Chapter Text
1
What Are the Chances?
(Those Dang Dogs)
Charlotte Rowan Hollis(35)
Werewolf - Seer
Location: Toronto, Canada
Relations: Husband(36)-Hunter, Daughter(8)-Halfbreed
Status : Terminated
With a sigh, I toss the file onto the coffee table. Photos of a blonde woman lying in a pool of blood slide out and onto the floor. The photos make it clear she didn’t go down without a fight. Two assassins were sent after her and only one returned, barely alive. That was ten years ago. Mother hid this from me for ten years. I was foolish to think her grip would loosen over the centuries, that her vigilance would waver. No, of course she made sure that I was the only one not privy to this information. A snide comment from Will and a silencing glare from Mattie only tipped me off that there was something I didn't know. I had to sneak into Mother’s office and dig through her old files to find out.
I had been wanting to leave for a long time, and this was the push I needed. I took the file, ran to North America, and began tracking down Hollis. That was almost four months ago. With some amateur detective work, I found out he came to the states. With some vampire persuasion techniques, I found out he came here; the small town of Silas in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere. I narrowed it down to this neighborhood and bought this house last week. One good thing about being immortal is having a substantial amount of savings. Now all I have to do is find the Hollises. Tomorrow I’m going to go to the local high school and have a look at their records. I don’t know the daughter’s first name, so I hope Hollis isn’t a common name. She’ll be seventeen or eighteen now. I wonder what she looks like. From what you can see in the photos, her mother was attractive. ‘Gods, that was fucked up. What is wrong with me?’
I don’t even know why I want to find her so bad. It’s been centuries, what are the chances that she is my match? There’s no way my luck is that good. This girl is going to be a bust and I’ll be fucked. I disobeyed a direct order. Mother told me to never look into the prophecy or she will make me wish for a second death. I’ve had a knot in my stomach ever since I left Austria. I keep looking over my shoulder, expecting to see one of her agents following me. Every time I hear a noise in the house, I think Will has found me; or worse, Mattie. Once Mother catches up to me, I’ll be put back in the coffin for sure.
I’m suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Scout lifts her head as I get off the couch, but goes back to sleep when she sees I’m not going to refill her food. After leaving the back door open for her (She’s too loyal to run away and she’ll rip up anyone who tries to come in), I grab my leather jacket off the hook and head out into the night. Now is as good a time as any to get acquainted with my new temporary surroundings. The house I bought is in the older section, where the houses are smaller. The further I walk, the bigger they get. They’re your typical cookie-cutter, two level, white picket fence, American Dream homes. I can’t even imagine the kind of naïve, provincial girl that would grow up here. ‘She’s probably painfully straight.’ The thought makes me pause. Why does that matter? Goody-two shoes isn’t really my type anyway.
My mindless wandering has brought me to the neighborhood pool. The top of the playground in the park behind it is visible and gives me an idea. I make my way over and climb all the way up to the roof. I stretch out on the hard plastic, bending my arms behind my head and crossing my ankles. There aren't any street lights by the park, they're all up in the pool parking lot. But the moon is so bright it doesn't even matter. Even a human would be able to see perfectly back here. I close my eyes, letting my mind wander as I take in the sounds and scents of the night. Naturally, since the universe hates me, my thoughts go to the Hollis girl. ‘Who am I kidding? The whole girl next-door-thing is like catnip to me.’ I try to picture her, but I just keep seeing Ell. A sigh escapes my lips. I came out here to forget about all that.
Suddenly, I can hear the sound of a heartbeat. Which is strange because I don't even have a heart, let alone a beating one. I barely open one eye and scan the area without moving my head. There's a girl staring up at me from the ground. ‘How the hell did she sneak upon me?’ I must have been more lost in my thoughts than I realized. She smells human and looks to be in her late teens from what I can see. ‘This could be fun.’
“Like what you see, cutie?” I ask. Her breath hitches and I bite back a laugh. ‘Oh yeah, this is definitely going to be fun.’
