Chapter 7 - Troy

~Troy’s Point of View~

I got back to my room just after 1am, and I was going to be in for a brutal day since I had to be up in five hours to do my chores before class. I just couldn’t get away from her, and I hadn’t wanted to.

Once we both relaxed and let all the weirdness between us fade away, we actually were very productive and I couldn’t believe how much Alice knew about this stuff. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if she hadn’t helped me. I hadn’t finished but I was confident enough with how far along the project was and my new found knowledge of the computer that I could carry it the rest of the way. 

I couldn’t wait to tell my parents some of my new ideas. This would really help us in so many ways. I yanked off my boots and fell into bed, the darkness taking me instantly.

~~~I stood over my kill, a mangled and bloody mess, my hands and face were soaked in the metallic goodness. It was the ultimate drug I could never possibly get enough of … but it was far worse than that. There was no cure or rehab for me, I couldn’t quit this drug. I needed it, I craved it. I needed it to live. And very … very bad things happened if I denied my body of this essence. 

I wiped my mouth, now feeling the weight of my action. I had killed a human, a person. It was an older male, he’d likely had a full, good life. I needed to find his family, find a way to offer them compensation, find a way to--

“Stop it,” a voice said into the freezing darkness. A cold shiver shot up my spine and I didn’t dare move. 

His voice, I’d know it anywhere though I rarely heard it. His presence made me sick, though I rarely had to endure it. A constant reminder of what I was, the monster and devil, death himself. As if I could forget.

“Nice of you to stop by,” I said, finally turning to face him. It didn’t matter that the only light was the half moon, I could see his lifeless eyes on me. I could see his pale, colorless skin glowing. He’d also fed tonight.

It was like looking in a mirror, but I knew it was just as awful for him to be around me. A constant reminder that he lost control. I was the chain around his neck that kept him grounded to the human world he so badly wanted to forget.

“Don’t pity your food. Move on,” he said, staring at me.

“Unlike you, I have a beating heart,” I said, standing my ground. 

“When you were born I swore I’d change that one day, I still think I should. It won’t do you any good. But I won’t turn you now, you’re not old enough,” he said, stepping closer. 

“You do that, and I have no reason to live. No reason to walk this earth. Maybe I should just decide for myself, not give you the satisfaction,” I said, dashing with all the speed I had toward the cliff.

He remained in the field by the corpse, I caught one last glimpse of him before I tipped backwards, letting the wind carry me. 

My body hit with a thud into his cold arms, a mere millisecond before I would have been impaled on a pointy rock jutting out from the ocean. He took me back to the cliff and laid me in the grass.

“You’re all I have left of her, all the good that…” he said, a bloody tear falling down his face.

I sat up and balled my hands into fists.

“You’re not capable of love. You’re not worthy of it. You fucking left me. You left the woods to raise me, you didn’t give a shit what happened to me,” I said, just as I shot into the sky and disappeared.~~~

BEEP BEEP BEEP

“Fuck,” I mumbled, hitting the alarm. I felt like I hadn’t even slept. I shook myself and the dream, the haunt of my past that I couldn’t ever get rid of.

I groaned and got to my feet, fumbling around to get dressed. It was really hard to be quiet so early in the morning as to not wake the house, which I knew could probably hear me anyhow with their supernatural senses.

I finally got myself together and wandered outside. I looked around and opened up my ears to make sure no one was close and could see me. The very second I knew the coast was clear, I darted into the sky.

While I had already opened up many of my secrets to Ryan, the fact that I could fly was definitely not one of them. It was a very rare ability and one that I safe guarded at all costs. You’d think I’d want to show it off, but I felt the opposite. Yet another one of the mysterious gifts I’d inherited from my biological father.

I landed quietly just in front of my parents’ house, and I turned to see my mom on the rocking swing. Two steaming cups of coffee were on the table next to her. She brightened the second she saw me.

“Troy honey! Good morning,” she grinned.

I was at least grateful that my school was two time zones ahead of home, otherwise there was no way I could make all this work. I almost felt like I was cheating the clock, pulling an extra two hours into my day.

“Hey mom,” I said, dashing to sit next to her. I gave her a one armed hug and she handed me a mug.

“It’s too cold out here this early for you. You could wait inside,” I said, taking in her frail body and slow movements.

“Oh hush up I’m fine. I like the fresh air and right now just before sunrise is the best time,” she said, starting to push the swing.

