Page 4

Sully

“Sullivan, could you take this to room 301, please?” Kenny asked with his snooty voice. It grated on my nerves. Why did he constantly have to act like he had a stick up his ass?

“Of course, Kenneth.” I would not be caught shortening his name. Learned from that mistake already.

The room Kenny directed me to was hosting a vampire couple who wanted to paint by the sea for the summer. Rather than renting out a house, they had chosen to live in the hotel for a month. Smart, in my opinion. They had people to clean up after them, and could order anything in. Made life super easy. It was what I would do if I had the cash.

Their blood was waiting for me in the bar. It was the expensive synthetic type, made to taste like a shifter’s blood, which was rich in nutrients because of the energy required to shift forms.

A blood substitute was necessary when the vampires came through the tear because no one wanted to be responsible for feeding the vampires forever. It had taken a while and the necessary science was yet to be replicated in the human world. At the rate they were going, they might never figure it out.

The bartender had warmed the blood to body temperature for them. They were served in insulated cups with sparkly straws and umbrellas. Unnecessary maybe, but super cute.

Carrying the tray carefully, I got in the elevator to the fourth floor, where room 301 was located. They had the best vista of the hotel, with a wide balcony which opened to an unrestricted view of the sea.

This couple had introduced themselves to me when they had checked in earlier. They kept late hours, like most vampires, and preferred to keep out of the afternoon sun because it was uncomfortable for them. While they could go out in daylight, most avoided it. Think of it like a sun allergy. They could break out in rashes and it hurt their sensitive eyes.

My family’s hotel didn’t discriminate when it came to guests, welcoming everyone who was willing to obey the town rules. We had a basket of inhibitors sitting on the reception desk, though this couple were clearly returning visitors, and had their own strapped to their wrists.

“Hello, Sullivan!” the older of the vampires greeted when he opened the door. He was likely ancient since vampires aged incredibly slowly, and looked to be around fifty witch years. Like shifters, they were born, growing into adulthood at the same rate as a witch or shifter would. Then, upon adulthood, around their early twenties, that aging would appear to stop. Though it just slowed right down, gaining them a year’s aging for maybe thirty years or more. It depended on many factors.

Shifters lived pretty long lives too, longer than those of the witches and nature spirits who rarely made it to a century because of the magic in their blood. If I was lucky, I could live to a bit over a hundred! I’d only want to do that with my fated mate by my side, though.

“Hello!” I greeted him warmly. “I have your order here.”

“Thank you.” He stepped aside to let me inside. “Would you mind taking it out to the balcony? We’re painting out there tonight. The light is divine! ”

“No problem.” I walked over to the balcony doors, which were open, letting the fragrant night air in. It was late, in the pre-dawn hours, where the sky was awash with a full pallet of colors. Pinks, reds, greens, and blues covered both the canvases propped up on easels and the night sky above us.

“Thank you,” the vampire’s younger partner said with a pleasant smile. I’d thought they were much too absorbed in their art to realize I was there.

“Wow!” The word slipped free, shocked into being from the stunning piece he was creating one brush stroke at a time. “That’s… wow!”

The younger vampire smiled, his fangs peeking out from full lips. “Oh, I like you! Honey, don’t forget to tip him generously.”

It took me some time to extricate myself from their room. They were so friendly and nice, I struggled to keep a professional distance from them. Both of them had so many questions when I told them my parents owned the place, it was a good half hour before I managed to escape!

“Where have you been?” Kenneth’s brow was knitted in a frown when I returned to the desk.

“Room 301.”

“I sent you there over half an hour ago.”

“I know. They had questions.”

“You should have asked them to call me. It is, after all, my job as the reception manager.”

“Next time, for sure!” I answered with extra pep I wasn’t truly feeling. “You know,” I added conversationally, “you don’t have to stay so late to keep an eye on me. I know you’re a very busy person.”

“You are too new to the demands of the reception. Look at you,” he sneered, “you vanished, leaving the desk unattended for a prolonged period.”

“I—“

“What would have happened if someone called or came to the desk?”

“But—“

“Exactly.” His smile was smug. “Perhaps you aren’t cut out for working at such a demanding job. If your father asks, I might suggest a less demanding morning shift, or a different role for you.” His expression became shark-like. “Ah! I know a perfect job for you! You should try your hand at housekeeping. It would be ideal to prepare you for your upcoming mating to Mr. Blaine.”

Hours later, my shift finally ended, and I was still seething about what Kenny had said to me. Everything he implied with that statement made me so mad, I couldn’t bear to go home right away because I knew I was going to lay into my parents as soon as I saw them.

How dare they? No, not they, she. This had my mom written all over it. How dare she tell my business to the other employees of the hotel? They didn’t need to know my parents were basically selling me off! It wasn’t like I could complain at work, either. My sister was the assistant manager, my brother the head chef! Neither of them would say anything to my parents because they didn’t get what it was like for an omega in our family. My sister was an alpha, my brother a beta. They hadn’t lived like I had.

