by Alexis Batty
“You keep sighing Doc. It’s not like I meant for this to happen. I didn’t go out saying please someone hit me and have a snack. Plus, I think they may have dropped me on the ground when they deposited me at the park,” I said wincing. “Actually, I feel like they threw me against a wall.”
“Oh you poor thing,” frowns Taylor.
Ash walks over with a couple of people that are clearly members of the local police force. I remember Doc talking about how proud he was of his son joining the force. Of course, I was rescued by the good old boys in blue. I have had a pretty charmed life until recently.
“Gwen this is Amy and this is Kyle. Amy is going to take some pictures of your injuries, and with your permission, Kyle is going to sift through your recent memories to see if we can figure out who did this to you,” Ash said in a soothing voice.
I roll my eyes at his tone. “That’s fine. I do remember the last person I saw though. Well, at least he’s the last person I remember seeing. I’m not sure if he is actually capable of something like this.”
“Who!” everyone demands.
“His name is Dax. He has been bugging me at closing time trying all sorts of sleazy lines to get me to go home with him.”
Michelle looks shocked. “Wait he was bugging you here? I haven’t smelled anyone hanging around your scent, ever. I know I’m not the best tracker in the world, but all I have ever smelled is chemicals from deodorants and perfumes. It’s almost nauseating how strong they are when I first come in.”
Garion growls, “He could be a vamp. It takes years of training to be able to get a whiff of the slight smell they have. It would have to be a fresh trail to be able to detect it. Too much time has probably already passed to find out.”
“There are other methods of tracking,” suggests Kyle.
Taylor smiles at Doc. “I’ll text Jared. He would love to get his hands on a rogue vamp.”
Everyone groans, except me.
“That wasn’t what I meant,” said Kyle.
“There are rules and laws. He can’t just decapitate vamps whenever he feels justified,” growls Ash.
“I say this is justified,” said Taylor. Doc looks shrewdly at Taylor as she tucks her phone back in her pocket.
I shook my head. “No. I believe in abiding by the rules and laws. I don’t want someone going all vigilante because of some misplaced sense of righteousness. So unless you can keep him on a leash, the answer is no.”
Taylor looked at me and smiled wider. “Too late, Sweetness. He is on the way.”
Doc growls and everyone looks at him. “What?” he growls back.
“You never growl. You are the most even-tempered lupine that has probably ever existed. It’s weird,” states Garion.
“You know what why don’t you let them take pictures and do whatever else they need so that Taylor can heal her. Maybe then my mood will improve. I don’t like seeing one of my favorite patients injured so deliberately like this,” snaps Doc.
Amy steps forward and pulls a camera out of her bag. “Please everyone go over there. This tends to go faster if there are fewer people around harassing the victim.”
Ash gently set his hand on Doc’s arm. “I’m going to need you to write up a list of her injuries.”
“We need to have a chat before Jared gets here,” sighs Doc.
Taylor cackles as she looks at Ash.
Amy was fast. She took several pictures of the back of my head and the bite mark that was at the juncture of my neck and shoulder. Then she, well I guess, processed me. She put on some gloves and gently probed the area where I was hit. Out came a comb as she looked for trace evidence. By the end, I was tired and ready to go to sleep. I just wasn’t done, yet. Kyle still had to go through my memories.
He sits down in front of me and pulls out a sketch pad. I look at Kyle waiting for something to happen. He has honey blonde hair and blue eyes that spoke of power and knowledge, but there’s a youthful happiness about him. “Don’t worry. I’m only shifting through your memories of this morning right before the attack. Unless you feel there might be something that happened during the night that I should check.”
“Nope,” I answer. I didn’t know if there is anything that happened that would be of any help, but the thought of him spying on my day, inside my own head, is too much for me to handle. I watch as he starts drawing on the sketch pad. There had been no signal that he had started. I wasn’t seeing the memories, and I certainly didn’t feel his intrusion. It’s scary to think that someone with the ability to read your mind could do so without you even knowing it. I’ll have to remember not to play poker with any Spook.
“It’s only vampires that have the ability to read minds. Any decent and honest vampire wouldn’t use their abilities to cheat at something like poker. However, those that are thirty years or older generally have unlocked enough of their mental abilities to be able to count cards efficiently. So I wouldn’t recommend playing cards with a vampire anyway,” chuckles Kyle.
My mouth is hanging open as I try to do my best impression of a fish.
“You are very tired and that makes you easy to read. Also, you don’t have any kind of mental barriers. Most humans have subconsciously erected mental roadblocks, not to protect against vampires, but because they have secrets and parts of themselves that they want to keep hidden. You’re like an open book. I could go all the way back to your childhood without any problems. I won’t. I’m only pulling up the image of Dax now that I’ve gone through what happened before you went blank. I would say he’s our man, well vamp. There were several little clues that you didn’t notice.”
“Like what?” I ask curiosity getting the better of my tiredness.
Kyle shrugs as he continues sketching. “Even though most humans don’t have the ability to perceive and distinguish between subtle scents, they still associate certain images with people because of how they smell. The image you associat with Dax is a bottle of Axe. No one associates a person with a specific image of a cologne bottle, except maybe teenage boys. Fragrance companies want you to associate their product with an image that reminds you of the fragrance. Ocean fragrances are usually associated with oceans or water of some kind.”
