The Monster Within Me

Chapter 7

Maya

It has been  almost a week since I had heard from Quinn. After he made a very brief appearance at the carnival, he said he was going to be extremely busy with work, but would come and see me when he could. I had seen him once at the diner since then, but that was days ago. I wanted to brag to him about my progress with Kaia (my wolf). She had trusted me enough to allow me to give her a name (Kaia was the third one I had chosen and the only one she approved of) and had also begun speaking with me like a second conscious. It was comforting because sometimes I was definitely not thinking about my safety and that was the only thing Kaia ever thought about.

We'll have to find a pack soon so that we can try to shift and so I can explain to you who you really are

Kaia had been hounding me to look into finding a nearby pack so I could try shifting, but not only was I absolutely terrified, I was preoccupied with a couple other things. My birthday was in a couple weeks and I had no clue what I was looking to do to celebrate, I was turning 18 after all and I wanted it to be special. I was scared for all the wolfy s**t that came along with that "coming of age". Like would I find my mate? Would they be super excited like I was? Would they be an asshole? Would it bother them that I was new to all this? But I was also worried about knowing who I was. Kaia probably knew and understood my history more than I did. She probably knew who my birth parents were too. Whatever, I can only worry about so many things at once.

I had gotten off work not too long ago and had gotten off the bus down a couple blocks from my house because it was nice enough that I wanted to walk a bit. I had been working a bit later than normal hoping to maybe catch Quinn, but today he was another no show. He had given me his number to text him if I needed anything, but I didn't want to annoy him so I'd only texted him once when Kaia had let me name her. He had responded, but it had taken him HOURSSS to give me a short reply of "That's awesome! I'll come by in a few days"... Well, it had been a few days and I had yet to see him. Ew, I was starting to sound clingy and we weren't even together. He was just a super hot guy helping me figure out my wolfy stuff until he left me behind and kept on going with his long and nearly endless life. I was kinda scared about that. I would watch all my family and friends grow old and die while I retained my youth and was fine for decades to come.

I was really hoping to talk to him in the next few days. I needed to tell him Kaia was ready to meet a pack so she could try shifting. She was beginning to get restless and it was kinda driving me nuts. Having her around was great don't get me wrong, all my senses were heightened and I was feeling a lot stronger, but you try having a restless wolf bang around in your head for a few days and you tell me how you like it.

I was so distracted by my train of thought that I almost didn't hear the footsteps behind me. Kaia was alerted just before I was and her hackles were raised, ready to spring. Feeding off her tension I picked up my pace. I decided right then and there that whoever was following me, would not follow me home and I turned down a side street trying to get back to the bus route.

The winds changed and I got a good whiff of who was following me. They had doused themselves in cologne but I could smell something different underneath. I had nothing to really compare it to, but I had been around enough humans to know that whoever or whatever it was, was anything but. I could hear them increase their pace to try to keep me in their sights. I was just hoping that the next bus came fast because I didn't want to have to run for my life tonight.

Just as I saw the bus approaching down the street, the footsteps stopped. I was so happy that I wasn't being followed anymore that I almost didn't get on the bus. Then I saw a figure standing in the road behind the bus and I knew it was whoever had been following me. Their eyes glowed a bright red and although most of their features were obscured by the shadows from the hood they were wearing, I could see the devilish smile they had on their face.

Then they started running towards me. I started waving frantically for the bus, praying the driver hurried up. When the bus pulled up beside me I showed them my bus pass and took a seat near the middle and pulled my hood up to try to hide my face that was most likely flushed. I pulled my phone out and hoped to look like any other teenager on the bus lost in their digital world while I waited for the bus to depart.  Except the bus hadn't pulled off yet. Almost like they were waiting for another passenger. Then he got on the bus.

I decided that now was as good a time as ever to send a text to Quinn and hope to God or whoever werewolves worshiped that he wouldn't take hours this time.

