The Vampire and the Goth Ch. 17

There was a time when werewolves, like other wolves, shared a den. More specifically, they shared living quarters as a group. Werewolves don't live communally anymore, but they still live near each other, usually in a small settlement or village. Wherever the pack lives, however, the alpha house is always the center of their community. It's usually more of a mansion than a house, and it's meant as a place for meetings and events as much as it is a residence for the alpha and their family. When Patrick told us that we were coming to the pack lands, I knew we were going to be expected to stay in the Alpha house.

When we arrived, the sun had just begun to come up. The alpha house looked like a very large ski lodge with lots of exposed wood and rock. It was exactly what you might expect a werewolf alpha house to look like.

Although it was barely dawn, it wasn't a surprise to me that there were a lot of wolves around. However, the number of wolves seemed to unnerve David. Angus held his hand tightly in a gesture that was comforting but was also meant to make sure that he didn't run away. As we walked to the house, there was a female with long black hair standing at the door waiting for us. Patrick ran ahead, taking the stairs two at a time, grabbing the woman and giving her a long, deep kiss, almost knocking her off her feet. She recovered quickly and greeted us with a broad smile while Patrick stood next to her with his hand around her waist.

"Hello! I'm Marcia Collier, Madam Alpha of the Collier pack and Patrick's mate. We've been expecting you. Please come in."

Marcia was a tall, willowy brunette with beautiful, coal-black eyes and a prominent nose that gave her an aristocratic appearance. However, she was warm and friendly, even by werewolf standards, and she greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

The primary role of an alpha's mate is to make sure that members of the pack and their guests are comfortable and happy. It was easy to see that Marcia excelled in these duties -- nurturing seemed to be a big part of her personality.

After she hugged and kissed me, Marcia said, "It's so nice to meet you. I've never met a vampire who was friends with werewolves before."

I nodded. "My people don't know what they've been missing."

Marcia smiled at me and said, "Please, introduce me to your friends."

"This is my best friend, David, and his mate Angus," I said. Marcia beamed as David kissed her hand and Angus exposed his throat in a gesture of greeting and respect the wolves call scenting. Once Marcia scented Angus, she hugged and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's an honor to host what must be the first mated pair between a werewolf and a vampire. Welcome!"

Everyone smiled, and I continued with the introductions.

"This is Honoria, William, and Skye, who are visiting from a pack in Maryland."

The visiting wolves stepped in front of Marcia and made the same gesture Angus did. Just as she had with Angus, Marcia hugged and kissed each of them after scenting them.

"This is my sister, Jadwiga, and her mate, Carlos," I said. Marcia smiled broadly. "Oh, this is a pleasure! It's unusual to meet a pair of vampire siblings."

Jadwiga looked a little overwhelmed as Marcia gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Carlos and said, "You're still human?"

Carlos smiled at Marcia. "Yes, ma'am, I am still human, for now, at least. Stosh's mate is also human."

Elizabeth had been standing behind me. Marcia beamed at her as I stepped out of the way. "We've met before, at Ben's mating ceremony. Is your sister also here?"

Laura moved to stand next to Elizabeth. "Yes, I am. It's nice to see you again."

Marcia pulled both Laura and Elizabeth into hugs. "You're both welcome here. Our diet is very meat-heavy, but if there's something else you'd like, please let me know and we'll take care of you."

Patrick put his arm around Marcia's waist once again and announced, "I want to welcome all of you to our pack and to our home. We're grateful that you're taking the time to help us settle this unhappy situation with our packmate."

„To nie tak, że dał nam opcję," David muttered under his breath, complaining in Polish that Patrick hadn't given us the option not to come. Jadwiga giggled under her breath and I smiled at him, while Angus gave him a dirty look.

I doubt Patrick understood David's smart-ass remark, but even if he did, he ignored David just the same.

"We've made accommodations for all of you. My son, Jamie will show you to your rooms," Patrick said, gesturing to an adolescent male wolf standing next to him.

"Dad!" the young man hissed.

"Sorry, sorry, his name is James," Patrick said, in an exasperated voice. We chuckled at the interaction and Patrick gave us an awkward smile.

"He'll also show you to our dining room, where breakfast will be served in about an hour. For those who wish to eat breakfast, of course."

We were shown to our rooms which were all in the east wing. Our room was large and comfortable, dominated by a brass bed. It had too many pillows for my taste, but the mattress was surprisingly soft. As I laid down, I heard Elizabeth say my name.

