??A Howl In The Night ??
?She’s Mine?
?Chapter 24?
?Admirers Can Be More Frightening Than Your Worst Nightmare?
~ Mona ~
The grass tickles my toes as I shift slightly, sleep releasing its strong hold on me. The sun’s warm light washes over my bare skin, my hair as it is sprawled over the grass. I stagger to my feet, wondering why I am here in the garden.
My gaze shifts towards the fountain, and then everything comes back to me in a flash. I blush as I think of my time with Ray earlier, with the fountain and statue. Ray’s hot embrace felt very comforting, for sure, but at the same time, it was terrifying. What if Xavier had seen us? What would he have thought?
I hate to admit it, but I miss him. I want him to laugh and joke with me like he used to. He has really grown on me, so much that I am almost longing for a touch, a brush of his fingers. However, he is really impatient. It hasn’t even been a month yet, and I have shed my old skin, healed people of their sickness, and had guys actually flirting with me. Even now, my brain is about to go into overload. Why can’t he understand?
Many times, though, it feels as if I am lying to myself. As if that feeling is already present inside of me, but shoved into the corner. As if I am denying the truth. My heart beats like a drum whenever he comes close, my senses awakened and aroused in his presence. The attraction is so strong between us… even I have a hard time. I can barely imagine what he has been feeling ever since he met me.
Possibly he is angry because I repress my emotions; especially the one he desires the most.
I walk to the garden door, resolute. This can’t go on anymore. I have to fix this.
The door swings shut behind me as I pound through the halls, racing towards his door. The world spins as my vision almost becomes blurry, I quickly realizing that I can’t really last long under his anger. For some strange reason… his feelings actually matter to me.
His room is so close, a step away. I can sense the anger, the pain boiling just beyond the wooden door. Sadness surges in my heart.
I raise my knuckles and tap the door, my heart’s beats escalating as I sense him suddenly freeze in his movement. There is a moment of complete and utter silence, then footsteps as he shuffles towards the door.
A hand slowly turns the knob, and swings the door open to reveal himself. His tanned face and body is bedraggled with worry and fury, his hair limp and not shining like it normally does. He stares into my eyes, and I study him also. However, I soon find that there is nothing to examine. His emerald eyes are blank like the surface of a crystal pool.
“What do you want?” His words sound more like a statement than a question, short and abrupt. Chills enter me, racing through my entire being.
“I wanted to say…” I have a hard time choking out the word, for I have never truly said it before. But now that it means so much, I feel that I have to say it just right. That the word has to slip perfectly through my slightly chapped lips.
He surveys me coldly, and hardness enters his features. “Please go away,” he groans, as if I am only an annoyance, “I don’t feel like talking to you right now.” He vanishes behind the door, closing it as quickly as he can.
I catch it with my foot, wincing in pain as his incredible strength works against me. “Stop, Xavier!” I yell, “You are going to break my foot! Please talk to me!”
“You don’t need me,” a fierce accusation breaks through my defenses, making me freeze. My foot is pushed away from the door, and it is roughly closed in front of me. “Go talk to… Ray or something! Who it is doesn’t really matter to you, does it?” His anger is seeping through the doors, making me sink into a puddle on the floor.
Why would he say that? I am shocked into silence, edging away from the room now as if it is a ticking time bomb. I… wasn’t even given the chance to say sorry.
Maybe I will follow his bitter advice.
I knock on the door that is a couple of feet farther along the hallway, leaning against it after the sound is made. My breaths come short and ragged, and saddled with each one is nearly suffocating disappointment. When it finally swings open, I lose my balance and fall towards the ground. A strong form stops me in my tumble, a laugh echoing through the air. “Clumsy Mona,” he chuckles, “what’s up?”
“Why is Xavier saying that I don’t need him?” I ask angrily. A small smile appears at the corner of his features.
“Oh, Xavier is just being overdramatic,” he waves his hand in the air, “He will cool off soon-”
“Cool off from what?!” My voice rises as I interrupt him, anger surging through my blood. Ray looks so calm and collected, though a little surprised at my burst of words.
“You can figure that out, Mona…” his se*ductive voice drops to a whisper, and I find myself leaning in closer. “You’re very smart.”
I think over Xavier’s previous words, feeling unsettled at the way Ray’s eyes stare piercingly at me. Suddenly understanding comes to me… what if Xavier saw us and misunderstood?
I shake my head in annoyance, wondering why all this stuff has to happen to me. “He’s too angry to talk to me right now,” I sigh, “so I’ll have to clear it up later. But Ray… did you say anything to him to make it seem even worse than it looked?”
