species of animals cute and curious, yet nobody has a clue what they say to each other. Their language is alien, but people go ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over them. Here we are, walking with humans and speaking their language, yet humans perceive us as monsters. We speak the same language and follow the same rules. Does it make any sense for humans to treat us differently?”
“Are you saying we’re not cute and curious?”
He gazed deeply into her eyes. “You are very adorable and fascinating. Every time I see you, I silently go ‘ah.’”
She chuckled. “Okay, I get your point. We shouldn’t be treated like freaks since we abide by the same rules and can understand each other.”
“I thought my point was you’re the most gorgeous creature on this earth and I would never tire of looking at you.”
Her loud laugh created a small echo, and the kids standing nearby gave her a strange look. She turned with her hand over her mouth, unable to stop laughing. Greg was on a roll with the jokes, and it made her feel like a giddy young girl all over again.
“Maybe we should move on,” he said, holding his hand close to her waist, but not touching her.
Together, they walked, stopped and stared at the different exhibits. Each time he threw in a few questions and added some jokes, causing her to laugh and filling her with utter happiness. She enjoyed being with him, hearing his gentle voice and soaking in the positive energy he emitted through his cheerful personality. By the time they left the building, she was more than glad she decided to go along with the date instead of returning home.
As they followed the path to outside exhibits, they walked by couples and families with young children. Everyone appeared happy and full of life. The last time she’d witnessed such a large number of joyful people was when her parents had taken her to a carnival. Now that the memory returned, her contentment slowly turned into sadness.
“Uh-oh,” Greg said, and she looked at him.
“What?”
“Something is wrong. The smile disappeared from your face.”
“Sorry.”
“What were you thinking a minute ago?”
She hesitated to tell him about her past. The evening had been nice thus far.
“You can trust me, and if it makes you feel better, there’s such a thing as attorney-client privilege. I can’t repeat anything you tell me unless you give me approval.”
Although his legal spiel was comforting, she didn’t need it to convince her to talk. She hadn’t committed any crimes, well, not since she’d left her maker.
Greg brought her to a halt in front of the glass barrier containing the tigers. “I’m a good listener, at least I think so. My last girlfriend might disagree.”
The melancholy she felt lessened. How did he always find a way to make her happy? It was like a magical gift he possessed.
He crossed his arms. “I’m ready when you are.”
The werewolf had the determination of a lion after its prey. Better to tell him than to listen to him beg for the rest of the night.
“It’s been a long time since I had such great fun. I mean, I’ve been happy before, with my friend Cassandra, but tonight brought back a memory.”
“What kind of memory?”
“I was a young girl, still living and breathing. My mother took my two sisters and me to a carnival. I think I was fifteen. They were a few years younger than me. Anyway, we played games and watched people perform tricks. Everyone laughed and had a good time. I know it must sound silly, but I hadn’t thought of being alive in…” She paused and looked at him. Genuine compassion reflected in his blue eyes.
“If you want to leave, we can. I want you to be happy. I never meant to bring back painful memories.”
“It’s all right. I’ll be fine.” She stepped closer to the glass wall and stared at the tiger sleeping under the tree.
“Sometimes the past haunts us. It’s better to think about the future.”
“Are you a psychology major too?” she asked.
“Secretly, yes.”
She stared at him and searched for signs he’d lied to her.
His chest expanded as he inhaled a deep breath. “Okay, I made it up. I took one year and gave up.”
“Well, it was a good line. I like it.”
“You can use it, if you want. I accept royalty payments.”
“Now you’re going overboard.”
She strode past him, heading for the next exhibit.
“So, you had two sisters,” he said, walking fast to catch up with her.
She hesitated to respond, but she had opened the door, inviting him to question her. “Yes, Elizabeth and Mary.”
“At the Welcoming party, you mentioned they died the night your maker took you.”
A pang swept through in a tidal wave. She lowered her head as tears built in her eyes. “He killed them, and my parents.” A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed.
“I’m so sorry.”
She stopped at the bats exhibit and lifted her head. Painful images flashed, all in vivid color and with horrifying sound effects. Her maker fed from her mother first and then left her mother gasping for her last breath. Next, he claimed her youngest sister, Elizabeth. Her shrill scream stung Alexi’s ears before her blue eyes turned glassy and distant. After shoving Alexi, he fed from Mary, then tossed her like a rag doll. Mary’s body hit the stone wall with a deep thud. Her head cracked and she fell. A trail of red fluid followed her to the floor. So much blood had spilled that horrible night.
