Hellbound

Chapter 11 - in which a show is watched

'What even is it?' Anya asked as she turned the chunk of crystal over in her hands.

'It's supposed to be a vial.'

'For what?' she paused when he grimaced. 'For blood?'

'Yeah.'

'Huh. I wonder how it works.'

'I'm sure they'll be happy to show you,' he said drily.

She placed it back in the padded box. 'You're not going to have that attitude when we're there, are you? I thought Elisa said you weren't at odds with each other anymore.'

'No, we're not killing each other like we used to. That doesn't mean that we're best friends.'

'You don't have to be best friends to be nice to others. Or at least professional and respectful.'

Callum sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. 'I know. I'll keep myself in check.'

'What's the deal between you? Is it like the stereotypes?'

'I guess. We are each other's natural predators because the venom we produce in our saliva or claws can kill them, and the shit in their bite can kill us. Outside of being able to tear us apart with their hands, of course.'

'You can't do the same?'

'Not on our own. One-on-one, vampires have the upper hand, but if there's a pack, we got the edge.'

'But you're on good terms now?'

'Peaceful enough. We don't go around hunting each other anymore, but it'd take a lot to get us to be friends.'

Anya folded her arms on the table. 'Are we really the right people to go?'

'They specifically invited us, so we'll have to make do. I promise I'll behave.'

'You better. I read the email from Mr de Graaf this morning. We're the first people to be invited to this clan in-'

'Sixty years, I know. Which is why I'm going out of my way to follow protocol and even getting them this bloody thing,' he said and motioned to the box between them.

Anya paused as she noticed the tense line of his shoulders and the frown between his brows. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah. Why?'

'You seem...unnaturally tense. Is it because of the vampires or something else?'

Callum sighed and leaned back in his seat. 'Sorry. It's just unsettling to know that I'll surrounded by vampires on my own.'

'What am I? Minced meat?'

He laughed at her dry tone. 'Definitely not, but you're also not a wolf. I'll be more vulnerable than I have ever been before, and it's uncomfortable to even think about. I feel like I need to...just move.'

'It's been a few days since you ran with the others, maybe that'd do you good?' Anya said and stood. She leaned her hip against the windowsill and looked over the parking lot bordering on a forest. 'It's not the same as their pack lands, but it might do in a pinch. Unless you can just hit the shitty gym down on the corner like us regular mortals?'

'Preferably not. It'd be more of a patch than a fix.' He shook his head, his lips curling into a gentle smile and his gaze far off. 'There's something special about your paws hitting the cool dirt with the wind moving through your fur, surrounded by the smell of the forest.'

The longing in his gaze and tone drew Anya in. There was something so pure about it. A love for nature and the experience he described put him at ease. The tension in his shoulders eased. The frown between his brows disappeared. The smile was entirely captivating.