Lost in Shadows

Chapter Four

"Why would you ever become a blood promised?"

A question demanded by a younger version of me, inside an almost empty theater in a world that was now history. I had stood near the doorway, ready to run from the truths I never wanted to know. A woman stood beside me, her dark eyes carrying too much pain for someone in their twenties.

"Some of us don't have any other options," she had said in her soft voice that haunted me long after my heart stopped beating. "I've seen such worse horrors that it made the bite of a dead man welcoming. Be thankful you'll never have to make that choice."

An army of memories screamed in my head as Charlotte's question lingered in the air. Elizabeth and Sky's return saved me from answering, but I wasn't sure if I would have been able to answer right away. Sky chartered on about the lack of anything decent to offer guests. Not that Charlotte would have accepted anything here, even offered by someone as safe as Sky. Instead, Charlotte kept her gaze on me, waiting for an answer that she would never want.

Elizabeth threw her arms around Sky. "Don't bother, Luke. The mortal will never trust any of us." She shot me a look as if I didn't already know it. "Can we hurry this up? Sky should get some sleep, and I should finish writing my last chapter before dawn."

"I'm sure the chapter can wait," I said in a sharp tone, not wanting to be left alone and forced to speak the truth. "You've already been delaying writing it."

Elizabeth scowled. "You don't understand anything about being a writer. I have to wait until I have inspiration for a pivotal scene."

Charlotte blinked. "You're a writer?"

"She is," I said, grateful Charlotte was distracted by this topic. "She writes under a pen name and has many devoted fans. You get to see a whole other side of Elizabeth in those books."

If looks could kill, I would be suffering my second death. Elizabeth looked ready to rip my heart out. I had teased her one too many times about the books.

Sky beamed, uncaring of their partner's murderous mood. "She's amazing. I've read every single one of her books. Those stories really just take you to another world."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, never quite as effusive about her own work. "You have questionable taste, but I appreciate your enthusiasm."

"Do you write about vampires?" Charlotte asked.

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "Of course not. Most vampire stories are tripe. The last one that was halfway interesting was Carmilla. I'd never write that pop culture bastardization of vampires." She lifted her chin. "I write werewolf erotica."

"What?" Charlotte asked, giving me an uncertain look as if needing confirmation Elizabeth wasn't being facetious.

I ducked my head to hide my opinions on the books. "Let's just say there's a reason Elizabeth doesn't have any werewolf friends." My mouth twitched. "Once they know about her interesting ideas about them."

There wasn't much that could shake me out of my grim moods, but when I read Elizabeth's first book I had positively howled. I couldn't stop, not even when Elizabeth pushed me across the room and threatened to rip out my heart. After decades, I had grown used to the romantic depiction of vampires in pop culture. But I had never expected werewolves to take our place, especially in such an interesting way.

Elizabeth grunted. "I'll have you know werewolves love all my books. The ones with a sense of humor, at least."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Werewolves are real? Are they like the books?"