Monster

We pulled up to a large, multi-level house that loomed against the night sky like a fortress. The driveway, paved with smooth stones, curved gracefully around the left side of the house, leading to a garage cleverly tucked out of sight from the road. The house itself was an architectural marvel, a blend of modern and classic design. On the outside it was a mix of stone and glass, with large, panoramic windows that reflected the moonlight and gave the structure an almost ethereal glow. Ivy climbed one side of the house, lending an air of timeless elegance to the otherwise contemporary exterior.

Carter stopped just short of the garage door and pressed a button above his head. The massive garage door began to rise silently, disappearing into the shadows above. The vehicle eased forward, its tires crunching softly on the gravel, and nestled into the right side of the expansive, three-car garage. The interior of the garage was just as impressive as the house, with high ceilings and polished concrete floors. Shelves lined the walls, meticulously organized with tools and equipment, while the left side of the garage housed two other sleek, high-end vehicles, their surfaces gleaming under the bright overhead lights.

Carter’s home was impressive. Its size and style said wealth. It had an older look to it like it had been built long ago, yet newer features were wrapped around the old structure. He lived just outside of the city, to the West. I wondered what kind of day job he had to afford all of this, or if it was inherited. There weren’t really any houses in sight, only small lights through distant trees. It was very secluded.

The four of us got out as the garage door closed behind the Suburban. A side door leading into the house began to swing open, revealing a woman with long, dark hair that cascaded over her shoulders. She greeted Carter with a warm smile, her eyes lighting up in recognition.

“Dinner’s ready. How did everything go?” she asked, the rich scent of cooked meats wafting out from behind her, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

“There were… complications.” Carter motioned back to me, a note of enthusiasm in his voice. “Do we have room for one more?”

Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted me behind Wayland and Frank. She tilted her head slightly, studying me before turning her gaze back to Carter. Despite the lines of experience etched on her face, she was strikingly attractive. She wasn’t “old,” just older than me, exuding a confident vitality. She looked very much in shape, her physique hinting at a disciplined lifestyle. Everyone in the group appeared to be in prime physical condition, except for Frank, who was larger and more solidly built, not fat but carrying more weight. He just seemed more focused on pure strength.

“Things didn’t go as planned. The tip wasn’t bad, but there were three of them,” Carter explained.

“Yeah, there were three of them,” Frank emphasized, giving my shoulder a hearty pat. “Thanks to Sam here.”

Eleanor's expression grew serious as she looked intently at Carter. “Later?” she asked, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Carter nodded.

She descended the step into the garage, her demeanor softening as she approached me. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam. I’m Eleanor, and you are more than welcome to join us.”

“Thank you,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. Being near them was difficult enough without the added pressure of conversation.

Eleanor’s smile was kind, but I couldn’t shake the unease that settled in my chest. This house, this warmth, it felt foreign to me now. The shadows of my past clung to me like a second skin, making the comfort and normalcy of their lives seem like a distant dream.

I felt the monster clawing within, prying at the seams to escape, to kill. Being around this many live human beings was proving to be much more difficult than I had anticipated. I started having doubts. So, I just tried to focus on what I hoped to gain. Answers.

We all walked through the side door and into their house, stepping into an expansive interior that felt almost cavernous. The lighting was low, casting a warm, intimate glow over the space, which was dominated by rich, dark colors. The deep hues of the walls and furnishings created a stark contrast to the bright whites and beiges common in most homes.

The floors were smooth, polished hardwood that stretched seamlessly throughout the house, their dark finish reflecting the dim light. The only carpet was a plush runner that adorned a set of stairs on the other side of the living room, leading up to the next floor. The air was filled with a delightful fragrance, a blend of home-cooked meals and the subtle scent of candles burning in various corners of the house, their flickering flames casting dancing shadows in the darker, unoccupied rooms.

We passed through a small hallway that connected the garage to the living room. The living room itself was immense, easily ten times the size of the cramped space I occupied at the factory. A large grey stone fireplace dominated the center, its hearth wide enough to sit on, with a mantel adorned with an assortment of photos and decorative items.

