The Vampire and the Goth Ch. 17

Carlos laughed, and said, "Well, I don't like to keep a lady waiting..." and then he took off after her.

After Carlos ran to Jadwiga, Elizabeth and I kept walking toward the fire. I was telling her about pack life in Denmark, and she was asking a lot of questions when suddenly, there was a rustle coming from the brush next to us. Two wolves rolled out onto the path, locked in mock battle. Elizabeth let out a small shriek of surprise, and the wolves stopped immediately and looked at us. One of the wolves immediately shifted into a teenaged girl with red hair and beautiful green eyes.

"Hi! I'm Jordan! We're not really fighting, we're just playing," she said, sticking out her hand for Elizabeth to shake.

"I'm Elizabeth, and this is my boyfriend, Stosh. This is my first time at a werewolf party," Elizabeth said, with a nervous laugh.

"Oh yeah! Everybody knows who he is," Jordan smiled. Suddenly, the wolf behind her chuffed and play bowed.

I laughed. "It looks like someone isn't done with you yet!"

Jordan turned around. "Come on, Emma, give me a minute."

Emma sat politely but she gave a little growl.

"HUSH! The adults are talking!"

Emma whined and walked over to us, rubbing on Elizabeth's leg. Elizabeth dropped down and began petting her.

"Emma's my sister. She's still a kid," Jordan said, in an off-handed way.

I smiled.

"Listen, sir, I'd like to talk to you later. I've been reading about religion during the middle ages. That's where you're from, right? I mean, when you're from."

"Yes, that's right, and I'll be happy to talk to you about my experiences. Elizabeth and I are staying in the east wing. I'm usually up around sunset. Just come find me," I said with a smile.

"Cool! First-hand knowledge rocks!"

Emma made a small bark, and Jordan shrugged. "Okay, okay," she said, in an exhausted tone. Then she turned to us and said, "Kids, am I right?"

Elizabeth and I laughed because Jordan barely looked old enough to drive a car by herself. Jordan smiled at us, shifted into a wolf, and ran off with her sister. Elizabeth seemed to relax after we met Jordan and Emma and by the time we got near the clearing where the bonfire was, she had a huge grin.

The clearing was an enormous field and the bonfire was in the center. As soon as we arrived, people were quick to steer us toward a couple of kegs of beer.

"You know, except for the wolves, this is a lot like parties I went to in college," she laughed.

"Really?"

"Sure! Dancing, singing, people fighting, people fucking, and lots and lots of beer."

I laughed and kissed her, only to be jostled hard by a man who was half-shifted into a wolf.

"Hey, watch it there, buddy!" I said sharply.

Suddenly, Dmitri stood before us. "Shit, sorry Stosh! I didn't see you there! Oh, and here's Elizabeth!"

Before either of us could say anything, Dmitri grabbed Elizabeth and hugged her tightly, which was a little unsettling, because he was naked.

"Oh, hi, Dima," she said, blushing furiously.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You just rubbed your junk all over her, Dmitri. That's a little much for anybody, don't you think?" Patrick said, stepping into the light from the bonfire.

Dima turned to me and said, "Oh, God, I'm sorry!"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't apologize to me, apologize to her!"

Dima bowed his head low and Elizabeth chuckled awkwardly and said, "It's okay."

A female in wolf form whistled for Dmitri. He turned toward her and she switched her tail at him. Then, she looked over her shoulder in a very flirtatious manner and slowly trotted away.

Dmitri looked at us with a conflicted expression and I chuckled. "Don't keep her waiting, Dima. We can talk later."

Dmitri smiled and winked, then he shifted into his wolf and quickly trotted after the female.

"That crazy Russian wouldn't know a good thing if it was sitting on his face!" Patrick laughed, shaking his head as he walked away.

I stepped behind Elizabeth and put my arms around her waist. I kissed her neck as we stood in front of the fire, just watching everyone around us have a good time.

Suddenly, Skye was next to us. "Hi, guys."

"Hey lady!" Elizabeth said. She put her arms out to hug Skye but stopped. "Uhm... I'd hug you... but you're naked. So that's awkward."

Skye laughed. "Thanks for holding back!"

"Is Laura here?" I asked.

"No, she decided to get some sleep. I think the hearing about Michelle has her kind of bent out of shape," Skye said.

I nodded. "That's understandable."

Skye turned to Elizabeth. "Would you mind talking to me about Laura's relationship with her?"