She starts rambling and I can barely keep up with the speed of the words coming out of her mouth. I catch that she thinks I'm attractive (which makes me smirk) and that she must look like a creep (which I don’t mind). She drops her head and turns to walk away. ‘Whoa, hey, don’t do that. I haven’t seen you blush yet.’ I sit up, and after making sure she isn’t looking, drop the twelve or so feet to the ground. I grab her wrist when I catch up to her. The cloud that had been in front of the moon moves right when she spins around. ‘Holy shit.’
I’ve always loved how different sunlight or moonlight look. The way colors are brighter during the day. The way contrast is higher and everything is bathed in white or silver at night. It’s like being in two different worlds. But this girl, she’s breaking every rule. I know that right now my skin looks even paler than usual, and my dark hair is silver where the light hits it. ‘But this girl.’ It’s like the moonlight forgot that it’s moonlight.
Her dirty blonde hair looks like Rumpelstiltskin spun it from straw.
Her skin looks like she just stepped off a Mediterranean beach.
Her eyes – ‘Oh man, her eyes.’ – are the most incredible shade of brown. They’re shining like polished topaz.
It’s like the sun came out just for her. She’s a bright spot of color in this monotone world.
I can feel my chest tightening, my fingers are starting to tingle, and heat is pooling low in my stomach. ‘Damn over-functioning brain and hormones.’ I break eye contact before the adrenaline can kick in. My fangs coming out would be a real buzzkill. The sound of her racing heart is pounding in my ears. I’m about to remind her to breathe when I hear her take a shallow breath. Her blush deepens the longer I stare and I’m so glad I stopped her from leaving. My gaze travels up and down her body. I’m guessing she wasn't planning on coming out here, or at least didn't expect to see anyone. She's wearing a hoodie that's a size too big and flannel pajama pants. ‘She's adorable.’ Then I mentally smack myself. I've never thought anything is adorable. ‘But this girl.’ She's standing there, beet red, with smiling cupcakes all over her pants. Adorable is the only word to describe it. It doesn't help that she's so short. I'm not the tallest person ever, but I easily have two inches on her in my boots. ‘Wonder what she's hiding under that hoodie?’ She seems like a pretty nervous and high strung person, if the rambling is anything to go off of. So I wouldn't be surprised if she did yoga or something like that. Now all I can think about is tanned skin and toned muscles – and I really need to stop. It’s taking nearly all of my self-control to not reach out and touch. I catch her eyes when she finishes checking me out too. My trademark smirk stretches my lips.
“Well, I definitely like what I see, cupcake. I’d take looking at you over the stars any day.” Her heartbeat skyrockets. I can’t take it anymore; I have to get closer. I lean forward and brush my lips against her neck as I whisper, “You are far too cute to ever be considered a disturbance.” She must literally be awestruck. Who lets a complete stranger get this close to them? I make the mistake of inhaling. ‘Gods, she smells delicious.’ My jaw clenches as I will my fangs to stay retracted. Her blood is practically calling to me; I can see the subtle jumping of her pulse in her neck. ‘Get your shit together, Karnstein.’
As I pull away from, I notice her mouth has fallen open. ‘Too cute.’ I close it for her by gently lifting her chin and move past her with a wink. With a little extra sway to my hips, I make my way over to a nearby park bench. After a few steps, I glance back at her over my shoulder. My smirk returns when I see her mouth has fallen back open as she stares at my ass. She looks up and knows she’s caught. I sit down on the bench, resting an ankle on the opposite knee, and stretch my arms out along the top. Her gaze drops to my chest as my jacket falls open. This time I can’t hold back a chuckle.
“You gonna join me, cupcake? Or do you need a minute?” I raise an eyebrow. ‘That blush though.’
“Cupcake?” She asks.
“I don’t know your name, cutie, and…” I look down at her pants.
She looks down as well. She grimaces and murmurs, “This cannot be happening right now.”
That must not have been meant to be out loud, because even my vampire hearing barely caught it. I throw my head back and laugh. ‘Again, too cute.’ I’m smiling now, which never happens. Maybe I’m losing my mind. “Oh it is, and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen.” Did I really just say that? ‘Yup, definitely losing my mind.’
Her hand clamps over her mouth, “Just stake me now,” She groans.
‘The irony.’ I pat the bench next to me, “Come here. It's not like you can embarrass yourself more.” ‘As entertaining as it is...’
