by Pepper Pace
Paul had eased back until his back was almost against the banister of the stairwell. Those bastards laughed so long, some of them were doubled over.
“Y-you Americans and your need to role play. You want to be monsters so you dress up and run around Europe like Dracula, drinking blood and thinking that makes you a monster!” Yosef’s eyes glistened.
“Let me show you what a real monster is.” Yosef swung his head and it instantly turned into that of a beast. His mouth was fucking huge with teeth and his head had doubled in size. The growl from his mouth thundered across the room.
I’m sure that in another place, this exhibition would have made the average human shit his pants.
But this was Kim’s house.
I sucked in a deep breath and hissed. The sound was like a pit of vipers and it carried throughout the room. My teeth dropped and my muscles thickened. I felt the tendons in my neck bunch together and I knew that I no longer looked like a human. I had gone, what Paul called, all hissy faced.
You could have heard a pin drop, the room grew instantly quiet.
“What trick is this?” Yosef said unsure. “You turned her into a Werewolf…” But you could tell that he knew it wasn’t true.
Paul was shaking his head. “No.” But he couldn’t say more because of the blood oath. His very brain wouldn’t let him.
“I’m a Vampire, I told you.”
The werewolves suddenly understood that there was real danger and they came to attention and glared at us as if we had invaded their territory instead of the other way around.
“You’re in my house, uninvited. You’ve threatened us, you’ve insulted us, and if you don’t leave I’ll be forced to kill you.”
“Perhaps we misjudged you. But three against-” he spread his hands and gestured to the others in the room.
“Julie! I need you. Bring Ran and as many as you can. Hurry!”
“Tige! I’m in trouble. I need you.”
“Frank, Tony, Keada, Cyrene, Kaniji—to my home! We’re being attacked!”
Instantly the air in the room seemed to thicken. To their eyes I had not made a move, but anyone with a sense of the supernatural could tell that something big was about to happen.
Before their eyes Vampires began to appear. They dotted the room appearing from seemingly no where. Julie was first and she didn’t have to ask a question. The sight of the roomful of Weres was self explanatory. Ran was a half step behind her along with both of their Vampire assistants. They all stared at the Weres who were busy turning here and there trying to protect themselves from attack.
Then Tige appeared already with dropped teeth. He had four Vampires with him. He glanced at me to make sure I was alright and when he saw that I was he focused on the obvious threat.
Tony was next. He had dropped teeth as well. He mimicked Tige by making sure that I was okay then he too focused on the Weres. The rest of the Council appeared, minus teeth; Frank’s expression was calm and slightly amused. Even Kaniji appeared although she was dressed too sharp and looked too perfect to throw down in battle. All in all fourteen Vampires appeared. We outnumbered the Weres in the house but no telling how many were outside.
This all happened in less then ten seconds.
Yosef looked sick.
“Yosef,” Paul said firmly. “You need to leave. I apologize for how this went down. I’m sorry I misled you. But I won’t have a child of mine growing up with this affliction. This was my choice, I won’t sentence a child to it. I’m sorry.”
Nobody budged; they seemed to think it would be a signal to attack. “If you don’t leave now,” I said. “We will all have a feast; a feast of Werewolf.”
Half of the Vampire’s eyes gleamed in anticipation. If they were like me they hadn’t known of the existence of Werewolves either. Some of them were bored enough to want to try something that had never been tried before.
Yosef’s people backed out of the door. Yosef went, too but he gave me one last lingering look. When they were all safely outside Paul shut the door. The closed door did not keep out the sound of the animal howls of anger. I shivered. Paul was looking at the floor in deep thought. When he looked up all eyes were on him.
“Did you just say Werewolf?” Frank asked. “I thought they were a room full of circus freaks. You can’t be serious.”
“They are werewolves.” I responded.
“Why the hell were they here?” Tony asked with an edge to his voice.
Paul looked at him. “Hello, Tony. Long time no see.”
