Silver's Bane

Chapter Fourteen Secret’s Out-1

Chapter Fourteen Secret’s OutJules lay motionless on Gabriel’s guest room bed. She could hear them arguing in hushed tones through closed bedroom doors. Gabriel had, yet again, brought up the idea that they should leave Aboit for good. Jules had, once again, refused and then excused herself from the situation by claiming a need to sleep and recover. Which was, of course true, but she also needed time to think. Luca hadn’t betrayed her. He’d called her phone, trying to warn her of the attack. She supposed this meant that he’d set the library on fire in a drastic attempt to save her life. He’d protected her when they were discovered by Kyle.

“You can’t make this decision for her!” Eileen shouted a little louder now.

Jules was grateful that Eileen appeared to be taking her side on this. Jules knew that Gabriel was just being protective. He wasn’t wrong. It was dangerous to stay, now more than ever before. However, if the Alpha was determined to see her dead, she doubted that leaving town would stop him. She did agree to consider leaving, and she would consider it, but not until she talked with Luca and Monica. This thing with Luca was so very new, she hated the idea of walking away before anything could really get started. Also, time with Monica was precious and so limited. A human’s life was very short. And it’s not like Monica would leave town, even if Luca would agree to go with her. Their lives, Monica’s family, Luca’s pack, were here. She couldn’t ask them to give all of that up just for her.

Jules stood from the bed, walked to the window, and peeled back the heavy drapes. A dripping, gray sky greeted her. It had to be close to mid-day by now. She needed to check in with Monica and Luca both. She needed to thank them for collectively thinking fast and saving her. However, once again, her phone had not made the trip.

All was quiet behind Gabriel and Eileen’s bedroom door now. So Jules crept from the guest room, walked to the kitchen, and scribbled a note. It read: I need to stretch my legs. I’m going home for a bit. And yes, I will be careful. -Juliana.

As soundlessly as she could, Jules walked to the front door, pulled an extra pair of dark sunglasses from a basket in the entryway, and slipped through the door.

Jules’s body was protected by a sweatshirt of Gabriel’s she’d borrowed and a pair of Eileen’s pants. Which bunched around her feet and hung on the ground, making her trip when she walked. She pulled the hood up over her hair as an extra protection and began the trek home. To her relief, the sun was completely obscured by rain clouds. Her skin only stung slightly where the burns were still healing on her face.

Jules walked straight through the center of town. She didn’t figure that the werewolves would attack in the middle of the street. However, she wouldn’t have guessed that they wanted her badly enough to burn down the high school either. That level of hatred was unfathomable to her. There were days, not so long ago, that both species resided together in harmony. That they’d come this far in just three-hundred years was devastating. And it all started with him.

Jules kept her eyes peeled for signs that she was being tracked, but never saw any. When she reached her home, she walked over and pulled the spare key from under a piece of siding beside the front window. All was dark inside. Jules walked to her room and stopped in the doorway. Her duvet was missing. All signs of last night’s traumatic experience were wiped clean. Her phone was off and plugged in by the wall. It’s seemed that Monica had thought of everything.

Jules turned on her phone. Then she went to her closet and swapped out the borrowed clothes for her own. Her phone beeped. She flinched when she pulled a shirt over the few cuts on her back that were still healing. The shirt sat just under the burn on her chest, so at least that pain could be avoided.

Her phone beeped again several times, obviously receiving the messages she had waiting for her. The first was from Monica. It said simply, “call me when you can.” The others were from Luca. The first read, “I need to know that you’re going to be okay.” The second, “I love you.” This went on, for several more messages, with the last one saying, “please let me know you are okay.”

Jules replied to Luca first. She typed, “I’m okay,” added a sparkly heart emoji, and hit send. Then she hit the picture of the phone under Monica’s name and the ringing began in her ear. Monica picked up after three rings. “Jules!” she cried.

“Hi, Monica.” Jules walked to her small living room and sat on the couch.

“You’re better already? I’m kind of surprised, to be honest. You were in really bad shape last night. Those animals! What were they thinking?”

Jules’s phone vibrated in her ear. She pulled it away to read the message. “Where are you?” Luca had asked.

“Home,” she replied and then placed the phone back to her ear.

“…But you’re really doing better?” Monica asked.

“I am. I should be completely healed soon. Wait...” Jules heard the noise of a mixer in the background. “Where are you?”

“I’m at work,” Monica told her. “Do you need me to leave? I can come over.”

“No. I’m fine.” Jules’s phone vibrated again. “Hang on.”

Jules looked at Luca’s reply. “I’m on my way.”

She put the phone back to her ear. “It looks like Luca is coming over actually.”

“Speaking of Luca. That secret you were keeping for him. Not a secret now,” Monica said.

“Oh,” Jules said, surprised. “How did you…?”

“I guessed, and he didn’t deny it. Now I expect the whole story. Promise?”

“Yes. If he knows that you know that part, then I can tell you everything.”

“Good. I’ll call you after I get off. I’m really and truly glad that you’re okay but I’ve got to go. I’m pretty sure I’m about to get fired.”

“We’ll talk later,” Jules told her and then Monica hung up the phone. Monica was so, very human.

Too sore to feel like moving anymore, Jules decided to try television while she waited for Luca to arrive. She flipped straight to the news channel. What the reporter was saying caught her attention. “Reports are that, despite this act of arson, Aboit High will open again on Monday. Sorry, Kids,” the newscaster said over a video of fire trucks surrounding the school. “More on the Fort Miles Phantom, after this.”