Turning left out of the hallway, we entered the dining room. The centerpiece was a massive, dark oak table, the largest I had ever seen. It was polished to a high sheen, reflecting the light from the chandelier above. Fourteen chairs surrounded the table, their high backs carved with intricate designs. Several people were already seated, their voices blending into a soft hum of conversation. As the others joined them, only two chairs remained empty, their presence a silent invitation in the midst of this opulent setting.

The house was a blend of luxury and comfort, its size and style overwhelming yet inviting. Each detail, from the smooth hardwood floors to the grand dining table, spoke of a life far removed from the harsh realities I had known.

All of them looked up at me, confused and shocked at my unannounced arrival.

“Hey everyone,” Carter said casually, gathering their attention, “this is Sam. He’ll be joining us tonight.”

Their eyes turned toward me, curiosity flickering in their gazes before politeness tempered their stares.

Carter began the introductions, his voice carrying a note of familiarity and warmth.

“Sam, this is my wife Eleanor, who you met already.”

Eleanor smiled and nodded towards me again. “Welcome.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice steady but my mind racing to take in the surroundings and the people. Praying I stayed in control.

Carter continued, “This is my sister Clara, and her husband Wayland, who you also met.”

Clara was tall and looked sharp, her presence commanding and intense. She had light features like Carter but wore a grin reminiscent of Frank's. Her physique suggested a lifetime of physical activity, perhaps hunting or some other rigorous pursuit. Her eyes held a glint of something fierce, making her seem more dangerous up close.

Carter pointed to the man at the table who was already helping himself to the food, spilling some in the process. “This is Frank,” he said, indicating his older brother.

Frank, who seemed to always make light of things, jumped up and scooted down a seat to make room for me between him and Wayland. He had already grabbed two beers, one for him and one for me. With a welcoming gesture, Frank motioned for me to sit while Carter continued. The ease and familiarity they exuded were almost comforting. Frank kept nudging the beer into my hand until I grabbed it. I smirked at his antics and let out a short chuckle.

That surprised me. That was the first real laugh I had had in a long time. It threw me for a second. I felt a sharp chill of fear shoot through me as I feared letting too loose. I had to pull it together.

As I settled into the seat between Frank and Wayland, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of their scrutiny. Each person here had their own story, their own place in this intricate web of relationships. The house, with its grand design and intimate atmosphere, seemed to hold secrets and stories in its very walls. The flickering candlelight, the smell of the rich food, and the soft murmur of conversation blended into a scene that was both inviting and intimidating. I wasn’t one of them.

Despite the warmth and familial tone of the group, I couldn’t shake the sense of being an outsider, a stranger in their midst. But for now, at least, I was part of their world, welcomed at their table, even if just for one night under the guise of another human.

There was an empty chair at the end of the table that Carter skipped over as he moved on to the other side. “This is Sarah and Bartley Wicklow, and their son Patrick.”

The Wicklow’s had dark features, a sharp contrast to Carter’s family. Sarah had an air of quiet elegance, her dark hair framing a face that seemed both kind and observant. Bartley, with his strong build and serious demeanor, appeared every bit the patriarch. Their son Patrick, close to my age, perhaps a little younger, eyed me with a hint of territorial suspicion. His brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and his annoyed, brown eyes watched me from across the table. His posture was stiff, his demeanor unwelcoming.

“This is my daughter Autumn,” Carter said, a smile breaking the tension.

“Hi,” she smiled, her voice soft but genuine.

Autumn’s smile was warm and inviting, a complete one eighty to Patrick’s icy demeanor. She had inherited her mother’s darker features. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and kindness, making me feel a little more at ease.

She was gorgeous. Her dark brown hair was tied loosely behind her head, with a few loose strands coming down around her face. It was so dark that it almost looked black in the low-lit room, but I could see the dark brown as the candlelight bounced off. She had a deep brown set of eyes that stared into mine from across the table. She was wearing purple V-neck shirt, nothing fancy. I’m sure she wasn’t expecting company. I caught myself staring for a moment, unable to take my eyes out of the trance they were in. She definitely favored her mother, Eleanor, more so than Carter.

