Chapter Nine
Living with the Dead
J
ules pulled into Gabriel’s driveway. His front door opened before she could knock. Eileen stood in the entryway, smiling widely. “How is he?” Jules asked.
“A bit grouchy to be honest,” Eileen replied, none too quietly. Eileen turned back into the house, Jules following behind her.
“He’s fine,” Gabriel said from where he sat on the sofa, his nose in a history book he’d probably read a hundred times.
“He says that and yet he’s being grouchily defensive,” Eileen teased. “Come, get something to drink.”
Jules followed Eileen to the kitchen where she pulled a pre-poured glass from the refrigerator and handed it to Jules. Jules felt an overwhelming need at the smell of it. She took the glass and drank. The red liquid surged through her, soothing the thirst. She closed her eyes, soaking in the immediate calm. All her troubles seemed so far away. Nothing mattered, just the ecstasy of the blood.
“Jules, what’s wrong? You seem a little stretched?” Gabriel’s voice came from just behind her left shoulder. His question pulled her out of her blood-induced trance. “What happened Saturday?”
“Not yet.” Jules heaved a breath of air, then another, and wiped her mouth after drinking the last drop. Now, she felt ready for almost anything. The pair returned to the living room. With a relaxed sigh, Jules dropped onto the green couch, curled her feet underneath her, and stretched her neck back and forth.
Eileen stayed in the kitchen, most likely cleaning the glass Jules had just emptied.
“Are you ready to tell me now?” Gabriel asked, a tinge of annoyance in his tone.
“Stop badgering her Gabriel,” Eileen commanded as she rejoined them, sitting on Gabriel’s lap in the armchair. “She can have secrets, you know.”
“Do you have secrets from me?” he asked, almost playful.
“Not at the moment, but who knows, maybe I will someday. And, if that day comes, I expect you to honor my right to have them.” Eileen’s voice was unwavering. Gabriel hugged her waist tighter, seemingly appreciative of her opinion rather than angered by it.
Jules watched them closely. Eileen and Gabriel were born a century apart, and yet, the idea that a woman would speak to her husband that way hadn’t come around until the time when Eileen was growing up. Jules was glad to see Gabriel had adjusted to Eileen’s ideals, rather than the other way around. Jules’s homicidal ex preferred a firm hand to an open mind.
“My wife is right, of course. And normally you are allowed to have secrets, but right now it’s too dangerous.”
Jules offered a sigh of exasperation. “Gabriel, you may be one of my dearest friends, but my existence is my own.”
“But that doesn’t explain why you weren’t returning my calls,” he said. “At least tell me you are okay, that you are not in danger.”
“I’m not in any danger. I’m perfectly fine. Okay?” Of course, this was not at all true. Especially if the Alpha ever found out about her and Luca. “I silenced my phone for the day. I just needed some space. Is that so hard to believe?” Jules felt angry and guilty all at the same time. Angry at him for making her lie to him, and guilty because she had never lied to him before. But Luca’s safety was worth this lie.
“If that’s all, why didn’t you just tell me that? Or better yet, let me know ahead of time.”
“It wasn’t a plan, it just kind of happened. But everything is fine, so can we just drop it,” she said, keeping her voice calm but feeling quite irritated.
Gabriel did not look overly pleased, but he nodded in agreement, backing down.
“Now that that ridiculousness is over, anyone up for a movie?” Eileen asked. “I saw this great one the other day!”
“You two go ahead. I’m going to get some reading in,” Gabriel said, picking up the book he’d discarded. He tapped his phone several times and classical music began to play throughout the house’s surround sound.
“Unbelievable!” Eileen flung herself off his lap and onto the couch, head coming to rest on Jules’s legs.
“Romantic Comedy in the guest room?” She asked Jules, looking at her upside down.
“Actually,” Jules pulled a book out of her bag. “I’m almost on the last chapter,” she said with a sheepish smile.
“Fine. Be boring, both of you. I’ll be in the guest room with Kristen Bell.”
