Claude held the bell to prevent it from jingling as Jaja opened the door and they all stepped out into the cold night air. The sounds of bugs and mosquitoes filled the air. Jaja pulled up the collar of his jacket, Claude rubbed his two hands together. Jamie blew a misty breath out of his mouth. Like shadows, the Vampires stayed inconspicuously at various places surrounding the Cafe. The men weren’t sure if they had known they were there. Jamie could count about 7 of them. There might be more of them around. Claude walked up to one leaning on a street light pole. The vampire watched him with wary red glittering eyes. “Hello my friend.” Claude said. He placed a hand on the Vampire’s shoulder. Tension oozed out of the Vampire’s body. “Why are you so tense?” With that, he drove a full fist into the vampire’s belly. Air left the vamp’s body, as he doubled forward. Claude clamped his hands around the vamp’s neck and twisted sharply. The sound of twisted bone resonated in the air. A tw
I rushed back to our suite. I had heard Alpha Andrés receive the call and drive off. I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I did. I barged into the room and heard low murmurs coming in from the bedroom. Those two were talking discreetly again. I entered the room cautiously, not wanting to break any serene environment. The stopped to look at me when I entered the room. “How are you feeling?” I asked Jake. He just nodded. I noted that they held hands as she sat on the bed and he lay down. “Dad is coming.” I said. Jake looked at me with wide eyes but remained silent like he didn’t know what I was talking about. “Who?” He asked, blinking rapidly. “Dad...” I said excitedly. “My Dad and your dad. I heard Alpha Andrés talking with them. He just went to pick them up from the airport.” The weakness left his body with surprising speed. He pivoted around the bed. “How long has he been gone? How long do you think it’ll take.” “15, maybe 20 minutes.” Elsa sa
Alpha Andrés walked us back to his car. I saw Tony lurking in the shadows. He gave me a thumbs up sign, I waved back. I saw the outline of Elsa from an upstairs window. She was looking down at me and Jake. “Dad.” I whispered. “Can’t we stay for a little longer? I really want to stay.” He smiled and said, “Do you really want to die? Because is you stay. You will die.” I quietened at that. We entered a black shiny Jeep. I had not seen it before, even in the exclusive garage. We got into the car and Alpha Andrés nosed out of the drive way. I turned to catch a last glance at the mansion.“Smart boys you’ve got there.” Alpha Andrés was saying to Alpha Jamie. “You should be proud. Jake... very good with the kids... a real blooded Alpha” Alpha Jamie turned to look at his son who turned red and ducked his head. I nudged him, smiling. “The other one... so intelligent. A bit too curious for his own good.” He said this with good humour. “He didn’t cause you any problems, did he?” Jaja ask
“DID YOU SEE that?” Billy said to the boys. They were bathed in the moonlight. “That wink... Did you? Did you?” “You were seeing things, Billy.” “She didn’t wink.” “You imagined it.” Jeffery said in a bored tone. “I did not!” Billy said hotly. “She did it.” “Sit down, Billy.” Arthur said, dryly. Billy sat down, mumbling and grumbling to himself. “I’m telling you guys, she planned it... that drink she gave us in the afternoon. It neutralized whatever was supposed to happen to us.” “It might be true. She seemed truly nice in the afternoon.” Zach said in a small voice. “I’m telling you, guys. The vampire’s expected us to give them a show tonight. But she planned it out. She is on our side.” “If she’s on our side, she should break us out of here.” Arthur said.“She probably doesn’t want to alarm the Vampires or she’s bidding her time.” Billy replied. “You’re making excuses for her!” Arthur snapped. “I am not. She’s not part of them.” “She can easily break us out of here. Did y
I walked into our house and perceived the familiar scent of our house. “I thought you were dead, Jason.” Harry said, tugging my hand. “I told all my friends so. They thought it was so Rad!” He let go of my hand. “But here I am.” I said, starting to climb up the stairs. “Jason.” Mum called. I stopped and turned back to look at her. “What happened out there, sweetie?” She asked softly. “Lydia, let him rest. He has been through a lot.” Claude said, softly. He placed a hand across her shoulder. “Go on, Jason. The Alpha would want to speak with you tomorrow.” I nodded tightly and turned to climb the stairs to my room. Then I remembered and turned to mum. “Mum... that stuff you did with your wolf. What was that? How did you do it?” She laughed softly. “I’ll tell you about it when you’re well rested. Who knows? You might even be able to do it.” “It was very cool though.” I smiled and headed to my room.I laid on my bed and closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep but I couldn’t. I cl
I CAME AWAKE groggily and my senses came alive slowly. I felt drunk, except I don’t even know how it felt to be drunk. I got up and went to the bathroom to.brush my teeth and wash up. I caught my reflection in the mirror. “I look like shit.” I muttered to myself. “No, you don’t.” Harry’s voice piped out behind me, startling me. I turned to look at him. He hadn’t even washed up. Only brushed his teeth, I saw him flicking his toothbrush. “What?” “I think you look pretty amazing. With your long locks... Mum won’t let you keep them though.” “I wasn’t keeping them... they just sort of grew...” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah whatever. Dad says the alpha wants to speak with you before you head to school – if you head to school. There’s been a kidnapping, you know.” “Yeah I know. I’ll be down there in a minute.” He skipped off and down the hallway, leaping the whole length of the stairs. I head the loud THUD! as he landed and mum’s frustrated “Harry!” I smiled and did my stuffs quickly.