“Sam,” I barely returned.

I quickly regained control and kept looking down the line as Carter spoke.

“This little girl is Delilah,” Carter said, his voice filled with affection as he introduced the next member of the family. “She is Clara and Wayland’s daughter.”

“I’m five,” Delilah announced with authority, holding up an open hand to emphasize her age. Her bright eyes sparkled with a mixture of pride and mischief, her small frame radiating an unexpected confidence.

Autumn smirked and leaned over to tickle her little cousin’s neck, eliciting a burst of giggles from Delilah. Their interaction was seamless, more like sisters than cousins. The bond between them was evident in the way they moved together, their shared laughter adding a lightness to the room.

I couldn’t help but smile at the scene. Delilah’s innocence and energy were infectious, and for a moment, the heaviness in my chest lifted. She was adorable, her sweet face framed by dirty blonde locks of hair that bounced with every movement. But there was something more to her presence, something that stirred a deep, hidden part of me. She was pulling something out of me; thoughts and feelings I had kept buried for so long that they had almost become a part of the darkness I carried within.

As I watched her, memories I had tried to forget began to surface, memories of simpler times and a life I could barely recognize as my own. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay present, to focus on the here and now. Delilah’s innocence was fanning the flames of the turmoil inside me, a reminder of what I had lost, and what I had become.

Carter continued the introductions, his voice a steady guide through the sea of faces and names. I nodded and smiled, trying to keep my expression neutral. The warmth and welcome of this family were almost overwhelming, their easy camaraderie strange to me after the isolation I had known for so long.

“Last but certainly not least, Shelta. This is Bartley’s sister,” Carter finished on the shorter dark-haired woman. She was quiet, just giving me a quick smile. She looked focused on something. Her mind seemed a hundred miles away.

I felt like they were all waiting for me to say something. So, I tried to seem reasonable, “Thanks for having me here.”

That’s all I could come up with. What an idiot. That was the most generic thing you could have possibly said.

Thankfully, Carter kept going, “It’s not often that we have visitors, so I’ll tell you all what’s going on. We ran into three vampires tonight. The tip I got this afternoon turned out to be real. We found them at that warehouse off Jefferson Avenue. The same one we’ve been suspecting as a possible den. We were watching them about to walk right into our kill zone.” He looked at me, “Then, we saw someone else there. Sam had wondered right in the middle of where we were going to engage them, so we had to change our plans. They saw him first and flocked to him.”

Frank laughed, “Yeah, but this guy didn’t budge. You should’ve seen it. He was standing toe to toe with those three assholes, and it looked like he was about to fight em’.”

They all occasionally glanced at me as the story unfolded. I connected eyes with Autumn a few times before we both looked away, she looked shocked. Probably wondering what was wrong with me. Wondering why I hadn’t run from the impending doom. She would never know why I wasn’t running. None of them could.

I tried to play it off, “I wasn’t really sure what was going on. I thought it was just a couple of drunks looking for trouble,” I downplayed. “They were talking kind of funny. I couldn’t really understand what they were saying.”

Damn, I was good at just making this shit up on the fly. I had become a good liar. Whenever I got caught in situations where I absolutely had to talk to humans, I had to have a story. It was rare, but I had to think on my feet.

“The plan had fallen apart quickly, I got knocked down, and Wayland was engaging another. Frank was taking care of the last one, too far away to do anything about the one who rushed me. That’s when Sam killed one all by himself,” Carter finished, pointing towards me as he talked to the others.

It was subtle, but they were shocked. I guess it really wasn’t that easy to kill a vampire if you were untrained, as Carter had said.

Patrick scoffed, “Really? And how exactly did he do that.” I could sense an undertone of jealousy in his voice. His eyes looked even more irritated at me as he glanced my way.