Jules giggled as she watched her go. Eileen slammed the door a little harder than necessary. Jules and Gabriel smiled down at their respective pages. They sat in comfortable silence, the disagreement between them forgotten. The soft tones of classical music fostered the peaceful atmosphere.
Many nights had passed like this, in the joint calm and comfort of a book. But tonight, Jules sat there pretending to turn page after page. When, in reality, she wasn’t retaining a single word. Everywhere she looked today, something or someone had reminded her of Luca. She couldn’t resist thinking about him. Not that she wanted to. She saw a man with his stature entering the coffee shop as she was leaving the outside table. One of the students she helped had hair like his. Another was wearing sneakers like the ones he wore the first time she’d seen him. She couldn’t help wishing that she would turn around and see him right now, in this moment.
Jules glanced up from her page, looking at the top of Gabriel’s blond head. She could just see his sharp nose over the top of his book. He had been her rock. She’d leaned on him for centuries. She couldn’t bear the thought of betraying Gabriel and Eileen. Gabriel was a brother to her. The only one she had now, but she couldn’t help how she felt. Or who she was falling for. Once Gabriel discovered her secret, she knew he’d feel betrayed. She could only hope that it wouldn’t separate them entirely. With this, she pushed Luca from her mind. For now, at least, she wanted to be in this moment with her dearest friend.
LUCA
As Luca’s humanity regained control, he brought the hunt to a close, hours earlier than normal. Some of them had a surprise wedding reception to attend. The rest of the pack followed his example reluctantly. Some of them, very reluctantly. It took him several minutes to locate the wolfy-form of the teenage boy he’d offered a ride too. Luca suspected that Ricky was in no hurry to start his new and abrupt life crammed into a place called the Den. Not that Luca could blame the boy for wanting to leave the wolf in control of his mind. He just saw his father murdered; Luca knew what he was going through. It took the Beta’s command for him to relinquish the animal inside.
After a few minutes of awkward silence and Ricky fiddling with the radio, Luca decided to voice something that had been nagging at his mind. “I’m sure your mother has asked you this, but, are you okay?”
Ricky’s hand fell from the dashboard. He froze, staring forward. “She hasn’t actually. She went into panic mode when she found out Dad was dead and hasn’t stopped since.”
“I’m sorry,” Luca said honestly. “Seeing a parent murdered is a hard thing to bear.”
“What would you know about it? You’re a Cain. I’m sure everywhere you go people worship the ground you walk on!” Ricky’s anger was understandable, Luca didn’t take offense.
“I am a Cain, you are not wrong.” Luca sighed. “I also saw my father murdered when I was sixteen. He and the rest of my family were killed on the same night.” It was a harsh reality and, to this day, hard to admit aloud. However, Luca felt that if someone had confided that they too had experienced his pain, it would have helped him process his grief sooner.
Luca glanced over. Ricky was staring at him. “Oh.” Ricky blushed scarlet; clearly embarrassed by his misplaced anger. “That sucks.”
Luca’s phone beeped. He ignored it as he continued. “It really does. It still haunts me. But, if you ever want to talk about what happened to you, now you know I’ll understand.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Ricky chewed on his lip. “Who’s Juliet?”
Luca glanced over and saw that Ricky had picked his phone up off the center console.
“Nobody. Put that down,” Luca instructed.
Ricky rolled his eyes but did as he was told.
“This is where you’re taking me?” Ricky almost laughed as Luca pulled onto the grass beside the Den.
“This is home,” Luca said, “for now.”
“Wow.” Ricky’s tone suggested that this was not said in wonder but in disdainful disbelief.
“Come on then,” Luca prodded. The sounds of revelry were already coming from behind the privacy fence’s chipping paint.
Ricky followed steps behind Luca as he entered through the front screen door. Luca spied Hayley through the back screen door, leading to the back porch. She was in the yard talking to her mother. She had somehow acquired a short white dress between the run and this backyard barbeque celebration.
“My girl looks great, doesn’t she?” Kyle asked while throwing an arm across Luca’s shoulders as he and Ricky entered the backyard. She did, of course, her hair fell in soft waves to one side and she wore the smile of real love.