"Stosh... STOSH! Wake up!"

"Huh? Wha-?"

"What happened with your brother and Jadwiga? I didn't want to ask in front of everybody," she said.

I was a little surprised by how blunt Elizabeth was, but she had no way of knowing that the situation was so uncomfortable. I took a deep breath and said, "Okay... Janek and Jadwiga have been feeding off each other's blood."

"Oh," She almost sounded disappointed. "I was worried it had something having to do with sex."

"It does have to do with sex," I said.

She looked confused. "How can that be? You gave your sister blood when she showed up at our apartment."

I smiled to myself hearing her refer to our apartment and I kissed her lightly.

"It's one thing to give blood to someone to heal them like David and I did with Jadwiga. It's another thing to exchange blood with someone who doesn't need to be healed. That's something that happens usually right before or during sex."

Elizabeth frowned. "Ew."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"So when you bite me and drink my blood when we're having sex..."

"It enhances the pleasure of sex for me. And after you become a vampire, it will for you, too," I smiled.

Elizabeth giggled. "I kind of like it when you do that to me now."

I laughed. "It will be so much better after you're a vampire, I promise. But now, I've got to get some sleep."

She kissed me gently and rolled over.

I woke up in the afternoon to the sound of Elizabeth, Laura, and Skye talking.

"You have to see the buffet they laid out, Sis! So much meat!" Laura said, with a voice full of wonder.

"Wolves like to eat well," Skye laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'll check it out. Just let me get dressed and wake Stosh up."

I rolled over and smiled. Skye winked at me. "He's already awake."

Elizabeth leaned over and kissed me.

"There's a party in the main hall, and we're going to check it out. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," I said, as I rolled out of bed.

As we walked down the hall, I could hear happy chatter and smell cooked meat. Laura started talking about werewolf physiology, and I couldn't help but notice that she and Skye were holding hands.

We walked into the main hall and found the party. Musicians were tuning up in one corner and food and drinks were everywhere. There was a large pine tree and boughs of greenery were on almost every surface, along with holly and candles. The atmosphere was very festive, and everyone looked like they were in a good mood.

There was a small crowd surrounding Jadwiga and given the laughter and smiles, it looked like she was the life of the party. Meanwhile, Angus and David were talking to another couple near an enormous fireplace that seemed to have been made from river stones. Angus was deep into the conversation, but David looked more than a little bored. When he saw us, his eyes lit up.

"Hey! There's Stosh!" David said with a smile and a wave. Elizabeth and I waved back at him and they began to walk toward us.

Skye said, "They make a cute couple."

"Yes, they do. But we're cuter," Laura giggled, kissing Skye on the cheek and making her blush.

"Hi, guys. Great spread, isn't it?" David asked as he walked up to us. I loved how happy he looked as he held Angus's hand.

We all nodded in agreement, and Elizabeth looked around and remarked, "I didn't know werewolves celebrated Christmas."

Angus laughed. "This isn't for Christmas - we're celebrating the lunar eclipse."

"Yeah, and tonight is a full moon. It's the first full moon after the winter solstice, so you know what that means," Skye said, with a smile.

Angus, Laura, and I all said at once, "The Wolf Moon!"

Skye laughed. "Yes, the first full moon after the winter solstice is called the Wolf Moon. This year, it's also an eclipse."

"So it's a big deal," I said, with a grin.

Laura looked around appreciatively and said, "It does look a lot like Christmas though."

"Most of what are considered Christmas traditions were originally pagan," Marcia said, as she joined our group. "And like the pagans, wolves love trees and greenery."

We all greeted Marcia as she smiled and hugged everybody. "It's good to see you here. I was worried you would feel a little lost in the crowd."

"Well, nobody does hospitality like werewolves," I smiled. Marcia practically beamed, obviously proud of the effort the pack had put into the decorations.

David took a deep breath. "It smells amazing in here!"

Marcia grinned. "Thanks! We put a lot of work into it yesterday."

I smiled, remembering the werewolf parties I went to when I lived in Europe. Then I noticed that Elizabeth was frowning.

"What's wrong, lovely?" I asked.

Elizabeth sighed and said in a low voice, "Everybody's staring at us."

I looked around and she was right. People were trying to be subtle about it, but we were attracting a lot of attention.

"Stosh is a celebrity," David laughed. I scowled at him and said, "That's not helping."