This guy seemed to have a real problem with me.

Maybe he hadn’t ever killed a vampire? Perhaps he wasn’t allowed to hunt. He didn’t look like Carter, Frank, or Wayland. Not physically trained like the Chasse family. Shit, Clara could beat his ass and make him like it if she wanted to.

Did she hunt? Autumn? She looked fast, agile, not as strong as her Aunt Clara, but still trained like the rest of them. It was something in her eyes. They were very dark, especially towards the center. When I looked at them, it was like a deep hole, darker the further you went. She looked back.

We both glanced away quickly. She had a different look than Patrick. She seemed more concerned. How could she be concerned for me? If she knew what I was, she wouldn’t be.

Carter ignored Patrick and told the rest how it happened. He explained the events precisely as they happened, how I stabbed the bald one in the chest with the silver blade, and everything we did to the bodies before leaving the scene. Everyone nodded in approval like they were checking off boxes in their minds.

“He wants to know more, and I’ve offered to teach him as long as that’s what he wants,” Carter told them.

Patrick looked annoyed. I laughed inside, but the monster, deep below, wanted to reach across the table and rip his jawbone off his face. I felt myself slightly leaning forward, closer towards him. I fought off the feeling, shaking my head slightly.

They all looked at me. Bartley spoke for the first time, “Is this what you really want? Once you know what kind of threats are out there, there is no going back. You’ll never see the world the same as you used to.”

I didn’t see the world as I used to already, and this was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to learn, absorb, and discover everything that they knew. My hope was to determine if they knew what I was, but I couldn’t just be direct and say, hey, what kind of monster am I? That wouldn’t end well. So, I would wait, bide my time until I discovered what secrets their family held.

“I don’t see it like a used to, now. I’d rather be prepared,” I said to all of them.

Bartley, Shelta, and Sarah all nodded to Carter. It looked like they agreed with him. I didn’t realize it at first, but he was getting the approval from the whole family to let me into their world. Well, he was getting permission from the older members. I guess Frank and Wayland were already on board.

Eleanor spoke up, “That’s enough shop talk for now. Let’s eat before it all gets too cold,” she said, waving her hands to the food between us all. Frank was still eating and he never had stopped the whole time.

Everyone else abided. The food was passed up and down the table, twice, and everyone dug in. I mostly sat in silence, trying to decide what food to put on my plate now that it had grown so foreign to me. I could still eat and digest like normal, but I didn’t have too. Whatever the beast consumed when it was ripping someone to shreds, always satiated any hunger or thirst I had. Anything I ate or drank now was purely for my own tastes, not for nutrients. I like things that are really salty or sweet, one extreme or the other.

The meat was the only thing I knew I could get down, so I put a few pieces of smoked brisket on my plate. Then I put a few small items on there just for show.

The next part was hard. They wanted to get to know me.

“So, Sam…” Clara spoke, “Is St. Louis, where you grew up?”

“No, actually, I was born in Texas.” I never thought anyone could make connections to a dead man from over two years ago, seeing as how I was sitting in front of them, alive.

“Really,” Eleanor joined in, “you don’t have an accent.”

“No, I don’t think I ever really did. Whatever I had, I lost when I moved. After high school, I got a job at a construction company and went wherever they sent me.”

I kept my occupation in the same realm. I stuck to what I knew, just in case anyone asked any specifics. This way, I would know what I was talking about.

“It shows,” Frank added.

I was pretty stout even before I was turned, but after I was changed, my human body grew in massive strides. I probably weighed about two-twenty, solid muscle. In my normal human form, I was far more potent than any man, or monster so far. That vampire didn’t feel any different under my power than any of the human criminals I had killed.

Maybe it was the silver bomb. Carter had said that it was a poison to them. However, my monster was another story. My strength was immense, bestial, and unstoppable. I never knew of anything that could match it.

I could see Autumn peering through the corner of her eye, looking for herself to see what Frank meant. Her eyes ran up my arms, my chest, and then to my face. She glanced away quickly, trying not to be seen as I glanced to that side of the table.

