"Good morning, friends," says AB.
"We are not friends," hisses Ajay.
Chetan glares at me through narrow eyes, as if he sees his worst enemy.
"What happened to you? Ajay grabs my face with his hands.
"She looks fabulous." AB smiles, showing his fangs.
Kiara looks beyond terrified, as if she just watched a horror film.
"No, she looks like you, and I want her back now," screams Ajay.
"That's up to Zare, but she's getting pretty comfy with Ash, so I doubt she'll come." AB
flashes Chetan a smirk.
Chetan growls, changing into his wolf form.
"That's not true, Chetan," I say, quickly.
"I don't care if it is. I'll never want a vampire, a nasty killer," he says with hate in his
face.
I knew he would no longer want me. I don't blame him.
"Chetan, how can you say that," gasps Ajay.
"Did you not see that poor girl from the store?" he demands.
Swallowing hard, I can't stop the tears filling my eyes. The shame I feel for what I am: a
killer.
"Zare had nothing to do with that, she was here caring for a cat. I enjoyed that yummy
snack." Laughs AB with an evil face.
Chetan changes back into his human form, grabbing AB by the throat as he lifts him into
the air. AB laughs all the more, because a vampire can't be choked.
"Chetan, that is enough," yells Ajay.
Chetan throws AB back on the ground and walks back to the others.
"The girl from the store was our friend. The deal is off; the wolves are no longer working
with the vampires," says Ajay.
"You come near our camp, we will kill every last one of you," warns Cricket.
"Oh, terrifying," Ace says, tauntingly.
AB snickers. "Now go, you pack of mutts."
"Zare comes with us," Ajay orders.
"I am staying with vampires," I reply.
"Now, Zare," demands Ajay, inches from my face.
"Come home, please," Kaiara begs.
"Oh look, there's another Zare." Ace claps his hands.
"Zare, these are killers," Cricket remarks.
"Can't you guys see what she is? That's not Zare; that's a filthy bloodsucker," declares
Chetan.
"He's right, so leave." Yelling, I flash my fangs, hissing and growling at my former
family.
"Zare, love, you are not a monster, okay? We can work this out. I love you, your pack
loves you. Just come home." Ajay reaches out his hand for me.
"I am staying with my clan; this is my family."
Changing back to human form, I grab Ash's face with my hands and kiss him. Moving
my lips across his cold dead mouth. He kisses me back passionately, running his fingers through my hair the way Chetan used to. Ajay looks heartbroken, Chetan resentful, and the rest of the pack traumatized.
"Zare, you are always welcome home." A tear slides down Ajay's face.
"I am never coming back," I snarl.
"Good, you are nothing but a monster!" yells Chetan before the pack walks away.
Those would be the last words I hear from my mate, my love, my everything. I felt
nothing kissing Ash. I wanted to send Ajay and the pack a message that I was serious, and I had to do something drastic to get my point across.
" That guy is a dick." AB shakes his head.
"So what if the wolves want a fight? We can kill them," states Ace.
"No, there are too many," Ash argues.
"For right now we will stand guard, but we might need to start changing some people for
a fight," says AB.
Great turning poor humans into monsters. Would I allow them to fight the pack? Whose
side would I take? My throat starts to burn. Grabbing it with my hands, the others realize I am growing uncomfortable.
"Let's hunt," says Ash.
"You two go, we will stay here, We are full." AB sits on a rock.
From drinking the blood of my friend. We enter the woods, hand in hand. After that kiss,
I bet Ash thinks I want to be with him romantically.
"That Ajay Alpha, he seems to love you," Ash comments.
"He is a great Alpha." I don't want to talk about the love triangle. I can't let my heart do
it. I am a vampire, and they are wolves. Why does it matter now?
"I had a wife before I turned into a vampire. She was breathtaking, and my whole world."
"What happened?"
"I am from Europe, and so is AB. It was October in the 1300s, and the black plague
affected many people. My neighbors, friends, and family. It was horrible swelling under the
armpits, boils as big as an orange. Blood and pus seeped out of the swellings, and we had a fever, chills, and sickness."
"I am so sorry."
"AB was able to save me, but not my wife, it was too late for her. She had already died
by the time he found us."
Ash has been a vampire for a long time. That explains his clothes and the vintage pocket
watch. Swallowing hard, my brain goes into overdrive. How long will I be a vampire? "I bet you miss your wife, and it's such a long time to miss her."
"She was kind and caring. The vampire life would be too much for her to handle. She is
happier in heaven, I have can to terms with that."
