The Vampire Files Anthology

by P. N. Elrod

  Sam's slow, steady breathing told her he'd fallen asleep. They were both tired after their hike to the lake and back, not to mention their long lovemaking session. On the way home from the lake, Laura had taken the time to really look at her surroundings and appreciate the woods instead of worrying about what might come charging out of them to eat her up.

  Maybe she could learn to like the great outdoors. It would please Sam, and although he said it wasn't important to him, it was important to Laura. She didn't want anything standing between time they might spend together. The cabin could be remodeled. She did it all the time in her real estate practice. The first order of business would be a comfortable bed. One that didn't have a big crack down the middle she kept getting stuck in during the night.

  Laura drifted to sleep envisioning the changes she would make. Something woke her later—the sound of the door closing softly. She turned to Sam, but he was missing. Sitting, she listened.

  "Sam?"

  No answer.

  Moonlight spilled in from the windows, allowing her to see that the bathroom door was open, the light off. Sam wasn't in the cabin. Scooting to the top of the bed, she glanced outside. Her husband stood staring up at a full moon. He was naked!

  "What in the world is he doing?" Laura mumbled.

  For a moment, she wondered if he might be sleepwalking, although she'd never known him to, nor had Sam ever said that he was prone to the affliction. But he seemed awake as she continued to watch him. He walked toward the thick trees at the edge of the clearing. Then he began to run. Naked. Barefoot. Away from the cabin.

  Her momentary amusement over Sam's actions quickly disappeared. Laura was afraid. Not for herself this time, but for Sam. What he was doing had to be dangerous even if he was at home in the woods. She rose and grabbed a terry cloth robe she'd brought to keep warm. After locating her shoes and slipping into them, Laura did something only a day ago she could never imagine herself doing. She went outside in the dead of night.

  "Sam!" she called, but her husband was nowhere in sight. Now what to do? Should Laura go after him? Did she have the courage? The trees looked like tall monsters in the moonlight, branches shaped like claws waiting to grab her if she came too close.

  There were animals out there, Sam had told her earlier. So why would he run into the woods, into danger? A horrible thought occurred. Was Sam a little weird? One card short of a full deck? Laura had trouble believing that. Sam was perfect. Too perfect, she'd often thought.

  "He's not crazy or weird," she chided herself. There had to be a logical explanation for her husband sneaking out of the cabin in the dead of night to run naked through the woods. Now Laura just had to find out what it was.

  SAM HAD TAKEN HIS WOLF FORM, AT ONE time, he'd read that the cursed Wulf men couldn't control their thoughts or actions when they transformed. Along with the poem composed by the first Wulf cursed, so faded now it was nearly indistinguishable, were letters handed down from generation to generation, explaining certain aspects of the transformation.

  Where had Sam gone wrong in the translation of the poem, that is, what little remained of it? Love was supposed to be the curse but it was also supposed to be the key. Since it was said former Wulfs had broken the curse throughout the centuries by marrying their soul mates, Sam had assumed that was all there was to it. He was obviously wrong.

  Unless Laura wasn't his soul mate. Sam shied away from that thought. If she wasn't, he didn't care, he loved her. He'd stay with his wife even if it meant he would remain cursed for the rest of his life. But would Laura stay with him?

  Through the trees, his sharpened vision caught the glow of a small light. A flashlight, he realized a moment later. Creeping from his hiding place, the wolf skirted the trees until he reached the light. What he saw surprised him. It was Laura. She wore her ratty terry cloth robe, and every so often, she stopped to flag a tree with a piece of toilet paper, marking her trail. Sam felt immensely proud of her at that moment. He realized how much his wife truly loved him.

  She'd admitted to being afraid of the woods earlier, yet here she was, out searching for him. Or he had to assume that was the reason Laura had faced her fears, putting herself in danger. Sam wanted to go to her, wrap her in his arms and tell her how special she was… but he couldn't. If Laura saw him in wolf form, she'd be scared to death. At the same time, she needed to return to the cabin.

