Chapter 258

Downtown Crescent City twinkled with white fairy lights beneath the inky black sky. Representations of the Moon Goddess, painted by local artists, hung from every building, illuminated by golden spotlights. At the center of it all, a glowing prop full moon raised high above the city’s largest water feature, the aquamarine lights playing teasingly with the crystal-clear water below.

This was the busiest that I had seen the downtown area since coming to Crescent City. So many people had come out to celebrate the glory of the Moon Goddess, dressed in either silver, white, blue, or classic black. Even members of the pack that lived outside of the city had come to join in the festivities.

Noah and I walked beneath a banner that said, in glow-in-the-dark letters, “Crescent Moon Pack Lunar Festival”. We weaved through the stalls set up in front of the storefronts, taking in the various sights, sounds, and smells. I was hesitant to spend time among my new pack members, unsure of who else might be on Bob’s payroll, but knowing that the Special Guard was watching over me helped me to relax a little.

Noah offered me his arm. I wrapped myself around it and leaned against him, sighing contentedly. I might not have felt like I did when I was with Andrew, but I could get used to this.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, raising my voice over the soft classical music being played on the strategically placed speakers.

“A little sore, but other than that, I will survive,” Noah replied. He tried to smile for me, but I could tell that it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You can be honest. I know how it feels to be attacked so often. It can…take its toll.”

I cast my eyes to the ground momentarily, watching as my silver kicks and his black Derbys moved rhythmically beneath us.

Noah sighed softly.

“I just thought that we were going to escape the danger to you here,” he admitted.

I patted him gently on the arm.

“I know.”

“Aren’t you at all upset about it? Mad?”

I bit my bottom lip in contemplation.

“Of course, I am, but I’ve learned by now that being upset about such things aren’t worth my time and energy.”

Noah eyed me.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

I didn’t return his gaze.

“All right, maybe it causes me a lot more problems than I’d like to admit,” I confessed, “but it helps that you’re here.”

“That I’m here? Or that those guards that Andrew sent are here?”

I rolled my eyes and pinched Noah’s arm.

“Ow!” he played along. “Am I wrong?”

I sighed and shook my head, pulling Noah closer to me.

“I do appreciate them being here, but I appreciate you being here, too.”

Noah slipped his arm out from between mine and wrapped it around my shoulders.

“I suppose that I just get jealous sometimes,” he admitted. “It feels as hard to escape Andrew’s shadow as it is to escape Bob’s attacks.”

I placed my head on Noah’s shoulder.

“I know, but you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ve moved on.”

I looked down at the engagement ring on my left hand, trying to make it seem as though I were admiring the ring.

“I’ve moved on.”

Noah grabbed my hand and kissed it right below the ring.

“I’m glad,” he said. He stared me straight in the eye and continued, “You’re my everything.”

I smiled slightly. I sniffed the air, and my smile broadened.

“I smell shish kabobs. You want to go get some?” I asked.

Noah chuckled.

“Definitely.”

As we followed the smell of shish kabobs to its source, another scent began to mingle with it, one that simultaneously sent chills down my spine and made me want to vomit. Death and dirt. That could only mean one thing.

Vampires.

I grabbed Noah’s arm and started pulling him toward the festival’s entrance.

“Crystal, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Don’t you smell that?”

“Yeah, it reeks, but what—”

A distant scream caused both of our heads to whip in the direction of the shish kabob stand. In the path we had just been taking were more than a dozen vampires, descending upon stalls and passersby like a veritable feast.

Before the vampires could dig their fangs too far into their victims, five gigantic wolves sprung out of the shadows and began to chase them. My heart soared with relief. The Special Guard.

“Come on,” I said, tugging on Noah’s arm. “We need to leave. Now.”

“But we need to help—”

“The Special Guard will take care of them. We need to get out of here!”

I wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. I dug my nails deep into Noah’s arm, stopping short of drawing blood, and dragged him toward the entrance.

We were but feet away when a figure jumped in front of us. We tried to turn around, but another figure jumped behind us. With unnatural strength even for a werewolf, the figures each grabbed one of our arms and yanked us apart.

I fell into the arms of the figure in front of us. He pinioned my arms to my side, nearly crushing my ribs in the process. I watched as the other figure wrapped her arm around Noah’s throat and forced him to his knees.

“Where do you think you’re going, mutt?” the figure whispered in my ear, his hot breath rolling onto my neck and face.

I froze. I recognized that voice. These weren’t just any vampires.

Gregory and Louise.

“I’ve been dreaming about getting more of your delicious blood since the moment that we lost possession of you,” Gregory said as he pressed his lips to my ear. I shivered, and he chuckled. “I see that you’ve been anticipating it, too.”

“Kill him!” Susan commanded.

Before I could let Susan take over, I felt a sharp prick in my neck, and burning caused me to gasp in pain. I could hear Noah scream in pain as well.

“Mmm, just as delectable as I remember,” Gregory purred.

He buried his fangs more deeply into my neck. The burning coursed through my veins, spreading to every inch of my body. My eyesight strained as I struggled to stay awake.

Suddenly, a huge furry body pounced upon Gregory and me, sending us rolling away from each other. The body stayed positioned over me, growling a low warning to Gregory.

“We will be back,” Gregory spat.

Two pairs of footsteps ran off at an inhuman speed away from us. As soon as the footsteps had faded, the furry body transformed into a human figure and crouched beside me.

“Are you okay, Ms. Blanchard?” George Black asked me.

“Noah…” I croaked.

“Noah has been bitten.”

George Black lifted my hair, and his tone took on a note of concern.

“You seem to have been bitten as well. Don’t worry, we have ambulances on the way for you and the others.”

“Others…?”

“Don’t worry, no one is dead.” George Black whispered the next part, “Yet.”

“I…I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry. Just conserve your energy. The ambulances will be here soon.”

I lay my head back as everything started to go black.

“The ambulances will be here soon…”