8. Richard

I didn’t relish the idea of going back to the wolves den, but I could feel the radiating heat of her anger across town, the others did as well and began to wonder what could cause such a massive spike in energy. Alba, tried to contact me to ask me if I knew its origin, for I had stopped hunting and was taking my car. I blocked her. Though she was head of our coven, she was only so because I chose to stay below her, I was older and, therefore, stronger then she was.

Callign calmly sat in the passenger seat and I pulled out of the curving driveway. She seemed pissed, so I waited for her to speak. She just stared out the window with her arms crossed she grumbled under her breath and it was hard for me to act as if I didn’t hear her speaking of Nox and her nonexistence.

“Thanks,” Callign finally said with a long sigh following the word. I shrugged.

“I knew it wouldn’t be too long and I was worried about you. Their pricks, really, and odd on top of it all, I tried to make friends with the oldest one, Zeik, and he always talked about these weird situations. I just wanted to make sure you made it home okay.” I turned towards her and smiled slightly, she smiled back comforted, but only for an instant.

“Actually could you take me to Rachel Straus’s house, I just really don’t want to go home at the moment.” She asked rubbing her thumb and forefinger over the bridge of her nose, as though in an attempt to hold off a headache.

“What about your mother, won’t she worry?” I asked. These were only mandatory questions. Things I had to ask to seem human. I already knew of her mother and was somewhat glad she had chosen to go to a friends house tonight. No telling what kind of men her mother serviced, and I didn’t want to run the risk of a Hunter finding her.

“Only slightly, I’ll call her from Rachel’s house to let her know where I am.

“You two having problems.” It was more of a statement then a question.

“This is a really nice car,” She stated changing the subject. I nodded, I should‘ve known that was going to happen, although she didn‘t think much of her mother‘s line of work, Callign still showed the respect that was due her as her mother.

“Why don’t you just drive this to school instead of riding the bus?”

“I usually don't ride the bus. Today was an exception, because my car was in the shop this morning.”

“Why was it in the shop, does this thing have a crappy motor or something?”

"No," I answered with a slight laugh, "She’s a V-8, I just like to drive fast, sometimes faster then what this beauty can handle."

We were in front of Rachel’s house now and she seemed surprised when I cut the engine.

“Told you I drive fast.”

“Why?”

“Call it a death wish.” She eyed me curiously, but got out. She turned and stuck her head in the door.

“Thanks again for the ride, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

"Would you mind if I picked you girls up for school?"

"What, why?"

"I'm concerned and I just don't want you to end up hurt, Zeik can be pretty persistent. He‘s hurt several other girls in a similar way."

"I can take care of myself you know."

"I have no doubt about that, but just humor me please?"

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow at eight." She closed the door then and walked through the snow to the front door. She walked with such a natural sway in her hips that I was stunned momentarily; I shook myself to get over my lapse in judgment, but still it seemed that the image was imprinted onto the backs of my eyelids and now whenever they closed I could see it.

She looked back over her shoulder for just a moment and I could have sworn I saw a ghost of a smile pull at her lips. There was no denying who she was.