First Bitten (The Alexandra Jones Series #1)

“So you are all okay, then?” Cal marches into the house, leaving the back door wide open, letting the cold air in. “Because Dad tells me you’re all sick, dying from the bloody flu, and I’m not to come into work because you don’t want me to pass it onto Erin. But you’ve all been acting so shady when I’ve rung to check on you, and Sol is the worst liar in the world, so I know something’s going on, and then I walk in here and find you all fit as fiddles drinking bloody whiskey, and … ” He suddenly stops mid rant and appears to sniff the air. Then his eyes locate and lock onto me.

I shiver and it’s not from the cold. My brain instantly goes on high alert. I shift in my seat. Nathan reaches his hand back and puts it on my arm, firmly holding me in place like he thinks I am going to bolt.

Well, actually, he isn’t far wrong. Something about Cal has set me on nerves’ edge and wanting out of here, now.

“Vârcolac?” Cal’s eyes widen in disbelief. “But … she’s a woman? How? What the fuck is going on here?” He’s aggressive demeanour is suddenly gone and he just looks kind of dumbstruck. He shakes his head roughly as though trying to clear his thoughts.

Seeing Cal’s reaction to me is a bit of a wake-up call. He’s looking at me with a mixture of horror, anger and mild panic. And even though Nathan, Jack and Sol have told me what the calamity of being me is, it is a little different when you see it actually being played out in front of you.

“Does someone want to explain to me just how the hell she happens to be a Vârcolac?” Cal drags his hand down his face, removing with it his perplexed expression. He turns around, slamming the door firmly, like he’s worried someone might be out there and see me. Then he spins back on his heel and points at no one in particular. “And while we’re at it, can you explain why the bloody hell she’s here with you three?”

Nathan removes his hand from my arm and turns to Cal. “Just take it easy,” he says calmly.

Cal laughs, a sharp laugh. “I’ll take it easy when you tell me just exactly what the fuck’s been going on here.”

My hands start to shake. I can’t seem to control the tremor. I grip hold of my glass for something to do with them. It shatters in my hands.

I stare down at in shock as a sharp pain sears through my right hand. Blood trickles out down onto the table. I turn my hand over. There’s a deep cut in my palm. Blood continues to seep out, carelessly dripping on the table as the whiskey from my glass drips onto my jeans. But I don’t move because I can’t. I’m frozen to the spot and all I can do is stare down at the broken glass in front of me.

I just broke it with my bare hands. My eyes are brimming with tears. The room is eerily silent.

“I’m so sorry,” I stammer, finding my voice.

“It’s okay, love,” Jack says kindly.

Nathan takes hold of my arm by the wrist. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He guides me to my feet and leads me over to the sink. I hold my other hand beneath my bleeding one so I don’t drip any blood onto the floor.

Jack follows behind us and gets some kitchen roll and disinfectant spray out of the cupboard next to where I’m standing, presumably to clean up the mess I’ve just made.

“Don’t worry about it, love,” Jack says quietly to me. “I’ve done much worse after a few glasses of whiskey.” He winks conspiratorially at me.

I try to smile but my lips are quivering and it just feels awkward.

Nathan runs the cold water tap and puts my hand under it. I wince at the sting. I can see my blood washing down the sink. I look away. Sol and Jack are already cleaning up the table. Cal is leaning up against the back door moodily, his arms folded across his chest.

Leaving my hand under the increasingly cold water, Nathan gets a first aid kit out from the cupboard under the sink. He turns the tap off and carefully dries my hand with a towel, wrapping it around and pressing firmly down onto my palm to dry the cut out.

“How bad is it?” I ask warily as he examines the cut.

“Not bad. It’ll be healed in a few minutes.”

“What?” I look up at him alarmed.

“I already told you, you heal quickly.” His tone is suddenly off.

I know he’s already told me but it’s just not something I can get easily used to hearing. And when he gets all antsy like this, it just makes me want to question him further.

“How did I break that glass with my hands?” I ask in a lowered tone. This wasn’t a cheap, crappy glass. This was a thick whiskey glass, not that I can normally break any type of glass with my hands but, well, you know what I mean.

“Because you’re bloody superwoman,” Cal says from across the room, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.

Nathan turns to say something to him but Sol beats him to it. “Give it a rest, Cal.”

Cal opens his mouth to retaliate, then seemingly changes his mind. Sighing loudly, he pulls a chair out and sits down at the now clean table.

Nathan takes the towel off my hand. I see the bleeding has calmed. He rips open a large plaster. “You know how you did it,” he finally answers, staring straight into my eyes. His eyes are so green, so piercing, they’re intrusive, almost like he’s, for some reason, trying to extract information straight from out of my brain. Either that or he’s trying to leave some there.

