The Beau & the Beast

28 - Car Keys

As I walked up the stairs, I immediately noticed something was off. My steps became weary and my senses were on high alert.

My heart stopped as I saw the open door. I ran my fingers through my hair and prepared for the worst, but I wasn't prepared for the sight that met me.
The apartment could just as easily have reflected my own inside, total chaos.

My feet stepped over things that usually were neatly folded in my dresser, hats, mittens and other stuff lying scattered all over the floor in one big mess. My heart rate increased drastically but my senses told me that the apartment was empty.

A step forward and my toes slammed into something sharp, I sighed, grabbed the photo of me and Marianne from the floor and hung it back on the wall. She looked so fucking happy as she sat grinning on my back with her blue chewing gum bubble in her mouth and the blonde hair in two ponytails on each side of her head.

No one would ever believe she's a notorious spy in the vampire world, I snorted, I didn't miss that life, not one bit.

With my nerves fully on edge, I stepped over the mess in the hall and went on to the living room. The apartment was quiet and deserted and I calmed down a bit when I made sure that the one who'd entered, had left a long time ago.

The chaos I was faced with broke my heart. It was devastating, some fucking idiot had broken into my home and moved around among my memories and things I loved.

I struggled with my emotions and couldn't help but think of Theo, it was all his fault. If he had left me alone, if he had just let me take care of everything.
Tears burned behind my eyes, why did he always manage to make me feel like a lost child.

Not like Conor, I thought, swallowing the lump in my throat. With him I felt strong and free.

I glanced towards the bedroom, but I couldn't bear to see the mess. Instead, I stumbled into the kitchen.
The fridge was open and the blood bags were gone.

So it was vampires, I thought with a sigh and expected to get a French souvenir through my heart as I walked towards the bedroom.

My hand slipped into my pocket and I looked down at my cell phone, my thumb hovering over Theodor's name, he deserved a long fucking insult, I thought tiredly before scrolling for Conor's number.

A few signals went through before I heard the background noise from a car.

"How far have you gotten?" I asked hurriedly before he even opened his mouth.

"I'll make a U turn," he replied without hesitation in his calm tone.

"Okay, thanks,' I mumbled in a trembling voice and kicked a bunch of DVDs that were at my feet. It would take an eternity to sort them back on the shelf again.

"Do I need to hurry?"

"Yes, please." I whispered as my eyes caught on a pair of keys that were half hidden in the mess, my knees bent under me and I sank down on the floor, into a weeping mess.

That's how he found me. With my knees up to my chin, tears flowing and a pair of old car keys in my hand.

The wolf seldom said more than needed, and I often wondered if he was like that with everyone or just with me. But right now it was exactly what I needed.

His feet moved closer, a heavy body sank down next to me and seconds later I had crawled up into his arms like a little kid. All of the emotions I'd kept inside suddenly released themself from my grip and it was impossible to keep the facade up.

"I'm so fucking naive," I snorted and closed my eyes as I tilted my forehead against his throat, "vampires don't start over, we're stuck in the same fucking shit wherever we are."