“Do you really need me to answer that?” Luca retorted.
“Nah, my opinion matters more anyway,” Kyle shot back.
Ricky snorted.
Luca had monetarily forgotten he was there. “Ricky, this is Kyle, the groom.” Luca pointed at Kyle and then Hayley.
“Awesome, another of the Alpha’s flying monkeys.” Ricky rolled his eyes.
“Well you’re a bucket of cheerfulness, aren’t you?” Kyle quipped.
Ricky glared in Luca’s direction.
“Actually, I am neither flying nor a monkey if you must know,” Kyle added with a smile, tossing his hair.
Ricky narrowed his eyes.
“I’m just lucky my wife is celebrating a wedding tonight instead of preparing for my funeral.”
“Really,” Ricky said. It’s wasn’t a question.
“Our Alpha is kind of an overbearing control freak that may be losing his mind at this very moment…”
“Kyle!” Luca silenced him, motioning with his eyes toward Ben who had just walked through the back door.
“Anyway. This guy is our Beta and he’s a thumping good one.” Kyle whacked Luca on the shoulder. “Get it, ‘thumping?” he asked playfully.
“Shut up,” Luca replied, but he was teasing.
Ricky may have cracked a smile, whether with Kyle or at Kyle Luca couldn’t be sure.
Just then, Ricky’s mother approached them, jogging up the four wooden steps to the back porch. “Did you behave yourself tonight?” she asked, moved to ruffle Ricky’s hair.
Ricky yanked his head away and glared at her, blushing. “I’m tired. Where am I sleeping?”
“Carson has made up beds from us…” Demetria began.
“Where?”
“My apologizes Beta.” She nodded, a sign of respect.
Luca shrugged.
“This way.” Demetria led her son into the house.
Luca didn’t watch them go. Instead, he was distracted by a tugging on his hand. The girl who had greeted him at the preserve was pulling him toward the makeshift dance floor, as music boomed from a large stereo. “Not tonight,” he said, pulling his hand back.
“But you’ve danced with me before,” she whined.
“Not tonight.”
“Your rejection is to my advantage, thanks dude,” Kip whispered to Luca as he passed him.
The woman giggled as Kip scooped her into his arms.
Luca walked over to sit on the picnic table bench. He glanced up. The sunrise was a smearing of vibrant colors painted across the sky.
“He looks happy, doesn’t he?”
“Huh?” Luca asked, focusing on Hayley, who was sitting next to him.
“Luca, are you alright? You seem…” Hayley started.
“Distracted. I know. It’s nothing,” Luca replied staring past the partying pack.
Hayley patted his arm.
There were many times over the years that Luca wished this pack had never found him. He needed a pack, all wolves did, but he sometimes wished he wasn’t under Carson’s thumb. His obsessive, controlling personality was a lot to live with. But that was the price he paid, and it was well worth the cost of having Kyle and Hayley in his life.
CARSON
Carson scowled as he watched Hayley walk over and introduce herself to Demetria. Hayley was a young wolf, and Demetria had been away from the pack for many years. Hayley would have been such a radiant queen, Carson thought. Not only was she exceedingly beautiful, but she was also a pure-white wolf. This was extremely rare and, in fact, why he’s chosen her in the first place. But maybe his long-forgotten ex-girlfriend was his salvation. With Demetria at his side, Hayley jilting him could be easily buried. Even if she does have a brat child with her.
Max bounded up next to Carson, delivering the beer he’d instructed him to retrieve ages ago. He grabbed it from him and dismissed the hyperactive spaz with a wave of his hand.
Carson’s scowl deepened as Kyle wrapped his arms around the beautiful young wolf and whispered in her ear. She giggled and the pair headed to the dance floor.
Carson had decided to stay Kyle’s punishment because he felt Luca’s loyalty waning. He couldn’t afford to lose such a reputable Beta. Even if he was the freak who’d lost his family in a fire, he was a Cain, that meant something in pack life. He would allow this marriage to stand and grant the traitor mercy, solely to regain Luca’s obedience. “Such a waste,” he said aloud, still looking Hayley Reynolds up and down.
