Tall, Dark and Blood thirsty

I wake slowly, cautiously, and look around at my surroundings. The floor is concrete and uncomfortable as hell.

The walls also look like concrete, but they have deep gouges in them. The whole room is about twelve-feet long by six- or seven-feet wide. The ceiling with the trap door in it is a staggering twelve or so feet above my head.

I get up off the floor and walk over to the wall that has the most gouges in it. I run my fingers along the marks. Something flashes in my memories.

I leap at the door. When that doesn't work, I try running up the side of the wall, leaving deep gashes in the solid concrete.

"They're claw marks," I whisper in astonishment. Again, I look up. The claw marks don't go any higher than ten feet, two feet short of the door. That door above my head seems to be the only way out and there's nothing down here except dust. There are no windows to let in light, so the only light is coming from the crack between the door and the ceiling.

"Cal?" I hear a voice coming from right behind the door. I see the light in the crack darken for a moment and then go light again, as if someone walked over the area.

"Yeah? Who's there?"

"My name is Garrett." I remember Joshua using that name last night. Another flash.

[Garrett, I think he's too far gone. We gotta get him below.] Then the two of them shoving me down here.

"Hang on. We're gonna get you out of there." I hear him say before the sound of metal hitting metal rings through the garage and below. The trap door is pulled back inch by inch. The sudden light hurts my eyes, and I throw up my hand to block it out.

"Cal? You ok, kid?" I hear Joshua's voice now. I breathe a sigh of relief. If Joshua is there, then it can't be that bad.

"Yeah, Joshua, I'm fine."

"Are you injured at all?" I check my body, just to be sure. I'm a little stiff and a little sore and a lot nude, but, otherwise, unharmed.

"I'm fine. Just naked. Wanna throw down some clothes, please?"

"Okay. Stand away from the entrance." I step back. They disappear from sight. Within only a few moments, a t-shirt and pair of gym shorts are thrown down and land with a thud on the floor.

"Thanks." I get dressed as I see a ladder begin to descend towards where I was just standing. Once it hits the ground, the two up top secure it to the rim of the trap door.

"Alright, Cal. Come on up." I hear Joshua shout. I climb up the ladder as fast as I can, not wanting to spend any more time down there than I have to. The last foot or so, Joshua reaches in and grabs ahold of my elbow. He lifts me up and out of the hole.

The door slams down, and behind it, I see a gorgeous man standing there. I'm momentarily speechless as I ogle him. A small jerk from Joshua on my arm brings me out of my staring. I shake my head. He steps forward and offers his hand to me.

"Hi. I'm Garrett." I take his offered hand and shake it, still slightly dazed.

"Hi," I say quietly.

"Alright. Let's get in the house. There's a lot we need to go over." Joshua starts leading away to the garage door and out to the house.

The three of us are about halfway between the garage and the house when Max comes running up the driveway. I'm shocked to see him here this early in the morning. Usually, he calls before coming over.

"Cal," Max wheezes as he stops in front of me, hands on his knees. He takes big gulps of air while holding up one finger to signify to wait a minute.

"Geez, aren't you on the track team?" I tease him. His head shoots up and he gives me a dirty look and mouths the words "fuck you." Garrett looks over at Joshua and me with one eyebrow raised. Joshua shrugs.

"Cal, is everything alright?" Max asks once he catches his breath and straightens up.

"Uh, yeah, Max. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I was worried about you, man. You guys left so suddenly last night, and I tried calling your phone like a million times. It kept going right to voicemail. I told myself if you didn't answer this morning, I'd come over here. Well, you didn't, so here I am." Max still hasn't moved towards me, but with Joshua on one side of me and Garrett on the other side, I can understand why. I've grown considerably in the last month, but even so, both guys behind me tower over my six-foot frame.

Joshua looks very much like the bear that he shifts into; his shoulders are broad, and, at his full height, he tops out around six-feet eight inches. Garrett is thin but no less intimidating. He matches Joshua's height inch for inch, but it's not his height or stature that makes him intimidating. Where Joshua always has a welcoming smile, I don't think I've seen anything but a scowl on Garrett's face in the brief time since I've met him.

Max finally takes a few steps towards me. I open my arms for a hug, and he wordlessly steps into my arms and hugs me back. I slap his back a couple times. He mimics my actions. We break apart but remain at arm's length.

