Rock n Roll Promises (YAE) (Rock n Roll Paraphantasy Series)

by Ambear Shellea

  “No problem.” She kept her eyes on the end of the bed until all three of them were in her sight. She couldn’t help but smile at her entourage.

  “OK, Sebastian, now finish the story, and thank you.”

  “I knelt down on my knees so I could see their faces. I asked if they knew who I was and they replied they didn’t. I flashed my fangs and told them who I am. To clarify, I used to serve with the elders council, so once I said my name they knew their fate. You see, it is against our laws to mess with, touch, aggravate, harm, or kill someone a council elder has claimed and marked. It is a deed punishable by death. Almost all vampires, council or not, respect each other’s claims. At that point, they tried to get free with no avail, as they had a five hundred pound cat on their backs, or did until she let up…”

  Happiness seemed to chase away her earlier confusion and fear. She knew it wasn’t traditional, but they had become her family; a family she feared she would never have.

  “Paige, what did you do that for? Why did you let them up?”

  She laughed at her friends’ comments.

  “Cats like to play with their prey. They just get boring after they are dead.”

  “And dead they were after Jack and I were finished with them.”

  Leaning forward awkwardly, she reached out for all of them. When they were close enough, she hugged them. She pulled away and looked at Sebastian.

  “Why didn’t I recognize their scent? I have been around a lot of vampires, and I have been able to point them out when we are out.”

  “You didn’t recognize their scents at all?”

  “It took me until the crowd in the alley grabbed me before I knew. By the time I ran into Jared and Thomas, I smelled them, but I was trapped.”

  “You still need training, I guess. I assume, now think about this while I explain it. You were using your vampire senses but not all at the same time. You were just listening, weren’t you?”

  “Yes and no. I smelled alcohol at first, but that is it. I knew something was off. They weren’t human, but I didn’t know what they were.”

  “That, I am afraid, is because you retained almost all of your human traits so they were able to be spell you a bit. With some proper training, I can teach you to pull forth more of your vampire instincts. They seem to be secondary to your human abilities. I don’t have an answer as to why, but I ascertain it is such.”

  “When can we start?”

  “How about we give it a few days?”

  “That is alright by me.” Chapter 8

  The door slammed shut as she stormed into the apartment. Her nerves frayed and her temper shot through the roof as heat flashed across her body. She stomped across the room and dropped onto the couch in a huff. Lost in her mind, she sat and stewed about another ruined and wasted date.

  I cannot believe this…again! What is going on? A female voice from behind her caught her attention.

  “You look ticked off. What happened?”

  She turned her frustrated glare to her friend. “Paige, I am so glad you are here.” She dropped to on all fours and lifted her shirt up to her shoulders.

  “Will you come and look at my back?”

  “What am I looking for?”

  “Just come over here and look at my tattoo.”

  She felt her friend’s warm hands on her back as she inspected the markings on her lower back. It only took a moment and she spoke.

  “It looks like it always has. It’s not messed up, if that is your worry. Colors are still bright, looks brand new.”

  She heard his foot falls across the carpet before his dirty mind expelled an off color comment from his mouth.

  He is going to have fun with this one. I can imagine what it looks like, with me on all fours and Paige on her knees behind me.

  “As fun as that looks, and I will join or watch, whichever you prefer, this is the mid-eighties. I don’t think people do that anymore.”

  She rolled her body, sat on the floor, and glared at him. “It is not what it looks like, Sebastian. Man, you are such a perve! Paige was checking out my tattoo.”

  She watched his face contort into funny expressions as he tried to hide his smirking laugh. Dropping her head and sighing deeply, she knew this banter of his could last for hours, especially if it got her aggravated, and it did!

  “Really? Funny, I thought she had seen that tattoo before. Hey, it’s your business.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh when she turned her head up and saw the smartass smile flash across his face. “Listen, smart mouth, I thought something was wrong with my tattoo, which is why she was looking at it for me.”

  She knew the more she defended herself, the worse it would get, but she couldn’t help it. Her face was hot with blush and embarrassment was creeping in. She tried to keep herself rooted to the floor.

  I have to find out what is going on. If that means letting him embarrass me, so be it.

  Shock took hold when she glanced back to Sebastian and his face, no longer smiling, looked confused and worried.

  “Sebastian, what’s wrong?”

  His flat tone told her he was in serious mode and it scared her a bit. He always tried to keep every situation light and airy, which is why he always seemed full of jokes and comments. Only when things were dangerous did his tone flatten.

  “Why did you think something was wrong with your tattoo?”

  “I can’t have sex…” Before she could clarify what she meant, the room erupted in laughter— Sebastian’s sexy laughter.

  “Sweetheart, that has nothing to do with your tattoo. I would say that is all you.”

  “Shut up, Sebastian. That came out wrong, let me rephrase it.”

  “You are just all screwed up today; no sex, things coming out wrong. I am sorry. No wonder you are in a bad mood.”

