“So how can having me as a Vârcolac help them get what they want?” My voice comes out scratchy and hoarse.
There’s an uncomfortable ripple of silence across the table. It sets my nerves on edge. I take a sip of whiskey.
“Well, like Nathan said, the Originals want full-bloods, just like them,” Jack pauses, “and they believe the only way to do this is to breed them, and to be able to do this they need a … ”
“Female Vârcolac?” I finish.
Jack looks at me with sorrowful eyes.
“If they find out about you,” Nathan says in a tapered voice, “then you’ll become their baby breeding machine for the rest of your life.” He turns his head and looks me in the eye for a long moment and I can see it all there in his eyes reflecting back at me, like a flash-forward of my possible future.
Something crawls over my skin – fear, I think.
“Don’t you worry though, Alex,” Jack says in a confident voice, giving the table a bang with his hand so hard it makes me jump, “you’ll be safe here with us.”
But I don’t feel confident or safe at all. I’m here with three men, one of whom is barely that, who happen to be able to change into animals when they feel like it.
“We’ll make sure the Originals never know you exist,” Jack adds. “Think of this as your home, now and for the foreseeable future.” He waves his hand around, smiling through tight lips. “We’ll take real good care of you.”
I see the quick look that Nathan gives Jack, the one Jack chooses to ignore, and I know unequivocally that Nathan doesn’t fully agree with Jack’s statement. Nathan wants me here until he can find a suitable place to put me. He doesn’t want me here for good, confirming what I already knew.
I’m all alone.
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to block it all out, block all of them out.
“You will be okay.” Nathan’s voice comes close to my ear.
You. Not we - you.
He touches my arm. I open my eyes, surprised. I yank my arm away from him. It’s his turn to look surprised. I don’t know why he’s pretending to be nice to me when he clearly doesn’t want me here.
And I’m about to say so when Nathan sighs loudly and leans back in his chair, raking a hand through his mussed up hair. “Great, just what we didn’t need,” he grumbles.
I stare at him, confused.
“You ready.” Sol grins clearly amused. Nathan laughs. Jack mutters something unintelligible under his breath.
Okay, so I’m clearly left out of the party here.
Then I hear a car screech to a halt outside. A knot tightens in my stomach.
“Five, four … ” Nathan starts to count down on his fingers. Sol joins in. Jack picks up his cigar from the ashtray and lights it back up.
“Who’s that?” I ask none of them in particular, gesturing to the outside with my shaky hand.
“Three … ”
“Cal,” Jacks answers, his cigar perched precariously between his lips. A big puff of smoke emanates from out of his mouth.
“Two … ” Nathan leans over, picks Sol’s glass up off the table and throws back the contents. “One.” He bangs the empty glass back down.
I’m just about to ask who Cal is, but before I get a chance, the back door flies open and standing there is a huge bloke.
And he doesn’t look happy or friendly in any way.
Chapter 8
Brothers
“So you are all okay, then?” Cal marches into the house, leaving the back door wide open, letting the cold air in. “Because Dad tells me you’re all sick, dying from the bloody flu, and I’m not to come into work because you don’t want me to pass it onto Erin. But you’ve all been acting so shady when I’ve rung to check on you, and Sol is the worst liar in the world, so I know something’s going on, and then I walk in here and find you all fit as fiddles drinking bloody whiskey, and … ” He suddenly stops mid rant and appears to sniff the air. Then his eyes locate and lock onto me.
I shiver and it’s not from the cold. My brain instantly goes on high alert. I shift in my seat. Nathan reaches his hand back and puts it on my arm, firmly holding me in place like he thinks I am going to bolt.
Well, actually, he isn’t far wrong. Something about Cal has set me on nerves' edge and wanting out of here, now.
“Vârcolac?” Cal’s eyes widen in disbelief. “But ... she’s a woman? How? What the fuck is going on here?” He’s aggressive demeanour is suddenly gone and he just looks kind of dumbstruck. He shakes his head roughly as though trying to clear his thoughts.
