Vampires, werewolves, and love... the makings of a perfect story! |
Chapter 1 Fur flying, wind howling, leaves falling, and an adrenaline rush; these are what I cherish most about running, the wind running through her hair. She always loved it. There was nothing like it. The trees flew by her. She didn’t know why, but this time she was running for a reason. She just didn’t know what the reason was. She just saw pine trees, maple trees, and oak trees zoom by as she ran as fast as her four legs could carry her. That’s another thing she didn’t understand, why did she have four legs instead of the two she usually ran on? What was she? What had she become in this dream? As she came upon a clearing, she saw wolves and wondered if that is what she became, a wolf. When she got closer, they all turned to her and turned back to humans. When she stopped, she noticed that she was on two feet once again as well. Her brown hair blew around her face, seeming to frame it. She looked around and saw the others staring at her with wide eyes. “What are you doing back, Amelia?” One asked with pure hatred in his voice. “I don’t know. Who are you people?” She asked. She was trying to figure out what this all meant. “If you don’t know, then why would we tell you?” Another snapped. “I want to know! What the hell am I?” She practically screamed at them all. “We are not the ones to tell you, little one.” An old voice said from behind her. Her head whipped around as she saw an old woman walk through the crowd. She got a feeling of love for reasons she did not know. “Who are you?” She asked apprehensively. “My child, I am not the one to tell you, as I just stated.” She snapped but still had a loving look in her eyes. “Follow the moon child, follow the moon.” Everyone started to disappear. “Wait!” She yelled as she tried to grab the old woman. “No, you can’t go! What the hell am I?” Her hands went straight through the woman and gripped only air. All started going black around her and she just heard silence. She couldn’t stand the loudness of the silence so she put her hands over her ears and screamed so loud, she swore she heard something break somewhere. Amelia woke up slowly. She sat up and groaned. What a dream! She looked at the clock and saw she was late for work. “Damn!” She shouted as she rushed to her closet for something to wear. “Christian is going to kill me for being late again!” She said. Christian was her boss. She was tall, skinny, and mean when she wanted to be. She scared Amelia sometimes but always thought of Christian as a friend. As she brushed her unruly hair, she threw it back in a high ponytail and let her bangs frame her face. She quickly put a little make up on; she usually never wore much to begin with. She checked herself in the mirror by her door and headed out. As she arrived at the bar, she noticed a very nice candy apple red convertible Mustang GT. ‘I’ve seen that car before, but where?’ She thought to herself as she walked in. “Amelia!” A voice boomed over the music and crowd. It was none other than Christian Smith herself. “Where the hell have you been?” “I overslept again! Sorry, I promise it won’t happen again, Christian!” Amelia yelled as she grabbed a pad and pen to take orders with and walked over to a table with only one man there. “May I help you sir?” She said sweetly. She gasped when he raised his eyes to her. “May I have another Absinthe?” He asked politely. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. They almost glowed they were so bright. His jaw was angled, and his hair was blond, straight, and down to his chin almost to his shoulders. She nodded and jotted it down. “Would you like a menu, sir?” She asked. “Please, call me Rafael.” He said nonchalantly. “And yes, I would like a menu, thanks.” He smiled at her and she felt like she had seen that smile before. “I’ll get that menu for you, s- I mean, Rafael.” She blushed as she walked over to Christian. “I need to get Mr. Rafael over there a menu and another shot of Absinthe.” Christian’s head whipped around at the name. “Rafael? As in Rafael Rodriguez?” “I don’t know, Christian, I don’t normally ask for last names, you know that. Why? Is he of some importance?” Amelia asked as she got the shot of Absinthe and the menu and walked off. “You have no idea how important he is, Amelia, you have no idea.” Christian muttered under her breath. “Here you go, Rafael, one shot of Absinthe, and one menu. Do you need a few minutes to look it over?” She asked sweetly and blushed when his smile went ear to ear. God he was gorgeous! “Yes I do need a few minutes. Would you mind sitting and talking with me?” He asked gesturing to the seat beside him. Amelia looked around. “I’m sorry, but I have other customers to attend to. Maybe I could take a rain check?” He smiled and nodded. “I’ll hold you to that, Amelia Buckner.” He said as he opened the menu. She stopped dead in her tracks. How did this guy know her last name? She never told him! She walked over to Christian and told her. “I’ll take it from here, baby girl; you just go and get the other tables.” Christian said as she walked over to Rafael. “Rafael! What the hell are you doing here? You know it’s against the rules!” She hissed at him. “I’m just making polite conversation, Chris, no need to get your thong in a twist.” He snapped back, his blue eyes flashing. “Does she remember anything?” “I haven’t asked in a while. All I know is that she knows she can’t remember her life before the last full moon. Is it supposed to be that way?” “Yes it is. She remembers her family, but nothing about who she is, what she is, and what she will become if she finds out.” Rafael explained again. He hated repeating himself and that is just what he had been doing for the past three years. “What happens if she finds out?” Christian asked sheepishly. “I’m going to leave now. I’ll be back soon, very soon.” He started going out but turned around. “Christian,” He said as he grew fangs and his eyes turned ice blue. “She better not remember anything until I talk to her.” Christian shivered as he walked out. “Damn vampires! No wonder I hate them!” She hissed under her breath. She knew he dodged her question, her only question was, why? She walked back to the bar with his still full shot glass. “Amelia!” She shouted over the noise. ‘Screw this; I’m going to tell her everything. What they are doing is wrong.’ She thought to herself. “Get your skinny ass over here so I can tell you something.” Amelia laughed and walked over after taking the order of two big burly biker men. “What is it now, Chris?” When Christian looked the girl in the eyes, she thought of the ice blue ones that just threatened her. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. “I-I-I just wanted to say I am proud of you for coming to me when that guy freaked you out. Most girls just try to handle it and end up getting hurt. I am glad that I finally found a smart girl to work in my bar!” She laughed nervously as she said it hoping that Amelia wouldn’t see that it wasn’t all she wanted to tell her. Her life was peaceful for the next month, what gave Christian the right to make it hell? Amelia looked taken aback. “Thanks, I think… I just thought you should know when guys are sketchy around me and the other girls.” She explained. She looked at Christian’s eyes and knew there was something else the woman wanted to tell her. “What’s wrong, Chris? You can tell me anything!” “Some things are better left unsaid, girlie, some things are better left unsaid.” She said cryptically. “Now, get back to work.” Amelia cocked her head to the side and walked away. “I wonder what that was about…” She said to herself as she neared a table with one man, again. “What is it with men? Do they just show up to harass me?” The man looked up and she got a flashback, of what she didn’t know. It was a summer day. It was warm and windy. The trees rocked with the wind and the sun shone the brightest it ever had in London. Amelia was walking down a road and saw a house in the distance. She ran up to a man getting out of a car and he kissed her passionately. As they went inside, she saw her parents and instantly wanted to cry. They had been dead for three years. Why are they here? When they sat down to dinner, she was surprised when the man proposed a toast to her and her family for their well being. “Sammy, sit down!” Her mother said playfully. “You’re embarrassing an old woman!” He just laughed and they ate joyfully. After dinner, he took Amelia on a walk in the moonlight. There he told her his secret, but she couldn’t hear the words. Then everything went black. She shook her head and walked over to the table. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, sir.” “Waiting? It took you like ten seconds to walk over here. I haven’t been waiting long at all!” He said jovially. ‘Ok, I guess that flashback, or whatever it was, didn’t take as long as I thought it would.’ She thought to herself. “Can I get you a menu, sir? Can I get you something to drink?” “That would be great!” He said enthusiastically. “Would you mind getting me a Jack and Coke please?” She smirked at his drink of choice. “Right away, sir.” She turned around. “Oh, please call me Sammy.” He said politely. “And thanks.” He smiled sweetly. Amelia blushed as she walked away. “Chris, I need a Jack and Coke please!” She shouted as she went to retrieve a menu. “That’s coming right up, girlie.” Christian said as she poured the drink and slid it down the bar until Amelia caught it and laughed. She walked over to Sammy. “Here you go sir; your drink and menu. Do you need a few minutes to look it over?” “No, I don’t think so. You can stay and talk for a minute can’t you?” Sammy asked sweetly as he winked at Amelia. Amelia froze. Hadn’t that Rafael guy just asked her that? Sammy’s smile disappeared. “Are you alright, ms?” He stood up and walked over to her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “I-I-I’m fine. Really, I’m alright. Sure I’ll stay and talk a minute. All the other tables are already being taken care of by Chris.” She pointed at the girl behind the bar. “That is Chris? I’ve heard she is a very good bartender, but that might be just old drunks talking.” He said as he watched her laugh. How he had missed that laugh. Amelia saw him smile at her laughing and saw something that she didn’t recognize flash through his chocolate brown eyes. She loved his eyes. They were beautiful and full of life and… did she see a little danger or was that just her mind playing tricks? He looked into her grey eyes and saw her happiness. He smiled slowly and saw her gaze longingly into his eyes as if she wanted to be taken from here. He didn’t blame her after what the stupid bastards did to her, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. He wanted to focus on the beautiful girl in front of him. “So, how did a beautiful girl like you, end up working in a bar like this?” He asked thoroughly interested. “Well, I was looking for a decent job to pay for college, and then something happened, I don’t remember what, and I have been working here ever since. Christian found me one night not knowing who or where I was and gave me a job and I slowly remembered who I was, but never remembered how I got here.” She was shocked that she just told a man she barely knew so much about herself. She felt at ease with him and she didn’t know why. “Well, that is an interesting story. I bet you have a lot more. Would you maybe want to hang out sometime when you are off work?” He asked hoping she would accept. “I would love to! What did you say your name was again?” She said jovially. “My name is Sammy Parker.” He replied just as happily. Amelia froze. She remembered the vision that came to her when she first saw him. ‘Could it be true?’ She asked herself. ‘If it’s true, then he knows my parents and how they died, because I don’t.’ “I’m Amelia, Amelia Buckner.” She extended her hand and he shook it. “Well, Amelia Buckner, how does a picnic in The Victoria Tower Gardens around seven sound to you?” He asked praying she would say yes. “I would love it! I’ll meet you there! Is it formal or casual dress?” She asked sheepishly. She didn’t like for people to see her in formal clothing. “It’s semi-formal.” He replied and noticed her smile waver. ‘Ahhh, so she still has that fear of people seeing her in formal attire? This should be interesting.’ “Ok, I shall see you there at seven.” She said and looked at Chris who was motioning towards another table full of men. “Oh dear, I have to go. I have another table to wait on. I will be back in a few to take your order.” “Oh that isn’t necessary. I need to go anyway. I’m late for a meeting.” He said and stood up at the same time she did. He put some money down on the table and handed her a twenty dollar bill. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Amelia.” She looked down at it. “That isn’t necessary…” She looked up and noticed he was gone. “Well that was fast.” “Oi! Are we going to get any bloody service or not, wench?” One of the men from a table yelled. “Here we go again, these assholes again.” She muttered as she walked over to them thinking about tomorrow. Sammy quickly left the bar in search of his fellow friends. He followed their scent into a clearing in the woods. “My friends,” He greeted when he saw about five others in front of him including an old lady. “Grandmother,” He acknowledged. “Did you find her?” One of the friends asked. He was taller than Sammy, but Sammy had more muscle than him. He had two different colored eyes. One was blue and the other was brown. He was born with it and loved it. “Yes, Thomas, I did find her.” Sammy replied. “Does she remember anything?” Thomas pushed for information on a regular basis. “I think she remembers some things. She sees them as dreams I’m guessing.” He replied. “You’re guessing?” Thomas asked outraged. “Where do you get off guessing about my baby sister?” “I’m just guessing! It’s part of the curse supposedly! She sees memories as dreams so she doesn’t know what reality is and what the real world is!” Sammy yelled at Thomas to shut him up, but it didn’t work. “Why do you even care?” Thomas roared hoping Sammy would admit it for once. “You really want to know? I am still in love with her! That is why I care so damn much! If you loved her half as much as I do, you would have already found a way out of this bloody curse!” Sammy roared back. Thomas advanced on him but the old lady held him back. “Not now, my child. We must wait for her.” The old woman said. “We must wait for her to come to us. Only then will we be able to try to lift the curse if she is willing to get rid of it.” “That has never worked, Lady Katarina.” Thomas said, his voice almost loving towards the old woman. “That is because the other times, the damned vampires have interfered.” Lady Katarina said and hatred filled her voice. “They interfered, grandma, because they are the ones that put the curse her.” Sammy said, the hatred in his voice matching the old woman’s. “Well, if you hadn’t put her in danger by telling her our secret, then we wouldn’t be in this situation would we?” Thomas roared. “She is your sister! When would you tell her that on her twenty-first birthday, she would turn into a werewolf? Huh? When?” Sammy challenged. “I would have told her. She was only seventeen. There was enough time to tell her and still have enough time to process it.” Thomas said. “I just wanted her to have a life outside of ours, man. I just wanted her to go unhunted, but when she freaked when you told her, she told hunters.” “I thought she loved me! She told me she would put up with anything! I told her and I’m sorry!” Sammy said as tears started misting in his eyes as he thought of the day that hunters killed his parents three and a half years ago. “Since she didn’t know, she thought you were lying. So she broke up with you and told everyone you were a nutcase for thinking you were a werewolf and accidentally told hunters without knowing. You couldn’t have known what she was going to do. She had her own parents killed and didn’t know what she did wrong.” Lady Katarina said. “I don’t understand why the vampires put the curse on her in the first place though.” Thomas said. “One of them was in love with her even though he knew she would become one of us. His name is Rafael Rodriguez. He loved her very much and when he found out what happened, he put the curse on her so she wouldn’t know that it was her fault that her parents died and yours.” She explained. “A vampire coven leader loved my baby sister?!” Thomas roared, physically shaking with anger. “Why that insolent bastard! He is going to die by my own hands.” “You are not going to kill a vampire leader unless he threatens you and you have proof otherwise you shall start a war.” Katarina said calmly. “How can you be so calm about this?” Thomas said harshly. “I remember how we can get her back and you are going to help me. When we get her back, she is not going to be with Rafael, she is going to be with you, Sammy.” Katarina said as joy filled her eyes. “Let’s get back to our beds, tomorrow and the days following are going to be very long and trying.” They all left the clearing save one man, Sammy. “Amelia, he said under his breath, I vow to bring you back to us. I would die before seeing you in the hands of a vampire.” He looked up at the starry night and walked out of the clearing. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of ice blue eyes was watching the entire meeting. “Gentlemen,” A voice boomed out over a crowd as Rafael entered a clearing on the other side of the forest. “And ladies, we are gathered here because a source close to me says that the little werewolf is going to remember what we are trying to make her forget.” “Why is she so important, William?” A girl’s voice screeched out about the crowd as they murmured their agreement to the question. “My dear, do you not know the full extent of why werewolves hate us so much?” William asked in his silky deep voice. He stood about 6’5 and was all muscle. There wasn’t an ounce of body fat on the man. His hair was ebony black and his skin was pale. The woman shook her head. “Why do they hate us so, William? We are not repulsive!” “My dear girl, they hate us so much because of what we can do to them.” William said. “Werewolves don’t change until their twenty-first birthday. When we are born, we are vampires from the moment we enter this earth. If a vampire bites a werewolf before their twenty-first birthday, then the werewolf becomes vampire instead. The girl nears her twenty-first birthday and one of us, who I have already chosen, will bite her before then.” William stepped back and let Rafael take the stand. “It is true, my friends, I am to bite Amelia Buckner before the eve of her twenty-first birthday.” “Why you? Why not someone else?” The girl questioned once again. “I am to bite her on the account that I am in love with her. I am the only one capable of doing it to where she won’t feel pain.” Rafael explained calmly. “You forget the reason we bite is to inflict pain! If the bitch wants to be one of us, then why not let her feel the pain of becoming one of us?” The woman squealed. Rafael was so fast that no one saw him until he had the woman by the throat hoisting her up into the air. “How dare you, you stupid whore? How dare you talk about her like that! You will be punished for this!” “Put her down, my son.” William said. “I will deal with her later. For now, go prepare for the ceremony.” “What ceremony?” A male voice asked. “That was my next point. Not only will we be taking a member of the werewolf clan, we will also make her a vampire coven queen. She will be Rafael’s queen. The werewolves killed my mate; it is only fair that they lose someone dear to them as well. Go prepare my son.” Rafael nodded and threw the woman on the ground. He strode out of the clearing and they heard him run off. “This meeting is adjourned! Until we meet again my friends.” William said as he disappeared. “How dare that woman talk about Amelia that way!” He said quietly to himself. When he got to the road, he saw a woman walking down the lane. “Speak of the devil.” Amelia was walking home when she heard footsteps behind her. She slightly turned her head and saw Rafael coming towards her. She picked up her pace but he still stayed behind her. “Amelia!” He shouted behind her but she kept going. She started running, but he got in front of her and stopped her. “Leave me alone or I will call the cops!” “I’m not going to hurt you! Why are you scared of me?” He asked inspecting her face. “You knew my name and I don’t even know you! Why the hell shouldn’t I be scared? A perfect stranger knows my whole name when I didn’t tell him!” She shouted at him. She just wanted him to go away but he wasn’t and she was truly terrified. He smelt her fear and it tore at his heart. He did not want her to fear him. That was the last thing he wanted. “We knew each other when we were children? Don’t you remember me? I was your best friend in high school.” “I don’t remember you. I’m usually good with faces, but I don’t remember you.” She searched her memory but it was blank. “Do you have a yearbook or something?” Rafael asked desperately. Why wasn’t she remembering him? She should remember him! “No, I don’t know what happened to them.” She said curtly. “I have them, but they’re at my place. Maybe we could hang out and I could show them to you and maybe you will remember.” He said sweetly with a smile that made her knees weak. “I don’t know…” She said sheepishly. She didn’t know if she should trust this man yet. “Please? It would mean a lot to me.” He practically begged. She couldn’t resist men that begged and she didn’t know why. “Fine. Tomorrow afternoon for lunch how does that sound?” His grin got wider. “Perfect. I’ll see you then. Where should we meet?” “How about Starbucks?” She said. That was her greatest weakness, a French vanilla cappuccino. He smiled knowing Starbucks was one of her kryptonites. “Sure! How about around noon?” “Perfect!” She said and before she could catch herself, she smiled. That was the second time in one night, she got asked out and she was damn proud of herself! “See you tomorrow!” She walked off. “Until our next meeting, my princess.” He whispered before disappearing. |