  “Sebastian, shut up and listen to her.” Paige jumped to her defense. “Obviously it is serious. Stop being anal-retentive and let her explain. Wipe that smug smile off your face. Look at her, she is hiding her face now because she is embarrassed and you are making jokes. It’s no wonder she doesn’t like you.”

  “She hates me, Paige, because I turned her. That will never change and I have accepted it.”

  “I don’t hate you, I just dislike you…a lot. If you weren’t so anal retentive, it would help.”

  Glaring, she eyed him as he moved to the chair and sat down. He replaced his laughter and prepared to listen.

  “OK. I am sorry. You and Paige are right. Tell me what happened.”

  Ugh, I have to tell him all the gory details. Well, my face is as red as it’s going to get, so…here goes.

  She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves and gain some courage. “Well, the last three boyfriends I have had…when we finally get around to having sex...” she bit her lip in contemplation. “Screw it. Every time I am on my knees or my back is exposed to them, they freak out. They scream and push me away asking what kind of freak I am. This last one swears the eyes of my tattoo blinked at him. It's crazy, right?” Her hands quickly covered her face.

  “Sebastian! You never told her?” She dropped her hands and her eyes rolled from Paige to Sebastian.

  “Told me what?”

  “It is not as crazy as it sounds. The tattoo on your back is your guardian, one I placed there myself. I will have to speak to him. He is supposed to keep still and, for the most part, stay unnoticed.”

  “Wait, back up the big red truck. Guardian?” Anger turned to fury and it slowly rose to the top. She felt her venom fill her mouth as her fangs and body threatened to cut loose and attack. She swallowed it back. “You said I got drunk and decided to get a freakin’tattoo!”

  “That is what you told her? How could you Sebastian? Why not just tell her the truth?”

  She pushed Paige away slightly when she tried to comfort her. “Paige, thank you. I know I can’t hurt you, but if I decide to try and rip his throat out, I don’t want to hit you in the process.”

  “I
understand, Anna. I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”

  She smiled and patted Paige’s hand. “We can talk about that later. This is not your fault.” She turned her head back to the liar in the room. “How does that work and why didn’t you just tell me the truth? Who is this guardian? Do I know him?”

  “I can’t reveal his identity to you, at his request, I apologize. I lied to you because I knew it would lead to more questions and this fit you are throwing now.”

  “Fit?” She screamed in frustration. “I am ticked off because you lied to me and it cost me a man I really cared for, you idiot!” Her nails dug into her scalp as she raked her hands through her hair. “To the rest of us, Sebastian, people are more than just play toys in the bedroom.” She shot to her feet. “In case you haven’t paid attention, I have been dating Edwin for six months. Six months! Finally, I decided to have sex with him. If you had been honest from the start, I could have made sure the lights were off or something.”

  “Anna! Is he human?” “Yes he’s human. What does that have to do with the price of bread?”

  “You and your sayings, I swear, I never tire of them.” His smile vanished. “You are not human!”

  “I am aware of that, Sebastian, thank you.”

  “Then you are also aware that you can’t have a human mate?”

  “What? Oh, so I can befriend one, have sex with one, and play with one, but I can’t have a serious relationship with one?” She threw her hands in the air in a giving up kind of fashion.

  “I don’t make the rules. Long time partnerships and/or marriages are forbidden with a human. Friends and casual playthings are permitted to accommodate us. All vampires feed off humans in one way or another. Well, except you.”

  “That is crazy! Since I am different, I should be allowed.”

  “Um, no!” He held up his index finger as he continued his explanation. “The ancients would turn you down flat. As a matter of fact, since you have no need of humans as far as food is concerned, they may force you to stay away from all humans altogether.”

  “Whatever. I am done arguing about this.”

  “My point is, you can be mad at me all you want, but in the end, this would have been the result. You would have to give up your lover. Casual playthings are just that; casual. They come, they go. They don’t become part of this life. Bringing in a human, permanently, causes too much of a risk for our life. Humans are prone to panic, and after panic then comes violence. It’s not a bad thing on their part, to a degree, but they will kill what they deem is a threat to their life. Let’s face it, most would see us as a threat to their life because of old folklore and legends that paint us as blood-sucking demons.”

  “In their defense, some of them are!”

  “Yes, and in the beginning, it was for the most part true, but over the centuries, vampires have tried to preserve human life. As their thoughts about it changed, so did the vampires. That is why only the sadistic ones still hunt humans like prey.”

  “Fine, I get it, but you have jumped ship, and I am still ticked off at you. Now back to this guardian thing.”

  “Come sit on the couch, I will explain it.”

  “I think I will stay right where I am,” she said as she shook her head. “I swear, Sebastian, if I move, we are going to fight this one out. I’m so tired of all the lies and secrets.”

  “I know a man who used to belong to three witches. He was a shape shifter and all alone when the change first took place. He had no one to turn to for help and advice. He never knew what he did was even possible. He wandered the forest for years and scavenged what he could as far as food went. When he found empty homes, he broke in and stole food. He did what he had to do to survive. He refused to be around humans for fear of what he was capable of. His shifting was as erratic as his moods. Sometimes he changed into a bear while other times, it was a fox. He couldn’t control it.”

