Love of the night

ch 3

Avery mumbles in her sleep as she dreams of gravestones and blood dripping from them. A figure hides behind one as Lucia makes her rounds unaware of being watched. The werewolf bolts awake with a course of adrenaline running through her veins. She hurriedly changes out of her pajamas and into jeans and a t-shirt before putting on socks and shoes. Once the front door is quietly closed she moves toward the stairs but stops mid-step. Without thinking, she instead jumps over the stairway railing. Avery sticks the landing and immediately races to her car. 

....

Lucia confidently walks in the darkness, accustomed to not needing much light to see. Crickets chirp among themselves in the short recently mowed grass. An occasional hoot of an owl joins in the nocturnal conversation before being silent once again. She looks up at the stars feeling peace in a place where others might find unsettling to be around this late. The constant reminder of people's short and fleeting lives doesn't bother her as the fear of death was taken away. Without warning, however, a figure rises from their hiding place. Red eyes filled with malice make her feel nothing but anger at an ex who stole her mortality. His white teeth flash in a grin she once found charming. As he's about to say something a low growl makes him step a few feet away from Lucia. 

"I see you got a guard dog recently" he smirks as she quickly turns around to see Avery behind her. 

"Why are you here Darren?" Lucia calmly asks, feeling her rage subside as Avery moves next to her, comforted by the werewolf's warmth. 

"I want you back, it was a mistake leaving you at the warehouse. Plus it's been boring haven't found a girl like you who piqued my interest" His eyes soften and full lips pout but Lucia can tell this is just another one of Darren's mind games. Letting go of Avery's hand she marches up to him and glares at the 6'0 tall and slender man with black hair the color of oil. 

"I am over you, asshole and there is no way I would ever be with you again" she spits backing up when he lunges towards her. Before Darren can try anything else he's pinned to the ground looking up at a pissed-off werewolf.

"If you come near her again I will rip your face to shreds and not even your family will recognize you" 

Darren can feel the hatred that seems to seep into his core in ways nothing has for years. Although having encountered werewolves before, he never came across an unpredictable newly turned one. Knowing that these are not empty threats he decides to give up and find another person to manipulate. Someone who preferably doesn't have a strong protector. 

Avery sensing his defeat gets off him, stepping away and shaking her head trying to calm the rage threatening to overcome her. Darren quickly gets up and promises to not come back before running away. Lucia goes to Avery who is visibly straining to hold herself back from attacking Darren again. When she collapses to the ground in pain the vampire quickly picks her up and hurries her to the tool shed. Once inside she locks the door and sets the werewolf down gently who immediately curls up in a ball. Avery's eyes flash from blue to yellow as she rapidly shakes. Lucia tries approaching, but she holds a trembling hand up in protest.

"Stay away, I might lose control" she gasps, the anger not dissipating to her dismay 

Lucia comes forward anyway to sit cross-legged beside her. She gently holds her hand until the trembling subsides, and the eyes turn back to their original color. They stay side by side in silence so she can recover from the ordeal. In gratitude, Avery sits up and nuzzles into her shoulder.

"How did you find me?" Lucia asks, not being able to contain her curiosity any longer

Avery tells her about the dream in a flustered manner, aware of how bizarre the story is. They try coming up with reasons why this has happened but are not able to reach a logical answer. Eventually, they decide to discuss it another day and after making sure Lucia will be fine on her own Avery heads out. She's on alert however in case the guy shows up again and can't help but worry on her way back to the apartment.

...

Lucia tries thinking about more mundane things such as August being the start of her Sophomore year of college. Her thoughts however keep drifting towards Avery and how she feels safe around the werewolf. In such a short time the vampire has experienced an affection for the young woman that hasn't been felt before. She can tell Avery also is into her but neither one will admit it. At least not until they have gotten to know each other longer. The rest of the shift is peaceful and she respectfully patrols the grounds. She hesitates however when going past the gravestone of her and Alicia's mother.  Maria passed away from cancer when Lucia was 10, and Alicia was 14. Their dad raised them as a single father the best he could until eventually remarrying six years later. It makes her sad thinking about not being able to join her mom in the next life.  No one wants to grow old but Lucia knows being 23 years old forever will be hard. Shaking off her worries, however, she moves on until coming home at sunrise when another person takes over. 

...

Avery tries falling back asleep but is unable to, a few troubling thoughts swirling in her mind. One of them is that she has the risk of transforming even without the full moon. She also frets about going back on campus as someone who struggles with social anxiety. The only reason for going to the club last month was her friend Emily's 21st birthday.  She got separated from the group and a man with a wolfish grin took advantage of her confusion. He flashed razor-sharp teeth and plunged them into her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. Jordan found her near the entrance with blood dripping down her onto the pavement. After that night she desperately hid her secret from everyone. No one would have believed Avery anyway thinking a wild dog somehow attacked her instead. Flash forward to the night she met Lucia,  Avery slipped out of the apartment and ran to the woods. She was burning up and scared of the pain coming from the wound. Not being able to run anymore the werewolf reached a clearing and sat down, sobbing and alone. It seemed however as though fate decided to give her a break.  Thinking about Lucia and the instant closeness she felt for the vampire finally allows her to close her eyes and let peacefulness envelop her.