Tony looked at him. “I heard you were back. I just hadn’t heard that you were a Werewolf. I see you got your wish, to be stronger than a human. It remains to be seen if your Werewolf is stronger then our Vampire.”
Paul’s eyes gleamed yellow and something was changing subtly in his face. “Yes. That remains to be seen.” They squared off at a distance.
Tige came to me and put his hand on mine. “I had heard that you were healed.” His light brown eyes absorbed the sight of me. I smiled at his pleasure. Tige was a Rasta with the dreds and the Jamaican accent; the whole nine yards.
“You’re so beautiful.” He hugged me. It was the first time that he’d ever held me except the time that I’d hugged him when he was imprisoned. His guilt at my injuries had taken a toll on our relationship. With relief I could tell that it was ended.
“Alexis did this for you, then I will always be in his debt.” I smiled and released him.
“Well if your emergency has ended, I have a council meeting to prepare for.” Kaniji spoke. Then she disappeared.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming.” I said.
Julie was stroking Monica’s back soothingly. She seemed still to be a bit shaken. Ran was introducing himself to Paul and Tony was watching me intently. He looked at the ring on my hand and I had to stop myself from hiding it. He strolled over to me.
“So I heard correct. Paul is your husband.”
I rubbed my hands together anxiously. “Well…seems that Paul and I formed a bond before the one with Alexis.”
“I didn’t think something like that could be possible. Leave it to you to figure out how.”
I ignored his comment. “I appreciate you coming out. It must have been hard to do, considering that you told me you were tired of always running to my rescue.”
He glanced at Paul. “You have someone else for that now. I trust that this is the last time you’ll have a need to call out my name.” Then he disappeared.
I bit back an angry retort.
Everyone had left except Julie and Ran. Monica was sitting on the stairs. Paul was talking to her in soothing tones. She was nodding. It sounded like he was apologizing. He did owe that to her.
“Kim, I think we’re going to need protection here for a while.” Julie said.
“Who?” I asked. I didn’t trust very many Vampires, just the ones that I had called…and maybe trust was a stretch.
Julie named eight Vamps that mostly worked the safe houses. I hated to lose them there. The safe houses needed them more then we did. If any human under my protection got hurt because I had taken one of their guards I don’t think I could live it down.
“I’ll take two and I want one of them to be Tige.” Julie nodded. Tige used to be Tony’s first Lieutenant. He was quite capable despite the fact that he appeared little more then a thin framed light skinned brother that had spent a great deal of his life smoking weed. When he went Rogue, after turning me, he lost his position and came under my family. Now the man that had turned me was a Second to me. Odd how things worked out.
Julie agreed to send them over later that evening. There were all kinds of rooms down below for Vampires to sleep safely, still I hated to inconvenience them…but the memory of Yosef and his Pack was enough to convince me. And that look he gave me before leaving seemed to be a promise of something more to come.
“Kim.” Paul put his arm around my waist. “I had no idea that they’d ever find me. I mean they live in fucking Poland!”
“It’s okay. I’m just happy that they’re gone. They were nasty.”
“They’re not. Not really. They just need to save themselves from dying out.”
“That one was touching himself, like he’d rape Monica and me. That’s what he was threatening.”
Paul pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring my baggage.”
“I know, Baby. I know.”
He watched me solemnly. “Do you regret that I came back?”
“Paul, baby, I’m so happy you’re back. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a Werewolf, if you were a WereRat! I’m just happy you’re home!”
Ran took Julie’s hands and they communicated something to each other. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. And for the millionth time I wondered what exactly was the nature of their relationship. Were they lovers, were they like Father and daughter? I just didn’t know.
He turned to me. “I’ll leave you to your business. Any time you need me, just call. He nodded to Paul. It was nice to finally meet you, Paul.” They shook hands and Ran disappeared.
