by L. Hillis
“Sounds delish! Will I meet him?”
“One day” She responded, as opposed to the “Never” she exclaimed in her head.
“Well, let me get to work, just wanted to tell you that.” She continued.
“Be careful girl.” Haley said, as she walked away.
“I will.” Monique reached her desk and decided to call Danny. She already knew his number by heart; she dialed his number. The phone just rang and rang, and nobody picked. She gave up after five rings. He must be busy. Monique got to work on an account. She saw Darren walking up to her desk. She rolled her eyes, hoping he didn’t see it. No need to add gasoline to a fire. When he got close she said with her eyebrows heavily creased, “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.” Darren answered.
“No, now leave.” She said in a stern voice.
He ignored her, and went ahead to ask, “You like the flowers?”
Monique’s mouth dropped open, and she exclaimed, ‘They were from you?”
“Yeah, I’m so glad you liked them.”
Monique’s eyebrows dipped even lower, and her mouth twisted in a scowl.
“Darren I’m sorry if I led you on but enough is enough. I don’t want flowers or to ever see you again.” Emphasis was put on don’t and want. “Now leave!” she said with a raised voice, drawing several inquisitive eyes.
“You will regret this,” he said through his clenched teeth and walked off. Monique shivered after what he said. Haley ran up to her desk asking, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, he creeps me out now. And to think I used to marvel at his attention.” She said shaking her head.
“You did nothing wrong. No one knew he was such a creep. Including me.” Haley said. She went back to her desk, while Monique finished an account and got another. She suggested investing. A coworker came up to her desk and asked a question, she answered the question and got ready for the meeting.
The meeting was held in one of the conference rooms. It bordered on suggestions that could help the customer. Her boss gave her a warm smile; she returned the smile and headed back to her desk. Monique was stopped by her coworker, John. He had gray eyes, black hair and was short. He wanted to know what investments to offer for the account he was working on. Monique took the folder and looked the account over. She suggested trading. John thanked her and left. Monique sat down and concentrated on her accounts and in no time, closing hours came. She waved to her coworkers and hurried to her car, as she didn’t want to have any other encounter with Darren. It was weird that she didn’t hear from Danny all day. Usually, he would have text her. Monique drove home and went up to her apartment. There was a bloody broken mirror in front of her door with a note. She gasped and picked up the note. Today your dream ends. She had already decided to tell Danny but this further cemented her decision. Monique gently picked up the broken mirror, opened her door and dropped it in the trash. She was about to pick up the phone to call Danny when she heard a knock at the door.
She thought it was Danny, and so, she answered the door with a smile.
“Hey,” she enthusiastically greeted as she opened.
Upon realizing who it was, she stopped, and with creased eyebrows, she asked, “May I help you?” She screamed furiously.
Meanwhile, Danny was getting ready to go see Monique. She had been on his mind. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Who could that be? Nobody knew where he lived and he liked it that way. He answered the door and raised his eyebrows, and then everything went blank. Danny opened his eyes feeling groggy; he yawned, and then remembered the day before. His fangs came out his mouth and his nails grew dangerously sharp. He took a look at his surroundings, and saw he was in a large room that had a brown lazy boy in the corner, with a wide brown dresser in front of the bed. There was a hairbrush, comb, and makeup sprawled across the dresser, with a flat screen TV above it on the wall, and a large walk-in closet, that held dresses. Next, to it, he could only assume a big bathroom. The bed he was on had a brown comforter with flowers and two brown pillows. He was definitely in a girl’s room. Danny’s nails retracted and his teeth receded. At that point, he was more curious than angry now. A redhead poked their head in the room, with green eyes just as his that stared back at him. She also had freckles everywhere like Danny. A voice out its mouth said, “Hey baby.” She walked toward him, and he was frozen. “It’s me,” she said, touching his face gently. “You have grown into a very handsome man,” she continued.