It was quiet for a long minute, both of us not needing to even speak to enjoy each other’s company.

“So how do you like it so far,” she finally asked.

“It’s different. It’s a lot but I know it’s only temporary. I know it’s important,” I said, wanting to leave it at that. I didn't tell her I was living with another devil and I damn sure didn’t want to tell her there was a female that made me fumble over myself and forget my name just by standing next to me.

I finished my drink and pushed to my feet, knowing my dad was already out in the barn feeding the cows. We were able to hire a part time helper but he didn’t come until later in the morning today. I didn’t want my parents doing any of the heavy lifting.

“How’s your … thirst,” she asked, genuinely concerned.

“I hunted an elk, should last me a bit. You worry too much,” I said, kissing her forehead and darting off.

I knew she worried all the time, she was too good for this earth. That was the whole reason she took me all those years ago when she found me half frozen, trying to drink one of her goats. 

“Dad let me do that,” I said, quickly taking buckets of water out of his hands.

“Oh it’s fine you know I don’t like to be idle,” he said, with his deep bass voice. 

My parents were both werewolves, but they were never part of a pack or a community. They loved their farm and it had been in my father’s family for three generations. 

With all that went on in the world, with different creatures mating and mingling species, you’d think something like an interracial couple mating wouldn’t be a big deal. But it was, and rather than put up with looks or stares they lived off the grid where they didn’t have to answer to anyone. Also, my mom had been in a bad car wreck as a pup and it left her unable to have children of her own. So that alone was enough for packs to cast her out. Pretty stupid.

I dashed around, quickly getting things done and forcing my father to sit and relax. They were both in their late 80’s at this point, and even though shifters generally lived longer lives than humans, decades of hard labor had taken its toll on them.

By the time I was done, showered and had shoveled down a hot breakfast, I only had about twenty minutes until class. I told my parents about my ideas and about the computer I purchased. They listened intently and mom hung on my every word. I absolutely loved seeing her so happy. I kissed them both good-bye and made them promise to take it easy for the rest of the day. 

The next couple days flew by, they were much of the same. Chores, school, parties thrown in my house nearly every night. Fuck, that was already getting old. Ryan had been avoiding me, and I wasn’t sure why but I couldn’t dwell on that. Surely he just had enough problems of his own and it likely had nothing to do with me.

I might need to talk to him soon, I liked having him to hunt with if I was going to do it around the school. Maybe I could just leave a bit earlier in the morning and hunt at home. I was darting out for class one afternoon and stopped in the kitchen to grab a drink. I got the orange juice from the fridge, and began to pour a glass as my body suddenly decided to protest. It was letting me know plain and simple, that wasn’t what it wanted. 

A fire flamed up my throat, gripping my body. My hand shook, making me drop the juice and spill it all over the floor. I groaned and fell forward. Shit, it hadn’t hit me this hard in a long time. I quickly took stock of whether or not someone was in the house, if they were, it wouldn’t be pretty. Suddenly Ryan appeared at my side. 

“Let’s go upstairs for some privacy,” he said, not elaborating.

“I need to … go … outside,” I said, trying to get out my words.

“Bullshit. It’s the middle of the day, you can’t hunt like this, if you go outside you’ll grab the first human that steps in your path,” he said. 

Without another word he picked me up, actually picked me up bridal style and carried me up the stairs as if I weighed nothing. 

I heard voices downstairs once we cleared the corner to my room and I struggled to get out of his grip, but he was damn strong. It pissed me off and I growled.

He sat me on my bed and fell next to me. He stuck out his fingernail and sliced his neck, the blood staring me in the face. He wouldn’t taste good, but it was still somewhat human blood. Without another thought, I lunged forward grabbing his shoulders and extending my fangs. I sucked his wound, feeling his weird essence pass through me. It felt kind of tingly. Not bad, but not great either. What was the worst that could happen, he made me more of a monster?

He began to groan, the sensation of it all was new to us both. My parents had let me feed on them sometimes just to help take the edge off my cravings, but I had to be damn careful with them and I had cut that off a few years ago when they began to get too frail. They weren’t even strong enough to shift anymore.

“What the fuck,” a voice shrilled from the doorway. Books thudded against the floor.

I jerked my head back to see Alice already turned around and running down the hall. SHIT!

“Whoops, I forgot to close the door,” Ryan said, making a face.