definitions of reality.
This was the moment I’d
been dreading ever since I’d taken up with him. I’d conned myself into believing
it’d never happen, and had turned myself into a fool.
We were at a juncture.
Leave now for his own good -- or stay for mine.
Inside me, my wolf
whined. He was the only person I’d ever loved. I couldn’t go, no matter how
much I knew I ought to. Maybe if I were more like him, I’d be that strong, but
I was just me – and I knew he’d have to ask.
“How do you know you’ll
be all right?”
I swallowed. “You won’t
want to believe me when I tell you.”
An eyebrow quirked.
“You’re an alien?” he said, dryly, his hands wringing the steering wheel.
“Worse. A werewolf.”
He barked a laugh.
“What kind of shitty joke is that?”
I looked at him
completely calmly. “I mean what I said.”
He twisted his whole
body to face me. “Prove it.”
“I just survived a
gutshot that hit my liver. What else do you need?” I held up my shirt. The
entry wound was already shrinking, soon it’d be like it hadn’t been there at
all. He reached a tentative finger out to touch the hole it’d left, like I had
stigmata.
His eyes met mine
again. “Show me.”
I shook my head. “No.”
If I showed him my wolf – there were rules, and then there were rules .
But I was cornered – and he wasn’t used to being told no. It was my own fault,
I encouraged him to boss me. “It’s why I’m gone three nights a month. I have to
hunt with my pack.”
“There are others like
you?”
I closed my eyes and
sighed. Maybe I had had some blood loss after all. “I shouldn’t have said
anything. The punishment for telling a human is death – for you, and me.”
He stared at me in
wonder as I put my shirt back down. “All those times – those fights – no wonder
I felt invincible around you.”
I smiled softly. “Not
invincible. Just harder to kill.” I tried to read his face, to see if I saw his
opinion changing. “You can never tell anyone. You have to take the secret to
your grave.”
“I will. I swear it.”
“Good.” I knew he’d be
true to his word. No one would even torture it out of him.
“I just -- I can’t
believe it. Are you sure that you can’t show me?”
“Yeah. But –“ I licked
my lips and his eyes met mine again. There was something different there now.
He wasn’t scared -- and he still wanted me. When he looked at me like that, all
my blood sank, getting ready. “Maybe there’s something I can show you.”
He nodded eagerly.
“Take me home, first.”
Vincent drove more
cautiously up to our house. He kept looking at me like I might go away, and I
kept worrying. It’d seemed like a good idea at the time – but what if he
changed his mind?
What had I done?
Telling him about us – even if there was no reason for him to tell another
living soul, and no one would believe him if he did – it was such a huge risk,
such a completely bad idea – he put the car into park, and without saying a
word, both of us walked inside. He followed me into the bathroom.
“I want to see the rest,”
he said, looking meaningfully at the bloodstain on my shirt.
I turned my back to him
and lifted it off. He made a surprised sound, and then I felt him touching me.
I wanted to lean back into his arms and let him hold me, push me against the
wall and –
“You really are –“ he
whispered.
I swallowed my
thoughts. “I really am.” I angled myself in the mirror so I could see what he
saw. I was bloody around the exit wound, but it was healing, and the entry
wound was almost gone. “I’m going to take a shower, and let Mother Nature
finish up.” I reached into the shower and turned the hot water on.
“Sure,” Vincent said,
and kicked his shoes off.
I tilted my head.
“What’re you --“
“I saw you thinking
about leaving in the car.” His hands went for the top button of his shirt. He
was spattered with my blood.
I leaned against the
cold
This was the moment I’d
been dreading ever since I’d taken up with him. I’d conned myself into believing
it’d never happen, and had turned myself into a fool.
We were at a juncture.
Leave now for his own good -- or stay for mine.
Inside me, my wolf
whined. He was the only person I’d ever loved. I couldn’t go, no matter how
much I knew I ought to. Maybe if I were more like him, I’d be that strong, but
I was just me – and I knew he’d have to ask.
“How do you know you’ll
be all right?”
I swallowed. “You won’t
want to believe me when I tell you.”
An eyebrow quirked.
“You’re an alien?” he said, dryly, his hands wringing the steering wheel.
“Worse. A werewolf.”
He barked a laugh.
“What kind of shitty joke is that?”
I looked at him
completely calmly. “I mean what I said.”
He twisted his whole
body to face me. “Prove it.”
“I just survived a
gutshot that hit my liver. What else do you need?” I held up my shirt. The
entry wound was already shrinking, soon it’d be like it hadn’t been there at
all. He reached a tentative finger out to touch the hole it’d left, like I had
stigmata.
His eyes met mine
again. “Show me.”
I shook my head. “No.”
If I showed him my wolf – there were rules, and then there were rules .
But I was cornered – and he wasn’t used to being told no. It was my own fault,
I encouraged him to boss me. “It’s why I’m gone three nights a month. I have to
hunt with my pack.”
“There are others like
you?”
I closed my eyes and
sighed. Maybe I had had some blood loss after all. “I shouldn’t have said
anything. The punishment for telling a human is death – for you, and me.”
He stared at me in
wonder as I put my shirt back down. “All those times – those fights – no wonder
I felt invincible around you.”
I smiled softly. “Not
invincible. Just harder to kill.” I tried to read his face, to see if I saw his
opinion changing. “You can never tell anyone. You have to take the secret to
your grave.”
“I will. I swear it.”
“Good.” I knew he’d be
true to his word. No one would even torture it out of him.
“I just -- I can’t
believe it. Are you sure that you can’t show me?”
“Yeah. But –“ I licked
my lips and his eyes met mine again. There was something different there now.
He wasn’t scared -- and he still wanted me. When he looked at me like that, all
my blood sank, getting ready. “Maybe there’s something I can show you.”
He nodded eagerly.
“Take me home, first.”
Vincent drove more
cautiously up to our house. He kept looking at me like I might go away, and I
kept worrying. It’d seemed like a good idea at the time – but what if he
changed his mind?
What had I done?
Telling him about us – even if there was no reason for him to tell another
living soul, and no one would believe him if he did – it was such a huge risk,
such a completely bad idea – he put the car into park, and without saying a
word, both of us walked inside. He followed me into the bathroom.
“I want to see the rest,”
he said, looking meaningfully at the bloodstain on my shirt.
I turned my back to him
and lifted it off. He made a surprised sound, and then I felt him touching me.
I wanted to lean back into his arms and let him hold me, push me against the
wall and –
“You really are –“ he
whispered.
I swallowed my
thoughts. “I really am.” I angled myself in the mirror so I could see what he
saw. I was bloody around the exit wound, but it was healing, and the entry
wound was almost gone. “I’m going to take a shower, and let Mother Nature
finish up.” I reached into the shower and turned the hot water on.
“Sure,” Vincent said,
and kicked his shoes off.
I tilted my head.
“What’re you --“
“I saw you thinking
about leaving in the car.” His hands went for the top button of his shirt. He
was spattered with my blood.
I leaned against the
cold
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