We both watched as she stepped outside and I turned to Marco, “Thank you.”
“For what? Not eating you?” he teased.
“For staying. She’s my friend, you didn’t have to.”
He placed one large hand against my cheek, gently cradling my face with his long fingers. “You don’t owe me thanks. I wanted to stay. I care what happens to you, Red, and I care what happens to your friends.” He sighed. “Besides, I can’t help but feel that what happened with Charles is somehow my fault.”
“What? How can you say that? He’s a grown man, his actions were his own.”
“But I should have paid closer attention. I knew you were a target for some of their plans, I should have realized your friends were also in danger.”
“You can’t be all things to all people, Marco, and I’m sure Kat never expected you to be her bodyguard.”
He withdrew his hand from my face, slowly so as not to scratch me, and placed it on my knee. The contact was casual, yet intimate. Being close to Marco had never seemed awkward. I thought that would have changed, especially considering it was not merely Marco who was near me, but a clearly recognizable wolfman. But his presence was the same. The hand that gently touched my skin gave me the same feeling as if he weren’t covered in fur. And when I closed my eyes, it was not a monster’s voice I heard, it was Marco.
Before anything else could be said, Kat came back in holding what looked like more than half of a large ham. “Is this enough meat for you?” she said suggestively.
“How did I miss that?” Marco asked.
“It was behind that gaudy talking candy dish. I don’t think many people saw it.”
She put the platter with the ham on the coffee table and scooted it toward Marco. “Here,” she said. “I owe you something for the show I got to see tonight.”
He looked confused. “You mean what we were just—?”
“I’m not talking about how much fun it is to watch you two try and resist each other. I’m talking about how Charles reacted to you.”
Marco and I exchanged a look. We were both hesitant to comment, but Kat continued.
“I enjoyed seeing that lying bastard eat the floor.”
“It’s good to be the king.” Marco half smirked and I smacked his arm.
Kat however, burst out laughing and seemed to genuinely feel better. Marco still had reservations about tearing into the ham in front of us, so I fed it to him in strips while Kat launched in to a surprisingly entertaining rant about how much of a bastard Charles was.
I think it did her good to just talk without having to worry about being judged. In the middle of this display, she began to strip her costume. As she walked down the hall she yelled, “You want to borrow some pjs, Lil? That corset can’t be comfortable.”
She was right, it wasn’t and since it looked like we’d be staying much longer, I accepted her offer.
“Can I watch?” Marco asked as I got up to follow Kat.
I just smiled, but he was only teasing. Marco clearly wanted to finish the ham while we were gone. As it turned out, Kat still had a pair of my pajamas in her closet where I’d spent the night with her after her last horrendous breakup. She’d called me crying and I came running, equipped with a good bottle of wine and a shoulder to cry on. She changed into a pair of hot pink pajamas with matching fuzzy slippers while I put on the red silk ensemble I had left behind from the last “lying bastard” incident.
As I walked back up the hall, I was painfully reminded of the last time I had worn red silk pajamas. They had been Marco’s. Kat had gone to the bathroom, leaving me alone with him again. When I walked back into the living room, he’d already cleaned up.
“Would you help me wash my hands?” he asked.
We went into the kitchen and I turned on the water after putting some soap in Marco’s palm. I looked up and caught him smiling down at me. Even with the wolf face, he was clearly thinking wicked thoughts.
“I’d forgotten how good you look in red silk pajamas,” he said softly.
“Marco.”
“I’m sorry, Red. But you have no idea how much I’ve thought about you, how many times I lay awake staring at the phone hoping you would come to your senses and call me.”
“Don’t, Marco. Please, don’t. I can’t take it.”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Looking at you here tonight, it isn’t hard to imagine that just for a moment, you’re mine. Maybe the beast is just getting the better of me.”
“We should stop this line of thinking, before it gets the better of me.”
He raised one eyebrow and I clarified, “Don’t misunderstand. I have no desire to have sex with a wolfman. But once you change back, if we’re still toying with these thoughts …”
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Marco, I don’t want to do something I’ll regret.”
“And I would prefer to wait until sleeping with me is not something you would add to your list of regrets.”
After our conversation, Marco and I decided to stay with Kat the rest of the night. Once we were both fairly certain she would be all right, we decided to leave.
Marco went to find Luther and I went to find my car. I had just opened the door when he called over the tops of the other vehicles, “Red?”
“Yes?”
“If you ever feel like shoe shopping, give me a call.”
He was referring to a comment he made during the week I stayed with him. He used shoes as a metaphor for men, and said he was content to be the comfortable pair of shoes in the back of my closet. I might not wear them often, but I knew they were there when I needed something comfortable.
I smiled at him and got in my car. As I drove past, I waved goodnight to The Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks, and one of The Three Bears.
“Turn on your radio,” Luther yelled.
I flipped the switch to my favorite local station. They were having an all request Halloween party. When I reached the end of the driveway, the smooth voiced DJ announced, “This one goes out to Red from Marco. He says, at least he didn’t wear a sheep suit.”