Danny pulled her hand away gently, and retorted, “You left when I was six and I haven’t seen you since. Why now? I missed you when I was younger not now,” he said coldly.
“You left me with a monster!” He continued through gritted teeth.
“I know, and I think about that every day. But I always watched over you.” Silence ensued as she etched every piece of him into her memory. “Mommy, mommy,” she could remember him calling her as a child “I can’t change the past,” she said regretfully. Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she continued, “Like most nights, me and your father argued. I had enough and told him I was taking you and leaving. But he said if I did, his people will haunt us, kill me and bring you back. He gave me a choice to leave with you and die or leave by myself promising to never see you again.” She sniffed, and wiped her face, as she had begun to weep profusely. She grabbed Danny’s hand, and continued, “But I couldn’t bear it any longer. I had to see you. I want to be in your life.”
Danny pulled his hand away, and said, “I needed you then I don’t need you now. I want to go home now.”
She wiped the tears that had escaped.
“I understand but I won’t give up,” she said sniffling.
She called a big burly man inside.
“Take him home,” she said authoritatively. He did as she instructed without hesitation.
Danny followed him out of the door.
“I’ll be in touch,” she said.
As he kept walking towards the car, he thought of Monique. She probably thought he wasn’t interested anymore. He decided that the first thing he was going to do is go see her. He told the driver her address. They pulled up to her apartment and he got out of the car. As he got to her door, knew something wasn’t right; the door was open. Danny smelled fear, hair sprouted all over his body. His eyes turned bloodshot red, his teeth grew longer and his nail sharper. You could hear his bones cracking. He went down on all fours, landing on massive paws. Hair covered his body, an elongated snout appeared, and sharp teeth lined his mouth. His height now matching humans’ 5’3, he sniffed the air, howled and ran off. A neighbor came out of his apartment and looked left and right. He saw what looked like a huge dog go around the corner down the hall. Out of fear, he hurried and closed his door. Danny sniffed the air again. His eyes brightened and he let out a low threatening growl. Then he turned left and started galloping. The stench of fear filled the air.
Danny trailed Monique’s smell to an abandoned building. He turned his head at the sound of a howl. He smiled at Monique with red eyes, slid a sharp nail down her cheek, and said, “Lover boy is here.” Monique looked at him, her breathing picked up and her heart rate sped up. The ropes around her wrist hurt and she could taste the masking tape that was around her mouth. A massive wolf with red fur burst through the door. Her eyes went wide, but for some reason, she didn't feel scared. The wolf’s glowing red eyes looked at them and bared his test, issuing a threatening growl. Monique got a chance to really look at the man holding her against her will, and recognition dawned on her. It was the man from the restaurant who came up to their table. Marcus went behind Monique with lightning speed. Monique felt a gust of wind hit her face, then felt something sharp at her throat.
“Turn back, or I will kill her,” Marcus instructed. The wolf growled and looked at Monique with sorrow in his eyes. He then started shifting. The hair, nails, and teeth receded, but the color of his eyes stayed red. Huge eyes adorned Monique’s face, as Danny was revealed, naked in fron
t of them.
“Danny!” she screamed muffled by the tape. Him smelling me and running. That howl I heard months ago. It was all him! I’m not crazy! It all made sense now. She yelled in her mind. For some reason, she didn’t care. Neither did it change her feelings for him.
“Put this on,” Marcus said, throwing a pair of jeans at him. “Good boy,” said Marcus, as he saw Danny getting dressed. Then he continued, “Has she told you about the nice gifts I left her?”
Danny’s eyebrows creased and furiously, he asked, “What gifts?”
“Obviously not, oh just stuff to show my gratitude for bringing you out of hiding. See, we would have never found you if you didn’t stop to talk to her,” Marcus said, sliding his nails across her face, provoking Danny to issue a threatening growl. Monique felt so bad. She felt like it was all her fault.
“Now, your father wants you back. No idea why, but I will teach you a lesson before I take you back,” he said, with an evil grin.
