“Mom just texted me back. She was almost here, but she’ll go ahead and take Gavin home. She says to call her when we’re ready for a ride from Pierre’s.” Winnie studied me a moment. “C’mon. It’ll take your mind off things.”
Maybe if I did this for them, they wouldn’t harass me about the ball. Thin hope. But it was hope nonetheless. The café would be a nice distraction, better than spending the afternoon in my basement doing homework. “Sure,” I answered.
Four blocks later, the three of us stood outside of Pierre’s. The building and everything in it sparkled like new, unlike the worn and mismatched furniture I used to sit on when my mom brought me there for hot chocolate. The iron chairs weren’t as inviting, but the place looked spotless.
“Did they always have these tables outside?” I asked. “I don’t remember this many TVs.”
“The new owners just finished remodeling it,” Beatrice chirped. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“They have live music Friday nights. Girls’ night is Tuesday. We get one free coffee.” Winnie dragged me into the dimly lit café.
My wolf eyes quickly acclimated to the lack of light, but Beatrice and Winnie stumbled and clung to me for balance before their eyes adjusted.
I inhaled, taking in the scent of coffee and spices — among other things. No wonder the place was kept so dark. A lot of the occupants were supernaturals who could see perfectly, regardless of light. Just like I could. About half of them were humans. Some of those humans could be witches, but I couldn’t tell them apart.
Beatrice ordered our drinks at the counter, while Winnie and I wove through the tables to claim the only vacant one.
“Well? Any vampires?” she asked once we’d settled in our seats.
“What’s this obsession with vamps, Winnie?” My eyes swept the area. Yep. A couple vampires, but more werewolves and shifters than anything else.
“I don’t know.” She averted her eyes and tapped a fingernail on the wood surface of the table.
I narrowed my eyes. “Winnie?”
“The prince is a vampire and he’s so hot.” She blew out a breath. “I’m a girl and this is what normal girls do — obsess on sexy vampires. Well, any sexy guy, actually.”
“The prince is a vampire?” I tilted my head. “But the king is a warlock.”
“Yeah, his son was born human. A sick human.”
“Sick? What was wrong with him?” I asked.
“Not sure. Problem with his heart I think. The king’s advisor is a vampire and he practically raised the prince himself, so we can guess who turned him.”
“You guys get the dish on everyone.” Cringing at the idea of more blood suckers being created, I took the offered cup from Beatrice. “Thanks.”
“Unlike you, we leave the house now and then.” Winnie snorted.
Beatrice sat, holding her mug in both hands. “Point out the humans, Cyd.”
“The blond girl.” I flicked a thumb to my side, then scanned the place again. “That big guy over there and the group in the corner.”
Beatrice blew out a breath. “And the rest?”
“Bartender’s a vamp.” I grimaced and jerked a thumb toward the other side of the room. “Werewolves over there. Hey, what made you decide against ever dating werewolves? Besides the hair thing, did something happen?”
“No.” But she looked everywhere, except at me. “Okay, it’s not just the fur. I’ve been noticing that weres have bad tempers.”
“Rude much, Bea?” Winnie’s mouth dropped open.
I appreciated Winnie coming to my defense, but Beatrice spoke the truth. Werewolf hormones could get volatile. Not like I could jump all over her for voicing her thoughts, especially since I’d asked.
“You’re not that way, Cyd. But it seems like the other werewolves I know are pissy all the time.” Beatrice gave me an apologetic look.
I spied that hot werewolf boy from school coming through the front door of the café. He seemed okay as far as I could tell. Not that I’d spoken to him personally, since I’d avoided making any new friends all day. I’d listened in on conversations though. I’d already pegged Wolf Boy as pretty decent.
“Yeah, but some of them are cool. And they mature faster than humans, so they have nice muscles.” I grinned.
Beatrice giggled. “True.”
“You’ll never know unless you give him a chance,” Winnie said.
“Wolf Boy spotted you, Bea,” I said. If he was interested in her, which seemed likely by the way he was gawking, I didn’t want her to miss her opportunity. Maybe she’d hook up with him and want to skip the ball. That thought fueled my hope. “Bathroom, Winnie? I, uh… need to fix my lipstick. Bea, you stay here and save our table.”
“What?” Beatrice’s eyes widened. “You don’t wear lipstick,” she mumbled.
I spun and high-tailed it toward the café restrooms. “Five bucks says he approaches her in less than sixty seconds,” I threw over my shoulder to Winnie.
Wolf Boy was already sitting across from Beatrice, holding her undivided attention. I paused with my hand on the bathroom door as Beatrice’s face lit up. Her smile reminded me how I’d felt with Jack three summers ago.
I knew I’d loved him. I also knew I’d probably never feel that same way about anyone else ever again.
****
“That was nice, the way you hooked up Bea with that guy earlier.” Winnie hovered in the doorway of the basement. “Especially after what she said about werewolves.”
I shrugged and began straightening my room. “All I did was leave for the bathroom.”
“Yeah, sure.” She waved me off with a sly smile. “They hit it off and she doesn’t seem grossed out anymore by his animal side. She’s in her room right now, all angsty about what she’s going to wear to school tomorrow.”