It made me feel good. The possibilities whirled in my mind…

What was I doing? I knew I couldn’t have anything like that. It was all of the time I had spent by myself starting to get to me. I had to snap out of it or get out of there.

“How old are you, Sam?” Carter asked.

“Twenty-five,” I said.

“So, you’re just a few years older than Autumn and Patrick. They’re both 23. They go to St. Louis University.”

Autumn was still looking down, a slight shade of red that was likely unnoticeable by anyone except me. I focused my hearing on her heartbeat. It was pulsing at a quick tempo. Was it still from the embarrassment of being caught looking at me, or was it something else? Fear maybe? But how could she know anything about me?

Patrick’s heartbeat was also erratic. I knew why he was distressed. He didn’t like me, especially now that he knew I was close to the same age as he and Autumn were. He thought I was just another guy. More competition.

Then I realized that these two families couldn’t actually be related. Yet, they seemed so close, like a family would be. Perhaps it was built around the hunt. Friends that were so close they joined together as a family, with no real blood ties.

We made small talk, they asked pretty specific questions about my life, but I just stuck to the script. I modified whatever I had to, to keep it believable, but it all went off without a hitch. I was monitoring their heartbeats as we spoke, determining if my lies were suspected of being just that. No one seemed to notice. I had to give myself props again. I was a pretty good liar.

They were friendly, caring, and kind. They welcomed me into their home the very night they had met me. Feelings I hadn’t felt in a long time were crawling out of the dark corners of my soul, where they had taken refuge. I never felt this way anymore: accepted, liked, and wanted. They did want me there, even if at the moment it was just to be another hunter.

We had all finished eating, and the Wicklow family was gathering their belongings and headed out the side door. I shook Bartley, Shelta, and Sarah’s hands. Patrick wasn’t with them. He was around the corner, near the front door that was on the edge of the living room.

Autumn and Patrick had gotten up from the table a few minutes before everyone else. They were having a conversation near the door, and it didn’t look like Patrick was happy. Autumn looked like she didn’t want to deal with whatever was going on, but she tried to listen. I tried not to eavesdrop on them. For some reason, I felt like I should give her privacy. Whatever argument they were having didn’t seem pertinent to why I was ultimately hiding among them.

“It was very nice to meet you, Sam. We are all very much looking forward to getting to know you more,” Shelta said, although her eyes still seemed far off.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I said, seeming as regular as the next guy.

“Oh, it’s nothing. If Carter thinks you’re worth bringing home, then so do we,” Sarah added beside Shelta.

Bartley just nodded and agreed. He didn’t seem like a big talker. He would speak if he had something important to say.

I nodded. We said goodbye, and they all left through the front door. Patrick trailed out last after having an awkward-looking moment with Autumn. I wasn’t fully paying attention to them, but I think there was a small argument. She was looking down, shaking her head while he spoke to her with a desperate strain on his face. He left in a huff and closed the door a little too hard behind him.

Autumn looked annoyed and paced off to the other side of the house. I turned my hearing to track her movements. She bounded up the stairs and turned left, walking all the way across the second floor. She entered a room and slapped the door shut. I heard her bed frame squeak as she threw herself onto it. She seemed annoyed with Patrick for whatever they had talked about. I wished I would have listened in.

Why did I think about these things? I had to stop it. I couldn’t have these things; I couldn’t have a family. I’m a monster. I’d kill them. I had to remember that I’d left these things behind. I needed to just stay focused and look for answers.

Carter was talking to the rest of the Chasse family while I was saying goodbye to the Wicklow family. Once they had left, he showed up at my side.

“Follow me. I want to show you something,” Carter said, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.

I walked across their dark wood floor, the faint creak of the boards beneath my feet the only sound in the quiet house. We descended a flight of stairs opposite the carpeted ones Autumn had run up earlier. The darkness at the bottom of the stairs seemed to swallow us whole, and my eyes strained to adjust, instinctively wanting to shift to see in the dark. I fought the urge, knowing I couldn’t let my eyes turn black in front of Carter. He’d probably try to impale me on the spot.