  Since Sam couldn't change at will, he'd have to wait until morning to think of a suitable lie to tell Laura. For now, he wanted her safe. He knew how to send her running for home, even if he didn't like what he must do. Gathering all the misery he felt over deceiving the woman he loved, and the possibility of losing her, Sam released his feelings in the form of an eerie howl.

  LAURA FROZE IN HER TRACKS, THE HAIR ON the back of her neck bristled. Her heart rose in her throat. That sound was from a wolf. Were there wolves in the woods anymore? She'd heard they were all but extinct except in places like Yellowstone. It was a wolf… unless it was something worse. Maybe it was Bigfoot. No one knew if they howled or what because they supposedly didn't exist.

  Every scary creature, she'd seen in movies, on television or heard about during junior high slumber parties jumped to the forefront of her mind. Trolls. Swamp Thing. Those creepy flying monkeys from The Wizard Of Oz. Frankenstein. Mummies. Vampires. Werewolves. The last thought stuck in her mind. A werewolf would howl, wouldn't it?

  "Get a grip, Laura," she whispered, although the flashlight in her hand shook, mocking her attempt to be something other than what she was, which was terrified.

  The howl sounded again. Laura jumped. She swore it was closer. Rational thought fled. She ran, disregarding the careful path she had made for herself. It didn't matter. The creature was on her heels and all she could do was try to escape.

  There was a stitch in her side by the time the cabin came into view. Laura was never so happy to see anything in her life. She rushed to the cabin, slipped inside, closed and locked the door.

  "Sam?" she called in the darkness. "Sam, please be here."

  But he wasn't. Her new husband was out dancing naked in the woods or something equally crazy while a wild animal chased his wife. Laura turned on the overhead light and pulled the ugly plaid drapes closed over the windows. She settled down to wait. Sam had a lot of explaining to do when he returned.

  Although too worried to sleep, Laura managed to doze lightly throughout the night. She woke with a start. Sam stared down at her. The expression of love in his eyes nearly melted her. Then she remembered. Scrambling up, she asked, "Where were you last night?"

  Sam pulled back from her and glanced away. "I went for a run."

  "Naked?"

  His gaze snapped back to her. "You saw me?"

  "Yes. I woke when you left, looked out the window and saw you standing naked in the moonlight. Then you took off into the woods."

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. "You shouldn't have come after me. That was dangerous."

  Wrinkling her brow, she asked, "How did you know I came after you?"

  Sam rose, presenting her with his tanned broad back. He wore a pair of jeans slung low on his hips and no shirt. "Because I know you, and against your better judgment you would have done something like that."

  Despite the nice view, Laura wouldn't be distracted from the conversation. "If you know that about me you know me better than I know myself," she assured him. "But I was worried about you. There's a wolf in the woods. I heard it howling last night. I think it chased me all the way to the cabin."

  When he turned, she had an even nicer view of his broad bare chest. "And you were afraid."

  She forced her gaze to lift. "Of course I was afraid. I was terrified the thing would eat me."

  He sat beside her again, taking her cold hands into his warms ones. "What if I told you that you didn't have to be afraid of the wolf? That it would never hurt you?"

  Sam looked perfectly serious. Was he also perfectly crazy? "How can you be certain of that?"
<
br />   "I've seen the wolf before. He won't harm a human. At least not unless he's threatened."

  The feel of Sam's strong hands holding hers had a calming effect. "Is the wolf someone's pet around here?"

  "I suppose you could say that."

  "Then he's domesticated?"

  "As domesticated as a wolf can be."

  Now she understood. "He's like a dog?"

  Sam flinched. "Well, no, he's not like a dog. He's a wolf."

  Laura wasn't even sure she liked dogs. She was fairly certain she didn't like wolves. "None of this explains exactly what you were doing running around naked last night."

  Releasing her hands, Sam rose and went into the kitchenette. He poured himself a cup of coffee. "I like to run around naked at night. It's a rush."

  How could running around naked in mosquito-infested woods be a rush? Laura was afraid it went much deeper, and much darker. "Sam, are you an exhibitionist?"

