Succubus Happens

Chapter Four

I wake up in the middle of the night on the floor in front of the fireplace. There’s an empty bottle of booze next to me. According to Carter, Supernatural beings can’t get drunk, but we sure as hell had fun trying. I actually kind of the miss the way my head would pound after I had too much to drink. I never thought I’d miss that feeling. If I didn’t proof that he was telling the truth, the lack of a headache or sickness clues me in real quick. I sit up and pull Carter’s jacket off and toss it aside. It’s too hot in front of the fire. I look next to me and see Carter fast asleep, his body angled toward my own. I wonder if he’s done that on purpose or if it just happened in his sleep.

I haul myself off of the floor and head to the back of the cabin for the bathroom. I wince when I see how badly my makeup messed up from the crying. Why the hell didn’t Carter say anything? Maybe he doesn’t care. That would be nice. A guy who doesn’t care about a girl looking like a mess in front of them. Unfortunately, even if he did think that way, I did not. I can’t believe I let it get so bad.

I turn on the water and wash my face, letting it cool me down. Then I grab the towel and press the soft cloth against my skin before sitting down on the edge of the bathtub.

So. I’m a supernatural being. I don’t even know how to start doing research on what kind of creature I could be. I’ve seen so many movies and TV shows and I know there are just so many different types of creatures out there. However, those are all fiction. I don’t know what’s real and what isn’t. I don’t know anything about this world. I don’t know anything about this town either. There is so much that I have to sit down and learn. My entire life changed the second I crossed the border into North Grove.

Twenty-four hours ago I was a normal girl. No, that’s not right. I must have always been this way. I just didn’t know any better. I toss the towel onto the counter before turning off the light and heading to one of the rooms.

I find a closet full of clothes that must belong to Carter’s sister, Kate. He said she wouldn’t mind me borrowing something. I grab a pair of shorts and change into them before heading back into the living room. Carter is still on the floor so I’m quiet as I step over him to get to the couch.

“You doing okay?” I jump at the sound of his voice. Carter didn’t move and he didn’t even open his eyes. But somehow he knew I was gone. Werewolves are weird.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” I say.

“That’s not a problem. I wake when you wake,” he says.

“What?” This is news to me.

“I’ve sort of programmed myself to be accustomed to your breathing patterns so that I can keep a better watch on you.”

“Programmed?” I repeat, trying to keep things light. “I thought you were a werewolf, not a supercomputer.”

“Why can’t I be both?”

“Because that’s just not fair,” I tell him.

“Fine. I’m just a wolf who happens to know what breathing patterns mean you’re awake or not.”

“That’s not creepy or anything.”

He rolls over and sticks his tongue out at me. “You see it as creepy, I see it as helpful.”

“So when I wake, you wake.”

“Yes.”

“Is that going to stay the same when we go back?”

He nods. “Yes.”

“Even when you’re not in the same room with me?”

“Yes.”

That puts no pressure on me whatsoever. I will be the cause of him having sleepless nights. Especially if those nights include my worst nightmare. My worst nightmare now, that is. “I’m sorry to be such a burden.”

He reaches out and touches my ankle. “You’re not a burden, Daphne. Not to me.”

“Yeah, and why is that?” I ask, trying to ignore the sensation of his skin on my skin. I’m hot again, and not because of the fire.

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“Well, I’m nothing like you,” I say. “You and the guys…you’re like this incredibly well-oiled machine. You’re a…oh my god. You guys are pack. Like literally a pack. Right? You’re all wolves.”

Carter sits up and nods. He’s grinning. “Yeah, the five of us are werewolves.”

“And that’s why no one else gets to play.”

“Correct.”

That explains why they call the diner The Den. Clever. Something clicks in my mind. “Hang on. You said humans can’t cross the border.”

“They can’t,” he says.

“Then how do you guys get to play basketball with an out of town team every week?”

“Oh that,” he grins again. “We lower the barrier for the schools that come to play. They get extensive screening to make sure none of them are hunters.”

I stare at him blankly. “Really?”

“Really.”

I shake my head and lay down on the couch, closing my eyes. “This is just too weird,” I say.

“How?”

I open one eye to peek at him. “You did not just ask me that,” I say.

“I know,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

I take a deep breath and hold out my hand. He stares at it for a second before lacing his fingers with mine. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” I say. “Just this for now, if that’s okay.”

“More than okay,” Carter says quietly. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to sleep?”

“I don’t know if sleep is such a good idea right now. Not after everything that I’ve learned tonight.”

“Okay.”

At least he’s not pushing me to do something I don’t want to do. Which brings me back to my next topic of conversation. It can’t be avoided forever.

“What is it?” Carter asks me, a brow quirked on his features.

“First question is if Alex is a werewolf,” I say. Carter grins and I roll my eyes. “Okay, so he’s a werewolf. But since he is one, how was I able to knock him out?”