Seeing Cal’s reaction to me is a bit of a wake-up call. He’s looking at me with a mixture of horror, anger and mild panic. And even though Nathan, Jack and Sol have told me what the calamity of being me is, it is a little different when you see it actually being played out in front of you.
“Does someone want to explain to me just how the hell she happens to be a Vârcolac?” Cal drags his hand down his face, removing with it his perplexed expression. He turns around, slamming the door firmly, like he’s worried someone might be out there and see me. Then he spins back on his heel and points at no one in particular. “And while we’re at it, can you explain why the bloody hell she’s here with you three?”
Nathan removes his hand from my arm and turns to Cal. “Just take it easy,” he says calmly.
Cal laughs, a sharp laugh. “I’ll take it easy when you tell me just exactly what the fuck’s been going on here.”
My hands start to shake. I can’t seem to control the tremor. I grip hold of my glass for something to do with them. It shatters in my hands.
I stare down at in shock as a sharp pain sears through my right hand. Blood trickles out down onto the table. I turn my hand over. There’s a deep cut in my palm. Blood continues to seep out, carelessly dripping on the table as the whiskey from my glass drips onto my jeans. But I don’t move because I can’t. I’m frozen to the spot and all I can do is stare down at the broken glass in front of me.
I just broke it with my bare hands. My eyes are brimming with tears. The room is eerily silent.
“I’m so sorry,” I stammer, finding my voice.
“It’s okay, love,” Jack says kindly.
Nathan takes hold of my arm by the wrist. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He guides me to my feet and leads me over to the sink. I hold my other hand beneath my bleeding one so I don’t drip any blood onto the floor.
Jack follows behind us and gets some kitchen roll and disinfectant spray out of the cupboard next to where I’m standing, presumably to clean up the mess I’ve just made.
“Don’t worry about it, love,” Jack says quietly to me. “I’ve done much worse after a few glasses of whiskey.” He winks conspiratorially at me.
I try to smile but my lips are quivering and it just feels awkward.
Nathan runs the cold water tap and puts my hand under it. I wince at the sting. I can see my blood washing down the sink. I look away. Sol and Jack are already cleaning up the table. Cal is leaning up against the back door moodily, his arms folded across his chest.
Leaving my hand under the increasingly cold water, Nathan gets a first aid kit out from the cupboard under the sink. He turns the tap off and carefully dries my hand with a towel, wrapping it around and pressing firmly down onto my palm to dry the cut out.
“How bad is it?” I ask warily as he examines the cut.
“Not bad. It’ll be healed in a few minutes.”
“What?” I look up at him alarmed.
“I already told you, you heal quickly.” His tone is suddenly off.
I know he’s already told me but it’s just not something I can get easily used to hearing. And when he gets all antsy like this, it just makes me want to question him further.
“How did I break that glass with my hands?” I ask in a lowered tone. This wasn’t a cheap, crappy glass. This was a thick whiskey glass, not that I can normally break any type of glass with my hands but, well, you know what I mean.
“Because you’re bloody superwoman,” Cal says from across the room, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.
Nathan turns to say something to him but Sol beats him to it. “Give it a rest, Cal.”
Cal opens his mouth to retaliate, then seemingly changes his mind. Sighing loudly, he pulls a chair out and sits down at the now clean table.
Nathan takes the towel off my hand. I see the bleeding has calmed. He rips open a large plaster. “You know how you did it,” he finally answers, staring straight into my eyes. His eyes are so green, so piercing, they’re intrusive, almost like he’s, for some reason, trying to extract information straight from out of my brain. Either that or he’s trying to leave some there.
He looks down at my hand and sticks the plaster over my cut. “Leave this on ‘til it heals.” But he doesn’t let go of my hand.
