Standing Before Monsters (Vorans and Vampires)

by Donald Wigboldy

  Charlotte sat facing him on the couch and she had placed her feet under his leg as if the extra touch was needed to keep her addiction to him in check. Why the women in his life felt that he should be their foot warmer was beyond his understanding, but Nick couldn’t say that he wasn’t used to it. Nicola and even Geni had pulled that on him during the winter.

  Trying to ignore the woman as she did much the same, music played on his surround sound system keeping them from having to listen to each other’s breathing. He could still smell her scent, but since donning his clothing to relieve the pain and itching it had lessened to something that might have been sprayed on by a perfume bottle in a light mist.

  When keys fumbled in the lock outside, Nick didn’t even bother calling that it was unlocked. He had felt the presence of Logan coming while he had been in the elevator. When the voran wasn’t actively seeking out the radar like blips on his supernatural radar, his range was more limited; but no supernatural being entered his building without some notice.

  As he entered, the big man glanced to the pair of them on the couch with a slightly raised brow of surprise. While the two had been known to share the couch from time to time, Logan could tell that there was something up if only from his sister’s choice of wardrobe.

  “Did you decide that you like wearing his clothes as more than just as a shirt to sleep in now?” he asked being a little snide in his remark.

  Frowning, Charlotte countered with her own question, “So how is Kate dealing with things?”

  Shock registered on his face and he tried to wiggle out of the trap he had just stepped into, “Who? You mean Kate from Eric’s pack?”

  “The Kate from Eric’s pack, the one who turned us into freaks, the one who must have called you because she needed you. Do I need to go on?”

  His frown at his sister’s derisive tone let them all know that she had indeed caught him in his attempt to mislead them, “It wasn’t her fault. She was barely conscious when she reached out to me on that stretcher and scratched me. How did you guess anyway?”

  “Well, doctor, apparently we are on the same clock. Nick had to call Eric before I became a danger to everyone at the gym.”

  While her words registered on him, Logan’s face suddenly wrinkled in distaste. “What is that smell?”

  Nick found his hand moved to stroke her lower legs as if calming an angry pet almost of its own volition. The scent of her pheromones was increasing in her agitation at her brother. While he found it sweet as the one the werewolf wanted to bond with, apparently her brother as a werewolf was somehow picking up the scent negatively.

  “That would be my werewolf pheromones!” the woman replied throwing out her hands aggravatedly.

  Laughing even as he held his nose, Logan shook his head and informed her, “Kate smells like perfume, a type I would like. You almost smell like a skunk.”

  “That’s because I am obviously not meant to attract my brother!” she complained and threw a pillow. It was a throw pillow, Nick thought contemplating the appropriate use of said item in amusement.

  “Are you going to have to go to Eric’s and find a mate or is there another way to make it go away?” he asked starting to wave at the air as if that would make her scent move away from him.

  “Did you make Kate’s scent go away for her?” Charlotte asked turning his question against him still feeling peevish after her horrible morning.

  The question made his eyes go wide and panic was in his eyes. “What about answering my question first? How are you going bond to a mate or whatever? The only werewolves we know are with Eric. Kate told me that humans won’t do it. You could turn one into a werewolf first, I suppose, and maybe that would work.”

  “News flash, doctor, apparently we don’t need to imprint or bond to other werewolves. Probably it will work with any connection of supernatural creatures,” she plucked at the shoulder of the t-shirt giving him a look that only took a moment for her brother to understand.

  Frowning in confusion, the werewolf moved to sit in one of the other chairs. “So you and Nick? Why are you wearing his clothes then?”

  Charlotte looked frustrated, but her scent was beginning to recede as she calmed down once more. “If he wasn’t touching me, I itched all over. Wearing clothing that he’s worn recently without washing works just as well thankfully. I don’t think Nicola would be very willing to share her boyfriend in the other way.”

  A sardonic chuckle as he shook his head, meant Logan understood the problem easily enough, “No, I don’t think she’s that kind of girl. Plus ticking off a vampire is usually not in your best interest. Nicola might not look like a killer, but she certainly proved herself in the fight against Cyrus.”

  Charlotte looked a little embarrassed for asking her next question, “So you and Kate... you were able to take care of her being in heat?”

  Logan shrugged, and replied, “We met at a restaurant a few blocks from Eric’s house. She walked and I drove. Thanks again,” he nodded to Nick. “I kissed her and gave her a hug, but that was all. She didn’t have some violent reaction. We set up a date to see a movie later this week. That’s all.”

  Nick frowned and replied as Charlotte looked surprised to hear his words, “She started with getting more and more worked up hormonally this morning. When we got home, the itching started. We had rolled around on the mats during some sparring. If touch activates it, then it was maybe an hour or so before Charlotte began having an allergic style reaction. How long ago did you leave her?”

  As the werewolf’s cell rang, he stated, “A little more than an hour ago.” He checked his caller ID and cringed, “It’s Kate.”

  Flicking his receiver on, they could hear crying.

  “Kate, are you all right?”