“Kim.” Julie turned to me. “About Athena, maybe this isn’t a good time-”
“What about her?” I tried to keep my voice from sounding as anxious as I suddenly felt.
“Well my contacts have slowly been sending me information. Like I said before, most times it’s not the top dogs that know the most, it’s the low men on the totem pole that are forced to carry out the dirty work.”
“Right, right.” I made a circular motion with my fingers indicating for her to continue.
“Athena is being held for questioning about her killing of Esmerelda.” Monica and Paul listened just as intently as I. “Evidently someone of her stature can only be questioned by a council so old and so strong that One Who Knows All is on the committee. One Who Knows All is the oldest of us that I know of. I don’t think she was ever completely human. She may have been Cro-Magnon or something. I don’t know much about this evolution thing. We weren’t allowed to study that in school and plus I died and all that. Anyway, at this point it’s no longer a secret that you and Alexis were together. What I’m saying is that Athena knows that she killed the wrong woman.”
I swallowed past a dry lump in my throat. Paul held me closer to him.
“Athena knows about me, huh? And I’m still alive because a council stronger then her is questioning her.”
“Right.”
“Any chance of her being put to death for killing Esmerelda?” Paul asked.
Julie’s normally neutral face contorted slightly in displeasure. “Don’t count on that. Neratomay of her stature aren’t killed easily. Even Alexis’ punishment is a relative smack on the wrist.”
“But Alexis didn’t do anything worth being punished for.” I said defensively.
Julie didn’t just turn her eyes to face me she turned her body to me. “Maybe not for a human. But going against Vampire rules is a big thing for us. Rules like those are ingrained in us; the way our instincts are.”
“I get it, I get it.” I conceded. “Anything else about Athena?”
“Not much about her. But, Alexis may have to leave Epic Cu.”
I listened without moving. But believe me my ears were pounding like crazy.
“He’s supposed to be punished. Being able to leave at will through you or Athena or whoever else he’s bound to isn’t very much of a punishment.”
I cleared my throat. “He’s not ever bonded himself to anyone but me…and then Athena.”
“And what about Kim?” Paul asked. “Any word about what the Council is going to do to her?”
“I heard that the Elder Council will determine that when they return to the States.”
“Julie,” Paul said. “How does one kill someone as old as Athena?”
Julie watched him thoughtfully. “One doesn’t.”
“Anything can be killed.”
“If it were that easy we wouldn’t be surviving under an outdated caste system; the strongest rule, the weakest serve.”
“Paul, we need to get going to the Council meeting if we’re to be there by 3:00 am.”
“Okay.”
“Julie, would you stay here tonight? I don’t want Monica alone in the house.”
“Of course.”
Paul and I took the Porsche. There were no Werewolves to be seen and Paul said that he didn’t sense any in the area.
After a time I finally relaxed a bit and sat back to enjoy the drive with Paul. We listened to satellite radio in order to ease the mood. We reversed back and forth from Neo soul to Alternative, and finally we were relaxed enough to sing and smile to each other.
As we got close to the Council house, the mood began to change. Paul kept glancing at me.
“It still bothers you.”
I looked at him, “and always will.”
Paul was quiet. “I didn’t think I was going to tell you this…but that night, when I left you down in that basement…I heard you screaming. I went back down to kill everyone…or die trying. Tony stopped me.”
I looked at him quickly. “What?”
“Yes. I had lost it. Tony stopped me on the stairs. Even though he was torn up himself he forced me outside.” Paul sighed. “It haunts me…not because I couldn’t hurt him…although that was bad. What bothers me is that instead of trying to help me tear them apart so that we could get you out of there…he was…more concerned with the letter of the law. Look, he saved my life and I’m gratefully but it convinced me more then ever that I needed to come back because somebody needed to fight for you.” He glanced at me with a frown. My eyes were wide in surprise.
I didn’t know what to think. Tony told me point blank that the rules were ingrained in him…but we really were different. I’d have to fight to the death for the one that I loved. I shouldn’t judge Tony but Damnit Alexis fought for me from a jail cell!