"Dude, I'm cool." I tell him. He studies me closely, taking in the oversized shirt and shorts. Then his gaze sweeps over Garrett and the coifed hair and pristine, fancy clothes. Finally, he looks into Joshua's eyes. I turn my head to see Joshua's face. He smiles widely and warmly.

"Mr. Smithin, are you guys absolutely sure that everything is alright? I'll believe you if you tell me it's cool." Max says to him. It looks like he's purposefully avoiding talking to Garrett directly. Not that I blame him.

"Mr. Ryde, we're perfectly fine. Cal had a bit of a stomach-ache and I wanted him to get home before he got sick. Garrett here, came at my request on an unrelated matter, but I am grateful he was here." Joshua claps Max's shoulder. Max's knees buckle slightly at the weight, but he manages to stay upright. "Okay? If you and Cal would like to hang a little bit, you guys can go up to his room. Garrett and I have some business to discuss."

"Thank you, Mr. Smithin. I appreciate it." He turns to me. "Cal, I can stay for a little while, but I need to get home soon. My parents said I can't bother you guys too much because they thought that you were just upset about yesterday." I nod to him and lead the way to my room.

We get up to my room, and, immediately, Max slams the door shut. He then grabs a blanket from the bad and stuffs it under the crack between the door and the floor. We used to do this when we didn't want anyone to hear what we were talking about. In this case though, I don't think it will help. I'm fairly certain Joshua can hear anything in this house regardless. I don't say this to Max, though.

"Okay, dude. Spill." He says once he's sure he's soundproofed the room. He plops down on my bed and stares me down.

"Nothing to spill." I lift my shoulders in a half shrug. "Like Joshua said, we're fine. I wasn't feeling well last night and I'm better this morning." I've never been good at lying and it turns out that changeling me isn't any better.

"That's such bullshit." Max is getting worked up now. "I know something is going down and don't sit there and fucking tell me that you're fine. You are so damn far from fine, you couldn't see 'fine' without a telescope. So, what the hell is going on?"

I can tell he's super angry and I've never in my life lied to him. This is what I warned Joshua about just yesterday. Wow, has it really only been one day since I found out about this whole hidden world that I'm now a part of? It feels like forever.

"Really, dude. I'm perfectly alright." My eyes plead with him to accept this. He seems to get the hint because he just takes my hands in his and just holds them for a minute. His skeptical eyes search my pleading eyes. I don't think he finds his answer there, but it must be enough for him.

"Cal, you know I got your back. Anytime, man. You need me you just call, text, send fucking smoke signals, whatever. I'm here for you." He squeezes my hands. I'm so close to crying. Not just because of his declaration, but because he knows that I need him to believe me.

A knock on my door has me jumping.

"Yeah?" I call out. The door opens a little, dragging the blanket across the carpet. Garrett's head peaks in through the partially open door. He looks at the blanket and back at me. He doesn't say anything, but he gives the same raised eyebrow look he gave to Joshua outside. I jump up to remove the blanket from the doorway.

"Max's parents are here for him. They said they're going to go to Ruby's. Not sure what that means, but they sounded excited about the notion."

"Thank you," Max says to him. He turns to me and says, "I meant it. Anytime." He lets my hands go, gets up, walks to the door, and tries to get through without making any physical contact with Garrett.

After we hear the front door shut after Max, Garrett opens the door fully. I cock my head at him. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Do what?" His tone indicates that he surely did, just to make Max uncomfortable. "Come on, Josh needs to talk to you."

We both make our way downstairs with Garrett in the lead. He walks through the house like he's been here before. His gait is not hesitant as he follows the twists and turns of the hallways. He leads me to the kitchen where Joshua is waiting for the both of us at the table with his habitual cup of tea.

"Hi, Joshua." I say as I sit across the table from him. Garrett takes a seat between us.

"I appreciate you not saying anything to Max while you guys were upstairs, even though I know you want to." Joshua says. I know he says this to make sure I know he can hear me, even with Max's attempts at soundproofing. I don't say anything, just nod.

"Okay. So, what's all this about me going somewhere else? Somewhere that's safer for me than here?"

"That's why Garrett's here. He's going to escort you to Beartown, Montana." I can't hold back a giggle.

