by Bree Wolf
Quinn cried out. “Damn it!” she hissed, trying to breathe through the pain. “What’d you do that for?”
“To prove my point,” he said lightly.
“Which would be?” Quinn asked through gritted teeth.
He leaned forward. “That you’re not fine. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because it’s nothing,” she insisted but seeing his doubtful face admitted, “Okay, maybe it’s not nothing. But it’s nothing bad. I’ll go see Dr. Barker tomorrow, he’ll give me some medication and I’ll be as good as new. So why worry.”
“You should take some of my blood,” Arnaud said matter-of-factly. The next instant his canines shot out.
Quinn’s eyes widened as she shrank back. “What?”
With all that had been going on, it had been easy for her to forget what he was. And when he looked normal, he didn’t scare her any more. But with his fangs showing, she was reminded of what he was capable of and that if he chose to, he could kill her without effort – as he had Mr. Sanders.
Raising his arm to his mouth, Arnaud stopped as she retreated from him. “What?” he asked back. “My blood will heal you. Almost instantly.”
“Eeewww,” Quinn said, a disgusted look showing on her face.
Arnaud rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot! You could easily have a broken rib.”
“I’m not an idiot,” she insisted, her eyes hardening. “I’m just .. I just have principles.”
Laughing, he shook his head. “That’s the most stupid thing you’ve ever said. If you have a good reason why you shouldn’t drink my blood, let’s hear it. But if not …”
Again her eyes widened as she caught his meaning, but unfortunately, “Because it’s disgusting!” was all she could say.
Obviously it didn’t convince him either because his eyebrows rose in a very questioning way.
As he took a step toward her, Quinn raised a hand to keep him back. “Listen pal, there is no way this is gonna happen,” she said, a little surprised at how steady her voice sounded.
But Arnaud couldn’t be stopped. It was like shoving against a brick wall. He didn’t budge. Standing right in front of her, his face only inches from hers, Quinn watched how he slightly curled back his lower lip and then sank his fangs into it.
A frown showed on her face as she saw drops of blood well up. But before she could even attempt to make sense of it, another flash of pain shot through her body as Arnaud’s hand came around her, applying pressure to her possibly broken rib.
Closing her eyes for a second, she gasped at the intensity of the pain. But Quinn had no time to recover, because Arnaud suddenly leaned in, closing his mouth over hers.
For a moment she froze, too surprised at what was happening. Not in a million years would she have seen this coming.
Arnaud’s other hand settled on the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss, forcing her lips apart. That woke her up and again she tried to shove him away, but again her efforts were fruitless.
And then she knew what he was doing as her taste buds suddenly registered the sweet sensation of blood on her tongue.
That realization was followed by a strange tingling that ran all over her body, making her shiver. The pain went away so quickly that she could barely recall its feeling. Once again Arnaud’s hand settled slightly above her waist. But this time she didn’t flinch and he broke the kiss almost instantly, looking down at her.
“There, feel better now?” he asked, the hint of an amused smile on his face. His canines looked normal again.
Pulling back, Quinn tried to regain her composure. With her heart still thudding in her chest, she raised her eyes to his. An angry expression appeared on her face as she hissed at him, “You’re a jack-ass!”
He smiled openly now. “You’re welcome,” he said, stepping back.
“Not funny,” she jeered, storming out of the room, and rushed up the stairs to the guestroom he had prepared for her. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this house, his house, but going home was not an option at the moment. Too much was at stake and so far she didn’t understand half of it.
Closing the door behind her, Quinn found another one of Arnaud’s shirts on the bed. Still fuming with anger, she reluctantly changed into it, hanging up her clothes to air them out. Since the pain was gone, she did not expect to still find a bruise covering her lower ribs, but when she found nothing besides smooth skin, she was surprised nonetheless.
As she slid into bed, a million thoughts ran through her mind and she feared that they would keep her awake all night. But the moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes closed and she fell asleep without a second thought.