Me: Buss827 S 

beinnng followed

 helpp pllz

trying to get to hottelll

I was really hoping that he got the messages because I was about to s**t myself. I was cursing myself for not sitting beside the kind-looking totally human lady in the chair across from me because I could see that this mystery man was looking to sit in the seat open beside me. I quickly removed my backpack and set it in the seat. He paused briefly when my bag was in the seat, but then he sat in the seats behind the older woman and stared right at me. I could feel his stare like it burning right through me. Kaia was going absolutely berserk which was not helping because I could feel her anxiousness like it was my own and her fear. I knew that I was in real danger because of how she was behaving. Knowing that this guy wasn't human but also not knowing what he was, was really not helping either. I decided I would try to remain calm because he didn't seem intent on causing a scene on the bus for which I was grateful.

Then my phone vibrated in my hand.

Quinn: Ok stay calm and get off at the stop before the hotel

I'm waiting for you 

Did you see what they looked like?

I sent him a quick description of what my new friend looked like. My hands were shaking so it took me a few tries but I never got a reply. The stop he told me to use was next so I got up and moved to the front of the bus and pressed the "request stop" button. From my peripheral, I could see the stranger getting up and making their way to the doors as the bus pulled up to the stop. 

When the doors opened, I ran off not even knowing where to go. I had just reached a parking lot and was running by a pretty big tree when a hand wrapped around my mouth and gripped my waist. I immediately tried to scream until they turned me around. It was Quinn. He put a finger to his lips signifying that I should be quiet and he snuck around a couple cars moving further and further away from me. The moment I had felt safe vanished and I could feel myself start hyperventilating. I was panicking and I was thinking about running, but that would make noise, and I doubted I was faster than whatever was following me. So I stood there, my back against the tree and my eyes closed while I tried to get myself under control and listen to my surroundings for any hint of where Quinn might've gone. When I felt my heart rate slow down a bit, I decided to go and find him, I didn't like feeling like a sitting duck. When I opened my eyes my fear returned as I looked into the menacing and piercing red gaze of my stalker. He was smiling evilly and he was right in front of me.

Where the f**k was Quinn???!!!

"Well, well, well, aren't you an interesting little anomaly my dear," he said, his voice was breathy, almost like he was whispering and yet it was filled with so much menace I felt the blood drain from my face.

"W-w-what d-do you want from m-m-me?" I stuttered out. I had tried to sound a bit stronger than that, but I was so scared I was sure if fear had ascent, he would smell it all over me.

"Well, I was told to take you with me when I head back to my coven, and I will, but I think I'll have some fun with you first," he said wrapping his hand around my throat and leaning close to me and inhaling deeply. As his hands touched my skin, I whimpered and tears fell as I closed my eyes. And then I couldn't feel him anymore. When I opened my eyes again, Quinn was holding him by the neck looking ready to end this things life. He was literally vibrating with the effort it was taking him not to kill him.

"What are you and what do you want with her?" Quinn growled his canines extending and his eyes darkening, his wolf was battling for control. His grip on the throat of the stranger tightening. If he had been human, I'm sure his neck would have already snapped.

Surprisingly, the thing smiled, and that was when I saw them. Fangs. Pointed and dangerous. I could see Quinn's confusion when he saw them, and then his expression turned into something I'd never seen on his face before, fear. Almost as fast as the expression came, it was again replaced by anger. 

"I was sent to across to find and remove the threat coming to my kind before it had time to flourish. I was instructed not to kill them, just bring them back so that they would have a change of heart and fight for our side instead. I see she's already been tainted by you dogs though. I'm excited to see just how high up her connections reach. Though considering you're a royal dog I'm guessing they're pretty high," he laughed as he said the last part, the sound grating my eardrums.

"You won't be taking her anywhere bloodsucker," Quinn almost yelled before delivering a blow to his head that slumped the stranger over, unconscious. He threw his body on the ground and moved to his car, removing a rope that was also glittering. I could see his discomfort which meant that it must've been silver.  He tied the stranger to the tree and then moved over to me.

