Lonely Monsters

twenty-three

When he had first seen her, Jared would have probably said he was smitten with her. Petite, round, a laugh that was contagious and almond eyes so dark the goddess Persephone probably blessed her. Jared swallowed the lump forming in his throat, a shudder coming from deep in his stomach.

Meela Amana stood at her end of the room, mere feet from him. And she had the same terrified look as when he bit her in the garage all those months ago. The fear bubbling behind her eyes was there, and in the forefront of her demeanor was anger. He opened his mouth to speak when a blur of black went beneath the table and across the room.

It mewled and pawed at her calf, trilling for her attention. Without breaking eye contact with Jared, she spread her arms and the cat jumped into her grasp.

With claws that looked like for eviscerating prey, she gently cradled the animal, stroking inky fur that was merely shades lighter from her own skintone. The beating of her heart slowed some, her eyes closed and she gnawed her lip some.

"...." The cat purred loudly, rubbing his head into the left side of her neck and chin. "What...Were we supposed to talk about."

Jared pushed his chair back to help Meela into hers but she opened her eyes and held up a hand. She walked over to the table and slid into her spot.

".....You're going to move me again, right?" she asked, her voice dropping to a low tone. It sounded deep and gravelly, almost husky for a woman. "...Because I'm such a problem child?"

Jared shook his head. "That had been on a lot of people's minds... A lot of us thought you were worse off."

He paused, watching the Vaunte Garde steam in his cup. He reached forward, pulling the saucer and cup towards him.

Jared proceeded to pour a serving for her, Meela raised her hand again. It was just above the halfway mark.

"That's enough." she said softly. "Why worse off? Because of what the Witches said? Or those Alchemists?"

"....Particially." he said, moving the sugar and cream to her. She pointed to the jar of honey, Jared moved that to her side. "but Dusks... We're not to be solo creatures... We... We have mates, and families-- our lives are similar to those of the wolves or the cats."

She went ridged, and her heart once again sped up. The cat eyed him warily, then climbed down from his perch.

Jared watched as she spooned honey into her drink. Scooping a full tea spoon into the jar, then slowly drizzling it into the black-green brew.

There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wanted to say. Jared had thought back on the night in February, how cold it was and how much blood was spilled. He was terrified he had murdered her, dead in a car crash. In a hospital fighting the transformation, or sweet Goddess somehow she made it home. A ghoul caused by Vampires was one thing, but a Duscenoir--

"It's good." Meela's voice broke through his nostalgia. "....Thankyou. I guess." Her eyes turned from him to gaze in her cup. after a bit of a pause, "....You said 'Us', earlier? Other Dusks?"

"Oh? Oh!" he blinked, then shook his head. "Other creatures-- Vampires, Werewolves, Werecats, Djinn, Dragons-- The...Counsel of Alphas really."

"I'm that important?" she let out a scoff, "That the leaders of a bunch of packs have to keep tabs on me?"

Jared looked down into his cup, "Dusks.... are a rare commodity." he said carefully. "We chose mates sparingly and bare bare children-- Wait has this not been explained to you?"

"They gave me some reading material, yes." she mumbled, finishing off her drink. "But.... no one talks to me. I mean sure-- people have conversations about the territory, the weather, how much i spend on tools or groceries or what I want to trade or buy with the wolves-- but no one... Really talks to me about what I am. They're too intimidated." She kept her eyes on her cup, then held it out for him to refill.

Jared obliged.

"Do I have to go with you?" she asked, cradling the cup between her hands. "I don't... I've read everything front to back, and it says I should be feeling something." Meela shook her head, raising her hand and motioning to Jared and his side of the table. "And I don't."

Jared looked at Meela, and then at the cup. He didn't feel any different from before, aside from the massive amount of relief. The weight lifted off his shoulders about the status of his... neophyte.

"....Have you... thought about what you're going to do?" he asked. Meela looked up from her cup, brows furrowed in a questioning gaze.

She brought the cup to her lips. He had hoped she would have had more to drink when he got around to talking about the next subject.

"...When you come into season." he tried to put it delicately, soften the blow. Regret came to the forefront when
he saw her eyes widen and her jaw set.

