Page 55 of Inhuman Natures #1

Kit hadn’t seen Shaun, Rake and DJ for a fair few years. They’d tried to keep in touch after the events in Brighton, but Kit knew his own responses—or lack of—weren’t conducive to maintaining a burgeoning friendship. It had all been too raw in those early days.

Shaun’s most recent message had been straight to the point, asking if Kit wanted to meet up. Despite his reservations, Kit agreed, unable to deny Shaun’s innocent enthusiasm at the idea.

A few evenings later, Kit drove down to where they were meeting near the Borders, to a little pub close to a service station.

The trio were there already when Kit pulled in, and he took a few seconds to observe them together.

Rake was still the one in charge, quiet confidence radiating from him as the other two talked animatedly.

DJ looked comfortable in his skin. Kit hadn’t remembered him being like that when they’d first met. It suited him.

Wedged between Rake and DJ on the bench was Shaun. He appeared at ease. Relaxed. Happy.

Happy in a way that made Kit’s gut twist. He pressed his eyes shut as he willed away the green mist that descended. Instead, he focused on trying to be glad that at least one of them had broken free of the shackles their creator had placed upon them.

Kit got out of the car, the trio all turning in his direction when he shut the door a hair too hard. He had a silent, stern word with himself as he walked towards them, putting on a smile and waving as if he hadn’t been seething with jealousy only seconds ago.

“Kit!” Shaun said, wriggling out from the seat and running over to him, ginger hair bouncing around his face. “Can I hug you?”

Kit nodded before properly digesting the question, and a second later, he found himself with an armful of Shaun.

Although Kit’s first instinct was to push him away, he persevered and discovered he didn’t mind the contact.

As Shaun pulled back, Kit wondered when the last time was that someone had willingly touched him. He couldn’t recall.

“It’s good to see you,” Kit said, pleased he didn’t have to lie.

“You too. I wasn’t sure you would show up.”

Kit almost admitted that he hadn’t decided if was coming until that very night, but he just grinned. “Wouldn’t miss a catch-up with you kids.”

Shaun shot him an unamused glare as they walked towards the table. “We’re not that much younger than you. Not enough to be called ‘kids’, anyway.”

Truth was, Kit felt ancient. He hadn’t aged a day since he was eighteen, but there were phantom aches in his bones and weariness in his body that multiplied as the years wore on.

“I like the hair, by the way,” Shaun said. “And not gonna lie—I’m glad to see those fake glasses gone. Didn’t mind the nose ring, though. It suited you. ”

Kit gave a half-hearted laugh and tucked one of his blond curls behind his ear. He’d gone back to his natural colour. He sometimes forgot until he caught sight of it in the mirror, the blond making him jump when he wasn’t expecting it.

DJ got up and opened his arms. Kit found himself unwilling to refuse, so gave him a quick hug, too. When they broke apart, Rake held out a hand. Kit raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t do hugs,” Rake said.

“Didn’t think you did handshakes, either,” Kit said, grasping Rake’s hand.

“I shake the hands of those who deserve it,” Rake said, even as he let go as fast as possible. Clearly, it was still a work in progress.

“You deem me worthy?” Kit asked with a twist of his lips.

“You helped to save all of our lives. You’re the most worthy of anyone,” Rake said, his face serious.

Kit waved a dismissive hand. “It was years ago. No need to dredge up the past.”

“How have you been?” Shaun asked.

That was a question Kit wasn’t sure how to answer. So he did what he usually did, and deflected. “The real question is, how haven’t these two got sick of you yet?”

Shaun opened his mouth in faux-offence as he slid back onto the bench.

It annoyed Kit that the three of them all sat on one side, making him even more like an outsider, but he let it slide when he noticed how much they were touching one another.

The last thing he needed to deal with was someone beside him playing footsie with the others.

“We would never get bored with Shaun!” Rake protested.

“He’s kidding, babe,” DJ said. “But for real, where have you been staying? I assume north, given where we’re meeting tonight.”

“Here and there,” Kit said. It was the truth.

He rarely stayed in places for longer than a few months at a time.

He was making his way around the east coast of Scotland, town by town, village by village, taking short leases and leaving long before the locals would recognise his face. “You’re in Bristol now, right?”

