The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)

Whispers and Rumors

Benji walked home slowly, turning every so often to look into the upper window of Widow O'Hara's house. Sometimes he could see her. Eileen. 

She's something special, he thought. He hoped they could be friends, even if she was a little older than him. 

His mom was standing in the yard talking with one of the neighbors, Ms. Agnes, when he got back to his yard. He walked over to the sandbox and started scooting the bulldozer around, creating his own little town out of sand. 

At first he didn't listen, but then he heard, "And to bring that girl here--really, what were they thinking?" 

Girl? Were they talking about Eileen? 

His ears perked up, but he made sure it looked like he was still playing. Adults always talked about more when they thought kids weren't listening. 

"Why?" his mom asked. "What's wrong with her?" 

"She's a Quem'Cha," Ms. Agnes whispered. She was a sour-faced older woman with a crooked nose and patchy hair. She didn't like Benji, so he didn't like her either. Right now he didn't like the way she said the word 'Quem'Cha', even though he didn't know what it meant. 

His mom didn't like it either. She wrinkled her nose, "Agnes, my son's in earshot. I'd appreciate it if you didn't teach him such hateful words." 

Agnes rolled her eyes, "Like he's not heard it at school. That's another thing--I heard they're letting her kind into our schools now." 

His mom's lips curved down, "Vampires aren't evil, Agnes. They can't help how they're born. You think they should be punished for their parents' sins?" 

"I think they can't be trusted and shouldn't be around normal children," Agnes spat back. 

"Well, I guess it's good that you don't have any children then, isn't it, Agnes? I'm sorry to cut this short, but I need to start supper. Benji, are you going to play a while longer?" 

He nodded, pretending he hadn't been listening. 

"Stay in the yard," his mom demanded. 

"Okay, Ma." 

Ms. Agnes muttered under her breath as she walked back towards her door, glaring at Widow O'Hara's house and muttering about 'broken bloods' being thieves and murderers. 

Benji however was mulling over a thought. 

Had they called the girl a Vampire? 

***

His parents sat in the kitchen after supper, drinking coffee together and talking about their day, as was their routine.  

It was the one time a day Benji got unrestricted access to the TV. He clicked back and forth, having already memorized the three channels that had cartoons. 

His attention shifted when he heard his dad loudly exclaim, "A Vampire?! Here, in our town?" 

"Shhh, Kurt," Benji's mom admonished. "Benji will hear you." 

Benji was most definitely hearing them, and he planned to listen to as much as he could. 

"But a Vampire?" he repeated. "Why would Alpha allow that?" 

"It wasn't his call," she whispered. "The Alpha King's Circle made that decision three weeks ago apparently, but this girl is the first one our Circle decided to take in."  

"A Vampire living with Weildon! Do we even know what type she is?" 

"I've heard she's a Fantasy Vampire--pretty much harmless since they don't even go into frenzy."