  “That is terrible. I almost know how he feels. One day your life just isn’t what you knew or planned. It is terrifying!” Her body shook slightly as the memory of her first day in her new life flashed in her mind. Refocusing her eyes, she looked back to let him know he could continue.

  “His third year in the wilderness he came upon these three witches. It took some time, but he finally befriended them and they agreed to help him. They told him they recognized what he was and they could help teach him to harness and control it. He thought he’d found his saving grace, but really he just traded one hell for another. Everything was great for a couple of months. They were true to their word, and he learned how to harness and control his beast. He finally chose a Bengal Tiger as his permanent shape. In the middle of the night one evening, he heard their distant screams. He shifted and ran to help them. He killed the men who were trying to string up the witches. That is when everything changed for him. The three witches cast a spell on him. They combined their power, twisted, and turned it until it was mutilated and nonrepairable, but they achieved what they were after. He belonged to them. They alone controlled him. These women were very powerful. He was to be their personal body guard.”

  “Why not just ask for his help? He helped them before, why the use of magic?”

  “Because they had more planned for him than just his help as their body guard. They were what the humans feared all witches to be, evil and mean. With the magic they weaved, they now had control of all of him, including when and where he turned as well as what he turned into. To top it all off, they controlled who he killed and in what fashion he did it. They managed to conceal him as a tattoo.”

  “What did they do with him after that?”

  “They used him for gain. They would go into local towns and wreak havoc. They behaved like gypsies. They sold elixirs that were supposed to heal, but left the body covered in boils and blisters. Talismans they swore would ward off evil and things of that nature would leave a trail that led to the human’s houses. They spelled men and woman, making them do things they abhorred or feared. They forced men to rape women and forced women to kill their children. All of this they found amusing and fun.”

  Her body shook and tears slowly ran down her face as her heart broke at the thought of the devastation they caused.

  “Oh my God, Sebastian, that is terrible.”

  “They got what was coming to them, Anna, I assure you. Let me finish. At night they rifled through people’s belongings, taking whatever they wanted. It didn’t take long before the townsfolk would catch on. When they tried to catch the witches and burn them, the witches turned him loose. They made him slaughter men, women and children. He destroyed almost an entire town. This went on for years.”

  “Those poor people…poor him.”

  “Yes, poor him, it nearly destroyed him. He has one of the purest hearts I know. He, you, and Paige, that is why I try and protect you so much. I know in your heart of hearts, you don’t want to kill or hurt anyone. I know you are angry with me, but my intentions were true.”

  “As much as I hate it, I know that, but you have to learn I am not a doll or a puppy that needs all that protection. All I have ever really asked of you is that you be honest with me. No, I don’t want to take any life if it can be avoided, but I am not naive to the fact that sometimes it is necessary. I am not just going to let someone kill me, either. If it comes down to them or me when they threaten my life, I will snuff them out. It is pure survival, plain and simple.”

  “That’s true, and I know that about you, but when I first put you in this life, you could not protect yourself. That is why this was necessary.”

  She looked from the man in front of her to her friend and back. “Are you even paying attention? I’m not mad because of what you did. I’m mad because you lied about it. You lie about everything. Ugh, I don’t want to fight about this anymore, just finish the story.” She waved him on to continue.

  “They met their end when they ventured into English country. Little did they know, vampires, or acquaintances of vampires, ran most of our town. We spotted them r
ight away for what they were. Word had already reached us about some of the other towns along the way. Let’s just say that our web stretched very far. We sent a few humans to them to investigate and see if they were the women we had heard about. We caught up to them in the middle of the night and confronted them. They turned their protection loose, but we were ready for him. Needless to say, three witches and a tiger were no match for us. It took us all of about two minutes before they were hogtied and under our authority. I am the one who made them return him to his human form and cut their link to him. He has been a friend and ally to me ever since.”

  She chewed her lip as she let it all sink in. I could not imagine. I guess maybe Sebastian is a good guy at heart, but dang if I am going to admit that to him. He is full of secrets and lies, and I am tired of being the one in the middle of them.

  Her head popped up as a final question burst through the surface. “When did you place the tattooed guardian on my back, because I don’t remember it always being there?”

  “The night I turned you. At first, I placed him high on your back, under your hair so you wouldn’t notice, but finally we chose the lower back. We just wanted you protected. You were new to this life and I knew there would be times when we would be apart. He has always been with you in one form or another. He was in human form the day you awoke.”

  Guardian…human form….

  The picture that had danced behind her eyes, shimmered, and waved as her past fused with the present.

  Chapter 9

  Sweat covered her body, and her muscles ached from the exertion. Her hands were blistered and wet from perspiration. The shovel threatened to fall from her grip at any moment. She continued to help Ozzie throw dirt over the dead werewolf.

  “Ozzie, you sure no one will find him here?”

  “I don’t think so. I hope not, but I don’t know if any of his buddies knew Mr. Perry was coming over here. You are part…well, can you smell him anymore?”