“So I’m taking it this is what you’ve all been busy with?” Cal says, obvious impatience in his voice. Nathan lets go of my hand. “A female Vârcolac … ” Cal shakes his head, “ … so are you gonna explain what the hell happened, who the bloody hell she is, and why the hell you’re involved, or do I have to wait till Christmas?”
“Alex, sorry, you haven’t been introduced properly. This is Cal, my obnoxious older brother,” Nathan says, gesturing towards him. “Cal, this is Alex, the only female Vârcolac in the world.” He thumbs in my direction.
Sol snorts out a laugh. Even I have to hold off a smile.
So Cal is Nathan’s older brother. He looks nothing like Nathan. He looks like Jack, except his features are sharp and uncharacteristic. The only similarity between him and Nathan is his size and, of course, his direct manner.
“Funny,” Cal retorts, “are you gonna answer my fucking question or not?” His face is flushed with rage.
Nathan leans up against the sink and sighs loudly, folding his arms across his chest. “Why do you automatically assume this is my doing?”
“Because this has got you written all over it. You were always the one bringing the stray animals home when we were kids.” Cal’s eyes flit in my direction but don’t actually settle on me. “And if you’re mixed up in something dangerous, I need to know about it.”
“Why?” Nathan’s tone is brusque.
“Why?” Cal looks incredulous. “Because, brother, whatever you do will automatically have repercussions on me.”
“Ahh, what a surprise!” Nathan lets out a slow, satirical laugh, shaking his head. “So now we’re getting to it. This isn’t about me, dad and Sol and how it affects us, this about you. What a fucking surprise that is!”
Cal looks so angry I’m pretty sure he’s considering coming over here and taking a swipe at Nathan.
“Why don’t you both just calm down,” Jack says, finally intervening. “Cal, have a drink.”
Cal eyes the bottle of whiskey Jack is holding up like a golden carrot and I take this as my chance to escape the furore.
“I’m gonna go outside and get some fresh air,” I say in a quiet voice to Nathan. “I’ll leave you all to talk.”
I’ve already started to move away from him but he reaches out and grabs hold of my arm, stopping me. “I’ll come with you.”
I can tell from his tone he’s not coming with me out of the goodness of his heart. He’s probably worried I’m going to try and do a runner.
“Stay here,” I say in a soft, placating voice. “I won’t go far, just outside into the garden. You all obviously need some time to talk.” I nod towards Cal who is slumped in his chair and is currently laying into the bottle of Jack Daniels like his life depends on it.
Nathan hesitates, twisting his lips in contemplation. “Okay,” he finally concedes, “just don’t go far.” I can tell he’s not a comfortable with me going outside on my own, but right now I couldn’t care less, I just want out of here.
“I won’t go far,” I reiterate.
I’m at the back door when Nathan’s voice comes from close behind me, “Put this on, it's cold outside.” He rests a black leather jacket over my shoulders.
I turn, giving him an appreciative look. “Thanks.” I slide my arms into the sleeves and, without another word to anyone else, I slip out the back door.
The cold instantly sweeps over my face, wrapping itself around me. The evening air is surprisingly chilly for July, but I don’t care, I’m just relieved to be outside and away from them.
I zip the jacket up. It’s way too big for me. The sleeves are hanging down past my hands. I’m guessing its Nathan’s jacket as it smells of him. Oddly, it gives me a sense of comfort.
Hugging the coat to me, I look around. The garden is closed in by a low fence. To my right is a path leading up to a gate. Parked up by the gate is a silver truck, I’m guessing Cal’s. In front of me is another path which runs right through the garden and also has a gate at the end of it.
The voices inside suddenly become raised.
I quickly make my way down the path leading into the garden, leaving the hassle behind.
It’s so quiet out here. There are no sounds of traffic or people. I’m literally in the middle of nowhere with nothing but nature to keep me company, and it’s tranquil.
