A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable (7 page)

“We can’t have a real watchdog ‘cause they’re afraid of you.” Gavin chuckled.

I slapped the top of his head and he swatted my arm. “If all of you keep your bedroom doors locked, the only one in danger would be the intruder,” I said.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Aunt Mina said, then averted her gaze.

I jerked forward in my seat to get closer and she jolted. Aunt Mina seemed a bit jumpy. Maybe my morphing the night before, just outside the back door, had freaked her out. I poked my head between the two front seats and she sucked in air. It was a tiny gasp, but I heard it.

My breath hitched. A hot poker piercing my heart was an easier concept than my aunt being afraid of me.

But I couldn’t blame her.

Still, it made my heart heavy. For the next few minutes, I stared unseeing out the car window until she pulled to the curb in front of our school.

Beatrice grunted as soon as her mom drove off. “We’ll talk about it later. That’s code for her not wanting to talk about it at all. Same thing I used to hear every time I used to mention getting my own car.” She gave me a sympathetic look, then strutted away to meet up with her friends.

If it was a dead issue for Aunt Mina, did it mean that from now on, I’d be locked in the basement against my will?

Winnie tugged on my arm. “We should go.”

As I let Winnie drag me toward the school, I took comfort in the fact that Aunt Mina wasn’t strong enough to force me into the basement. But it still pained me that she would want to.

****

After school, Aunt Mina waited for us at the curb. She’d already picked up Gavin.

I was last to climb in the car, just as Aunt Mina was announcing a change in plans. We were all going to the mall to shop. Yes, the island had a mall — spectacular enough to tempt even me.

But not today. I just wanted to get home, away from people.

My face scrunched up in mental pain as I backed out of the car. “I’ll walk home.”

“Sweetheart, you need a dress for the ball.” Aunt Mina being so nice made me want to please her. Still, it wasn’t enough to make me go to a public place with so many people.

Walks, especially long ones, worked out well for me. Jogs were better. The compulsion to shift could be over-powering at times. Every night before bedtime, my natural urges would wear down my willpower and I’d shift, at least for a little while. Burning up all that energy on a walk made me calmer. My room would be much less trashed in the morning if I wore myself out beforehand.

About a block away from the school, I froze and inhaled deeply. Vampire. And it was the same one as last night.

“Show yourself!” I pivoted in a circle, scanning the houses and looking for anyone sitting in their car or standing on the streets.

He appeared suddenly, leaning against the side of a limo. The vamp wore a black suit and a matching fedora pulled low over his forehead, almost obscuring the dark glasses. He pushed off the long, black car and walked toward me. By the way he ambled across the street, he wasn’t worried about the sun.

“But you don’t want to mess with me,” I growled and made an effort to slow my breathing, so he wouldn’t sense the panic roaring through my veins. “I’d put up a fight.”

“I bet you would.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “But I’d still win.”

“Werewolf bites don’t always sit well with vamps. I’m sure I could get in at least one good chomp. Might not kill you, but it would make a mess.” I angled myself, so if he did strike, he’d have a smaller target. “Tell me what you want. I don’t have all day.”

“No, thanks,” I said coolly. Vampires gave me the creeps. They smelled weird and, given half the chance, they’d eat my family. They weren’t my friends.

“Suit yourself.” He chuckled as he got into the limo that had already turned around and relocated to this side of the street to meet him.

The limo cruised away and I continued walking. When the houses became sparse, I secured my backpack over my shoulders and jogged home.

It was a long way to my house. I might not need to morph later at all. Oh, who was I kidding? Morphing into my wolf form was a rush, like that first kiss with the boy you love. I physically craved the wolf. Since that first day I’d begun morphing, I’d never missed a day.

After a few more blocks, the fences of our property came into view. The house needed a bit of work — paint and repairs here and there — but it had a lot of bedrooms, even if they were on the small side. We each had our own, plus there were two guest bedrooms.

As I neared the gate, memories of my mom flitted through my mind. She’d bought the estate a couple years after my father had left her and she’d finally given up on him returning. She’d intended to convert the house into a Bed and Breakfast, but she’d met Gavin’s father instead, so we stayed in Florida. Knowing I’d be a werewolf like my dad, my mom kept the house. She wanted me to have the connections the island could provide.

When Aunt Mina got divorced, my mom suggested that my aunt relocate to the island and move into her house, so she wouldn’t have to stress about rent. We weren’t using it anyway. And Aunt Mina loved the old Victorian so much, she fixed it up. In the end, my mom left the house to the three of us — Aunt Mina, Gavin and me.

Crap. The black limo was parked in our circular driveway. Why?

For a split second, I considered morphing into a wolf and taking off for a while — at least until the vamp left. But what if my family came home early? He wanted something and getting rid of him wouldn’t be easy — as he’d just demonstrated by showing up at my house.

I picked up speed and when I stopped a few feet before the limo, I wasn’t even winded. At least there were perks to being a werewolf.

He stepped out of the limo. The fedora no longer hid his short white-blond hair or his charcoal gray eyes. He didn’t seem as tall as when I’d seen him earlier, but he didn’t need height to send a chill up my spine.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“While I was in the area, I thought I’d see if you’re going to the ball this weekend.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” I swooshed by him on my way to the front door. “If that’s all you want, you can leave now. You can’t be here when my aunt gets back.” I knew my tone was disrespectful, but he wouldn’t tell me what he wanted. He deserved worse than a bad attitude.

