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52. Handling Affairs
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Bloody Full Moon 53. The Summit of the Alphas
Paul - The alpha summitAs I dress in my new suit, Laura watches me in the mirror. Something is still bugging me as to how she has handled the matter with Bogdan.“Are you sure he’ll stop trying to kill me and kidnap you?” I repeat the question for a dozenth time.“Humans, especially those with unstable minds, are easy to coerce.” She sighs. "I took care of Bogdan Badea. He’s not hurting anymore and has let go of his plan for vengeance. I was surprised when you gave him back his family business. He’ll surely move forward with his life now."“Ok, I’ll end any talks about Bogdan here and now.”My red tie rests on the edge of the chair. It has the same perfect shade of copper as Laura’s hair. I take it and start preparing myself for the meeting.Laura approaches. She takes my hands off the tie. I smile and let her do it for me. Even though the knot she creates is a little crooked and much duller than my Windsor knot, I keep it.Smirking, I watch Laura tilting her head.“It’s a bit crooke
Bloody Full Moon 54. Pushing Away
Laura - The alpha summitMy efforts in preparing for this event have paid off. Everything is sparkling under the chandeliers, from the colorful roses to the neatly arranged ballroom.One by one, members of Paul’s pack come forth and vouch for me in front of the alphas. Some faces I know all too well, like Maria and even Alin. Some I know less about, like that guy from the tech department whom I helped with that hidden love letter. Even Radu speaks in my favor.I don’t know why, but every word shakes me to my very core. I’m not worthy of their trust, and I’m not here to stay. Fate brought me here, carrying me like a leaf in the wind. But I wanted a single thing, and that wasn’t to find a family or a place to belong.To what lengths is Paul willing to go just to keep me by his side? Isn’t he scared that he’ll eventually lose everything just for me?I feel a twinge of guilt for making him do so much, for making him do all this for me. He shouldn’t have to bear this burden.My soul craves
Bloody Full Moon 55. A Heart to Heart
Paul - A park in BucharestWithout my knowledge, my feet brought me into a park, not very far from the hotel where the summit takes place. My knees feel like they will give way soon under the weight I feel inside my soul.The night is cold and gloomy, the stars hiding behind thick clouds. The wind blows, making me shiver.I sit on a bench. A post next to a tree sheds light between the branches, the leaves creating shadows on the asphalt in a mesmerizing pattern.“Paul!”“Lexa,” I mutter, watching her coming closer.“I’m glad I found you.”“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking up at her.Her chestnut hair shines a dark red under the tree, and I wonder why I keep getting in love with red-headed women.I tilt my head back. "Have you heard what happened in the hotel room between me and Laura?"“How— How do you know that I—”“I sensed your perfume on the corridor when I left the room.”“Ah, yeah. I’m sorry, but not really.” Lexa sits next to me. “Paul, I know you better than anyone els
Bloody Full Moon 56. All Alone
Laura - Outside the hotelLike a marathon runner on the last part of the race, I drag myself toward the hotel parking lot. My brain wants me to leave, but my spirit wants me to stay.Why the hell would I stay? Nothing good can come out of this. We’re worlds apart, yet the image of his eyes when I told him to end it remains etched in my memory.Paul’s car is still here, so he can’t be far. Maybe I should go and find him, at least to know he’s fine. Wouldn’t that be an admission that I care about him?My heart is shattered, and my soul is broken. Why would anyone want to fall in love?Love is brutal. A simple brush of fingers sends you into delirium. The slightest touch rips your skin open, and thus, a simple push becomes fatal. Simply put, it’s a ticking bomb. Why am I searching for it instead of letting it go?If only I knew what to do. I keep walking, my feet taking me closer and closer to the street. I have no idea where I want to go or what I hope to achieve by going there.People
Bloody Full Moon 57. For the Love of Hearing
Alisa - Two Months LaterMy name is Alisa Cristescu, and I am a perfectly sane and healthy twenty-something-year-old strigoi. My best friend and maker, however, is quite crazy.After living my entire life with my parents, my older sister, her husband, their three children, and a dog named Luna, becoming a strigoi and moving out with Laura was the highlight of my life. It's been a happy home ever since. We had ups and downs like any friends have, but not like this.The loud music coming from Laura’s room pops like firecrackers in my head. Grumbling unheard even by myself, I google ‘where to buy earmuffs near Dristor.’The search comes up with nothing useful, and the delivery may take up to three days. My eardrums don’t have that much time left.Tumbling onto my couch, I close my eyes, wishing for the world to stop exploding. The music gets louder, and my ears feel as though they're bleeding.“Shit! Shit! Shit!"I force my way into Laura's room. Her hand lifts a dart as she focuses on a
Bloody Full Moon 58. One Last Attempt
Paul - Roaming through the city streetsWhen I was a child, I discovered a baby bird that had fallen from its nest. I couldn't leave it stranded and alone on the grass. It was so frail and vulnerable.I brought it home and nursed it back to health. I fed it worms and wheat and cleaned its feathers. The little thing grew up healthy and strong. I called it "Pigeon" since I thought it was a pigeon. But as spring gave way to summer, I soon came to realize that Pigeon was actually a crow. My grandmother advised me to toss it away because it was a bad omen. But knowing what it was didn't change my feelings for it.Pigeon used to stay perched on my shoulder. I was small, and it was too big for me to carry for a long time. But I wanted to keep it close to me. I had grown attached to the little creature.When it started to try flying on its own, I got scared it would fall and harm itself. It was cawing and flapping its wings. So I kept it in a cage for its own good.I’d always taken good care
Bloody Full Moon 59. Wrong Together
Laura - Her apartmentI close the door behind me, gulping and acutely conscious of my motionless heart and lungs. Leaning against the cold door, everything I've been holding back for the last several months rushes to the surface.A deep breath."Fuck."My body shakes as I release a heavy sigh.Why do I always end up here? Why does my life keep getting complicated?Every time I think I have it all figured out, I'm surprised by some new twist or turn. Why did my glamour break when he kissed me?For me, pain doesn't come as a dagger. It's something I've embraced and doesn't feel sharp anymore. It just comes to shatter everything around me, showing me the void that's actually there inside me.Before all hell breaks loose, I need to numb myself as much as possible. I sprint toward the fridge and take a look at Alisa’s stash. She obtains blood from a variety of sources, from shady dealers to medical personnel, primarily by bribery since she has yet to master the art of glamour. Nonetheless
Bloody Full Moon 60. The Frail Girl
Alisa - Her apartment“Laura, where are you going?” I shout right when the door slams shut behind her.Why would she answer me? I let out a mocking sigh and flung back onto the couch. The cigarette rolls over the table until it stops next to the blood bag.Raising my head, I stare into the broken TV screen. My face has cracks all over the place. How did I end up here?Yeah, right, that pesky book. When I was little, I read an old book that turned my perceptions upside down. It was about vampires. Funny, right? Never thought back then that I would end up as a strigoi. The book showed me a glimpse of darkness I could never picture otherwise. My heart broke at the sublime loneliness one can feel, shunned by society. The two options were to live alone and forgotten, hiding from sight, or be hunted down and killed just for existing. I’ve never felt such pity for a being. Growing up, I thought it was all just a story. And then I met Laura. The perfect incarnation of loneliness.Maybe tha
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