Guarded By the Wolf: Werewolf Romance

by Luna Lucas

  The school was relatively large, though not as large as most major colleges. It had a decently large student body, with about forty students to each class. Megan took out her class schedule. She found the room number to Mythology 101 taught by Mr. Kent. She followed the numbers until she found the class itself. She peeked inside to discover she was a bit early. Still, she decided to go in and take a seat. She put her laptop on the desk and started setting it up.

  “I’d hoped to see you in this class,” she heard a girl say from beside her. Megan turned her head slightly and was delighted to see Angela, her best friend since middle school.

  “Angie!” Megan exclaimed, jumping up to hug the feisty, short-haired blonde. Angela was merely skin and bones, with tattoos all over her arms. She still wore the friendship charm bracelet that Megan had given her in middle school.

  Megan wasn’t surprised at all to see Angie there. Like her, Angie had always been into the paranormal. The girls had always dreamed of being paranormal investigators or finding alien life. Claire was the same way. Thinking about Claire reminded Megan to inquire about her other best friend. Angie shrugged. “Haven’t seen Claire since last summer. I heard she moved out of state, or decided to go to a different school.” Megan frowned. She had been looking forward to seeing Claire. Megan sat back down, and Angie took a seat next to Megan.

  “I hope we’re not too early,” said Megan.

  “Don’t worry. I heard Mr. Kent is very nice, but he expects only excellence in everything. Which includes punctuality. So it’s actually better to be a bit early than a bit late,” explained Angie. It wasn’t long before other students started filing in. Soon, all the seats around them were taken, and the back was completely filled. With so many people occupying the same space, the room suddenly felt smaller.

  Various chit chat exploded throughout the room. All the stereotypes were there. The jocks, the popular girls, the nerds, and so on. When Mr. Kent walked in, he sat down his briefcase and announced a good morning to the class. Everyone turned their attention to the young professor. He was in his late thirties, with a bald spot on his head and stubble on his chin. His voice was boisterous, yet smooth and gentle.

  “Welcome to Mythology 101. I’m Mr. William Kent, and I will expect nothing but excellence in this class. To those who think this class will be easy, you are very wrong,” he informed us as he turned his attention to the whiteboard hanging on the wall.

  With a dry erase marker, he wrote a few questions on the board. “Think about these questions. Let them sink in. I want you to ask yourself, what is mythology? Is it merely a study of myth, or is it the study of the unexplored subconscious?” he lectured.

  Megan took the liberty of typing out the questions on her laptop. There was a total of five questions.

  “What I mean by this is simple, and brings me to the next question: is the paranormal real? Or is it just a figment of the imagination?”

  Megan quickly hammered down a few notes to refer back to later.

  “To answer this question, I want each of you to write a paper, and in that paper, I want you to make a case for the paranormal. You will answer, based on the research you collect, whether or not you believe the paranormal is real or just a figment of your imaginations. The paper will be due on the twenty-second, which gives you two weeks.”

  There were some groans and grunts at this, but everyone seemed to be in compliance. Class was abruptly dismissed, and everyone got up and exited the room. Right away, Megan knew what she would write about. She had been curious about Vlad the Impaler, the infamous, merciless killer that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. She wanted to know firsthand whether or not vampires truly existed. She had wanted to know ever since she’d heard about porphyria, a strange, genetic disorder in which an important part of hemoglobin called heme is not made properly.

  Of course, she knew that people with the disorder were not real vampires, just unfortunate souls. They had a sensitivity to sunlight, and some had grotesque, fang-like teeth. Some even drank animal blood to relieve their anemia and pain.

  However, there are people out there who actually believe that they are vampires. So much so, they actually drink other people’s blood. So could it be possible that, if such a disorder exists and others go to such extremes, then it might just be possible that vampires actually do exist?

  She needed proof, and not knowing anyone with such a disorder as porphyria, she’d have to find some other measure of proving vampire existence. After bouncing around to her other classes, she decided to head to the library to get started on her research. Rather than taking the overcrowded, smelly bus to the library, she decided to walk instead.

  That was when she saw something unusual. A tall figure. A mere shadow moving through shadows. It moved very fast and stayed only in the darkness. Part of her was unsure that she had seen it, but she swore she saw it. She decided to try and get a closer look.

  A sudden chill bit through her bones; the closer she got to the area where she had seen the figure, the colder it seemed to get. Megan stumbled into the alleyway. Her only guide was her eagerness to learn about the unknown. Just when she thought she’d lost the figure, she spotted a dark shadow. It spread a long cape out like a pair of wings, then it flew up and disappeared over the buildings. It was gone, and out of sight in a flash and no one but her seemed to notice a thing.

  Megan stood stunned for a moment. Then she quickly took out a notebook and jotted things down. She was now convinced that what she’d witnessed was a vampire. But it couldn’t be. It was broad daylight outside, and even in the shade, surely someone would have noticed. It didn’t add up. Nevertheless, she still swore it was a vampire, and she was going to prove it.

  *****

  It was around seven o clock when she arrived home. Her mother was pacing the living room floor, waiting for her return. “Megan Tonya Peters! Where have you been?” thundered her mother.