“You shouldn't underestimate me.” She mutters, sitting down. She makes sure she's close to me, but not too close.
Her racing heart is echoing around my head as I laugh again. She smiles at the sound and my brain short circuits. ‘Oh fuck me, she's beautiful.’ I don't know why I'm surprised. She's a walking ray of sunshine, so of course her smile rivals the fucking sun. I turn my body towards her. My arm falls slightly and is now lightly draped over her shoulders. I cock my head, waiting for some kind of reaction to my proximity. She just stares at me and I smirk at her. I know she's waiting for me to say something, probably introduce myself, but I'm content to just sit here. Now that I'm not distracted by her blood, her actual scent is washing over me. It's a familiar smell that takes me a moment to place. ‘How is she real?’ The cupcake smells like god damn cupcakes. This is not helping my self-control. The warmth from her body is drawing me closer and I can't look away from her eyes. I'm the moth to her flame and there's nothing I can do about it.
She’s wringing her hands in her lap, obviously nervous. Then her hand is in my face and her voice surprises me from my thoughts. “Laura Hollis. Nice to meet you.”
‘No fucking way.’ Laura Hollis. Laura fucking Hollis. She has to be the one. She’s blonde, she looks to be the right age, and she lives in this neighborhood.
Right when I was starting to think that prophecy was full of shit. ‘I'm so fucked.’
I take the offered hand in my own, “Carmilla Karnstein.”
I've moved even closer to her – ‘To Laura.’ – without realizing. My knee is pressed into her thigh and my arm is flush against her shoulders. I’m expecting her to recoil, tell me off, or at the very least shrug my arm off. To my surprise, and delight, Laura subtly leans into my touch. That’s a good sign, right? Maybe this means she feels it too. This connection that’s pulling me in like a magnet.
“So, Laura Hollis, what brings a pretty girl like you out to this little park in the middle of the night?”
She doesn’t look down fast enough, so I see her cheeks flush at the compliment. I could look at her face for the rest of my immortal life and never grow tired of that blush. The smile growing on my face is full of adoration, but I don’t feel like hiding it. Something about her makes me want to stop hiding, period. This sexy, badass persona I’ve built over the past century is exhausting to keep up.
There’s a soft smile on Laura’s face when she answers, “I couldn’t sleep and the sky looked so beautiful, so I decided to take a- a-” I started rubbing her arm through her hoodie with my thumb, just to see what she would do. ‘That stutter was adorable.’ With a raised eyebrow and smirk, I challenge her to react. “So, I decided to take a walk. I planned on swinging but I was waylaid by a brooding stranger.” While she continued, she placed her hand, surprisingly high, on my thigh.
‘Goodbye conscious thoughts.’ My whole body stills. If I was alive, my heart would be trying to beat out of my chest. I have to concentrate on maintaining a normal breathing rhythm as it is. ‘What is happening to me.’ Girls, and guys, have practically felt me up before and I didn’t bat an eye. This girl barely touches me and my body forgets how to function.
I turn to face forward again. Our bodies are pressed together and I hear her heart skip. “It really is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” I say softly. What are the chances of both of us coming out to enjoy the night and ending up here? My head drops back as I look up at the stars. Do I really want to open up to her? “It’s comforting, to think how small we are in comparison. All the lives we’ve led, the people we’ve been, nothing to that light.” ‘Guess that’s a yes.’
Laura rests her head on my shoulder. Her scent invades my brain and I gasp. I pull her closer, basking in her warmth. We stay like that for a while. Tucked against each other, looking up at the sky. I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed. I don’t think I have ever been comfortable around anyone, actually. ‘Well, besides Mattie.’ I tilt my head so I can see her face. The massive smile stretching her lips is mirrored on my own. Her shoulders tense up as she lifts a hand to cover her mouth. The cutest little squeak of a yawn escapes through her fingers. I suddenly realize how late it is. This is when I’m always awake, but she should be asleep right now.
“C’mon, sweetheart. It’s late.” I pull my phone out and check the time. “Really late. You should be getting home.” I stand up and stretch my arms above my head, cracking my back. I look back at her over my shoulder and see her staring at where my shirt is riding up. “Take a picture, cutie. It’ll last longer.” I tease with a smirk.
