by Jessica Swan
“Good morning to you, too, handsome,” she whispered back, still a little breathless. “You may have noticed before, that I’m not much of a morning person. However, after that, it wouldn’t be hard to change.”
“I’ve noticed, and I would be more than happy to oblige you every morning,” he laughed and kissed her softly. James wanted to make sure she was happy now; he would not lose her again.
She lifted her head and glanced around the room, noticing that all the curtains and blinds were closed tight in preparation for the sunrise. It never failed to amaze her how thoughtful James truly was, in regard to her.
“Nothing gets by you, does it?” she asked, grinning at him mischievously. He glanced at the clock, realizing he didn’t have to be at work for another hour and a half. He was happy just to lay with Kate in his arms for a little while longer.
“No, absolutely nothing.” He grinned back and kissed her cheek.
An hour passed by and James reluctantly got up to get ready for work. He quickly headed for the shower, not wanting to be late to work. As he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, Kate passed him and headed to the bathroom to shower as well. It wasn’t long before they were both dressed and ready for the day to begin.
“Getting up before the sun every day is starting to get old,” he said with a sigh, holding the curtain out of the way as he stared out the window into the darkness. Sometimes he thought, what he wouldn’t give to go back to his boring 9 to 5 job. Then no, because how cool is it to be able to get rid of freaky creatures on a daily basis?
Just then, Kate had an idea. “That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. If you’d like, I could go with you to work,” she said, walking up and wrapping her arms around him. He looked happy about her proposed idea at first, but sighed after thinking about it for a moment.
“I’d love for you to come with me, but I don’t know if it’ll be alright with my co-workers,” he hesitated, thinking about it some more. “But they trust me, and considering how old you are,” Kate shot a warning glance, which had him back tracking himself, “I mean, considering how much knowledge you’ve collected over the years, I’m sure, if anything, you could be a big help. I may have to tell them a small fib about you, though, if necessary.”
“Perhaps that’s better than telling them the truth,” she said, cringing at the idea of telling anyone her secret, even people with knowledge of paranormal beings. For all she knew, they might want to lock her up in a cage and do tests on her if they found she was a vampire. Considering all the paranormal beings that were out there, vampires were probably despised the most.
“Oh, yes, definitely. Just make sure you avoid skin contact with them, and whatever you do, don’t let them check your pulse,” he laughed. He recalled the memory of his first night with her. His co-workers would be able to tell as quickly as he had that she was a vampire, if they got a close enough look at her. She would probably be able to make up an excuse as to why her skin was so cool, and they would have to physically check her pulse to discover that she was lacking a heartbeat. Fortunately, it wouldn’t be likely for any of them to get the chance to get that close to her, as he had when he first made love to her.
“Alright, sounds good.”
“Well, I guess we’re both going,” he said, grinning. “This will be a great day at work for me.” Even though he still had some apprehension about taking her, he did not want her to feel unwelcome. So yeah, he would put on a happy face. Besides, he had gone hunting with her; it seemed turnabout was fair play.
“I’m looking forward to it. This is going to be so exciting!”
“Plus it’s so much better for you than it would’ve been sitting around here all day. However, we better hurry; the sun will be coming up in about half an hour. You need to be inside long before that happens.”
James grabbed a backpack and put the Resurrection Amulet in it, while Kate took a few gulps from the jug in the fridge. Then she rinsed out her mouth with water and popped a piece of gum in her mouth so no one would smell blood on her breath. Better safe than sorry.
James was waiting for her by the door. When she approached, he reached for her hand, so they could venture out of the apartment together.
James always preferred to walk to work, whether it was raining or not. When he had first moved to the city, he owned a car, but found it irritating to navigate through traffic, so he sold it. That was back when he worked in accounting. Ever since he had started working at Black Wolf Agency, he could afford to have several vehicles if he wanted, but never bothered.
The way they walked that morning, it merely took twenty minutes for them to get to Black Wolf Agency. James could tell that Kate wasn’t impressed with the outside of the place, for it was simply a small, beat up, old door on the back of an aged brick building. When James had first started working at the agency, he was told that they had chosen this particular shabby looking location so there would be very little chance of their agency being discovered. He briefly explained this to her and she understood their logic.
James got out his key, opened the lock on the door, and they stepped inside. They walked down an old, dark staircase and came upon another door. James lifted a small picture frame off the wall and typed the secret code into the keypad that was hidden underneath. Then he also unlocked the doorknob with a different key. After that, they came to a very short hallway with a black and white checkered tile floor.
“Walk on only the white tiles. If you step on the black tiles, they’ll set off an alarm and they’ll know someone unwelcome is here,” James warned her.
“What is this? Fort Knox? Just the shabby exterior of the building alone is enough to keep intruders away.” They laughed and he lovingly gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before continuing along the obstacle course. Kate made sure to follow his instructions carefully.
When they reached the next door, he unlocked it with the key he had used on the outside door. They walked along another small, dark hallway and came upon yet another door, unlocked this time. When they stepped through that final door, Kate couldn’t believe her eyes. All around them was everything from crystal balls to a malicious-looking, caged troll.
