Bella Notte (35 page)

Love always,

Em.

I wonder if I
could really reach him? If I've not really lost him to the wolves
completely?
My
heart filled with hope and possibilities, but I felt the tug of Dom
on my thoughts as well. It was so hard to try and sort through what I
was feeling and the choices I had before me.

I thought about it
for a minute and then let it slip from my mind. I really didn't want
to explain to my parents and Dom why I was thinking about getting in
contact with my old werewolf boyfriend.
I
really miss him.

I sat around in my
room and stared up at the ceiling where I had placed hundreds of
plastic glow-in-the-dark stars in the shapes of the constellations.
My mind was blank and my room was dark- it didn't stop Dom from
finding me. He tapped lightly on the door and came in.

“
Hey,
mia
bella
.
I had a hard time finding you. Normally your mind is like a beacon. I
see you're learning to control it.” I could see his smile even
in the dark of my room.

Why do you even
bother to use words?

“
It helps me
remember to use them in my everyday life. You'll understand when we
go back to school.” His voice was light.

Why aren't you in
school?

“
For the same
reason Acacia isn't. We were both 'injured' during the accident. I
assume she is using the time to help Michael adjust. Like I am for
you.” He walked from the doorway to my bed.

Mike.
The pang in my chest felt like a visible ripple.

“
I know it's
hard for you. You'll understand later.” He touched me gently on
my arm.

“
What if I
don't want to understand? What if I want my friend back?” I
knew this was a bad subject to discuss, but I hated having no one to
talk to.

“
Then our
lifestyle will be more difficult for you, but, eventually, you will
adjust.” His voice had hardened a little bit.

I stood up. I needed
to talk to my grandpa. “Look, Dom, I need to go see Grandpa.
I'll catch up to you later. 'Kay?” I said as I walked out the
door.

Grandpa.
I walked the house thinking his name.

Emma
.
His wise voice entered my head when I was near the library on the
second floor.

I headed into the
room. I was tired of talking in my head. I wanted to have a normal
bloody conversation with my grandpa- I only hoped he would fix
everything, like normal.

“
I need to
talk to you.” I wasn't sure exactly what I needed to talk to
him about- my efforts to keep my mind blank left me feeling a little
confused.

“
Please, go
ahead.” He gestured for me to sit down in the chair across from
him.

I sat. “Was it
always you and Grandma, I mean, together? Was she always the one for
you?” I felt like an idiot.

“
No. We
haven't been together for our entire existence. But a good portion of
it.” He looked at me with knowing eyes.

I nodded.

“
You see,
Emma. We were born into a completely different world and time, just
as your parents were. I was more of a nomad before I met your
grandmother. I met many of our kind, some that were not, but this was
long before the schools were created. I spent hundreds of years
alone, only taking interest in a few women. But when I met her, I
knew. It took us time to adjust to each other but eventually we were
inseparable. We waited until we were around your father's age to have
him. We wanted him to have a chance to meet the right girl sooner so
we helped to create the schools. The first one was in England, and
then another was created in Italy. Now, they are everywhere. But I am
getting sidetracked. I never fell in love with anyone the way I saw
you did with your friend, Michael. However, I can easily see a
special kind of love forming between you and Dominic. I know why you
came to me. I know that I am by far the most understanding in this
family toward the differences between our two kinds. I am in fact the
person who started the schools for us to share. Yes, your mind isn't
as closed as you wish, my dear. Isabella was right to contact you,
but perhaps planting these seeds are not the best thing she could
have done.” His brow pulled together.

“
I don't
understand. I mean, I get that you can easily break through my
barriers, but I don't understand what was wrong with her telling me?”
My face mimicked his.

“
Let me try to
explain this, dear. I wished they had told you when they had their
information meeting with you. I suppose I could have told you then.
Excuse me once more for my absent mind. You see, Emma, you are
foretold to be part of the prophecy. I know you've heard it. It was
in a song you heard play at Bella Notte, and then the she-wolf,
Acacia, told you it.” His eyes burned for me to understand.

“
Wait. Are you
talking about the story of the war … and the enemy king and
queen? Because, if you are, I am
so
not the girl in that.” I scoffed at him.

“
Do you
remember your friend, Bettina?” His eyes told me he knew
something, too bad I wasn't as good a lock picker or I'd have the
information myself from his mind.

I nodded.

“
Do you know
why they call her 'Batty Betty', my little one?” I wasn't in
the mood for twenty questions.

I shook my head.

“
She has the
ability to foresee things. One of those odd things that happens to
us. Well, she has seen many things, all true. But she is a little
odd. My point is that the prophecy came from her.” His hand
steepled together.

“
So, that
doesn't mean it was about me?” My defense was on.

“
Ah, but it
does. One of the things that helps her visions is coming in to
contact with the person she is foreseeing about. It is a custom for
us to take our babies to a foreseer, to help us prepare for any of
the things that will be thrown at us. When Bettina touched you, all
became clear.” His calm voice held very heavy words for me.

