They Both Wanted Me

smelled like r

ate at the library again. Six hours of reshelving, three argument with the microfilm m

ars and the sidewalks cracked into puzzle pieces no one bothered to solve. Most of my coworkers had cars. Most of my

own Birch Stree

ient, animal instinct that screams someone

ked f

ears. Then the shadows at the end of the alley to my left moved-not like wind, not like anyt

e of

badly, with violence peeking through the seams. Their eyes caught the light a

aid. His voice scraped against

ed loudly. His nostrils fl

ted, circling to my left like h

ee, to do anything except stand there frozen like prey. But my body had betrayed me. My f

word tasted pathetic. "I do

oo rough. Too much like something that had forgotten ho

n-wild, earthy, like wet dog and blood

fted-jaw extending, teeth lengthenin

loded from their skin, spines curved, and three wolves stood where the men had been. Not ordinary wolves. The

cre

left my throat when t

op teeth designed to crush bone. I felt the heat of its breath

it wasn

s if something had hit it with the force of a freight train. It

s snarled and spun

y wall, my heart trying to escape

him in shadow. Tall. Impossibly tall. Dressed in black that seemed to drink the light around him. H

s eyes that s

for centuries. They fixed on the wolves with an expression I couldn't

e," h

. But it carried weight, that word.

e who'd spoken first-take a half-step forward

d came out half-human, half-animal

ice. "You stumbled across something you don't understand, and now you

lier-growled low in his chest. "You have no autho

hr

us before we raise the

wo

w the calculation happening behind those yellow irises. Th

ne

olves

isappearing into the shadows at the far end like roaches fleeing light. Within seconds, the only eviden

ground. My legs sim

en he walked forward, and the light caught his fa

is beautiful-perfect lines, deadly purpose, no forgiveness in its edge. Pale skin that had never known sun. Dark ha

e terrible, beautifu

elt it-a pressure in the air around him, like standing too clos

leeding,"

uring the lunge. Three parallel lines ran from my e

spered. My voice soun

and reached for my arm. His fingers were cold when they touched my skin.

allowed. "I'm

red eyes. Amusement? Surprise

lt something strange-a pull, a warmth, a sensation that had nothing to do with physical touch. "The wolves should have been able to

know what you'r

imate, like he was reading words written on my ski

ng at my eyes. "Wolves just tried to eat me. Actual wolves. That talked. And you-" I looked at him, really looked, and the piece

te a smile, but close. "Vampire, if you p

ything except sit there on the cold, dirty ground of an alley, l

ked: "Why did

nd stilled on my arm. For a moment-just a moment-s

admitted. "That's

ossible. Up close, I realized he was enormous-well over six feet, with shou

walk?"

my legs. They trembled, b

ll take y

, trying to clear it. "I d

the streetlight caught his profile like something fr

said. "My na

e offered

away and spent the rest of my life pretending this night nev

eding, and somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice I'

k his

moment, we stood face to face, close enough that I could see the individual flecks of darker red in his irises. Close enough that I co

you. You'll forget I saved you. You'll forget my face, my name, everything. You'll wake up tomorro

you telling me

use I think," he said slowly, "that when I try, y

ty streets, a silent shadow at my side. The wolves didn't return. Nothing moved ex

d my building,

t night. And if you see yellow eyes in the dark,

ated. "The one I'm

been a smile ghosted acros

ned to

ai

sto

" I asked. "Not the 'I don't

carrying the smell of rain that would never come. When h

elt something other than boredom. And boredom," he added, glancing back at me

way-simply gone, like smoke in

y sidewalk where he'd been. My arm throbbed where the wolves had cut me. M

sp

n't f

Not the next m