  “I went to the library after school to do some research for my mythology paper,” replied Megan.

  “You need to start getting home earlier than this, or at least let me know when you’re going to be home this late,” snapped her mother. Megan shrugged.

  She ran to her room and dropped her backpack on the floor. Megan took out her notebook and laptop and started writing her paper. Around nine o clock, she decided she hated it and deleted the whole document. She sighed and decided that a walk would clear her head. Then, she got a phone call from Angie.

  “Hello?” she finally answered on the third ring.

  “Hey, Megan, what are you going to do your mythology paper on? I’m totally stumped,” said Angie.

  “I’m writing about the existence of vampires,” she replied.

  “I should have known.”

  “You should do a paper on the old Miller house. The one that everyone is convinced is haunted,” suggested Megan.

  “Oh, that’s childish stuff. No, I think I’ll write about Frankenstein!” she announced.

  Megan laughed and said, “If anyone can prove Frankenstein’s existence, I know it can only be you.”

  “Well, come over and help me with it. You’re the monster expert, after all.”

  “I’d love too, but I can’t. Remember, I have my own paper to write.”

  “It’ll be totally hard without your help, but okay. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, Angie.”

  The phone clicked, and Megan sat it down. The rain had started to pour down the windows; lightning flashed in the dark sky. The storm was pretty bad, and Megan sighed again. She couldn’t get the image of the shadowy figure out of her mind. So it was settled. Tomorrow night, she would go out and look for the shadowy figure, and then she would find a way to talk to it and use it as a valuable source. With that in mind, she fell asleep listening to the rain hammer down against her window.

  The idea of waiting a whole day to find the shadowy figure was shaken when Megan woke up from a nightmare. She was sweating and breathless. The rain had long since stopped. She
glanced at her clock; it read twelve-fifteen. Megan was sure that she wasn’t going to go back to sleep. She just had to find that dark creature. One thing she felt sure of was that trouble was brewing. Grabbing her phone, she headed outside. Through the dark, wet streets, she walked, searching for something that may or may not exist.

  Chapter Three

  Back to the Present Time:

  Something had saved her. Something had prevented the bullet from hitting her. But what?

  There was a chill in the air—the same one she’d felt when she spotted Colby the first time. Had that really been only twelve hours ago? It didn’t seem possible. When Megan opened her eyes, she saw several shadowy figures moving in the darkness. They were fighting with Landon. It was more than he could handle, and after slinging all kinds of harsh words, he had fled.

  The shadow was upon her now, and one was tending to Colby. Megan could feel herself slowly slip back out of consciousness. When Megan woke up again, she found Colby hovering over her. She had to blink a few times to make sure it was really him. Megan couldn’t believe it. Her head was pounding, and she felt like a train wreck.

  “Wh-what happened?” she asked.

  “Take it easy. You might have a concussion,” Colby said.

  “I saw you die; you were shot, and there was blood. So much blood,” she said.

  “I’m okay. My people got there just in time,” he said.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m still very weak, but with enough blood, I’ll be okay. You on the other hand…” he trailed off.

  “She’s fine,” said a girl’s voice from behind Colby.

  Megan sat up and saw a beautiful woman. She had long, auburn hair and illuminating, hazel eyes. Her body was perfect, and she seemed to be what every man would kill for.

  “That’s Olivia,” said Colby.

  “I still don’t understand what happened,” groaned Megan.

  “It’s very simple. Adrian distracted Landon, while Thomas ran and grabbed you up from the floor, and took you back here. Someone tended to me and brought me back as well. But they won’t stop searching for us. And now they think you’re one of us. You have no choice but to stay with us until it’s safe for you to return home.”

  Quiet for a long time, she didn’t know how to process what he was telling her. She looked around at her surroundings now, noticing them for the first time. She was in a beautiful mansion with velvety seats and marble flooring. There was a grand chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The place was truly magnificent, but that didn’t mean she wanted to stay there. She had to get back home. Her mother would be so worried.

  “I have to go home!” she shouted.

  “You can’t.”

  “That’s unacceptable. My mother—”

  “She’ll have to deal with the fact that her little girl isn’t coming home anytime soon,” Colby interrupted.

  Her heart sank.

  “Cheer up. It’s not all that bad. I think you might like it here,” said Olivia.

  “Why don’t you show her where she’ll be sleeping,” suggested Colby.

  Olivia was all too happy to oblige. She took Megan’s hand and led her upstairs and into a long hallway. There, Megan discovered the room where she would be sleeping. It was a good size and nicely furnished. Her mind brought her back to grade school, where she could only dream of vampires and a place like this.

  “If you need anything, just let me or one of the others know,” said Olivia, before leaving. Megan found a bathroom inside her room and decided to shower. She walked over to the room and peeked inside; it was ordinary. Still, she felt uneasy, like someone was watching her. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the trauma of what she’d just gone through.

  She thought of all the horror films she’d watched. The ones about the pretty girls who go unsuspectingly into their homes, only to find an ax murderer waiting, hiding so they could chop them up later. She half expected someone to be hiding in the shower, waiting for her. She held her breath as she reached out and touched the shower curtain. She pulled it back quickly, and for no reason at all, screamed. There was nothing there, and she instantly felt stupid.

