by Ian Thomas
“You’re shitting me, right?!” Holly snapped, Somerset’s rebuke the final straw. “Make up your fucking mind. One minute you have Ben, then you don’t want him anymore and it’s Jason you want. Then you toss him away for a month. Only to want him back and when that gets fucked up, you’re after Ben again. You do not handle rejection well.”
Heat unlike any Holly had ever known consumed her. From the inside.
Rising off the ground, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t scream. Frightened, she felt the fire in her gut burn sharper, searing her organs.
“Stop it!” Somerset yelled. Claws flashing, he stood between her and Colton, his eyes black and gold.
With a shrug Colton released Holly, letting her fall to the floor, gasping.
“Now, give me my ring back,” Somerset growled.
“Can’t,” Colton replied. “Not mine to give. See, it’s needed for a much greater purpose than taming your twisted soul. Which I like by the way. This version of you is far more interesting than the old you.”
“Just give me the ring,” Somerset said, voice tight with anger. “I won’t ask again.”
“No, you won’t,” Colton sneered. “Because if you do, I’ll take great pleasure in erasing your existence from the world. Any and all traces. And I’ll do it slowly.”
Silently, they stared each other down. When Somerset’s eyes returned to normal, Colton smiled in victory.
“Time to rally the wolves,” Colton said. “Let’s see how easily they fall in line.”
Without another word, Colton and the Londoner left. About to question her choices, Holly was happy to see Somerset offer her his hand.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yeah, Henry’s a dick. Time we ditched the douche.”
“He’s much more than that,” Somerset replied, his voice strangely mature. “Colton is the most vicious creature to ever exist. He lives to cause pain and chaos. Whatever he’s planning, it’ll be brutal. And final.”
“Then let’s go,” she purred, pressing herself against him. She wrapped his arms around her, hoping to jumpstart his interest. “We can leave. I’ve seen where he keeps his cash. Lots of it too. Plus I can make people give us money, houses, anything. Super charge it with your blood and we’ll never have to worry about a thing.”
He pushed her away, holding her firmly by her upper arms. “Have you seen a ring? Dark metal. Like blackened silver.”
“No,” she said, slipping a hand down the front of his pants. His manhood stirred at her touch, soon hard in her hand. “But we can look. It should be here somewhere.”
“He’s going to use it,” Somerset said, distracted as she stroked his length. “The magic of it. To what? To…to…”
Lost in her stroking, his head lolled back, eyes closing.
The smell of him intoxicated her. She opened his shirt and bit into his chest, the muscle tensing as her fangs sank into him. Blood filled her mouth and her mind opened.
She saw an old black man in a library, poring over books, urgently trying to find something. Pages started to swirl in the air around him, disintegrating into dust until one page remained. It floated before him. The man, now her young buck, reached for the page.
“He’s going to…”
“Shh,” she purred, withdrawing from his skin and mind. One hand behind his head, she tipped his head forward to look at her. “Forget what that nasty woman said. You’re here with me now.”
A clarity broke in his eyes as if seeing her for the first time. Hungrily, he kissed her mouth. Then he turned her around, wrenching open his pants. She could feel the heat of him against her ass, lips kissing her neck, hands cupping her breasts.
“Not…” she gasped, aching to have him inside her. She pulled away. He looked wounded. “Yet.”
The sight of him, horny and hungry for her was more than her resolve could stand. And there was enough anecdotal proof that her resolve was paper thin.
“Let’s go remove one of the players from his board, shall we?”
Eyes black and gold once more, Somerset’s hunger for her became his hunger for violence. This was going to be fun.
XXV
“This sucks!” Mouth said. “It’s the weekend. And where am I? In the dorm. Working on a buttload of assignments. Fuck!”
“Could be worse,” Jason said from his desk. “You could be a werewolf.”
“Are you going to use that every single time I complain?” Mouth demanded. He pulled back the collar of his t-shirt. “Hello! Got bit. Talk about a shitty week.”
