A Stranger in the Night
Chapter 17

It's been a several days now of this new routine and I was slowly becoming used to have a pack of werewolves escorting me to and from work and anywhere else I needed to go. Lucas and I usually had some good chats on our walks. I haven't been able to do the dog walking or cleaning jobs, so I had made arrangements for 2 other people to take over that work and the clients were more than understanding. Both knew I had alot on my plate, just not what was on it. I got to know Lucas and his pack a little bit too. Lucas was the leader of his pack, the Alpha. He has been the Alpha for the last 10 years. He was a good leader. His pack respected him and followed his lead. He was handsome and charming and I was growing quite fond of spending time in his company. He knew how to get me to laugh and smile and always told the worse dad jokes I had ever heard. His Beta was Carter, a man built like a brick house. He was strong yet had a sensitive time and love to bake. He always brought cookies for me and Jess. Then there was Shiloh. She was Carters' mate. She was a lovely girl. Extremely beautiful and equally as powerful. Her and I were becoming friends too. We had some similar interests, but mainly our interests in books left us to discussions that lasted hours. We had traded books a few times now and I loved to have someone who enjoyed the same books as I did. Lucas had told me a little bit about his relationship with Draven and why he was here. He and Draven were good friends. They had become close after a clan war years ago and had continued to help and support each other afterwards.

Since this has all started, Draven has only left the apartment a few times to check in with his brothers, but promptly returning to check in on Jess, who was making a very good recovery. "We still don't know who attacked you Jess. I don't want you returning to your apartment until we do. It's just not safe.". Jess's eyes filled with hurt. "This is not my home Draven. This is Luna's home. I know she doesn't mind me being here or you for that matter, but I want to go home. To my own space and my own things.". Draven hung his head, "I know Jess. I know. I want that too. I promise we are doing everything we can to find out who is behind this. It was not a normal mugging. They almost killed you. Trust me, once I do find them, they will pay for hurting you.". He brushed the hair off her face, pulled the blanket in snug around her and kissed her on the forehead. In the last few days, I have seen his kind and caring side. He wasn't the arrogant or free spirited Draven that we knew when it came to Jess. Even Lucas was speechless and he knew Draven much better than I did. He truly cared deeply for her and here, he wasn't afraid to show it. Jess laid her head down against the chair and began to close her eyes. Draven stood and walked over to me, as I was leaning on the kitchen bench. He began whispering, "We have a feeling we know who was behind the attack. Silvano will be here to collect me soon and Lucas with his pack will be meeting us shortly too. I need you to stay in tonight. So do not go out anywhere. I can not stress that enough. Please....please....do not leave the apartment.". I agreed. I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Draven said goodbye to Jess, promising her he would return as soon as he could and then left.

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Jess and I sat together under the window, watching the stars and the clouds passing by. Jess was worried about where Draven was. The distraught on her face showed how much she cared for him. "It's ok Jess. You know he always comes back." I said, trying to offer some comfort. Jess pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, cuddling into them for support. "I know. I just worry. I never have met anyone like him before. I'm just not ready to give up someone caring about me like he does. If you know what I mean? Speaking of which.....have you heard from Alex? You haven't said one word about him in days. Are you ok?". She was right....I hadn't spoken a word about him. I was trying not to. I shook my head at her. "No...I haven't heard from him. Not even on the night you were attacked. I guess he doesn't care or is too busy to be bothered by all of this. Draven said Alex sent him over cause he is dealing with some urgent matters, but I thought, well I hoped he would have checked in by now.". I could feel the pain and anxiety rising up into my throat. I fought my hardest to push back the tears that were trying to overflow from my eyes but couldn't anymore as one slipped down my cheek. Jess must have seen it, as she shuffled over to me and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "It's ok Luna. I'm sure he wants to be here.". I cut her off, "I haven't even gotten a text from him Jess. I'm sure he's not that busy to send a text message to see how we are doing or even ask how you are. He said he was always going to be there when I needed him and where is he....not here.". I hopped up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing myself the jug of cold water out of the fridge and pouring a cup. Just as there was a knock on the door.

