Jay was completely and utterly embarrassed. To make matters worse, all three of the Bohannan siblings saw the whole thing. Even though Raegan and Brennan were laughing now, she knew they would let it go. She was more worried about Kieran. He would hold this over her head for months to come. She knew he would be the one to constantly remind her of how she lost control and ate a rabbit.
"You lasted a few more seconds than I thought you would," Simone said as she handed Jay an oversized sweater. Jay took the article of clothing in her mouth and trotted behind a tree to change. Once she was out, she avoided looking at the smug looks Kieran was giving her.
"I can feel the fur in my teeth," Jay said as she flicked her tongue over them.
Simone gave her a sympathetic look as Jay made a face at her growing nausea. "You're not the first nor the last. It takes time to learn to control your inner wolf." Jay assumed she was speaking from her past. Simon had years of experience dealing with her beast. Even though she looked like she was in her early twenties, Simone was nearing her late forties.
"I would ask if you want some supper, but I'd say you're already full." Kieran's voice prickled Jay's nerves into annoyance.
"I'm ignoring you," Jay yelled over her shoulder as she walked through the back door and into the house. Here, she made her way to her bathroom, where she began to pick out the tufts of fur from her teeth as well as try to brush them clean. Jay placed her hands on the sink and stared into the mirror. Her memories flashed to when she first was showing signs of her beast emerging. Before she turned into a hybrid, Jay's eyes would flash silver, almost like a piece of the moon was fitted into her eye socket. Now, her eye colour morphed into black, and she looked like a soulless monster. Her eyes seemed to be bottomless. No light shone in their inkiness.
Jay made sure her eyes were back to normal before exiting the bathroom. Simone was told Jay needed help controlling her beast, and that was it. She was completely unaware of what she was training. She didn't need to know either.
As Jay descended the stairs, she couldn't help but feel a sense of worry settle within her gut. Even though she was going through as much training as possible, she still felt like she was going nowhere. Today proved the beast could easily take over, and she could lose control in the blink of an eye. Would Jay be ready by the time she wanted to be? She still wanted to attend school so she could acquire her high school diploma. She still dreamed of going off to college and starting a career for herself. Even though she was some type of mutant beast, she wanted to remain as normal as she could. But Jay doubted her abilities to do so.
"Your inner animal is just more reluctant to obey; that's why you're having troubles with control. The more powerful your animalistic side is, the harder it is to control it." Simone said from the table as she stared at Jay's defeated expression. Her logic made sense, considering Jay's family lineage had Alpha blood in it. "Who did you say your family was?"
"She didn't," Kieran said as he took a seat at the table.
Simone shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, I get it."
Jay felt terrible for leaving Simone in the dark about so many things, but she also knew it was for the better. Kieran and Brennan had made it pretty clear that not many people could be trusted about this sort of thing, especially another werewolf. Werewolves would feel more threatened by Jay's presence because she could topple the overall hierarchy of the werewolf world. Alpha's from all over would want to exterminate Jay because she could potentially take over their packs. Not that Jay would want that kind of responsibility, but from her experience in fighting off two Alpha's, she didn't doubt her capabilities.
"But still, you just don't seem the type to be a rouge." Simone carried on even though Kieran gave her a stern glance.
"I'm not a rogue, at least I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I have a pack," Jay said as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Simone gave Jay a questioning look. "Pretty sure?"
"Too many questions," Brennan said from across the kitchen. Raegan entered the kitchen with a glass full of a dark red liquid in her hands. Simone turned her nose up to the glass, but Jay's mouth watered slightly as she watched Raegan drink its contents. Jay hadn't consumed her daily dose of blood since early this morning, and she was beginning to feel hungry.
"Blah," Simone said. "How you can stand to live with vampires is beyond me. I can't bear the smell of blood."
Jay shrugged her shoulders as she tore her gaze away from Raegan. "I've grown used to it."
Simone shook her head with disgust. "That's something I could never get used to."
"Alright, I think it's time for everyone to retire. It's been a long day," Brennan said as he stared at Jay knowingly.
Jay nodded in agreeance. "Yeah, I'm beat." She agreed, forcing a yawn and stretching dramatically.