He grabbed my arm. “Careful, little girl.”

I growled. “I could’ve already bitten you. Let me go.”

“I’m an Old One. Even if you managed to open your jaw, I’d break your neck and rip out your heart before you ever got a mangy tooth in me.” He released my arm, then chuckled softly. “You’re feisty. I’ll give you that.”

“Just ensuring that the royal family gets what
they
want. And they want a ball with all the eligible girls on the island.
All
of them.” He turned toward the waiting limo.

“Are you threatening everyone on the island or am I just special?” I glared at his back.

“I’ll be back in a couple days to see if you still feel the same way,” he threw over his shoulder. “Maybe you’ll change your mind.

Now I
really
didn’t want to go to the stupid ball. If this vampire wanted me there, that was reason enough for me to pass. “Not likely.”

“Oh, I think you’ll have a change of heart.” He moved to get in the back of the limo, then threw a smile over his shoulder. “I can be very persuasive.”

I dashed inside my house and locked all the door windows. Did vampires have to be invited in? I thought they couldn’t be out in the sun either, but he’d just confirmed that idea a myth.

Exhausted from the stress of the vamp’s visit, I flopped onto the sofa. I’d probably sleep very well.

Chapter
Seven

Remy

I knew everyone who passed in and out of our castle to meet with my father, but this was the first time I’d been included in one of his government meetings. One day, I’d take my father’s place — I could live forever, but a sorcerer would only live a few centuries — and I needed to know the inner workings of our country. Well, unless someone murdered me and staged a hostile takeover before I inherited the throne. Ugly thought.

My father motioned for me to sit next to him. I cleared my throat and moved to obey.

Stop staring at your feet and lift your chin, Remy,
Dunston’s voice boomed silently into my head.
Straighten your shoulders and stand tall. Make eye contact with a couple of them, then take your seat. When your eyes meet, you should never be the first to look away. That’s a sign of weakness. One day, these men will answer to you. Now is the time to demand their respect, before you need it.

I inhaled deeply and gathered my inner strength. Dunston was right. If I lost the respect of the king’s advisors and top officials, I had no hope of ever taking control. If anything happened to my father, I’d be dead before he was buried. What would become of our peaceful island then?

Remember,
Dunston added.
We don’t know where the threat is coming from. The traitor could be one of our own. Don’t trust anyone. Not until we can rule them out as traitors.

I made my way through the conference room, down the length of the oversized table, toward the only empty chair. Out of my peripheral vision, I noted that every single person was staring at me. Five men and three women. I picked the man next to my father and kept my gaze on him. He finally looked away as I sat.

One down. Seven to go.

An hour later, I suppressed a yawn and decided I could live the rest of my life without another meeting like that. They had covered security problems at the airport, a lawsuit at one of our hotels, a murder at one of the vamp bars and a string of robberies on the east coast.

When I thought I couldn’t bear it anymore and my eyes had glazed over, the men began to rise.

“Thank you, gentlemen, ladies. Remain seated, Remy.” The king nodded at each of them. When they’d all left, he turned to me and smiled. “Nice job, son. You handled yourself very well.”

“That was Dunston,” I said, leaning back in the chair and hoping I didn’t slip into a coma. “Always advising.”

“His specialty. Now, about the ball.” He raised an eyebrow at Dunston. “All the girls on the island will be there? You’ve seen to it?”

“Everyone is confirmed and eager, except one young lady who is giving me some difficulty.” Dunston chuckled softly. “I’m sure she’ll see things my way.”

“Good.” The king turned to me. “You will be gracious to every single one of them. Make sure you’re well fed, so you’re not tempted to feed off any of your potential brides. Plan to do a lot of dancing. It’s a fine way to see what a girl is made of.”

I pushed back my shoulders and sat straighter. “Sure. I’ll be there and I’ll dance. But you can’t make me marry any of them.”

“You, young man, have no say in the matter,” he hissed, then swiveled in his chair to face Dunston. “Anything new from Intelligence?”

Dunston pushed back in his chair and swung a leg up to rest on his other knee. “As you know, the letter came from somewhere on the island. I had the lab collect samples. So far, we’ve found traces of soil that we’ve narrowed down to a five mile radius of the castle. And we have some DNA. We just don’t know to whom it belongs, but it’s clearly werewolf.”

“That’s not helpful, since the island is overrun with the beasts.” My father grimaced.

“Beasts, Dad?” I shot him a look. “Don’t be prejudiced. You, of all people, with your endless lectures on how we’re all equal.”

He sighed. “Point taken. Except that it’s the werewolves who are after my throne. Let’s not forget, it was one of their pups who almost killed you.”

I could never win an argument with my dad, not when he used reasoning like that. Still, I knew there were many good werewolves out there. Though Cinderella had lost control and hurt me, I knew she was a good person. Or werewolf. She couldn’t be the only good one.

Dunston glanced to his king and waited for his nod of approval before turning to me. “The letter said that I’ve upset the natural order and will be punished. That I shall pay for my sins with my life.”

“The note was to you?” I asked.