"Sure. Is it okay if we head back to the Alpha house? It's kind of hard to talk here."

Skye smiled at her, and the three of us began to walk back. While we walked, Elizabeth told us about Laura and Michelle. She talked about how they met when Laura was in vet school, and how they'd lived together for almost three years. And then she stopped.

"Uhm... I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable talking about them living together..."

Skye laughed. "It's okay, I know she has a history. I'd just like to understand a little more about why she broke up with Michelle and what you guys think might have led to Michelle inviting a vampire into their house."

I smiled. "Not to speak for Elizabeth, but I think that Michelle was more in love with Laura that Laura was with her."

Skye looked at me with a quizzical expression. "What gives you that impression?"

I took a deep breath and decided the best way to talk about it was to just be honest.

"Laura told me she broke up with Michelle because Michelle introduced her to everyone at the pack as her mate. And Laura realized she didn't feel the same way."

Skye didn't say anything for a moment. Then her eyes filled with tears and immediately I felt like shit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," I said.

Skye hugged me and she started to laugh. "Laura told me tonight that I'm her mate."

I smiled. I had thought that Skye was Laura's mate, but it was wonderful to know that Laura had realized it too. Elizabeth squealed and jumped from excitement, then she grabbed Skye in a big embrace.

"I don't care if you are naked, I'm going to have another big sister!" Then both women started to laugh together.

"That's amazing, Skye. I'm so happy for you two!" I said.

"Yeah! I've been waiting for such a long time, I never thought I'd meet the right girl."

"How long have you been waiting?" Elizabeth asked.

"Gosh, it's been about seventy-five years, give or take."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "Wow! You don't look a day over twenty-five!"

Skye laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere!"

I said, "Honoria must be tickled pink."

"She is. But I don't know how to tell her I want to stay with this pack."

"You don't want to go back to Maryland?" I asked.

Skye sighed. "Not really. This pack needs a doctor and my pack already has one. Also, my Alpha has some old-fashioned ideas about same-sex couples."

That puzzled me. "I've never known werewolves to be overly worried about sex, as long as everyone is a consenting adult."

Skye shrugged, and Elizabeth asked, "Do many people share that opinion?"

"Well, an alpha sets the tone for their pack. It's been suggested that I keep my 'proclivities' to myself."

Elizabeth frowned. "That sucks."

"Yeah, it does suck. But then I met Angus and realized that this alpha doesn't share that bigotry. Meeting my mate here just proves I'm making the right decision, so it's working out," Skye smiled.

I clapped my hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're going to stick around."

We basked in the joy of the moment, and finally, Skye continued.

"I'm happy and Laura's happy, but she's worried about what's going to happen at the hearing tomorrow."

"She doesn't want Michelle to die," I said.

"Yeah."

It was easy to understand why Laura didn't want her ex-girlfriend to be executed. But I didn't share that opinion. I wanted Michelle to suffer the consequences of putting everyone in danger. As I looked over to Elizabeth, I could see that she felt the same way.

"Well, we have to let the pack figure it out for themselves. Hopefully, Laura will make her peace with the outcome, whatever it is," Elizabeth said.

I woke up in the early afternoon in our room at the alpha house. Elizabeth had snuggled into my embrace and was still asleep. I gently kissed and nibbled on her neck and ears as I lightly stroked her breasts. Without opening her eyes, Elizabeth moaned in pleasure and threw her arms back and around my neck, while moving her hips and ass against my cock. I was starting to get hard when I heard a knock at our door. The door began to open, revealing Angus standing in the doorway, with a sheepish expression on his face.

"Angus?" Elizabeth asked as I covered her breasts with my hands.

"What the hell, man?" I snapped in extreme irritation.

"Yeah, hi. I'm sorry to bother you, but Patrick needs to talk to you, Stosh."

I glared at Angus as he smiled and waved at me. I covered Elizabeth with the blankets because I knew she would feel uncomfortable being naked in front of another man even if that man wasn't interested in women.

"You might as well come in," I said, in an exasperated tone. "We're done for now."

Angus walked into the room trying not to laugh at how disappointed and annoyed I must have sounded "Sorry, Stosh," he said.

I sighed. "It's okay, we were already awake anyway." A wolf is always subject to his Alpha's commands, so I knew being cock blocked wasn't entirely Angus's fault. He smiled in relief.

Elizabeth looked uncertain and said, "Can I come with Stosh? Please?"