I walked over to Jake’s house which was just by my house’s side. It’s was not an overly large apartment. If there was one thing I liked from my uncle, the Alpha, it was his simplicity. He didn’t mind living in a house almost the sane size with that of his betas. I knocked once and opened the door. Doors were never locked in the pack. We were all together as one. Jake was eating breakfast at the table. He was alone. “Hey.” I said to him, walking to meet him. “Morning.” He said. Then he pushed a box of cereal to me. “Are you hungry?” I shook my head and looked around. “Where’s your dad?” I asked. He mumbled something inaudible and shrugged. I took that as an “I don’t know.” “Has he spoken to you already?” I asked again. Jake shook his head and swallowed. “He said he’d do that with the both of us. Together.” “Oh alright.” I sat down and prepared to wait. “Do you remember all that happened? My memory is pretty hazy.” Jake said. He got up and took his plates to the sink. “How abo
“YOUR NOSE IS faulty, bro.” Billy said to Jeff. For the past hour, they had sat quiet, trying to hear any sound that would signify any presence outside. They had tried to catch a scent of any usual odour. Whether good or bad. Only the whistling as breeze blowed through the trees and rustle of leaves and trees could be heard. “She was outside. I’m not lying." They all looked at him skeptically. “Maybe Billy is right and she us actually on our side.” “Even if she was on our side, what would she be doing here if not to break us out or help us escape?” Billy asked. “And so far, she hasn’t done any of that.” Matt said. “Believe me or not, I really don’t care. But all i know is that she was here.” With that, she got up and stalked out to near the chain gate again. “He’s sulking like a baby.” Billy said, laughing. “I can hear you, bitch.” Jeff called out from outside, he was straining to look from different angles, trying to get as much different views from a limited space as possibl
I WAS AWOKEN by the harsh Ray of sunshine coming from the window. I glinted and squinted as i sat up. The fireplace was off. The wood had all burnt off.The main sitting room was buzzing with activity. People were coming and going, I heard Jake’s voice talking with someone.I turned and yawned and saw he was talking with Gibson. I grimaced as I remembered that this huge man was Dad’s replacement. I heard the door open and the sounds of footsteps as the boys – Billy, Matt and Zach – bounded in.They made a beeline to where I laid down and stood over me.I struggled and sat up. I groaned as I felt a crick in my lower back.I looked at their faces and went a little sad at how incomplete they seemed.We all missed Arthur and Jeff.“I should wash up.” I said, rubbing my eyes.The nodded.I walked and headed up to Jake’s room to use his bathroom.I was half expecting to see Elsa. I could really do with her smile this morning.I rushed to the bathroom to do my stuffs, while in the bathroom I
I RUSHED NEXT door to the Alpha house and went on to find Jake.“They are in the study.” Elsa said as I walked in, as if she knew exactly who I was looking for.I headed to the study and walked in and realized why Elsa had said “they". I found him in the study with Alpha Jaja, Alpha Preston, Mum and aunt Charlotte.The heads turned to look at me as I burst in. I prepared to turn back but thought better of it so I stood my ground.I raised my hand and pointed with my thumb to the back. “Is he supposed to be here?” i walked into the room.“Who is that?” Alpha Jaja asked, pushing back his chair and standing up.We heard the door open and the sound of walking stick tapping the floorboard as footsteps approached.The pale figure of Henri filled the door as Henri came up and looked around the room. His eyes lingered on me before he moved on to Jake.“I came to pay my last respect. Your father was a good man and a strong Alpha.” He said and turned and walked away before any of us could say a
SHE PULLED ME up with ease. I searched her eyes for any knowledge that I was banished and the reason behind it.I did not find any. Just the warm brown familiar eyes of and her wide smile. She was really happy to see me.“How have you been?” She asked, pulling me into a tight hug.My arms wrapped around her waist and I inhaled the nice fragrance from her hair. We stayed in the hug for some seconds before she pulled back and I noticed a squat figure just behind her.“Oh, this is Grem.” She said. “He’s a dwarf.”I looked closely at this strange creature, barely reaching up to my knees with large feet and hands and big black eyes too.“We have them at the pack now. Not as slaves, though. Of course not.” She said, laughing. “More like an exchange of relationship, we offer them food and shelter and protection and they run the chores of the pack. Like cooking and cleaning.”I made the appropriate noise to that because she nodded and continued. “Dad wanted to offer them money too, you know.
