Hex and the Single Witch (Vehicle City Vampires) (12 page)

“Alright,” I
said and headed toward the door. “Later, Malone.” I glanced back to see him get
inside his truck, making sure he pulled away before I walked inside to meet up
with Galen.

My eyes took a
moment adjusting to the dim light, but I spotted Galen easily as he stood up
beside a booth in the back corner.

“Hi, Galen. I
see you picked a cozy spot for us.” Damn, he looked fine. He wore dark jeans
and a hunter green Henley, making his green eyes even greener. His dark hair
shimmered in the soft glow of the restaurant lighting. I ached to run my hands
through those waves.

“You look
ravishing, luv.” He reached his hand out and took mine bringing it up to his
lips for a soft yet arousing kiss. It sent tingles throughout my body.

“So do you,” I
replied.

“Thank you. Have
a seat and let us order, yes?”

My stomach
growled, and he laughed as we both slid into opposite sides of the booth.

“I take that as
a yes.” He smiled. “So what would you like pizza, Stromboli?”

“Hmm, pizza with
lots of cheese. I’m open on toppings, whatever you’d like.”

“How about
pepperoni, ham, onions, and green peppers?”

“My favorite.
How did you know?” I asked as a little niggle tickled the back of my neck. I
wanted to shrug it off, but it was odd Galen knew things about me I never told
him. I’m used to being the one knowing things.

“I have just
been experimenting with human food a lot lately, especially pizza, and
discovered that combo of toppings to be the most pleasing to my palette.”

“Yeah, it’s
yummy. Did you want anything else, breadsticks, sauce…hey what about the garlic?
It doesn’t bother you?”

“Another myth.”

I started to ask
about other myths but the waitress came up to the table to take our order.
After she left I wasn’t sure if I should ask, but I really wanted to know all
about him, all about vampires.

“So what else is
just myth?”

His eyes lit up
with amusement. “You know not much about vamps do you?”

“No, Gram kept
me away from all things vampire. Even the word vampire was pretty much
forbidden, I got a great education about almost everything else Other but not
vampires.”

“Hmmm…well as
you know we do not need an invitation to come into your home, let me see…other
things about us you should know…we do not have to stay out of the sun—well most
of us anyway, some vampires descended from the Nosferatu have sun issues. What
else? Uhmm… garlic does nothing except give us bad breath, and I have no
aversion to crosses, some more religious vampires do, but I think it is all
mind over matter and crisis of faith creating the problem.”

“Holy water?”

“Nope, not me
anyway.”

“Coffins?”

“Some of us
still like the stereotype and find coffins quite comfortable. However most of
us prefer beds,” his voice held a touch of amusement.

“Mirrors?”

He hesitated,
then said, “I can see my reflection just fine…in new mirrors and with modern digital
technology.”

“Why just new
mirrors and modern technology?”

“New mirrors are
usually not coated with real silver anymore, just silver paint. And modern
digital technology has cut the silver out of photo and film processing.”

“So vampires do
have issues with silver?”

He looked like
he didn’t want to tell me. “Yes, unfortunately, most of us have silver issues.
Real silver can pose a threat to us.” He glanced around like he wanted to make
sure no one could hear what we were saying.

“How much of a
threat?”

“It can hurt
like hell and burn if we come into contact with it. If it ends up inside our
bodies, we can be severely injured. Enough silver to the head or heart can kill
us.”

“If the silver
is removed will you heal?” I had seen in movies and TV shows like True Blood,
once the silver is removed the damage will heal. But some books I have read
said silver injuries are permanent.

“External
injuries will heal quickly if we are properly fed. Internal injuries can take
longer depending on the damage. A fatal injury will not heal even if the silver
is removed. At least, not that I am aware of. There have been rumors about
vampires coming back after one of their minions removes the offensive silver
bullet or weapon from the brain or heart.”

“Wow, good to
know. Anything else I should know?” I asked. I mentally took notes. With a
killer vampire on the loose I needed all the info possible about how to hurt or
kill a vampire.

He sighed. “Anwyn,
everything I tell you about vampires is only what I know to be true for myself
and the vampires I know. It is not definitive. Not all vampires are the same.”

“What do you
mean they’re not all the same?” This was becoming totally intriguing.

“Just like
humans, vampires all have the same basic DNA but there are subtle differences as
well. You should know a large majority of humans have a part, however far
removed in their genetic line it may be, which is Other—could be fae, could be
demon, could be witch. Most only have a small droplet of Other DNA, so small
nothing ever comes of the non-human part of them.”

“Let me guess,
unless they are turned into a vampire.” Wow, I wondered if Mel knew all this.
It would fit right in with all her crazy research.

He smiled. “You’re
a quick study and exactly right. When the transformation to vampire occurs it
awakens and magnifies the dormant Other DNA.”

“So that’s why
vampires all have different powers and weaknesses?”

“The way I
understand it, yes. Many vampires’ powers and weaknesses are connected to the
Other…for lack of better word, DNA that is part of their genetic makeup.”

“What about the
vampire sire? Do new vampires get part of their powers too, like a child gets
genetic traits from their parents?”

“Yes, a made
vampire also gets powers from their sire. So a vampire can have a very
complicated mix of ‘genetics’ inside them. A whole lot of Other besides just
vampire.”

“So vampires are
like supernatural mutts? A little bit of everything residing in their DNA and
their sire’s DNA? Do you know what you are? I mean besides vampire. What do
your powers and weaknesses say about you?” I asked lightheartedly. After the
discussion I didn’t think he’d mind further questioning.

Unfortunately, I
was wrong.

