The Beast I Am

Chapter 4

The voices outside were escalating into an argument.

I willed my fear to the recesses of my mind, allowing my body to fall forward, clearing the distance between the tub's edge and the wall. My hands landed on the tiled windowsill, my height giving me just enough leverage to see through the tiny window.

Although the significant storm had passed, a fine mist seemed to be showering New York City in her glow. I couldn't help the way my focus narrowed on him, able to pinpoint him out from any crowd. Rhazien was standing in front of the parking garage at the corner of the street. His hands were buried into his suit pants, regular stony expression plastered in a practiced mask. His car was still on, skewed in the driveway.

My guess was the person in the yellow jacket had stopped them from pulling in.

Who are you talking to?

I squinted suspiciously, trying to make out the stranger. A stranger whose arms were thrashing erratically enough in their tirade to make their hood fall, revealing a mass tumble of fiery red curls. The woman too distracted in her respite to notice her cover was blown. Rhazien blocked a jabbing finger thrown his way, the visitor stumbling from the movement.

I could feel him sigh, even from this far away, his shoulders rolling before he brushed his hair back. The pieces wet and dripping around his face, accentuating his scowl further. My Sire jerked his head towards the SUV, and an elderly man– Ezekiel, opened the door closest to them.

A vampire's form was permanent from their Embrace. Meaning that whatever the last state the person was in during The Kiss was it. For good. Nails? Hair? That wonky tooth? All of it stayed. So, it was absolutely infuriating to realize why Rhazien had grown out his facial hair the way he had.

It made it impossible to read what he was saying.

The woman seemed to collect herself, her hands running down her front to clear some bothersome comment from her skin. Her head twisted to see if anyone had spotted her before pulling back on her hood. Rhazien had his hands clasped before him, his jaw tight as he watched her climb into the back of his car. Ezekiel hopped in after her, the reverse lights casting an ominous red glow onto the wet pavement before peeling off down the street. Leaving my Sire with nothing but track marks.

I shivered, a sudden chill taking over the room and prickling my skin.

Luther's bell jangled in the distance. I looked back to the cat, the trail of a white figure passing by my doorway.

I froze. My heart jumped into my throat.

There's no way someone made it into the room without me knowing. I could hear the lights flickering from down the hall.

I counted to five, opening my eyes again to the display on the street; my view just barely catching the top of Rhazien's head as he approached the home.

I frowned, my gaze catching something in the window's top right corner.

My breath fogged the glass. A near-silent crackling scraping my mind. I watched, holding my breath as the fog spread, spawning tiny crystals on the windowpane. I reached up, trembling, my finger brushing the small chunks of ice forming there, the white snow chilling my skin.

An unease ticked its way up my spine like a lone faucet drip.

Drip

Drip.

I looked at the tub, dry and bare. The amber sink faucets clear and sturdy.

Drip.

Drip.