Alexi squeezed her eyes shut, wishing the memory would disappear. “I tried to stop him, but he was too strong. He pushed me to the ground. I’d hit my head and was too weak to fight any more. I watched my family die.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as her heart ached for her family.
“Shh…” Greg pressed his palms to her cheeks. “Don’t think about it.” He wiped her tears with his thumbs.
“He fed from me for a couple years and used me to steal from people. I was his slave even after he changed me.” The pain of her family’s loss shifted into anger, as it had so many times before. Her watery eyes slowly dried.
Greg drew closer to her. “I can’t begin to fathom what you went through. No one should
ever suffer the way you have.”
His words warmed her spirit as much as his touch heated her face. The sympathy and concern in his eyes were emotions she’d never seen in a man before. For the first time in her existence, she admired a member of the male species, and not just a man, but also a werewolf.
He slipped his hands from her face and she longed for them to return. “I would never do anything to harm you. I would never hurt anyone without good reason.” He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe a rabbit or fox. Okay, possibly a deer.”
A breathy chuckle slipped out of her. “I think I get the picture.”
His gaze stayed fixed on hers. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?”
She couldn’t stop her lips from curling. “I think you mentioned it a few times.”
His shirt tightened over chest as he inhaled deeply. “Good. Just making sure you knew.”
She gave a quick jerk of her head. “Come on.”
She moved on to the other exhibits, and paused briefly at each one. Greg stayed a step behind her. He added little comments that kept her mood upbeat. To her surprise, the pain of her family’s loss and the anger toward her maker drifted away like a leaf in the breeze. She couldn’t change the past. As for the future, it was looking better.
She stopped behind several kids staring at monkeys behind a glass wall. The smaller ones with long tails and cute faces brought a smile to her face.
“Now that’s just butt ugly,” Greg said.
She found him standing a few feet away, staring at the larger baboon. Quietly, she strolled over and peered past his shoulder. The animal had a bare rear, but fur covered the rest of its body, except its long nose.
“Ew.”
“I don’t understand why people come to look at such hideous creatures.”
“They’re different to look at.”
“I could change into my wolf form and give people something different to look at.”
“Now that I would love to see.”
His eyes shimmered with surprise. “Really?”
“I’ve seen werewolves change before. It looks painful, and sounds like it too, but to consider how your body shifts and changes is…incredible.” She licked her lips as she pictured Greg changing from his wolf form into a man. His muscles would stretch and tighten. His dark hair would stand out from his bare flesh. And his cock would grow as if he were getting a large hard-on, only it would enlarge twice the normal size. Every werewolf she’d seen change had an impressive cock. Cheeks warming, she imagined what Greg’s would look like.
“The full moon is tomorrow night. Corey, Andy, and the rest of us in the neighborhood get together and explore the woods. You could come out with us, if you were seriously interested.”
The offer tempted her, but the thought of seeing her neighbors naked discouraged her. They were her neighbors. She didn’t want to see their goods on full display and have that mental image stuck in her head. If she did, waving to them as she passed by them on the street might be more difficult.
“I have a web meeting planned,” she said.
“All night?”
“It depends.” Her meeting probably wouldn’t last more than an hour, but she didn’t want to get his hopes up.
“Oh.” He sounded grim. “Well, we usually run for several hours. If you change your mind, I’m sure one of us will find you.”
“Superior sense of smell?”
He nodded. “Especially in wolf form.”
Note taken.
“I’ll give it some thought.”
His expression brightened as he took a step back. “Shall we move on?”
“Yes, let’s do.”
Alexi followed Greg’s lead to the different exhibits. They passed more families and she couldn’t help but notice the little kids running around gleefully. Greg grunted at a toddler that darted in front of him, nearly tripping him. She slapped her hand over her mouth so Greg wouldn’t see her laughing. After the little boy ran off, he mumbled, “Rug rats.”
“I thought you liked kids?”
“I like helping them to ensure they have the means to become productive members of society.”
“So you don’t want any of the little critters one day?” She loosened her arm and let it slip from his.
“Honestly, I don’t think so.” He stopped in front of the entrance to the train ride.
“Oh? Why?”
He let out a deep sigh. “Well, for starters, it’s a frightening world to raise a child in. Did you know hate crimes toward supernatural creatures has went up two hundred percent since P-Day?”
She gave a slight nod. “It’s been on the PTV news.”