“Got healed too,” Jason said, sitting back in his chair, throwing a peanut into his mouth. “This because you have your film shoot next week?”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Pointedly Jason looked at Mouth’s desk where the script, plans, schedules, and release forms were piled. Mouth just didn’t want to face it any longer. He’d decided his script was average, the cast too good for him, he didn’t have the right people to help him, and their location wasn’t interesting enough.
“It’s a good script,” Jason said. “I may have tweaked a couple of lines for you but it’s solid. And funny. You know how few of these films are actually funny.”
“Intentionally or unintentionally?”
“Think you answered your own question.” Just then Mouth’s phone buzzed for the thousandth time in the last hour. “Who keeps trying to get hold of you? Kara?”
“As if. Think she’s ghosting me.”
“Do you blame her?”
“Little harsh from Happy Harry Hard-On over there,” Mouth bit back. “You’ve been back two days. And had more booty calls in that time than actual conversations with Danny.”
“We talk.”
“Grunting doesn’t count as talking.”
“Fine, tomorrow I’ll have an actual conversation with him.”
“I’m sorry.” Long before Jason became a wolf, Mouth had established Danny was too bland for his friend. Apparently – even with the boy-band-bod – bland was what Jason wanted. He had to be thankful that Jason hadn’t started schtupping Mitch. That would require an intervention, a young priest, an old priest, and gallons of holy water. Which he had access to. And Jason knew it.
“So who are you ghosting?”
“That chick, Naomi. Ya know the one with the film Drew and I saved.”
“Maybe she could help with your project?”
“Which part of Drew and I saving hers suggested any cinematic credibility?” Mouth asked, enjoying the break from his workload. “How’s your work? Making head room?”
“A little. I was surprisingly productive when Holly had me living above the coffee shop. Maybe I could give her a call for you? She could be your producer.”
“Not funny,” Mouth said, his voice low. “Had my fill of vampires for this lifetime. And the next.” He struggled to reconcile that barely twenty-four hours ago they’d been in the middle of a vampire attack. An actual attack by actual vampires at the local coffee shop. Wrestling with the memory of it didn’t make it any more real to him. Though at times he felt the pull of blood being drawn out of him. A surreal force he hoped never to feel again.
Looking at his desk, he decided it was time to get back to work. Then he heard a growl.
“Did you just growl?” He asked, looking at Jason. “At me?” While Jase had only been back in the dorm a couple of days now, Mouth had already seen lots of micro-changes in his friend. Claws, eyes, ears, teeth, hair. Or was it fur? That he could never figure out. Did the follicles change turning hair into fur? Like was there a biological difference? Or did the sheer volume of hair needed to cover Jason’s body mean it was called fur? Then what was a pelt? These were way more important questions than what his lead actress was supposed to wear to appear average but not frumpy.
“Sorry,” Jason blushed. “Was my stomach.”
“You’re hungry? Again?” Mouth was shocked. He was a teenage boy; he could put a lot of food away. Jason had been no different. But now it had escalated
to eating disorder levels. So far that afternoon and evening Jason had eaten two burgers, three burritos, a pizza and a half, along with an ocean’s worth of sushi. By the second burrito Mouth had resigned himself to the idea this wasn’t an eating challenge. Keeping up with Jason’s food intake would A, bankrupt him, and B, make him the size of a house before Thanksgiving
That said, Mouth had already investigated eating competitions for Jason to enter. He just needed to work on his speed is all.
“We got any of that pizza left?” Jason asked.
“You mean the half I practically had to fight you for? Sorry, I had to eat too.”
“What’d you get at Whole Foods?” Jason asked, eyeing the bag.
“Supplies. Back off.”
Before Jason could investigate, there was knock on the door.
“Hey guys,” Rob the RA said, cracking the door open. “How’re you guys doing?”
“College sucks,” Mouth said.
“Got any food?” Jason asked.
“Really?” Rob raised an eyebrow. “Any more deliveries and I’m moving you into the lobby.”
“It’s not that bad,” Jason said, then saw the looks on the other guys’ faces. “Okay it really is that bad.”
