The Beasts of Baye Road

The Beasts & The Manor

'Are you sure it was nothing Anneska?'

Anneska placed an overflowing basket I'm of bread in Bianca's arms.

'I don't know why I bother to make the bread. They never eat it!'

'Anneska!'

If Blanca didn't know any better she'd assume they were cooking for an army. She wasn't sure how many guardians, there had to be over fifty of them to finish all they made.

'Yes Blanca I'm sure. Surrounding areas have werewolves too it isn't strange to have wolves in those forests. It's far enough from here to not have any locals there.'

Anneska woke up two hours before Blanca to make nearly 5KGs of stake and sausages. Blanca had never been around so much meat in her life. A whole house of chickens had to have been slaughtered just for breakfast.

Her family loved their meat too but this was outrageous.

'Now no more talk about last night.' Anneska sent Blanca to the dinning room.

Blanca set the bread basket down and marveled at the table that took up the entire room. She found herself back in the woods spying on a naked man. She unconsciously tugged on one of her twin braids. She wondered what it would be like to traced the tips of her fingers on his smooth skin. She never got a good look at his eyes but his voice replayed itself in her mind like a haunting melody.

The front door slammed and uproarious laughter jolted Blanca out of her daydream. She abandon the table and scurried back to the kitchen.

Blanca remained at the door and watched the people arrive. A slim woman with a bod cut marched in ahead of the three young men shoving each other. She had her head buried in her phone, the sound of the boys laugher irritated her.

One of them had a clean shave, broad shoulders and a diamonds nose ring. He had a Cheshire Cat smile, Blanca thought. He had chocolate skin and a walk that commanded her attention. He had to be a powerful wolf. Blanca bit her lips and turned away.

The other one had a curly hair afro bun, full pink lips and a barking laugh. He had several tattoos running up his neck and through his arms. He didn't seem like a gang member type or dangerous. He landed on the table and spared no time in filling in his plate.

The other one was lesser build than the rest but considering he was a werewolves he could still hold his own. He had sparkling blue eyes like Gianna's. He had dark hair pulled back hair.

These are the guardians?

'Blanca, I need you to go to the market and buy more meat. Go to the bouchery they know me there I pay on credit. Pick out the meat and a man will bring it here.' Anneska pulled her away from the door.

'When you return I won't be here. Search the library upstairs the master will be in bed and the drawing room.'

'Anneska.' A deep voice sent goosebumps across Bianca's skin. Her eyes darted to the door.

Amneska put distance between her and Blanca.

A man in black pants, a white shirt and black jacket stood with his hands shoved in his pockets. His emerald eyes scrutinized them. Sweat formed in Bianca's palms, he looked just as good with clothes on.

Please don't recognize me. Blanca thought.

'Yes Matteo?' Anneska said as if she hadn't just been conspiring to search the manor.

Matteo took two heavy steps forward, his eyes burned on Blanca who stared at the marble floor.

'Is this your niece?' He finally said. His deep rumbling voice sent shivers down her spine. He was close enough for Blanca to inhale his perfume.

'Yes.' Anneska smiled and brushed Bianca's rosy cheek.

'And is she—'

'No, no she isn't her poor father rest his soul wasn't a werewolf. ' Anneska chuckled and pinched Bianca's cheek. Blanca frowned, Anneska had the roughest hands!

Matteo nodded and turned to leave. 'My Dad won't be having breakfast with us.'

Anneska gave a slight curtsy. 'I'll take care of him.'

Matteo vanished. Blanca couldn't get her beating heart under control. Thank goodness he hadn't seen her last night but she saw him, all of him! And he was her boss! Worse than that he was one those hunting her sister for her powers.

***

Remember Blanca trust no one. Anneska's words echoed in Bianca's head as she crossed the road to the market.

'Not even the handsome werewolf living under my nose.' She whispered.

Strings of sausage and lines of meat hung outside a shop near a little grocery store. Blanca walked through the open door and the scent of meat smacked her in the face.

'Did you hear about the people killed by werewolves in West Baye Road?'

Blanca spotted an elderly man with a young man picking out meat.

'Not werewolves, but the beasts. ' The older man said.

'What's the difference Grandpa they're all monsters? ' The young man frowned.

'Werewolves have protected this town for centuries these beasts only came recently. Foul creatures born from evil.'

Blanca continued to listen as she surveyed the meat options. The monsters were actually killing locals, Blanca thought.

'Can I help you with something?'

Bianca's head shot up to find a five foot something lady with brown locks watching her. She had a bloody apron over her jeans and shirt.

'Uh yes. Anneska sent me from Flik Manor.' She handed the woman a piece of paper.

She narrowed her eyes at Blanca, didn't even bother to look at the paper.

'Why would Anneska send you?'