Kieran rolled his eyes as he stood from his chair. This action caused Simone to stand from the table, and with that, she bid everyone goodnight. Once she was out of earshot, Jay decided to ask the question that's been weighing on her mind for the past few days. "Do you think I'll be ready by the time this month is up?" She directed the question to everyone in the room, but Brennan answered first.
"You've been working hard. I think you're making progress."
Jay refrained the urge to pinch her nose as she stared at Brennan perplexed. "That didn't answer my question."
"No," Kieran said bluntly. Although this was the answer she expected from Kieran, she didn't want to hear it. He was honest and did not sugarcoat her situation, but it deflated her heart more than she liked.
Jay nodded her head as she stayed quiet. She turned to leave the kitchen, but Kieran spoke up. "You'll get there, though." She knew he meant well, but what he said made her feel even worse. She continued her walk to her room and shut the door quietly behind her. Now alone, she could stew in her failure.
It seemed like someone had other plans as she heard a soft knock at her door. Jay didn't expect to see Raegan out of all the people who could have been on the other side of the door. She waved Jay to the side as she quickly entered the room and closed the door behind her. Jay stared her down until she finally talked.
"If you want my advice over your whole situation, I think you need to be put into a position where you could easily lose control but can rein yourself in," Raegan spoke lowly.
Raegan had piqued Jay's interest. "And that would be?"
"Clubbing."
Jay had never set foot inside a club, or a bar for that matter. The only liquor she'd consumed was at family events or high school parties, but even then, her parents came to pick her up from those. This was a whole different concept.
"I'm in."
Jay and Raegan spent the next hour getting ready to go out. Even though Jay had no experience with how to look when going out to a club, the internet helped her choose her outfit and makeup look. With the help of Raegan's extensive wardrobe and makeup pallets, Jay was ready to go out. She was exhilarated. Her entire outfit consisted of black, and she felt good, confident even.
"That feeling you're getting is finally realizing the emotions that come with being a supernatural being."
Jay smiled as she looked at her attire which consisted of knee-high boots, a leather skirt, a lacey top and a cropped blazer. Her brown hair was down in cascading curls, and her makeup was bold but not overpowering. "Well, whatever I'm feeling, I feel great."
"That's the perks of being a vampire. Your emotions are heightened. When you feel happy, you feel elated. When you're excited, you're exhilarant." Raegan said while putting an earring through her ear. "When you feel lust..." Raegan paused for a moment as she smirked at Jay. "Well, you get the point. Everything is heightened."
"Ready?" Raegan asked as she straightened in front of her mirror.
"Ready." Jay nodded confidently.
After exiting the Bohannan residence discreetly, Raegan and Jay were almost in the clear. The two of them entered a vehicle inside the garage, and Jay held her breath as Raegan started the engine. "The boys definitely heard that," Raegan laughed as she quickly maneuvered out of the parking spot while the garage door was opening.
Without looking back, Jay gave a little squeal of excitement as they raced down the gravel driveway and onto the road leading toward Amber Falls. With the speed Raegan was driving at, Jay had no doubt they would be there within ten minutes.
Raegan parked her car in front of the club. Here, Jay could already feel the loud music coming from inside. It was like a second heartbeat settled within her chest, beating to the sound of her own.
"Okay, it's going to be loud and crowded in there, but you've got me to help you out," Raegan said as she stared down the doors of the club. "Just follow my lead, and you should be fine."
Jay nodded her head, and with that, the two of them walked through the front doors. A bouncer stopped them, but Raegan had it covered when she compelled him to believe they were both twenty-one. Grabbing Jay's hand and leading her through the crowd, the two girls stationed themselves at the bar to order drinks. It was everything Jay imagined it to be. Loud, crowded, and full of sweaty, drunk people dancing like crazy. She loved it.
The guys standing at the bar beside Jay were giving her glances, and one leant over by Jay's ear. "Good luck trying to get a drink in this place." He shouted over the music even though Jay would've heard him just fine if he spoke normally. "It's so busy in here the bartenders can barely keep up. So when you do finally get a chance, order as much as you can carry."
"Thanks for the warning!" Jay said as she smiled at him.
"The names Beck."
"Jay." She shook his outstretched hand.
Raegan turned around with two shots in either hand and placed them on the counter in front of her. The guys Beck was with all stared in astonishment at the drinks in front of us.