“Oh and Jase, we’ve had complaints about you and the mirrors,” Rob said. “Can you try to keep it down to five minutes in the morning please? Ten’s good for the evenings but mornings are hell around here.”
“You!” Jason pointed at Mouth. “Put him up to that!”
“I did not.”
“Did too.”
“Oh come on, you’re verging on pornographic there, Narcissus.”
“And Mouth thanks for signing up for the Halloween decorations committee. Good to have someone else onboard.”
“Decorations duty all for a joke?” Jason asked embarrassed. “I hope you’re happy.”
“Very,” Mouth beamed.
“Oh and Naomi’s looking for you,” Rob said to Mouth. “She’s in the building.”
“I know,” Mouth groaned to which Jason laughed. “Hey, didn’t you used to go out with her?”
“Once,” Rob muttered. “And I really wish she wouldn’t tell people that.”
“So which of you two is she stalking?” Jason asked, enjoying their discomfort.
“Mostly Mouth,” Rob said. “But she’s also inviting everyone to her Halloween bash next week. Apparently it’s vampire themed.”
“No!” Both Mouth and Jason declared in unison.
“Pretty sure no one’s gonna get a choice. Apart from me as I’m running the Laf Hall party. Too bad, how sad, never mind.”
“Can I help?” Mouth asked. “No. Really.”
“It’s weird,” Rob said, stepping into the room and pushing the door almost shut, his voice low. “She’s already in vampire costume too. Pretty convincing from what I saw. But I’m like, hey lady, Halloween’s a week away.”
Mouth and Jason looked at each, their faces pale.
Then they heard the scream.
The silence that followed was just as chilling.
Jason moved first, pushing past Rob and into the hallway. Mouth followed, then the RA.
Ahead of them stood Naomi, embracing a sophomore and nuzzling her neck. Not nuzzling Mouth saw. Feeding.
“There you are!” Naomi yelled, her face bloodied. She discarded the girl and haughtily regarded the guys. “Are you ghosting me? That’s pretty damn rude. I only wanted to invite you to my party.”
“Is that Christy?” Mouth asked quietly. “Is she dead?”
“Not sure,” Jason replied.
“So ya know what, I kinda thought why wait? Why wait a whole week to party with you losers when we could have the party here and now. Enough catering for everybody.”
A door opened next to her and a young man stepped out.
“Kyle!” Todd yelled. “Back inside.”
Before Naomi could grab him, the guy slammed the door shut.
“I’ll get to him soon enough.”
“Who did this to you?” Jason demanded.
“My new friends,” she smiled, her bloodied mouth complete with fangs. “They’re actually the ones looking for you.”
“Hello dinner.” A blonde vampire said, rounding the corner to join Naomi.
“Holly,” Jason gasped.
“That’s right, coffee donkey. And I brought my own wolf this time,” she smiled cruelly as a large black guy with claws, fangs, and fur strutted around the corner.
XXVI
Both McLachlan and Rebecca were frozen to the spot. Unsettled by the sight before them.
“Welcome to the Daily Grind, can I take your order?”
“Sounds like Eddie,” McLachlan said, scrunching up his face. “Looks like Eddie. But somehow I don’t believe it’s actually him.”
“It’s the apron,” Rebecca replied, unsure of what to make of the man behind the counter. “Adds a real working class vibe.”
“Do you want your freaking coffee or not?”
“There he is!” Rebecca cheered.
“Yup, that’s him.”
“For the record,” Mitch said, leaning over from the large espresso machine. “We don’t call it freaking coffee, effing coffee, fucking coffee, goddamn coffee, or possibly-spat-in coffee. But then you’re the boss. If you want to make the change, I’m all for it.”
“Go bus the tables,” Eddie said. Once Mitch was gone, Eddie leaned his elbows on the counter and dropped his voice. “I’m doing the overnights now.”
“How is Malcolm?” Rebecca asked.
“Better,” Eddie sighed. “Rowan’s got him upstairs now. Says might be better to get a vampire in to undo all the damage. Guy’s traumatized.”
