by C. J. Pinard
“Who’s we?” Jessica asked, taking the gum from her mouth and putting it in a napkin.
“Me and my boyfriend, Kellan.”
They both stared at me hard as if they wanted to say something, but they didn’t. Jason nodded. “Go on.”
“So I shifted and it startled Alex, of course. I lost my shit, and… kinda took his head off.” I shrugged and looked down at my nails, picking at them.
Jessica chuckled. “What’s with you supes, tearing people’s heads off?”
“Not sure. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. Which, by the way, is not as easy as it looks.”
Jessica nodded. “Yes, I know. I’ve, uh… well, I’ve seen it plenty.”
My eyes widened. “You have?”
Jason shot a sideways glare at his wife and then cleared his throat. “Go on, Ayla.”
“Kellan went into their tent to get the kid—we planned to drop him off at a police station. But he was too late. Alex’s new vampire wife had already torn his throat out. We probably should have burned the body, but we didn’t want to start a frickin’ forest fire. So I buried him next to the water instead. We hoped it would break down his flesh and leave no traces.”
“You must have put him too close to the water and the tide carried him out. Furthermore, human bodies float after they’ve been in the water a few days. You really should do your homework before you dispose of a human body,” Jason scolded quietly.
“Well excuse me for not Googling it, geez. The sun was almost up. We had to do something fast. Besides, that lake doesn’t have tides.”
“Those lakes are connected to fast rapids that run throughout the mountains,” Jason pointed out.
“Just call us next time,” Jessica said, a little nicer than her husband. “You won’t be in trouble.”
I nodded. “I will, don’t worry. I am still having nightmares about that poor little kid. Seeing the look on his face. It was awful.” I shuddered.
The server brought the food and asked if I wanted another drink. “Actually, I do. Bring me a double?”
He nodded and left.
Jessica pointed to my almost empty drink. “How long you gonna keep drinking before you learn you can’t really get drunk?”
“As long as it takes,” I said, tipping the glass back and swallowing down the rest.
Jason shook his head and mumbled something with food in his mouth.
“So do you feel better?” Jessica asked between bites.
“About what?”
“Killing him. Do you feel vindicated now?” she asked.
I lifted my chin. “Yeah, I do. I’m glad he’s dead. I just feel like shit for what happened to the kid.”
“If what you say is true, you couldn’t have stopped that regardless. Alexander was irresponsible in turning his wife, knowing how much uncontrollable bloodlust she’d have. He should have sent the child somewhere safe for a few months until he could teach her. He was obviously a foolish and reckless vampire, so we’re grateful he is gone.”
Was that a thank-you? “Well, you’re welcome.”
A boy, who didn’t look any older than eighteen, seemed to come out of nowhere when he appeared at our table. He had two raggedy-looking teen boys standing behind him. And by raggedy, I mean, purposely unkempt—and nerdy. One of them had his eyes locked on Jessica’s ample chest.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I was sitting in the booth behind you and I couldn’t help but hear. What game are you talking about? My buddies and I love vampire video games. That one sounds totally rad.”
Jason chuckled, while I undoubtedly could not hide the mortification on my face.
Jessica smiled. “It’s the new Dracula one. You should totally get it, dude.”
His face lit up and he whipped his head to the right to clear the fringe from his eyes. “Thanks, lady!” Then he and his friends left.
I looked at them both and bit back a smile. “Don’t tell me you guys are closet gamer nerds. Actually, do tell me you are. That would make my night.”
Jason’s burger was paused at his lips. “We have a game system, but only use it when we’re bored or my nephews come over. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a Dracula video game. Glad she can lie fast.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, well if you guys weren’t so damn human, I would have been able to talk quieter.”
“Like we’ve never heard that before,” Jessica murmured as she shoved her fork into her taco salad.
“So, you get the answers you needed? Can I go?”
The couple looked at each other, then back to me. “Yes, but one last thing,” Jason said. “Give me your phone.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “No.”
