Lost Lies

I curled up in Alex’s arms for an hour straight, crying and screaming in utter pain and distress at my loss. Every so often, Alex would whisper into my hair as he rested his head on mine. He gave occasional worried sighs and soothing whispers.

Occasionally, Danny would come and offer to take a hold of me so Alex could take a break, but I constantly refused, clinging onto Alex for dear life until he finally shook his head at Danny.

“Are you ok?” Alex asked, his tone sounding tired and strained as he slowly smoothed my hair.

I shook my head against Alex’s bare chest; it was wet from all the crying.

“You’ve been crying for one hour straight,” he sighed.

I tilted my head up to look at Alex, my vision fuzzy, but I could see a worried smile perched on lips.

“Sorry,” I croaked, my voice barely audible.

I coughed and moaned as my throat burned from all the crying and screaming.

“Here,” Alex said, grabbing a mug from the night stand.

I sat up carefully on Alex’s lap, wincing at the probing pain in my skull and behind my eyes.

“Lemon and honey, best trick, I hear, to get rid of a nasty sore throat.”

Alex’s hands wrapped over my hands, helping to steady them as I took a sip of the hot steaming drink.

“Thank you,” I whispered in a rasping tone, resting my head back on Alex’s chest.

I smiled lightly at the sound of Alex’s two heartbeats, the steady thumping beat of his human heart against the fast thumping beat of a monster’s heart.

“What time is it?” I asked, gazing around the room for a clock I couldn’t find.

“It’s seven am. We were going to take you out on a surprise dinner for your birthday but you’re a bit too ill,” Danny said from the doorway.

“What’s this, topless marathon?” I asked with a small devilish grin on my face.

Danny stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his bare chest. Like Alex, he wore nothing but a pair of denim jeans that hung dangerously low on his hips. He sent a devilish smile and wink my way, sending a rush of heat through my already shuddering body and a blush rising to my cheeks.

Alex picked up a pillow from beside us and flung it at Danny who dodged it with a spin of his body. It hit the wall with a muffled thud and Danny bent down, scooped it off the floor, and flung it back at Alex.

“Hey,” I giggled, rolling off Alex’s lap so that the pillow hit him in the face instead of me.

“Guys,” I choked, sitting up from a coughing fit.

Alex was about to pat my back, but I held my hand up to stop him.

“I’m ok. What’s this about surprise dinner?” I asked, leaning over Alex to grab the mug.

“Since you have never had a good birthday in three years, we decided it would be nice for you...but at this rate, we won’t be getting anywhere, not with you being ill.”

Danny walked over to the bed, sitting beside me and trapping me between him and Alex.

“You know, you guys scare me sometimes,” I smiled, glancing between them both. “You always know how to make me smile.” I added.

“That’s because you mean everything to us both. That smile on your face lets us know you will always need us.” Danny explained as he took the mug from my hands and pulled me into a hug.

It felt nice; for once I was loved and cared for, respected like a normal human being. They didn’t treat me like a savage animal that killed her own family (even though I didn’t.)

Alex swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched.

“You still want to go to that dinner?” Alex asked, looking over his shoulder and smiling at me.

“That’s if you will let me. Please?” I asked in a childlike tone.

Alex and Danny glanced at each other, as if sharing a private conversation with their eyes, and then they faced me, giving me a reassuring nod and smile.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and allowed Alex to help me up.

“Thank you,” I whispered, wrapping him in an unexpected hug.

Confusion clouded his face and tone. “For what?”

“For being here for me, both of you,” I beamed. “If it wasn’t for you guys, I could have done something reckless, like kill myself. A bit silly, I know, because I have my whole life ahead of me. But now I have you guys, I know I do.”

“No problem, Winter.” Danny and Alex said in perfect synchronisation.
We all laughed for a moment before we parted ways to get ready.

-:- -:- -:-

I had shifted through dozens of outfits Alex had provided me with from his mysterious cupboard. He explained to me that he always kept spare clothes in case any females were to unexpectedly arrive, but, somehow, I didn’t believe him.

After I managed to wash and change clothes to the best of my ability with one arm, I stood gazing at myself in the full length mirror. I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, patting the creases out of the blue satin knee length dress.

“I can’t do this,” I muttered to myself. “I feel stupid; look at me. And then I make myself seem crazy by talking to myself.”