All I can do is nod my head. I’m tired and my curiosity didn’t hold as long as the explanation. Bedtime is fast approaching. It has been a long day. I had managed to stay out of the Spook Uprising by accepting the fact that the Spooks were an enemy I didn’t understand and had no idea how to defeat.
Actually, Doc is the one that played a large role in keeping us out. He always seemed to show up whenever a Spook was starting to hang around, and he would give them his icy cold stare that I always interpreted as, “Don’t you dare do what you are thinking of doing.” I guess I really should have known about him a long time ago.
It’s weird meeting all these Spooks and actually feeling comfortable around them. Spooks are supposed to be monsters, right? Well, that is what all those that oppose them say. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone whose opinions I trust say that though. Weird. Life is just weird. I never would’ve expected to be comfortable in a room surrounded by Spooks that could kill me with a snap of a finger, well maybe more of a flick of the wrist.
“Oh, honey you need to stop. You’re broadcasting so loud that you’re giving me a headache,” whimpers Kyle.
“Sorry,” I whisper.
Kyle smiles weakly. “It isn’t your fault. You are just such a rare breed that vampires don’t have any natural defenses against your openness. I’m done, what do you think?”
I study the pencil sketch he had done. It’s amazing. “You know you should be doing this for a living. Not being a sketch artist but an artist artist. That is amazing you captured every detail, and it’s so lifelike. It looks like a black and white photo. I can practically see the oil dripping down his hair.”
Kyle laughs. “I am a bit of an artist in my spare time. I like doing the sketch artist thing as a way of helping my community. If I am able to help bri
ng down a bad guy, then I find true satisfaction in my ability. Plus, it feels a bit like cheating to try and make a living through art. I’ve been perfecting my technique for a few centuries.” Kyle grins at my gasp. “Hey, Doc this girl needs some sleep and not knocked unconscious sleep. She needs real sleep.”
“I’ll take her home, Doc,” said Ash while pulling out his keys.
Doc starts to protest, but Garion stops him. “You take care of her Ash. Make sure she doesn’t have any more surprises for at least the next forty-eight hours.”
“I thought you wanted me to do a healing on the poor girl?” questions Taylor.
“I’m fine,” I answer while yawing.
Taylor rolls her eyes at me. “Yeah, sure you are. Now sit back down. This will only take a minute.”
“Ok.” I’m too tired to resist, plus if my head stopped pounding, I was all for it.
Taylor grabs my hand and closes her eyes. Instantly, there’s a weird feeling traveling up my arm. It’s almost like all the muscles are twitching in different directions. Once it reaches my shoulder, the feeling takes off in all directions till it feels like my whole body is on the verge of ripping apart. After a few seconds, I can barely stand it. I try to open my mouth to scream, but suddenly, it all disappears leaving me feeling disoriented and a bit like I’m a stranger in my own skin. There is a shaky breath in front of me.
“I’m fine. She’s fine. That was the weirdest reaction I have ever had to a healing.”
I open my eyes and see looks of horror and fear on all those surrounding me. Taylor smiles, it’s a weak smile, but there’s some encouragement in it. “We looked like we were having a mutual seizure. Normally, with healings, neither party moves. In fact, they are normally so still that it is almost like looking at a statue.”
“Oh.” I feel the back of my head and found the lack of a bump reassuring. My head is no longer pounding. All the aches are gone, but at the same time, I feel different. I feel like something has changed, and I didn’t know my own body anymore.
Like magic, Taylor knows what I am feeling. “You’ll feel more like yourself later. You just need to get some sleep and everything will feel more normal.”
Doc steps forward and gives me a hug. “You be safe and don’t scare me like that again. I’m not sure my heart can handle it.” He turns to Ash. “You remember what I said. Get her home safely and promptly with no surprises.”
“Yes sir,” answer Ash with a grin. “Come on why don’t you tell me where you live, and I’ll drive you there. We’ll get your car back to you later.”
“I just live down the street. I walk to work every night.”
Ash stares at me. It’s a little disconcerting, and I can't help but fidget under his gaze. I feel the need to make excuses for my behavior, which is weird because my behavior didn’t warrant such excuses. I mean come on I live only a handful of houses down around the corner. Plus, who would want to attack me? Normally, I’m in jeans and a t-shirt. Rarely, do I have a purse. I wear combat boots. I don’t really look like a girl to mess with. I look like I was raised to fight dirty.
My parents weren’t able to have their own children, so they adopted me. I don’t know much about my birth mother, only that she was young and wanted me to have the best possible chance at life. She felt that she couldn’t provide that for me. It’s something I understood because my parents have helped me by answering the questions they could and being the best parents a girl could ask for. I have never worried that they didn’t love me because I wasn’t theirs biologically. They always made me feel loved by their actions and words.
Ash is still staring at me. I’m irritated now. “What?” I snap.
“Don’t walk to work again until I give you the all clear,” orders Ash. “Do you understand? You could be at risk right now. If this perp thinks you could get him in trouble or if they targeted you purposefully, they will come back to finish the job.”