He laughs. “That’s probably due to your abilities,” he says. “But since we don’t know what you are, we can just assume that you have some type of super strength.”

“Wouldn’t I have known that by now?” I ask him. “I mean, it’s not like I hit people every day, but I can barely open a pickle jar.”

“You like pickles? I have some in the fridge.”

I glare at him, fighting a smile. “No. And don’t change the subject.”

“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “Sometimes your abilities only comes through when your body knows you need it. A defensive mechanism, if you will. It’s different for everyone. No two supernatural creatures are the same.”

“Ah.”

“I’m not that great at explaining, but I do know more than other people in town.”

“Why is that?”

“My grandmother does the census every year and she knows pretty much everything about every person in town.”

“Aurelia?”

“Yes, Aurelia.”

I sit up, smiling. I like Aurelia. She was sweet and kind to me. “Can we go see her?” I ask. “Maybe we can do research and figure out what I am.”

“We can go see my grandmother, sure.”

“What kind of creature is she?”

He bites his lip and remains quiet. I stare at him expectantly, wanting an answer.

“What is it?” I ask him, not understanding his hesitation.

“There’s something you need to know about North Grove,” he says.

“You mean other than the fact that it’s filled with supernatural creatures?”

“Am I detecting sass from you, Daphne?” Carter raises a brow at me.

I don’t even bother lying about it. After everything, I figure I’m allowed a little bit of sass. “Yup.”

“I like it,” he says.

“Great. Can you please get to the point?”

“Oh right,” he grins. “It’s like politics and religion. You can’t really just ask someone what type of creature they are. Some people find it very rude and will throw a fit and then someone will bring it up to the city council and it’s just a huge mess.”

“You’re kidding right?”

“Not about that,” he says. “But Aurelia doesn’t mind. She’s a witch. An extremely powerful witch. She doesn’t care if you ask questions. She’s gonna want to answer all of your question. Her and Kate anyway. But it’s with some…species, they’re allowed free time outside of the town and it causes tension.

“Free time?” I echo. He’s making this place sound like a prison.

“For the wolves, we get one night a month out of town…to run.”

“The full moon.”

“Yes.”

“And the others?”

“There are creatures called Wendigos that also gets a night out a month and that’s only so the power doesn’t build up inside of them and drive them crazy. They just need to get out. People are worried of those are allowed out. Of the suspicion they could create. And the danger it could cause for the rest of us.”

“I’ve heard of those before,” I say. “Fictionally speaking, anyway. They kill people. And you just let them go?”

“We can’t control what they do on the outside, Daphne,” Carter says.

“No, but you can control letting them out.”

“They have to be allowed out,” he says. “Otherwise they die.”

“So humans don’t mean as much to you.”

He sighs. “It’s not me. It’s the town. It’s my history.”

“What do you believe?”

“There are hundreds more of us outside, roaming the country. There are more out there running free and killing people every day. We take one night.”

“We?” I repeat, shock filing my voice. “Do you…have you killed before?”

He doesn’t look me in the eyes. “Yes,” he says, his voice low. “I didn’t…I wish I hadn’t.”

“How many times?” I ask him.

His jaw clenches. “Too many.”

I lick my lips and take a breath.

“Are you scared of me now?” He sounds worried.

“No, actually. I know that I should be, and I should be running, but I know that after the night I’ve had, there are worse things out there,” I say, shuddering at the memory. “Worse people like Alex out there.”

A growl escapes Carter’s throat and I look up at him. “He won’t touch you again.”

“He better not,” I say, leaning back against the couch. “Were you even supposed to tell me this tonight?”

“No,” he says. “You weren’t supposed to know until your powers came in.”

“So you broke a rule.”

“Kind of a major one,” he says. “More than one.”

“Are you going to get into trouble?” I ask. “Because of me?”

He shakes his head. “I made my choices,” he says. “I’ll deal with the consequences.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Yeah,” he says. “It’s because of you. But Daphne, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I’m being serious, Carter,” I tell him. “How bad is this going to be?”

He takes my hand. “It’s going to be fine,” he says. “It’s going to be worse for Alex.”

“What if they don’t believe me?”

“They’ll believe you. This isn’t exactly the first time this has happened.”

“And yet people are mad that I turned him down,” I say. “Shocking.”

“It’s not very easy to keep doing what he’s doing when everyone knows what he’s up to.”

“Obviously it’s not easy to do when there aren’t many new people that comes through town,” I say.

“Exactly.”

I close my eyes and take another breath Carter brushes the back of my hand with his thumb, so I look down at your joined hands. “I like that more than I should.”

He smiles. “Why shouldn’t you?”

“What if we’re mortal enemies?” I ask him. “We don’t know what I am.”

“I don’t have a mortal enemy.”

