Grace

Owen spent the rest of the day giving me a tour of the Crescent Moon Pack. It was a sweet little town, with small houses and a town square with a gazebo. There were only two roads that led out of town and the rest was blocked in by a dense forest. Owen explained they did this for privacy, to prevent prying eyes of humans. It made the town feel quiet and peaceful. Very different from the bustle of Seattle I had grown accustomed to. I asked if there was a doctor’s office or some kind of medical service. Maybe I could actually be of some use.

“No, werewolves heal very quickly so there’s no need for any kind of real medical care. There’s only a pack doctor and a small hospital that’s rarely needed.” Oh, well there goes that brilliant idea.

Once evening came, Owen steered me back to the town square where they had prepared for the barbecue. There were grills everywhere, long tables with a bunch of food and numerous children running around, filling the night air with sounds of laughter. It was perfect. Owen took me around to introduce me to other members of the pack. There was no way I could remember everyone’s names, but I smiled and made small talk, attempting to make a good first impression. Owen always made sure to have at least one hand on me, whether at the small of my back, holding my hand or an arm around my shoulder. He used the mate bond to send calming waves through my body and I was incredibly grateful for him. The party lasted well after the sun had set. It became dark with only a few lights around the town square and the kids wanted to play soccer, so I approached the field. I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good one.

“Do you guys need some light to play your game?” I asked the children. They all nodded their heads enthusiastically. I walked to the middle of their makeshift field and threw orbs of light into the air. They swirled above the kids’ heads, casting a beautiful glow. The children oohed and aahed over them for a moment and set to playing. I stood back to watch when a little girl, maybe six or seven years old, came up to me and tapped me on the arm.

“Hi sweetie!” I smiled down at her.

“You’re a witch, right?” I bent down to look her in the eye.

“Yes, I am.”

“I thought witches were bad, but those lights you made us are pretty. Are you a bad witch?”

“No, sweetie. I’m a good witch.”

“Like Glinda?” Finally, someone who will get my movie references!

“Yep, just like Glinda. There are a lot of bad witches, I knew too many of them and that’s why I decided to be a good witch. There are good and bad people all over the place. Just like I’m sure there are some mean werewolves.” I reached out to stroke her cheek. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t like someone without getting to know them first, right?” She smiled at me and nodded her head before she bounced off to play.

“You handled that well, love.” I heard Owen’s deep voice behind me.

“She got my Glinda reference! Did you hear that?” I smiled up at him.

“I did. I guess I need to watch this movie.” I giggled and turned towards him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him until he was flush with me. The delicious sparks that licked my body made my heartbeat faster.

“Maybe we can watch it together and make out the whole time.” He threw his head back and belly laughed. I could die happy now that I’ve heard that sound. I stood up on my tippy toes to press my lips against his, but before they could connect, we heard a terrified scream coming from just beyond the soccer field. We both turned toward the sound and saw something barreling towards the children much too fast to be anything other than supernatural. At first, I thought it was just another werewolf, but when the creature got closer and opened its mouth to reveal its long white fangs my heart dropped as the realization struck.

Vampire.