“For a few years, yeah,” DJ said. “It’s close enough that we can occasionally see my family or our friends, pretending we’re back from Australia for a week or so.

” DJ’s fingers twisted in his necklace. Missing his friends and family would still be fresh for him.

Kit knew that even in a life that stretched beyond generations, that pang would never truly cease.

“And I told you before about my family,” Rake said.

At Kit’s nod, he continued. “I actually reconnected with my sister. We speak on the phone, and we’ve had a few movie nights with her and her boyfriend.

She’s hiding his existence from our parents because they wouldn’t approve, but she’s fine with that for now. ”

Part of Kit resented Rake’s ability to do what he himself couldn’t, but he hoped he conveyed his sincerity when he replied. “Your shitty parents aside, Rake, sounds like you’ve managed to make it work for all of you.”

“For now,” Shaun said. “We’ll have to move elsewhere, eventually.” There was the edge of sadness in his voice, a note of guilt that told Kit how Shaun still blamed himself for what had happened.

“Moving’s not so bad,” Kit said. “You can easily compel landlords into renting to you for free. ”

“Oh my god,” DJ said. “Why didn’t I think of that? We’re paying a ridiculous amount for our place.”

“Does it really count as renting if you’re not paying, though?” Shaun mused.

They ended up chatting through the pros and cons of different cities, focusing on the nightlife and kink culture.

The trio were still in the lifestyle, perhaps even more so than they’d been before.

Shaun’s collar was obvious, a thin leather choker that could just about pass for a fashion accessory to the uninformed observer.

DJ had a less blatant one, but Kit saw him playing with the silver linked chain that was half-hidden under his shirt collar any time the conversation strayed to more serious subjects.

None of them dwelled on such topics, however.

Shaun told Kit about how he, Rake and DJ had started a game app venture, shyly speaking about how he’d started writing plots for the games.

DJ took over from him, proclaiming just how impressive Shaun’s stories were and how popular the apps had become.

Although Kit wasn’t a big gamer, he was surprised to find he had already downloaded one of their games and sometimes played it to while away the hours.

Kit couldn’t help but be jealous of what the trio had in one another. He’d never had anyone like that. Lawrence had ensured it. His creator might no longer exist, but his legacy lived on as a stubborn stain on Kit’s soul.

Whilst they’d bought drinks to maintain the illusion of humanity, Kit eyed the other patrons for his meal that night.

A table of young women sat to their left, but he had no desire to interrupt their giggling.

So, he was left with a mixed table of older couples reminiscing together.

When one of their party headed inside the pub, Kit got up and followed. “I’ll be back,” he murmured.

He stalked the man to the bathroom, making quick work of compelling and calming him before drinking from the man’s wrist. Kit avoided the neck at all costs. Too overfamiliar—too intimate.

The man’s blood had a floral taste, one which Kit found akin to inhaling a deep whiff of cheap perfume.

Not his favourite, but he only wanted a nip.

Kit sent the man back outside before making sure there were no errant drops of blood on his clothing.

The mirror above the sink was rust-stained, with water marks that made Kit’s smooth skin look marred.

He spent some time fixing his hair before returning outside.

“Have you eaten this evening?” he asked when he got back to the table.

All three heads bobbed in unison.

They caught up for a wee while longer until Kit made a show of looking at his watch. “The pub will close soon. Might need to head back before it gets too early.”

“We’re staying up near here for a few nights,” DJ said. “Figured we’d make a trip of it. Booked a cabin in the woods with a hot tub.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, pulling a smile from Kit even as he planned his exit.

“Sounds lovely. I’ll be having to get back up north tonight, so should head off,” he said, shutting down any notion that he might stay and join them on their romantic getaway.

Shaun pouted. “Aw.”

“That’s a shame,” Rake added, though in a manner that made it obvious he was performing at politeness and would have hated if Kit took up the implied invitation.

“Shall I walk you to your car?” Shaun said, already moving to stand up.

“Sure. Uh, bye.” Kit waved awkwardly to the others. Rake sent a stilted one back, and DJ grinned wide, throwing some finger guns that Kit stared at in confusion.

“Next time, don’t let it go so long, Kitty boy,” DJ said.

Kit narrowed his eyes.

“Be back in a minute, guys. Love you!” Shaun said, before Kit could eviscerate DJ for the abominable nickname.

