The Beau & the Beast

29 - My Life

A tickling sensation spread through my stomach as the wheels of the plane touched the runway.

I enjoyed flying, it was relaxing somehow.  The food was served on little trays, I could dream away in a good book and above all I was completely anonymous.  I was just one in the crowd.

For six weeks I had been going back and forth to the airport and taking on more jobs than I really wanted, but weeks without a single thought on the vampire vendetta and blood bags were definitely worth it.  It had been damn nice and I felt happy and relaxed as I stood waiting at the luggage pick up.

Clocksworth had texted me once, a message with three words, Everything is solved.

The rumor about him had spread around town, even the wolves talked about the new vampire who had cleaned the abandoned houses from blood eaters. The question was whether they saw him as a hero or a threat.  Maybe neither, or both.

Hopefully it would all be forgotten in a few weeks.
Clearly, it had not made life easier for my wolf.  He never said anything about it, he didn't want to be involved.  But I heard the rumors too, and I knew he was torn between his pack and me.

He did not have to tell me any details for me to understand that his life had never been easy.  We were pretty much the same, after all, we had more scars on the inside than on the outside.

Maybe that's why it was so fucking nice to rest on the couch next to him, with no demands.  To only exist near each other, for each other.  No one else was involved, we were not forced to go to rigid family dinners or go on dates. He took care of his life and I took care of mine.

I dragged the suitcase after me towards the exit and immediately felt how my heart went from dead to alive when I saw him standing by the car.

I could easily have taken a taxi, I had never asked and he had never offered, but almost every time the plane landed he stood there, waiting.

"Hi,"I said with the widest smile my face could muster and was met by two amused eyes.

"Hey you."

For a few seconds I just stood there grinning but then I dropped the bag and threw my arms around his neck.

I-have-missed-you kisses are always the best I thought before I reluctantly let go of him to take a step back and let him grab the bag that ended up in the trunk a few seconds later.

"Something's happened."

The words made the heart sink in my chest, "Oh ..." I replied in a long exhalation.

"The town is full of new leeches, I don't know why, but my guess is, you may be safer elsewhere."

"Hardly," I sighed and whispered an annoyed "thanks a lot Theo ..." while I sank into the passenger seat.

"The guy on the roof?"

I nodded once, "I guess his cleansing went a little too well, so now the flies are gathering around the rotting corpse."

Conor started the car and we left the crowded airport with a sense of uncertainty. "So what's it about? Territory? Power? Cash?"

I shook my head and sighed, "blood."

"Of course," the wolf muttered and shook his head and I immediately felt that he deserved an explanation.

"Ehm, so blood is not just food to us." I began hesitantly. "Of course we get stronger and it's needed to keep our senses sharp and some of us have special abilities, the old ones who've lived a damn long time, they need blood if they are to function flawlessly."  I ran my fingers through my hair a little nervously before whispering "Otherwise we're pretty much like humans."