“Wow, this place is amazing!” she said in almost a whisper, as to not attract too much attention. However, she had the feeling that whoever was here already knew they had arrived.
“Yes, it is,” he replied. And he couldn’t wait to show her what he did in action. Well, almost action. He still had training and fieldwork to accomplish before he could be a true hunter.
Just then, a small, red-headed, female fairy wearing a cute little green outfit flew up to them. She stared at Kate, clearly wondering who the stranger was and why she was visiting them.
“Well, hello there,” said Kate with a smile, slowly reaching out to touch the fairy. The little fairy did the same, and as their hands touched, Kate felt a tingly sensation flow through her skin. The fairy giggled and flew away.
“That’s Giselle, a magical fairy from Ireland. She probably just gave you a little ‘zing’ of good luck. She does that to me all the time.”
“Oh, I see,” she said, staring off in the direction where the fairy had disappeared. “What exactly is her job here?”
“She helps with the magical aspect of what we do, does some of the bookkeeping, and cleans hard-to-reach places.”
“Oh, she’s quite handy then. From the looks of your apartment, you could use her help.”
“Yes,” he agreed, looking at her sheepishly. “Well, until recently, I didn’t have much company.”
“Well, hello, James! How are you this morning?” said Yvonne, appearing from behind a book shelf and approaching them.
“I’m doing very well, actually,” he answered, blushing.
“Does the fact that you’re doing well have to do with this beautiful woman standing next to you?”
“Yes, actually, it does. Yvonne, this is Kate, my girlfriend,” he said proudly. Kate smiled at Yvonne’s compliment. “Kate, this is my Aunt
Yvonne.”
“Well, hello, Kate, welcome,” she said, smiling brightly. Then Yvonne turned her attention back to James. “I didn’t know you had a girlfriend! Just make sure she doesn’t tell anyone about this place, or I’ll have to use one of my spells on her.”
Yvonne knew something was different about Kate; she just couldn’t place it. However, she felt she had to trust James’s judgment. Would he really put himself in harm’s way on purpose? And if she weren’t human, he would surely know. Kate didn’t seem to be the type to be a killer, though. Maybe Yvonne was reading into this too much.
“She won’t tell,” said James. Kate simply smiled, a little nervous by the woman’s comment. James leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “Yvonne is a witch. There’s no need to be afraid of her. She’s just kidding around with you. She knows you won’t tell.”
“How does she know?” she whispered back.
“There’s a rule stating that no visitors are allowed, but since she’s my aunt, she trusts me and knows I won’t bring just anyone in here. My mom doesn’t even know about this place. She thinks I’ve been working as an accountant all these years,” he laughed, and she joined in the laughter.
“So, when did you two meet?” asked Yvonne. With the way you’ve been moping around here lately, who’d of thought that you found someone special? It was more like someone close to you had died.”
“Um,” he began, not quite sure how to reply to that one. “Actually, I met Kate here in the city a while back, when I was on vacation leave. I hadn’t seen her since. Then, last night, she came back, and we decided to rekindle our relationship!” If his aunt only knew how, she would probably blow her top. Considering, also, that she carries a gun. That’s a double whammy. “Apparently she missed me as much as I had missed her.”
‘Well, it’s sort of the truth,’ he thought. If things went well, he would probably feel compelled to tell Yvonne the whole story later. He cringed at the thought. How would he explain that he had fallen in love with a vampire over three hundred years old, who had not only died at his apartment a year ago, but had been magically brought back to life by him last night? Luckily, he was in charge of the magical artifact department, or he would have a hell of a time explaining why he took the Resurrection Amulet home with him last night if anyone discovered it was missing. He cringed just thinking what his Aunt would say to that. He would have to sneak it back into its resting place as soon and nonchalantly as possible.
“She must really like you,” said Yvonne, winking at him.
“I don’t just like him, Yvonne; I love him,” said Kate, kissing James on the cheek.
“My, you have the most beautiful French accent!” she said to Kate, making her smile again. Then she addressed James, “I bet you’re glad you took that vacation a year ago, or you would’ve missed out on meeting such a charming young woman!”
“It was one of the best things I’ve done in my life,” he said, smiling at Kate.
She smiled back, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
It was pretty late by the time James and Kate were able to leave Black Wolf Agency. She was very happy they had gotten to spend the whole day together. He told her the work he had to do that day would have normally seemed like a snooze fest, but with her there, he had greatly enjoyed the day. Hearing him say that made her so happy. She was a little worried about him being in the field though, as a human he would be more apt to getting injured.
“So, what shall we do tonight?” he asked, grinning at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Yeah, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, but hey, he was a gentleman, so he would leave it up to her. And if her idea wasn’t the same as his, it didn’t mean he couldn’t change it.
“Hmm, I don’t know,” she said, grinning back at him while grabbing his hand and squeezing it softly. She knew exactly what was on his mind. “I can’t think of anything. Perhaps you have some ideas?”
He stopped walking, smiled, and pulled her close to him as he said, “I can think of a few things.” He leaned in and kissed her. Here was yet another reason why he loved this woman; they always seemed to think alike.