I dropped to my knees and pressed my hand to the mirror. My reflection stared back, my waist length hair skimming the floor. My ocean blue eyes with the strangest hint of black and red, a smile that was no longer mine; every inch of me fake, every smile a lie.

“Are you ready?” Alex’s voice echoed down from the top of the basement steps.

“Yes.” I called back as confidently as I could manage.

I stood gracefully, brushing dirt off the dress, and began to make my way up to the living room.

Alex and Danny were lounging on the sofa, casually playing rock paper scissors, while Cara and Evangelina, who looked like twins - only with different coloured hair and different shoes -, were adjusting their make-up and hair in the mirror over the fireplace.

I cleared my throat and laughed when Alex and Danny nearly fell over one another as they stumbled to their feet.

“Oh my,” Evangelina gasped when she and Cara finally turned around.

“Indeed,” Alex whispered.

“She’s beautiful,” Danny added.

I blushed at the comments and turned pink when Alex and Danny’s eyes grazed over me, and they both sent a loud wolf whistle my way.

Danny and Alex were smartly dressed in suits, a small flower in their pockets to add an extra touch. Cara and Evangelina were dressed in matching ankle length, strapless black silk dresses with their hair up in a bun.

“You look stunning,” Cara chirped, clapping her hands.

“Thanks guys, you all look stunning and beautiful too.” I commented politely.

“Who’s driving?” I asked as we made our way to the car.

“Me,” Danny called from in front of us.

“Whoa,” I gasped when we had all left the house.

The house was made of logs and large stones with high arched windows. Vines climbed up the rafters, wrapping around beams which held up several balconies. A porch wrapped round the house.

In front of the house was a two story fountain, carved to form three wolves perched at different heights on separate rocks, howling to the moon. It was concealed partially by the forest that circled the house.

As if Danny was reading my shocked, jumbled thoughts, he rested his arm around my shoulders and said, “Me, Alex and Casper built this when we moved here with our own bare hands and our own money.

“We bought the land because we needed somewhere for Alex to transform and somewhere I could hunt for animal blood; I don’t do human blood, not since Alex convinced me to try animals.”

“Wow,” I said, astonished at the facts and once again amazed at the building.

“This is only the front, Winter; wait until you see the back.” He whispered into my ear, but his gaze flickered to the watch on his wrist. “But maybe that can wait until tomorrow. We’re going to be late for dinner.”

Danny moved his arm from my shoulders and headed for the driver’s side of the car while I followed on his heels to the back passenger door.

“Nice house, isn’t it?” Cara asked as I closed the passenger door and buckled in besides her.

“Yeah, it really is.” I replied, gazing out of the window as we drove down the gravel driveway.
I was fiddling with my cast when I noticed that I had a new one on. I looked at it, confused for a moment, before asking Alex, “Alex, who replaced my cast?”

“Me. It would have started to go funny because it got water on it and in it.” Alex replied from the front passenger seat.

“Erm, thanks for that.”

“No problem.”

“Another question: where is this, as in these woods and the house?” I asked, trying not to sound too irritating asking so many questions.

“‘This’ as you put it, is on the outskirts of Manchester, heading out of Glossop ‘on snake road’, as they call it.”

“But isn’t that surrounded by, well, nothing?” I asked, confused at the choice.

“Exactly; nothing means no one gets hurt,” Alex hinted.

“Oh, I understand now; that’s brilliant, but don’t you think that’s a bit far from the city?”

“Yep, but at least here no one gets hurt. Now, any more questions?” Alex joked.

“Nope, I have no more. Just trying to understand you guys better,” I smiled.

“Put the radio on,” Evangelina whined with a sigh of boredom.

“Receptions a bit shifty out here,” Danny said, while one handed opening the compartment in front of Alex. He grabbed several CD’s.

Evangelina groaned in frustration.

“Here, pick one of these and stop whining,” Danny warned, passing the CD’s to Cara, who handed them to Evangelina.

“Iron Maiden? Metallica? Nickelback? What are you guys, Goth now?”

Danny sent her a pointed look in the mirror.

“What?” She protested.

“One: no, I am not Goth Two: Nickelback isn’t the screamo stuff you’re thinking of. Three: pass me the Nickelback CD, and four: shut up.”

Evangelina hesitated a moment before handing the CD to Danny and the rest to Alex to put away.
The car became deathly silent and I closed my eyes, letting the music fill my attention.