“You did a good thing,” Ben said, approaching Carson’s from his right. This man should be his Beta, he was loyal. However, he was also mysterious. He refused to talk about his past. All Carson had gathered is that he was old and that he hated vampires, which was enough for him.
“Did I?” Carson sneered as Kyle kissed the woman he’d had no right to claim. He’d taken her from Carson. It stung, but his pride would never allow this fact to become public knowledge. Kyle’s punishment would come one day, this slight could not go unanswered forever. However, before he could exact justice, he’d have to see Luca’s friendship with the traitor came to an end. Luca needed to fall back in line. Now.
RICKY
Ricky shifted off of a loose spring on the couch after only a few hours of sleep. The cot that had been made up for his mother had not been slept in, even though the noises of last night’s party had died down hours ago. He yanked the headphones out of his ears as the alarm on his phone continued to blare. Blinking, Ricky looked at the time. 7:00 A.M. He hadn’t remembered setting his phone alarm last night. In fact, he distinctly remembered turning off his school alarm since he obviously wouldn’t be going to Fort Miles Preparatory Academy anymore.
Hopeless that he would be able to get any more sleep, Ricky stood and began aimlessly walking through the house. He opened the front door and looked out. Most of the vehicles were gone. Just four remained. He bypassed the stairs where the bedrooms, undoubtedly, were when he heard his mother’s voice coming from the kitchen.
His mom was standing in front of the stove and the stupid Alpha’s massive arms were wrapped around her. He said something in her ear and she giggled. Just then, his mom turned to retrieve something from the refrigerator but stilled upon seeing him.
“Breakfast is almost ready sweetie,” she said, being way to cheery considering the circumstances.
“You know Dad died two nights ago right?” he asked, glaring from his mother to Carson and back.
“You’d better get dressed or you’ll be late for your new school,” his mother responded, completely ignoring that she ever had a husband apparently.
Ricky’s anger spiked. In a matter of moments, his life had been completely obliterated. His father was dead, and his mom was acting insane. Did he really have to change schools too? He liked Fort Miles Prep, he had friends that knew him for what he was. There, he knew where he fit in the scheme of things and he liked it that way.
“Carson made a call to the superintendent of Aboit High this morning, you’re all good to go.”
“You are unbelievable,” Ricky commented flatly.
“Don’t speak to your mother that way,” Carson said. Ricky thought that Carson was attempting to appear calm, but he also thought he saw something strange in the look in his eyes. Something unsettling.
“Who the hell do you think you are…” Ricky snapped.
Carson took one threatening step forward. Ricky thought Carson might just haul-off and hit him. But Demetria held up her hand and Carson chose to stay by her side.
“Ricky enough,” Demetria commanded. “This is our life now. You have to go to school here, in Aboit.”
“Fine.” Ricky turned and walked back to the family room. He heard his mother apologizing for her son’s behavior. Ricky couldn’t stand it in this dump anyway. So, he found her purse, dug out her keys, picked up his phone and charger, and walked out the noisy front door. As he was digging through their mess of belongings, Demetria joined him on the driveway.
“That was uncalled for, young man. This is our home now, and we owe this Alpha our loyalty and respect.”
Seriously, he thought but didn’t say aloud. Instead, he threw her a glare and continued digging through what was left of his old life. He found his skateboard and schoolbag buried deep in the trunk and yanked them both free.
“Do you want me to walk you? The school’s only a few blocks east of here.”
“Yes, because I’m in kindergarten,” he snapped, slammed the trunk shut, hopped on the skateboard, and pushed off.
“Check in at the front desk when you get there!” she shouted after him. “Have a good day, sweetheart!”
He raised his hand but didn’t make the effort to wave.
Rolling along the sidewalk, wind blowing through his dyed black hair, he trick-flipped his board a few times. Once he had to stomp on the back end to grab it and carry it over a broken stretch of sidewalk.