"Tell you what? You do whatever witchy girl power you just did to get us all another round, and it's on me." Beck said as he watched Raegan take a shot.
"You've got it!" Raegan gave him a dazzling smile before turning back to the bartender with a few fingers held up.
Jay lightly bumped into Raegan's shoulder while softly laughing. She knew exactly what Raegan did to get them drinks, but the guys had no idea. They were human, after all. Jay could smell it on them.
After getting the group of guys a round of shots, Beck kept his word and paid for what Raegan and Jay had.
Beck's friends protested when he didn't pay for theirs, which was all too funny to watch.
"You guys make enough money to pay for your own," Beck said while downing two in a row. "These knuckleheads are Dewi and Kacie."
Raegan and Jay exchanged names and handshakes with the group of guys before they turned to their drinks.
Raegan bumped Jay lightly as her eyes drifted to the drinks sitting in front of her. "You haven't touched yours. Drink up!" Jay drank four in a row, slamming each one down on the table before turning toward the dancefloor and exclaiming she wanted to dance. Jay's throat burned slightly with the alcohol, but she didn't mind as it warmed her stomach. Raegan and Jay took to the dance floor, with an entourage following behind them. "I guess we grabbed their attention," Raegan said close to Jay's ear as they settled on one part of the dance floor.
Jay shrugged her shoulders and laughed, enjoying this newfound feeling. She felt alive and free. And so far, nothing terrible had happened. The alcohol took the edge off of her craving for blood, so she wasn't focused on her hunger. Jay was having fun with someone she didn't think she would be having fun with.
Jay hesitated for a second when she felt hands snake around her waist, but Raegan only gave her an encouraging smile when she noticed Jay's facial expression. She followed Raegan's lead, throwing her arm over the guy's shoulder and dancing in tune with him. Jay was no expert, but she didn't think the guy noticed.
After a few songs of some upbeat music containing a lot of bass, Raegan decided it was time for more drinks.
"You keep getting us drinks the way you are doing, and I'll buy for you the whole night." Beck leaned against the bar counter as he talked to Raegan. Jay let her work her magic, as he called it, and watched the dance floor swarm around with bustling bodies.
A scent drifted into Jay's nose that was inhuman. Taking a deeper breath and pushing past the other scents, she realized it was a werewolf. Jay turned to Raegan just as fast as Raegan turned to her. "Keep calm," Raegan said as she handed Jay a different coloured shot. "This is mutual territory for both vampires and werewolves." The shot she had was sweeter than the last ones, which made Jay crave even more. "Careful," Raegan laughed. "Those are the ones that will give you the hangovers."
Raegan's eyes drifted across the room until they settled on a point of interest. Jay turned to look at what Raegan was watching and saw she found where the werewolves were. There were four of them, and they were watching the two girls like hawks. Feeling a touch of unease, Jay turned to take another shot to calm her nerves.
"I'm hoping if we ignore them, they'll ignore us," Raegan said as she grabbed onto Jay's hand while taking her to the dance floor.
"Wait up!" Beck called as he grabbed his bottle from the counter. He held onto Jay's hand and twirled her around while simultaneously taking a drink of his beer.
Jay laughed. "Impressive."
"What can I say? I'm a terrific multitasker." Beck took a bow but stumbled slightly as the crowd surged around him. Jay covered her mouth as she laughed but continued dancing anyway. After a while, Jay began to feel hot with the amount of body heat in the room.
"Want to get some air?" She asked Raegan, who nodded eagerly.
"Where are you ladies off to?" Beck asked as he noticed them exiting the dancefloor. Dewi was following behind Raegan and held up a pack of cigarettes in the air. Beck nodded in understanding and downed his drink before the five of them exited the club.
The night air chilled Jay's skin immediately. She welcomed the feeling. The boys lit up their cigarettes, and Raegan asked for a puff off of one of them.
"Do you smoke?" Beck asked as he held the carton up for Jay to take one.
Jay shook her head no. "I've never had one, but I'll take a puff." Why not? I'll live tonight and regret my decisions in the morning.
As Jay finished exhaling the smoke from her lungs, the club doors opened in front of them and there stood the group of werewolves. Oh no. She thought as she handed the cigarette back to Beck.
"Well, look what we have here. A vampire, a werewolf, and humans all getting along." One of the werewolves spoke as he came closer to Jay's group.