Jules’s doorbell rang. She hit the power button on the remote and walked out to get the door. “Jules…” Luca’s voice trailed off as he took in her appearance.

“Did you expect someone else?” she asked, making light of the situation.

Without speaking, Luca took two steps into the house. One of his hands went into her hair, his thumb tracing the edge of the burn on her face.

“You didn’t do this,” she said, taking a guess by his expression that he was blaming himself.

“Forgive me?” he said, guiding her very gently toward him. She accepted the hug but cringed when his fingers brushed an open cut on her back. He released her instantly.

“Luca, there is nothing to forgive.” She ran a hand down his arm, noticing several faded cuts there as well. Jules suspected that the glass in her back had not left him unscathed as he carried her. Luca cupped her face softly with his hand and closed most of the height difference between them by bending farther over than normal. Jules kissed him, grateful that he’d come down to her, rather than having to stand on her toes to meet him halfway. In this moment, it felt as if the attack hadn’t happened. With Luca, Jules felt like no threat could harm her.

In the back of her mind, in a faraway place, Jules heard her front door open. Luca and Jules jumped apart, both turning toward the doorway. In it stood a very shocked Eileen, her mouth agape.

Eileen dropped the cooler bag she was holding, bent into a defensive stance, and hissed, staring only at Luca.

“I can explain,” Jules said, stepping between Luca and the undoubtedly confused and terrified vampire. “Please Eileen. Let me explain.”

“Gabriel was right. You’ve been keeping things from us,” Eileen said angrily, not taking her eyes off of Luca.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Jules said honestly. “I know you don’t have a reason to trust him but...”

“You’re right, I don’t,” Eileen said, pulling her glare from Luca to Jules. “You do remember I was murdered by werewolves, right?”

“Yes. Of course. But Luca didn’t do that.”

“No. You’re right. He nearly murdered you instead,” Eileen snapped.

“Eileen, please believe me. It wasn’t him.” Jules closed the gap between herself and her friend. “He won’t hurt me, or you.” She put her hands on the taller woman’s arms.

“So, I suppose that it was just his pack that nearly killed you and he had nothing to do with it,” Eileen jerked, trying to pull her arms free but Jules’s grip only tightened.

She had to explain. She had to make her understand. “He’s the one who rescued me,” Jules said. “He brought me home.”

“And that kiss was just your way of saying thank you, was it?” Eileen pointed between them.

Without turning to look at him, Jules spoke to Luca, who remained silent and still behind her. “Luca, could you…”

“I’ll be outside.” Luca opened the sliding door and stepped out on the back patio, closing the door behind him.

Eileen watched him go but visibly relaxed a little once there was a wall of glass between them.

“Jules, what exactly is going on? Is this why you won’t leave town?”

“In part,” Jules said honestly. “But it hasn’t been a motivator for very long.” Jules walked over, picked up the bag Eileen had dropped, and closed the front door.

“How long?”

Jules sighed. “Since that double date with Monica.”

“A week! You’ve known him a week, and you trust him?” Eileen was yelling now, but she did walk over to sit on one of Jules’s kitchen stools.

“I can’t really explain it but yes, I do,” Jules put the bag in the refrigerator and then joined her in sitting at her island counter.

“I feel like there is more you are not saying,” Eileen commented.

Jules bit her lip, considering. “There is. You see, I’m in love with him.”

Eileen was watching her closely as she spoke. “Like Romantically?” Eileen asked skeptically.

“I love him. I don’t understand it, but we just fit together.”

“I thought you’d never…” Eileen’s comment faded to silence.

“I didn’t plan too,” Jules said. “Can you forgive me for keeping it from you?” She risked the physical contact and put a hand on Eileen’s arm.

Eileen sat and stared at the point of contact for a long minute. “Well.” She began slowly. “I guess I can’t hate the whole spices. I hate the ones who murdered me of course, and I’m not too keen on this Alpha that obviously has a problem with you, but,” Eileen shrugged, “love makes people do strange things. So, yes, I can forgive you.”

Filled with relief, Jules jumped off her stool and hugged her.

“But, you have to tell Gabriel,” Eileen said abruptly, pulling back. “I’m not doing that.”

LUCA

Luca sat on Jules’s lounge chair on the back patio. He would have gone out to the beach, if not for the torrential downpour coming from the sky. He normally preferred sunny weather. However, he suspected that he’d grow to enjoy it less, considering that sharing sun-filled moments with Jules was out of the question.

He leaned back and listened to the sound of the stormy waves hitting the shore, the rhythm relaxing him into a tranquil state. The life Jules had carved out for herself here was very peaceful. The glass door slid open and Luca looked up. “It keeps going off.” Jules was holding his phone out toward him. He didn’t even remember bringing it into Jules’s house, but he supposed he had.

“Thanks.” He sat up and took the phone from her.

“Can you give me a few more minutes.”

“Take your time,” he replied. “I’m in no rush.”

“Good.” Jules smiled down at him.

His phone beeped. “At least, I don’t think I am,” he said, not looking at the phone in his hand but watching as Jules walked back into the house and shut the door.

Once she was back inside, he looked down at the electronic device. He’d been expecting it to be Carson barking more orders at him, but it was actually Kyle.

“Really?” he asked aloud. He had nine text messages. The top one in the line asked how his vampire was. The next seven were just a combination of the word ‘hey’ and his name. The last read, “Jeeze, you get a girlfriend and blow off all your friends.”