“I’m not going back,” Danny said with a snarl. Marcus used his super speed to go in front of Danny.
“You are,” he said with a deep guttural voice, “Even if I have to drag you back.” He said menacingly.
“Try,” Danny sneered. With lightning speed, Marcus punched him in the stomach. Now he had a bloody gash across his stomach. Monique’s wide eyes and muffled screams could be heard through the tape. Danny flew across the dusty floor, and landed on his feet, leaning on his hands. Right before our eyes, the wound was rapidly healing. Danny flashed his teeth and his eyes blazed with fire at Marcus as he growled. Marcus snarled and showed his sharp teeth. Danny’s chest went up and down with his breathing. He charged him with lightning speed and threw a right cross catching Marcus on the chin. Marcus now displayed an ugly gash across his face which healed quickly. He recovered and threw a right jab which Danny blocked. Before Marcus knew what was happening, he was slammed into the wall, cracking it and shaking the room as he fell to the floor with a thud. A shadow came over him and he looked up into a pair of red eyes.
Marcus righted himself quickly, hunched his shoulders and hissed at him. Danny growled at him and grabbed him by the throat, with his grip tightening by the second. Marcus grimaced at the pressure Danny was applying. He brought up his hand and jabbed Danny in the face. Danny’s eyeball was now hanging on by loose flesh. Meanwhile, Monique’s eyes widened and she screamed. Danny let go and grabbed his face. Marcus took that opportunity to quickly follow up with a right upper cut, knocking Danny across the room cracking yet another wall. He went behind Danny and kicked him in the back, Danny fell to his knees. Marcus picked up the wooden stake and went behind Monique. She felt something sharp at her throat.
“First I will kill her, so you can watch. As for you, I won’t stab you in the heart, but I will make sure that whatever I do to you is going to hurt.” Tears ran down Monique’s face not for herself, but for him. Her mind was whirling. She had just found him and couldn’t bear the thought of losing him this quick. At that point, Monique realized she loved him and couldn’t imagine her life without him. Monique didn’t care that he was a wolf. She struggled against her binds. Monique didn’t know what she could do as a human but she had to help. Marcus let out a horrible, loud cry as Danny twisted the hand that was at Monique's throat and broke it. Danny shoved the stake into Marcus’s heart. Marcus fell to the floor with his eyes wide, holding the stake.
Danny quickly untied Monique. He cut the ropes loose and Monique immediately hugged him and kissed him through the duct tape. She saw that his face looked completely unblemished.
Danny hugged her and held her tightly. Danny took the duct tape gently from her mouth, with tears running down her face, she said “I love you,” and then she kissed him. He immediately deepened the kiss grabbing the back of her head. Danny kissed her like she was water and he hadn’t drank in forever. Their tongues battled for dominance. He reluctantly drew back, and they both breathed hard. He eventually responded, “I love you too. Now let’s go.”
Monique smiled gently and said, “Ok.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the stuff left in front of my door. I was going to tell you today but I was kidnapped.” Monique explained.
“I’m just glad you’re ok. I can’t afford to lose you.” He said, as he earnestly stopping to hold her face. Their foreheads came together with their eyes closed, thinking about the implications if this went awry. They walked out of the door, with Danny’s hand on her lower back, and Marcus all but forgotten. Luckily, she lived close by, and so, they walked to her apartment.
Chapter 8
“Are you going to tell me what just happened?” Monique inquired. “Like what are you? How did you find me? He said he was going take you back. Back where?” She continued.
Danny took a deep breath, and admitted, “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”
“Really?” Monique said, looking at him as if to say obviously.
Danny avoided her eyes and said, “I told you my father was strict, and my mother and father went their separate ways. Well, I lied. My father is a monster, a vampire. My mother, a werewolf, and I’m both.”
“Vampires? Werewolves? Both? What does that mean exactly?” Monique asked with so much concern.