He slipped his hands into the front pockets of his dark pants. “It may take decades for humans to truly accept us. I can’t logically bring a living soul into a world where he or she will be shunned and will have to struggle to survive.”
“And the people who do?”
“I respect them. I really do, but they need help. More importantly, the children need help. Parents can love their kids to death, but general society will chew on the outcasts and spit them out like gum. That’s how people see us right now. You know it, and I know it. Some kids will survive, but they will have to fight to make it. My own brother has kids and I see the difficulty they go through.” He placed his hand on the center of his chest. “If I had to watch my own child struggle, it would break my heart.”
Alexi stood speechless, staring at Greg. His strong words revealed how deeply he cared about others. The werewolf continued to impress her.
He slid his hand back into his pocket. “I see enough suffering every day. I want to help children and families so maybe one day the world will be a better place to live.”
Chills crawled through Alexi. Standing in front of her was a man who genuinely wanted to make a difference. He valued life and realized how he could make it better. She stared in shock, finding it difficult to believe she’d met a man who thought with his heart and head rather than his groin. And this was her neighbor, who barely knew her, and admitted his attraction to her.
The man was a godsend she could no longer ignore.
A dinging sound in the distance captured Greg’s attention. He glanced over his shoulder. Alexi tilted to the side and spotted an old-fashioned train approaching.
“Care to see some elephants and giraffes?” He gave her a warm smile.
“I’d love to.”
As she followed Greg through the maze to get to the train, she decided it was time to open up to Greg and accept him. Sure, she still felt a bit of hesitancy. Three centuries of dealing with self-centered, greedy men would cause anyone to form a generalized opinion of them. But he was different and she saw it clearly now. The time had come to stop fighting, stop resisting what could be the best thing to ever happen to her. Her heart urged her to listen and maybe now she should.
Was it love? Having never experienced it before, she couldn’t be sure. One thing she knew with certainty, he warmed her heart and soul and made her happy.
They sat next to each other on the open train as it traveled through the zoo. Greg continued with his witty comments as they passed by zebras and giraffes. She couldn’t stop from laughing and even added a few remarks that spawned chuckles out of him. Each minute was pure happiness with him. When the ride ended, they stepped from the platform and continued down the path toward more exhibits.
Alexi curled her arm around Greg’s and earned a pleasant look of surprise from him. She also noted his heart picked up an extra beat. Every time he touched her, she noticed the increased activity deep within his chest.
“I’m glad I agreed to this date. I’ve had a wonderful time.”
He slid his fingers over hers and held her hand to his arm. “The night’s young. We still have somewhere to visit.”
“You’re taking me to another place?”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d like the zoo, so I planned to visit somewhere else. Since we have plenty of time left, and you just admitted
you’re enjoying our outing, then I’m going to follow through with my plan.”
A surge of elation ran through Alexi. She was beyond curious to know what was next and anxious to spend more time with Greg.
“Where are we going?” The words came out fast, revealing her excitement.
His lips twisted into playful grin. “You’ll see.”
15
Greg stared at the glowing red stoplight while he held his breath. Open windows allowed a slight breeze to pass through the car and the stench of the city’s sewage. The toxic smell would’ve seeped in through the vents anyway. Better to have the windows down then up, trapping the horrible odor inside the car. Regardless, he didn’t complain or let the sewage aroma bring him down. His trip at the zoo with Alexi had worked out better than he’d imagined.
He turned slightly, took a deep breath and gazed at Alexi sitting in the passenger seat. Immense joy filled his soul upon seeing her content expression. He managed to make her talk, laugh and relax. The task hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. Had he lowered her shields fully? He doubted it. She had survived years of horror from the hands of her maker. One date couldn’t alter her judgment of men, or him, but with time he believed he could convince her he was one of the good guys. An honest and respectable man who would love her passionately.
“I’m guessing this place you’re taking me to is downtown,” she asked.
“You’re very perceptive.”
“Where are we going?”
He swallowed the laughter rising within. She’d asked the same question multiple times, and each time her eyes glimmered with excitement when he refused to tell her.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Can you give me a hint?”
The curl of her lips stirred his desire. Such a beautiful smile. Such lovely pink lips. He wanted to kiss them.
He veered his gaze to the road, trying to stop the arousal in his groin. “No.”
“No?”
He turned the corner, drove half way down the street then flipped on his turn signal. The tall buildings appeared empty and closed for the night. A dark alley separated two of the larger businesses. After the car going in the opposite direction passed, he steered the car toward the small street.
Welcome to the Neighborhood Page 14
