Chapter 39

I would like to say that I was on the thirtieth verse of a song that never ends… but with the song never-ending, it was hard to tell how many times I have sung it.

As much as I had tried to sleep, I was wired for sound and every time my eyes shut, my brain came out with something new to stress over.

Did I unplug the hair straightener that I used two weeks ago?

If I don't die, does this still count as a grave?

Why do we eat pizza from the inside out?

If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or is the soap dirty?

Would it be better to have no nose or no arms?

They never said that Humpty Dumpty was an egg... does that make it better or worse?

If a monster is reborn, does that mean that they go back in time or forward?

If I tore the throat out of an Alpha wolf, and then 35 years later did it again, did I kill him once or twice? I didn't know if the double jeopardy law would take into account rebirth.

If I am not wandering around the streets five years from now, will they still be able to hunt me down and torture me?

See… with all these thoughts in my head, sometimes the only way to shut it up was to go get a song stuck in it. And let's face it, the song that never ends was the perfect one.

I restarted the chorus when I heard something coming from above me. It sounded like scratching noises, but I couldn't be sure.

I stayed quiet staring at my ceiling and wondered how much time had passed. Some days that was the worst thing, not knowing the time.

Minutes or hours later I hear a bang. Apparently, someone found me. I wonder if the wolf was still alive. Well, he wouldn't be for much longer.

The shouting of men's voices rang in my ears as the threads and ribbons around me weaved their way into my hair and clothes. I patted the ones I could reach reassuringly. I would not leave them behind.

Once again, time passed and I felt my coffin being lifted from the ground. Closing my eyes, the only thing that filled my senses was the sound of something prying the nails out of the wood and opening my prison.

When I felt a cold gust of air ruffling my hair, I opened my eyes and looked up into the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen in my life.

"We gotta stop meeting like this," I joked before gasping and coughing. Fresh air was much appreciated after what I was breathing in the coffin.

"Do I even want to ask?" came the gruff voice of a Monster Hunter. Funny this was, I was starting to like being hunted down by this man. It was the second time in a week that he saved me from death and I was truly grateful.

Then again, I was not in as much trouble before I met him either. I tried to think what would have been better, meeting him and 'dying' twice or never meeting him.

Well, I guess I can't blame The Specialist on him. But I could blame him for one thing…

"Where the hell is that wolf?" I asked, accepting his hand as he lifted me out of what was going to be my home for a very long time.

"What do you want with the wolf?" came another voice from the darkness, one that I would never forget.

"Hey Vlad, pleasant evening, isn't it?" I said, trying to pretend like the last little while hadn't completely overwhelmed me.

"The mysterious Gypsy," he returned. "I'm surprised that you know me since we only met once before at the coffee shop."

"Sure, let's go with that. Viktor, can you take me home?" I asked right before I fainted.

This was really becoming a bad habit.

---------

Viktor picked up the unconscious Gypsy and carried her to the car.

"Did the mutt do this?" Vlad asked following behind Viktor.

"Even if he did it personally or allowed his wolves to do it, he broke the law and will be punished as such. If other wolves are involved it is death," replied Viktor as Sasha opened the door for him and he climbed inside, the Cub still in his arms.

"She is a human, all be it a Gypsy. Her death would not result in a punishment." Vlad was quick to point out where the laws stood when it was not him involved. As much as he wanted the mutt to be punished, this was not a worthy offense.

"She is more than you know," came the quiet voice in the darkness as the convoy of cars turned around and headed back out of Vampyre territory.

"So you like her," stated Vlad as if it was completely obvious that a man that had not experienced emotions since the curse came about could easily fall in love with a human. "Are you taking her in under your House?"

"She has her own House."

"Yeah, she is part of the Gypsy House… but if you are taking her as your Bride, or whatever you guys call it, then she would be part of your House. Only then can the mutt be punished for burying her."

"You are being obtuse," came Viktor's reply, not even entertaining the thought of giving the Gypsy a ring.

"How?"

"The wolf was aware that she had her own House and he purposefully ignored it when he tried to kill her."

"Ok," said Vlad nodding his head and tapping the bottom of his chin. "If Lucas wanted her dead, then why is she still breathing? All we have to go on is her asking about the mutt."

"She is still breathing because she is special," said Viktor quietly. He wanted this conversation over quickly so that Nadezda would not wake up.

"Why is she special? There are billions of humans and thousands of people claiming to be Gypsies. Yes, she is a Pure-blood, but that cannot be enough to warrant Lucas being punished."

"Why is she special?" asked Viktor with his eyes closed, his head tilted back against the headrest.

"What's what I want to know."

"She is special because she is the last of her kind. She shares blood with the woman that cursed us. She is special because she is a Tesalor"

"Ah, shit."