“My senses are heightened because of who I am. I have superhuman strength, excellent hearing, vision, and smell. I can shift into a wolf as you have seen.” He explained.
“What do you eat?” she asked tentatively.
Reluctantly, he revealed, “I drink blood.” Quickly realizing that he may have startled her, he followed up by saying, “I can eat regular food too.”
Monique’s shoulders relaxed. She kept quiet and listened as he talked about his father.
“He made me court women every day. Vampires only. I was thirteen when this began. It was also when he started to have me do his dirty work.”
“Dirty work?” Monique asked, wanting to know the details.
“Yes. He would give Marcus a name and order me to go with him. He would scare people into obedience, blackmail, and murder,” he whispered.
“Murder?” Monique exclaimed. She had never heard anything like it before.
“Yes. Marcus did the killings, but I didn’t stop him. So my hands are just as bloody.
Monique stopped, grabbed his face, and said, “It’s not your fault,” in a bid to try to relieve him of his guilt. He then looked into her eyes, feeling like his heart would burst from the love he had for her. He grabbed her face and tried to put all the love that poured out of him in a kiss. Monique felt breathless after that kiss.
Danny broke the silence, “My first time was at thirteen. Conflicted emotions every time.” His eyes took on a faraway look as he continued talking.
“Life was planned out and structured. Every decision was made for me. I hated it. My father is king of England and expects me to take over but I don’t want to. I left as soon as possible and never looked back.”
Monique’s mind was still whirling from the kiss. Her lips felt deliciously swollen.
“I haven’t killed anyone in years until...” Monique stopped him, turned his face to hers, and kept her hands on his face.
“You saved me. I can’t be mad with what you did before. You saved me, and that is all that matters,” she said, looking into his eyes. He leaned in so close that they were breathing the same air.
“I would do it again without hesitation,” he said. She pulled him to her lips, and his lips came crashing on hers. He slid his arms around her. Their tongues twisted in each other and she let out a moan. Monique drew back, reluctantly wanting, but felt like it wasn’t the place. She quickly began walking again. Danny tried to quell down his desire and catch up with her. When he caught up she said, “You know you can change that when you become king right? Look, he did horrible things to you, but you are not your father.”
“Well, maybe.” Danny said, trying to garner optimism. What she was saying made a lot of sense but he had to think about
it.
Looking at her beautiful face, he continued, “My mother left when I was younger. She had me kidnapped yesterday. That was the reason why you couldn’t hear from me.” She turned her head and put her hand over her pounding heart, with her mouth agape.
Somehow, Danny felt the need to explain further, “Today, I found out she wants to reconnect. I told her to bring me back immediately. She hasn’t been in my life for a long time, and now, I don’t need her.”
All of a sudden, Monique stopped walking again. Danny noticed she stopped and asked, “Are you okay?” Monique was silent. He stopped in front of her, and looked into her black eyes. Danny was pleasantly surprised by what happened next. As Monique embraced him, she said, “Maybe she needs you. But whatever you decide, I’m here.” Danny relaxed in her warm embrace and closed his eyes. Does she need me?
Hugging her back, he said “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Danny now looked ashamed and slowly disentangled himself from her and put distance between them. Monique noticed the distance and asked with trepidation. “What?’
In a small voice he said “when I was younger I had trouble controlling who I was, so I changed nannies often.”
“Why?” she asked
“I drained them.” He answered solemnly.
“Of blood?” Monique’s skin visibly looked lighter when asking.
”Yes, ” he whispered. They were found in my room under pillows with my bloody clothes,. He continued “a couple of decades ago.” “I dated a lot and all my dates ended with me in a pool of blood, every time.”
“I tried to control myself but couldn’t.”
“I really tried,” he echoed in a sorrowful voice. “After a few bad dates I gave up.”
“Until you,” he risked a glance at Monique. Just as he expected, she look mortified.
“Your different” he hurriedly explained. Finding her voice she hoarsely said “how?’