The look on Elizabeth's face tugged at my heart and I knew there was no way I'd go anywhere without her. I kissed her and said, "I don't care what Patrick wants, you're coming with me." Elizabeth looked relieved. I put my hand on her face and smiled at her, then I rolled out of bed and started to get dressed.

Angus smiled. "It's nice to see someone who isn't intimidated by the alpha."

"He's not my alpha. I owe him respect, but I don't owe him obedience," I said, as I bent over and put on my shoes. I turned to Angus. "You're coming too, right?"

Angus smiled. "Aye."

Patrick's office was nice, if a bit cave-like for my tastes. The floor, walls, and desk were all made from dark wood, and there were bookshelves, also in a dark wood, lining the wall. The walls were painted in forest green to match the Venetian blinds, which were mostly closed, blocking out the bright sunlight. There were a couple of chairs and a long, leather couch, all upholstered in black leather, and an oriental rug that was in a deep garnet red. The overall effect made for a serious, almost somber atmosphere that was rather oppressive. I sat down in the middle of the couch with Angus and Elizabeth sitting next to me on either side.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Patrick said. "I trust the accommodations are acceptable."

I looked at Elizabeth who gave me a half-smile, then looked back at Patrick.

"We have no complaints. Thank you for providing us a safe place."

"Good," Patrick said. Then, he sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair.

"How can I help you today, Patrick?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound impatient or irritated.

"I need to talk with you about my Beta, Caleb, and also Michelle."

Werewolf packs are hierarchical. The leader of the pack is called the Alpha, and they're ultimately responsible for all decisions that affect their wolves. The Alpha has a second-in-command, a Beta wolf. Think of it like a ship -- there's a captain and there's a first mate who acts as a sounding board as well as the person who helps make sure things everything is going smoothly. The Beta is supposed to have the complete trust of the Alpha, so it was beyond strange that Patrick wanted to discuss Caleb with me.

"Okay," I said, raising an eyebrow at Patrick. "But I don't know either of them very well, and I don't know how useful I can be to you. I'm surprised that you aren't having this conversation with Laura," I said.

Patrick laughed. "I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Pretty much."

Patrick took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.

"Okay, I'll cut the shit. I want to talk to you about what happened the other night, and I want to get your perspective. I trust nothing said here will go past this office."

"Everything will stay between us," I said.

Patrick nodded. "Okay, that's good enough for me." He rubbed the back of his neck and stood up, looking out the window. Then he turned back to us.

"I'd like your thoughts on Caleb. I don't think you know this, but Caleb has always had deep feelings for Michelle. When they were growing up, he believed she was his mate and he made it clear he wanted to have a relationship with her."

My eyebrows shot up, but I tried not to make it too obvious that I was surprised. "Interesting."

"Yes. After it became clear that Michelle wasn't his mate, they remained friends. Close friends. And that's why I'm so concerned," Patrick said in a low voice, without looking at me.

"You're concerned because they're still close, and Michelle may have to be put to death," Elizabeth said. Patrick gave her a weak smile.

"Yes. Caleb and Michelle left for the pack about two hours before we left Laura's house, but they didn't arrive here until almost an hour after we did. What does that mean?"

"Hmm," I said. I could see why Patrick would be concerned about this situation.

"Yeah. Also, there's the fact that he didn't tell me about the Maryland wolves that were staying in the guest house. I'm very concerned about that."

Angus gave me a serious look, and I said, "You believe you might be losing control of your beta."

"Yes," Patrick said flatly. Then he turned to me and asked, "Have you seen something like this before?"

An alpha werewolf may have ultimate control over their pack, but they can be challenged for their position by another. It rarely happens, but when an alpha is challenged, the challenge will most likely come from an alpha's second in command, their beta.

I considered my next words carefully. "I've heard of challenges happening, but I've never seen one up close. However, I think this situation with Caleb is worth watching."

Patrick nodded, and Angus spoke up. "I've seen two challenges."

We both looked at him but neither of us said anything. "My pack in Scotland went through an unsettled period after the Great War."

"Is that why Dima came here?" I asked.

"Aye. And I can tell you this -- a werewolf that's considering challenging their alpha is going to start consolidating power. That move with Honoria and her crew, that's the one that should make you worried. He's trying to establish dominance."

Patrick looked at him for a long moment, then he turned to me and asked, "Will you stand with me if he challenges my position?"