He chuckled. “Just for a sec.”
I hesitated for a second, and pulled out my phone, giving in after seeing the innocent but mischievous look in his eyes. He hit a few buttons, typed something, and then handed it back to me.
My contacts were open, he’d created one called Swift Justice and it had two phone numbers on it. “Now. You call or text us if you get in the shit again, understand?”
I stood up, shoved the phone into the back pocket of my jeans, and saluted them both. “Sir, yes, sir.”
“Get outta here,” he replied, shaking his head with a laugh.
Chapter 20
After replying to Evan’s text, where he told me they didn’t have any jobs for me, I set my phone down and plopped myself down on my sofa. I found the remote and flicked the TV on. It was a little past midnight, and I was bored. When the night was quiet, and I was alone, it was probably the worst time for me.
I had no reason to feel lonely. I had a family who loved me, friends who supported me, and a sexy boyfriend who thought I was beautiful. So why wasn’t I with him right now? Oh! I knew why. Because I still didn’t have his number. How ridiculous were we? Could I call to him telepathically? I thought that only worked when we were in relative proximity, but then he said he’d heard me calling to him when Fiona was attacking me. The whole thing confused me, and I knew I should probably go find a damn paranormal book and start learning how to be one instead of stumbling my way through this life, learning as I go. But then again, I had always been a hands-on learner. You know the type… refusing to read the assembly instructions on a piece of furniture, preferring to just look at it to see how to put it together. I definitely needed to learn how to master all these cool abilities I had.
I stared absently at the TV, knowing I had shows recorded I could watch, but felt too restless for that. I got up, put some popcorn in the microwave, and picked up my phone. I clicked on Beckett’s name and shot off a text: Whatcha doin?
I reached into my fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and cracked open the lid, downing the entire thing while I waited for the microwave to beep.
My popcorn was done at the exact moment my phone chimed.
Beckett: Chillin with Gavin. U?
Me: Eating popcorn and contemplating TV like I’m 90.
Beckett: LOL Want to join us?
I opened the popcorn and smothered it with salt.
Did I want to join them? They were pretty annoying with all their PDA and kissing and staring into each other’s eyes all the time. But I realized I needed some Beckett time and I wouldn’t get any one-on-one for a while.
I popped a handful of popcorn into my mouth.
Me: Sure, where u at?
Beckett: Love is Love Lounge on 8th.
I knew the place. It was a couple blocks over from Moon Chasers.
Me: Be there soon.
I sighed and looked down at myself. Dark-blue jeans, combat boots, lacy red tank top, and a black leather jacket. I decided I looked good enough, and summoned an Uber from my phone.
I carried the bag of popcorn with me down to the street level and munched on it until my ride arrived.
The Love is Love Lounge was just as disgusting as Beckett and Gavin were. It looked like Cupid threw up in here. I suddenly regretted not chan
ging out of my red tank. Red walls, red, heart-shaped chairs, sofas, and tables. The waiters and waitresses wore red clothes that barely covered their private parts. I felt like I was inside some kind of 80s porno movie.
Not that I’d ever watched one of those or anything.
Same-sex couples sat around tables and on sofas talking, while others were on the dance floor swaying to the beat of the hip-hop song playing.
“Ayla, honey!” Beckett said, standing up and heading toward me. I noticed he wore all black, smart enough to avoid red in a place like this. He smiled happily at me and hugged me tight before leading me back to the table.
I sat on a… you guessed it… red chair, and smiled. “Hi, Gavin.”
“Hey, girl,” he said, grinning at me and then looking down at his phone.
“Isn’t he adorable?” Beckett mouthed, which made me laugh.
I nodded. “I miss you. We need to catch up.”
“I agree,” he said with a sweet grin. “How about now?”
I briefly flicked my gaze to Gavin, then back to him. “Well, maybe not now.”
Beckett grinned. “You can speak openly around us, Ayla.”