  The voice coming through the speaker sounded pained and worried, “Logan, I feel sick. I can’t stop scratching and my head is throbbing.”

  Nick shook his head and stood. “Find out where she is now and we’ll go pick her up.”

  Chapter 5- Mating Ritual

  The black Escape pulled up to the park and Nick thought uncomfortably how a black SUV with tinted windows sitting at a park could be construed as something more insidious. As the three unloaded from the vehicle quickly, Nick didn’t need Logan to point the way towards the werewolf woman who was in love with him. While he didn’t know her well, even after joining the wolves in an alliance a couple months earlier; his radar could pick out the only other werewolf in the park.

  They found the distressed brunette sitting on a park bench looking miserable. Her face was red and Nick could see hives starting to break out on the Kate’s skin. Green eyes looked up at him feverishly and she whimpered as she spied the large, blonde haired man coming for her, “Logan!”

  She was wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt, which would make some of the healing process easier. The voran ordered Logan, as the former doctor looked ready to try and assess the situation rather than acting, “Hug her, touch her under the shirt even. I’ll use the towel on her legs.”

  Pulling Logan’s towel that he had used after his shower that morning from a gym bag with a couple pieces of clothing underneath, Nick rubbed it gently against her legs. Sighs of relief came from the suffering woman’s lips almost immediately. The red hives on her legs began to lighten like magic, while Logan placed his hands on her cheeks giving her a kiss before rubbing her arms. As Kate could feel each brush of the doctor’s hands bringing comfort with just a simple touch, the grateful woman hugged him even as he lifted her untucked shirt to touch her front and back.

  “What?” the woman started in confusion. She tried to clarify her questions, even as she spied Charlotte looking uncomfortable just seeing how much worse her situation could have been. “Did Eric tell you about this? You’re a life saver. My skin was burning everywhere.”

  Logan shook his head as he was the only one facing her at the moment, “Charlotte’s going through the same thing.”

  Looking over at the other woman
, she smiled and asked, “You found a werewolf you like? I didn’t think any of the men in the pack were your type.”

  Charlotte averted her eyes and started to look away as if ashamed, but she answered even as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, “No, they aren’t my type. I don’t have anything in common with them other than being what we are.”

  Sliding her forefinger beneath her eyes to wipe away the oncoming tears, Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to finish the answer. Nick felt for her. It wasn’t like she had chosen him intentionally like Kate had with Logan. She liked him and he had been around for feelings to grow enough for the process to work, that was all.

  As they stood the girl up after easing most of her problem areas, Logan explained, “Charlotte bonded on Nick.”

  Her eyes widened and she asked, “I didn’t think we could do that with a human.”

  Shaking his head as the four started towards the car, the big man clarified for her as if she didn’t know, “He’s more than a human. He’s a voran. Apparently he can keep vampires from becoming monsters and is compatible with werewolves, even though our bite can’t turn them.”

  Charlotte held her arms looking sad as she trailed the couple beside Nick. Putting his arm around her comfortingly, the dark haired beauty leaned her head on his shoulder with a forlorn sigh.

  Kate tried to avoid making things worse and spoke quietly to Logan asking, “If being in heat requires more than what we had, does that mean they...?”

  Shaking his head hoping that Charlotte’s sensitive ears didn’t catch the conversation to upset her more; the man said quietly, “No, he’s still with Nicola, but they discovered that the oils from the intended mate are held on their clothing. That’s why we brought the towel and some of my clothes to change into for you. Charlotte’s just wearing his shirt and shorts to keep the itching from returning. Even Eric didn’t know that trick. Nick figured it out after realizing that his touch could make the pain go away.

  “When they asked if we had done it,” he turned slightly red at the mention of the proposed cure given by Eric for werewolves, “Nick guessed that there had only been about an hour between their contact and the reaction to being apart. When you called, we knew how to help you since Charlotte went through it this morning.”

  Her green eyes questioned, “Are the other werewolf women in the pack having the same problem at the same time?”

  “No, just you two, Eric figures that you were turned about the same time, so you’re on the same cycle.”

  Making a face, Kate looked back and begged forgiveness with her eyes as she almost started to cry as well, “I’m sorry, Charlotte. This is all my fault. If I had known the wolf that attacked me was a werewolf, I never would have risked exposing Logan or you.”

  “Wolves are considered extinct in Kentucky,” Logan replied considering the information he had discovered on the internet years before when the incident had first happened. “Only coyotes are common now. Too bad no one knew to warn us, not that anyone would realize that it was a werewolf that attacked you instead.”

  After unlocking the Escape, the two women moved into the back seat for Kate to strip off her clothes to put Logan’s shirt on instead. He was much larger than the girl, so she could wear it like a dress. The towel was used to rub her down removing the last of the itching and pain.

  Not for the first time, the fact that the vehicle had tinted windows on all but the front window helped Nick out yet again. The two men stood leaning against the hood keeping an eye out for curious eyes to help keep Kate’s privacy, but the voran noted Logan’s smile as he snuck a peek through the front window for himself.