She blushes again, causing that tightness in my chest returns. I help her up and don’t let go of her hand. We walk over to the sidewalk, so close that I can feel the warmth coming off of her. I hesitate when we get there. I don’t know which way she has to go and I want to stay with her as long as possible. Laura looks down at our hands. I run my thumb over her knuckles as I run my eyes over her face. Her long, dark eyelashes are casting shadows on her cheeks in the moonlight. I lower my gaze to her lips. ‘I bet they feel like silk. And her mouth probably tastes like cookies, or some other dessert.’ She lifts her head and catches me staring.
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” She says, her voice low.
It sends a wave of heat straight through my core. “Don’t tempt me.” I reply. ‘And I don’t mean that the way she thinks I do.’ With a step, I close the distance between us. If she was a girl at a bar, this would be the part where she pauses our make-out session to invite me to her place. But she isn’t, she’s the furthest thing from. She’s the type to take things slow and for the first time in a while, I find myself wanting that too. “Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Your phone, creampuff. Let me see it.” With a nod, she reaches into her hoodie pocket. Then she starts turning side-to-side and smacking her legs. “Uh, everything okay?” I ask, grabbing her arm to stop the frantic movements.
“I must have forgotten my phone in my room.” She explains with a disappointed huff.
“Oh. Well then,” I pull my phone from my jacket, “I guess I have to ask for your number, instead of giving you mine.”
Her eyes spark with understanding and that beautiful blush graces her cheeks. She takes my phone, typing something quickly before returning it. I put it away and take her hand again. Pulling her closer, I slide my other hand around to rest on her lower back. I stare at her lips again and her breath hitches. Her eyes flutter closed as I slowly lower my head towards hers. I’m planning on giving her a quick peck on the lips, but divert to her cheek at the last second. Based on how quickly its beating, I fear her heart might actually give out if I kiss her anywhere else.
“Give me a call next time you can’t sleep, cutie. I’ll be more than happy to take a walk with you.” I whisper. Her eyes are still closed when I let her go and walk away.
“Carm!”
I spin around, raising my eyebrow at the nickname. ‘I shouldn’t like that as much as I do.’
Laura continues nervously, “Thank you. For sitting with me. We should, uh, do it again sometime.”
Should we do it again? I look down and kick at the crumbling cement under my feet. I didn’t expect to feel like this when I found her. Do I really want to drag her into my shit show of a life? We have known each other for all of an hour and it’s been the happiest hour of my life. If she really is the halfbreed from the prophecy, we are the only ones who can finally defeat Mother. So we will have to be in each other’s lives regardless. Although I would rather it be because she feels for me what I feel for her. ‘“Feel for her?” Shit, I am so fucking screwed.’
“I think I might like that very much.” I answer with a shy smile. She returns my smile with a bright one of her own. ‘Scratch that, I’m beyond fucking screwed.’
She bounces a little on her toes, “Okay then!” With that, she turns and walks off quickly.
I watch her until she disappears from view. The trip back home consists of me reliving every minute of that…encounter. When I walk through my front door, the papers still scattered around the living room catch my eye.
“Your night will end when the stars lose their light”
I shake the memory from my head. I can’t think about that right now. Laura hasn’t even changed yet. I didn’t realize it when I compared Laura to the sun earlier, but vampires aren’t huge fans of it. The UV rays weaken our powers and too much direct light will set our skin on fire. There’s a reason we’re called “creatures of the night”.
But by the gods, I will gladly burn for the chance to be with her.
I don’t care if it’s too soon to feel this way. I’ve been driving people away in a delusional attempt to guard my heart for too long. It may be overcompensating, but if I’m going to let anyone in, Laura is who I choose.
Pulling up her contact on my phone, I change the name before sending her a message.
[Carm]: Same time tomorrow, cupcake?
[Cupcake]: It’s a date :)
I grin at the phone like an idiot. “Hey Scout, look! I have a date.” The Rottweiler just cracks an eye open and glares at me for waking her up. “You would be more excited if you knew what she looked like.” I say defensively. “I’ll work on getting you a picture tomorrow.”
'Shit. What am I going to wear?’