Lonely Monsters

nineteen

I woke up to Alex mewling and scratching at the bedroom door. Wanting to get out. I smacked my lips, tasting the absolutely worst thing in the world. I tried to think what happened the night before, and felt the limbs around my waist pull me close.

"Tell that damn tom to shut up." Barry breathed near my ear, as he pulled me close to spoon.

Rick groaned, his thigh pressing between my legs. He held my left hand with his right, his thumb going over the back of my hand in a circular motion.

Since the night of the Witches' Trial, Rick, Barry and me had worked things out. They stayed and we watched movies, or go out and they taught me how to hunt. Through word of mouth and rumor, they found vampires that were making hell of the existence of the others.

Rick told me, they were the ones hunters would go after anyways. They were sloppy, cruel, and killed indiscriminately. Last night, we had taken down a small 'Coven', and well, celebrated.

I pulled my hand free and rubbed Barry's jaw before rubbing Rick's brow. They both untangled themselves from me, and I climbed out of bed. I found a sweater, and a pair of pants in the hamper that didn't smell and pulled them on. Alex trilled and whined, so I put wet food in his bowl to hush his yammering.

He hung out in the kitchen while I refilled his water bowl, and the britta pitcher in the fridge. I looked back at the bedroom, and smirked. I found the spare tooth brush and began brushing my fangs in the kitchen sink. I twitched at the sound of knocking on my door.

I took the tooth brush out my mouth and shouted I would be down. I pulled on Rick's boots, then hustled out the door, down the stairs, and to the front of the shop.

I opened it to see Boss and Richard. Richard opened his mouth to say something, when he blinked. His brow furrowed and he leaned in and sniffed me.

"What." I snapped, leaning on the porch and spitting to the side away from him.

"You stink like vampire," he said, the corner of his mouth perking.

"I've been hunting." I stuck the tooth brush back in my mouth. I still felt the texture of film on my teeth. It was gross.

Richard's mouth broke into a wide grin. One of those fucking shit eating grins. "That's not what I mean."

I gagged as my toothbrush slipped and jabbed myself in the throat. I swung forward to slap him. He laughed and simply took a step back.

"Hugh! You owe me fifty!" Richard turned and began a loping gait to the other men that were working. Hugh let out a groan that I heard from my spot on the porch.

Boss had the same damn grin on his face but he averted his eyes from me.

My mouth was full of foam. "Youf ugh--?!" I turned and spat in the same place as before. "You were taking bets!"

"All in good nature," Boss said dismissively, "You were wound up really tight since you got here... Glad you could find someone..." He took an attentive sniff of the air, of me. And laughed.

"Someones," he corrected, "that could make you relax a bit."

I frowned, then felt his hand on the top of my head. "You're welcome to talk to one of the guys, or as if we can bring some of the girls out here to hang out."

I pursed my lips, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. "Thought I was too dangerous."

"....Word got around what you did for the Guillery kid and one of Madam Elise's daughters." He ruffled my already messy hair. "And some other people vouched that you ain't as bad as the books say Rogues are supposed to be. Plus, someone said you were a piss poor fighter."