My new life in Bakersfield started to go smoothly. I got a daily schedule. I spend an hour chating with Grans via a private chat room. She kept me up to date on anything important. So far Adam and his little band of hunters are still in Los Angeles. I go to school five days a week for six hours a day. I enrolled into all three of Professor Grant's classes. He saw me in one class and signed me in all three. I get out of school around two and head for the Wild Dreams Night Club. Where I sing for three hours a night. I get the night of the full moon off. I spend the entire night with Logan in his day time resting place, which is conviently under the night club.
The hot months of August and September flew by without any sign of trouble. I started studying mid-terms two weeks into October. That was when trouble began. Why couldn't it hit after the exams and six page essays? A rash of attacks among the vampires were going on. Mostly the attacks were shifter related. None of the victimes knew who did it because they were all hit-and-run attacks.
I woke up in my hotel room(Logan insisted that I stay at a different place, for my safety. It just so happens he owns the Days Inn. Which sits right behind the club.) I went to the lap top to chat with Grans.
She didn't responded to my call. I cheeked my e-mail to make sure I had the correct time for today's chat. My e-mail held a letter titled, Emergency!!!! Open Immediately!
My heart started to beat frantically. Something has happened to my family. That was the only thing that ran through my head. I was afraid to read the letter. I stood up and started to pace the floor. Playing the game do I open the letter or not. I walked for ten minutes before I decided to open the letter. It was short and sweet, well not so sweet.
It turns out that Adam and his band of hunters finally returned from their wanderings in L.A. He wasn't to happy with Grans. Miska was able to find her before she returned home one afternoon. He told her that Adam was on the rampage and was waiting for her at her home. Miska took her to a coffee house to use their computer. I was to start looking for a more pereminate address. I had to get out of the hotel.
She didn't care that the master of the city owned it. I wasn't safe during the day. I was to look for an apartment that had security doors and gates. I was to keep my eyes and ears open at all times. I should keep a bag packed inside my vehicle at all times. I was to be prepared to run at the first sign of trouble. She was scaring me big time. Then the biggest problem of all was at the end of the letter.
Miska told Grans that Adam found out about Ms. MacNess. She was taken earlier that morning. Meaning, she was the only person who knew my where abouts becuase she was the middle person for my money tranactions. She knew where I was and I believe Adam does also.
Grans didn't leave her hugs and kisses like normal. That bothered me more than the letter itself. I deleted the letter and paced the floor again. How do I tell the master that I had to move somewhere else? Easy, tell him after I check out.
During my Anthropology class I talked to my lab partner, Abby, about finding a new place to live. She needed a roommate it turns out. The only problem is that she lives in an apartment complex for lycanthropes. Well, I play fey/human for a vampire. How hard will it be to play human for a complex full of shapeshifters? The only way to find out is try.
After my classes were over she took me to her place. It was a fifteen minute drive from the college. On the whole drive over she explain to me the rules for humans.
I wanted to laugh but I was playing human, so I couldn't. It was the last apartment structure on Fairfax Avenue. There was a coded security gate you had to drive through.
Once inside the gate you could see many trees. They were different shapes and sizes. Several speices of trees from evergreen to fruit trees and in the middle of the complex there was three very old oak trees. They were position in a large triangle and around each tree there was a circle made of stones.
"I have never seen anything like this before? What is the purpose of those circles?" I asked Abby.
She stopped and turned around, "Those circles are where we meet with are leaders. The furthest tree is for the wolf pack. The tree to the right is for the lion pride. The tree on the left is for the leopard pard."
"What of the other shifters, where do they go?"
She smiled, "You are the curious one aren't you? Well, since I am a cat, I can't say it will kill you. The others meet somewhere along the river bed. I don't go to their meetings. So I can't say where."
"I see, sorry if I offended you in any way. I just like to know what is what around me. One can never be to cautious of their surroundings."
"You talk as though you're hidding from someone." She said.
Yeah, I am. I thought to myself. I just smiled at her as we ascended the stairs to her apartment. Well, so far so good. No one has come out of his or her apartment to look at me. That says I am well hidden from the rest of them. We got to the top of the stairs and had the choice of two doors, we turned to the left door. She unlocked the door and walked in. I followed and was impressed with the decor. It was all in purple and black. There was lavendar wall paper with little kittens playing with dark purple balls of string. The couch was a black sectional that sat in the corner of the livingroom. There was a large picture of a black leopard sitting on a tree limb over it. The cat had deep green eyes and it was just watching and waiting for something.
Abby walked back to her room and yelled out, "It's a simple place. The bedroom is back here if you like to see it. There isn't any bedroom furniture so you will have to bring your own." I tore myself away from the beautiful leopard and walked down the hallway.
The bathroom was to my right and the bedroom she was showing me was across from it. I looked, it was small compared to the suite I was staying in but I didn't have a full size kitchen. Abby's kitchen, I saw at a glance, was begging for me to cook in. The small room is a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Then there is the benefits of a bulit in alarm system, should Adam show up. All I have to do is push a button and the cops are alerted. Then there is the home cooked meals, even if I have to cook them; I am getting a little tired of fast food.
"The place is perfect. How soon can I move in?"
"How soon would you like to move in?"
"Let's say tonight. I have a few bags to pack from my hotel and a bed to buy. What do you say?"
"That's great! The sooner the better. It will be a full moon in a few days. The faster you get in the sooner you can meet the rest of my pard."
Pard! Don't panic! When she said cat I must have been thinking something else. Well, let's see if I can fool my own kind. I'm sure I'll meet them before the full moon. Last I checked not many lycanthropes will allow humans at their lunapars during the full moon. Let's hope the same applies here.
Now all what's left is to do is talk to Logan and see if this will work. Then I heard his answer inside my head, "Take the room! Then I want you to come to me when you are done!" Logan sounded a little upset.
Well, let's get the details over with and find out how upset Logan is, with me. I turned and looked at Abby, "Yes, tonight will be perfect. I'll have some friends I work with help move the things here but I don't know how you feel about vampires in the house?" I saw something move behind her eyes. It look as though her beast didn't like the idea of vampires.
"I will have Jason and Armand help bring the bed in. The vamps can stay outside. Nothing personal I hope? I just didn't figure you would be a vamp lover." Her tone of voice was a little aggressive. I think I'll let her boyfriends help with the move. This place is all I have for safty.
"They're just friends." I hope I can make things okay, "I work at the Wild Dreams night club. I sing there. Between school and work I haven't met anyone else. They're okay really. I wouldn't talk to them if they weren't."
"Jason and Armand will be here to help bring your stuff up just the same." she said.
Index