"Are you okay Maya?" he asked, his voice and body language more comforting as he faced me with his hands on my shoulders. I couldn't find words yet so i simply nodded. He pulled me into a hug and i melted into his embrace. Safe. That is what I felt when he held me like this. Like nothing could ever harm me when I was with him.

His phone started ringing so he pulled back and answered it. Thanks to my improved senses I could hear both ends of the conversation. He was sharing our location with an enforcer from a nearby pack so that they could help detain this, guy so they could interrogate him later. 

When he hung up, he looked at me again, his eyes the golden color that I was becoming very obsessed with, "Maya, I'm gonna bring you home once the enforcers come to take this guy away. I can't ha-," I cut him off abruptly, the thought of being alone in my room terrified me.

"P-please take me with you. I can't be alone in my room right now. Please don't leave me behind," I could feel the tears return to my eyes at the very thought of being left alone.

"Ok, ok, I'll take you with me, but you need to let your parents or someone know that you'll be out late or not make it home at all. I'm not sure how long this will take." He said, rubbing my arms to calm me. I nodded and sent the messages.

Shortly after, two SUVs pulled up and 8 men exited the vehicles. All werewolves and all looking like they could kill a bear if needed. They removed their new prisoner from the tree and put him in on of the SUVs. Six men stayed in the vehicle with the prisoner and the other 2 entered the second vehicle. Quinn had agreed to follow the vehicles with me.

It was maybe a 15-20 minutes drive to the pack grounds and I had just begun to stop shaking. Quinn's hand on my leg was a big help too. After parking the car in a kind of parking lot off the side of the packhouse the enforcers dragged the prisoner into the forest where I could see more enforcers waiting to assist and walk with them also.

Quinn brought me to the packhouse where I met the alpha and the beta. They were very kind to me and brought me to the kitchen to have something to eat so they could speak with Quinn. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Quinn and tell him about all the things that had changed since Kaia had decided to trust me completely so he didn't know that most of my senses were improved and I could hear the conversation perfectly.

"Is what the enforcers are saying true? Was that thing a vampire?" Franky the beta asked Quinn in a low tone.

"Yes, from the reading I've been doing with Skald Ylva, he is exactly as they described. Charming and human looking enough to blend in, but with those red eyes and the fangs. He must be an older one because he only has the one set of fangs instead of the two that most newborn vampyres have and younger naturally born vampires have as well." Quinn said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We need to find out exactly what he was doing here and if he's infected other humans to start filling ranks for them as well," Alpha Fen stated, his voice stern and full of authority. I don't know what came over me, but I moved from the table and stepped forward.

"I know what he wanted, he told me before Quinn grabbed him," I said softly, approaching the group. They all turned, a look of shock on their faces as they realized I had heard them from across the room.

"Okay, come with us to my office Maya, and then you can explain what was said to Franky and I," Fen said, his voice softer and nicer than it had been before. I followed them to his office and then repeated what the creature had said to me. Once finished telling them, Quinn led me out of the office and up to the second floor to a guest bedroom. 

"Maya," he said as he shut the door behind him, "I was trying to avoid bringing you into all this. I know you've been through a lot tonight, so I promise tomorrow, I'll answer any questions that you have and I'll show you what I've been working on. Until then, you need to rest. I'll be downstairs if you need anything. You can shower and stuff if you need to. There are clothes in either of the closets and towels in the washroom. " He said while walking closer to me, "I'm so sorry Maya. I'll make this up to you and I won't let anything happen to you either. You're safe with me," he said the last part softly. Wrapping me up in a hug that comforted my soul. Kaia was also enjoying the contact as she seemed so content that she would be purring if she was a cat.

I hugged him back and soaked into his touch until he finally pulled away. After he left I took a warm bath, soaking in the comfort from the oils I found that I added to the bath and then I went to sleep.