Carter reached for a switch and flicked it on, flooding the room with harsh, artificial light. My breath caught in my throat. This wasn’t just a room; it was an armory. Metal cages lined the walls, brimming with guns, ammo, knives, swords, bows, crossbows, and an array of lethal trinkets designed for killing. The sheer volume and variety of weapons were staggering, a testament to a relentless preparedness. Not at all what I was expecting.

Each wall was fitted with workbenches, meticulously organized for assembling, disassembling, and maintaining the massive stockpile. A large section of the floor was covered in wrestling mats, stained from countless training sessions. Nearby, a series of machines and free weights were arranged with military precision, their surfaces gleaming under the fluorescent lights. It looked like something out of an action movie, not a suburban household.

Carter walked ahead, the confidence in his stride suggesting this was his domain. I trailed behind, my mind racing. This was more than just a collection of weapons. This was a war room, a place where battles were planned and executed. It was where they trained to fight monsters.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Carter’s voice broke the silence, his pride evident.

“Good Lord,” I laughed in surprise. “Yeah,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as I pretended to be an impressed human with no fighting experience. “Impressive and terrifying.”

Carter chuckled. “It needs to be. We’re not dealing with ordinary threats.”

As he spoke, I wandered further into the room, my fingers grazing the cold steel of a crossbow. The sheer variety of weapons was overwhelming, each one meticulously maintained and ready for use. I could feel the weight of their purpose, the silent promise of violence they carried.

“It’s like a fortress down here. How long have you been doing this?”

“Long enough,” he said, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of nostalgia and resolve. “We’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe, faced creatures that would make most people piss their pants and run in terror.”

My mind flashed back to the vampires earlier, their menacing presence still fresh in my memory. “I believe you,” I said, understanding how they would be absolutely lethal to normal human beings.

He laughed.

Frank and Wayland were coming down just moments later.

“It’s quite impressive, isn’t it?” Wayland actually spoke aloud.

“Oh yeah… you could definitely say that. I’ve never seen so many guns in the same place.”

Frank had brought the gear from the Suburban. He laid it out on a small workbench on the side of the room for cleaning.

“This is where we train, where we plan,” he chuckled, “and obviously where we keep the guns.” Carter looked across the room to the end of their small firing range, in the far-left corner of the room. There was a massive steel door that was embedded in the concrete wall. He continued, “And, that is our holding cell. Sometimes we bring things back here, to interrogate.”

“Interrogate vampires?” I asked.

“Anything,” he stated. He led us to the massive door and, after unbolting it, cracked it open. Its hinges squealed every inch it opened.

I could tell that the room was directly underneath their garage. I walked in to find two massive cells. It was one big cell, but there was a wall of bars splitting the middle.

“The cell is constructed with silver. It keeps creatures disoriented, and under control. They’re too weak to fight back or escape. They can’t even touch the bars. If we can get them here, they have no way to leave. We have to use this sometimes until we can get the information we need.”

I didn’t feel anything back at the warehouse when they set off the silver bomb or when I held the blade, and I didn’t feel anything now.

“So, silver affects all monsters, then?” I asked, eyeing the metal cage.

“Yep,” Frank answered. “It’s the best weapon we got against em’.”

Interesting, because I felt fine. I wondered what would happen if I touched the bar. I hadn’t seemed to be affected up to that point… Why not?

I reached out and grabbed one of the bars. My heart jumped as I touched the cold metal. But, as I thought, I was fine. Why was I different? If I was a monster, then why didn’t their universal weakness apply to me?

“Well, at least now we know you’re no monster,” Frank laughed, slapping my back again.

I looked back at the three; they were all smirking. I laughed with them, only I was laughing at the irony. If only they knew.

We finished the quick tour and headed back upstairs. Once again, on the main floor, I could see all the way through their houses humongous open floor plan, in between the few structural walls that were standing. I heard the buzz of talking coming from the television.