  He nearly spewed the sip of coffee he'd just taken. "Hell no, Laura. An exhibitionist likes people to see them naked. If I wanted that, I wouldn't run naked in an isolated area in the dead of night."

  That was a relief. "Well, I can see where you might want to be," Laura admitted. "You have a pretty impressive package."

  His laugh broke the tension between them. Sam returned to her, leaned in close and nibbled her earlobe. "Your flannel pajamas are really starting to turn me on."

  Her husband was still the man she fell in love with, even if Laura had discovered a peculiar quirk about him. He'd discovered things he didn't know about her too. Maybe eight months wasn't long to get to know someone, but Laura was still certain she'd done the right thing by marrying Sam. Their love needed reaffirming after a stormy night. She knew the perfect way. Exposing a glimpse of flannel by opening her ratty robe, she winked at him.

  "Come back to bed. It was a long night without you."

  THEY'D SPENT MOST OF THE DAY IN BED, enjoying one another, laughing, teasing, but night had fallen and Sam worried about sneaking out without waking Laura again. He also wondered if the curse might be broken now so he wouldn't have to run away. If it wasn't, the cycle ended for him tomorrow. But it only ended until the next one. Could he manage to deceive Laura for the rest of their lives? Sam didn't want to. Maybe after they'd been married for a while, Laura could accept the truth.

  Snuggled beside him, his wife said, "Something just occurred to me."

  He kissed the top of her head. "What's that?"

  "I'm afraid of a wolf and my last name is now Wulf." It had taken her a while to make that connection. The curse cast centuries ago had been tied to the Wulf name. Over the years, its power had faded and now it was a rare occurrence for the curse to resurface. But Sam was proof it still existed. His parents recognized the signs early and prepared him for the transformation that true love would bring. Something Sam might have to do for his own sons someday. Another secret he'd kept from Laura.

  Since he'd honestly believed the curse would be broken for him on their wedding night, Sam decided on a wait-and-see approach concerning his children. No need to worry Laura unnecessarily.

  "See, you shouldn't be afraid of him. You're practically related," he finally responded.

  She giggled and snuggled closer. "You've worn me out. I'm going to sleep like the dead tonight."

  He hoped so. If nothing had changed for him, Sam must leave her soon. What else could break the curse if simply finding his soul mate and marrying her wasn't the answer? There had been something said about a man facing his greatest enemy. As far as Sam knew, he didn't have any enemies. Could the verse be an archaic way of saying a man must face his greatest fear? Losing Laura was his greatest fear. The only way to face that was to tell her the truth.

  If he did, Laura, terrified of the woods and the creatures that dwelled within them, would want to be as far away from her new husband as possible. Unless he taught her that not all creatures were to be feared. There was a way Sam might prove that to Laura. But she wasn't going to like it.

  THE CABIN WAS FREEZING. EVEN LAURA'S FLANNEL PAJAMAS weren't cutting the mustard tonight. She scooted past the crack that resulted from pushing two bunks together in search of Sam's warmth. Not only was the warmth absent, so was her husband. It was still dark. Light failed to penetrate the ugly drapes she'd pulled closed before they went to bed. But she did see a sliver of moonlight coming from the open door.

  "Sam?" she called, hoping he was somewhere in the cabin.

  No answer.

  "Good grief." Laura threw back the covers. "If you must run naked in the woods at night, you could at least close the door behind you!"

  Although complaining did no good, it made her feel better. She was about to get out of bed when she spotted it. A shadow to her left. A set of glowing eyes. A scream rose in her throat. She bit it back, afraid the response might spur an attack from the animal.

  When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Laura realized the shadow was that of a wolf. It must be the same one she'd seen the night before—the one Sam told her wouldn't harm a human. But her husband wasn't around to chase it back outside where it belonged.

  "Nice wolf," she said. "Go back outside now."

  The wolf rose and moved toward her. Laura rolled off the other side of the bed and made a mad dash for the door. Adrenaline pumping, she actually made it and ran outside, pulling the door shut behind her.

  "Ah-ha!" she yelled. "Tricked you, didn't I?"

