H Is For Human (Garlic Is For Vampires, Book 3)

Chapter 13: Clash

I woke up the next morning with my bed empty and a twinge of melancholy in my stomach. Boy, I really did miss being with someone. I glanced at my alarm clock and figured I had enough time to eat and get ready before I had to head to school.

I found a loose T-shirt and jeans to wear before I left my room and wandered in the kitchen until I noticed the note and plate of food sitting on the counter.

Headed out with Matt. Giving him training for werewolf hunting. Will be back soon.

-Mason

I set the note aside and checked out what was on the plate. Waffles, bacon, and hash browns. I frowned because I didn't have a waffle iron, and these waffles were bigger than Eggos. I shrugged and heated up the plate before dousing the waffles in syrup and began eating.

I recalled yesterday's events until I decided to think about the werewolves. They wanted to wipe out the vampires, as did I. Perhaps an alliance could be made that didn't involve giving me off to be some bride or something. I would talk to Mason about it, but right now I had to go to school.

On my way out of the apartment I got a call from Brendon. I held my phone in my hand as it rang before I declined the call. If Brendon was calling me after Skylark was with me last night, it couldn't be anything good. When Brendon kept calling during class, I blocked him and turned off my phone. I'd deal with him later.

Once classes were over I went to work and dealt with a long shift. Every time someone walked through the door I thought it'd be Brendon, ready to bring a storm down on me. I tried going about my business but I couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen. What else was the worse that could happen? I wanted fate to prove it to me. And I'd show that I'd fight back.

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As doomsday predicted, Brendon was waiting at my apartment door when I exited the elevator. I had just turned my phone back on and saw the five missed calls. Four from him, one from Matt. Telling me Brendon planned on making a visit. Could've been worse.

I saw him standing there, like he couldn't get in. I approached the front door and he stepped away from the door to stare down at me. I looked up at him with the same hardness in my eyes. He looked thin, as if transforming into a wolf had done something to him. I opened the door and stepped inside, rushing to my room as if I could hope to avoid a fight.

He grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Why would you go after vampires just to save your father? Yeah, Skylark told me because I smelled something weird on him yesterday. You were never going to tell me your father was alive, were you?"

I kicked my bag to the side and looked at him. "In all honesty, no. Because when you swore revenge on every vampire, that meant Beebee. She's my cousin. And Mason, my father. They're trustworthy, but knowing you I don't know how you'd react. You wouldn't have the same views as me. So I kept them hidden to avoid this. Because not everyone has to be your friend, Brendon. I wasn't sure if you'd make them an exception."

"Then how come I smell another vampire here?" he asked.

"Probably Beebee's boyfriend. You'd save your father too if he was kidnapped. Why is mine any different? Why wouldn't I go after him?" I searched his eyes to find a grain of sympathy. It was there, just a strand. He didn't say anything because I had a point. I wanted to walk away, but then he said something else.

"Maybe if we had this argument sooner, I'd see some point to keeping your father around. Maybe if you had just been honest with me-"

"There's a lot of 'maybes' going around. Well you know what? Yeah, I should've. But I decided not to. Because it was my choice. So you should leave all this doubting to me. Let me say the what ifs, because you're not making the situation any better." There. I crossed my arms over my chest and remained unblinking.