"Get the fuck out." she stood up in such a rush, the chair clattered to the floor behind her. "I knew it. This was too good to be true! You're all bastards!"

She picked up the cup and threw it at him. Jared moved , dodging the porcelain or ceramic or whatever the little drinkware was made of. Steaming hot liquid spilled across the table, some making it's mark on his right sleeve and part of his left hip.

Meela shoved the table, causing it to slide into the wall and the sparce dinnerware clattered on the tabletop and broke on the floor.

Jared reached for her but she growled at him. She made a beeline to the staircase and made her way outside.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Get off my property!" I shouted at Ravis and the Inquisitor. They had been smoking, and a few of the wolves were standing by. "I don't want any of you here ever again!"

I felt like i was walking through knee high water. It felt difficult to process how angry I was, like a constant blanket was wrapping around my legs and shoulders forcing me back into numbness. Ravis had his hand up, two fingers holding his cigarette as he kept his gaze on me. The inquisitor, with her golden eyes that flashed blue in the dimming sunlight had her hands craddling around the cup from a thermos drinking what I could smell as lemon and hibiscus.

"Hearne," Ravis pulled the cigarette down, breathing smoke out his nose.

"She didn't want to hear what I had to say." he said, coming out the door behind me.

Jared made a wide circle, around me. My eyes turned to the wolves and there were people I did not recognize. There were three women, and four men. And standing next to the Inquisitor were vampires, dresses in suits and jackets that had golden vine like patterns on their cuffs and lapels. One had her hair in purple and maroon goddess locks, tied in a loose ponytail to rest on her right shoulder. The left side of her head exposed, showing off a decorative fade along her temple that had a pattern of vines. Her partner had black hair that was gradiented to dark blue into the color of the sky.

"I want you to leave." I said, my voice coming out lower than I intended. I glared at Ravis as he spoke casually with the Wolf in charge. Jared said something but the words were low and I couldn't understand them. Ravis made a casual motion in my direction, rolling his eyes when Jared's tone raised in a pitch. The wolves looked at me, between looks on annoyance and nervousness.

I tugged at whatever was causing-- no, forcing me-- to calm down. I had my gaze on Ravis and the two other men arguing, their words warbled and muffled in my ears. Ravis was the only one looking at me, but his attention wasn't fully on me. I felt the vice around my neck, long before I had stopped walking.

"Ma'am." It was the vampire with the gradient hair. He had crossed the area between the Inquisitor and me and was mere feet from me. He reached out, palms up in a pose to tell me "I'm harmless."

"Please, we only want to help." Blue eyes as deep as the ocean looked at me, and the haze of magic began creeping on the edge of my vision.

"stop." words that felt like thick in my throat on a tongue of sand.

"Meela, please--" The vampire cooed and my name felt like honey on his lips. They were full and looked soft, and a scent of coffee and chocolate wafted off his clothes. My arms felt like lead weights but i was able to shove him away.

"Why doesn't any--" My voice hitched and I felt the vice about my neck tighten. Sleep. Calm down. Don't fight. Rest. "one believe me?" It felt like phlegm was flooding my throat, constricting my words to a low, sick gargle.

The darkness encroached, and it felt comforting, enveloped in a warm mute cocoon.

And in the darkness, a pair of eyes looked at me. They were red, but not quite red, not a harsh red like scarlet or crimson. The color of a rich wine, merlot I think. And in the darkness a face formed and she looked at me. She looked just like me, and her mouth twisted in a scowl.

"Liar," she spat, and everything fell apart.

My limbs burned, and the magic was forced out of my lungs. The tea from earlier was expelled and the world came into view in perfect clarity. And for once in my life, I saw that shit that had been giving me headaches or forcibly sending me into sweet oblivion. They hung around people like neon spider silk, caught on gusts of wind. Everyone had different colors, and the thread. And the brightest, most abundant amount of threads, were spun the the Inquisitor.

The Inquisitor who now realized she was in such deep shit with me.

"Russel. Amita. She seems to have broken my charms." The Inquisitor tapped her knuckles on the window of the car she was leaning against.

"Madam Inquisitor--" the woman with locks growled, her eyes flashing from brown to gold. Red threads spun from her fingers tips, but they stopped feet away from me. I looked at Ravis and Jared, their threads deep purple and black.

