L'Anima Ladro, InkWeaver [summer beach reads TXT] 📗

a temporary one, I added, “Nikhil.”
“Well, I hadn’t planned on getting knocked out. Let’s call it even, since I attacked you first. Truce, at least until this whole thing is over, anyway.” I agreed. Then we were at the hospital, putting a shocked, tired, confused mask on our faces. I clung to Romeo like he really was my boyfriend, though I did it only to fool the people who might hear our false tale. A scared human girl would probably be clinging to her boyfriend in this situation.
Romeo had his arm draped around my shoulders protectively. We leaned on each other as we walked in, so people would believe us to be weak and tired. We had to appear that way, or else we might not be believed. A healthy ‘couple’ walking in and telling a story like ours wouldn’t be believed. For us, it was all in the act.
If it wasn’t, like I’d said earlier, when he commented about me being ‘his little tomboy’, I would have slugged him. Just because we were allies didn’t give him any right to assume anything. It would be dangerous to his health if he tried.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a small voice. Romeo pretended to comfort me, pulling me closer to his large body. Though it didn’t really matter at that moment, I couldn’t help but notice that my head only came up to his shoulders, even if I stood tip-toe.
“You are being taken to a doctor to check for damage.” I shot Romeo a look, and he returned it. I knew we were both thinking: and how will that doctor react if he realizes that we are perfectly fine, better than fine; more than human? We’d either have a bloodbath, or be subject to humans’ research and possibly even imprisonment. Even if we escaped, we’d be forced to live like the criminals we were. It was nothing I’d put up with; and I’d have more blood on my hands than I’d care to.
Wolf or not, I didn’t like to kill people. My Vampire half needed less blood than the usual vamp, and my wolf form made it possible for that blood to be an animal’s. Ever since I’d first murdered that hiker when I was six, I’d sworn to avoid doing that if possible. Even when I killed those muggers and thieves, they’d seen me fight with my strength. And killing them got me a reputation fast enough to keep me from being attacked again, and possibly killing more, as letting them go wouldn’t have.
I wasn’t a killer. I was a survivor. Plain and simple. So I simply followed the people and hoped that the doctor didn’t try to stick a needle in me or Romeo. I’d bet that the needle breaking when it stabbed at either of us would probably be one of the worst things that could happen. It would expose us.