"Wolves are an inquisitive people. Most of them have never met a vampire, especially one that's been as good to our people as Stosh has," Marcia smiled.

It was flattering to hear her say it, and I had no doubt that she meant it, but Elizabeth found the attention upsetting, and that was uncomfortable for me. Most people were trying their best to not make it obvious, but, as Marcia said, werewolves are naturally curious, even nosy, creatures and it was hard to not feel as though I was on stage. I've lived with wolves before so it didn't bother me that much, but it really bothered Elizabeth, who looked ready to jump out of her skin. I put my arm around her waist and kissed her.

Skye put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "It's okay, honey, no one here is going to hurt you. They're just curious, that's all," Skye said, in a soft voice.

Elizabeth gave a shaky sounding laugh. "I know, I've been here before, and it wasn't that long ago. It's just that there weren't so many people staring at me the last time I was here. Also, I was pretty buzzed."

Suddenly, Michelle's brother, Ben was standing in front of us.

"Madam Alpha," he said, baring his neck to Marcia, who scented him and smiled. Then he turned to Elizabeth. "Hi, gorgeous! I didn't get to talk to you at my mating ceremony but it's good to see you!" He hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks, and, smelling her fear, looked closely at me.

"She's a little nervous," I said. Ben nodded with a smile.

"Stosh, would you mind if I borrowed her? I'd like her to meet my mate, April. She's in the library, where there's a lot fewer people."

I smiled at Ben. "I don't mind. Elizabeth, would you like to meet Ben's mate?"

Elizabeth looked a little dazed. "Okay."

After Elizabeth left, Marcia turned to David and me. "I'd like to introduce you around. Maybe that will help with the staring."

Angus looked at Skye and said, "I thought I saw some Glenlivet nearby. Why don't we find it and share it with your family?"

Skye laughed. "Or, we could just drink it ourselves!" Angus winked at her in agreement, and Laura laughed. "You guys go enjoy yourselves, I'm going to catch up on my sleep. I'm a little too old for this vampire schedule."

"You sure, babe?" Skye asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. You guys enjoy yourselves," Laura said with a smile. She kissed Skye lightly and left. Once Laura went back to their room, Skye and Angus wandered off in search of Scotch.

After Angus and Skye left, Marcia made a point of introducing us around. Werewolves are very touchy, so we were hugged and scented and even kissed on the cheek and the forehead. I knew what to expect, but David looked a little rattled. Marcia noticed it and suggested that we catch up to Elizabeth and Ben.

"The library is just down the hall and to the right. It's a smaller room, so there should be fewer wolves."

I smiled and thanked her.

As we headed toward the library, David asked, "Are they always like this?"

"Yes, they are. It's worse before a big lunar event, though. If this freaks you out, you really don't want to be here on the solstice."

He looked worried. "That bad, huh?"

I smiled. "Yikes."

The library was much less crowded than the main hall. We saw Elizabeth sitting near a window with Ben and a beautiful female who had hair that was so light blonde it was almost silver. Elizabeth saw David and me and waved us over. I hugged Ben and sat down next to Elizabeth, kissing her on the cheek.

"Stosh, this is my mate, April," he said proudly. "Stosh is Elizabeth's mate."

"Hello," I said and leaned in so she could scent me. "This is my best friend, David. This is his first time around a pack, and he's a little freaked out."

David glared at me, then he bowed to April. He took her hand and kissed it.

"It's lovely to meet you, ma'am. I apologize for my friend being an idiot."

April laughed. "It's okay. You two are the first vampires I've ever met, and I'm a little freaked out, too. So, how do you know Ben?"

"This is the first time I've met Ben, but Stosh knows him," David said, putting the ball firmly in my court. April looked at me, her face a complete blank. I looked at Ben and he gave me a weak smile. "Stosh was there when Michelle had her first freak out."

"Oh, I see," April said, a look of recognition in her eyes.

"I think David was there when she betrayed everyone with that other vampire," Ben said.

David gave a weak smile. "I was there. We all were."

Werewolves are very loyal people and they don't accept any treachery, so I wasn't surprised when Ben said, "I'm sorry she did that to you, and I'm glad you've decided to come for the hearing."

"Thank you," I said. "I know how difficult it is to have a sibling turn like that."

Ben nodded at me. "You get it."

I nodded back. "Yeah."