My parents thought they had the right to arrange a mating for me as per quokka culture. I was an omega. My duty was to do as I was told. Have the babies my alpha wanted of me. Run the house. Or at least, it used to be! I thought things were moving along with the rights omegas were getting to own businesses and work outside the home. We’d come so far, why was I being subjected to this outdated practice?

There were laws against discrimination, and if I thought Kenny would get fired, I would have reported him, but his comment wasn’t all that bad, was it? I could already hear how they would gaslight me into believing I was just being sensitive. Hell, I was already doing it to myself.

Kenny had been unbearable to be around for the remaining hours of my shift. Thankfully, he’d been called into the office to deal with orders gone wrong or something, so I’d gotten a reprieve. Still, I wanted to slap him every time I thought of the self-satisfied smirk he’d worn when his comment had landed as intended.

The whole thing totally put me off my game for the rest of the night. I was careful not to make any mistakes, but I felt guilty I didn’t give the guests the same level of care they deserved like I had before Kenny had told me everyone knew my business.

Walking home was a nice way to blow off some steam. I ranted and raved into the morning air about how shitty my mom was for telling people about Orson. Then complained about Orson wanting me. At that point, I’d decided against him forever. Trisha nearly had me convinced to give him a go. Kenny ended that. He knew as well as I did, I’d be chained to the house.

What else was there for me in Haenvale? Was I ready to strike out on my own? Going elsewhere would be scary. I knew that. I would have to learn to deal with predator shifters in other places unless I found another sanctuary town to take me in.

I’d have to go to another sanctuary. It took me months to stop having nightmares about the dingo in the woods. All made worse because no one except Trisha believed me.

Maybe it was pointless, dreaming of escaping my fate. I should just accept it, get mated and give him the babies he wanted. Would it be so bad to be a pampered mate? He had money, right?

Really, what skills did I have to offer? I had accountancy and business degrees. Numbers were easy to me. Was that enough to make a new life elsewhere, out from under the control of my family ?

Nah, I wasn’t giving up my comfortable life in Haenvale. Besides, I’d already planned to make my family and Orson’s regret forcing us together for this dinner. Once I embarrassed myself, and likely them, I’d get a bad rep and I could live out my days quietly. Maybe find something I really enjoyed doing.

Maybe I’d find my fated mate in a decade or two and settle down. I had plenty of time.

My walk took me close to the west woods. All I had to do was follow the road out of the town for half a mile or so. My heart began pounding, fear causing adrenaline to flood my veins. My eyes strayed to the spot I came rushing out of, a place where the trees hadn’t quite grown back.

For years, that night had haunted me. Was I going to let it shape my life forever? What would happen if I returned to the woods? Was the dingo still in there?

I’d never heard a peep about one after and I knew I was telling the truth, it hadn’t been a vivid fear hallucination caused by the stress of being lost. There was proof of it still in my closet, untouched all these years later.

I stood, my feet turned towards the woods, tempted for the first time in my life to break all the rules and go where we were never to venture, to prove to myself I could overcome my fear.

A sense of possibility filled me. A yearning for something other than this existence where I was a commodity to be traded to the highest bidder.

To be more than the little quokka who had a nightmare about the dingo in the west woods. More than a cautionary tale to the little ones in elementary.

Getting a little closer couldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t like I was going to go in unprepared.

Closer to the forbidden woods, a sheen of sweat on my forehead, I made up my mind, I needed to shift. Nothing would happen to me unless I went in. Playing in my quokka form next to the woods wasn’t breaking any rules. Just skirting them.

Being in my shifted form would make me feel safer since I was quicker and more agile in that form. Just in case anything happened.

I stripped off my clothes in a hurry, leaving them in a cluster of trees close to the west woods. The shift came over me quickly. My inhibitor, which had been on my wrist, fell to the ground .

With my little quokka paws, I picked it up and tossed it with the rest of my things. It was useless to me in this form and would only annoy me in my pouch.

Now what to do? Still, I felt the call of the woods. I told myself it was a form of rebellion after the hellish day I’d had with my mom and then Kenny. I was taking back the power I’d lost the day I’d been dared to go in there by Cress and his lackeys.

Paws to the ground, I used my back feet to hop forward. Front paws down, hop, down, hop, on and on it went until I was nearly under a tree in the west woods. I took a leaf into my paw and nibbled on it while I considered my options. My fear settled a little. I was still scared shitless, but I was coping.

In the distance, I heard a howl.

Nope, I was not getting eaten today. I hopped back to my clothes and shifted.

Once more, my eyes returned to the woods. That was it, I decided. I was going to drum up the courage to go into the west woods and learn all the secrets behind it. I was going to prove I’d been telling the truth this whole time. After I wormed my way out of this mating somehow.