It couldn't have been Draven, he has a key to get in and Lucas has his own special knock. Jess jumped up, "I bet it's Alex! He's come to see you at last!". Without looking through the peep-hole to check, Jess swung the door open. "Jess! Wait!" I shouted, but it was to late. The figure in the doorway stood with their back to us and slowly turned around to face us. I did not recognise him as one of Lucas' pack or any of the servants or helpers from the House. He was tall, lanky, had slicked back silver hair, was clean shaven with quite withdrawn features. His eyes were sunken in and his high cheek bones were accentuated when he began to smile. He stepped towards Jess who was now retreating slowly. She was trembling and dropped the blanket wrapped around her, causing her to stumble backwards as she tripped over it. As he stepped towards the doorway, I noticed that he was not alone. There were at least four or five others behind him. All with similar features and the same withdrawn looks. It was then that it hit me. These men looked the same as the ones who attacked me the night Alex saved me. They were Halflings.

I quickly rushed to Jess and pulled her behind me. "Who the hell are you and why are you in my apartment?" I demanded from him. A slow cackle roared from his mouth, showcasing a full set of jagged teeth, that he licked with his tongue. "Well, although you don't know me...I definitely know you....Luna Tremere.". I could have sworn my heart dropped all the way down to my toes as my name escaped his mouth. "I am Vincent. Head of the Houston Halflings. I believe you've already met some of my fellow beings....some that your dear friend, Alex, has now wiped off the face of the Earth. But, as it goes, these things happen and all will be resolved tonight.". I could feel my heart racing, I didn't know if it was my anxiety or if my psycho bitch was getting ready to unleash, but I felt a surge of energy starting to creep up within me.

I had shuffled me and Jess back towards the kitchen and was now on the opposite side of the kitchen island to him. I was too far away from my bat to grab it. "Why are you here?" I asked, trying to buy me some time to make a plan. He stood, leaning on his elbows on the counter, staring dead at me. I looked over to the door, where the other men were barricading it, one facing the hallway, I'm guessing to keep watch. "Well you see Luna...may I call you Luna?". He laughed at the anger in my face as I shook my head before he continued, "well anyway Luna, that is where it gets complicated. I personally have no issue with you or your friend Jess here. By the way, nothing personal about the other night Jess. Just doing our job.". What the hell did he mean our job? My head began to hurt and I felt a tightening in my chest, and the anger in me rising again. "And well, the other night with you, I was hoping for that to be the end of this, but no, he had to get involved and save you, like a damsel in distress. I guess you could say I am here to finish the job that the others couldn't. So, that's why I'm here. Sorry. Why we are here.". I couldn't believe it. I didn't understand why someone would send someone to hurt us. I was hoping my thoughts would will to Draven and Lucas. I know Alex could hear my thoughts, maybe they could to. "I still don't understand why? I mean you say it's just a job...what the hell is that supposed to mean?". He smiled and flashed his teeth at me. "Well, let's just say, your little friendship with Mr Alex is getting in the way for someone and they enlisted our help to help....move you aside, so to speak.".

I felt my blood beginning to boil. I could see Jess out of the corner of my eye, grabbing a large knife from the knife block on the bench behind us. "There's no point doing that Missy. I would rip your arm off before you even got it anywhere near me.". He said with a wide grinned smirk on his face. "I don't care. I'm not going down without a fight, even if it kills me!". Jess snapped at him, holding the knife out in front of her. He laughed deeply and smiled, before clicking his fingers twice and the other Halflings by the door were by his side within seconds. Jess trembled and dropped the knife on the bench, knocking the kitchen tap on, letting the cold water flow ferociously. Some of the water splashed onto my face and arms. I looked down at it, and thought it must have been my imagination but it looked like a couple of the droplets had turned to ice. But I pushed the thought away, thinking I was losing my mind due to the situation at hand.

I looked back up at Vincent, his eyes darting between me and Jess. I spotted one of the Halflings, who was literally licking his lips and eyeing me and Jess. He looked like a rabid animal ready to pounce and was jittering around back and forth. He edged towards the side of the counter, coming closer to the side I was on. I looked back at Vincent who was know watching this creepy Halfling and us, with a smile like the Cheshire cat upon his face. He nodded and the Halfling leapt at us. Jess and I both screamed, I closed my eyes and threw my hands up infront of me. I willed everything in my body to my hands to stop him. When all of a sudden, I heard a loud whoosh come from beside me, followed by a scream of excruciating pain. I opened my eyes and quickly turned to Jess who was crouched in a ball behind me, before turning back to the Halfling that was about to attack. He was bound in a wall of ice. His fingertips poking through the edge of the ice, almost clawing to get out. The other Halflings howled and roared loudly.