April gave me a questioning look, so I said, "The other vampire Michelle invited into the house is my brother."

"Oh. Wow, that sucks."

"Yeah."

We were silent for a moment, and then David said, "Hey, it's getting kind of serious in here. Let's drink to being the better sibling," Suddenly, he produced a bottle of bourbon from out of nowhere.

Ben and I laughed, and after a moment, we were all passing around the bottle and feeling happy again. I've always admired David's ability to navigate even the thorniest social interactions.

With a smaller room, and fewer wolves around, Elizabeth was noticeably more relaxed and was starting to really enjoy herself. Ben and April were very much in love, and I think they enjoyed the relative quiet as well. David took advantage of their openness to ask questions about werewolf society until suddenly we heard a howl followed by happy yipping in the hallway. Angus came into the library in his wolf form, chuffing as he walked toward David.

"I think the moon just rose," I said.

Ben smiled. "Time to party!" Ben and April disrobed in front of us and shifted to their wolves, with April becoming a gorgeous silver-grey animal.

"April, your wolf is beautiful!" Elizabeth said, and April chuffed, stepping lively in front of her.

Elizabeth looked at me. "Is it okay if I pet her?"

I laughed. "It's up to her!"

April moved her head under Elizabeth's hand, and Elizabeth scratched behind her ears while April wagged her tail and gave a big, wolfy smile. Then, April and Ben left to go to the bonfire.

Angus shifted back to his human form. "Do you want to follow them?"

David laughed. "Sure, it sounds like it's going to be a hell of a party. Are you guys coming?"

I looked at Elizabeth, and she seemed uncertain. I put an arm around her waist. "Want to go? Or would you rather have some alone time with me?" I wriggled my eyebrows at her.

"Oooh... you mean sexy time?" Elizabeth said with a wink.

"Maybe. We can see what comes up."

Elizabeth laughed, then turned to David and Angus. "I hope you guys don't mind, but I think I need a break from werewolves for a little while. You guys are nice, but kind of intense."

"No shit!" David said.

"Oh, shut your gob, you love it!" Angus retorted as he shifted back into his wolf.

David gave me a wicked grin. "You've got to love those animal passions!" He laughed as Angus nudged him out the door.

Elizabeth and I started to walk back to our room, listening to the sounds of the party outside.

"I'm sorry for being such a wimp," she said.

I smiled at her. "You're not a wimp. And anyway, werewolves are exhausting. They're great in small doses, but too much is just too much."

Suddenly, Jadwiga ran past us, nearly knocking us down. "Sorry guys," she said. Then she looked down the hall at Carlos, who was running to catch up with her but was laughing too hard to move quickly. "Hurry up Carlos! The party will be over by the time we get there!"

"God damn it Jadwiga, slow down!" Carlos yelled, with a big grin.

Jadwiga waited for a moment, then she turned to us and said, "See you at the bonfire!" and took off running.

I laughed and shook my head as Carlos reached us. "You don't have to be in such a hurry, I'm pretty sure she wants to get caught," I said with a wink. Carlos started to laugh, and nearly fell over.

"I know, I know, but she's so fun to chase!" Then he looked at us and realized we weren't heading outside. "Hey, aren't you guys going to the party?"

"No, we're going to have a nice, quiet evening in our room," I said, but then Elizabeth asked, "Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"I've been to a lot of werewolf parties. There's music, dancing, and drinking, but there's also a lot of play fighting and rutting. It's pretty chaotic."

Elizabeth looked down with an uncertain smile, and I realized that maybe she was having second thoughts about not going.

I smiled at her. "You know, we could go for a few minutes and look around."

"Do you think that would be okay?"

I winked. "Sure! Werewolves aren't exactly formal people. If we stay on the edges of the excitement, we won't be in anyone's way and if you feel like it's too much we can leave quickly."

Elizabeth smiled. "That'd be nice."

Carlos let out a deep sigh. "Cool. I'll walk with you. That will give me time to catch my breath!"

We walked outside and saw the light from a large bonfire about a mile away in the woods. We could hear music, laughter, and lots of howls and yips. I squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "If you want to leave, just let me know." She smiled up at me. "I'm okay."

Suddenly, we heard a whistle come from out of the woods, and Jadwiga's voice followed.

"Come here, lover boy!"

Even in the dark, I could tell Carlos was blushing, but he still had a big smile on his face.

"I think you're being paged," Elizabeth giggled.