Ricky hadn’t intended to actually find the school building, but he did. Students were pouring in from the sidewalks and parking lot as he stood before the large, brick building. FM Prep, commonly known to its students as FML prep, was a fancy private school. Ricky was basically the one and only fashionably rebellious student, but he’d known those kids all his life. Here he had no idea what to expect. At least he had taken the precaution of wearing street clothes.
“Hi, you’re new here, aren’t you?” A voice said from right beside him.
His eyes grew wide when he turned. Beside him stood an attractive, edgily-dressed human girl, who looked to be about his age. She was wearing a short skirt, which Ricky quite admired, and a black, faux leather jacket. The only shred of real color she wore was coming from the rainbow of colors in her hair.
Ricky nodded, a little stunned. There were no girls like this at his old school.
“I’m Tasha,” she said, offering her black, nail polished, fingers toward him.
“Ricky.”
“Come on. I’ll walk you to the office.”
Ricky wasn’t sure why, but he followed Tasha up the stone steps and into the school building. “I saw you boarding earlier,” she continued.
Ricky sort of smiled by didn’t say anything.
“Here.” Tasha motioned to an office on their right. “Oh, and I don’t know if you’re interested but a bunch of us are working the carnival after school if you want to join.”
“Thanks, I’ll think about it.”
“Okay, I’ll hold you to that then,” she responded as a smile spread across her face. Then she turned and almost trotted down the hall, leaving him to walk into the office alone.
Girls! Ricky thought as he shook his head a little and smiled to himself.
He then contemplated running back out of the school, but where would he go if he did. He’d just have to make it through the school day like he had at FML Prep; by making sarcastic comments to his teachers and thinking about how ridiculous the whole school thing really was for a werewolf.
He squared his shoulders and walked through the open door. Stopping in front of a cluttered desk, he cleared his throat and waited.
“Oh hello,” a large, dark-skinned woman in glasses greeted.
“I’m Ricky Harrison. I think you are expecting me.”
“Right,” she said and then looked at all the sticky notes attached to her workspace. “I did hear something about that.”
Ricky waited.
“Tell you what. We aren’t actually ready for you at this moment. Why don’t I walk you down to the library? I’m sure Miss Bristow could put you to work for a few hours.”
“Whatever,” Ricky replied.
JULIANA
At the start of another workday, Jules crouched at the back of the library shelving a pile of books some juniors had left in a stack on the floor.
“Jules?” Belinda, the office assistant, called.
“Back here!” Jules peaked her head around the shelf. “Be there in a second!” Jules shoved the last book into its place on the shelf, stood, and walked toward the front of the library.
“There’s a vampire in your library,” said the boy standing next to Belinda.
“You have quite an imagination young man. But in this school, our students treat our staff with respect,” Belinda scolded.
“But…”
“Sit.” She pointed to one of the tables nearby.
The boy scowled but walked over to the area she was pointing at and sat with a thud.
Jules walked behind her desk, eternally grateful that Belinda had reacted as she had. “I’m sorry about this, Jules,” Belinda began, walking behind Jules’s desk as well. “The superintendent called this morning, demanding that we find a place for this kid. We don’t have things worked out yet. Can you keep him here for a while? Get his books together maybe. I’ll email you his class list once I get him enrolled.”
“Bee, breathe.” She patted the woman on the shoulder. “Yes. We’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?” The middle-aged woman looked skeptical. Jules looked over at the werewolf boy. He looked more annoyed and prickly than scared.
“Positive.”
“Then, I should really get back.” Belinda pointed over her shoulder.
“Go. I’ve got this,” Jules assured her, yet again.
“You’re a miracle worker,” she called back as she left in a rush.
Jules gave her a few minutes to disappear back down the hall before approaching the teenager.
“Are you going to kill me?” he asked without looking at her, his hands clamped over the edge of the table.
“I wasn’t planning to. Nor would I,” Jules said honestly. She continued to stand several feet back from the seemingly skittish youth.
“How about we don’t do anything this morning Jules,” Ethan blathered as he came through the door. “Did you replace me?” he asked, noticing the other person his age sitting where he usually plopped down in the mornings.