I was surprised by the question. "I'm not a member of your pack. I'm not even a wolf."

Patrick smiled. "No, you're not a wolf. You're more than that, you're unique. You're a powerful being from a species that treats us as prey, but you've become an ally to our kind. Wolves always remember and appreciate our friends, especially when those friends put themselves at risk to support us."

I was thinking about what Patrick said when Angus spoke. "He's accepted my mate and me into his pack. I daresay that Caleb wouldn't do that."

I thought for a moment. The pack meant almost nothing to David, but it was very important to Angus. I knew he wouldn't be happy if he were welcomed into the clan without his mate. I also knew that it was extremely unusual to find a werewolf alpha willing to add a vampire to their pack. I nodded at him and said, "That's a good point." I turned to Patrick. "Okay. I'll support you in whatever way you need."

Patrick stood up and gave me a huge hug. "Welcome, brother! And thank you for your support!" he said with a grin.

Angus, Elizabeth, and I walked out of Patrick's office, and as he shut the door, Angus turned to me and said, "Thank you," in a soft voice.

I smiled as I realized I should be the one thanking him. My first impulse has always been to stay out of politics and matters that don't directly involve me, and I still think that's a good general rule. But the fact is that if someone won't accept my best friend and his mate, they're probably not people I would want to associate with under any circumstances.

"It's a rare wolf that would accept a vampire into his pack, almost as rare as a wolf who would accept a vampire as his mate. Patrick is a special man, and so is David. I'm glad you've found them both," I said.

Angus hugged me suddenly, a big, bruising, near rib shattering hug. "That means a lot to me, Stosh. And it means a lot to David, too. Not that he'll ever admit it, the cheeky bastard!"

The hearing was scheduled in the evening so that David, Jadwiga, and I could attend. When we arrived, the pack was gathering in the same clearing behind the alpha house where the party had been the night before. The day had been bright, clear, and cold, and as the sun began to set, the temperature continued to fall. Marcia, the perfect Madam Alpha, met us with shawls and blankets to keep the humans warm.

The bonfire from the night before had gone out, but the remnants were still smoldering. I hadn't noticed it in the dark, but there were fallen logs around the space that served as bench seating.

When we arrived, we were directed to sit in the front row. As we sat down, I saw Ben and April come to the circle. Ben sat down behind us and put his hand on Laura's shoulder. He smiled at her and Elizabeth.

Once everyone was seated, Patrick walked into the circle, followed by Michelle, Caleb, and another male werewolf I hadn't met. Michelle sat in a wooden chair near the center of the circle. Both Caleb and the other wolf sat down in the front row immediately to the right of them. Patrick remained in the circle and began addressing the crowd.

"We're here tonight to discuss the fate of Michelle Beauchamp, a member of our pack who stands accused of inviting a hostile vampire into a home she shared with a human for the express purposes of intimidating a former romantic partner. In doing so, she endangered the lives of the humans who live at the home as well as their visitors, which included members from another pack and two of our newest pack members, Angus McFaull and David Freeman. We'll hear testimony about what happened, and if it's decided that she willingly participated in an act of betrayal, the punishment will be death. Any questions?"

The crowd remained silent.

Patrick turned to Michelle. "Would you like to make a statement before we hear from witnesses?"

Michelle looked at Patrick, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Laura is my mate, and I believe that she's been confused by her sister's boyfriend, a vampire named Stosh."

The crowd began to murmur at this point. Patrick looked at Michelle and said, "Are you referring to Stanislav Szymanski?"

"Yes sir."

Patrick nodded, thoughtfully. "Michelle, if Laura truly were your mate, how could someone fool her into thinking otherwise?"

Michelle's voice began to crack. "I know humans can be easily fooled, and I think maybe that's what happened to my mate. I only know that our relationship was wonderful, almost perfect, and then her sister met the vampire and my mate's feelings for me soured."

Elizabeth had been holding my hand, and when Michelle started talking about me, her hand tightened.

"How did you meet the other vampire, Michelle? The one you invited into the house you shared with Laura Black?"

Michelle was crying quietly at this point. "I met him in the woods outside our house when I was guarding it. I saw Laura's sister, Elizabeth, and her vampire go into the house with another wolf. The vampire I met said that if I invited him in, he would get rid of my sister's boyfriend without hurting anyone else. The vampire said that his own sister was being held hostage by Elizabeth's boyfriend."