“Not even Alex?’

Carter snorts. “Unfortunately, no.”

I settle against him and rest my head on his shoulder. “Well, he’s mine.”

“I like this more than I should.”

“Oh really?”

“Absolutely.”

“I think you’re just a flirt.”

“Nah,” Carter says. “I don’t do this with just anyone.”

I turn my head to meet his gaze. “I should hope not.”

He grins at me.

“So.”

“So…?” he asks, raising a brow.

“What are we going to do on Monday?”

Carter sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Monday…we can talk to my grandmother.”

“Will you be punished?”

“Probably, but nothing too bad,” he says. “Just…I’ll probably get my outing taken away.”

“What does that mean?” I ask him. “If you don’t get to run?”

“I’ll be fine,” he says. “We’ve got a place I can be locked down in.”

“Locked down?”

“You’ve never heard of a werewolf or something? Once a full moon goes up, we need to be out running or somewhere far away from people.”

“Right,” I say. “I keep forgetting that you’re dangerous.”

“That’s definitely one word to describe me.”

I lift my head up and press my hand to his cheek, making sure he sees me looking at him. “But I’m not scared of you,” I tell him. “Don’t ever worry about that.”

He swallows and I feel his pulse quickening under my hand. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before. I wonder if that’s another part of my powers. My eyes flick down to his lips and I feel my own pulse starting to speed up.

“Daphne...” his voice is quiet and I look up.

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

 “Why are you even asking?”

He smirks and leans in. I close my eyes and then immediately jump away from him when the front door of the cabin flies open.

“Carter!”

It’s Jake.

☽

Jake isn’t here to sell us out. He’s here to protect. But in doing so, he interrupted my kiss with Carter. Which, now that I think about it, is a really good thing. I shouldn’t be kissing Carter. I don’t even know if he actually likes me or if he’s doing it just because he’s made it his mission in life to protect me from Alex. It’s possible it’s just heroics.

I’m sitting in front of the fire again while Jake and Carter are talking outside. I wish I could hear what they’re talking about…but I don’t really have to wonder. I know they’re talking about me and Carter’s possible punishment for telling me about my powers. Powers. That’s such a strange thing to think about. Especially when I have to think about it being applied to me. I turn when the door opens again and the Sinclair boys enter.

‘What’s the verdict?” I ask them, moving to my feet and away from the fire.

“Guilty,” Jake grins.

“Please don’t be too hard on Carter.”

“I’m not the one in trouble,” Carter says, coming to stand a few feet away from me. It’s obvious Jake doesn’t miss this action by the way his eyebrows slightly go up.

“Then who?”

“You are,” Jake says. “You knocked out a werewolf. Like out cold. That’s the most awesome thing ever. What are you?”

I stare at Jake, shaking my head. “I honestly don’t know.”

“Yeah, man, she doesn’t know anything,” Carter says. “I just broke the news to her tonight.”

“Broke the news?” Jake asks. “Being a supernatural is the best thing ever.”

“You think so?” I ask.

“I know so.”

“But we don’t even know what I am. Or what kind of powers I have.”

“Easy,” he says. “What else can you do, besides the strength?”

“What do you mean?’

“Have you noticed anything different about yourself? Even if it’s just tonight, it could be important.”

“Why would you know what I am?”

“I have an eidetic memory,” he says, shrugging like it’s not a big deal. Right. I wouldn’t have expected eidetic from Jake. “I do the census with Granny every year and I know all there is to know.”

I look at Carter. “Did you tell him to come here?”

“No,” Carter says, scowling.

Jake just laughs. “I’m sorry to interrupt your lovey-dovey time,” he says, causing me to blush. “But this is serious business. I’d rather we figure out what is happening before Alex rallies people and tries to hurt you.”

A growl comes from Carter’s direction.

“Don’t worry, bro,” Jake says. “He won’t get to her. I swear. In the meantime it would be extra helpful if Daphne could protect herself. You know, if ever you’re not around.”

Carter’s stance is still tense. If he spends all of his time looking after me, then who is going to look after him? I have to be able to do something.

“Can you think of anything?” Jake asks, looking hopeful.

I remember my almost kiss with Carter. And his heartbeat. I swallow. “What if I…felt a heartbeat?”

Jake stares at me, confused. “Felt a heartbeat?” he asks. “How do you mean, exactly?”

Carter is watching me intently and I feel flush. I take a breath and try not to stumble over my words. “Uhm, like with my hand…” I trail off when I see Jake’s eyes widen. He glances at his twin and I know he knows. They both know. “What does that mean, Jake? What am I?”

Carter closes his eyes and heads out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him. I flinch at the sound. This can’t be good news. This is bad news. Very bad news.

“Daphne.”

I look at Jake, who’s wearing a wary expression. “What am I?”

“I think you’re a vampire.”