'I-I I'm her niece I work at the house.'

The woman eyed her from the top of her head to her brown high heel boots.

'Hmm the guardians aren't big on allowing outsiders in the Castle. Especially... your kind.'

Blanca swallowed the lump in her throat.

'The manors a dangerous place you know...'

'Why would you say that?'

'Because of all the creepy gargoyles of course! Haha. Hi I'm Susanna lovely to meet you.' A giggling blonde bumped the other girl out of the way then stuck her hand out for Blanca.

Blanca hesitantly shook her hand.

'Blanca.'

'That's so pretty! Don't mind Kyla strange day must be the weather. Come with me Anneska always gets the same stuff.' She waved Kyla away ushered Blanca to the counter.

Susanna handed Blanca a recite with a smile that did little to ease the unease in her belly.

Susanna waited until Blanca was out the store before she turned to her best friend s***h business partner.

'Are you trying to chase away our customers?! '

'She reeks of magic Sue! Didn't you feel it?'

Susanna unearthed a nail filer from the counter and shrugged. 'Maybe a little.'

'Don't you think it's strange the guardians would hire a human? At least I assume she's human she's got so much magic around her I'm not really sure.'

'You've just go trust issues Kyla.'

'I don't know, people drenched in spells usually have something to hide.'

'Says the girl with a strigoi boyfriend.' Susanna sang.

'

Shut up will you.' Kyla hissed as a tall boy with a dirty apron walked through the door. He wrapped his arm around Kyla and kissed her cheek.

'Speak of the blood sucker.' Susanna rolled her eyes.

'Did you hear about the people killed in West Baye Road?'

'It seems it's all anyone can talk about today.' Kyle wrapped her arms around her boyfriends waist.

Romance between werewolves and vampires was strictly forbidden and if they were found out they'd have hell to pay. Cooper worked next door for a human employer. He had no idea he was a vampire. Vampires weren't as accepted in Baye Road as the werewolves.

Cooper wasn't like the other strigoi, he was warm and kind. He was the only strigoi Kyle knew that still latched on to his humanity. Something deeper drew them together something the division between their kinds couldn't break.

'What are the guardians saying?' Cooper asked.

Kyle snorted. 'The guardians haven't addressed the packs in years. They just do what they damn well please!'

'What do your leaders think Cooper?' Susanna asked still filing her nails.

'There's a lot of unrest. A couple idiots tried to attack a beast only one of them made it out. A bite from a beast was a enough to kill a strigoi for good.'

Kyle wriggled out of Cooper's arms.

'Great not even vampires are strong enough to kill these things.'

Cooper's brows furrowed, he knew Kyla lost faith in her leaders and the fear of being ripped apart next was immense.

'When it comes to the witches they think this is all political and don't want to be involved.' Susanna sighed.

'People are dying this isn't political.' Cooper spat.

'I know. But I heard some witches created a spell to drive the beasts away when they encounter them. They're immune to protection magic but this spell is strong enough to run them off. I'm not so sure how true this is.' She whispered.

'If the beasts are immune to protection magic how come they don't just rally up to the manor and finish of the guardians?' Kyla said.

Cooper and Sue shrugged.

'Maybe that's where their orders come from.'

Flik Manor loomed dangerously on the hill bearing down on its subjects. Its face a reflection of death and darkness. It's hallways quiet and its rooms hollow. All the secrets lay waiting to be claimed.

Blanca snatched the key to the upstairs library that Anneska hid under the tea pot. She ran up the stairs but stopped at the Masters room. He scored in his bed.

Blanca's heart hammered in her chest.

Sound asleep.

She shut the library door behind her. Dirt and perfume mingled together in the air. A wall of books stood behind a long brown desk.

The books would take ages. Anyone could come back at anytime. She pulled drawers, some were empty and one held a brown book with a golden ring on the cover.

Wolf Charmers. It read.

Blanca traced the cover with her palm. The fear eating her inside prevented her from pulling it out.

Blanca thought of tucking it in her apron but it would be obvious. As long as she knew it was there. The room was dark, the curtains were drawn and the walls were covered with brown paint. Golden frames depicted dominant wolves conquering the world.

It was always the same black wolf with blue eyes even in the paintings downstairs.

She stepped into the hallway. The room at the end of the belonged to the master and the room next to his had to be Matteo's.

What was she doing there? She pressed her body against the door. A bed fit for a king sat in the center of the massive room, a white net hung from the ceiling. A desk was stationed at the window smaller than the one in the library.

Two drawers connected to the bed, but Blanca didn't go there to go through his things.

His sweet masculine perfume filled the room. She went to the wardrobe in the wall. His clothes would reek of him too. Her fingers were about to open the door...

'Blanca.'

Blanca swirled and pressed her back against the wardrobe.

'What are you doing in my room?'