13: WTF

How is it possible to choose between a moody werewolf and a psychotic vampire? A small puff of laughter bursts from my tense lips as I think about that answer. You can’t...choose. One bites and the other sucks.

Seconds pass before I groan in anguish. Why is he still here? I for sure thought that he would scamper off to his maker and tattle on me for hitching a car ride with werewolves even if it was a forced trip. “I’m not in the mood Gabriel.” I finally grumble out.

“Well, if I waited until you were in the mood, we wouldn’t get anywhere.” He steps closer, so close his breath can be felt on my face. “Your relationship with one wolf is enough, but a whole pack?”

“It was unintentional,” I snap. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“But it is my business, because you’re my business, Hazel.” His cold fingers graze my cheek and I become frozen in place under his golden gaze. “Phillip is growing restless.”

“I didn’t know vampires could get restless.”

“So he left you a message.” He finishes ignoring my snarky remark.

And then I snap, the hold that he has on me breaks. Like a tiny, fragile twig that couldn’t hold up under the pressure of being forced to bend too far. The imaginary snap sounds in my ears. That twig is my temper. “I am so sick and tired of cronies delivering their master’s messages.” I shout, before grabbing the front door of Mystic Moon. “Have a nice night Gabriel.” I say before leaving him out on the sidewalk.

Thankfully, Monty and Gretchen aren’t at the front counter ogling me the second I enter, but it doesn’t take long for Monty to dash out from behind some shelves. “She lives.” She bellows into the packed store, several customers look our way.

Gretchen comes running out clearly relieved to see me. “Thank God. How’s Amelia?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Being introduced to every single wolf there.” There’s no doubt that by tomorrow she will be mated, feeling like she’s on cloud nine, living it up in the boonies, all while not being her own self anymore.

“Why don’t you go home.” Gretchen says that motherly tone coming out again.

“You need me here.” My head whips around the packed store, customers lining every aisle.

“Fine. Work the counter unless you want to deal with the mess in the basement.” Gretchen says caving in to my request.

“Counter it is.” I sneak past Monty who flashes me a playful glare, because she’s condemned to the basement. I can only imagine the mess that Jezmin made.
“No more appointments for you.” She jokes before leaving me up front.

“I concur. Only one of us can be in trouble with the pack and I prefer it to be you.” I say to her retreating back.

She throws her hands up in the air with a rush of laughter. I don’t have time to reply or talk about her behind her back to Gretchen, because customer after customer comes up to the counter either to purchase something from the stock or request a special mixture that I happily whip up.

Before I know it, it’s past midnight. Gretchen comes out and takes my place behind the counter, kindly shooing me out. “Shifts done. See you tomorrow.” She says and I don’t argue. This time I listen.

There’s no missing the congregating people on the sidewalk the closer I get to my complex. The glow of red and blue light up the sky a few blocks ahead. I didn’t think anything of it, until I come to a standstill in front of my apartment. An ambulance and several cops block the street, lining the alley.

A gurney comes strolling out, a sheet covering a lifeless body that lays atop it. I force my way through people, shoulders slamming into bodies forcing them out of my way. I don’t come to a stop until an officer's hand slams out into my own shoulder bringing me to a halt.

I speak over him, “I live here? What happened?” I frantically search the area trying to get any clues on who died.

“A homeless man was found in the alley.”

Everything stops, freezing in place. The officer keeps talking, something about natural causes, no foul play, but his words come to stop as he stares at me with concern etched onto his face. He waves over someone who I don’t realize is a paramedic until their hands are me, their mouth moving but I can’t their words. My mind is racing.
Gary.

Louder, piercing through my fog. “Miss, are you okay? Miss?”

I shake their hands off me composing myself as best I can. “Yes. I just...I knew a homeless man that stayed in that alley. Do you...do you know their name? Is anyone still down there?”

“We evacuated the premise and we don’t know the individual's name yet. There was no identification and…” he looks at me. “I don't think it's best to have you identify the body.”

Then it all clicks into place. Phillip left you a message. Gabriel’s words mockingly replay in my head from just a couple of days ago, everyone and everything is game. I want to shout it to the sky, it hasn’t been three days yet, but I don’t. All I can muster is a forced series of manic nods toward the officer before stumbling toward the front entrance of the apartment complex.

I don’t know how long I had been sitting on my couch staring at the wall before I slouched over and fell asleep. It didn’t hurt while I passed out, but as my phone’s loud ringtone blares throughout the space, I’m startled awake and it doesn’t feel good.

The sun streams through the windows signifying the fact that I've been passed out for several hours. I struggle against the brightness and I cringe from the soreness of my aching muscles as I force myself to my feet. What time is it, I think to myself as I waddle around the room searching for my phone.

Without even looking at my phone, I greet the unknown caller with a groggy hello.

“Hazel?” Avery’s high shrill yelp of my name jolts me awake.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been calling you for hours.” She hollers into the phone. “I saw the news about someone being found dead outside your apartment and-”

“You’re using the repellant I gave you right?” There’s a pause. “Avery. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“That better be a yeah, I am and not a yeah, I’m just saying that. That person that they found didn’t just drop dead.” A huff passes through my lips. “Just be careful.”
“Sure.” An echoing of chattering voices fills the background. “I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” The line goes dead before I have a chance to reply.

I debate about staying home, but then decide against it. There’s no way I’m going to let Phillip or Gabriel for that matter scare me. With the sun still high in the sky, a false sense of security washes over me.

It feels weird leaving the complex. Police tape still blocks the alley and it’s emptiness is off putting. People pass it by like it’s nothing,without a glance. I wonder what they did to him? There’s no way that they would leave an ounce of evidence behind that vampires were behind the attack.

When I do finally make it to the shop Monty is the only one working and there’s only two customers in the store.

“There she is.” She chimes. “Someone stopped by and dropped this off you.” Her hands pats a box that sits on the counter next to her.

My radar off kilter and cautiousness out the window, I don’t think twice as I grab an end of blood red ribbon bow and pull. There’s a nagging itch at the back of my head that grows curious to who left me something, but I ignore it and pull up the lid.

Speechless. I stare at the flash nestled inside. Gary’s flash. I drop the lid and take a giant leap back suddenly afraid of it. “Who?” I shout into the shop.

“I don’t know.” The shock and horror on Monty’s face as I accuse her of something doesn’t help.

“What did they look like Monty?” I’m growing annoyed. I need details.

“Some chick. Never seen her before. Dark hair, gothic type.” She peeks into the box, “Why? What did she leave you?”

In flash I quickly relid the box and snatch it from her grasp. “Nothing.” I take a few marching steps away. “I need to go. Tell Gretchen that something came up and I couldn’t stay.”

I hear her faint reply of ‘o-kay’ as I nearly run out of the shop.

I tightly clutch the confirmation that Gary was the body that was hauled away on that gurney under the sheet. A part of me already knew it, but a bigger part of me didn't want to admit it. On the way home, I keep looking over my shoulder. They have a human working for them, doing their dirty work. Probably some walking, talking blood bank that’s obsessed with one of them.

I try not to think about it as I make it home in record time. If I have to I can take a human, I’ve taken on worse, but they won’t be sending in some girl to collect. No, Gabriel will be coming himself. Without seeing through my blind rage and depending solely on memory, I whip together some more vampire repellant and douse every windowsill and doorway in manic frenzy.

Front door wide open, muttering to myself about bloody vampires, spilling the contents of the last repellant onto the floor of the threshold, my neighbor exits their apartment from across the hall looking at me like I’m crazy. She flashes me that what-the-fuck look, something between confusion and annoyance that I quickly blow off.

Stupid humans. They have no idea.