Rock n Roll Promises (YAE) (Rock n Roll Paraphantasy Series) (15 page)

“Paige.”

Blonde hair and bright eyes looked her way. It
was the look of hope. She couldn’t help but smile
while her heart sank deeper into her chest. Anna had
to take a few steps back to keep her balance; the
sudden force from the hug caught her off guard. She
quickly returned the it and stepped away.

“Did it work? Thank you, Anna. I knew you
could do it.”

 

“Paige, wait. We need to talk.”

The look of fear in her friend’s eyes almost
floored her. More of her heart shattered in pieces.
Lord, please don’t let me lose them. If he dies,
she will, too.

She motioned for Paige to join her as she sat in
the grass. “I did just as I said I would. I bit him, and
he’s in the transition process.

“So, he’s alive?”

 

“Yes, he’s as alive as I am. I still don’t know how
this will turn out, so you need to prepare yourself.”

 

“You’re over thinking this, Anna. He will be
fine. Where is he?”

 

“He’s at my house and you need to stop that right
now.”

 

“Stop what?”

“Ignoring the possibilities. You need to face the
facts, all of them. Yes, Ozzie was one of the good
guys, but he’s also a hunter…”

“No! You stop. Just because he has killed things,
things that have threatened human life, doesn’t
make him a murderer! You’ll see, Anna, he’ll fight
his way through this supernatural disaster his own
way and come out the other side, just as he always
does…as my Ozzie.”

“Paige…Fine, you’re right. It could just as easily
go that way. I’m not saying it won’t, I’m just saying
this could go either way and you need to be
prepared for both.”

“I understand that, I do, but I just can’t focus on
that right now.”

 

“Fair enough. Let’s go. I don’t know how long
he’ll be out.”

 

“Three days, right? That’s how long you were
out.”

Putting her head in her hands, she took in a deep
breath and tried to keep her tone. Her patience was
wearing thin, as was her energy. She needed to feed,
and she needed to rest. It had indeed been a long
day. Her body still ached from the fight with the
wolves even though her scratches and wounds had
healed. She pulled herself together and looked in
her friend’s direction.

“Yes, but Sebastian knew what he was doing and
was two hundred years old. I had no clue and no
instructions. You know I have never done this
before. I abhorred Sebastian for years for the very
thing I did to Ozzie. I won’t blame him if he hates
us all!”

“Anna, you look tired. Have you rested at all
since yesterday?”

 

“No, but I’ll be fine.”

 

“Come on; let’s go back to your house. We both
could use a good hot shower and some rest.”

 

She reached out and grabbed Paige’s arm,
preventing her from standing.

“Promise me you won’t hate me for how this
turns out. I did the best I could, and I’m hoping for
the same results as you.”

Paige engulfed her in a hug, and smiled back at
her when she pulled away.
I don’t know what I will do if I lose her. She is
more than just my friend. She is like my family…as
close as a sister.
She got off the muddy ground and walked to the
car, Paige by her side. For the moment, she joked,
talked, and nettled the girl next her, as if it were any
other day, hoping her life would never change, yet
fearing the worst.

****

 

“I need to feed, so I’m going to turn on the radio
and blare some music.”

“Fine by me. You and Ozzie have the same taste
in music, so you won’t even need to change the
channel.”

“Great. By the way, I love this car. I’m even
thinking of buying one.”

“What? You’re going to trade off that cherry red
350 that you baby for one of these? I never thought
you jump from Ford to Dodge. Oh, I can’t wait to
tell Ozzie.”

“No, I’m not getting rid of my ‘stang, but I’m
still going to buy me this car! Lovin’the Hemi.”
Seatbelt in place, she turned the key and the
Challenger roared to life.
Man, I love the sound of
the engine.
She reached over and pushed the button
to turn on the radio. “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”
by Cage the Elephant boomed through the speakers
and out the windows as she drove away. With each
aggressive beat thumping the speakers, she pushed
harder on the accelerator.
Music swam in her veins, wind blew through her
hair, and her energy rose. The song hit the final beat
as she turned the corner. She glanced at her
passenger who sat silently crying.
She turned down the music.

“Paige, why are you crying? If you’re not ready
to see him, I can take you home and call when he
wakes up to tell you how it turned out.”

“No, I want to be there when we wakes up. It’s
just that song is one of his favorites.”

 

An idea hit her just as she was turning onto her
street. “Does he have any mix CDs here of his
favorite songs?”
“That’s what you’re listening to. I made this CD
for him. It has all his favorite rock songs. Why?”

 

“I’ll show you when we get inside.”

Sebastian and Jaxson rushed toward the car as
she pulled into the driveway.
I hope this isn’t bad news.
She pulled the keys from the ignition, unbuckled
her seat belt and climbed out of the car, her eyes
darting from Jaxson to Sebastian. Paige’s voice
sounded the question in her mind.

“What happened, what’s wrong?”

She hugged Jaxson when he got close. She
wrapped her arms around him and turned her eyes
to Sebastian as he spoke.

“Nothing is wrong…that I know of. I’m glad
you’re finally here. I believe he’s starting to wake
from the transition.”

“What? How can that be? He was bitten less than
twenty-four hours ago.”

 

“It won’t be real soon. It could be another few
hours yet, but that is still very, very soon.”

She snatched at Paige as she ran by, surprisingly,
she missed. Staring at her hands for a moment, she
was dumbfounded.

How did I miss? I never miss.
She noticed the CD in her hand.
Oh, right. Whew, thought I may have been

slipping in my skills.

A wet kiss on the cheek from Jaxson put her
quickly back into reality and she rushed into the
house.

Hunter green paint and pine panels covered the
walls, which were separated midway down the
surface by cedar trim. The top half was green and
the bottom half was made of pine wood. Ozzie laid
limply on Paige’s king-sized bed, covered to his
chest with a sheet. His skin tone was a few shades
lighter; a beginner’s tan.

He looks like Paige at the beginning of summer
when we were in high school and she first started
laying out. Of course now she just uses a tanning
bed.

She noticed Paige curl up next to him on the bed,
her head on his chest and hand over his heart.

 

“Paige, wait—”

Jaxson’s soft whisper filled her ear. “Leave her
for now. Sebastian and I will make sure nothing
happens to her. I promise.”

She stared into chocolate mousse eyes and
smiled. Leaning over, she returned his earlier kiss
and walked to the stereo. The CD player was open,
so she pushed the small tray in and music softly
played through the room. She turned the volume
higher then went and joined the rest, watching the
silent, unmoving show that was Oliver Zane. The
next song was just starting to play, and everyone
moved closer with baited breath. No one spoke, no
one seemed to breathe, and the only sound in the
room came blasting from the speakers. As Three
Days Grace belted the chorus of “Animal I’ve
Become,” Ozzie opened his eyes.
About the Author

Although I have always enjoyed writing, the
dream to become a writer came when I read A
Midsummer Night’s Dream by William
Shakespeare, in the sixth grade. My early works,
not published, were in the form of children’s stories
I would read to my two daughters. I divide my days
between the real world and the ones I’ve created.
My life and my characters keep me very busy in my
Mid-Western scene, where I live with my husband,
and my children (both human and furry).