“Love you too!” DJ said, then elbowed Rake.

Rake rolled his eyes. “Love you three.”

DJ beamed, and Kit turned away to disguise the blatant expression of disgust on his face.

He and Shaun walked towards his car in the silent darkness. “Have you ever tried therapy?” Shaun asked out of the blue.

“What,” Kit asked, toneless.

“Therapy. You know, for the trauma?”

“For the what now?”

Shaun shifted from foot to foot, anxious energy emanating from him.

“Rake and DJ reliably informed me that having to live with an abuser for so long can cause some trauma. So I went and spoke to a psychologist who specialises in supporting survivors of abuse. I found it quite helpful, and I still see her sometimes when I feel down.”

“That’s great for you, but it’s not for me,” Kit said, hoping that would shut Shaun down.

“It might be useful for you to work some things through.”

“And how did you explain to your therapist that your abuser turned you into an immortal monster and cursed you to spend the rest of your life drinking blood and avoiding the sun in order to survive to see another night?”

“Psychologist,” Shaun corrected. “But you’re right, I had to lie to her. But the issues are the same whether we’re vampires or human. It was you who first made me realise that.”

“How?”

“You called Lawrence your rapist. I’d never thought of him like that. Until that point, I still considered him to be an asshole boyfriend who got off on hurting me. I’d never thought about how I never consented to any of it.”

Kit’s stomach threatened to expel the blood he’d just consumed. “Glad I was able to provide such a service,” he said, unable to keep the odious sarcasm from his voice.

“Think about it,” Shaun said softly.

Kit clicked his tongue. “You might think you have it all figured out because you got your happy ending with those two, but that doesn’t happen for everyone. Not all of us bounce back after dealing with someone like Lawrence.”

“I’m lucky. Rake and DJ help me a lot, and I’m mostly okay these days. Having people around you is important. We’re all here for you, but there’s more than just friendship available out there. Have you thought about—”

“I’m fine with being alone,” Kit interrupted.

“Forgive me for pointing this out, but you don’t seem to be.”

Kit bit on his thumbnail as he fought not to lash out. It would only prove Shaun right. “I don’t appreciate the unsolicited advice.”

Shaun looked contrite. “Sorry. I benefited from therapy a lot, so I wanted to tell you about it. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you.”

Kit, in a fit of emotion, pulled Shaun into a hug. Shaun tensed for a split second—clearly not expecting the egregious display of affection from Kit—then returned the embrace. “I accept your apology,” Kit whispered. After all, Shaun had accepted Kit’s own apology for a far worse offence.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Shaun whispered back.

After a few more prolonged seconds where Kit squeezed Shaun, he pulled himself away. “Okay, that’s quite enough of that,” he said, righting himself.

“Can’t have anyone thinking you’ve gone soft, I see.”

“Not at all.”

Shaun smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Stay in touch this time?”

“If I must. You’ll have to give me the updates on any new games you’re releasing. The houseplant shop one is fun. Almost makes me think I could look after a real plant.”

Shaun’s features lit up. “Right now, we’re working on one set in an old-school eighties American mall. You have to figure out whether the town’s local mystery has any weight to it.” He leaned in closer. “Spoiler alert, it does.”

“I’ll be downloading it on release day.”

With one last squeeze of Shaun’s shoulder, Kit got back into his car. He waved, then backed out of the space.

The drive home was the loneliest he’d ever experienced. Even when he cranked up the music on the radio, the empty feeling he’d had returned tenfold.

“You’re never going to be happy, darling.”

Kit slammed on the brakes, the car making a horrendous screech as it fought to come to a halt. He whipped around in his seat, ready to see the last person he expected in the back seat.

But it was empty.

Kit turned back around, seeing how his claws had torn the steering wheel in his panic. The only reason he’d avoided being rear-ended was because no other cars were around. Before he caused a crash, he pulled off onto a side road.

Although Kit hadn’t needed to breathe in almost half a century, his chest heaved and his shoulders shook as he drew desperate breaths into his lungs. Shaking, he checked the back seat again.

Still empty.

Kit closed his eyes and thudded his head down on the ripped steering wheel, wincing at the dull pain that shot through his head.

He should have known he would never be free of his creator.