The Vampyre Huntress

CHAPTER 7: ALPHAS AND MUD PUDDLES

The anticipation of Alpha Kellar opening the door was killing me. Not knowing what to expect was mentally draining. Logan, being able to tell what I was thinking, grabbed my hand with a reassuring squeeze.

After a few brief moments, Alpha Kellar opens the beautifully carved doors and steps to the side; an invitation for us to step into his office.

Logan guided me through the large doors with ease. I could feel Alpha Keller's eyes piercing through our backs, although he did not say anything. As we stepped over to the red wing-backed chairs, Alpha Keller took Logan's hand in his and gave it a firm shake.

The room was once a drawing room that now has built-in bookcases, spanning from the floor up to the ceiling. Elegant emerald green wallpaper covered the walls that were not clad in books and tomes. In the middle of the large, round room was a dark mahogany desk, carved with the same wolves from the doors. The two wing-backed chairs that we currently occupied were situated in the front of the desk, giving Alpha Keller the perfect view of his company.

As Logan made introductions, the Alpha gently took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. Anxiety about messing up this meeting was eating its way through my smile. Logan noticed and slid his hand onto my lower back, effectively calming me.

We were told to sit and Alpha Keller started asking questions about how Logan and I found each other. After giving him the whole story starting from my life in Alabama until now, the Alpha pulled out a few pieces of parchment with very unique lettering. He slid them across the desk top toward me and asked if anything seemed familiar. One thing stood out the most.

Teeth marks. The same ones that I stitched up across Sam's body. The same large wounds that were covering most of the men and women in my small town's cemetery back home.

The Lycans knew, even all the way across the vast ocean. They knew. Alpha Keller had letters from all over, asking for help in this godforsaken war.

"We have been collecting information on these Vampyres for as long as I can remember. They are not usually so outgoing, normally keep to their covens and such."

He had said in his deep French accent. I was hanging onto every word he spoke in order to learn as much about these creatures as possible.

They sounded as pleasant as they looked. They had gray-toned skin that was thick and calloused. Alpha Keller said it made them particularly hard to kill. You have very little chance of actually getting that close without your opponent overpowering you. They carried long sharp claws where there were once fingernails. The arms and legs are elongated to make them more agile and to give them more running length.

The rouge Vampyres, like the ones that tore apart my town, had developed a taste for human flesh and blood. It made them all the more impossible to fight. My poor Sam and his battalion never had a chance against these bloodthirsty monsters.

The war against them has been going on for hundreds of years. Alpha Keller has set up a special training session for each of his soldiers and any soldiers around them would like to learn how to defend themselves against this type of attack. The training usually consists of defensive maneuvers, beheading the enemy, staking them through the heart, and if you manage to capture one alive, defanging.

To any normal human, this would sound absurd. To a human that has lived it, it feels totally normal.

After our meeting with Alpha Keller was over, he followed us to the kitchen where Logan's mother and the children had cooked lunch. It has been a very long time since we have eaten a meal this large. Logan's mother, Margaret, was fussing over Sammi's unruly hair getting into her plate of food. Sammi did not seem to mind, she loved being the center of attention. Will and Lucy already had their plates piled high and their mouths stuffed with chicken. My children did not have a care in the world at the moment.

Across from them, a petite brunette sat straight-backed with a napkin in her lap and her green eyes staring holes into their heads. Logan leans down and kisses the little girl on her cheek. From her reaction, I'm assuming this is Tori Anne. Logan lifts his younger sister from her chair and gives her the biggest bear hug he can muster, without hurting her. He speaks to her in his beautiful French accent and she goes wide-eyed when she looks over at me. We make introductions the best we can, seeing as I'm not fluent in sign language and Tori Anne can't speak.

We all sat around the large dining room table for a while, chatting and getting to know each other. Alpha Keller insists on being called by his given name and it is awkward. As I understand it, he will be my Alpha one day, which makes this a little tense and intimidating. Mrs. Margaret would like the children to call her grandmother and me to call her Mother. Tori Anne has the most sass out of the four children at the table. I'm sure she and Lucy are going to be great friends. Logan suggests that Tori Anne show Lucy and Will around the garden and I feel my muscles stiffen. He slides his hand under the table to grab mine and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"They will be perfectly fine, mi amour. We have security and patrols all around. The worst thing that will happen is them finding a muddy spot to jump in!"

My heart rate slows down as he comforts me and I agree to let them go. We finish dinner and the three children run off, laughing.

Logan takes little Sammi into his arms and his mother tucks her hair behind her ear. She is becoming accustomed to him faster than I thought she would.

"Logan Jack, why don't you show Sammi to her room? I've already had one room set up for each child, she has the yellow one across from yours."

Mrs. Margaret insisted on setting up rooms for the children, seeing that we would be living here soon. I followed Logan and an excited little girl to her very own bedroom. As he turns the doorknob, she pushes the large door wide open and squeals like a little piglet.

The room is beautiful. Pale yellow wallpaper seems to be a statement piece in this large house, she wiggles from his arms and as soon as her tiny toes touch the wood floor, Sammi is bounding around the room. Logan calls in a man in a waistcoat and overly shined shoes, giving him instructions on furniture and toys. He asks for a small bed and dresser to be brought in and then turns to Sammi, asking if she would like to help decorate.

A few hours pass and Sammi is sleeping like a log in her bed. Logan tucked her under a thick blanket and I swear my heart fluttered. Maybe having his children one day wouldn't be too terrible.

My thoughts drift back to the present as I hear six feet bounding down the stairs. Lucy and Will have already picked out their rooms. Of course, they are as close to one another as they could get. Lucy found out that Tori Anne's bedroom is directly across from hers and they have already found a way to communicate that they'll be having plenty of overnight stays.

Logan stands in their doorways as I help them into their beds and tuck the quilts under their legs and shoulders. We wish each other good night and say our "I love you's."

There are butterflies in my stomach as we walk back down the staircase to Logan's room. I think about grabbing a blanket and sneaking off to sleep on Sammi's floor, just to stay sane. As if Logan can hear my thoughts, he grabs my elbow and pulls me into the library surrounding his doorway.

"You can take the bed if it makes it any more comfortable for you. I've slept on the sofa many times, I do not mind."

I step into his room- no, our room, after him and push the door closed behind me with my foot. My shoes rest by the door as I pad softly over to him. Taking him by surprise, I stand on my tippy toes and wrap my arms around his neck. I feel his arms circle my waist as I plant the longest kiss we have shared on his lips.

Logan guides us over to the bed as he expertly unties the laces of my dress. I slide my hands inside his shirt as we fall onto the fluffy mattress. The last sane thought in my head is that neither of us will get any sleep tonight.