  Shrugging it off, she undressed and flipped on the shower. Consumed by the relaxing hot water, she let the tension release from her body. Her long hair fell down her back from the heaviness of the water. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine being under a waterfall. Suddenly, a knock at her door made her jump. She shut off the water and slipped on a towel. Opening the door, she saw Colby gawking at her. “Can I help you?” she asked, annoyed that he had disturbed her.

  “I thought you might want these. I hope they fit. I don’t know your size,” he said, handing her a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “How did you—” He waved his hand to cut her off.

  “It was only logical that you would want to shower after the day you’ve had,” he said.

  “Thank you,” she said, grabbing the items from him. She thought he would turn and leave, but instead, he stood there. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” she asked.

  “Just curious if you’re planning on coming down for dinner.”

  She thought about it for a minute and said, “I haven’t even thought about eating.” The thought of food made her stomach growl.

  “Ah, then I will have a feast prepared for you,” he said.

  “A feast.” She said the words as if they foreign to her.

  “Yes, you will see when you come down.” He turned to leave her, but then stopped. “On second thought, maybe you should wear something nicer.” He left abruptly after that statement. Then he brought back something else for her to wear.

  Megan came downstairs dressed in a sleek, black grown. Her hair was pushed up into a bun, and a bit of make-up highlighted the contours of her face, her strong cheek bones, and luscious lips. She gasped when she saw the dining table. It was overflowing with mouthwatering foods. The smell was divine, like a gourmet meal. Almost like home. She could feel him staring at her. His eyes were everywhere, taking in her form.

  “What?” she asked, glaring at him.

  “Have a seat,” said Colby, holding out a chair for her. She sat down, and he sat across from her.

  “My coven is excited to have you as our guest. We rarely get visitors; you can imagine why.”

  She glanced at him before filling her plate with food. She noticed that Colby didn’t touch any of the food, but he was drinking a red liquid from a glass.

  “Blood. Possibly from a human victim,” she said.

  “Huh?”

  “Your glass. I know that red liquid is blood. What I don’t know is whose? And how long before you or one of the others tries to drink my blood,” she accused.

  “We are not monsters! This blood is donated through a friend of a friend who does different blood drives. We pay him, and in exchange, he slips us a bag of blood from time to time.”

  “And do all vampires have these allusive connections?”

  “Of course not. All vamps are different and run differently. But as I said, we are not monsters.”

  “Really? And what of the millions of people who could die with the blood that you are stealing from blood drives?”

  He slammed his fist down on the table. She had clearly gone too far, but to her, it was outrageous to think that these vampires felt entitled to take donated blood without so much as a glint of remorse. “Had I known that you were just going to sit there and interrogate me, I would have thought twice before asking you to dinner,” he growled.

  He was silent for a moment but soon started up again. “For your information, we could die without this blood. Trust me when I say there are worse, more brutal ways in which it could be taken. My coven prides itself on being one of the few merciful covens left. Many believe that humans are nothing but animals, cursed and witless creatures. But we know that isn’t so. Not all humans are that way.” He said this as if it has caused him great pain. And Megan rea
lized there was something more. Something that she couldn’t put a label on, but it made him almost human.

  Then Megan realized what it was, and she felt disheartened. “You lost someone, didn’t you? Someone who was very close to you, and human,” she guessed.

  “My father. He was a good man. One of the few, good humans in the world. He taught me that there are more ways to catch a fish than I ever realized.” She wasn’t sure if he was being literal or metaphorical, but she was glad he was opening up to her.

  She held up her glass of red wine. “To an interesting friendship,” she toasted.

  “To an interesting friendship,” he repeated as they clinked glasses together.

  “What’s going on here?” asked a male voice from behind.

  Megan turned to see a handsome, dark-haired man with puppy-brown eyes.

  “Thomas, meet Megan,” introduced Colby.

  “Charmed,” said Thomas, as he lightly kissed Megan’s hand. She thought she saw a flicker of jealousy in Colby’s eyes.

  “I’m sure you’ll meet Bethany soon. Her hair is a shade lighter than yours,” said Thomas. He took a seat next to Megan, and that seemed to upset Colby even more. Soon they were joined by others. Adrian, an older man, tall with peppered hair. Frederick, an average man with long, dark-red hair. Then Olivia, with a girl who could only be the Bethany that Thomas mentioned. Megan was introduced to them all. Various chit chat exploded around the room the moment everyone was seated. There were jokes and laughter and crazy stories too. It felt very much like a family and very much like home. Megan was surprised at how fast she had been accepted into the coven.

  Chapter Four

  The week passed by much faster than Megan had thought it would. Today she was told that there was a special surprise waiting for her. The coven had been very secretive about the surprise; she was told that it would be revealed to her soon. She was very anxious to find out what it was. Told to dress casual, she flew down the stairs wearing jeans and light t-shirt. When she got there, Colby was waiting for her. He looked very handsome, dressed in jeans and a leather bomber jacket.