Becoming Wolf - Sequel to 'Staying Human'

Chapter Thirteen

 Rachael and Jay were eating their pizza when Winston returned.

"Hey guys," he chirped as he entered the room.

Jay smiled as they made eye contact and shook his head at him.

"Pizza, great I am food starving. What you guys been up too then?" he remarked as he picked up the last piece and demolished it in seconds.

A puzzled expression came over Rachael's face as she looked at him. His cheeks were rosy, he was smiling and he looked relaxed, he actually looked happy. She had not seen him smile like this for a long time.

Jay looked at his brother and laughed, "did you feed from a drunk bro?"

"Yeah," he laughed back as he flopped down on the sofa, "and a crack or heroin addict I think I can't tell but I feel fuckin great. Come here Aelia I mean Rachael, come and sit next to me." He then rested his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.

Rachael did not move.

"Go," Jay whispered as he cocked is head towards his brother.

Rachael sat as far away from him as she could, however Winston grabbed her legs, placed them over his thighs and began to massage her feet.

Rachael flinched as he touched her.

Winston's head snapped up and he looked at Jay and laughed a happy laugh. Then he turned to face Rachael, "Aelia liked it when I massaged her feet. Do you?"

Rachael didn't but she still nodded in response.

She jumped as Winston clapped his hands together.

His brow furrowed, "you're frightened. Why are you frightened of me?"

Jay groaned, "Brother, how high are you?"

Winston laughed and lifted his hand high in the air, "this high," he chimed. He turned to face Rachael "Don't worry, I was frightened too when he first took me. Not all that I told you was lies."

Jay huffed.

"You have no need to huff; you would not help me when I asked for it."

Jay jumped up he had no intention of listening to this as it always started a fight; especially when he was high. He would perseverate on why he had not stopped Michael from feeding from him, why Jay had fed from him and why had he let Michael turn him and when he was coming down he would become worse.

"I am going out." He said as he sped out of the door, he never even looked at Rachael; he did not dare.

Now Winston huffed, "he does not like it when I tell the truth, he can't stand to hear it."

Winston took Rachael's hands in his and he began to tell her the story of how he became a vampire and as he spoke he stroked the back of her hands with his thumbs.

She was in shock at exactly how old he really was but as she listened to his story she did not feel sorry for him, that man was gone and had been replaced with a monster, a monster that had stolen her life. She wished with all her heart that Aelia and Johan had been successful because she would not be sitting here now.

She did realise though that some of what he told her when they were sat on the roof of her house was somewhat true and as she thought back to that conversation she wanted to cry. Why had she not listened to Jason, Max or the voices of the fallen? Why had she not realised he already knew everything about her. Why had she not realised she was the one that Winston had come to collect? He had practically told her by dropping sly hints in every conversation they'd had. Why had she not taken heed of his constant mood swings, his reaction to her brother surviving the bike crash and many many more things? Why had she not listened?