by Laura Del
He pulled out a pair of fleece socks and a pair of panties, and handed it all over. “Do you need help?”
I glared up at him. “No. Turn around so I can get dressed.”
He did, and I put everything on as quickly as I possibly could without vomiting.
“Okay,” I said when I was dressed. “You can turn around now.”
He smiled down at me. “Do you feel any better?”
I shrugged. “A little.”
“You look a little better, too. You got some color back in your cheeks. What happened?”
“I have no idea.” I told him, my voice sounding almost normal. “All of a sudden, I felt really dizzy and nauseous.”
He sat down on the bed next to me, rubbing my back. “You think that it had something to do with Samuel?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I knew I should’ve killed that asshole when I had the chance.”
I laughed, the nausea gone. There wasn’t even a trace of it left. “You’re not the only one who wishes that.”
He placed his hand on the back of my neck. “Well, you look better, but you’re still a little warmer than normal. Why don’t you go to sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when Mike comes home.”
“I’m not really a nap person. If I fall asleep and then wake up, I’m up for good after that.”
“Hmm,” he said, looking as though he was thinking. “That is a problem. Maybe you could just lie down for a while. Do you want a snack or somethin’?”
I sat there for a moment, thinking. “Now that you mention it, I’m starving.”
He smiled at me. “Well, what do you want, girly?”
“I want a steak,” I said without thinking, and wondered why I wanted that. After all, I wasn’t really a big red meat eater, but I had a craving for it. I shrugged it off, looking at Stag’s face. It was a very nice face.
“I don’t think anyone’s open to order a steak.”
I thought about that for a second. “You’re probably right. But I do have some chip steak in the freezer, and there are rolls in the fridge…”
“Say no more,” he said, getting up off the bed. “I’ll make you a cheese steak. I’m good at that.”
“Thanks, Stag,” I yawned. “You’re the best.” I put my feet up, placed the covers over me, and put my head down. I must have closed my eyes because the next thing I knew, someone was shaking me.
“Here’s your food, girly,” Stag said, and I sat up as he handed me the plate.
“What time is it?” I asked groggily. Thankfully, I was still tired, so I must not have been out that long.
“Almost two in the morning,” he answered with a smile. “I thought you said you couldn’t take naps.”
I shrugged. “I closed my eyes for five minutes. That’s not a nap.”
“True,” he said with a laugh. “Now eat up. Mike will be home any minute now.”
“Roger that, Alpha.” I was getting goofy, which meant that it was time for me to go to bed. So I ate half of the cheese steak, and Stag put the rest in the fridge for later.
As soon as he walked back into the bedroom, I heard the door to the apartment open. Stag walked back into the living room, and I heard more than saw Mike give Stag his keys, and then Stag told Mike what had happened.
“Is she okay?” he asked, and Stag assured him that I was better.
“I think it was just shock,” Stag said. “Well, see ya later. Bye, girly,” he yelled from the other room.
“Bye, Stag,” I yelled back, and then I heard him leave.
Mike walked into the bedroom, sitting on the bed next to me. He placed one hand to my forehead, and another to the back of my neck. “Stag’s right. You do have a fever. Are you feelin’ okay?”
I shrugged. “Half and half. I’m not nauseous or dizzy anymore, so that’s good.”
He nodded, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. “That’s very good. Do you know what made ya feel that way?”
I shook my head, as he stood up to get changed. “No. I got out of the shower, and all of a sudden, I felt like I was going to pass out.”
“That’s strange,” he said as he took of his clothes.
I watched him carefully, and when he was completely naked, I got up off the bed, turned him around, pulled on his neck, and kissed him as fiercely as I could.
He pulled away from me, breathless. “Are you well enough to do this?” I nodded, pulling him to the bed.
Once we were lying down, I flipped him over, so I was on top. I pinned his arms above his head, and stared directly into his eyes. “Who are you?” I asked, locking my legs on either side of him so he couldn’t escape.
“Michael Wolf,” he said confused.
“Are you the same Michael Wolf who walked in here a few minutes ago?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “How can I be sure?”
He looked at me like I was crazy for a minute, then I saw something click in his head and he sneered, “I hate—with a passion—Samuel Satané.”
“That’s my wolf,” I said, leaning forward to kiss him lightly on the lips.
I got up off the bed for a minute, taking my warm pants and boy shorts off. Then I hopped back on top of him after he fixed himself, and we were good to go. That was the one good thing about having sex with supernatural creatures: they were always ready when you wanted them to be.
Placing his hands on my hips, I rocked back and forth. It certainly didn’t take long for us to get that perfect rhythm, and it wasn’t long after that until we were both crying out in ecstasy.
When I finally put my head to the pillow, I floated into a dream. And guess who showed up?
No, not Samuel. Elliot. Sweet, endearing, pig-headed Elliot.