I started my drive home to the sound of Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Hey there Little Red Riding Hood. I couldn’t help laughing.
Epilogue
After that night Kat said Charles wanted to stay together, but she broke things off. She said she wasn’t in love with Charles, but had really liked him. She was disappointed, but Kat said she couldn’t be with a man she couldn’t trust.
Richard has been a bit distant since the incident with Mallory, but he seems fine otherwise. It will most likely take some time for him to be able to deal with everything he saw. There’s been no further trace of Dr. Bill Williams, but last I heard Bade is still looking for him.
As for me, I was in a daze after seeing Marco again. Once that wore off, I felt positively shaken. All of my emotions had been mixed together, and I fought for perspective. It’s like driving in a heavy fog with your lights on. You know there’s a road out there somewhere, but the only thing you can see is fog.
I just want to be loved. I want someone to see me for all I am and all that I might become ... and not be afraid of what they see. I need to be touched, to be held, to be alive. I long for a love that time and my insecurities cannot erase. It looks as though I may have found what I’m looking for with Alfred.
As for Marco, he says he is content to be my comfortable old shoes. We shall see if that’s enough.
*****
Marco’s proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code was approved on planet Terra. Werewolves will no longer be killed on sight and were returned their legal rights. Earth followed suit.
On New Year’s Day the announcement was made on news stations all over the world. The broadcasts acknowledged the existence of the lycanthropy virus, but it was not told where this virus originated. Of course world leaders knew, but they chose to keep the existence of planet Terra from the public along with the origins of the virus.
Some places cel
ebrated, others thought the broadcasts must be a joke. In many locations there were riots in the streets. From one extreme to the other, Alfred and I watched it on the news.
However, it was the President of the United States who finished his public address with the words that Alfred had predicted would be used, “Werewolves are real, and they are among us.”
THE END
Lilith Mercury’s story continues in book three of the Werewolf Hunter series, The Dread Moon.
THE DREAD MOON
By
Tracey H. Kitts
Chapter One
The smell of coffee woke me early, and I wasn’t entirely happy about it. But, the longer I breathed in the tantalizing aroma, the more I wanted a cup. Thunder rumbled outside, and due to the storm, it was still dark. I could have slept really well for at least a few more hours. However, good coffee like good men should never be wasted. Good coffee isn’t always easy to find, but a good man is even harder to come by. Then again, I had an unfair advantage. All I had to do was go into the kitchen to find both.
It had been a week since the announcement that werewolves were indeed real, and they could be your next door neighbor. For the most part, I had to say people were handling the news well. Maybe they were in shock.
As for me, all was well except perhaps my dreams. I kept dreaming about a man, a particular man. I have dreamed of him off and on since I was sixteen. I guess you could say he is quite literally the man of my dreams, and he had showed up twice in the past two days. First, I dreamed he was lying beside me in bed with his arms wrapped tightly around me. I felt safe until I realized what was going on. I woke up startled, almost expecting to find a strange man in my bed. I was relieved to find Alfred instead.
The next day I fell asleep on the sofa downstairs. This time, I dreamed I was falling, only it felt more like floating. He was telling me to fall, to let myself fall. “It is all right. I will catch you.” I felt myself floating down to him and he caught me. I never doubted that he would. Never once did I feel any fear, nor did I ever expect to hit the ground. All I can tell you after nearly a lifetime of dreams is that he is tall, dark, and ravishing. But lately, upon awakening, I could almost see his face. I know that sounds strange. I’ve been dreaming of the man for years and I can’t tell you what his face looks like. It’s like this, in my dreams I see him clearly. However, once I’m awake, I can’t describe him.
I flopped onto my back with a sigh. I’d fallen asleep in Alfred’s downstairs bedroom the night before. The sheets were cool in the places where I hadn’t touched, and I stretched until my toes reached the cool bits of cover near the edge of the bed.
“Lilith,” I heard Alfred’s voice call from the kitchen.
He had left the door open, and his voice echoed down the hall. I threw my arm over my eyes. He’d left the bed curtains open too. Alfred called me again and I growled. It was bad enough the sun was in my face, but why did we have to get up so damn early?
“What?” I asked.
But by the time I finally spoke Alfred was standing in the door with a sarcastic smile on his face.
“Get up,” he ordered.
“Why?”
He walked over grabbed the covers near the foot of the bed and snatched. I curled up into a ball as I rolled onto my side and groaned, “For the love of God!”
He scooped me up before I could object further and lifted me off the bed.
“I thought there was a storm outside?” I said, looking over his shoulder.
“There is,” he said with a smile. “You just managed to catch a lucky patch of sunlight between the clouds.”
I rested my head dejectedly against his shoulder while Alfred carried me to the kitchen.
“Why won’t you let me sleep?”
“Because we’ve got a lot to do today,” he said as he kissed the top of my head.
As we entered the kitchen the smell of fresh coffee so close at hand seemed to stir me. I had completely forgotten we had a ball to attend shortly. The Hunter’s Ball was an annual event on planet Terra, and one of the rare occasions I found reason enough to visit my home planet.