Chapter 6

The man who brought us back to the office area led us through numerous foul smelling, ugly hallways. It, despite all the bright pastel colors, could almost be called morbid. At least they didn’t put up posters of the humans innards like they did at the child doctor I went to once when I was little.
The office itself wasn’t any prettier than the outside, but slightly better smelling. Romeo and I exchanged looks when they told us to sit on a table looking thing extending from the wall that I didn’t remember from the child’s doctor, by the look on Romeo’s face, he didn’t either. Why would we sit on a table?
But we didn’t say any of these things. Romeo just lifted me up and sat me gently on the table. He slid up after me, wincing as he settled down. I knew that that look was faked. There was an ‘I’m enjoying this’ glint in his eye. I sighed.
When we got out of this place I was going to give him a monster headache. Whether by yelling at him for getting us into this, or slamming him into another wall, I wasn’t sure.
Then the person who’d brought us there left, telling us that the doctor would be there in a few minutes. He said to get comfortable. I just laid my head on Romeo’s shoulder and pretended to be dead tired. I was pretty sure it worked, too.
After he left Romeo faced me, his expression was stiff. “What are you?” He asked quietly, as if he was the one who’d been attacked. I frowned.
“What do you mean, ‘what am I’?” I hissed. “I’m not the one trying to lure an innocent girl into an alley to suck her blood!” I knew he didn’t plan to suck my blood, I would have smelled the Vampire on him from a mile away.
Romeo faced me, trying to keep his voice low. “Innocent? Yeah right! And since when am I a Vampire?” He seemed affronted. But neither of us could reply, because at that moment, a young man dressed like a doctor came in.
He smiled at me. He wasn’t as handsome as Romeo (I’ll admit that), but he wasn’t ugly. “Hello, I’m Dr. Reynolds. And you are?” He looked pointedly at me.
An innocent look flickered across my face. “I’m Nikki.” I said lightly. I wished I hadn’t come up with a story that put Romeo in the role of my boyfriend; it was good sport to flirt with humans, to get them drunk on your attention.
“And I’m her boyfriend, Romeo.” The man next to me growled protectively. I was dangerously close to hitting him in annoyance before I realized he was just acting as any normal boyfriend would.
The doctor nodded, but seemed disappointed. “Okay, there’s not much for me to do here. All I need to do is check each of your heartbeats.” He said, and I could tell he was no longer interested I doctoring us now that he thought Romeo was my boyfriend.
Well, it was probably better for him anyway. I didn’t really care anymore, there were always more humans to tease, more hearts to break. Romeo remained silent as the doctor placed the stethoscope against his chest.
I saw the skin twitch as the cold metal pressed against it. My breath stopped then, as I realized that Romeo’s heartbeat could easily be too fast or slow to be human. I nearly sighed with relief when the doctor pulled it away, clearly satisfied.
I took a deep breath and allowed my heart beat to slow slightly as I calmed myself. I had no doubts about passing the test; my wolf heart, though slower than the normal one, was quickened by my vampire blood enough to make it seem like I was only slightly exited. And soon I was cleared as well. The doctor left for a moment, muttering something about a bill.
At least they’re not going to attempt to stick needles in us. I thought grimly, happy that no blood had to be spilled today. Romeo seemed relieved as well, but I was pretty sure that it was because we were getting out soon, rather than that we didn’t have to kill anybody.
When the doctor got back, I realized that he was talking about a bill when he left; more specifically our bills. I gasped when I saw the price. Romeo merely laughed, “You all charge a lot for just checking our heart beat.”
That seemed to offend the doctor, but I didn’t really care; I was beginning to like him less and less. “Well the ambulance uses gas just like any other vehicle, Mr. Romeo.” Romeo growled when the doctor emphasized his name, making fun of it.
I could have laughed when Dr. Reynolds shrunk back. “If you expect us to pay for all that gas, Doc, you got another thing coming. But the bill I will pay.” Saying this, Romeo reached in his pocket and drew out a thick black wallet. Out of this he withdrew a couple fifties. I was glad that I hadn’t tried to use the ‘we were mugged’ excuse.
“That should pay for Nik too, and I expect change.” Romeo snapped. Nik? Since when is my name ‘Nik’? I decided to let it slide, since he was paying my bill.
“Thanks.” I whispered, so quietly that only Romeo would be able to hear. Romeo shot me a sly grin. I
“We’re even now.” He said dismissively. I noticed a slight accent in his words, this time I could tell it was a real one. I forgot this quickly; at that moment I just remembered something he’d said in the ambulance.
“I thought we were even earlier, because I knocked you out.” I teased, realizing that I was starting to like Romeo. He was tough. He was hard headed. He was completely vain. And sometimes I couldn’t help but admit to myself that I thought it was totally cute. I’d never met a guy so much like myself. There were rich mamma’s boys; geeks; the talkers; the occasional Goth; and then there were fat guys on bikes that called themselves bikers.
But Romeo, he was different. Something disturbed me though, one single question that floated around in my mind: just how different was Romeo? What was his true nature? I couldn’t afford to attach myself to a guy I knew nothing about, not really.
“Well, now that you bring it up…a kiss, maybe, would even the scores?” His voice brought me out of my thoughts. When I finally got the words to play back in my never-failing mind, I laughed.
“A kiss,” I asked, “Really?” It was hard to be sarcastic when we were whispering. Romeo was about to reply when the doctor came back over.
“Sorry to break this up, but I was wondering if you’d be as kind as to leave.” He said gruffly, before he faced Romeo alone, “Here’s your change, Romeo.” He shoved a wad of money into Romeo’s hand.
That ticked me off. We, well, Romeo was paying him for checking our heartbeat! We were costumers! Doesn’t that call for some level of respect?
Apparently it didn’t because he shoved pass us dismissively, heading into a room on the right. “He was probably dipped in crap when he was a baby.” I muttered nastily. Romeo laughed quietly, putting his arm around my shoulder in a way that wasn’t protective, but restrictive. He was holding me back.
“I’m fine.” I objected. He just snorted, not loosening his grip, if anything, he tightened it. He led me past the front desk, and to the door. But he didn’t release me until we were outside.
“Okay, talk.” Romeo said, turning to face me. I glowered. It was back to this, was it? Well, I knew I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of getting an easy answer.
“I’ll tell you if you’ll tell me.” I replied defiantly. I definitely wasn’t going to be the first to give away my secrets, at least not all of them. Romeo sighed and laughed.
“You really are a firecracker aren’t you?” He asked, “Alright. I’ll tell you; but not now, not here.” I shrugged indifferently; I didn’t really care where he told me, as long as he did.
“Are you up for lunch?” He asked. I gave him a look. Then I realized that to explain why that wouldn’t work, I’d have to give away at least one thing. I sighed.
“Only if you plan to go hunting with me,” I said, waiting for him to understand. It didn’t take long. I bet he thought I was a werewolf too; as in a full blooded werewolf, not a half-breed.