Howl - Brieanna Boyce (free novel 24 TXT) 📗

someone killed, and Tristan was not the person I thought he was but I still couldn’t manage to hate him. I knew what he’d said in the basement about loving me and chaining me up for my good was a lie; but I wanted nothing more than to believe him and if Ashley wasn’t involved I probably would’ve stayed. I would’ve let him chain me up and beat me; as twisted as that is. I probably upset Kale, and now I could never see him again because it would endanger his life and the rest of the lives of the pack. The vampires would follow me; I knew that much for sure.

Ashley sighed, “come on let’s get a room.”

I shook my head looking around the beautiful town, I could tell by the style of the buildings that it was a beach town; I could smell the beach, the salt and fresh air. The town seemed laid back; the town itself took on the personality of the beach. The weather was still descent here not as cold as New York had been.

“How long has it been?”

Ashley didn’t have to explain much further what she meant, she meant my first change, I had never thought about what time it was.

“Um… I think it’s been a month, maybe two now.”

Ashley looked at me like I was an idiot, “You don’t know?”

I shrugged and then stopped and smiled when I saw the beach.

It was so serene and peaceful, I couldn’t help it I ran onto the beach and twirled until I fell smiling I then looked at the water, it was peaceful. The mist was relaxing and the sky was painted in an array of reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks. It seemed to me like a sign, for now life will be peaceful.

After awhile I sat up and we headed to a hotel nearby, it was quite charming we could only afford a room with one queen bed, the walls were blue and there was a vase filled with flowers and a nice view of the beach. I turned to thank Ashley but she had already gone to take a shower so I collapsed onto the bed exhausted. I closed my eyes and let my consciousness drift away.

I was in fire it didn’t burn particularly but it pulled me under, I looked down and saw Tristan clinging to my ankle terrified and looked up to see Kale holding my hand trying to help me up. Then I felt a tug like someone trying to tug at something, I knew right away who it was. Tristan was trying to get in my dreams; well he would not get the chance. I woke up agitated and looked at Ashley who was drying her hair.

“What’s wrong?” she said brushing her hair.

“I forgot to mention that Tristan has the gift to show up and dictate your dreams.”

Ashley turned around her eyes wide, “Tristan… you mean one of those vampires?”

I nodded, “The leader.”

She looked as though she might faint; she walked over to the bed and sat down next to me. “So what do I do?”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair , “Just watch out for it try to keep up a mental block up I know it seems difficult but if he does appear don’t answer any questions he may have.”

She nodded and lied down and I took her hand and she tightened her grip on mine. We faced the world of dreams together.

I got a job at a nearby restaurant, and Ashley worked at a toy shop nearby and so we lived in the hotel room, it was a comfy enough life I became the family Ashley never had and she became the family I had taken away.

I told her everything and she told me everything. She was orphaned and was put in foster care, but she was sick of people pretending to be family and getting close to people only to leave them. So she ran away living on her own I told her of my much different life.

One day I was working and waited a table, when I approached it there sat Tristan holding a menu nonchalantly looking just as lovely as always. He was trying to fight off an arrogant smirk seeming rather pleased with himself.

“What do you want?” I hissed narrowing my eyes.

Tristan pouted no doubt feigning hurt “How are you Rayne? What’s new with your life? I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m supposed to be happy to see you?” I said incredulously, “You locked me in a basement, you watched me bleed, and then you tried to force me to drink someone’s blood. So why in the hell should I be happy to see you?”

Tristan shrugged, “You’ll forgive me.”

I walked off and then as if it couldn’t get worse Kale grabbed my wrist, “Can I talk to you?” I looked over my soldier where Rayne was he wasn’t looking this way so I nodded and grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go Kale.”

Kale and I headed outside, and although seeing him made me nervous and even though I knew it wasn’t safe to see him I was happy, I’d missed him. I tried to think with logic but I’d underestimated Kale’s calming effect on me.

He smirked boyishly and hugged me, and I hugged back reveling the feel of his arms around me. He exuberated warmth from every pore as if he himself brought light and warmth. He was like a bright shining star in a black cold sky.

“I missed you,” Kale muttered.

“Kale there’s so much I haven’t told you… and I was so afraid that you wouldn’t…” I felt tears well up , “So much has happened I can’t tell you now… but I’m staying in room 207 at the beachside bay hotel, go there and wait for me at 10:00 okay?”