Chapter 20 – The Morning After
As the alarm of her cell phone went off, Quinn needed a moment to orient herself. The events of the previous night slowly snuck back into her mind and she couldn’t help but wonder what had made her life change like that. After almost getting killed by one of her favorite teachers – for a reason she still didn’t know – she had watched him die, accepted the help of a werewolf to find her best friend’s kidnapped baby and to top things off she had spent the night in a vampire’s house. Just a normal Wednesday night in Crescent Rock.
Hardly.
Slipping into her clothes, Quinn realized that despite of what had happened she felt physically fine. No broken rib. No bruise. She wasn’t even tired although she had only gotten a few hours of sleep. Arnaud’s blood seemed to be working wonders. But that thought inevitably made her think of how his blood had gotten into her system in the first place, and she quickly pushed the memory away. She was still angry at him for flat-out ignoring her rejection and she didn’t want anything to distract her from that feeling. It was strong. It was exhilarating. And he so deserved her wrath.
Quietly, she tiptoed down the hallway and peeked into Julia’s room. Her friend was still asleep, but Luke was sitting upright in bed, again playing with a strand of her hair. When Quinn stuck her head in, he looked at her with one of those almost toothless, big grins of his and a delighted squeal escaped his mouth.
Reaching out her hands to him, Quinn whispered, “You wanna come with me?”
Luke held out his chubby little hands to her and she picked him up, supporting him on her left hip. “Let’s give mommy a few more minutes,” she told him, carrying him downstairs. Luke’s hands were once more entangled in her hair.
Expecting Arnaud to show up out of nothing any second, Quinn was surprised to find Tate sitting at the kitchen table instead, gulping down a bowl of cereal.
“Hey there,” he smiled, his eyes quickly shifting from her to the baby on her hip. “He looks alright.”
Quinn nodded. “I really think he is. It’s unbelievable.” She tickled Luke under the chin and he laughed. “He seems as happy as ever. Like nothing happened.”
Holding out a cheerio to Luke, who grabbed it eagerly, immediately plopping it into his mouth, Tate said, “Babies are resilient.”
Nodding, Quinn felt uncomfortably reminded of Arnaud. “Do you think there is anything to eat for him around here? The little monster munched up the last of the food Julia had with her last night.”
Walking over to the cabinet, Tate produced a new glass of baby food.
Quinn’s eyes widened in surprise. “Okay, I really didn’t expect to find anything like that. Is there another baby around here I don’t know of?”
“Before he got back, Arnaud went by the store,” Tate said, handing Luke another cheerio. “I guess he figured the little monster would be hungry.” Putting the glass and a spoon on the table, he sat back down. “What about you? Hungry?”
Right on cue, Quinn’s stomach growled. “Guess so,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Then go help yourself,” he said, pointing at the fridge. “You want me to feed him?” Tate asked, holding out his arms to take Luke.
“Eh, sure,” Quinn said, not sure how Luke would react to being handed to a stranger. But the moment the first spoonful of
food entered his mouth, he was oblivious to everything else.
Preparing a bowl of cereal for herself, Quinn took the seat opposite Tate, curiously watching him and Luke. He was completely engrossed in his task, making helicopter noises and flying the food into Luke’s wide-open hangar.
“You’re good with babies,” Quinn said, seeing Luke’s delighted face. “He is happy as can be.”
“Well, to be honest, I guess it’s more the food than me,” Tate observed. “Isn’t it?” he asked, looking at Luke who stared up at him and then suddenly started giggling.
“You could be right about that.”
“How’s your friend?” Tate asked, looking at her. “I guess all that was kind of overwhelming for her. Not to mention terrifying.”
Quinn nodded. “I guess so. But … she didn’t say anything last night. Or ask anything.”
“She might still be in shock,” Tate said. He looked at her for a moment, furrows appearing on his forehead before he asked, “How much does she know?”
