The Wolf

Car keys

As I walked up the stairs, I immediately noticed something was off. My steps became weary and my senses where on high alert.

My heart stoped as I saw the open door. I ran my fingers through my hair and prepared for the worst, but I wasn't prepared for the sight that met me.

The apartment could just as easily have reflected my own inside, total chaos.

My feet stepped over things that usually where neatly folded in my dresser, hats, mittens and other stuff lying scattered all over the floor in one big mess. My heart rate increased drastically but my senses told me that the apartment was empty.

A step forward and my toes slammed into something sharp, I sighed, grabbed the photo of me and Marianne from the floor and hung it back on the wall. She looked so f*****g happy as she sat grinning on my back with her blue chewing gum bubble in her mouth and the blonde hair in two ponytails on each side of her head.

No one would ever believe she's a notorious spy in the vampire world, I snorted, I didn't miss that life, not one bit.

With my nerves fully on edge, I stepped over the mess in the hall and went on to the living room, the apartment was quiet and deserted and I calmed down a bit when I made sure that the one who had entered had left a long time ago.

The chaos I was faced with broke my heart.

It was devastating, some f*****g i***t had broken into my home and moved around among my memories and things I loved.

I struggled with the emotions and couldn't help but think of Theo, it was all his fault.

If he had left me alone, if he had just let me take care of everything...

Tears burned behind my eyes, why did he always manage to make me feel like a lost child.

Not like Conor, I thought, swallowing the lump in my throat. With him I felt strong and free.

I glanced towards the bedroom, but I couldn't bear to see the mess. Instead, I stumbled into the kitchen.

The fridge was open and the blood bags were gone.

So it was vampires, I thought with a sigh and expected to get a French souvenir through my heart as I walked towards the bedroom.

My hand slipped into my pocket and I looked down at my cell phone, my thumb hovering over Theodor's name, he deserved a long f*****g insult, I thought tiredly before scrolling for Conor's number.

A few signals went through before I heard the background noise from a car.

"How far have you gotten?" I asked hurriedly before he even opened his mouth.

"I'll make a U turn," he replied without hesitation in his calm tone.

"Okay, thanks " I mumbled in a trembling voice and kicked a bunch of DVD's that were at my feet. It would take an eternity to sort them back on the shelf again.

"Do I need to hurry?"

"Yes, please." I whispered as my eyes caught on a pair of keys that were half hidden in the mess, my knees bent under me and I sank down on the floor, into a weeping mess.

That's how he found me. With my knees up to my chin, tears flowing and a pair of old car keys in my hand.

The wolf seldom said more than needed, and I often wondered if he was like that with everyone or just with me. But right now it was exactly what I needed.

His feet came closer, a heavy body sank down next to me and seconds later I had crawled up into his arms like a little kid, all of the emotions I'd kept inside suddenly released themself from my grip and it was impossible to keep the facade up.

"I'm so f*****g naive" I snorted and closed my eyes as I tilted my forehead against his throat "vampires don't start over, we're stuck in the same f*****g s**t wherever we are."

My free hand held a tight grip on the fabric of his shirt, as if I was afraid he was just one of my many fantasies and daydreams of a better life, "I would do anything to be human again."

A hand moved up my hair and massaged my scalp gently, while I gasped for air, as you do after you've cried your eyes out like a child.

"Guess you'll get used to it in the end? You're pretty new to the game?" he said low, trying to make me feel better.

I nodded with my cheek to his collarbone "Would you like to live for hundreds of years?"

"Difficult question, but probably not. Too many bad memories to carry."

"I really thought I would get some good ones in the eventually."

His arms closed tighter around me and I felt the muscles tense, "there's still time Princess, don't dig your own grave just yet. Okay?"

I nodded a little and held up the car key in the light with a sigh, "we were supposed to fix it together, me and my dad. One of those ridiculous father and son things that was really more his dream than mine."

I smiled to myself as I stroked my thumb over the worn metal "But we never had time, I had to help him with the customers' cars instead." I wiped my tears and sighed "he's so f*****g proud that I managed to get away from the small town I grew up in and made a career," I laughed dry "if only he knew what I am."

"He sounds like the type who wouldn't care, as long as you're okay. Happy and all that."

Tears ran down my cheeks again, damn, I had been so close to a normal life. So f*****g close.

"Can I sleep at your place tonight?"

"You don't have to ask."

I got up on shaky legs and extended a hand "can we leave right away? I can't bear to see this s**t anymore."

He got up and wiped a lost tear from my cheek before handing me his car keys "wait in the car, I'll pack a bag for you."

I walked down the stairwell with lighter steps, he helped. He helped so damn much.

With a smile on my lips, I sank into the passenger seat and took a deep breath. Tomorrow I would call Clocksworth, and I was going to ask him to go home to Paris and never come near me again.

Never again.

I was going to restart my life and I was going to be f*****g happy.