I felt a bit affronted by his comments, and remembering how Kellan had told me he suspected Gavin could be human, it made me uneasy. For the second time tonight, I was getting tired of having to lower my voice as to not scare the humans.
“Really?” I said, glancing at Gavin, who was engrossed in his phone, then back to Beckett. “Where’s the bartender anyway?”
Gavin looked up from his phone. “He said he’d be back. That was, like, right before you got here.”
The bartender’s ears must have been burning, because he seemed to appear out of nowhere. He had the most perfect hair I had ever seen, and—was that red lipstick? I chuckled.
“What can I get you, gorgeous?” he asked with a wink.
“Vodka Collins,” I replied, slightly flushing at his faux flirting.
“You got it,” he said, and then flounced off.
I looked at Beckett, and he grinned back at me. “Hot, if you like that type.”
I lifted an eyebrow as I sat back against the very comfortable sofa. “He’s not?”
“No, don’t like the lipstick lesbians.” Beckett waved a dismissive hand.
I raised an eyebrow “I’m pretty sure that was a guy, and—”
He started laughing and covered his mouth when he snorted.
“What is with you tonight?” I asked, noticing he seemed a bit off. I first chocked it up to him being giddy around his new beau, but I suspected it was something more than that.
Beckett cleared his throat and put on a serious face. He sat up ram-rod straight and crossed one leg over the other, placing both hands on his knee. “Nothing is with me. Why do you ask, little wolf girl?”
My eyes widened, but the server returned with my drink. He placed a red cocktail napkin shaped like a heart on the glass table, then the drink on top. “Anything else I can get you, just holler.”
He walked away again, and as I lifted my drink to my lips, I looked at Beckett. “Are you insane?” I whisper-yelled.
He chuckled. “Maybe. Oh, and Gavin?”
I stared at him as I took a pull of the drink through the straw.
“He’s not human, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I had to choose between projectile spitting and choking on vodka, so I chose the latter. I began to cough and sputter, as both blond boys stood up to come to aid.
When I could pull in some air, I put a hand up. “I’m fine, guys. I’m fine.” I shook my head and took another deep breath. “But geez, Beck!”
And all those deep breaths had caused me to catch a good whiff of Gavin as he stayed seated next to me to ensure I was okay. I looked at him and could see a deep purple ring around the outside of his blue irises. It was pretty, but not surprising, as he smelled strongly of lavender.
“You’re a freaking elf?” I said, shaking my head. “Why do you people keep suddenly popping up in my life?”
Gavin’s expression turned from concerned to slighted. “You people? Seriously? This from a wolf?”
Beckett began to laugh hysterically, and we both stared at him like he had suddenly grown two heads. Beckett’s nature was to be a peacekeeper, to avoid conflict. Instead, he sat there laughing and watching us like we were the most interesting show on TV.
“What is wrong with you?” I asked, my eyes wide.
“Fucking edibles,” Gavin murmured and shook his head. He looked at me. “I didn’t want to stop by the pot shop, but he insisted.”
I stared at him in horror, then back to my friend. “How much did you eat? Like, how can you still be all loopy and weird?” I asked, knowing how it took a lot of alcohol to affect me. But then I remembered the weekend at Wolfe Point when we had all gotten high, and frowned. Obviously THC affected us way differently than alcohol. Guessed that went for vampires, too.
Beckett pulled a small cookie wrapped in cellophane from his pants pocket and plopped it into my hand. “You try.” He stuffed back a laugh.
I dropped the thing like it was a hot potato and looked at Gavin. “He do this a lot?”
Gavin shook his head. “Not that I know of, this is the first time.”
The room seemed to kind of hush and I noticed most of the conversation had stopped. I looked around until I found the source. A very good-looking Hispanic man, surrounded by half a dozen other beautiful men, strolled in through the door. Everyone was staring at them. The man seemed to command the room, and as his gaze swept the club, they landed on Beckett.
What the hell?