Quinn shrugged. “I’m not sure. I mean she and Luke got kidnapped by Mr. Sanders – FYI, I still can’t believe this – and then Arnaud showed up and I’m not sure if she saw how he …you know.”
Tate nodded. “Okay, so she may not have seen anything after all?”
“I’d say that depends on your definition of anything,” Quinn said. “I think she saw enough to qualify for a mental disorder.” She meant to say it lightly, but realized how scared she was that her friend would not be able to deal with what had happened.
“I meant anything non-human,” Tate clarified. “I think she will be alright. She will need time, sure, but in the end this little guy here,” he tickled Luke under the chin as Quinn had before, “will make her pull through.”
“I sure hope so,” Quinn mumbled, sipping the rest of the milk from the cereal bowl before getting a refill.
“And what about you?” Tate asked, looking at her curiously. “Arnaud said you were kind of new to the fun and games as well. How are you dealing with all this?”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know,” Quinn said, feeling relieved to be able to talk about it. “Sometimes I am convinced I’m dreaming, sometimes all this just amazes me but most of the time it really just creeps me out.”
Tate laughed. “I guess that’s a healthy reaction.”
“Really?” Quinn frowned. “Because I’m actually concerned about my mental stability. I mean who knows, maybe I’ve really gone nuts and all this is a fantasy world and I’m actually strapped down in some mental facility, pumped full of drugs to keep me from attacking the staff and am drooling on my pillow.”
“Wow, that is one hell of a terrifying thought!” Tate said, grinning at her. “Please, tell me you’re not always this cheerful.”
Quinn laughed. “Well, if you plan to stick around, you better get used to it. My personality can be a bit challenging at times.”
“So I’ve heard,” Tate said.
A frown appeared on Quinn’s face. “Did he tell you that?” Tate nodded. “I don’t believe this. Hell, he’s one to talk!”
“Couldn’t agree with you more.”
Surprised, she looked at him. “Really? You find him obnoxious, too?”
“Frequently.”
“I’m so relieved,” Quinn said. “Everyone else seems so hung up on him. It’s nauseating.” Again Tate laughed. “But you two are friends?” she asked.
He nodded. “Have been for a while.”
“How did that happen?”
Leaning back and handing Luke the spoon, who put it in his mouth and started chewing on it, Tate said, “That’s a bit of a long story, not to mention a quite complicated one … and it’s not only mine to tell.”
“I see,” Quinn said. “Don’t want to make you betray someone’s confidences. So, then what can you tell me?”
“What would you like to know?” Tate asked.
Quinn shrugged. “Everything. Nothing, maybe. I’m not sure. On the one hand, I really want to go back to the way things were before any of the creepy happened, in which case I think it’s better for me to know as little as possible. But on the other hand, I’m getting the feeling that that choice isn’t really up to me, in which case I should probably learn as much as possible. See my dilemma?”
Tate nodded. “But still, the question remains. What’s it gonna be?”
With a dark cloud starting to hang over her head, Quinn rested her chin in her hands and said, “Alright then, tell me …” She thought for a moment. “How … eh … how does one become a vampire?”
Tate’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know? Something happen? With Arnaud?”
“Eh,” Quinn hesitated.
He waved his hands. “Don’t worry. Whatever it was, you have nothing to worry about. I assume that’s why you were asking.”
“Kinda,” Quinn admitted. “But how do you know … if you don’t know what … happened?”
“Well, he might be obnoxious but he’s not irresponsible. There would have to be a damn good reason for him to turn someone without their permission, and you don’t strike me as one who would volunteer.”
Quinn shook her head hastily. “Definitely not.” She looked at Tate curiously, trying to measure up the friendship between him and Arnaud and decide whether or not to trust his words.
“So, then, … you’re a … werewolf?” she said carefully.
He smiled. “After last night, you even have to ask?”