Stressing out over a guy wasn’t on my list of favorite things to do. The other things that went with it, like dates and kissing, didn’t sound too bad. At least they were normal things. But normal was for normal people, not people like me.
“All locked up for the night, huh?” she asked.
“Just about.” I stood on the stool next to the iron bed frame to reach up and check the window — not that it mattered, since I couldn’t squeeze through the bars anyway. If I lost control later and shifted into a wolf — which was inevitable — I didn’t want anyone to hear my growls.
The window was open and I turned my head, hoping that with my super-human hearing, I could make out the sound I’d heard. There it was again — crackle of a broken twig followed by crunching leaves. Chills tingled up my spine. “Someone’s outside.”
Winnie grunted when I shoved past her and raced up the stairs.
Morphing didn’t make me uneasy anymore, like it had the first few times. Now, it was second nature and I reveled in it. At the back door, I exhaled and let my muscles go lax. A moment later, my limbs vibrated. Then I felt nothing. An instant later, I was a wolf — feral and without restraints.
I took in the cool night air through my nostrils and smelled the scent left behind by the intruder. And he wasn’t human.
Vampire.
The tangy, metallic smell of blood lingered in the air, the same scent that always clung to blood-suckers. But the unmistakable energy that supernaturals gave off wasn’t there. The vamp was long gone.
On all fours, I padded my way to the back door of my house and I spotted Aunt Mina, Gavin and my cousins on the other side of the window waiting for me. I silently thanked my mom for making sure I always had natural fibers in my clothing, so it would morph with me. Being caught in the nude sucked.
My family still watched me and I twitched at the thought of morphing right in front of them. But it seemed ridiculous to move out of their line of vision. It’s not as if they were ignorant about my affliction.
Right where I stood, I shifted into my human form and beyond the glass everyone flinched in unison. A sigh escaped me. I couldn’t help being a
werewolf and it saddened me that not being human bothered the ones I loved.
“What was it?” my aunt asked as I let myself in through the back door.
Aunt Mina had enough to worry about as a single mom with two kids and another two thrust upon her. I forced a smile. “Nothing. Probably just a raccoon.”
“Sis, you’re like our watchdog. Sweet.” Gavin grinned.
I punched his shoulder, keeping it light, since I always turned out to be stronger than I thought. “Come lock me in, dork.”
Later that night, I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what the vamp wanted. Did he know about me? Did this vampire refrain from killing humans or was he rogue?
Hopefully, he was just passing through and I’d never have to find out. But something told me told me there was more to it than that.
****
“I need something red and I need it now.” Beatrice burst into the basement the next morning, then cringed as she scanned the room. “I’ll never understand how you can sleep down here.”
“It’s not exactly a crack house, Bea.” I shook my head. “Besides, it’s either stay in here or you guys let me loose on the populace.” I checked her out. “Hot boots. You want a red top to match?”
“This place is so…. dark and small.” She grimaced, clearly not going with the change in subject. “No fresh air.”
I laughed. “There’s a window. This is the size of a two-car garage. The walls are painted and the wood floors are nice.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“You can afford to indulge. I can’t. What if a human passes by the window just as I’m morphing? They’d see.”
“Cydney, no one comes around here after dark. That’s a lame excuse.”
I lifted a shoulder and averted my eyes. “It’s safer for everyone if I’m down here.”
Her tone softened. “It’s been years and you’re still worrying about every little thing. You have to put it behind you.”
She couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to injure someone you love, to lose control like that. I stared at my blue polka-dotted toes. “Next time, it could be one of you. I won’t risk it.”
She gasped almost inaudibly, as if the thought had never occurred to her. Or maybe hearing it out loud startled her.
“You sure you want to go with that much red? A black top might be better.” I turned and rummaged through my closet, then handed her a top. “This would go good with those boots.”
“Thanks.” She took the tank top from the hanger and her lips curved slightly. “You’re okay, Cydney.”
Twenty minutes later, we were loaded in the car and driving to school.
“Aunt Mina, I was wondering if maybe I should keep my door unlocked at night from now on.” I glanced at the rearview mirror to see her watching me.
“Why? I thought you were afraid of harming someone.” Her eyes shifted nervously between the road and my reflection.
“I still am. But last night got me thinking. It was just a small animal this time, but what if it hadn’t been? Locked in my room, I can’t protect you.” In my peripheral vision, my brother and Winnie stared at me. “You refuse to keep a gun in the house and—”
“We can’t have a real watchdog ‘cause they’re afraid of you.” Gavin chuckled.
I slapped the top of his head and he swatted my arm. “If all of you keep your bedroom doors locked, the only one in danger would be the intruder,” I said.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Aunt Mina said, then averted her gaze.
I jerked forward in my seat to get closer and she jolted. Aunt Mina seemed a bit jumpy. Maybe my morphing the night before, just outside the back door, had freaked her out. I poked my head between the two front seats and she sucked in air. It was a tiny gasp, but I heard it.
My breath hitched. A hot poker piercing my heart was an easier concept than my aunt being afraid of me.
