It took me longer than it should have to get home that day. Viktor had sent me a message saying that I was off for the weekend, but I was not in the right head space to understand it.
I opened the door to the place that had been my sanctuary for the last 6 years.
The floor-to-ceiling windows let in all the sunlight I could ask for, and being up in the clouds meant that I didn't have to worry about curtains.
I stripped out of the clothes I stole from Van Helsing on the way to my bedroom and found the softest, comfiest pajamas I could find.
I threw on a pair of fleece-lined socks and some mittens. It might be September in New York, but I was so cold that it might as well be the middle of winter.
Grabbing a thick blanket, I went back into my living room and fell down on my couch.
I curled up in a ball as I tried to process everything.
I once read a book where the main character complained that felt like she was a giant snowball, constantly rolling down a hill, getting bigger and bigger. She said that she was scared that when she hit the bottom she would just fall to pieces.
I think I finally understand what she was talking about.
To them, I was a human, a Pure-blood sure, but merely a human that knew about their world and could trace their bloodline back to the original six families.
But to me, they were once my friends, the ones that I played with, the ones that I looked up to.
I could feel the ice-cold tears slide down my cheeks as I tried desperately to hold myself together. To not crash at the bottom of the hill.
My body started to shake as the sobs came ripping out of me.
Some days I wondered what life would have been like if my brother and sister never died. That the curse never happened. That I had never left.
But if wishes were ponies then beggars would ride.
I would give myself today, but tomorrow, tomorrow I would go back to who I was before I saw all of them again.
I would build myself back up stronger, so no matter what fate had in store for me, I would survive it.
I got up to go get ice cream from the kitchen when there was a knock on my door.
Still in my fluffy pajamas and my blanket around my shoulders, I shuffled to the door to see who it could be.
Looking through the peephole, I saw the last man I expected.
A knock came again, and this time I opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, taking a step back and allowing him into my home, my sanctuary. "Didn't I just see you?"
"Yes, but then I got an itch, and the itch led me here," came the gruff reply.
His voice should not have been soothing, or at least, not as soothing as smooth chocolate. But it was.
I burst out crying, unable to help myself. 'It is okay,' I told myself, 'I can be strong tomorrow'.
He wrapped his arms around me and pick me up, carrying me to the couch.
"I didn't expect you to be this good at consoling someone," I said, a small smile making its way to my face. Honestly, the man looked ridiculously uncomfortable.
"I've never felt the need to console anyone," he replied, making his way into my kitchen.
He returned seconds later with a tub of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and a spoon in his hands.
"I figured you were looking for this when I knocked," he said as he looked around the room, a look of helplessness flashing across his face.
"I was." I no longer had to push the smile to my face, it was there on its own. "Do you want to watch a chick-flick?" I asked in a teasing manner. "Or does the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company not watch chick-flicks?"
"Don't know, never really sat down to watch one," came Viktor's reply.
He took off his jacket and got comfortable on the couch beside me.
"But I guess there is always a first time for everything," he continued, handing me the tv remote.
I chuckled, relaxing.
I didn't need to think about anything, I could just enjoy this time in my sanctuary with the big, bad monster hunter extraordinaire sitting on my couch, watching a chick-flick.
And just like that, my world rightened a little bit.
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'There really should be a law against Mondays,' I thought to myself as I pulled into a parking space at the precinct.
There was nothing that I hated more than getting up in the mornings… I was pretty sure that Mondays and mornings were some higher-up's way of torturing the poor souls under them.
Mondays were for the dogs.
I walked into Bossman's office to say good morning just like I did every day when White cut me off before I could open the door.
"Volasko has been told that it was a pack of wild wolves that attacked and killed the two people. Make sure you stick to that story, ok?" He said, wanting to make sure that all the 'I's were dotted and the 'T's crossed.
I nodded my head. "Did you want to come in?" I asked him, gesturing towards the door.
He nodded and followed me. There was a lot of nodding going on apparently.
Whatever, maybe I should start a trend where you only nodded and grunted on Mondays, it might become popular!
"Morning Bossman!" I yelled, greeting him at the top of my lungs. Mike just grinned at looked at me and White.
"Hopefully, this partnership will go a bit better than your last one, Nads," he said. "Anything you need to report about the Central Park murders before we move on?"
"Yup," I said, taking a seat. "It was a pack of werewolves, I'm assuming rogues since Viktor was able to kill them. He can't do that if they belong to House Werewolf."
White jumped out of his chair. The bang of it falling to the ground made me turn around and look at him.
"What the Hell, Sokol! Are you planning on getting Volasko killed? You are not allowed to talk about those things!" He hissed at me like I was the one losing my mind.
"Yeah, I understand that. But he has been cleared by the Van Helsing and is no longer governed by human law. For all intents and purposes, he is one of us now." I told him, turning back to look at Mike.
He just smiled his regular smile.
"Has the matter been properly dealt with?" He asked, looking between me and White.
White reached down, picked up his chair, and sat back on it, wondering what I was going to say next.
I understood his frustrations. Sometimes I wondered what I was going to say next.
"I think so," I started, "I'm pretty sure that Vik has told Lucas. What Lucas does with the information, I have no idea. But as far as we are concerned, everything has been said and done. The report reads that a pack of wild wolves made their way to Central Park where they attacked passersby. They were killed and now everything is right as rain."
"And the silver bullets?" Asked Mike, leaning back in his chair.
I shrugged my shoulders, "Some crazy homeless dude thought that because they were bitten by wolves then they would become werewolves. Who knows how he got his hands on the silver bullets? But he technically didn't do anything illegal, after all, the victims were already dead when he shot them. That's why we never arrested him."
Mike looked at me interested. "Is that how werewolves are created?" He asked.
"Nope," I shook my head, "werewolves are created just like everything else… when a mommy werewolf loves a daddy werewolf—"
"All right, that is enough!" White interrupted, "could you please tell me what the ever-loving Hell is going on here?"
I smiled at him. "The Van Helsing, Head of the House Van Helsing, has allowed him to become read in in our world. A little Gypsy magic and he is one of us. No need to lie anymore," I explained.
"One of us?" Asked Mike, turning to White. "Are you a Knight of Van Helsing?"
"No," growled White, clearly not sure where this was all going.
"No?" Confused, Mike looked at me to explain.
I shrugged my shoulders. It was considered impolite to 'out' another monster.
"No," White growled again, looking at Mike. "I am Lucas' Beta."
"Perfect," said Mike. "We'll have to have a meeting, just the two of us."
Now it was White's turn to be confused. "Meeting?"
"Yeah, I have no idea what it means to be a Beta. You'll need to inform me of whatever duties we are responsible for. Van Helsing was not overly helpful in that regard."
"Who is a Beta?" White asked, clearly not understanding.
"Me," replied Mike calmly. He almost seemed happy about finally having the upper hand in this conversation.
I just sat in my chair quietly. Maybe this Monday wouldn't be that bad.
"Whose Beta are you?" demanded White.
"Hers," said Mike, pointing to me.
I wiggled my fingers in a wave.
Yup, today was going to be a fun day.