“Of course.” He shoots me one of those dizzying smiles.
I glare at him. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Leave it to Ray to willingly make the situation ten times harder for me to fix. “What did you say exactly?”
“Oh, just that we were having a great time splashing around in the pool! That’s not a lie, right?” he smirks.
I punch him in the arm. “You always make a mess out of things, don’t you?” I say half-jokingly. It seems okay to laugh now, when it becomes obvious that all actions will just be futile towards solving the problem.
“A hot mess,” he winks, then steps away from the door. “You want to come in?” he invites, motioning for me to enter the room. Realizing that I have truly nothing else to do, I follow his movement.
It is not a luxurious room, with one queen-sized bed and limited walking space. However, a beautiful desk lines one wall, with numerous shelves full of thick books and various objects, like a crystal globe or a vase with flowers. Even more surprising, the opposite wall features a trophy case, full of huge statues, plaques and medals.
I walk over to the case, peering at the immortalized men, all in mid-run. They shine like gold itself, without a scratch upon them. “Are these track trophies?” I ask, watching them sparkle.
“Yes,” he says plainly, staring at them also. “I used to be the star track runner on our team.” He places a hand on the glass, the tiniest bit of a smile forcing its way onto his lips. I can see the wistfulness in his gaze, as if he wanted to be returned to that time of glory.
“What happened?” I ask softly.
His eyes suddenly flash, and he lifts his head from the glass. “I was changed into a werewolf by my brother. He told me it was exciting, that I would enjoy it. He told me we would be brothers forever,” he looks to the ground, bitterly spitting out the words, “but all it has done is tear us apart.”
I look at the bottom of the largest trophy, where words are engraved. It says 1st Place in 100 Meter Dash. However, right underneath these words is the word Ray, and his last name is scratched out.
“I had to disappear from the world I had known and loved,” he said softly, “I had to sneak in the school and delete my name from their records. I couldn’t participate in sports, because that would clearly be cheating. Everything I had was gone.”
“And I would have been a track star!” he continues, his eyes lighting up, “I could have gone to the Olympics if I had worked hard enough. I would have been famous and loved by everyone. But instead, I had to disappear from society. A different life was now waiting for me… one with secrecy, deception, and no expiration date. I can’t look forward to death, because there is no death. I am living a twisted lie of a life.”
“But can’t werewolves be killed?” I ask.
“Yes, but it takes incredible power, and there is nothing around us with that power. There is not a single werewolf for miles and miles.”
“So you hate Xavier…” I trail off, still staring at the scratched off name. I can tell the feelings placed into those scratches… anguish and the regret of losing what mattered the most.
“It is more of a love-hate relationship,” he laughs.
For once, I feel that I understand Ray’s actions and feelings.
“You are a good guy,” I pat him on the shoulder; “I hope that soon your life will be worth living to you.” Feeling that the time had come for me to leave, I amble out the door, shutting it behind me.
Great. Now I have no one to talk to.
I go into my room and lay down on the bed, sighing as I sink into the plump mattress. It is less than twenty four hours before I have to go into hiding, but even now it seems like an eternity. Night is crawling onto the horizon at a snail’s speed, each second becoming an hour.
I want to lose the world, to leave it behind forever. I envy the time when my life was simple and I could sleep without the stress of waking up the next day a step closer to imprisonment by the wolf police.
Alert streaks through my mind when I recall that email from two days ago, one that called for my termination. I haven’t even thought about what would happen if I was found guilty by the council. How would they exterminate me? It is almost impossible to kill a werewolf… oh yeah. I’m not a full werewolf. I’m not even a true Spier.
But how can I prove that I am a Spier? I can’t even do the most basic of all skills; conjure a spirit spear. And what I can do is very much different from what a Spier does.
My eyesight becomes strained, and I find myself falling into a type of slumber that isn’t fully sleep. My eyelids slip downward, and the world turns black before me.
***
There is a sudden squeak, and I am immediately awake. My eyes stay closed, but my heart beats ever faster.
I freeze completely, not moving a single muscle. The small, nearly inaudible noise resounds once more around the room, and I am sure that there is an intruder. My nose detects a slightly flowery aroma, one full of old and graying age. Alert surges through my blood, suspicion in my thoughts.
I slowly open my eyes, aware of the darkness surrounding me. It is darkest of nights, almost as black as when my eyes were closed. Without a sound, I slip onto the ground, my feet making no resounding impact with the floor.
I spot the outline of a small being standing at my closet door, shuffling through my clothes. I creep forward like a snake, slipping across the floor towards my target.