A THICK SILENCE filled the air at the cabin. The fire still burned outside but not on its own now. It cackled loudly and the pungent odour of burning human flesh hung heavy in the air. Clyde was seated at a couch opposite Rosetta. Roland was standing in a dark corner, his ankles were crossed and arms folded.Henri stood near the window in his regular pose – one hand in his pocket and the other, holding his stick. But this time, he held the stick at the middle, the head of the stick was hooked to the curtain, drawing it back and opened slightly so there was a thin slice of moonlight casted over his features.Sofia came in from casting a burning spell on Tom’s body, her hands were tucked inside her robes. Clyde turned to her. She gave a brief nod and then settled herself down on the chair in front of the fireplace.“You have been staring at that too much, lately.” Henri pointed, letting go of the curtain and gesturing with the hand holding his stick towards the fire.Sofia nodded.It mi
THE BURIAL OF an alpha is not small affair. Claude had been the longest lasting and once best friend of Jamie, so he was consulted as to what Jamie would have wanted.And Claude said what Jamie had told him years ago. Many many years ago.Jamie wanted his body cremated and half of his ashes buried in the cemetery, but he wanted his son, Jake to spray the other half of his Ash into a flowing river.At least even in death, he would still have the chance to explore.That evening, Jamie’s body was cremated just before the burial procession started.Zhao and Alyssé stood by a corner. Alpha Jaja had arrived a few hours ago with his wife. His eyes were red rimmed. He had been crying.The whole pack was dressed in black. Drakys III and Faerie were seated at a table, constantly consorting with each other.The grand magus was also at the burial. But all these guest were detached. They were mainly here out of a sense of duty and respect for the dead man.Only Preston and other invited werewolves
MY MIND WAS in a turmoil. Mum left yesterday, or was it two days ago?I lost track of time.Then Dad was called too. He left last night.And that was how I ended up alone in America. I planned on staying in my dorm for the major part of the day. But I had to go to campus in the morning, I had a major lecture.I entered the lecture hall distractedly, my hood was pulled over my head as I settled down.I should call Jake, I said to myself. I should offer my condolences. Mum had sent me the news that my uncle was dead. Jake would be the alpha now.I randomly remembered a time when we were 9 and Jake had held my hand, saying I would be his right hand when he became alpha.It had seemed like a faraway dream as at that time.Now, it felt like another life.Another reality, but a reality nonetheless.I shook my head and brought out my laptop, and then I perceived it.I looked up sharply and caught the glint of the sun on that ginger coloured hair.She was sitting a few rows in front of me. Wi
ROLAND WAS NOT really enthralled or looking forward to having a sweaty, nervous man shuffling and dogging his every step. But he was quiet as Sofia and Clyde bustled around in preparation for the ritual.It was to hold in the night at the backyard. Sofia had used the wolfs bane to make a spiral on the ground.Clyde would pass by and whisper something to Tom and they would both share a giggle.“You will need a blood from a werewolf to complete the ritual.” Roland said to Sofia as she passed him.She stopped and cocked her head to a side as she looked at him. “You don’t sound excited.”“There’s nothing to be excited about.” He replied.She came to rest on the wall beside him. “Is there not?” She asked him. “You would train this one yourself.”Roland sighed.“We are going to use your blood and Clyde’s.” Sofia said in answer to his question.Roland pushed from the wall and walked inside the house. He kept himself busy by cleaning and polishing his oak branch stick.He was so engrossed tha
THE DRIVE WAS quiet. Neither man spoke, even their breathing was muffled and very quiet. While Henri paid his full attention on the road, Roland gaze flicked lazily out the window and over the ever changing scenery as Henri drove about 50 miles per hour over the speed limit. Roland kept expecting them to be flagged down but they were not. The car drove on heavily and soundly. The outside world changed from mountains and hills to random small houses and patches of farm to large ranches to a developed part of town with skyscrapers to flats and plains and finally thick trees. “The next turn on your right.” Roland said. Henri did not give any indication that he heard but he turned at the next turn. They drove on that lane for close to 10 minutes before Roland said, “Turn here.” “There’s no road.” Henri said. “Just turn.” Henri swerved sharply into the dirt and the Bentley bounced and groaned as the tires crushed the dry grass and gravel. There, in the middle of a large expanse of
JAKE HAD WATCHED them go in circles for what seemed like eternity but was actually just 2 hours. The conversation had mainly been carried on by Preston, Drakys III and Faerie and Zhao.Drakys had suggested a centaur absent-mindedly.“A Centaur can’t take on an alpha werewolf on his territory.” Preston has countered. “Besides centaurs don’t just go on a killing spree.”Faeries had said, agreeing with Preston. “None of you had any bad blood with the alpha, do you.”There was shaking of heads all around the table.Faerie yawned a dainty yawn. Jessica sat, unmoving, her peripheral vision watched the still form of Jake. She knew he had something to say but had no idea why he was still quiet“The were jaguar then. Jamie’s nephew.” Zhao said in that lazy drawl of his. His watery eyes flicked a gaze at Jake.“I mean, he has motive. He was banished.” Henri added too. His first words in the meeting.It was that moment that Jake knew he had to join in. “It was not Jas.” Jake said. The alpha wolf