Lips wetted again.
We entered a growing familiar feeling charged lapse. Gazes would connect, lengthy then break to look at the ground, shoes, the stars, my fingernail then return before doing so again while chuckling lightly.
“Uh, is it all right I walk you home?” he asks.
“Yeah, that’s cool.” Yes, I know that’s how girls end up dead, walking alone with a stranger. Inwardly, I shrugged. Live a little... until you don’t. “I’m not far,” I told him.
Gavin snaps his fingers, feigning disappointment. “Damn, I hope not too far.”
“That was cheesy.” I laughed.
“Like your accused tits?” he countered, with a smile. My mouth dropped laughing more. His bluntness and no shame, I liked. Playfully, I punched his chest. Rock-solid.
“I knew I pegged you right.”
“How so?”
“Bad boy with a bad mouth. Not a conventional typical knight that came to my rescue. Not even a white horse in sight.” I pretended to look around. His blood eyes darkened.
“I’m never the golden knight.” To prove his point, he expelled an invisible wave, more peppermint wafted my senses, a desirable taste but nonetheless its edges drenched in danger.
I pushed out my own wolfy vibes. Just as dangerous and unpredictable. Gavin looked impressed.
“Despite tonight’s incident,” he says. “I doubt you’re pegged as a damsel in distress.”
“Disturbed damsel, yes,” I reply making Gavin laugh and nod acceptingly.
“Good. Strange, but I like that better. And excuse me, for what I’m about to do next as recognizably fairytale-ish.” Gavin zipped to collect my flung slippers and went on one knee to help put them on. Gently and crazily hot enough even though his touch was cold. I don’t know how he made me turned on by a pair of slippers.
“Thanks,” I say, breathy. “It’s a good thing I’m not wearing a dress.”
“Yep. Just ducks, my lady.” He straightened. “Shall we?”
I boldly took his arm, steering to the cabin. “We shall.”
***
Too soon we made the ascent up my wooden porch steps, concluding light chatter–me trying to pry more out of him besides finding out he’s living alone in his family’s mansion and his favorite: cow blood beef burritos from my savored establishment, The Rapid Sombrero. That was something to talk about again one day.
If we met again.
By the front door I thank him once more but what else do I say? Goodnight next? Instead I voiced, “I’ll definitely pay you back.” Implying we were far from over. I may seem pushy interally but I was also going off by the vibe I was receiving.
Eyelids hooded, Gavin reached out to curl a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“I know a way you can.”
“What did you have in mind?” My heart thumped, heavily.
“A movie, sometime. Maybe eat afterwards–”
BANG!
I jumped back in time when the door crashed open.
“Kokoa!” Lucas stood, hair matted to the side, rumple scratching his bare belly wearing briefs. Gavin turned thin-lipped and nodded, like of course a half-naked man just interrupted us.
Familiar designed ducks covered Lucas’s undies.
No comment on that and anything else on the merman, I just shoved him back.
“I saw your room was empty,” Lucas started.
“I’ve been gone for like an hour and now you notice? Go back to bed, I’m in the middle of something.” That’s when Lucas’s baby blues finally noticed Gavin.
“Hey, I know that guy–”
I slam him inside and I apologize to Gavin. “That was my friend Lucas. Platonic friend. Nut Job friend. I live with him and my friend Piper.”
“A fae woman.”
“Spot on.” Can’t deny a vampire’s keen nose.
“I believe we were discussing possible plans,” he let hang. I nodded.
“Yeah and I was going to say yes to the movie and hell yeah to eating afterwards. Casual, though. I don’t do stuffy dates–not that I’m expecting this to be a date. They kinda freak me out and they usually imply serious gushy feelings, not my forte since I’m a pretty chill person and usually from what I hear, dating can turn possible relationships sour if it’s not done specifically, so that’s why I like to keep it chill, did I already say I’m a chill person? I feel like I have. Anyway, then sometimes dating can turn awkward and neither person wants to see each other–and I also feel like I haven’t stopped to breathe and need to shut the hell up.” I stopped to rein in on the babble and smile, bashfully, at Vamp Man who entirely amused and absorbed. “It’s just... that five minute walk here wasn’t enough. I’m not done with you.”