“For today,” she said, her concerned expression softened as she looked at Monica’s little brother.
“Works for me. See ya J!” He waved once as he walked back through the door.
“Go to study hall!” she shouted after Ethan.
He turned and shrugged, smiling mischievously at her through the glass.
“So, you just… work here.” Ricky spoke again. “At a school. Like a human?”
Jules glanced out the glass door before responding. The students were already tucked into their homerooms, leaving the halls pretty much vacant. “I do. I’ve been here for three years now.” Jules tentatively sat across from the boy.
“And the students don’t die off mysteriously or anything?” He sounded skeptical.
“I don’t feed off humans. Or werewolves for that matter.”
He looked up at her for the first time since he’d sat down. He searched her eyes. Looking for what? She wasn’t sure.
“Juliana Bristow. Or Jules, as it were.” She smiled as unthreateningly as possible.
“I’m Ricky Harrison,” he said but didn’t offer his hand.
“What brings you here, Ricky?”
Ricky just looked at her, baffled.
“You’re obviously new here for some reason.”
“My father was murdered. Yesterday. By a vampire.”
Empathetically, Jules wanted to comfort the boy. And yet, if his story was true, he was probably feeling very scared, insecure, and sad right now. “You have nothing to fear from me.”
“Awesome,” he said sarcastically.
She searched for something else to say and then remembered that she was playing the part of a school librarian. “How about you help me out. You can shelve some books for me?”
Ricky yawned involuntarily, pulled his phone out of his bag, put his earbuds in his ears, and music started to blare.
“Or we can do that later,” Jules said to no one, since Ricky was obviously no longer listening. Just then, Jules’s in-house messenger dinged from her computer. She took the excuse to leave the boy alone and walked back to her desk to pull up her staff messenger. She had a message from Belinda waiting for her. “So, this kid’s transcripts just came in from his last school. He was at the top of his class. Go figure. I’ve attached his class schedule and book list. He can start tomorrow. Hope you’re doing okay with him.”
Jules looked over at Ricky, who was typing out a message of his own. This was going to be a long day.
LUCA
Luca was sleeping late due to the previous night’s celebration. If dreams were a choice, he would have chosen to dream of Jules. But instead, his subconscious haunted him with his greatest shame. Forcing him to relive his greatest pain, over and over again. Luca dreamt of a picturesque little cabin, secluded from prying eyes. It lay in the Canadian forest of Ontario. A loving family lived there; it was his family, this had been his home.
A woman stood in the cabin doorway waving at him. Jenna Cain, Luca’s mother, looked as radiant as she had on that day. His father, Bill, a strong and wise leader, clapped him on the shoulder. In the dream, Luca jumped at the unexpected contact. He looked over and saw blood pooling on his father’s forehead. Bill seemed unconcerned. Luca looked again, the blood was gone.
The dream shifted, and Luca saw a face, one he’d never been able to forget. The face of the human girl Luca had fallen in love with. Luca and Rosemary fell in love young, and they loved each other recklessly. He lived for the look she got in her eyes when they were together. That look he saw now in his sleep. For the briefest of moments her face became another’s, her hair wasn’t blonde but red, her eyes lightened, her features softened. Jules.
“Rosemary, I have to tell you something,” the teenage version of him said. The face turned back into the tall blonde. He didn’t want to have secrets from Rosemary, not even this one. “There is something about me you don’t know.”
“Really?” she asked coyly.
In his dream, adult Luca was screaming at his younger self to stay quiet. The course of events that followed this act of trust would destroy everything Luca loved.
“You’re a liar, Luca Cain,” Rosemary screamed. “Never speak to me again!”
“Wait, Rosie, I can prove it to you!” he called after her.
“How?”
Then he did the one thing he’d promised his father he never would. He showed Rosemary the truth. He turned into a wolf before her eyes.
Rosemary screamed and fell into hysterics. “You’re a monster! I’ll destroy you if you ever come near me again!” And then she ran.
Luca had ignored her threats but had tried to keep his distance. He had wanted to believe that once the shock wore off, she would come