Suddenly, fright stiffens the creature, and it hurries to the door. I lunge for it with amazing speed, grabbing its ankle. Its flesh is soft like a human’s skin, yet wrinkled and weary. “What are you?” I ask angrily, “Why are you in my room?!”
A small yelp escapes the strange creature as I grip it tightly, unrelenting. “Nothing, mistress! I am nothing.” Its hands reach to cover its face, whimpers escaping it. Alarm evacuates me as I hear its voice, so soft and gentle that I cannot be afraid.
“Don’t move, ok?” I ask, and let go of her ankle. I walk over to the light, and reach for the switch.
“NO!” The creature’s shriek is plainly heard throughout the whole room. “Please, no bright light,” it begs, “it will kill me.” I pause with my hand on the wall, staring at it.
“Then how do I see you?” I question it softly.
“Turn on the table lamp,” it suggests. I pad over to my dresser and twist the small knob. Soft yellow light floods the room, and I can finally see it clearly.
Large brown eyes are set in a wrinkled, sagging face, with thin lips and a pointy nose. Her smooth gray hair is in a bun, and her small, three-foot form is adorned with a simple dress and apron. She looks like a perfect, yet miniature grandmother.
“I am a phoenae,” she says softly, as if the name itself is of the utmost importance. “I work here, for the masters.”
Without a word, I open the door and beckon for her to follow. There are small shuffles of movement, and then we both reach a door. I raise my hand to knock, but then my hand freezes. I suddenly realize that I had subconsciously traveled to Xavier’s room, and that I was not welcome to him.
Let’s try the other door, I think, quickly shuffling a few more steps down the hall. Trying not to be loud, I slip into Jake’s room.
The silver-haired man is sitting at his desk, tapping keys on his cutting-edge laptop. When I am barely an inch away from him he swivels in his chair, facing me stoically. “Why are you coming to talk to me at-” he checks his watch, “-eleven o’clock at night?”
“I would like to know what this is, exactly,” I gesture to the slender creature in confusion, and Jake’s eyes widen. “It was in my closet three minutes ago.”
“I guess you were bound to notice eventually, with your newfound abilities,” he shrugs slightly, leaning back in his seat. “She is a phoenae, a phoenix-like creature that ages every day, and is reborn every night at 12:00. She and a few others clean the mansion for us.”
“They aren’t slaves, are they?” I turn to look at the pitiful, wrinkly creature with a frown.
The phoenae’s bright brown eyes flash. “No, mistress,” she says hastily, “My most gracious masters are helping me and allowing me to live in luxury!”
Jake smiles handsomely. “It is very difficult for a phoenae to get a job and survive, especially since they are very short, have an aversion to very bright light, and go through the aging process at a terrific speed every day. Also, they have an extreme passion for steak, which we have an abundance of.”
“And I get to have it every day!” she squeals. I stare as the wrinkles on her face multiply at an incredible rate.
“So, in exchange for protection, steak, and a place to live, they work for us,” Jake concludes, turning back in his chair to look at his computer screen once more. The taps begin again, and I turn to walk back into the hallway.
My eyes grow soft as I look at the strange creature with the gentle voice. “What’s your name?” I ask, my words as smooth as honey flowing through my lips. Even if she is a big ball of wrinkles, I feel the urge to be nice to the only girl I have seen in the mansion.
“Danae,” she says shyly, smiling up at me. Her teeth are shiny white and perfectly aligned, which doesn’t seem to fit her current appearance. However, something about her unnatural grin is enchanting, making me feel more comfortable. I smile back.
“Danae, you don’t have to clean for me,” I tell her firmly, “I can do that myself, unlike these incompetent werewolves.” I return to my room, flouncing back on the bed. Danae hurries in also, protesting furiously.
“But Mistress shouldn’t have to do such a thing… cleaning is only for the servants!”
“You are not my servant…” I look at her plainly, “I do not have servants.” I do not think I can bear having a servant, when I was practically a servant myself to Ms. Penn not too long ago. Also, I hate it when I leave my shirt on my chair to wear the next day only to find that it is missing when morning comes.
“But-”
“Leave,” my voice now oozes with command, “and don’t come back here to clean again.” She shuffles outside, closing the door behind her. My head flops onto the pillow, swirling with new ideas and thoughts. First werewolves, then Shifters, and now phoenaes?! How many other creatures are out there that I don’t know about? Obviously Xavier was lying to me when he said there were no other supernatural species out there.
My eyes will not close this time.
The night edges away as I shift and sit up in my bed, thinking about everything.
***
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