Brother Blood

Chapter 18: conspiracy

The evening passed without note. Stefa wasn't welcome, not really, but no one seemed to hate her and we were able to pick a movie without much fuss. Grant joined us, but Aidan and he spent their evening brewing cups of tea in the kitchen. Stefa wrapped herself around my neck, explaining parts of the movie when I didn't understand. It was weird that she smelled like me in my shirt, but nice. I had missed her.

"Do you want to go hunting after?" she asked. "I know I need to eat something."

"We'll have to ask Ralph and Mel," I told her. "But if they say yes, sure."

"I bet we'll get a chaperone, any favorites?"

"Stefa," I complained. "They just want me safe."

"You are safe with me," she replied. "We're not hunting people; what kind of danger could we run unto?"

"What's this I hear about hunting?" Casey said, leaning over the arm of the couch to grin at me. "Are you going hunting? Keith, we should go with them."

"Told you," Stefa whispered.

Keith grumbled but rolled his shoulders. Casey patted his arm and leaned her head back on the couch. "Mel, can we go hunting tonight?"

"So long as you drive across the highway first," she answered.

Once the movie was over, we hurried out to the pickup, Keith snatching the keys from Casey and jumping into the driver's seat.

"I wanted to drive," Casey pouted.

"Tough. I'm driving. Grant, you coming?"

Grant was on the porch with Katie and Brian. He tilted his head, watching Stefa clamber in to sit next to Casey. He shook his head.

"I'm just going to hunt rabbit here," he said. "I'm fine from yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Keith wondered and then glanced at me. "Damn it, Conor. You know that you have a limited amount of blood running through your veins, right? You can't let him feed on you endlessly."

"I know," I replied. "Don't worry about me."

Keith huffed as he started the pickup, pulling out of the gravel drive and heading toward our usual parking spot on the other side of the highway. It wasn't far, but Mel was worried that we would one day get hit by a car. While I was a regular sized wolf, the rest of my pack would cause more damage to a vehicle than we would want to explain. Keith parked the truck, turning to face me.

"It might be simpler to split up if we're hunting smaller prey," he said. "Conor, I don't want to have to worry about you. Come when I call, all right?"

It was an order I would have to obey. I was glad that Stefa didn't know; I wasn't sure if she truly wanted to hunt or spirit me away. Regardless, Mel had allowed us to come here, and perhaps I could afford to be more trusting.

We took a moment to undress and Stefa folded our clothes as we shifted. She ran her fingers through my fur, as I leaned against her leg.

"I forgot how beautiful your coat was," she said. "The last time I saw you like this you were covered in blood."

It had been because she had sliced me open, but of course she knew that. Casey and Keith bounded away and Stefa took in the darkening sky, her eyes wide in the low light. I smelled my environment much in the same way, hearing all the animals still awake scurry into safety. Stefa padded into the night and I followed quietly behind. We walked for a short ways and she took off running; I was hard pressed to keep up. She hadn't been lying to me; vampires were much faster, even than my wolf form.