As I glanced across the open space into the living room, my gaze landed on Autumn sitting on the couch. She had changed clothes since dinner, where she’d worn jeans and a purple shirt. Now, she was dressed in white and grey workout leggings that hugged her form and a snug black tank top. The casual attire accentuated her figure, and I noticed the straps of her bra slipping down her left shoulder, revealing a glimpse of her skin.

My pulse quickened, the monster within me stirring with an unsettling mix of desire and restraint. I had long struggled to keep these urges in check, to suppress the primitive instincts that lurked beneath the surface. The sight of Autumn in her comfortable, yet revealing outfit sent a jolt through me, and the rush of emotions was both disconcerting and alluring.

Frank and Wayland had stopped in the living room, their conversation low and indistinct as Carter led me away. We moved through the house, Carter’s footsteps echoing in the quiet corridors. As I passed by Autumn on the couch, she turned towards me, her smile warm and inviting. It was a simple gesture, yet it sent waves of conflicting feelings crashing through me.

The emotions that surged within me were difficult to articulate, a chaotic blend of yearning and confusion. They were emotions I had long tried to bury, to deny, and yet here they were, surfacing with an intensity I hadn't anticipated. Each moment I spent in their presence seemed to intensify my internal struggle, blurring the line between what I wanted and what I had sworn to resist.

I fought to push back the tidal wave of feelings, to maintain a façade of normalcy. But as I looked at Autumn’s smile, I could feel my control slipping. My attempts to appear composed felt increasingly futile. My heart raced, my thoughts scattered, and the more I tried to suppress the rush of emotions, the more they seemed to take hold of me.

Carter led me into a small library on the other side of the house, a quiet refuge from the throbbing tension of the living room. The room was lined with bookshelves, their dark wood contrasting with the soft, ambient light that filtered through the windows. Yet, even as the surroundings offered a semblance of calm, the turmoil inside me remained unrelenting.

I couldn’t escape the feeling that something had shifted, that the normal barriers I had erected were beginning to crumble. The line between control and surrender was becoming increasingly blurred, and I struggled to navigate the fragile balance between them.

As we came into the library, Carter asked, “Are you alright? You seem… stressed.”

I wasn’t okay. This was more than I should have allowed myself for one night. Autumn was too much of a temptation. I hadn’t seen this coming. The things I thought when I looked at her were… not right. Not for me, anyway. Not anymore.

“I’m fine… it just,” I couldn’t even talk right. I was so distracted by the chaos that raged in my mind.

“It’s a lot to take in, I know. I guess I’ve flooded you with too much already. You just seemed to be taking it all with stride before.”

I steadied my thought. Turned back into the cold, numb person I had to be. If I felt nothing, I could maintain. I just shut it all out and went blank.

“It’s alright. It’s just a lot to accept,” I played the human as best I could.

“That’s understandable. For tonight, I can drive you home and give you some time to think,” Carter offered. “And then when you’re ready, if you still want to know more, you are welcome to come back.”

I nodded, “Alright.” It was probably for the best.

Carter and I slipped out of the library and back down the hall that led to the garage. My resolve slipped, and I took one more agonizing look at Autumn. I could only see the back of her head as she flipped through channels on the television, her dark brown hair that I could smell from across the room. I wanted to go back, but I knew I had to leave.

We snuck quietly into the garage, and he jumped into the driver’s seat of his black SUV. I quickly pulled myself into the passenger seat before my senses picked up on anything else that would weaken my will to leave. It was too much, all of them. Being around that many beating hearts for too long made me weak, weaker than usual. I couldn’t explain to myself what was happening. I thought I knew what I was doing.

We pulled out of the garage and onto the street. As we pulled forward, I could see the blinds of the front windows spread as Frank, Wayland, and Autumn heard us leaving. I wondered what they thought of me. I wondered what she thought about my quick exit.

I had to stop while I was ahead.

“So, where am I going?” Carter asked.

Think… think. “I live down near Soulard, close to downtown.”