“
Dude.”
My head was having a hard time with this one.
If
its right, then I won't end up with Mike anyways, I will end up
losing him!
My head swirled.

“
Emma, your
love will be eternal. I cannot tell you how long it will take or what
will happen between now and then, but the love of this queen for this
forbidden king, and vice versa, is something that will be held in the
hearts of both of our kinds. Their sacrifice will never be
forgotten.” I could see his struggle with this as well.

“
And that
somehow justifies the death of two people?!? Are you insane, Grandpa?
I won't get killed for this nonsense, and Mike surely won't die! This
is insanity!” My temper was rising.

“
Emma, you
need to calm yourself, my dear. This won't change what has already
been seen. But, to get back to what you ultimately were thinking
about, regarding your friend, if you must contact him now, then I
suggest that you two move away from both houses.” He gestured
toward the window, out of which one could easily see the woods that
surrounded our home.

The clearing!
It's time
.
“Thank you, Grandpa. I am sorry.” I felt bad for my
temper.

“
Think nothing
of it. I, too, can remember the beginning of the change. There are
some things that you cannot control.” With that he looked back
down at the book that he had been reading.

I walked out of the
room with my mind filled with plans.

Emma, do try and
keep your mind silent until you have left the house. Your grandmother
would have you chained in the attic if she heard your thoughts
.
Grandpa's voice was gentle.

Thank you again
.
I walked into my room and thought only of finding my cell phone.

Once I found it, I
went downstairs and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and poured
myself a glass of blood. One might think that the thought of keeping
blood in a pitcher in the refrigerator is absolutely insane. Well, it
isn't because the house is filled with vampires and the blood is like
filtered water. It comes from a special place where they filter out
all the impurities that can cause us illness. I never thought to ask
whose blood it was.

I sipped on my glass
as I thought about the clearing that I had feared so greatly. The
fear was still there, but I felt like it had changed. I knew I needed
all my strength to do this, and the sweet liquid helped to quench the
thirst that I was learning to deal with. I felt stronger for it as
well.

I went out the back
of the house, through the sun room. I walked quickly, but not a run.
I did not want to alarm any of my family that might have been looking
out the windows.

I pulled my phone
out of my jeans pocket and texted Mike as quickly as possible.

Please meet me at
our clearing tonight at midnight. I have to see you. Love ya always,
Em.

When I pressed send,
my heart felt a little lighter. I still had hours to get to the
clearing and wait, so I took my time. I practiced all the things I
had learned during the last days, and tried to teach myself new
things.

Jumping was very
easy for me. And I found out that I could run in a blur. I attempted
to jump and land gracefully on top of a tree. I, of course, fell, but
I did land on my feet- very cat like. I tested myself to pass the
time but, eventually, I did end up in the clearing.

I went and sat down
on a log. I laid back on it and closed my eyes. I thought that sleep
would elude me as it had done for the past night … instead I
fell into a pleasant slumber.

An owl hooted and I
awoke with a start. It was dark now. I walked out into the clearing
to try and get an idea of the time by using the moon. I heard him
long before he entered the clearing. His feet made the sound I had
heard a thousand times. My heart kicked up a beat from the
similarities to our dream. He walked to my side.

“
Emma. I don't
know about this,” he said.

I reached down and
took his hand; I could feel the resistance fade from his hot fingers,
and something inside me melted with his touch.

“
Mike, this
can't be the thing that has pushed us apart. I told you before, I
would give you time. I understood your dilemma, but you can't shove
passed me because we've both changed physically. Surely I mean more
than that. You obviously do to me, otherwise I wouldn't have come out
here.” My eyes pleaded with his beautiful eyes.
God,
I love those eyes.

“
Em, you can't
expect it all to be the same. My family would kill me right now if
they knew where I was. I had to think of something else the entire
time until I left, for fear of being discovered. Us wolves, we share
thoughts. Em, I love you … but I am not sure of this. What
about Acacia, or Dominic?” His words stung my heart.

“
What does it
matter? You seem so certain that this is so wrong. Dom understands
all the things that have to do with me. He would probably try harder.
I don't really care about what Acacia would think. Do you really
think you are the only one risking anything by being out here? I
thought you would be happy. I was ecstatic to think I would see you.
I've missed you so much. Mike, you were my first real love, do you
not understand that? I can't just forget that because you suddenly
started to grow fur in odd places.” I looked down at the dead
grass as we walked slowly across the clearing.

“
I understand
that we are both making really dumb decisions right now. Em, I don't
know what to do. I don't know what you want. I really don't know what
I want! Don't you understand? If we stay friends, or tried to be
more, all the problems it would cause and all the secrecy that we
would have to go through …” His voice was cut off by a
breeze and he stiffened at the same moment that a wolf howled.

“
Mike, I'm not
giving up on you. I don't want to lose you. Please, try?” I
felt my skin crawl at the sound of the wolf, my eyes stung with
unshed tears.

Mike didn't say
anything, he inched me closer to the edge of the clearing. When we
got there he shoved me and leaned into me.