by J. E. Cluney
“Why? Because you’re a vampire now?” I asked quietly, searching his eyes for answers.
What was he hiding?
“Partly,” his mouth pulled back into a scowl. “You should be mindful, little pixie.”
“I’m not little,” I shot back instantly.
I gasped as he moved, closing the gap between us as his face dropped down to my neck.
A shiver of fear and uncertainty tore through me as I froze.
“You have no idea how tempting you smell to vampires,” he purred, his cool breath washing over my neck.
“Are you going to bite me?” I asked, not trying to sugarcoat it.
“No,” he growled as he pulled back, but he paused by my cheek as he drew in my scent. “You’ll be courted by other vamps, those wanting to turn you into their own personal blood bag,” he stated.
“I’ll be careful,” I frowned. He sure was acting weird. Really weird.
“Why do you push everyone away?” I blurted, hating the strange tension that had settled over us.
He drew in a sharp breath as he looked away.
“You ask a lot of questions,” he muttered.
“Well, I’m living here now. We’re going to be running into each other a lot,” I said.
“Doesn’t mean we have to talk,” he shrugged.
“You seemed a little more talkative this morning,” I reminded him, trying to shake off our peculiar moment just then.
“Don’t get used to it,” was his instant reply.
“I liked the you from this morning better than this you,” I snapped. There he was again, the prick.
“This me is the real me,” he retorted.
“I don’t think it is, I think the real you is hiding under this arseholey version of you,” I said as I pushed off the table. “And he’s a lot better, the real you.”
“The real me is gone,” he murmured as I strode away, so softly that I almost didn’t hear it.
11
Lucas.
“Look at you in that gay get-up, trying to impress someone,” Cathy sneered from her perch on the luxurious blue lounge in the living area.
“Oh, sweet Cat, you wouldn’t know how to be impressed,” I shot back as I gave her a sarcastic curtsy.
“Lucas, put on something more appropriate, purple is not what you want to wear,” my mother huffed as she breezed into the room in her perfectly fitted baby-pink ballgown dress. Her golden hair was sculpted carefully in a perfect updo, a few locks falling free in lovely curls to frame her face. Cathy was just a younger version of her, her hair done up in bridal style bun. She wore a baby-blue dress, a similar design to our mother’s.
They could’ve passed for sisters if Mother was younger.
“Where’s Father?” Cathy asked, and I cringed at the snark in her voice. She knew he’d fume at my attire.
“Did Lucas tell you who his date was?” Cat said, seemingly bored as she checked her hair with light touches, straightening her dress as she bounced one glittery silver heel on the polished white tiles.
“It better be Sarah, or so help me,” my mother turned on me, fear and distaste flashing in those emerald eyes.
“Oh, no, it’s not Sarah,” Cat’s face broke into a devious grin. I scowled at her, at her desire to fuck things up for me, always.
“Lucas, please, tell me you didn’t,” my mother’s pained eyes fell on me.
I gritted my teeth at the utter grief I saw there, the shame she had for me.
“Why would he bother anyone?” I snapped, folding my arms as I glared hateful daggers at my troublesome sister.
“Because, it’s not right!” my mother huffed, frazzled at this hiccup in her plans.
“No, I’m not right, that’s what you mean,” I hissed.
“No,” My mother closed her eyes as she drew in a calming breath.
“Oh look, daddy’s here,” Cathy sung out.
I tensed as I sensed him coming up behind me, the terseness ringing out clear in his voice.
“Get changed, now!”
“No! You know what? Screw this stupid event! You can count me out!” I snapped, fuming as I stormed to the door. I could feel my father’s disapproving gaze on me, not bothering to say a word as I walked out the front door.
Too bad it would be one of my final times.
I caught myself, dragging my mind from the memory as I flipped through yet another book with my hot milo in hand.
Even at sixteen, I knew I was different, not gay, but not straight either. Bisexual, apparently. And at only sixteen, I’d met my first love.
Daniel.
Too bad it was too good to be true. The struggle with my family had fractured us, and despite me moving into the house left to me by my grandfather at his passing, we fell apart.
I smiled as I ran my fingers over the old book of supernatural creatures. Rarer creatures, lesser known specimens of our kind.
I was hoping to find something to help me understand just what Allison was. No fae could sense issues in animals like she could, but it was the dominant side of her, rendering the abilities that her ‘wolf side had useless. She could still shift, retaining the basics of her other half side, but her senses were of no use, which was strange for a halfling. Most shifter halflings still retained their basic traits, but additional abilities, like sensing illness or whatever the supes specialty was, would be nullified. Maybe something was different with her. The ability stayed, but she lost her wolf senses? No, I hadn’t found anything like that, but I was starting to think she was just some utterly bizarre occurrence, a one-in-a-million thing.
Definitely not normal, and nothing ever seen before, but I couldn’t rule it out as a possibility.
I flipped back to the title page, sighing at my grandfather’s handwriting.
‘To my dearest Lucas, you are special and perfect the way you are. You may feel like a rarity, but you’re not, you are one of many.’
It was his way of accepting me just the way I was, and he’d gifted me the book to prove that just because it wasn’t known or recognized widely, didn’t mean it wasn’t real.