We were just standing in the woods talking to one another when something peculiar happened. The scenery changed. Suddenly, I was in the middle of a small graveyard, and this eerie fog came up from the ground. This place was all too familiar to me. It was Samuel’s graveyard. The one in the Hamptons behind his mansion. However, it wasn’t him that came out of the fog like a ghost, it was Kathryn.
I was shocked at first as she walked through the mist. But when she gave me a gentle, fanged smile, I couldn’t help but smile back. Her dark brown hair was in waves down her back, while her puppy-dog brown eyes were filled with kindness, which was so unlike Samuel’s icy cold stare.
“Hello, Patricia,” she said with her Transylvanian accent.
I walked up to her, giving her the biggest hug. “Hi, Kathryn.”
We both pulled back from the each other, and she placed her hands on my shoulders. “My sweet girl. Let me get a good look at you.” Kathryn was taller than I was, so she had to look down as she checked me over carefully.
I noticed that she was wearing a flowing red dress and a white shawl around her shoulders. She was as beautiful as ever, and with her perfectly symmetrical face, Kathryn looked like an angel. But I knew better. I knew what she was capable of. Hell, I knew what they were all capable of.
“You look fantastic,” I blurted before she could collect her thoughts.
“And you as well,” she said, and I believed her. I always believed her. “Nevertheless, I am afraid that there is no time to chat, my dear. He might be here any minute, and my powers are not as strong as they once were.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, concerned by the almost scared look on her face.
“They think I have gone home,” she explained, “but I have not. I am trapped. However,” she smiled at something I didn’t quite understand, “I will not be for long.
“Anyhow,” she said, placing her arm around my shoulders, “we must talk.”
“About what?”
“About you and Mr. Wolf.”
“What about us?” I asked, as we began to wa
lk amongst graves.
“Michael is good for you, but even he cannot protect you from the monster that follows you around like a dark shadow.”
“Are we talking about Samuel?”
She laughed. “No,” she answered, her eyes becoming sad. “This is a different kind of monster. One that is not supposed to exist in this world or any other. It is a danger to both werewolf and vampire, and it is especially dangerous to human beings. One bite from this creature can create a new species of monster, a species that is unpredictable, and will kill anything or anyone that crosses its path.”
Now that she had scared me out of my mind, I asked, “What’s this monster called?”
“It has no distinct name, Patricia. It is not supposed to exist. Although there is a name that is very old, and not often used in this day and age: Lamia quod lupus. Vampire and wolf.”
My eyes widened. “How can that be?”
She shrugged. “I do not know. However, I do know that it was the one that set fire to your car.”
Mike was right; Samuel didn’t torch the Mustang. “So what does this have to do with Mike and me?”
“Michael will most certainly protest what you must do, but it must be done for the greater good.”
“Me?” I asked confused. “What do I have to do with anything?”
She frowned. “You have to vanquish it.”
“Vanquish it?” I repeated, panicked. “In case you didn’t notice, Kathryn, I’m only human. I don’t have the strength to kill something that even you’re afraid of.”
“But you must,” she insisted. “It is the only way to save the world from devastation.”
“Ha,” I laughed without humor. “No pressure, right?” I took a deep breath, still not quite understanding why I (of all people) had to kill this creature. But if it had to be done, I guess I might as well just suck it up and do it. That’s what my logic told me, but my instincts said that this was a bad idea. “All right,” I agreed reluctantly. “Who is it? Just lay it on me.”
She frowned at me. “I do not know.” Well, that’s just wonderful. “The only thing I know is how to kill it.”
“Great,” I said quietly, shaking my head. “Okay,” I spoke louder. “Tell me how to kill it.”
“You must cut off its head with a silver blade, and then you must cut out its heart and feed it to a werewolf. This is the only way to assure the beast will truly be dead.”
“Oh, is that all?” Sarcasm.
“I understand your need to be cynical, but this is a serious matter, Patricia. You must be as careful as you can. This thing is dangerous and it could be anyone. A friend, a neighbor, or even a lover.” When she said that I thought about Mike, and she laughed. “No, my dear, I do not think it is him.” I forgot that she could read minds, and it gave me the creeps.
We stopped walking, and she faced me. “There is another thing that you must do.”
I nodded. “Anything. You name it.”
“There must be a vampire present when you kill this beast.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “I cannot explain it now, but it has to be that way.”
“Samuel?” I asked, my voice shaking with anger and fear.
“No,” she comforted me. “Not Samuel.”
“Then who?”
She smiled. “When the time comes, you will see.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thank you, Obi-Wan.”
She cocked her head. “Who is that?”
I smiled to myself. “Never mind.”
Kathryn turned her head to the side, looking into the mist as if someone was calling her. “I have to go.” She told me, as she began to walk away.
I glanced around to see if anyone was coming, but could see no one. “Why?”
She looked back at me and smiled. “I have overstayed my welcome. I will see you soon, my sweet girl.”
“Good-bye, Kathryn.” I waved as she floated into the mist.
“Good-bye, Patricia,” her voice echoed in my dream, and then vanished.
