Page 7 of Little Fangs

“But I’ve got to go,” he whispered.

“Well, once you’ve got your strength up, sure, but I think staying here is best for you,” I said. “I know these woods, and people know me in these woods. Whoever it is you’re running from isn’t going to come knocking on my door. I can promise you that.”

He nodded, taking his knife and fork to mimic me as he sliced through his steak. “Thank you,” he said. “And—and I can—I can leave in the daytime. I’ve got a bracelet that lets me walk in the light.”

“Oh.” I snickered, a question I had in my mind being answered. “You were trying to show me that yesterday. I get it now. But still, I’d rather you regained your strength before you leave, and I’ll take you wherever you need to go. Train station, bus depot, next town over. Wherever it is you need to be, let me take you.”

“I can’t let you do that,” he said. “You’ve already done so much by giving me food and clothes.”

“Do you not want to tell me who got you into all that mess?”

Micah blinked, looking down at his food. He shook his head. “It’s best to keep you out of it.”

“I won’t ask again,” I said. “But if there’s anything else you want to tell me, please do. It’s been a while since I’ve had an encounter with a vampire. The last one was two or so years back. Forget his name. But he needed advice.”

“My life hasn’t been very interesting,” he whispered before stabbing the fork into two pieces of sliced meat and shoving them into his mouth, his hand beneath them, catching the blood on his palm. He licked it clean. My eyes were fixed on him, impossible to look away.

“I’m sure it’s been more interesting than mine,” I told him. “If you’re trying to have a competition about it, I’ll say I’ve won.”

He smiled. “Maybe. I guess the most interesting thing about me is—well, being a vampire, but that’s where it ends. I promise you that much. I’m an awful vampire. Not like, bad as in evil, but bad as in, I’m not good at being a vampire.”

“Well, that’s interesting,” I said. “Why not?”

“I’m just not.”

“You know you can tell me anything,” I said. “Nobody outside these walls will ever hear it. And whoever it is outside that you’re scared of, well, they’re not going to get inside either. But I won’t ask, sorry.”

“It’s okay, you’re actually the first real person I’ve spoken to in a while.” He continued to devour the steak, no longer nonchalant as he lowered his head toward the plate, making sure to catch every bite and drop of blood.

I ate while watching him, more curious about him now. I wanted to reach out to Mrs. Darling about him, but I never recalled her taking in any vampires, and I didn’t want to give him up to anyone who was looking for him, because clearly someone was searching for him.

A knock came at the cabin door.

Micah shot upright against the back of the chair, then sank, the knife and fork in his hands clattering against the plate.

“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s probably just a ranger making sure everything’s good.”

He didn’t say a word. All he did was slink under the table where Misty was lying at his feet.

At the door stood a tall man in a suit with the shirt unbuttoned. His face looked young, but his eyes were old. “Hello,” he said, extending a hand.

“Hey there,” I said, holding my hands up. “Sorry, I’ve got stuff on my hands.”

“I’m Caleb, and I’m looking for a friend of mine,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “He’s not someone you’d want to come across alone, so I’m trying to make sure he’s found before he does any harm.”

“I’ve not seen anyone come through here,” I told him. “And I’d know, I’ve got a very alert cat.” The same cat that hadn’t been sitting near the door ready to race out the moment I opened it, but was comforting Micah. “What’s his name?”

“If you’ve not seen him, it’s fine,” he said. “We’ll head further in.”

“As a warden of these woodlands, I’d ask that you don’t go any further,” I said. “The last thing you’d want is an investigation into unregulated hunting. Would you?” It was an indirect threat, and I hoped he got it, because he was exactly who I thought he was. The vampire from two years ago. The difference now being he looked more lifeless. “I’ll radio out that someone’s missing for you.”

“No, no, please, no bother doing that,” he said, trying to reach out for me, but unable to breach the threshold of the cabin. “He’s just a friend, and he’ll turn up, sooner or later”

I nodded, smiling at him, and locking onto the glint of two sets of eyes in the distance behind him in the trees. Whatever they were looking for, they weren’t going to find it here, and it reinforced my intuition that Micah couldn’t leave.

3. MICAH

I knew Caleb’s voice. It was distinct, dripping with the ability to get people to give in to him. To me, it was nothing but a sharp, irritating sound that grated against every nerve in my entire body. Not even Misty in my lap could stop me from shivering and shaking at the sound of his voice.