Boris and the Vampire (Legends of Pinewood 2)

When You Take A Walk

I walked home alone, knowing Etienne was practically being held hostage by people he was too scared to stand up against. The moment we left the meeting place, I saw how they made Etienne carry all their bags to their rented house from the car and treated him like a servant, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. Not unless Etienne walked out of there himself. And even then, it would throw Pinewood in disarray if I helped him.

Honestly, I didn't know what Ivana expected me to do here. I could handle any grouchy werewolf she threw at me and living among the humans. Clearly, I couldn't handle keeping secrets from my own community and ill-advised romantic entanglements with newly turned vampires.

I didn't even realise Nathan and Ivana knew about the bite all along because they could tell from my unnaturally quick pulse the last time they saw me. From the blood loss. If they knew what was going on so well, why weren't they fixing it?

It wasn't like the vampires would just allow me to walk into their accommodation, the fanciest cabin you could get in these parts, of course, and talk to Etienne. Our fate was in the hands of the other supernaturals now, and the only thing I could do tonight is go to sleep and wait for the next meeting tomorrow night.

I walked to my house in the dark and sighed when I smelled an all too familiar scent and found a little pup sitting on my doormat. Werewolf pups were all little troublemakers and so was I when I was young, but I didn't have the patience right now.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" I asked with a sigh. "I'm sure your parents don't want you sneaking around in the woods with our guests present. Come on, let's get you home."

"No!" Danny protested. "I want to say goodbye to Etienne. Mommy says he's leaving tomorrow."

I didn't need the reminder.

"Etienne is not here, Danny," I said. "He's with... his people."

Danny pouted, and I felt disgusting even speaking the words out loud. Obviously, I couldn't tell a little pup what was going on so I had to censor myself. But I couldn't stop the hurt and anger bubbling up in my chest.

I couldn't help Etienne if he didn't get himself away from the vampires first. I couldn't go there and demand Etienne to come out and come with me without making this situation a hell of a lot worse for everyone involved, including Etienne.

I shook my head. "Danny, go home. The vampires will leave the woods tomorrow and after that, I'm sure your mom and dad will let you play outside again. Come on."

I picked Danny up and ignored the way he wriggled in my arms and even bit into my arm, trying to make me turn around and take him to see Etienne. He didn't stop his moping and complaining, not even when we approached his parents' home.

Danny's mother must've been on the lookout because she opened the door long before I reached it.

She greeted me with a blank stare. "Boris," she said, quickly reaching out to take her son from my arms. "Thanks for bringing Danny home yet again."

"Of course, no probl—" I replied, but before I could finish my sentence, Danny's mother closed the door in my face. Danny's protests faded away into the distance as she took her son to the living room.

I blinked. That was far from the friendly reception I usually got. It was a running gag between us that Danny spent more time escaping and trying to make his way to my house and the humans than he was actually at home. I suppose it was still funny as long as there were only humans walking around in Pinewood. The people I looked over weren't violent and wouldn't hurt a little whelp. Plus, Danny was very skilled at staying out of sight.