The garden has solar-powered lights dotted all around the edge of the garden. It’s not a big garden for the size of the house, but it’s well tended; someone obviously takes pride in it. I’d take a guess and say Jack.
I continue walking down the path, heading toward the gate.
When I reach it, I lean forward, resting my stomach against it, and have a nosey at what’s out there. The gate opens up straight onto the farmland and it is a vast expanse. It seems to go on for miles. I can see a forest further out on the perimeter, spreading right across the back of their land, and the track that runs down the side of the house, splitting the land, appears to lead straight into the forest. I spy a barn over to my right the other side of the track. It’s all lit up and looks welcoming.
I open the gate, let myself out into the field and head straight for the barn.
Chapter 9
Headlines
The main door to the barn is wide open. I wander inside. The barn’s not as big inside as it looks from the outside, but it does look exactly as a barn should look. There’s a tractor looming over to my left and a work bench fixed up against the wall behind the tractor which is littered with all kinds of different tools. To my right, on its own, is a magnificent looking, shiny red motorbike. It’s a Ducati. I know nothing about motorbikes but it looks impressive, and expensive. I wonder if it’s Nathan’s.
At the back of the barn, taking up a large chunk of space, is a big stack of hay bales. I wander over to them and climb up onto the first lot, that are stacked three high, and rest my back up against the higher stack behind.
I close my eyes. I don’t want to think anymore, I just want to clear my mind of everything and sit in peace.
It’s easier said than done and I’m not left alone for long. It’s maybe been five minutes max when I hear Nathan approaching. I know it’s him because I can smell him.
This super smelling thing of mine is going to take some serious getting used to but I guess it comes in handy at times.
I open my eyes and, as expected, Nathan comes into view a few seconds later, walking with purpose toward me.
I repress a sigh.
“Hey,” he says climbing up onto the hay bales and sitting beside me.
“Hey,” I say.
Silence.
If he’s got nothing to say, why is he here? Checking up on me, most likely. I close my eyes again and rest my head back against the hay.
“So you can change into an animal.” The words are out of my mouth before I even realise. But still, I open my eyes and turn my head to catch his reaction.
His eyes are already on me and they look cautious. “Yes,” he finally answers.
“You always been able to do that?”
“Since I was thirteen. The ability comes in at puberty.”
“Ahh.” Pa
use. “So, do you have a favourite animal you like to change into or … ”
“Wolf.”
“Any reason?”
“Nope.” Or none that he’s willing to share with me.
I look out at the blackness that is casting its shadows in through the open barn door, threatening to infringe on the light.
“You can shift as well, you know,” Nathan says out of the blue.
“What?” My head swivels round on my neck.
“You’re part werewolf remember.” His tone screams 'stupid'. It irks me, to say the least. “The only difference you have from them is you’re not ruled by the moon,” he adds a little less caustically. “You’re like shifters in that respect. You only change if and when you want to.”
Great. So not only have I changed into a monster that drinks blood but I can also turn into a dog. This just gets bloody better and better.
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my thighs, my chin cupped in my hands, my lips turned downwards, and stare dismally at my feet. “Does it hurt when you change?” I utter into my hands.
“No. For me it’s as natural as breathing.”
I shift my chin onto one hand and look round at him. “Will it hurt me?” I run my hand over the scar on my stomach.
“No. It’ll just feel ... uncomfortable, odd, the first time you shift. But the more you do it, the more it’ll become a natural thing for you to do.”
My mind starts to whirl. There’s so much I don’t know about myself. I start to run a list of all the things I know about vampires and werewolves, well all the things I’ve seen in the movies.
“Not everything you think you know about vampires and werewolves applies to you,” Nathan says as if reading my mind.
I can’t hide the surprise from my face. “You read minds as well?” I ask half-serious.
A smile turns up the corners of his mouth. “No. Just faces.”
I shuffle around so I’m facing his side and pull my legs up, crossing them in front of me. “So is any of the stuff in the movies true?”
First Bitten Page 7