  “Keep peeking and you won’t have any surprises for the wedding night. That is if you plan to go that far,” Nick started to chuckle and realized that maybe it wasn’t as funny as he first thought. Unlike the werewolf, he kept his eyes averted still.

  “There will be plenty of surprises, I think,” Logan started and suddenly turned away looking concerned. “I’ve known her for five years, and I think that I’ve always loved her. The pain of losing my family that way kept me from truly loving anyone, however.

  “I’m a monster, Nick, and I don’t want to hurt anyone. I hurt Charlotte and I vowed to try and protect her from then on; but it was you who came to our aid and saved us. Even after we left the pack, you helped bridge that gap and kept them from hunting us down. Now Kate is here and I’m not sure what to do.”

  “Do you love her or is it just the pheromones talking?” the voran asked not looking at the man’s face.

  A moment’s pause brought a definitive nod as Logan answered, “I love her. I’ve just been afraid to do anything about it.”

  “Well, Eric said that if a female doesn’t get what she wants before the first full moon, she’ll be in heat until the next one. I don’t think I can help your sister, but if you think you are there with Kate, then go for it. If you are unsure, then we’ll just have to make sure to keep her near you to alleviate any symptoms that might still be on the horizon.”

  “I can go to one of the pack houses, if I need to, I guess,” the big man stated with a sigh.

  “She can come to the apartment, if you want to share your bed; but that’s up to you two.”

  Logan looked into the Escape and was caught by the woman he was now bonded to. She merely smiled looking like a loving bride and the man sighed again as he asked, “You’re sure, Nick? It’s bad enough that you have us mooching off of you.”

  Breathing out the words with the shrug of his shoulders, he replied, “What’s another mouth to feed?” After a moment, he added, “I wonder if we could somehow get you and the others jobs though? I mean, you and Charlotte are highly educated people. You two can’t be satisfied with just sitting around the apartment with nothing important to do.”

  With a chuckle, Logan quipped, “You need money?”

  “Hardly,” the man replied as he heard the sound of the side doors opening. “I just hate to see you wasting all that you worked for, if we can find some sort of solution. You may not be able to do ER work because of the stress, but maybe a pediatrician or even a teacher might be better than just reading through my library while hiding in my apartment.”

  Logan pushed away from the car to look at Kate standing in his shirt that looked like a dress on the dark haired girl. “You think teaching children isn’t stressful?” he asked with a laugh.

  “If you have puppies with Kate, you might need to get used to them,” he laughed as the big man missed a step, before quickly glancing back at the voran. His eyes softened from the initial panic at the thought. Nick guessed that maybe fatherhood didn’t sound so bad to the man after all.

  Kate had no issues with being near Logan and didn’t care if it was with the pack or not. For her, she had made the decision to be with Logan. Even before her current condition, she had been considering leaving the pack to be with him. She had missed him when he and Charlotte had left.

  Once Kate had felt honor bound to stay with the pack and Eric. He had taken her in, a stray in pack vernacular, and she owed him her life. While their leader had been moving around the country to avoid notice, he had been building his pack slowly. Most were converted by the alpha wolf personally when he found worthy people. Of course ‘worthy’, often meant willing to be subservient. Eric was the most powerful of them all and was the type that needed to be the leader.

  After five years with the pack, Charlotte and Logan had left. Kate had known some of the siblings’ dissatisfaction with pack life and their desire to leave before it came to happen; but when they had left it had still been a surprise and so sudden. They had defended a human that wouldn’t turn or couldn’t depending on one’s view. They had refused to let Eric kill Lena, which led to them being banished from the pack.

  When Nick had shown up to save the girl; the two, along with another wolf interested in the pretty Lena for different reasons, had helped defend their escape route. They had been left to fend for themselves during the hunt, but
in the morning the voran had come to find them and take them away.

  She had seen them during the battle with the elder vampire’s army, but there had been no time to ask Logan his thoughts of returning or taking her with him. Now she had gone into ‘heat’ and needed him. Her heart had ached for him and now she was attached to him. Surely Eric would understand, the girl hoped. She had to go, if only because she needed him.

  The large two story house with basement, looked like several of the others on the street, but none of the others held werewolves. As Nick joined the other three walking up the walkway, the front door opened. A large Asian man stomped out onto the porch looking forbidding as he cried, “You have some nerve showing your face here! You come for a rematch?”

  Logan shrugged and looked at Nick, “I think he means you.”

  “Nah, he couldn’t mean me. I thought we became friends when we took down Cyrus,” he waved off the guard’s blustery greeting.

  Folding his arms across his chest with a grunt and a nod, the werewolf added, “You mean when I saved your butt from him.”

  “What do you mean? I held him for you,” the voran replied with a good natured chuckle.

  Shrugging the man admitted, “Yeah, that was fun... until he exploded anyway.”

  “Well, nothing’s ever perfect, Ray,” he said shaking hands with the muscular man.

  Charlotte shook her head and complained, “You two are idiots. Maybe you should have been the ones to imprint instead.”

  As the women walked past, Ray looked confused and Nick patted his shoulder warning, “You probably don’t want to know.”