CHAPTER VII

   "Rachael", Mrs. McQueen mumbles as she watch her daughter leave the house in anguish.

The twins share a gaze before they return their eyes to the sad mother.

Mrs. McQueen never wanted her daughter to be involved in her father's world after all it almost ended her life once.

Rachael had always looked up to her father but even she didn't know everything about him.

Parents keep secrets to protect their kids.

"Don't worry Mary, she'll come around" Gabriel says, "I don't want her to come around.

I want her to be safe".

She turns and face the twins, "I'll go make sure she is okay, " Samuel says, "Let's go," Gabriel says.

"Don't worry brother, I can handle it. Stay here" Samuel says and walks away.

"Don't worry, she is a strong woman".

Mrs. McQueen stares at Gabriel who can almost taste her dismay, bitter.

The room is silent and awkward like a cemetery until the door opens with a hard thud and a thunderous rain named John drops into the scene.

He opens the door with a familiarity that makes one question the ownership of the house.

"John" Gabriel starts, "You came right on time" he says like he has been rescued from an awkward situation.

"Any news?" he asks, "No, nothing yet.

Hey Mary, where is Rachael?" he asks Mrs. McQueen.

She just turns and walks to another part of the house.

"Did I do something?" "No, she is pissed" "Oh, must be Thursday".

"I need you to do something. Gather your men and track down any intruders. Get your girl to help, wolves can detect intruders in their territory" "Whoa. You know werewolves and vampires don't mix well".

"You are banging one. Send them to different locations, I reckon you can pull it off" "What you are asking is nearly impossible, she'll have to convince her pack to go against their tradition".

"I'm not asking you, John" Gabriel frowns.

Mrs. McQueen enters the room with a folded paper in her hand, "My husband told me a day will come when you'll need this.

I hope that day is really close" she says as she unfolds the paper.

She reveals a map, "Mary, what is this?" "A map to Nightmare".

Fear and joy intertwine in Gabriel's soul like a horny couple, the sphinx turns to John.

"Make it happen. Go" he commands, John nods his head reluctantly and leaves.

"Mary, let's go to the club. It's safer there".

       "Are we interrupting something?" John asks as he and Elma meet the duo.

Elma glances at Rachael with a smile before turning to Samuel, "Don't tell me you are falling for the human, Sammy".

A little growl escapes from his mouth as he eyes Elma.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachael asks, preparing herself for a vocal battle but Elma ignores her.

"Humans are our prey not our friends besides, she can't satisfy a beast like you" she walks close to Samuel making sure she flaunts her figure.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Rachael gets angry, "Do you want to die?" Elma eyes Rachael like a little puppy as she giggles.

Condescending.

"I personally think you two are a match", John says and Samuel shoots a look at him.

You want to die.

"Are you in on this too, John?" Rachael asks with fury in her voice, John looks confused but shrug his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you"

"Come here," Rachael drags John away.

Samuel straightens his suit, "Are you insane or just jealous?" he says, "Jealous? Men fall before my feet" Elma says proudly.

Samuel looks her dead in the eyes, "Good. Be careful what you say Elma, you are just another play thing".

"Just like her?".

He jerks her by the neck and raises her, "Little vampire…", his phone rings before he can finish his statement.

He pulls out his cell phone and picks the call while Elma wraps her hand around his wrist trying to free herself.

"Hey Gabe, yes I found her. We are at the club.

Wait, did you just say you sent John to the wolves?

Then what is he doing here?

I will call you back".

Samuel let's go of Elma and she drops to the ground, she coughs for a bit.

"You are an ass" she says, "Who did you bring, Elma?" he asks and walks away without waiting for an answer.

        Gabriel is driving Mrs. McQueen in her car and she notices a change in Gabriel's face when he ends the call.

"We may have a problem", he says.

         Rachael takes John upstairs to her office, the only place in the building she has learned to be comfortable.

She leaves the door open and stands behind John, her supposedly trustworthy friend.

"John, you knew about them? The twins and my father?", he just stares at her.

"I thought you were my friend" Rachael continues, "Are you even human?".

John walks towards the door and shuts it behind him, only he and Rachael are in the office.

"Well, not really" he says as he pulls out a dagger from his coat, he places the back of the knife on his lips.

"Shush, you are going to tell me where Nightmare is" John says as he slowly walks towards Rachael.

John? What are you doing? What the hell?

"John, what are you doing?" "I'm not your stupid friend, bitch. Tell me what I want to know or else I will cut you open".

"I don't know anything, John. Why are you doing this?", John charges with the dagger in hand but misses.

Rachael grabs some books from the shelf and throw them at John while she screams.

"Scream for me," John swings the dagger at Rachael and gives her a cut on her wrist.

She groans as blood slowly flows from her hand.

"You better start singing" "I said I don't know anything", "I guess those will be your final words".

"I doubt that", the door barges open and Samuel appears like a heroic soldier in pursuit.

He looks at Rachael and John, he sees her bleeding hand and the dagger in John's hand.

"You came to the wrong club, shifter" he says, he swiftly jerks John and slams him against the wall and he falls onto the ground.

John coughs as he struggles to his feet, "I'm not afraid of you" "You should be", Samuel grabs his neck and raises him off the ground.

John tries to stab him but his strength diminishes as he feels weak against Samuel's grip.

"Hail Count Drac…", Samuel snaps his neck before he can finish his chant.

Rachael screams in fear, the sight sends a shiver through her spine. "You just killed him", she shouts in shock.

"Sorry you had to see that, but I don't think this place is safe anymore" he says.

Samuel grabs Rachael by the hand and directs her out of the room, "We have to leave".

They hurry downstairs where they are welcomed by men in black suits, they are surrounded and Elma is nowhere to be found.

"You think this is an ambush? I'll have you know that you are gravely mistaken".

A star appears inside his eyes and they shine like a blue florescent. The lights flicker as the aura in the club changes and the lights go off.

Rachael feels like she has swallowed her heart, fear grips her like a suckling baby to its mother's breast.

She hears nothing and sees nothing except those beautiful glowing eyes.