Beckett, who seemed oblivious to the palpable tension in the room, was leaned back against the sofa with a big smile on his face, but his eyes were closed with his hands folded over his chest.
I looked back at the stranger and he was still staring at our group, and in fact, he and his entourage were headed our way.
Almost in stereo, Gavin and I looked at Beckett and asked, “Do you know him?”
Beckett’s eyes popped open and he still had that lazy smile on his face. “Do I know what?”
I shook my head. “Not what, who?”
The man approached our table, and with a dimpled, cocky smirk said, “Well, hello, Beckett.”
Chapter 21
Nothing will sober a person up faster than a shocking blast from the past, I say. As I stared at Beckett, and then the handsome stranger, the smell of eucalyptus overwhelming me, and I felt like I was watching a car wreck, and couldn’t look away.
Beckett sat up and blinked several times up at the stranger. “Jacquez?” he finally whispered.
I heard Gavin gasp from behind me, and when my brain caught up to my eyes, I did the same. This was Beckett’s sire… his maker.
Beckett slowly stood, but he looked numb and dumbfounded. Could vampires go into shock?
Jacquez watched with amusement dancing in his cool brown eyes as Beckett stood toe to toe with him, but Beckett towered over him by a good five inches. They stared at each other for a long few uncomfortable seconds, and I briefly glanced around the club to see just about every drama queen watching the scene unfold with baited breath.
I was not too ashamed to admit that I was one of those queens. I had to resist the urge to pull out my phone and record the confrontation.
“Say something, novio,” Jacquez said, still looking delighted to see my friend.
I did some quick math in my head based on the story Beckett had told me and counted well over thirty years since the elusive vamp had vanished from Beckett’s life without a trace after turning him and leaving him to fend for himself.
As if Beckett’s thoughts and mine were the same, his pale, flawless face twisted into something close to a scowl. With lightning-fast reflexes, Beckett reached out and slapped Jacquez clean across the face.
Jacquez’s men immediately leapt into action, but were halted by his hand in the air, indicating for them to stand down.
With the skin on his olive-toned cheek now glowing red, Jacquez didn’t even flinch. Instead, he grinned at my friend and said, “I guess I deserved that.”
“Yeah, you so fucking did,” I barked out without thinking, my eyes narrowed at the guy as the story of what he’d done to Beckett began to replay in my mind like an old movie.
He glanced down at me, cocked his head to the side slightly (but his big, black shiny pompadour didn’t move), and then narrowed his eyes at me. Completely ignoring me, he looked back at Beckett and said, “You consort with wolves? I thought I taught you better than that.”
Apparently, Jacquez was an awesome buzzkill, because Beckett seemed one hundred percent with it now. I watched with wide eyes as he clenched his teeth, his fists balling up at his sides. “Teach me? Teach me! You taught me jack shit! You… you… argh!” he screamed, turning on his heel and stomping toward the club’s entrance.
Gavin got up and followed him, but I didn’t. I slowly stood with my arms folded over my chest.
Jacquez’s gaze lazily drifted from Beckett to me. I stood with my chin out, staring him in the eye.
He again disregarded me as if I wasn’t good enough to even acknowledge and tried to skirt around me. I stepped into his path, and he set his jaw, staring at me angrily, eyes darting back and forth between my defiant ones.
Since he wouldn’t speak, I did. “This is probably the only time I’m going to actually give a warning to a leech like you, but it’s highly advisable that you go ahead and fuck off back to where you came from.”
His eyes widened momentarily, but he quickly regained control. A slow, unpleasant grin split his face. “Aw. You’re so cute. Are you his newest little pet? Beckett always did love taking on projects to see if he could fix them. But,” he said, putting a clean, manicured finger to his bottom lip while supporting his elbow with the opposite hand, “I told him over and over that wolves couldn’t be fixed. They were stubborn and just didn’t listen. I told him to get himself a Labrador if he wanted some canine companionship.” He ended his insult with a triumphant smile.
