Not smart. Not smart. Not smart.Why the hell did he have to be so hungry all the time? The other zombies said that hunger was normal, but man, he had to eat a meal ten times a day.Francel hyung was out with that cat he had met. And Wimer Aslix wasn’t home. It was still a bit too light for Bosy to come out, but Ciel Karhillaz couldn't wait another hour or so. And Alta had laughed when Ciel Karhillaz had asked him to come with. And he’d refused to ask the fangirls like Alta told him too.Not smart.His stomach growled.Just to the market and back. The market and back.The beat carried his feet. He wore long sleeves and long pants and had thrown a hat on and sunglasses in hopes that the fangirls wouldn’t recognize him. The glasses kept slipping down his nose though.Only a few hundred more steps. He smelled the meat. He wanted to walk faster but, the faster he moved the better chance of his skin falling off. There was a reason why zombies lumbered.He stopped at the door of the market
Francel entered the blessedly quiet apartment at about seven the next morning. He sniffed, and then cringed when all other smells were overshadowed by the scent of a cat still lingering on his clothes. Still, he picked out all four of his roommates, though Bosy and Wimer’s were a bit mixed together.Curious, he walked down the hall. They were in Bosy’s room, both sleeping. He smelled fading adrenaline and … blood? No, not blood. It was sweeter than blood, but he couldn’t place it.He showered and washed twice. Athena was an amazing girl, but he really, really didn’t like smelling like a cat. After sliding on sweatpants, he went to the kitchen and started coffee. The faerie, looking amazing as always, came in only moments later.The werewolf looked good in the morning, Alta decided. He took care of his body anyway. Alta admired the muscles down his back and then on his side when he turned. Francel’s muscles might have been better than his.Nope. Nothing a werewolf had could ever be bet
After a moment of shock, Bosy asked, “What do you mean?”“If they want a song about us trying to get along, then we’ll do it our way. Write about what you just said.”“Make sure you put in the line ‘who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?’” Alta said.Francel glared at him. “And that Alta isn’t as perfect as he thinks he is.”“Little puppy.”“Bottom pixie.”Wimer added, “And the vampire wants to suck our blood.”“Just yours,” Alta said.Words started flowing through Bosy’s mind. He turned the papers around and tried to find a pencil. No place to put one when all you’re wearing is sweats.“Here.” Francel tossed him a pen.“I need a pencil,” he said but turned around and started writing papers against the wall.Wimer went to his room and grabbed a pencil from the desk. Everything was quiet as Bosy scribbled.Wimer suddenly realized that Ciel Karhillaz hadn’t said a word. “You okay, Ciel Karhillaz?”He jolted at the sudden attention, and then curled in on himself. “Yeah.”“Liar,” Wimer said. H
Bosy returned. “First, I want to play this for you guys so you know what it sounds like all the way through, though I’ll skip the rapping for now.”Ciel Karhillaz sat in his chair. Wimer Aslix sat in the other. Francel and Alta sat on the couch, once again with Alta’s feet up in Francel’s lap.Bosy played the song through, and then did it again, this time singing the words he’d written. Over the next few hours, the five of them practiced, changed words, and orders of singing, until Ciel Karhillaz broke off during his solo to yawn.It was one am.“Shit,” Francel said. “We should have been in bed hours ago.”“It’s alright, hyung,” Ciel Karhillaz said. “I like to sing, and we sound good.”They all exchanged glances and they all thought the same thing. Ciel Karhillaz was right. They sounded good. Silence fell and it was the first time not one of them felt animosity, irritation or disdain.“Well,” Francel said. He moved Alta’s legs and stood up. “Let’s get to bed. We need to get to the stu
“We’re falling apart.”“Not my problem.”“But Chunnie—“He was across the room faster than she could react. A hand at her throat. He held her off the floor. “Don’t call me that. Ever. You lost that privilege a long time ago. Like I said before, I have somewhere to be right now. If I see you, or any other former clan member anywhere near this building again, consider yourself dead.”He dropped her. “Now get out.”She stood slowly, looked around the ragtag group of creatures and then hissed. “I’ll tell them about the company you keep and they’ll change their minds anyway.” She stalked from the room, determined to get Bosy back. If not into her life, at least into her bed.The other four stared at Bosy while he looked at the floor, gasping, fangs still out, rubbing on his bottom lip. Wimer Aslix stepped forward, to hold him, but he held up a hand.“Not right now. I might hurt you. Just give me a minute.”Wimer Aslix frowned, but listened and stayed away. Even with the tense energy in the
“What about Wimer Aslix?” But she smiled.Francel Gumaka smirked. “I have a feeling he’ll be preoccupied elsewhere.”He took her hand, and they walked along the streets. Francel Gumaka sighed. Three years ago he couldn’t have done this. Too many people knew who he was and loved the Werewolves. He wondered if this group would have that kind of popularity.About a block from his building, a wind blew from behind them, gusting their hair and jackets. Francel Gumaka stopped walking. His lip curled and he snarled as he looked around.“What is it?”“Vampire,” he whispered. He couldn’t place the smell now that the wind was in front of them. He sped up, Athena easily keeping pace.He didn’t breathe easy until they were in his apartment. Alta looked up from the couch and made a face at him. A human girl was wrapped around him. A different one from the Kelly he’d met before.Before he could ask who it was, Alta jumped off the couch and said, “Puppy, your sense of smell is good.” Alta flung his
A couple hours before dawn, Bosy opened the door to his room. He smiled at Wimer Aslix’s sleeping body. He was on his stomach on top of the covers. He wore only sweats. The muscles in his back rose and fell with each breath. Bosy slipped out of his shoes and pulled his shirt over his head.He crawled into bed. Wimer Aslix shifted and then woke up enough to smile at him. Bosy kissed his cheek.“You okay?” Wimer Aslix asked.“Yeah. No vampires around for the moment.”“’Cept you. But you’re a good one, so it’s okay.” Wimer Aslix arched up, pressing his back against Bosy’s chest. Bosy shivered. He wrapped an arm around Wimer Aslix’s middle and kissed his neck.“Bite me,” Wimer Aslix breathed.“But—”“I’ll heal it.”Bosy only hesitated for another moment. He sat back, lifting Wimer Aslix with him, so they both ended up kneeling with Wimer Aslix’s body still pressed against his. And then, against his better judgment, he sank his fangs into the elf’s neck.Fresh, rich blood poured down his t
Alta Presion stared, mentally traced the curve of abs with his tongue and the top of those sweats with his fingers. God, that body was utter perfection.Alta snorted.“What?” Francel said.“Just wondering why the powers that be wasted such a great body on a werewolf,” Alta said, and cursed the tiny note of longing in his voice.Francel raised an eyebrow. Again.“Stop looking at me like that.”“Like what?” Francel demanded.“Like I’m … like I’m … ” Crazy, his mind finished for him, but he said, “Whatever. Just stop.”“Sorry sorry, but who are you, and what have you done with Alta Presion? The Alta I know does not care about how a werewolf likes his coffee and the Alta I know would not toss, not one but two compliments at a werewolf about his body. Even if they’re underhanded compliments, they’re still compliments.”Alta didn’t reply. What was he supposed to say? Well, Francel, I’m falling in love with you?Alta’s breath caught. Fuck. And he knew that was true. He screamed in his head,