The Scent Of Vampires (Book 1)

Chapter 3: Friends and Misfits

Zephora held her breath hoping her angry moon howler roommate, wouldn't transform into a snarling hairy beast. Luckily, another of Zephora roommates, placed a calming hand on Hudson's arm. "Huddy, how about we find out what's going on before we get too worked up." The soft feminine voice of their roommate, visibly calming Hudson.

Pixie, as she was know by most people, was a spell caster . She was petite and seemed harmless but her size shouldn't fool anyone. As spell casters went, she was very unpredictable and powerful. She had amazing violet eyes- you could almost see the magic swirling in their depths. She would often experiment with different looks. Her hair currently was a short platinum blonde styled in choppy bob with the tips fading into a light blue.

Out of the three of her roommates, Pixie was the only one who could calm Hudson when his inner-moon howler came out. She wasn't sure what exactly their relationship was.

The neck biter, now laying on the porch, moaned in pain. Pixie seeing the state she was in, jumped into action and ushered them inside, despite Hudson's protests.

Some time later they had the female cleaned up and lying on a pile of blankets. They were in the old dingy basement where they kept an odd assortment of belongings between the four of them. The most notable, were all of the herbs and strange vials and jars kept on a massive shelf that stretched from floor to ceiling . They were Pixie's ingredients for her magic potions. Zephora didn't really like to be down there. She never could understand why Pixie needed boiled toe nails, or pickled cat liver for her magic. Even though she didn't judge her friend, she was very grateful not to be a spell caster.

Zephora carefully cleaned the female neck biter's wounds. She could hear Pixie and Hudson arguing upstairs. Hudson was still not happy to be under the same roof as a neck biter. Zephora sympathized with Hudson and now that she had time to think about her actions, she could hardly believe she helped the girl.

That was why after the neck biter was settled, she offered to take care of her by herself. It only seemed right that she be the one to take responsibility for the girl. Pixie was going to have a full-time job keeping Hudson calm as it was.

The other concern was the reaction her third roommate would have. She hoped he wouldn't react as badly as Hudson, but there was no telling until he came down from his perch.

Leo was a gargoyle. yes, the gargoyle that was currently on top of their roof. During the day he was a stone statue but at night he came to life. He wasn't as impulsive as Hudson, but he was incredibly strong even for someone made of stone. He was the dark and brooding type—his presence intimidating. And for someone who carried wings behind him, he was surprisingly quick and agile.

Despite what her roommates thought, Zephora knew she was taking a huge risk. Her biggest down fall was her compassionate side. She couldn't seem to turn away from someone in trouble. In the world they lived in, compassion was something you couldn't afford to have—not if you wanted to stay alive.

Why did she feel the need to help the girl? What was it to her if one more neck biter was gone? At the end of the day a vampire was a vampire weather they killed their prey or not. They still required human blood to live. Why did she risk everyone by bringing the girl to their home? Heaven knows they had enough problems without a vampire added to their midst.

Shaking her head, Zephora rose from the chair she was sitting on. She had no time to dwell on her actions. She could smell something divine Pixie was cooking upstairs and her stomach grumbled. She realized how hungry she was since she hadn't eaten since earlier that morning. Looking at the red haired girl on the make shift bed, Zephora felt confident she wouldn't be waking anytime soon. She would figure out what to do after dinner and if lucky a good night's sleep.