But I couldn’t blame her.
Still, it made my heart heavy. For the next few minutes, I stared unseeing out the car window until she pulled to the curb in front of our school.
Beatrice grunted as soon as her mom drove off. “We’ll talk about it later. That’s code for her not wanting to talk about it at all. Same thing I used to hear every time I used to mention getting my own car.” She gave me a sympathetic look, then strutted away to meet up with her friends.
If it was a dead issue for Aunt Mina, did it mean that from now on, I’d be locked in the basement against my will?
Winnie tugged on my arm. “We should go.”
As I let Winnie drag me toward the school, I took comfort in the fact that Aunt Mina wasn’t strong enough to force me into the basement. But it still pained me that she would want to.
****
After school, Aunt Mina waited for us at the curb. She’d already picked up Gavin.
I was last to climb in the car, just as Aunt Mina was announcing a change in plans. We were all going to the mall to shop. Yes, the island had a mall — spectacular enough to tempt even me.
But not today. I just wanted to get home, away from people.
My face scrunched up in mental pain as I backed out of the car. “I’ll walk home.”
“Sweetheart, you need a dress for the ball.” Aunt Mina being so nice made me want to please her. Still, it wasn’t enough to make me go to a public place with so many people.
I shook my head. “Not if I’m staying home.”
She sighed. “Fine. We’ll see you later.”
I closed the door and waved, and the Audi glided away.
Walks, especially long ones, worked out well for me. Jogs were better. The compulsion to shift could be over-powering at times. Every night before bedtime, my natural urges would wear down my willpower and I’d shift, at least for a little while. Burning up all that energy on a walk made me calmer. My room would be much less trashed in the morning if I wore myself out beforehand.
About a block away from the school, I froze and inhaled deeply. Vampire. And it was the same one as last night.
“Show yourself!” I pivoted in a circle, scanning the houses and looking for anyone sitting in their car or standing on the streets.
He appeared suddenly, leaning against the side of a limo. The vamp wore a black suit and a matching fedora pulled low over his forehead, almost obscuring the dark glasses. He pushed off the long, black car and walked toward me. By the way he ambled across the street, he wasn’t worried about the sun.
“What do you want?” I said, backing up as he stepped onto the curb.
His lip curled up on one side. “You’re the one who commanded me to show myself. I was content to just observe. For now.”
He was obviously British, but his accent didn’t explain why he was stalking me.
“Why were you at my house last night?” I took another step back, keeping my muscles on alert and ready for flight.
“I was curious about you.” He cocked his head. “You’re a tiny little thing, aren’t you?”
“But you don’t want to mess with me,” I growled and made an effort to slow my breathing, so he wouldn’t sense the panic roaring through my veins. “I’d put up a fight.”
“I bet you would.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “But I’d still win.”
“Werewolf bites don’t always sit well with vamps. I’m sure I could get in at least one good chomp. Might not kill you, but it would make a mess.” I angled myself, so if he did strike, he’d have a smaller target. “Tell me what you want. I don’t have all day.”
The other side of his mouth curled up, showing normal-looking teeth. I wasn’t sure what was so amusing to him, but I didn’t care.
“Of course you do. Allow me to give you a ride home. We could talk in the car.”
My jaw dropped, then I regained composure. As if I’d get in a car with him. Did he really think I was that stupid?
“No, thanks,” I said coolly. Vampires gave me the creeps. They smelled weird and, given half the chance, they’d eat my fami
ly. They weren’t my friends.
“Suit yourself.” He chuckled as he got into the limo that had already turned around and relocated to this side of the street to meet him.
The limo cruised away and I continued walking. When the houses became sparse, I secured my backpack over my shoulders and jogged home.
It was a long way to my house. I might not need to morph later at all. Oh, who was I kidding? Morphing into my wolf form was a rush, like that first kiss with the boy you love. I physically craved the wolf. Since that first day I’d begun morphing, I’d never missed a day.
After a few more blocks, the fences of our property came into view. The house needed a bit of work — paint and repairs here and there — but it had a lot of bedrooms, even if they were on the small side. We each had our own, plus there were two guest bedrooms.
As I neared the gate, memories of my mom flitted through my mind. She’d bought the estate a couple years after my father had left her and she’d finally given up on him returning. She’d intended to convert the house into a Bed and Breakfast, but she’d met Gavin’s father instead, so we stayed in Florida. Knowing I’d be a werewolf like my dad, my mom kept the house. She wanted me to have the connections the island could provide.
When Aunt Mina got divorced, my mom suggested that my aunt relocate to the island and move into her house, so she wouldn’t have to stress about rent. We weren’t using it anyway. And Aunt Mina loved the old Victorian so much, she fixed it up. In the end, my mom left the house to the three of us — Aunt Mina, Gavin and me.
Crap. The black limo was parked in our circular driveway. Why?
For a split second, I considered morphing into a wolf and taking off for a while — at least until the vamp left. But what if my family came home early? He wanted something and getting rid of him wouldn’t be easy — as he’d just demonstrated by showing up at my house.