"Beartown? Really?" I burst out laughing. Garrett gives me a droll look. Joshua puts his hand over Garrett's and shakes his head.

"Yes, Beartown. It was named for the shifters that founded the town. Not to mention that just about every town in Montana that has the name 'Bear' in it is a ghost town. So many locals don't bother going to those towns. Everyone living there is a para, so there won't be any need to hide who you are there. Of course, that doesn't come without its own problems. Since everyone is a para, things can get heated quickly. My brother, Walter, is the sheriff there. He doesn't tolerate any shit from the locals, para or otherwise." I just stare at him. The entire time I've known him, in school and out, I've never heard him swear.

"Yes, Cal, I do occasionally curse. Not as often or as colorful as your friend, Max, but on occasion." I blush, remembering that Joshua and Garrett could indeed hear every word Max was saying. "Go up and pack your things. There's a good chance you won't be coming back to this town. And make sure you hurry; you guys need to be on your way before dusk. Tonight is the final night of the full moon."

Garrett drums his fingers on the table impatiently. I look at his long, narrow fingers and see a silver ring with a beautiful green and red stone set in it.

"Huh," I remark. "That's the same type of stone as my brother's girlfriend has on her ring."

Garrett lifts one eyebrow in what I'm quickly realizing is his way of questioning everything without saying anything.

"Jamie. She dated my brother before he... Before..." I can't bring myself to say that he's gone.

"Jamie Killian? Red hair? Green eyes? Irish through and through?" Garrett asks, for once his attention is on me directly instead of around me. My breath catches as he holds my gaze. I momentarily forget my own name from being lost in his bright blue and green eyes. The color is nothing like I've ever seen before. It's not one or the other, it's more like his eyes swirl in color, blue and green together.

"Caleb?" Joshua's voice brings me back.

"Yeah?" I ask dreamily. "Uh, oh, yeah." I shake my head and, regrettably, break the connection. I could happily get lost in his gaze forever. Where the hell did that thought come from?

"Uh, yeah. Jamie Killian."

"She's my sister. The stone is something that our family wears."

"Jamie's your sister?" I ask mystified. "She's never mentioned she had a brother."

"Yeah, well, I don't get along with our parents. She does. So, I don't live there."

The wheels in my head start turning. He's a para. I don't what faction, yet, but it's obvious he's a para. Otherwise, Joshua wouldn't have asked him here. If he's a para and Jamie is his sister, wouldn't that make her a para?

"Try not to think on it too hard. You'll blow a gasket." Garrett is silently laughing at me. It's nothing I'm not used to, so I don't say anything about it.

I get up from the table and rush upstairs to pack my very few belongings. Within only an hour, I have everything I own in two suitcases, a moving box, and my backpack. The three of us make quick work of getting it loaded in Garrett's SUV.

Garrett and I get in the front of the SUV. I run my hand against the butter-soft leather on the seat. I look over at the steering wheel and see what looks like a peace sign without the bottom part of the middle. My mind runs through my extremely limited knowledge of car manufacturers. I can't remember who makes this type of car.

"Garrett?" He turns and looks at me after buckling his seatbelt. Which reminds me I need to buckle mine. "What type of car is this?" I ask as I click my seatbelt into place.

He gives me a strange look, like he's trying to figure me out.

"Why do you want to know?" It's not said rudely, but with genuine curiosity.

"Just curious. It's a nice car."

"MmHmm. It's a Mercedes-Benz AMG GLS 63." He says off-handedly as he starts the car without a key. He just presses a button where the key should be, and it starts right up. The engine is so smooth that I don't feel the vibration. I don't know what all those letters and numbers mean for the type of car it is, but I like it. I tell him this and he full out laughs.

"No offense, kid, I don't think you could afford it."

"Don't. Call. Me. 'Kid'." I say between clenched teeth, perhaps a little harsher than I intended.

He holds his hands up off the wheel in an "I give up" gesture. "Got it. Don't call you 'kid.' No problem."

With that, he puts the car in reverse, backs out of the massive driveway and into the street.

I look back to see Joshua standing in the driveway with his hands in his pockets. I have the sinking feeling that I'm never going to see Joshua or anyone from this town ever again. Then I turn to face the front of the car as Garrett guns the engine and we race east.