“Oh, I forgot that was today,” I mumbled as Alfred lowered me to the floor.
I sat at the table and rubbed my eyes in a desperate attempt to keep them open. The clock on the microwave said it was seven o’clock. From the look of things, Alfred had been up for a while. He was still lounging around in a pair of deep blue silk pajamas, but breakfast was nearly done.
It had been five months since we’d decided to stop hiding our feelings for each other. I had to say, they were the best five months of my life. It was so wonderful to love and have that love returned. It wasn’t like I’d never been in love before, we both knew this wasn’t my first time. But every time I looked at Alfred it felt that way. His embrace stole away some of the bitter disappointments I had suffered. Alfred had always seemed to have such command of the situation, no matter what the situation was. If he had any doubts about us, they didn’t show. I trusted him with my life, in so many ways.
I realized Alfred had been talking and I’d been lost in a daydream, watching him walk around the room. His dark hair was tousled from sleep, and the bronze of his skin seemed somehow diminished next to the blue. But no amount of dark color could ever make Alfred look truly pale. He was a welcome sight to my still sleep filled eyes, and all I could think to do was smile at him.
“Are you with me this time?” He smiled and placed a mug of my favorite coffee underneath my nose.
“Mmhm.”
He went over with me exactly when we needed to get down to the transporter in his lab in order to make the party on time. Next, he reviewed the guest list. There were going to be people there Alfred thought would benefit from seeing me. Since the role of The Hunters had now begun to undergo some serious changes, there were talks of forming a new task force. This group would be known as H.A.V.O.C. (Hunter Assault Team for Violators of Werewolf Code.) A decision would be made soon as to who would head this group in different areas of the worlds. For our area, I was shaping up to be the most likely candidate. I didn’t exactly relish the thought of having more responsibility, or of being in what was sure to be a public spotlight. But I couldn’t let my father down, and he was rallying strongly for me to have the position. The Wizard Council would be at the Hunter’s Ball, and I needed to make a good impression.
“So, what are you wearing?” Alfred asked.
“Well, this event is formal, so that calls for formal attire.” I smiled.
I had deliberately not let Alfred see the dress I was planning to wear. I was shopping with my best friend Kat when we found it. The moment I saw the dress I knew it would be perfect. Kathryn Roberts and I had been the best of friends since I’d rescued a former boyfriend of hers from a werewolf attack nearly five years ago. In the years I had known her, Kat had never lied to me about anything and she swore I looked good in this dress. I valued her opinion.
Alfred looked at me with a questioning smirk and I added, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Kat called a few hours later while I was getting ready.
“I’m nervous,” I confided.
“About what? You’ve been to these things before, right?”
“Yes, but I’ve never been under such pressure to let myself be seen. I’ve always sort of blended into the background, and I’ll be honest, Kat, I liked the background.”
“Yeah, but they need to see that you’re a reasonably competent individual, now don’t they?” she said sensibly.
“All they have to do is look at my track record to know I get the job done.”
“They also need someone who will look good on camera,” she went on like I hadn’t spoken, “cause, let’s face it, you will be in the public eye once this Havoc thing is announced.”
“You’re right.” I sighed. “I might as well try to make myself look like a worthy poster child.”
“So, do you think he’ll be there?”
“W
ho?”
“The man from your dreams, of course! You’ve got to admit he’s been showing up more and more lately.”
I honestly had never thought to associate the appearance of the tall, dark stranger in my dreams with the ball, and I told her so.
“But, it’s a possibility, isn’t it? Your dreams have a creepy way of coming true, Lil. I can’t help but think that you’ll meet him soon.” She paused. “But what will you do then? I mean, you’ve got no idea who this man is, or if he’s …”
“If he’s what?”
“I dunno, evil or something.”
“Well, you’re a tremendous comfort.” I grunted as I pulled my shoes from underneath the bed with some difficulty.
“Sorry, it’s just been driving me crazy. I want to know who he is!”
“You and me both. So,” I began hesitantly, “how are you doing?”
Kathryn had dumped her semi-serious boyfriend fairly recently. The reason I knew Charles Xander had been semi-serious is because they’d split at the end of October, and it was now January and Kat was not dating someone new. It turned out Charles was a werewolf with close ties to Bade Garren. Bade was a challenger to the leader of the local werewolf pack, and had sent Charles to get close to Kat in order to spy on me. We got this information out of him at Kat’s Halloween party along with the help of the king of the local wolf pack, Marco Barak. It was Marco who had proposed the werewolf code to the council, and Marco who also haunted my dreams. I thought that once Alfred returned from his trip to Terra last August I would be able to put Marco out of my mind, but that was only half true. It was easier to ignore him, but I was never able to completely shut him out.
“I’m okay,” Kat answered after a short pause. “You know, I didn’t dump him because he was a werewolf, right?”
Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter Series (Boxed Set, Books 1-3) Page 51