It’s my turn to stare. Who does he think he is? He’s talking to me like I’m an idiot. I am not an idiot, child, or his property. He can shove that alpha male stance through the window and watch it fall and splatter on the pavement. There is no way I am going to listen to him bark orders at me. As a librarian, you learn to stare. Yelling was frowned on in libraries, so you have to be creative. I’ll admit he is a brave man. Just watching him try to hold his ground is impressive and he’s lasting longer than most, but the countdown had already started.
Ash glances around him. Everyone else is looking at the ceiling or at their fingernails. “Look, I’m not out of line asking this.”
I arch my eyebrow at his usage of the word asking.
“Ok, yes, it was more of an order, but I have had a rough morning. I’m pissed that someone would do this to yo…” Ash trails off.
My other eyebrow went up. Really, he’s had a rough morning that is his excuse.
“Um,” Ash mumbles as he glances over my shoulder. His nose scrunches up like he’s smelled something awful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ordered you around. And your morning has definitely been rougher than mine. I should have controlled myself better. Am I good now or do I need to get on all fours and beg because if I do, then I’m pulling out the wounded puppy eyes and you will have no chance.”
I stare at him a few minutes longer. He’s a bit mesmerizing to look at. Those eyes have their own gravitational pull. Never have I met a guy that actually pulls at my genetic impulse to find a man that is strong and able to defend myself and offspring.
“I’ll take the lowering of the eyebrows as an act of peace. With your permission, I will walk you home and advise you to drive to work as a precaution in case this wasn’t just a random assault,” said Ash as he walks backward towards the front doors.
He can be charming. That’s good.
Wait, what am I thinking? I’ve just met this guy, and I’m already thinking about the benefits he would bring to a relationship.
I wonder if he’ll try to kiss me goodnight when he drops me off, or if he’ll even want to.
Stop. Get a grip. You are a human, and I’m fairly certain that he is a lupine. There’s no chance that he is interested so just stop.
Kyle starts laughing. I can feel the color drain from my face. “Fine. If you can keep up,” I said as I wave behind me. I practically run out the doors. It’s probably the fastest I have ever left the library. Next time, he will think twice before trying to order me around.
Stop it! There isn’t going to be a next time.
“You know I could run circles around you? As a lupine, I can run faster than almost anything alive,” Ash said rather smugly.
I glance over in his direction in time to catch his smirk. Great! I’m finding myself, slightly, attracted to a lupine. What is wrong with me? Come on, just last night you were hoping to never have to meet another Spook, except for Michelle. You really must have been hit extra hard. Since the Uprising, you’ve been scared of Spooks, now you’re hoping one asks for your number and calls you about something other than the case he’s working on. Maybe my parents are right. Maybe I did need a social life.
“Gwen, please don’t walk to work till I get to the bottom of this.”
I stop on the sidewalk and look at him. He’s being sincere and obviously worried. His eyebrows are practically touching. I couldn’t bring myself to talk, for fear that my voice wouldn’t sound right coming from my suddenly dry and tight throat. I nod instead.
“Thank yo-”
Ash grabs me and throws us to the ground. His canines have lengthened and he looks pissed as he bares his teeth in a menacing growl. I smell smoke. Something is wrong, but I have no idea what. There isn’t time to process anything else. Ash rolls us over into my neighbor’s bushes.
“When I get up, you run to your house and lock yourself inside and call the library,” growls Ash.
“But what is-”
“No time. GO!” shouts Ash.
He rolls off me and shifts into a wolf at the same time. Ash bolts across the s
treet towards someone I can’t see too well because of the flames encasing their arms. Thankfully, my body is smarter than my brain because I roll over onto my hands and knees and start scrambling towards the house. I make it to my feet and look back over my shoulder. Obviously, I’m not that smart.
Ash is on fire, but he is fighting. Anger flares to life inside me. I’m not going to let another person get away with that ever again.
“Hey, dipstick!” I immediately regret my decision. They are turning towards me with the crazy fire hands.
“Crap.”
I start to slowly back up, hoping since I now have their attention they would leave Ash alone, or you know maybe they want to torture me before killing me. Also, maybe they would have to get close to kill me, so I might be able to make it to the house.
They lift their hands and a stream of fire burns its way towards me. In a futile attempt to protect myself, I lift my hands up to block the fire. I know any second I’m going to burst into flames and be incinerated. I just know it. Any second now.
Scrunching open one eye to see what is going on, I discover I am in a rippling bubble. The flames are flowing over and around me but never touching me. It’s beautiful and a little scary. I don’t know what is protecting me or how to keep it going. I’m too afraid to put my hands down. I try to stay as still as I possibly can.
The bubble must be blocking out sound as well. When the streams of flames stop, I can see my parents standing in the driveway screaming and Ash howling next to the crazy fire lady, but I can’t hear them. Her neck is bent at an odd angle.
I sink to the ground, so much for Doc’s orders that there was to be no more surprises. My energy is failing me. All I can think of is how sad Ash’s howl sounds. I barely register the fact that I can hear again.
“Ash,” I whisper as my eyes close.