Nodding my head, I understand. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
We find some raccoons to drink. The blood is satisfying and tastes sweet. Every time I
look at the lifeless animal I just killed, guilt overtakes me.
It's better than a human.
On the way back, we notice a centaur walking towards AB and Ace.
This can't be good. We finally reach our clan. AB seems so calm, brave, and fearless.
"My name is Elfie," says the centaur.
"Greetings, friend," declares AB with an inviting smile.
"I am here to inform you of a meeting in the cemetery to discuss us living together, and
setting some ground rules," Elfie says.
"Sure thing it's those dogs, you have to worry about," states AB.
"We already talked to Alpha, they will be there tomorrow too," Elfie says.
"Wonderful!" AB, cocks his head to the side.
Great, I have to see them tomorrow.
Elfie leaves, and my heart is pulled in every direction. As a friend, I am begging to care
about Ash. He is different and has feelings, he isn't a soulless monster.
"If we killed the Alpha wolf, the others would be easy to take," says AB.
"Wrong Cricket is an Alpha, too, and is very strong, possibly stronger than Ajay." I
didn't tell them this information to help them, I wanted to scare them.
"Okay, so we take out both Alpha's." Ace rolls his eyes.
"Right now, we are just talking," says AB.
"Let's try to be friends with our neighbors, huh boys?" Ash suggests.
"Well, until there are more of us to take them," agrees AB.
The night goes by agonizingly slow. I am worried, scared, and confused about the
meeting tomorrow. If there was a fight, who would I fight for? Wolf or vampire? Good or bad?
Warm-blooded or cold-blooded were all at war with itself. Taking a deep breath, I realize I will never choose.
Sitting by the water, I watch the frogs jump from one lily pad to the next. The splashing
sound of the water calms me. I cuddle my baby cat in my arms as he drinks milk from a bottle AB got from the store. Ash joins me on the log.
"Everything is going to be fine," he says.
"You sure?" I glance at him out of the corner of my eye.
"Yes." He rubs my back.
I move closer to him, laying my head on his shoulder.
"You, Zare, are my new reason for existing now. I will do anything to protect you."
Another person to let down.
"I turned you into a vampire, it's my job," he says.
It was Ajay's job as Alpha, Chetan's position as my mate, and now Ash's job as my
creator. Forcing a smile, I try to appear happier than I am.
"It will all be better soon, darlin'."
What if everyone kills each other tomorrow?
We watch the frogs all night, while AB and Ace scheme and plot. We can hear them from
where we sit. Neither Ash nor I talk about it, I think he is as overwhelmed as I. They plan on
forming a vampire army, not now, but soon. When the time comes, I will have a decision to
make. Will I stand by and watch my friends die? Or do something to save them?
Tomorrow can't happen fast enough. At sunrise, we head for the cemetery. I force my legs
to move. I am terrified for my pack, and new friend Ash. Every fiber in my body longs for peace between the species, for the safety of my family and friends.
We finally reach the cemetery, and the pack is already there. We are waiting on the
centaurs and whoever else cares to show up to this meeting. Swallowing hard, I allow Ash's arm around me. He brings me peace and comfort. Chetan's eyes never leave me, his face is red and his arms crossed. I hear tell he was growling, seeing his sharp teeth. Ajay tells him to calm down.
With my super hearing, I hear Chetan whisper,
"I get to kill her."
"Nobody is hurting Zare," Ajay replies.
"That's one thing we agree on." Ash kisses my forehead.
"I just want his hands off of her," Ajay grouses.
All the vampires laugh, and Ace starts humping my leg while grinning at the wolves. I
couldn't help but crack up.
"I guess they heard me," Ajay says.
The centaurs show up, and there are many of them.
"We could never win against all of them," declares AB.
"The time isn't right," says Ace.
"We all worried about the safety of our herd, as I am sure you are about your pack and
your clan," announces Elfie.
"We need to have order. Those bloodsuckers can't be allowed to kill however they
want," says Ajay.
"We have only killed animals, and a few humans outside of Sandy Shores ,which isn't
your concern," remarks AB.
"I agree to that." Elfie nods.
Other mythical creatures start showing up, peeking from behind the trees. The main
groups are obviously wolves, centaurs, and vampires. The zombies tried to eat us, so they were automatically killed, except Riya.
"Are all divisions in favor of being in charge of your species, living in peace and not
attacking each other?" Elfie looks are everyone.
"For now," says AB under his breath as he raises his hand.
Ajay raises his hand, too, and the creatures around the trees cheer.
"There will be a war soon," AB vows as we are walking back.
I psychically stand with the vampires while my heart was with the wolves. Whose side
will you be on vampires, centaurs, or the wolves?