"What?" Beck shook his head as if he heard wrong. "I'm not that drunk am I?"
Before anyone else could talk, Raegan turned around and compelled the three humans to go back inside and enjoy their night. Good thinking. Jay thought as she stared down at the wolves.
Once the three of them left, Raegan turned back to the wolves with an unamused look. "What is it?" She snapped, crossing her arms. "Why do you feel the need to ruin our night?"
Another wolf spoke up as he glared at Raegan in disgust. "A werewolf and a vampire partying together? That's just downright unnatural."
"We're not bothering you," Jay spoke up. "We're allowed to be here just as much as anyone else."
"That may be, but this leach shouldn't be allowed here, or anywhere for that matter."
Raegan scoffed. "Is it so hard to believe we can co-exist? We've been doing it for centuries, but you people like to stir the pot now and then. We're not the problem; you are."
"It wouldn't be a problem if your kind stayed in whatever cave you crawled out of." This time, the third werewolf spoke up, pushing his way past the other two wolves who spoke previously.
"Go chew on a bone, fleabag," Raegan hissed, her eyes turning a deep red.
This night was escalating faster than Jay would've liked it to be, but before anything else could happen, bright headlights shone into the parking lot as a vehicle approached. The approaching vehicle caused everyone to stop bickering momentarily.
Jay turned to look at the car as someone exited, and her heart sank as she saw the Bohannan brothers. Brennan came over to Jay, grabbing her face in his hands softly as his eyes scoured over every inch of her skin. His gentle touch was gone once he realized she was fine, and his fingers firmly gripped her chin as he made her look into his eyes. "Get in the car, Jay," Brennan said, then stood in front of his sister, staring down the wolves with a sharp look.
Jay began to protest, but Kieran was quick to cut her off. "Jay," He said behind her, gripping her elbow in his grasp. Jay's grumbling was cut off by one of the wolves growling lowly. This caused Jay's beast inside to perk up at the animalistic noise.
"I see what this is now," The werewolves all growled in unison. "You're keeping the werewolf as a pet against her will."
Jay had to hold back a snort as she thought of that idea. In a way, they were, but not in the way these wolves were thinking. That's just sick. "You're moronic," Jay laughed but covered her mouth as Kieran gave her a stern look.
"You're a traitor to your own kind," One of the wolves shouted as they began to back off. Jay clamped her mouth shut as she noticed Kieran watching her with a heated glare. She ducked her head into the passenger side of the vehicle and waited until the driving arrangements were sorted out. Kieran would drive Raegan's car back home, and Brennan would drive the other vehicle. Brennan claimed even though Raegan was supernatural, he didn't condone drunk driving.
Jay wasn't sure if they even were drunk. She felt the alcohol slightly but not enough to be considered intoxicated. Brennan slammed his car door shut and followed behind Kieran as they drove back to their house.
Brennan finally spoke up after a few moments of silence and going at a speed that was surely out of anger. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Jay groaned. Not out of pain but out of annoyance for Brennan acting like an overprotective father. "I already have two parents thank you very much. I don't need a third." Jay looked out of the window at the passing lights.
"Do you realize what could've happened with those werewolves?" Jay heard Brennan's fingers tighten over the steering wheel.
Jay breathed out a sigh as her mind wandered back to the werewolves they encountered. She understood the dangers, but how was she to know something like this would happen?
"Raegan and I are both fine," Jay said as she leaned her head against the headrest behind her. She gazed upon Brennan's vexed expression as his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. His eyes seemed to darken even though the occasional street light would grace his features for a split second.
Biting her lip, Jay looked away from him once his eyes settled to look at her. His expression was dark and brooding, which sent shivers along her spine. She didn't shiver because she was scared of him. As Jay looked out the window, she noticed a parked car behind a building.
"Son of a bitch," Brennan said as red and blue lights lit up behind them. Both Kieran's and Brennan's vehicles pulled to the side of the road, and the police car settled behind them.
Jay's lip twitched with an oncoming smile as she watched Brennan's face light up with anger. "That's why you don't speed like a maniac through city limits." Jay giggled, adding to the fire.
Brennan shot her a glare, which caused her to quiet down. An officer approached Brennan's window first, and as he rolled it down, Jay recognized the man immediately.
"Dad?"
*****
Word Count : 3627