His voice, so
low no one else could hear, added to the menace creeping across my skin. He
replied not so lighthearted, “Anwyn, I am a monster. I may look human right
now, eating pizza with you and everything, but you have to know this isn’t what
nourishes me. I drink blood. I survive on blood. I enjoy death.”

The image of him
vamped out with fangs sunk into the neck of some poor unsuspecting woman
flashed through my head. I shivered.

“I know what you
are Galen. You don’t have to remind me.”

“Did you not get
the point of my little tutorial, Anwyn? You do not know what I am, not fully.
You have to be aware of what you are getting into with me. Everyone carries
baggage, but an immortal vampire with serious issues and questionable genetics
is going to be a lot to handle relationship wise. I am damaged, Anwyn.”

“Galen, we’re
all damaged.” I sighed, knowing all too much about being damaged.

With those
thoughts drifting between us the waitress set our food and drinks in front of
us.

We ate our pizza
in silence.

Chapter 14

I stood in the
parking lot next to my car when Galen finally broke the silence.

“Anwyn, I am
really sorry I ruined our evening. I wanted this to be something good, a get to
know each other night where we could talk and act like…two average people on a
first date. Then it hit me, we are not average, hell we are not even people.
You are a witch not knowing a damn thing about vampires and I am a recovering
killer trying to live a semi-normal life.”

“Recovering
killer? Is that what they’re calling it these days?” I retorted wryly as I
kicked at a clump of mud in the parking lot. A cloud of dirt and small rocks
skittered across the pavement.

He didn’t look
pleased. His brows knit together in frustration as he studied me through
narrowed eyes.

“Sorry, Galen.
Just trying to lighten the mood a bit. Look, I know we’re not human and I’m
well aware of your past. You do keep throwing it in my face after all.”

He opened his
mouth to say something, but I stopped him.

“Hear me out,
okay?”

He nodded.

“I know you’re a
vampire, and I know I’m not fully aware of everything it means. I do know
you’re dangerous. I know I need to be conscious of your danger. I am. You have
fangs and you know how to use them, I got it.”

“Anwyn…” His
green eyes swirled with gold flecks of light as he seemed to struggle with his
emotions. “I just want you to understand what you are getting yourself into
with dating a vampire, dating me.”

“That’s fine but
don’t be all doom and gloom about it. We were having a perfectly nice evening
learning about each other, well mainly I was learning about you, all the
vampire stuff, which is what you want, but then you got all dark and menacing
on me. Do you always suffer from such fast mood swings?”

He nervously ran
his fingers through his silky dark waves and looked around the parking lot then
back at me.

He smiled shyly.
“No, the mood swings are not a regular trait of mine. I have to blame those on
you, on us. Anwyn, I am so drawn to you it drives me crazy with need to be with
you, yet I want to protect you. And to protect you, I should stay away from
you. Every time I am near you my dual emotions are pulling me in two directions
at once—as close to you as I can be and as far away from you as possible.”

“And your
physical body meets them somewhere in the middle. You’re with me yet you keep
me at arms’ length, so close but rarely touching.” I reached up and cupped his
strong jaw in my hand and directed his gaze to mine. “Galen, I am so very
attracted to you it’s driving me wild. I want to jump into this relationship
and never look back. But every time we get close to actually starting something
you pull away. Sooner or later I’m just going to let you pull away and keep on
going.”

He leaned into
me, his lips barely grazed mine. “As much as I do not want that to happen, it
may be the best thing for you, Anwyn.”

I put my hand on
his neck and pulled his head back down to mine crushing my lips against his.
Kissing him was heaven. I didn’t want to stop, but I paused long enough to
murmur, “Neither one of us want that, Galen, so quit splitting us up before
we’re even together.”

He didn’t answer
with words. He just deepened the kiss between us, sending heat rushing to my
extremities then flowing into my core. I wanted to melt in his embrace, but
once again, he pulled away too soon.

“I am sorry. I
think this is enough for tonight. I know, I know, pulling away again, but I
think we both need to process what went on tonight and think about everything.
Please do not be angry with me, Anwyn.”

“Look Galen, I
get it, being a vampire sucks.” I almost giggled at my unintentional pun until
I caught sight of his unamused expression. “Look, I’m not angry, disappointed,
yes. Angry, no. I did have a lovely evening, considering.” I smiled.

“Me too,” He
kissed me once more, lightly brushing his lips across mine then he turned and
headed toward VAMP.

“We’ll do it
again soon, I hope,” I called out.

“Of course,” he
replied, turning to smile at me. He waved and continued on.

I regretfully
headed home alone.

Chapter 15

My phone was
ringing when I walked through the door. I rushed to grab it before it went to
voice mail.

“Hello?”

“Anwyn dear, we
need to talk.”

“Gram, what is
it? Is mom okay?”

“She’s better
than she was the other day when you were here, but that’s not why I called. I
received a disturbing phone call tonight. A friend said she’d seen you at the
pizza place downtown and you were with a vampire,” she said, the last word
pronounced like it was poisonous.

“Gram…”

“Anwyn, you know
how this family feels about vampires.”

“Gram, I am well
aware of your feelings about vampires. I just don’t completely understand them.
I know dad was killed by vampires and thus our lives were ruined. But what if
other witches had been responsible, or what about all the humans who played a
part in his death? Should we avoid them all as well? I learned Satinka Tala, a
vampire, was dad’s partner and mom’s best friend before he got killed.”

“That fanged
whore was never a true friend to your mother and she let your father get
killed. I don’t want to speak of her at all. And I don’t want you to have
anything to do with her.”