He looks down at my hand and sticks the plaster over my cut. “Leave this on ‘til it heals.” But he doesn’t let go of my hand.

“So I’m taking it this is what you’ve all been busy with?” Cal says, obvious impatience in his voice. Nathan lets go of my hand. “A female Vârcolac … ” Cal shakes his head, “ … so are you gonna explain what the hell happened, who the bloody hell she is, and why the hell you’re involved, or do I have to wait till Christmas?”

“Alex, sorry, you haven’t been introduced properly. This is Cal, my obnoxious older brother,” Nathan says, gesturing towards him. “Cal, this is Alex, the only female Vârcolac in the world.” He thumbs in my direction.

Sol snorts out a laugh. Even I have to hold off a smile.

So Cal is Nathan’s older brother. He looks nothing like Nathan. He looks like Jack, except his features are sharp and uncharacteristic. The only similarity between him and Nathan is his size and, of course, his direct manner.

“Funny,” Cal retorts, “are you gonna answer my fucking question or not?” His face is flushed with rage.

Nathan leans up against the sink and sighs loudly, folding his arms across his chest. “Why do you automatically assume this is my doing?”

“Because this has got you written all over it. You were always the one bringing the stray animals home when we were kids.” Cal’s eyes flit in my direction but don’t actually settle on me. “And if you’re mixed up in something dangerous, I need to know about it.”

“Why?” Nathan’s tone is brusque.

“Why?” Cal looks incredulous. “Because, brother, whatever you do will automatically have repercussions on me.”

“Ahh, what a surprise!” Nathan lets out a slow, satirical laugh, shaking his head. “So now we’re getting to it. This isn’t about me, dad and Sol and how it affects us, this about you. What a fucking surprise that is!”

Cal looks so angry I’m pretty sure he’s considering coming over here and taking a swipe at Nathan.

“Why don’t you both just calm down,” Jack says, finally intervening. “Cal, have a drink.”

Cal eyes the bottle of whiskey Jack is holding up like a golden carrot and I take this as my chance to escape the furore.

“I’m gonna go outside and get some fresh air,” I say in a quiet voice to Nathan. “I’ll leave you all to talk.”

I’ve already started to move away from him but he reaches out and grabs hold of my arm, stopping me. “I’ll come with you.”

I can tell from his tone he’s not coming with me out of the goodness of his heart. He’s probably worried I’m going to try and do a runner.

“Stay here,” I say in a soft, placating voice. “I won’t go far, just outside into the garden. You all obviously need some time to talk.” I nod towards Cal who is slumped in his chair and is currently laying into the bottle of Jack Daniels like his life depends on it.

Nathan hesitates, twisting his lips in contemplation. “Okay,” he finally concedes, “just don’t go far.” I can tell he’s not a comfortable with me going outside on my own, but right now I couldn’t care less, I just want out of here.

“I won’t go far,” I reiterate.

I’m at the back door when Nathan’s voice comes from close behind me, “Put this on, it’s cold outside.” He rests a black leather jacket over my shoulders.

I turn, giving him an appreciative look. “Thanks.” I slide my arms into the sleeves and, without another word to anyone else, I slip out the back door.

The cold instantly sweeps over my face, wrapping itself around me. The evening air is surprisingly chilly for July, but I don’t care, I’m just relieved to be outside and away from them.

I zip the jacket up. It’s way too big for me. The sleeves are hanging down past my hands. I’m guessing its Nathan’s jacket as it smells of him. Oddly, it gives me a sense of comfort.

Hugging the coat to me, I look around. The garden is closed in by a low fence. To my right is a path leading up to a gate. Parked up by the gate is a silver truck, I’m guessing Cal’s. In front of me is another path which runs right through the garden and also has a gate at the end of it.

The voices inside suddenly become raised.

I quickly make my way down the path leading into the garden, leaving the hassle behind.

It’s so quiet out here. There are no sounds of traffic or people. I’m literally in the middle of nowhere with nothing but nature to keep me company, and it’s tranquil.

The garden has solar-powered lights dotted all around the edge of the garden. It’s not a big garden for the size of the house, but it’s well tended; someone obviously takes pride in it. I’d take a guess and say Jack.

I continue walking down the path, heading toward the gate.

When I reach it, I lean forward, resting my stomach against it, and have a nosey at what’s out there. The gate opens up straight onto the farmland and it is a vast expanse. It seems to go on for miles. I can see a forest further out on the perimeter, spreading right across the back of their land, and the track that runs down the side of the house, splitting the land, appears to lead straight into the forest. I spy a barn over to my right the other side of the track. It’s all lit up and looks welcoming.

I open the gate, let myself out into the field and head straight for the barn.