This was good. I knew the traffic would be crazy downtown at this hour. The nightlife never stopped on the weekends. I could get him to let me out and act like I would walk the rest of the way. But, since I was in the car with him, I wanted to try and get some information.

I thought about my wording as we rode in silence.

“So, you said that you put ‘anything’ into your cells. What else is there besides vampires?” I asked.

He was quiet for a moment, probably trying to figure out the best way to word his answer without scaring me off from a life of hunting. I tried to contain my smirk.

“My family has fought all kinds of creatures over the years. There are too many to just tell you, but we keep records. There are records from before I was ever born. Anytime we face something unusual, we always check our family history. Most of the time we’ll find something, but there have been a few times that I’ve added new entries,” he explained. “So, I can’t tell you what all is out there, but I can show you our books. We call them bestiaries.”

I nodded, noting that piece of information. I wondered what all his family had seen.

“Usually, the things that we encounter are vampires. They are easily created, and they have one food source that presents a big problem for us. Blood.”

“So, there are a lot of them out there?”

“Actually, those three that we killed tonight were the first we have had to fight in a couple of months. The vampires we usually hunt are young ones that get careless and leave a mess behind. Once they leave a trail, we can track them,” he said with confidence. “We actually have something we are starting to look into now, but we’ll see what that turns into.”

Curiosity was digging into me.

“What are a few other things you’ve seen?”

He continued making his way downtown as we talked, “I’ve fought bone-eaters, wendigo…”

I cut him off, “What’s a wendigo?”

“It’s a cannibalistic creature. They’re pretty big and covered in white hair, usually soaked in blood. Nasty fuckers!” he almost spit. “They tend to live in forests, mostly alone. Wendigos used to be human, but they tasted human flesh too many times. There is a kind of blood ritual that requires consuming human hearts, that turns one into a full wendigo,” he explained.

“Ritual?” I asked perplexed.

“Yeah, don’t ask me how it works, though. There is always a shrine of human body parts somewhere near a Wendigo den, where they turned themselves.”

“Who does that to themselves?” I asked, confused. I couldn’t understand how someone would want to be a monster like that.

“They don’t fully realize what they are becoming, or they think it is only bringing them greater power, not making them lose themselves in the process. Sometimes, people that turn into wendigos don’t realize what they are doing. When someone has tasted another human’s flesh too many times, a deep primal instinct takes over. Then it’s the ancient, animalistic part that drives them to complete their shrine and to turn completely.”

What in the fuck? Dude that is seriously fucked up. Choosing that shit over a normal life… I didn’t get it. I shook my head mentally but tried to remain cool in front of Carter.

“So… they can turn into this monster whenever they want?” I was growing worried that this was soon to be my fate. Maybe I just hadn’t eaten enough flesh yet. This was worse than anything I could have imagined. I would turn into some mindless cannibal.

“No. Once they turn, they can never come back. They are a full monster, never able to retake human form.”

Thank God. The relief was almost physical. I could feel all my muscles relax out of the clench that they had flexed into.

We came to a stop. A bright red stoplight had halted the traffic right in the downtown area. This was my chance to bail.

“It’s not far from here. I can just walk the rest of the way. I know the lights can be a nightmare down here,” I said, taking off my seatbelt and opening the door.

“Are you sure? It’s really not a problem.”

“Really, I’m close by. I’ll be there in like two minutes.”

He pulled out a piece of paper, wrote down some numbers, and handed it to me.

“Here’s my number. Take your time, process all of this, and call me when you’re ready. Or stop by if you can remember how to get back,” he said.

“I will.” I pocketed the paper.

He nodded, “Be safe, Sam. Have a good night.”

I shut the door as the light turned green and he drove off with the traffic.

Finally, I was free. I took a long deep breath as I stepped back into the darkness and shadow. Then, I took off running, trying to get away from the populated area. I had to get somewhere safe. The beast wanted out, and I didn’t think I could stop now that there were no innocents for me to protect, from myself.