“I don’t doubt it,” McLachlan said.
“How’re you doing?” Eddie asked, standing up and starting to make coffee.
“Better,” she said, repeating his word.
“Way I heard it you were phenomenal,” Eddie said over the coffee grinder. “Hey, does this mean we can trade you in Mac? Because that would help with our gender balance.”
“I blame you and Hayley for this,” McLachlan said to Rebecca. “It’s like childhood all over again. Dylan always wanted a sister. I was never good enough.”
“That’s a lie,” Rebecca replied. “Dylan wouldn’t know what to do with a sister.”
“I did ask Matteo to find a female hunter-slash-former-vessel but apparently there’s an old boys network in the underworld.”
“Patriarchy is evil,” Rebecca laughed.
Truthfully, Rebecca felt terrible that she was able to walk back into the coffee shop the night after the attack as if nothing had happened. Something had happened. Something big, scary, and dangerous. And yet here she was. Laughing and joking as if nothing was amiss.
Something very much was amiss.
“Business wasn’t affected?” McLachlan asked.
“This is New York. People expect the crazy but given how close it is to Halloween, and how well Little Miss Fisticuffs handled herself, no one’s said anything. Didn’t even make the news.”
“Think that was mostly due to Hayley though,” Rebecca said.
“Is she back?” Eddie asked almost too quickly.
“Way to play it casual,” McLachlan muttered.
“Don’t listen to him,” Rebecca said. “Casual in his mind is talk on the phone for like four months and then ask me out.”
“And wasn’t it worth the wait?” he asked. When a response wasn’t immediately forthcoming he looked crestfallen.
“Yes, of course,” she teased as several phones started chirruping around them. “Totally worth the wait.” But she was distracted by the barrage of alert tones. All of which belonged to students.
Mitch rushed over.
“There’s trouble at Laf Hall,” he said gravely. “Looks like Jason’s floor.”
“Shit!” Rebecca said, her stomach dropping.
“You’re in charge,” Eddie said, pulling off his apron. Star
tled, Mitch recovered quickly and dug out his wallet.
“You’ll need this,” he said, handing Eddie his ID card. “To get in.”
“Thanks,” Eddie said, chasing out from behind the counter and clapping McLachlan on the back.
“You’ll stay here?” he asked Rebecca.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that,” she replied, pushing both men toward the door. Honestly, she did think about it for a split second. But it was Mouth. And Jason. And NYU. And she wasn’t going to have McLachlan make the decision for her.
XXVII
“Stay. In. Doors!” Rob bellowed, his voice drowning out everything else.
“Why couldn’t my RA be that cute?” Holly pouted.
“I know, right?” Naomi smiled. “We used to go to out.”
“Once. It was once. And you barely looked up from your phone. I faked testicular torsion to leave early. Thinking about doing it again. Wait? Is this some weird Twilight-fetish? Like Throwback Thursday.”
“He’s babbling,” Mouth said. With force, Jason shoved Rob into their room, leaving Mouth to shut the door and slide against it in the hope of blocking them from entry. He grabbed his phone off his desk and returned to the door. “Besides, it’s Friday.”
Mouth // 20:49
Stay in your rooms.
Situation on the floor.
Possible weapon.
Rob’s called security.
STAY IN YOUR ROOMS!
Hoping they got the message, Mouth felt a very familiar dread. But instead of cowering beneath a cafeteria table, thinking rib-b-que would be his last meal, he was cowering against the door to his dorm while his roommate looked like he was trying to take a crap.
“What are you doing?!”
“Trying to…you know,” Jason said, looking at Rob who was pacing the room anxiously.
“Is this because I didn’t call her back?” he muttered, chewing his thumbnail.
“You’re kidding right?” Mouth asked flatly.
“Something had to set her off.”
“Easy there fella,” Mouth said, having actually directed his question at Jason. Who was still straining and making faces. None of which were particularly wolf-like or helpful. “You’re an RA. Not Bieber.”