Vincent threw his arms out infront of them, holding them back, and screamed at me, "What the hell was that? How did you do that?". Not understanding what he was meaning, I looked at Jess, who looked like a deer in headlights, just staring at me. "Not her! You! How did you do that with the water!" Vincent called at me. I shook my head and looked at my hands. I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn't do anything. Vincent roared loudly and contorted his neck and head, till it almost looked like it was going to pop off. Two of the Halflings leapt at us again. One jumped at Jess and the other at me. I used all my strength to fight him off and pushed him away hard enough that he slammed into the ice wall where the other Halfling was stuck. I must have done it hard, because he struggled to get up. I quickly tried to go help Jess. The other Halfling was clawing viciously at her. I could see deep cuts through her clothes and she was bleeding pretty badly. I ran to her and grabbed the Halflings head and began trying to pull him away from her. I felt a surge of energy flowing through me to my hands and all of a sudden he was screaming in agony, dropping to his knees and falling to the floor. The anger in me was continuing to grow and I couldn't bring myself to let him go, even though he was not able to harm Jess right now. I let more of my anger build and rise and I felt it flowing from my hands into his head. I watched his face contort in agony as he seemed to freeze up. The anguished expression still on his face, little speckles of frost scattered across his cheeks and his eyes turning to a completely frosty white colour.

Vincent and the other two Halflings roared in anger. I turned to them, still not fully understanding how this is happening, but something in me just clicked. The psycho bitch was here and ready to come out! I stood firm and threatened, "I suggest you leave now! Before I make you into ice cubes as well!". I slammed my hand on the kitchen island and watched as the water from the faucet began to slowly freeze. The loud creaking sound as the pipes began to freeze was almost deafening. Vincent and the Halflings took a step back. "Boss, let's get out of here! Look at the others! We need to go now! Don't be stupid!". Vincent clearly pissed that his authority was being undermined by an insubordinate Halfling, shot his hand out at him, literally throwing the Halfling back into the wall. He didn't get up after that. He looked at the other Halfling to his side, who looked too scared to be defiant, and screamed at him "You finish that one! I will get this one!".

The Halfling leapt over the kitchen island and straight at Jess. Vincent pushed the whole kitchen island over, breaking the island as well as the pipes as he did. He pounced at me and grabbed my arms tightly, pinning them above my head. He began slamming his fist hard in my ribs with the hand that wasn't holding my arms down. I let out a terrorising scream and felt tears run down my face. He roared in my face and began to lick his lips. "I'm going to enjoy this after what you have done bitch!". I tried to fight back, screaming and kicking my legs, shaking my arms, trying to get myself free. I could hear Jess screaming behind me. I turned my head slightly and could see the Halfling clawing her and biting her relentlessly. I screamed in Vincent's face, "You will never get away with this!". He laughed loudly. "Oh sweetheart, I believe we have already!". He leant in, positioning himself to bite the side of my neck. I cowered and pulled back as far as I could. When all of a sudden I heard a howl that echoed through the apartment, followed by a roar and a flash of movement behind me. Vincent sat up, still pinning my arms to the ground but was sent flying across the room as he was thrown by something big. I propped myself up as quickly as I could and went to make a dash for Jess when I saw something grab the Halfling and literally tear him in half. I turned back to look, after noticing more movement infront of me, to see a large black wolf standing over me, almost guarding me. 3 other wolves were pinning Vincent to the ground, one pure white wolf, slowly treading towards him, snapping and gnarling as they approached him. I then heard Draven's voice echo from behind me, "Kill him!". I jumped up and pushed the wolf infront of me out the way, "No! Don't!". The black wolf transformed into Lucas, who was now trying to hold me up to stop me from falling. "What the hell Luna!" He shouted at me, "He was just about to kill you!". He was furious with me. The other wolves transformed and were staring me down, whilst still holding Vincent pinned.

Draven walked over and grabbed my arm roughly, "Luna! What the hell is wrong with you! These assholes almost killed you and Jess. Give me one reason why I should not tear this one limb from limb and scatter his body pieces across the North Atlantic Ocean!". I tried to catch my breath, although it was hard to breathe. "He was sent to kill us....someone else is responsible for this....and he knows who.".

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