Gavin’s crooked grin widened. “Me neither. But about you, I mean, I don’t want to be done with you either.”
Such an undead dork.
“I guess that’s settled.” I hesitate, my hand going for the doorknob. My mind kicked in knowing I had to go back inside. My body stalled.
“Yeah... I’ll see you again. Soon.” Feelings parallel, Gavin’s stance illuminated by the sky’s glow like an aura, he hesitated to take a slow step down.
“Okay. Goodnight,” I whispered.
“Goodnight... Little Wolf.”
Once inside and quiet breaths soothed my beating heart by the door, I went over what just happened tonight:
I left to go get a cheesy dusty snack and came back with an extremely intoxicating vampire.
Holy hell.
Little Wolf.
Nice
The next morning, I received a present, left on the porch. A bouquet of cheese doodles wrapped in the clear plastic flowers normally came in and tied in a perfect bow. A card attached didn’t say anything. Only scribed was a perfectly pencil drawn picture of my face.
Immediately I searched in every direction, the sun fully out, from the gravel driveway and out into the forest. Even the sides, around the cabin.
The doodles’ mysterious sender I knew could not have been the crazy wendigo.
Oh, note to self: make sure Stevie is alive.
I shook my head and smiled and couldn’t contain the burst of laughter as I cradled my carbohydrate bouquet.
Nah. Vamp Man had returned.
Was this the odd start of a soon-to-be beautiful and even odder friendship?
I hope so.
GRIMSTONE GLOSSARY
Explore the island and ways of life for its preternatural citizens
Location: In uncharted waters in the central Pacific—within equal distance between North
America and Asia. It’s invisible to mortals. While sailing in the direction or near the island, spelled waters and air will automatically manipulate human minds to steer onto a different course without a trace of remembrance of the area nor sudden change.
Island access: All supernaturals may come to Grimstone, whether they seek acceptance, want a home, or are visiting loved ones. There is no vetting process. Entry points for supernaturals traveling on commercial ships or airplanes are readily available and are shielded by invisibility wards. It’s important to get wards ahead of time if individuals travel to the Island by private means. No one is confined to the island. Anyone may leave at any time.
Supernatural Crime Force (SCF):
Crime prevention on the island, it is similar to a police force. The organization has units
in the human world as well. SCF monitors paranormal and human activity in the
outside world. Supernatural related crimes in human territory get handled in a manner that won’t draw attention.
The Black Diamond group (The BDG):
A group of spies who are also scattered all over the planet. They keep the
existence of supernaturals a secret by gaining influential positions in the human’s lives. Most of these spies are in political, scientific, technical and military positions of authority around the world, especially in embassies. The supernatural public is aware of such a group, howev
er the identities of individuals within the organization are concealed. Sworn to a
blood and magic binding secrecy, their lives are forever bound to the position.
The Tower: A 2,000-foot sleek black building that contains the offices of important businesses
and organizations as well as protection insurance pertaining to Grimstone and the foreign affairs that secretly connects them to the human world. It’s also headquarters to the supernatural criminal force and BDG. The Galzra dragon family governing originates here, creating laws and rules for specified species. Many floors contain science labs for supernatural studies and tech teams that help the SCF and BDG.
Adela: Life, Unity, and Magic. These three words beat in repeat like a heart inside the sacred tree. It glows in reminder to everyone on the Island of Grimstone. Over the years,
Adela became known as a spiritual element. It’s both God and Goddess. Holy Lord and Savior. And not just a great source of magic that helped create the Island. Adela is entirely made of black obsidian rock, its trunk wide and thick, its branches thin and bare, reaching long and high. A small moat of charmed salt water surrounds it, like a fountain pond. The tree was born towards the edge of the island, now established as Hallow Circle, in other words a “town square.” Oh, the irony. Rooted yards away from The Tower, Adela is freely approachable. However, protective wards are in place, intending to paralyze wrongdoers who plan to harm it. Around the clock guards are also there to monitor.
The Hallow Six: The Lords and Rulers that make up the six supernatural beings who sacrificed these listed elements to create Adela:
• A strand of fur.
• A drop of blood.
• A single scale.
• A pinch of soil.