Quinn shrugged. “There is still that part of me that argues that there was you,” she held up her right hand, palm facing upward, “and then there was the wolf.” Holding up her left hand as well, she looked from one to the other. “Two separate entities if you will. And not one,” she said, shaking her head while moving her hands together.
“The mental facility thing again?” Tate asked grinning.
She nodded. “Exactly.”
“Okay, would it help if you saw me shift?”
“Shift?” She looked at him, a little confused. “You mean … shift into a wolf?”
Tate nodded, raising an eyebrow, daring her to accept.
“Okay, if you promise not to eat me,” Quinn replied, desperate to keep things lightly.
“Don’t eat humans,” he said grinning.
“That’s good to know.”
Walking over, he handed her Luke, who seemed a bit reluctant, his little fist holding tightly to Tate’s shirt. Once more Tate tickled him under the chin and Luke actually let go, giggling.
Surprised, Quinn looked up from the baby in her lap. “Do you have some kind of magical powers?”
“Not that I know of,” Tate replied flatly.
Quinn looked at Luke, no food stains on his little shirt. “How come you don’t behave like that with me?” she asked him and he stared at her for a moment before grabbing hold of her hair again. “Oh, perfect.”
“Okay, you ready?” Tate asked. “’Cause this only takes a split second.”
“Ready,” Quinn said.
She didn’t know exactly what she had expected but what happened before her eyes really wasn’t much. One moment Tate stood before her, dressed in a gray sports t-shirt and baggy sweat pants, and in the next there sat a huge black wolf with the same dark eyes. There had maybe been a slight whirl in the air and Tate’s outline had gotten a bit blurry and somehow shifted into a different form, but everything had happened so fast that she wasn’t sure it actually had happened. What she had seen seemed like a cut video sequence.
Quinn was still staring at the wolf on the kitchen floor before her, when Luke started squealing in delight, clapping his little hands. He tried to free himself from her grasp, reaching for the big wuff.
Surprisingly not afraid in the least, because deep down she knew that this was still Tate, looking a bit different but still him, Quinn put Luke down. With incredible speed he crawled over to his furry friend. It was like he recognized him from the night before.
Lying down, Tate let Luke ins
pect his paws and muzzle, always careful not to hurt him. As Tate wagged his tail, Luke was more than delighted with the new game. He did his best to catch a hold of it but his chubby little hands weren’t fast enough.
Since she clearly wasn’t needed at the moment, Quinn started straightening out the kitchen, now and then glancing at the unusual duo playing on the floor.
Unfortunately that was the moment Julia chose to appear.
A terrified scream escaped her as she walked into the kitchen, looking for her son, and found him sitting on the floor next to an enormous wolf and pulling on its hair.
“Julia, everything’s alright!” Quinn hurried to assure her, snatching Luke off the floor. Instantly, he started to cry about being yanked away from his new furry playmate. “Look, he’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Taking her son in her arms, Julia kept staring at Tate. “That’s a wolf,” she stammered. “How did that wolf get in here?”
“Eh, … that’s a dog,” Quinn said, deciding that, if she couldn’t tone down the crazy for herself, she could at least try to do it for her friend. “Really, he’s just a dog. A big one, sure, but just a dog.”
“But…?”
“Just a dog,” Quinn repeated.
“You sure?”
“Yep,” she said, steering Julia to the chair at the kitchen table that was farthest away from Tate. “You want some breakfast?”
Turning to the fridge, Quinn saw Tate head out of the kitchen and silently thanked him for it.
They got through the rest of the morning without another hitch. Neither Tate nor Arnaud showed themselves and so at a little before nine they all got into Quinn’s car and headed over to Crescent Rock hospital. Julia was very quiet and still hadn’t asked a single question. Actually she didn’t mention the events of the previous night at all. It was as though she had decided that pretending they hadn’t happened would make them so. The only think standing in the way of complete ignorance was the visit to Dr. Barker. But as soon as she knew that Luke was definitely fine, everything would be forgotten.