When I was finally alone in the middle of the graveyard, I closed my eyes, and drifted back into the Louisiana woods. I wanted to wake up, but something pulled me back into dreaming.
“Shit,” I said when I opened my eyes and saw that I was standing in the woods.
“Miss me?” Samuel’s voice was right by my ear, and I jumped.
I turned around, narrowing my eyes at him. “What do you want?”
He smirked down at me. “To apologize. My behavior was abominable tonight.”
I shook my head. “You know what? I don’t give a shit anymore about you and this stupid fucking back and forth. Do with me what you will. Bite me. Kill me. Hang me from a treetop. I don’t care.” I took a breath and anger boiled in the pit of my stomach.
“You know what else? Marry my sister. See if I care! Become Mike and have your way with me every night. What do I care? But I swear to God that you will never get to me like you got to me tonight, asshole! You want to know why?” I screamed at him, poking him in the chest. “Because I am smarter than you are, I am nicer than you are, and you are just a pathetic excuse for a vampire who doesn’t know what to do with his eternity and has serious fucking issues!
“Okay? All right! You want me? Come and get me!” I flung my arms wide, and he stood there for a second in disbelief. Then he charged, pinning me up against a tree, his hand clasped around my throat.
I didn’t panic, I just glared up at him as his grip tightened. “Go ahead,” I said calmly. “End this.”
He hissed at me, fangs out. But I didn’t flinch; I just stood there, waiting to die. His grip tightened once more, and then he let go, slowly backing away.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. And when I opened them, he was leaning against a tree. We stood there for a moment in silence, until he broke it. “You meant that, didn’t you?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” I answered just as quiet. “I did.”
“You really hate me, don’t you?”
My mother always taught me never to hate another being, but the truth was, “Yes, I do. Can you blame me? You slaughtered Charlie, who was one of the nicest people I have ever met.” Technically, he was a golem, but I continued. “You tried to kill me, violated me, and then you tried to kill me again. So yes, I hate you.”
“I see,” he said, looking down at his shoes. “I shall go now.”
What just happened? “Is that it? No trickery? No telling me that if you can’t have me, no one will?”
“No,” he shook his head, sounding defeated. “None of that, my love.”
“Are you…” I paused, regretting what I was about to ask. “Are you okay?”
He smirked at me. “Do you really care?”
I thought about that for a second. “A little,” I answered.
“You are right,” he admitted. “You are nicer than I am.” With that, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the woods.
I didn’t know if what just happened was good or bad, and some small part of me wanted to know if Samuel was going to bounce back from what I had just done. But what had I just done?
After all, it wasn’t the first time that I had yelled at him like that, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last. So why did he act that way?
A part of me wanted to know. And if I was being honest with myself, it was the same small part of me that still had feelings for him. After everything he had done to me, I still cared.
Even realizing that I felt something for him—however infinitesimal it was—scared me to death.
chapter
NINE
Mike woke up the next morning with me looking at him. I was only up ten minutes before him, and I tried not to wake him. But it was almost as if he had sensed it.
“Mornin’,” he yawned, rubbing his eyes.
I k
issed his forehead. “Morning.”
“What day is it?”
“Saturday,” I replied. “Why?”
“Because now I can do this.” He rolled on top of me, and when he looked down at my neck, he lifted my chin to get a better look. “What the hell happened?” he asked, taking a deep breath. He had discovered the beautiful bruise on my neck from where Samuel had tried to choke me. I, myself, had seen the hand-shaped mark in the mirror when I had gone to the bathroom, and I was hoping that Mike would just let it go. But as my mother used to say, “Wishful thinking gets you nowhere.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, taking his hand away from my chin.
He nodded. “Okay, bébé. You don’t have to if ya don’t want to.”
I sighed. “Good. Because I have worse news than the handprint on my neck.”
He rolled off me, leaning on his elbow. “Tell me,” he said calmly. I knew the calm wasn’t going to last very long.
I took a deep breath, dreading the reaction I was going to get. “Well, Kathryn visited me last night, and she told me that Samuel didn’t blow up my car.”
“See,” he said with his sparkly, green-eyed grin, “I told ya.”
“You did,” I agreed with a forced smile. “And you were right.”
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Well, it’s complicated.”
“How complicated?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“She told me that the creature that set fire to my car has been following me around. It’s a very dangerous creature, and if it’s not killed, it can create a new species of monster.”
Mike looked at me with his mouth open for a minute, before asking, “What kinda creature?”
I grimaced. “I really wish you wouldn’t have asked that.”
“Why?”
“It’s a creature that’s not supposed to exist.”
“Patricia Anne Wyatt,” he said my whole name with frustration, “what is it?”
“Promise you won’t freak out?” I asked, and he nodded. “It’s something called Lamia quod lupus. Vampire and wolf.”
For such a tan man, he went ghostly white, almost gray. His eyes widened, and his lips were set in a tight line. “That’s impossible.”