Kale cupped my face, “Okay but no matter what you have to say I won’t turn my back on you.”

I sighed and looked away, “I really hope so… I really missed you too Kale.”

I went inside and went back to Tristan’s table “What would you like to drink?”

Tristan looked at me, “as you can imagine I didn’t come here for a drink.”

“Well sir, you have to order something.”

Tristan looked over the menu, “fine whatever I’ll have a coke now Skylar you have to listen to me… please.”

I looked at the expression on his face and knew he was serious and as long as I’ve known him I don’t remember him asking for anything.

“Fine,” I sighed.

Tristan leaned over and muttered, “The mysterious “disappearances” of the vampires in New York has seriously concerned the Queen of the Vampires.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, “wait there’s a vampire queen?”

Tristan nodded solemnly.
“Wait why is she concerned I only killed like… three vampires I think.”

“That isn’t the point,” Rayne shook his head his blonde hair swaying with it. “Vampires never just disappear and usually the person or people are found and the fact they can’t find the bodies isn’t helping your case either.”

I ran a hand through my hair, “So is she coming to New York?”

Rayne shook his head, “No she’s staying in Romania but she is sending some of her oldest and most important officials there.”

I started shaking, I felt as though I would faint and it seemed the world was spilling around me. There was a queen of Vampires, and she wanted me. She didn’t know it yet but that’s what she wanted.

“How do you know all this?” I muttered.

Rayne’s mood seemed to darken, “I know how that witch works.” He got up and cupped the side of my face stroking my cheek with his thumb. His gaze was strongly locked into mine, his eyebrows scrunched over his nose and his lips were set in a grim frown.

“Be careful Skylar I can no longer attempt to protect you.”

I nodded, “I understand,” and I did just because I would risk my life for him does not mean he’d do the same for me, and I was thankful for that; at least he would be safe.

Rayne leaned down and kissed me, I wanted to be closer, for him to kiss me passionately, but that wasn’t going to happen, instead he held my shoulders back so that only our lips were touching. His kiss was slow and he wasn’t bad at kissing but it just wasn’t the way I’d anticipated it.

He pulled away and walked out of the room, no “goodbye,” or “good luck with that vampire queen,” or even “I lied I hate you go die,” anything was better than him just silently leaving.

Unfortunately, my world spinning around me and the fact that I may very soon get kidnapped and eventually killed by vampires wasn’t going to change the fact I had to work and I had to help pay for the hotel room Ashley and I had stayed at.

A huge group of teenagers sat at a table and ordered a large amount of food and were disruptive. Nevertheless I kept smiling and managed to be quite civil Mother Teresa would’ve been impressed by my unrelenting patience. However when I went to collect my money for my “tip” they left me a sticky note that read, “Try showing more cleavage and wear high heels.”

I considered hunting that person down and giving them a piece of my mind but I just continued working and it seemed the day trudged by as slowly as possible as if just to torment me. The clock ticking by at a painfully slow rate and just when I thought I’d rip all the hair out of my head the clock told me that I could go home, and the person who was taking the shift after arrived and I impatiently ran out the door. I didn’t even bother going the human speed I ran into an alley and jumped on top of the hood of a dumpster and leapt onto the roof of the building neighboring it.

I ran and jumped from roof to roof and then I stop. I looked down at Ashley, who was getting out of work wearing a light sweatshirt, leggings, a jean skirt, and a white hat, Her long, dull, blonde hair seemed to caress her face. Her big green eyes looked around warily and then I dropped off the roof and landed on my feet next to her. Ashley whipped around and faced me, her eyes wide.

“Jeez Skylar,” Ashley gasped “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

I chuckled, “Sorry, I’ll try to remember that next time.”

Ashley smiled wide, the kind of smile that is genuine, the kind of smile that tells you stories about the person, I wondered how she could smile sometimes having been so alone and gone through so much. She looked so different then she had that first day we met, her cheeks were a much healthier pink, her green eyes were vibrant and enthralling and her smile was all encompassing.

“It was because of you,” the she wolf muttered softly.

I shook my head abandoning the thought with dread, if I was the reason she was happy then I’d soon have to leave her worse for the wear. I didn’t want to leave her but I had to or we’d both die.

“Are you okay?”