• A wand.
• A vial of tears.
Below is the list of members in the exact order of who gave up which
element:
The Lords
• Carver Lovell (Werewolf)
• Lucien VanWrath (Vampire)
• Draco Galzra (Dragon)
The Rulers
• Oakla Elwood (Elf)
• Pebble Nightshade (Witch)
• Tide Shelborn (Merman)
Health: Human illnesses do not affect supernatural creatures. Many thousand-year-old plagues that once affected supernaturals are deemed extinct. Still, scientists located in The Tower have successfully produced cures for the deadliest and continue to work to
prevent future outbreaks and determine what other illnesses can become fatal threats.
All supernaturals can successfully conceive offspring with any type of supernatural species.
Hybrids are the norm. Different contraceptives have been engineered for
specific types of supernaturals to work best with their body chemistry.
Blood Import: All human blood is donated and legally obtained through many worldwide
facilities through funding supplied by Grimstone. All donations are shipped to Grimstone by private carrier—-unobserved by humans, of course.
Blood Mates/ The Blood Mating Ritual: Becoming eternal blood mates happens when a bite-to-bite ritual commences between two individuals, no matter the gender or species, who wholeheartedly concede to becoming mates for as long as they both shall live. The ritual takes place during intercourse for three nights in a row. Each other’s blood is exchanged and after the third night, the bond is complete, causing the couple to gauge the other’s emotions, state of
health, location, and any danger they encounter. Their love is of course intensified, they become stronger, and their senses are heightened. The bond is broken when one of the mates passes away, or with the aid of an experienced spell-caster, undergoing an excruciating long process using magic to undo the bond. In some cases, individuals come close to death upon the necessary phase of extracting a large quantity of blood. It is extremely important for those to consider carefully who they want to be with before moving forward with performing the ritual.
Relations with humans: Walking among humans is perfectly fine, however, a supernatural choosing that life must hide who they really are, and may never reveal their true nature in front of one. The practice of hunting and drinking blood from a human still happens, but doing so needs to be in a manner that does not spike their attention. If a supernatural is veering towards recklessness, the SCF will handle the situation. What happens when a human knows just a little too much? Well, the courses of action that are administered are classified.
It is acceptable to be friends, interact, and engage in intimate activities with humans, but some supernaturals end up falling in love with a human. Easy to do so, yet it is always dangerous. If the SCF or the BDG find out a supernatural has attempted to perform a Blood Mate ritual —doing so requires their true self to be exposed—the outcome is automatic death for the human and imprisonment for the supernatural.
Luckily with this law going into effect centuries ago and supernatural parents’ strict upbringing on the matter, it has become rare for any to bind themselves to humans in ways that will risk either party. Another major risk: Attempted Blood Mating with a human leads to severe illness to the human and their chance of survival is extremely low. By the end they’re in a zombified state. Hours, if not minutes later, the human dies. Intentionally creating offspring with a human will lead to deformity of the mother’s body (human or supernatural) during the fetuses’ rapid growth in a week’s time after conception. Death for human mother and child soon occurs, depending on what species the father is. A supernatural woman bearing the child of a human male faces high chances of having miscarriages each time they try to conceive.
Overall, don’t fuck with humans. Literally.
Grimstone Holidays:
Mortalween (November 25th)
Supernaturals dress up as their favorite famous human for a night of candy
consumption and trickery.
Cryptmas (October 31st)
Folks set out artfully carved jack-o-lanterns, purple and orange lights leading up to the day. They exchange gifts all night during the 31st.
Adela’s Rising, Independence Day (June 11th)
Everyone on the Island joins together for festivities commemorating the magical tree and the Hallow Six.
Bloodiedtines Day (August 22nd)
Celebrates a day of carnal love.
Fangsgiving (September 16th)
Supernaturals spend the day with family, gorging on delicious homemade dishes.
ROCHELLE PEARSON
Rochelle lives in southern Maryland with her crazy family. She loves eating dishes that involve loads of marinara sauce and is an obsessive book hoarder. Rochelle also enjoys creating steamy paranormal romances with sexy fanged men and bold funny female leads.
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Mistakes, Fried Chicken and Unlucky Mermen Page 9