“Mmm, that’s nice,” she said, still smiling at him. “I don’t know if I will ever get enough of your kisses.”
“Me either. I think we better be on our way. Don’t you?” he said, kissing her again. She nodded and smiled, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight, as she gazed up at him.
About halfway back to James’s apartment, Kate thought she heard strange noises behind them, but James hadn’t seemed to notice, so she thought nothing of it. Perhaps it was a leaf blowing along the sidewalk.
Then she heard it again, and this time it was louder.
“What was that?” she asked James, not seeing anything when she whirled around to check if there was anything behind them.
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything,” he answered.
“There’s someone following us. I heard them twice and now I can smell them,” she told him. There was an odd smell that hadn’t been there a moment ago. It was a musky odor that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.
“We better keep moving,” he said, grabbing her hand. She hesitated, but decided that hurrying back to the apartment was their best bet.
Upon reaching an alley, Kate remembered this would be the most dangerous part of their trip. It was very dark and dreary in this particular alley and there never seemed to be any people around. After they left James’s apartment that morning, he had explained to her that taking this route saves about five minutes of walking. Places which were far worse than this had never frightened her in the past. However, with someone, or something possibly following them that night, the thought of being in that alley definitely frightened her.
They hurried as fast as they could down the alley, and about halfway, they were both startled by the sound of several rapid thuds on the ground behind them. They turned around, and James glanced at Kate for a second, noticing the horrified look on her face as she stared into the darkness. Then, they stepped backwards out into the moonlight, and so did their stalker.
It was like nothing James had ever seen before. The beast that was approaching them mostly resembled a wolf, but was larger in proportion and had a far more frightening appearance. It resembled the pictures of the Dire Wolves James had read about a long time ago. At the time, he thought it would’ve been terrifying to encounter one of those, if they weren’t extinct. And now, they were face-to-face with a similar, but far more fierce creature as it bared its large teeth and snarled at them.
“Hell, the one time I don’t have any weapons on me,” said James, the nervousness apparent in his voice. Even though he hadn’t seen a creature like this in person before, he was fairly certain it was a werewolf. Though he knew very little about werewolves, he did know that they were notorious for hunting down and killing vampires, and would be able to destroy anything else in their paths, for that matter. Damn it, he had not gotten to them in his training yet. It figures.
“I’d say we should run, but even with me carrying you, we would never make it. I’ve seen these things run. They are fast.” Kate explained.
“When did you see-?!” he started to say, but at that second, the creature lunged at Kate, cutting off the rest of James’s sentence. James quickly jumped between her and the beast, but before he could react, after pushing Kate out of the way behind him, he felt it sink its teeth into his arm. Kate had been right; the beast was fast. He tried to fight it off, but it continued to attack him, yanking on his arm and whipping him around like a rag doll. His only thoughts, ‘Hey, this is definitely going to be the end of me. I’m going to be ripped apart by a creature I’ve just seen for the first time, while with my vampire girlfriend, who probably won’t make it out of this alive either. This could possibly turn out to be a shitty day.’
Then, out of nowhere, the beast was thrown backwards away from him, and Kate stood her ground between the two of them, snarling at the beast with her t
eeth bared.
“No, Kate!” he yelled desperately.
“Run, James!” she yelled to him, but he couldn’t. He was frozen in place, not in shock from what was happening, but afraid for her life. He knew that being a vampire and possessing superhuman strength and speed, she was probably capable of taking down the beast, but he never wanted to take that chance. He quickly tried to think of any possible way to help her, but everything happened so fast.
The wolf lunged at her, but she was too quick for it. She disappeared just before the beast was able to sink its teeth into her. Reappearing, she leapt upon its back, grabbed its head with both hands, and twisted hard, brutally snapping its neck. The werewolf flopped to the ground, lifeless.
“Kate! Are you alright?” asked James, rushing over to her. She quickly got up and grabbed his hand, holding it tight as they stared at the beast for a moment, both of them breathing heavily. As they came down from their adrenaline high, the dead animal slowly took the form of an ordinary-looking, male human, dressed in shabby clothing.
They looked away from the dead man in front of them, and as their gazes met, they each let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, they were simply thankful to be alive.
“That was a close one,” said James, a little winded. ‘Another comment to write in the ‘James’s Diary of Silly Comebacks’. Shit, a freaking werewolf.’ What the hell was he going to tell the cleaning crew? He had to call it in; he would hate it if some small kid happened upon the dead body. But he had to get Kate home, in case there were more werewolves out there. That was his first priority.
“Yes, it sure was. Do you recognize that guy?” Kate asked hopefully
James wondered if he had missed something on the Wanted Posters in the lounge. “No, not at all.” James’s eyes met Kate’s, and he could tell she was still worried. She grabbed his arm, pulled up his jacket sleeve, and stared at his wound, horrified.
“He really did bite you!” She studied the wound closely to see how deep the teeth marks were. Judging by the amount of blood there was, no arteries had been punctured, even though a couple of the teeth marks were close to severing a main artery in his wrist. “Everything happened so fast, I didn’t see whether or not his teeth punctured your skin through the sleeve.”