I put my hand over his. “Thank you, Paul. Thank you for coming back for me then and now.”
He shook his head. “But I didn’t save you. The only one of us that ever did was Alexis. I still hate him, though.” He smiled at me sheepishly. “Sorry.”
***
We were a bit late but they were used to that when dealing with me. Everyone was in the lower level, and everyone included Carmine…but Letrelle was no where to be seen.
“It’s about time.” Keada spoke in her Russian accent.
“I’m fifteen minutes late, Keada. Damn.” I responded sharply.
Keada looked Paul up and down. “My time is just as important as yours.”
“Where’s Letrelle?” I asked no one in particular.
Carmine answered. “I doubt that we will see that punk tonight.”
I glanced at Paul in disbelief. “He brought the case and now he doesn’t want to resolve it.”
“Like Carmine said, he’s a punk,” Paul responded looking annoyed.
“I believe Letrelle would like to sneak into my home and arrange my death. He has no desire to fight fairly.”
“Did you have a contingency plan?” Tony asked us. He was lounging next to Kaniji. Kaniji watched me smugly.
“Tyler.”
Everyone was quiet, even Carmine. “I announce Letrelle a Rogue. He will be hunted down and killed. His property will be given to his Second in command…with Carmine having first choice of his possessions. Do you find this satisfactory?” I asked Carmine.
“Yes. Thank you Master.”
“Then you are dismissed.”
Carmine disappeared. “Tomorrow I will send Julie and Tyler after Letrelle.”
Cyrene stood. “Then let us resume our Council meeting. Obviously we need to discuss the threat made against our Council Member, Kim.”
“Actually, we don’t.” I sat down in one of the chairs farthest from them. Paul stood by my side quietly.
“You did call for our Assistance.” Kaniji spoke.
Kaniji was best handled by ignoring her. “Did any of you know th
at Werewolves actually existed?”
“There has been some evidence of their existence.” Cyrene said.
“I have seen a Werewolf.” Kaniji said after a pause, “before I was Neratomay, in Japan. In our gardens behind my house there was a man that was more animal. My father struck him with his sword but the man ran away. It was a death blow, but it did not kill him.”
“If there are Werewolves in the United States then they have been secret about their existence.” Frank said. “We’ve been living alongside of each other peacefully, if that’s the case. Still, what Kim said at her house is worth exploring. I would love to taste the blood of a Werewolf.” Frank was staring at Paul openly. This time I don’t think he was intending his words to be insulting.
The heat radiating from Paul was always hot. It suddenly spiked although he didn’t move.
“Kim, what is it like? I’m sure you know. You should share. His blood would be a great treat at our next Council meeting…or this one.” Frank continued.
“Frank-“ I began angrily. Paul put his hand on my shoulder.
“No, its okay. Let him taste.”
“I would taste, too.” Keada said eyes wide in greed.
Paul took off his suede jacket and handed it to me. He removed the shells from around his neck and handed this to me as well.
I studied him but his expression was blank as he tugged at his collar and walked to Frank.
Frank stood happily. He swept back his long greasy hair and dropped the teeth in his very pale face. Frank’s choice of clothing was always to the sadistic. He loved his leather chaps and straps. And more times then not he exposed his narrow, scrawny chest. He wasn’t the cleanest Vampire in the world and I never allowed him to put his hands on me.
Paul seemed relaxed as he offered his neck. Frank’s eyes rolled up in his head as he bit down on the pulse in Paul’s neck.
The reaction was instantaneous. No sooner had his teeth entered Paul’s neck then the wolf in him reared up. He swiped at Frank with clawed hands slashing Frank’s chest. Paul growled his face held little resemblance to a human face. His teeth were long and his nose was distended into the shape of a wolves. His eyes, while gold were still the eyes of a human. Coarse hair had sprouted on his face and his hair had definitely bushed out.