"We think you should--" the Inquisitor started, screwing the lid back on her thermos.

I drew back my hand and held a finger too my lips. "....Shut up." the words tastes sweet on my bile coated tongue. The lights were dancing, and pulsating. "I don't wanna deal."

From the corner of my eye I saw more neon spider silk dancing across the someone's hands. Electricity crackled and the man with rainstorm colored hair ducked. His partner vaulted over his bent form, a scissor kick aimed to knock me in the face.

"You will not disrespect our Alpha!" she snarled, fangs bared.

She landed and aimed an uppercut to my gut. I leaned into her shot, following her movement and letting her propel me back a couple dozen feet. The woman, Amita, was skilled and as beautiful and as terrible as any fire wielding deity. She smelled of gardenia

Russel flanked me and a left handed uppercut came swinging towards me. Calculated, swift, powerful. I dodged most of his shots, but from behind, Amita grabbed the hood of my shirt. She pulled me close, pulling me into a headlock.

"You will concede or we will force your submission." Amita ground out between predatory fangs.

I tugged at her arm, but her arm was like a iron clamp. Her elbow was tight, forcing my mouth closed so I couldn't bite her. Russel bent to be at level with me, blue eyes dancing between colors. "Miss Amana."

As Amita kept her grip firm, blackness encroaching on my vision, the threads began glowing. They pulsed, twisted and brightened as my vision dampened. I reached a hand out and grabbed a fistful of the threads. Russel cringed, eyes wide.

The threads I touched turned black and swirled around my knuckles. I kicked off the ground, launching the top of my head into what I thought was her left cheek. Her teeth clipped empty air, a vicious noise. I kicked out my feet, swinging sideways to force Amita's weight onto my back. Gripping her forearm, I sent the vampiress sprawling. The moment she was clear Russel ran at me with more punches and slashes.

It was around that time that I noticed my own threads, black as ink and sharp at the edges. Whenever Russel got close to me, the blackness snag or bit into his threads, fizzling them out and making them recede. Amita was up seconds later, her hands bent into claws as she aimed to snatch my face clear off.

Russel landed few punches, and the more he was able to hit me, the closer Amita got with her claws. The were red and magenta, matching the ends of her hair. Her manicure was immaculate, and the closer I looked, I saw small rust-copper coloring on her finger tips, intricate like the henna for a wedding.

She slashed my hoodie along my back and my leggings were shredded along my left hip.

"Bow." Amita snarled, red threads pulsating and crackling. "And apologize, so I don't have to tear your damn limbs off."

"Fuck all the way off," my voice cracked.

I looked at Amita and grabbed at her threads as well, violet and greens turning raven like my hair.

She made a choking noise, eyes wide and questioning. The blackness went up their threads and I forced them to snap. Amita crumpled, gasping for breath with wide eyes that couldn't focus. The blackness wrapped around my arms and the dizzyness receded as the world brightened again.

I looked at the Inquisitor and there was fear in her eyes. She withdrew, pulling her powers back from me. She could feel what I did, and the thought of it happening to herself had her studying me with more comprehension than before. I could go for anyone at the party-- then I noticed another set of threads. There was an amass of them and they crackled like raw electricity in a Tesla coil.

Whoever was in the car, had enough power to end me. And with what I had just done to the Inquisitor's people, I had burned all my bridges. The objectivity I had tried so hard to keep, from politics from the Alphas, was gone.

"I-- I didn't." the words felt thick again. Russel spasmed beside me, red tears spilling down his face as he fought to breath. Amita's eyes had black veins decorating her cheeks and temples.

The red eyed me looked at me from across the field. She laughed at me. "Liar."

There was a sharp tug and I was pulled backwards through the air and away. I hit pavement, and stared up at the sky, that was half obscured by skyscrapers. The fresh air was pulled from my nose and the smell of oil and garbage water assaulted all my senses. Dampness seeped between the hems of my clothes, and cold wrapped itself around my scalp.

A set of blue eyes stared at me in the dying sunlight. "Jesus christ." they murmured, cigarette smoke drifting into my nose. "You're no better than a mutt."

"...Uh-Usha?" everything felt heavy.

"....No." their voice had a musical note as they laughed at me, "Not quite."