Blood of a Werewolf (8 page)

He grabbed his t-shirt and gestured to her. “Do you mind if I put my shirt back on now?” he said, smiling.
 
She nodded with a tinge of regret.

“I know there are some things I need to explain to you, but we don’t have to do that right now.
 
There are a few things I’d like to know too, but let’s just enjoy this moment.
 
Have some pancakes – you do like pancakes, don’t you?” he asked, concerned all of sudden.

“Umm…yeah, I mean, who doesn’t like pancakes? Right?!” she said, still trying to shake off her bewilderment. “But you might want to make a whole lot more as we have visitors.”
 
She pointed towards the front room. He looked confused now. “It seems that the girl your brother met and the guy my sister met, are one in the same, and they are presently in the front bedroom sleeping – maybe.
 
It’s been a very eventful twenty-four hours.”

“I’ll say!” he agreed.

He finished making about a gazillion pancakes and sat down with a cup of coffee of his own.
 
He gave her that smile – the one he and his brother shared – the one that would ultimately get them anything they desired.
 

“I was thinking,” he began.
 
He pointed to the front room and made a circle motion and continued after he took a sip of coffee, “that all of us should go up to Halfmoon Bay today, sit on the beach and hash all this out.
 
It seems all four of us are involved now. If my brother has half the feelings for your sister that I do for you, then I think we should all be honest with each other.
 
After that, if they want to stay or go they can do so. I was hoping though, maybe if you still wanted to, after our conversation that is, we could go out on the date we were cheated out of last night.”

She smiled and said, “But shouldn’t someone stay here and watch for the software engineer slayers?”

He started to laugh. “Software engineer slayers? What the heck is that?”

“Well, your brother and I talked a bit after you were injured, and he was very adamant about not telling me anything about you, him, or your family. In an attempt to understand what he was telling me and not telling me, we...I...well, maybe he better explain. Either way, shouldn’t we be on the look out for Terrence Paine and his men?” she said.

“Wow, I’m not even sure how to respond to that. You seem to know a lot, and nothing at all, all at the same time.
 
I’ll tell you what, I will talk to my brother, and find out how much your sister knows and how much you know, then we will all get together so that everybody knows the same information, okay?”

“Oh, thank God, because if I had to go through another round of Pooba Paine, the Van Helsing guy, and the other software engineer slayers, I don’t think I would survive.”

Looking extremely entertained and perplexed, he agreed, “I’m confused just hearing that part; no wonder you’re confused. As for Terrence Paine, I don’t think we will hear from or see anything from him or his goons for at least a few days, so a one day reprieve should be okay.”
 

Then, suddenly serious, he looked at her and said, “I just hope when you know the truth, you will still want to be a part of our lives, because after the last couple of days I just can’t imagine anyone else being by my side.”

She swooned and blushed and smiled all at the same time. “After the last few days, I don’t think there is anything in heaven, on earth, or even the netherworld that could keep me away from you,” she said.

He beamed and his glorious, heartbreaking smile was as bright as the sun.

“Okay then, I’ll feed Harry and take a shower.
 
You go wake the lovebirds, talk to your brother, and we’ll see if we are all in agreement about Halfmoon Bay. Okay?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter 5

It had been agreed that the best thing to do was to put all four heads together and make sure that they were all on the same page. Only then could they decide on a plan. Additionally, the brothers had their talk and both seemed completely amused by the whole thing. To Devon’s amazement, Blake had already told the family secret to Rowan. The beans would have been spilled today either way, so what did it matter at this point?

Devon and Darby took Devon’s car, a silver Mercedes E-Class coupe.
 
Not as flashy as the Audi, but very nice, just the same.
 
Blake and Rowan took the Audi, of course.
 
As they drove along the coast, Rowan caught a glimpse of Devon, smiling as if something was very funny.

“What are you smirking over there about?” she asked.

“I’m not smirking.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Okay, maybe you’re right. I’m smirking. I just would have loved to have been a fly on the wall last night during your conversation with my brother.”

“Oh, you would have, huh?”

“Yes, very much so.
 
You have a very vivid imagination, and yet your logic is impeccable. But tell me, how did your logic lead you to ‘Software Engineer Slayers’? That is just classic – I would have liked to have seen that one evolve.”

“Well, I needed vital information about these guys and he obviously was not going to tell me the truth without betraying your confidence; so, well, I came up with that, and it got me past the truth to what we needed to deal with.”

“No, I understand. I just like how you think, and your humor is, well, it’s adorable.
 
Such a package deal with you: beauty, brains, humor, and sweetness rolled into a perfect Darby package.
 
I knew you were something amazing and wonderful when I saw you dancing on the front lawn - my little water nymph.”
 

With that, his fingertips ever so tenderly brushed a tiny bit of hair away from her face and behind her ear.
 
It was amazingly intimate.
 
This slightest of touches made her body go all warm and tingly. She blushed like crazy.
 
In order to hide her embarrassment, she ordered him to watch the road or he’d crash his sweet ride.

He laughed heartily at this and it was a lovely sight.
 
He was relaxed and happy, like the evening they had talked until the closing of the bar.
 
It made her happy to know that she could make him laugh, smile, and hopefully be himself.
 
That’s all you could ever ask for, she thought.

Both cars pulled into the visitor’s beach parking area at Halfmoon Bay.
 
The fog was just now burning off and it was going to be a glorious day on the beach.
 