  Her cockiness lasted only a second. It was cold outside. The car was locked and the keys were inside the cabin. The only choice Laura had was to go in search of Sam. She knew it wasn't a good idea to traipse off into the woods without a flashlight or anything to mark her trail, but she had to at least look. Maybe Sam wasn't far from the cabin.

  Taking off in the direction she'd seen Sam run the night before, Laura tried to keep a level head. The full moon lit her way, but it also outlined the trees. They still looked scary. Her breath steamed on the night air and her socks were wet because of the thick dew on the ground. Behind her, the wolf continued to howl, almost as if warning Laura to return.

  "Yeah, come back so I can eat you," she said with a snort. "Sam!"

  No answer.

  As she moved farther into the trees, the silence around her should have been comforting; instead it made her feel as if she'd fallen off the face of the earth. How could Sam stand to run around naked in the cold at night? Laura was freezing. She blew on her hands and would have stomped her feet if she wasn't afraid she'd step on something and injure herself.

  The farther she walked, the more disoriented Laura became. She had no idea which direction she was headed. Her voice was hoarse from calling for Sam. Panic threatened to take over. Laura sat on a fallen log and took deep calming breaths. Rubbing her arms to keep warm, she called for Sam again. Again, no answer.

  Although she wasn't woods smart, she sensed her best action now would be to return to the cabin. Maybe if she opened the door again, the wolf would run outside. For all Laura knew Sam had already returned and dealt with the animal.

  Now, to find her way back. Laura rose and trudged in the opposite direction she'd been headed. She walked for what seemed an eternity before she heard a familiar sound. The wolf howling.

  She nearly cried. At least now she had something to guide her back to the cabin. Her steps were more certain as she followed the wolf's howls. The cabin came into view. Her knees almost buckled with relief. But she still had a problem. Sam had obviously not returned and the wolf was still trapped inside her home.

  Her hands trembled as she wrapped them around the door handle of the cabin. She flung it wide and flattened herself against the outside wall.

  "Come out of there, wolf!" she demanded. "I'm not sharing my home with you."

  The animal bounded outside, headed for the trees. Laura raced into the cabin, closed and locked the door. She stood with her heart hammering, breathing deep in an effort to calm herself. She was home. She was safe. But where in the hell was
Sam? Pushing away from the door, Laura went into the bathroom. She was still freezing and even a ten-minute hot shower would warm her up. If Sam returned while she showered, he could use the spare key he'd told her was under the welcome mat outside.

  Just as she hoped, the shower got her blood pumping again. Laura avoided the sensuous-smelling shower gel. Sam had told her it attracted bugs. Once she climbed out, she dried and put a towel around her wet hair. After moving back into the bedroom and switching on lights, she frowned at the thought of wearing flannel pajamas.

  Instead she dug a sexy short nightgown and matching robe from the cabin's old dresser. It wasn't that she dressed to please Sam when he returned. Laura just needed to feel feminine. Besides, a woman should look good while yelling at her husband for the first time.

  THE NIGHT WAS PURE AGONY. SAM COULDN'T LOSE himself to the beast and run free. His plan to show Laura the wolf within him wouldn't harm her had backfired. He never anticipated that Laura would run out into the night, locking him inside. He'd hurled his body against the big windows over the bed several times. Damn the double-paned glass he'd had installed to keep the cabin warmer. His throat was hoarse from howling, hoping if Laura strayed too far from the cabin looking for him, he could guide her back.

  Not only had his city bride found her way back, she'd ordered him from the cabin. Sam was proud as hell of her, but after last night, he knew he must tell Laura the truth. She was tougher than he'd given her credit for. He had to be as brave. Even if he lost her forever.

  He entered the cabin naked and dirty from being out of doors. Laura was perched on the bed drinking coffee. She looked like cotton candy in a pink slinky gown and robe.

  "The toilet isn't working," were her first words.

  Sam grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms from his suitcase and slipped into them. "I'll have a look at it after we talk."

  "You'll have a look at it now," she corrected him. "I need to go, and I won't if I can't flush the toilet."