He’d known since I’d hit puberty apparently, and he’d taken me in countless times when my parents had troubled me with their harsh words. They refused to accept me for the way I was, but I couldn’t deny it.
I spent many days and nights, even weeks, in this house. Even Oliver stayed over when his parents caused him trouble.
Two troubled boys, hiding away with a welcoming adult figure.
My grandfather had been good to us, all of us.
This home, all four of us had spent time here over the years, accepted fully by my grandfather until his death. I’d been forever grateful that he’d passed in his sleep, a peaceful death, rather than something worse. I hoped I’d pass the same way one day.
I sighed as I closed the book and laid it back down on my desk. I’d rather be in the library, but Marcus was in there, and Allison had gone to speak with him briefly before returning to slump on the lounge in annoyance.
We’d had the delicious roast dinner, but she was lost in thought for the most part, probably after some weird interaction with Marcus no doubt.
She wouldn’t understand the way he was. He was still hurting, still broken inside.
And she, being a fae, made it more painful. She drew him like a moth to flame, whether she knew it or not, and he fought it every step of the way.
I didn’t question whether he’d hurt her. He still had witch blood in him, and he was not a young vampire anymore, he’d been turned for a few years. He could control himself around a fae.
But I knew it still pained him.
He pretended he had no regard for her, but he’d asked something of me tonight.
Just a small favor to help her out.
It made me smile softly to myself. The Marcus I’d grown up with, the sweet, artistic, kind Marcus, he was still in there, he was hiding beneath that icy mask, trying to protect himself from more harm.
Oliver had
told me Allison had burn scars that looked to be cigarette burns, amongst others.
I guess this was a house for the broken.
No one here didn’t have a story behind them, a past that they battled with in some way.
I sat back, holding my hands together as the magic flickered from my fingers.
“Sleep well tonight, Allison. Sweet dreams.”
12
I awoke to the alarm sounding off on my iPod on the bedside table.
I fumbled for it, peering at it with one hazy eye to tap the snooze button.
Just five more minutes.
Five more minutes of blissful sleep. I’d had no nightmares plaguing me for a sweet change, and I wanted to cling to the peaceful slumber.
Except today was my first day at uni.
I sighed, rolling onto my back as I forced my eyes open.
Excitement coursed through me, along with an uneasiness that churned in the pit of my belly.
Magic classes. Why was I so worried about them rather than my actual degree?
Well, because Lucas was just as confused by my abilities.
Not to mention everyone else probably had a family that had taught them about themselves.
Me? Nope. I’d had a dingo shifter teach me how to shift into a wolf, but no one had taught me about my fae side. When my aunt had bothered teaching my cousin, I was told to stay in my room, and it was hard to overhear anything from there.
I dragged myself out of bed, deciding I’d change now before heading downstairs. I went with a pair of dark jeans and a teal shirt, and decided to grab my old grey jacket too. A glance out my window revealed it was overcast, but not raining. I wouldn’t take my chances with throwing on something less warm.
I tromped down the stairs, finding a barely alert Oliver slumped at the kitchen table while Lucas poured some cereal into a bowl.
I’d bought myself Nutri-grain the other day, a staple of my diet.
“Morning, how’d you sleep?” Lucas asked as he flicked his hand and the fridge door opened to allow the milk to float over to him.
“Good, really good,” I said as I grabbed myself a bowl and the Nutri-grain box from the cupboard.
“That’s awesome,” Lucas nodded as he served up some Weet-bix for Oliver.
“Thanks,” Oliver said with a yawn.
I reached for the milk on the counter, but froze as it floated up and poured over the top of my Nutri-grain for me.
Lucas was giving me his charming smile, and I just rolled my eyes.
“Skip starts late today?” I checked as I joined Oliver at the table.
“Yeah, doesn’t start until ten today. You two start at nine, same as me, so I’ll show you to your first introductory lecture. Oliver said it’s room 309. I can show you to it,” Lucas said as he sat down with his own bowl of Weet-bix.
“Thanks, hey, is it still okay for me to borrow your laptop? I’ll have to wait another few weeks, I have some money saved up, but the move and everything ate up a chunk of it, I’ll need to save for another few weeks before I’ll be able to afford my own,” I said with my spoon poised over my bowl.
“It’s fine, I’ve got an old one you can use,” Lucas waved me off, his navy blue suit an intriguing sight.
“You sure? Maybe I can buy it off you later on if possible?” I suggested.
“Yeah, sure, if you want. It’s not being used anyway. Got an apple ID?” he asked before taking a mouthful of his Weet-bix.
Oliver had propped himself up on one hand as he ate, his brown mop of hair a disheveled mess.
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s a MacBook,” he shrugged.
Damn. I’d never owned a Mac before. My last laptop had been an Acer, second-hand from my cousin, which I’d had to buy too. It had died after only a year, but it had done the job for my schooling, and a few weeks after, I was working, so had no need for one.
Thankfully, my second job after my retail position, working as a barista and waitress, also consisted of light bookkeeping duties, which they had a small MacBook for. So I’d learned the interface of the computer already.