All four of them walked on the beach for a while until they were fairly clear of any other people. Sitting in a circle on some beach towels, the boys still had huge grins on their faces – Darby assumed this was because of the conversation she and Blake had the night before.
 
When Darby looked at Rowan, it seemed that she was in on the joke.
 

First looking at all the faces in the circle, meeting each of their gazes, Devon reached for Darby’s hand and placed it safely in both of his and then he spoke.
 

“Darby, since you are the last to find out who and what we are, I’m going to throw this out there first.”
 
Looking at Rowan, who nodded, and then at Blake who nodded too, then lastly to Darby. His face was serious, his eyes piercing, and he said, “My brother and I are vampires.” He waited to see her reaction.
 
First she looked confused and then she smiled and looked at Rowan.

“Okay, very funny guys. What is this? Make fun of Darby day?”
 
Her eyes met her sister’s; Rowan smiled but shook her head.
 
Darby turned back to Devon, who looked devastated by her reaction as if she herself had shot him with a crossbow.
 
She saw it then, the shame, the embarrassment, and the hurt.
 

“So you are not fugitives? You’re vampires? Real vampires?
 
Bloodsucking vampires? But, I don’t understand.
 
You’re in the sun? You’ve never bitten me. I’ve seen you eat food and drink beer. I don’t understand.”
 

“Most of the things you are referring to were made up in Hollywood or in folklore.
 
We do drink blood, and bite, but we don’t kill unless it’s in self-defense,” Blake said. He could see by her reaction that Devon was caught off guard.

Devon added, “That is why I healed so fast. The arrow hadn’t pierced my heart. Just like any race, there are good vampires and there are bad vampires. Unlucky for us, most people only remember the bad.”
 

“Well, I guess that explains the allergy to wood and the rapid healing, like you said.
 
That also explains why Blake wouldn’t let me take you to the hospital. Hmmm…you said you and your brother have parents...were they vampires?”

“Yes,” said Devon.

“But I didn’t know that vampires could have children. I thought you got bit by a vampire and became a vampire through that.”

“Yes and no...there are two types of vampires, those who are born of vampire parents and those who are made by vampires.
 
Those who are made through a process of biting and then sharing blood tend to be wilder and affected by the blood.
 
Vampires that are born from vampire parents tend to be more like humans.”

“How so?”

“Vampires who are made are more sensitive to sunlight.
 
If exposed for too long they can die from it.
 
Born vampires won’t die from sunlight; it doesn’t hurt them. Some don’t like it, but for most, it doesn’t affect them at all.

“Vampires who are made crave blood more than born vampires.
 
It makes them crazy, killing their victims in an animal-like frenzy.
 
They also have to feed more often – at least once a day. Born vampires can eat food as well as blood.
 
Born vampires do need blood, but they only need to feed once a week or less.
 
If they feed on blood more than food, their powers get more acute. Most prefer not to feed on humans more than food so they can blend in with humans.
 
Feeding all the time, would call attention to them,” said Blake.

“So...how old are you both?” Darby asked.

“Born vampires age slower than humans, by about 1 year for every 4, so I’m 28 in vampire years and 112 in human years. Blake is 25 in vampire years and 100 in human years.”

“Hmmm...so in a few years, I’ll be looking old and you’ll still be looking like a god?”
 

Blake laughed, “A god. Phffft. Him?” Devon glared at him.

“Give me a break...but as for your question, not necessarily. We can age faster if we choose.”

“But wouldn’t that cut your life shorter?”

“No. Not really.”

“In the movies vampires have to sleep in their coffins, they have no reflection in a mirror, they can’t be around garlic and stakes can kill them. Is all of that true?” Darby asked.

“Well, obviously through your experience, a stake through the chest, but not in the heart, paralyzes a vampire and wounds him pretty badly, but not fatally.
 
A stake in the heart, however, would kill a vampire. Crucifixes, holy water, garlic, sunlight or mirrors don’t have any effect. A stake anywhere else is painful but can be healed, as you’ve seen.
 
Beheading, that can’t be fixed and fire is another thing that can kill us.
 
Born vampires have nothing to do with coffins or dirt, but for some reason some of the made-vampires can become attached to a coffin.”

There was a lull in the questioning, so Devon assumed maybe she was satisfied.
 
“Are we good then?”

“I, well, I just, well, it’s a lot of information.”

That’s when Rowan stepped in.
 

“Blake, could you and Devon go back to the car and grab the cooler? I’m thirsty and I think a little sister time may be called for here.”

“Yeah, sure. Umm, Devon?” Blake said.
 
Devon stood up looking hurt. He and Blake turned and headed back to the car.

As soon as the guys were out of earshot, even for vampires, Rowan said, “Darby...I know this is overwhelming.
 
I was shocked too when Blake told me.”

“Aren’t you scared or worried?”

“No. Not in the least.
 
I was a little freaked, but I thought it was really cool. I’m dating a vampire. Not that I could go around saying that, but well, you know. I mean come on, Darby. You just risked your life for this guy, so you must feel pretty strongly for him and it’s obvious he’s stuck hard on you. That’s obvious to everyone.”

“You think?
 
It’s not obvious to me. I mean, I adore him, but what kind of future can a vampire and a human have?”

“Look, Darby. There are complications, yes, I will agree to that, but all relationships are complicated.
 
You told me yourself once that’s what makes them exciting. I haven’t seen you so happy since, well, before…well, just in a long time and it’s because of Devon.”