“Well, I’ll get it set up after breakfast for you and you can take it today,” Lucas said.
“Oh, thank you, so much,” I said warmly. God, he was a lifesaver right now.
I’d been stressing about needing a laptop for my studies, and had been trawling gumtree at the library for second hand ones before I moved.
Having my own laptop and way of googling and such would be a godsend.
Next would be a phone.
“So, you know your rough schedule?” Lucas asked.
“Not really, just the introductory lectures today, and then I’ll adjust my schedule accordingly. I need to try to match it with Oliver to help him out,” I reminded him as he nodded and his green eyes flicked to our tired companion.
“Thanks, that means a lot,” Oliver gave me a small smile.
“You okay? You seem pretty tired?” I frowned.
“I’ll be fine, just had a moment where the curse nearly kicked in. If I focus my breathing, sometimes I can stop it from taking over and forcing a shift. I really didn’t want to be stuck as a cat on my first day,” he sighed.
Lucas gave him a sad smile as he patted his shoulder.
“That sucks, I’m sorry,” I murmured.
“It’s fine. I’ll wake up properly once I get changed and get ready,” Oliver said with a shrug. He was wearing a spider-man top and blue boxers, which made me smile.
“Anyone ever told you that you look like Tom Holland?” I said with a grin.
Oliver’s face lit up and Lucas groaned.
“Yeah, if only. Spider-man is pretty cool, the actor does most of his own stunts too, he’s a dancer and gymnast,” Oliver beamed, chuffed at the lookalike compliment.
“I think he played one of the best spider-man’s. Actually fit the age bracket,” I said, causing Oliver to clap his hands as he bobbed his head.
“Yes! Right?” he shot a look at Lucas who just rolled his eyes.
“Look, I’m not saying he isn’t good, I’m just saying I liked the Andrew Garfield movies as well,” Lucas emphasized.
“Wasn’t a fan of his aunt though,” I added, causing Ollie to pout. At least he was suddenly awake now.
“Well, Cupcake, would you like to accompany me to the library after breakfast and we’ll get the MacBook set up for you before we head off?” Lucas cut Oliver off just as he opened his mouth to respond to my unhappiness with the aunt.
“That’d be awesome, thank you again, you’re a lifesaver,” I sighed as I shoveled more cereal into my mouth.
“I aim to please,” Lucas chuckled.
I focused on finishing up quickly, glancing at the clock on the microwave which read seven forty-five. Hopefully an hour was easily enough time to get it set up.
I couldn’t help but be a little excited at the prospect of having a MacBook. I’d finally be able to google again, and do research and online reading. And back up my ancient iPod touch.
It certainly needed it.
I gripped my laptop bag strap tightly as I stood before the lecture hall with Oliver, grateful for his comforting presence beside me.
Lucas had set up the MacBook with me, downloading pages and the other free programs that would be useful for my studies. He’d even given me a laptop bag, saying it was mine to keep, since the only other bags I had to use were my gym bag and my pathetic little handbag.
I’d checked my emails quickly, then decided to deal with that later considering the massive number of unread emails.
I pulled a photo from the google storage drive I had set up with my Gmail account, and set it up as my screensaver. A picture of my real parents on their wedding day, posing under a white archway.
They looked so happy and perfect. I was glad I’d uploaded all my photos to my google drive from my old laptop. I’d found the photos when I’d borrowed my Aunt’s laptop for an assignment once when mine played up.
She’d
unhappily allowed me to use it for school, and I was surprised to find any photos of my mother and father. So I’d quickly emailed them to myself, grateful she always left it logged in, and then deleted them from the sent folder.
Lucas had asked if I had Facebook, and I’d laughed. I’d never had a reason for it, I barely had friends growing up. Hard to make friends when they weren’t part of your world. Technically I’d made a fake one for Tinder, but I’d never done anything with it, and when I’d deleted said dating app, I’d deleted the profile too.
I was jealous of the boys upbringing, being part of the supe community. They were lucky, me, not so much.
He’d suggested I get it, especially since I might make friends now and it was an easy way to stay in touch. Not to mention I could search for family.
Family.
A touchy subject.
“Well, you ready?” Oliver asked as another student pushed through the door and into the hall, while we remained outside.
I’d expected more when we got here, more magic, maybe shifted shifters, some hurled spells, anything. But no, it seemed like a regular University.
How’d I know that? Well, I’d gone to one on an excursion in high school, paid for by myself, of course. As soon as I’d turned thirteen, I’d found an afternoon job at a pizza hut to make some money to afford a phone and to buy the laptop off my cousin. Amongst other things. I even hung out with kids from school, but I’d never go so far as to say they were friends. They never knew the real me.
“Guess so,” I sighed.
Oliver took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, before pulling me into the lecture hall with him.
I relaxed when I realized it wasn’t so bad.
At least Lucas had brought us to it, otherwise we would’ve been lost.
But the atmosphere was quiet and calm as student chatted quietly and got their notebooks out. I’d brought a notebook to jot things down in, along with the recommended textbook.
I’d seen the email briefly for my login details for the campus website, so I could do some lessons and lectures online if I chose to, and to check schedules and rooms. I’d make sure to check it all out later.