2 Under the Rain

When she heard that voice there was something in her that started to have the urge to run into the stranger’s arms. She hated what she felt until the familiar scent hit her nostril. It was the same scent that she came across.

“Miss? Are you alright?” the soothing and charming voice snapped her from smelling the scent that was coming from the stranger.

“Dammit, why my mate has to show up now?! Fuck, my life!” Ashlyn clicked her tongue as she ignored that stranger and went off without saying anything.

As Ashlyn went on her run, the hooded traveling stranger watched her run away without looking back or even thanking her for saving her life.

The traveling stranger looked longingly over the retreating back of the lady as it removed its hood to see clearly who made its heart beats again. Beneath the hood revealed a very beautiful face of a lady in her thirties but with a thin male body. He had long reddish brown hair tied up in a messy ponytail which made his feminine face stand up more daring. To make him more looked like a woman, he wore his dark coat with a hood, a crimson scarf around his neck, and a dark grey loose shirt for his top. As for his bottom, he wore black short shorts that only reach her mid-thigh, a pair of leg-warmers that reach above his knees, and combat ankle boots. The traveling stranger’s named Vladimir Milano.

“What a rude mate I have here?” Vladimir clicked her tongue in irritation over the rudeness of the lady that it just saved.

“But why it has to be now?” he mumbled to himself as he snapped himself from watching the long-gone lady.

He shook his head and went back to grab his violin before he went to the border of the small village that he was heading to. 

Vladimir was a vampire that has been traveling for years already all by himself and he learned to blend into places that he stayed at. Some night creatures who already met him called him Chameleon on how well he blended into any place that he went to. And for the sake of his rest after a long journey and with the heavy rain pouring down, he decided to stay with the small pack called Wolf’s Cry that he learned from the wolves in the city. 

When Vladimir stopped at the border of Wolf’s Cry pack, two patrollers inspect him since he was a vampire. He was already used to the wolves being wary of him because of the race he came from.

“I’m Vladimir Milano and I seek for shelter for a couple of weeks since I’m a nomad vampire.” the stranger introduced himself politely to the patrollers who stopped him.

“What? You don’t look like a man. Are you sure?” the two wolfmen looked serious as they could not believe what he just said since he looked nothing like a man. Vladimir already got that a lot through his travel.

“Dude, maybe he’s transgender.” Another wolf said without being rude after looking at him from head to toe.

“Ahm, I get that a lot but no. I just wear this way for a reason.” Vladimir cleared them which made the two wolves to looked at each other.

“That’s…” they were about to say something but Vladimir smiled at them.

When he saw his smile, the two patrolling wolf men suddenly jolted and started to feel shy all of the sudden. They were blushing because Vladimir indeed looked like a beautiful goddess and he was not using his vampire abilities at all.

“I know weird for a man to wear girls’ clothing but I crossdress for reason so please, can I speak to your alpha about allowing me to stay here?” Vladimir genuinely smiled at them.

“Sorry if we offended you but…” one of them scratched his naped shyly while apologizing before looking to the other one.

“Come, we’ll take you to Alpha Jace since he was the only one who can say something about what you’re asking.” the other one finished and ushered Vladimir to follow them to the pack house. Their alpha was the only one who can decide on that matter.

Vladimir was taken to meet the alpha but instead, he meet the pack’s Luna, Serenity who was staring at him openly. The patroller with him snickered because they understood what made Serenity stare that much at Vladimir. She just looked at him from head to toe a couple of times since Vladimir really looked like a woman instead a man. Yet, somewhat familiar.

“Sorry if I stared much but if you’re cross-dressing like that, what should we call you?” Serenity asked him in a curious tone since she had never encountered a vampire who cross-dressed before.

“Well, around the humans, I’m just called Vladimirian but since I’m here, you can call me Vlad or Vladimir.” Vladimir was being respectful while genuinely smiling at the pack’s luna, Serenity.

“I see, so that’s your human name…” Serenity smiled comfortably around his presence.

“...I will call you Vlad because either way, it was too long to call out for your name.” she continued as she chuckled which made Vladimir feel so grateful.

“Thought so.” Vladimir chuckled along with the pack’s Luna.

“I like you already and I can’t explain why. It was like you belong here.” Serenity was totally feeling his belonging in their pack. It was like Vladimir was supposed to be in their pack - that’s what she was feeling around him.

“Thank you that you feel that way but I’m a nomad. I can’t stay long in one place.” Vladimir smiled genuinely at the uplifting words from the pack’s luna.

“I know but I would be glad to welcome you here whenever you decide to stay here.” Serenity smiled back at him. She really feels comfortable and secure like nothing bad will happened around the pack.

“Thank you, Luna.” he thanked luna wholeheartedly when somebody entered the room.

“But I will tell you my rules first before that happened.” a very imperious voice from an alpha interrupted their conversation.

“You're supposed to be in bed.” Serenity sighed as she help her husband to take a seat beside her.

“We have a visitor, of course, I have to greet them.” Jace, the Alpha relaxed beside his wife. The Alpha was covered with some bandages over his face and neck.

“Alpha.” Vladimir politely greeted him.

“Alpha Jace, please, be seated.” He waved his hand as he sat beside his wife across from Vladimir.

Vladimir thanked the alpha who smiled over his politeness and he does not sense something bad around Vladimir aside from what his wife felt around him. It was odd for him since no vampire or other night creature could make him feel the way he felt around Vladimir’s presence.

“You’re the most polite vampire that I had ever met.” Jace commented while smiling genuinely.

“I get that a lot.” Vladimir chuckled.

“First, I would like to know why you’re here?” he went straight to the topic and Vladimir took it seriously.

“I am a nomad and I’ve been traveling a lot. I just need a couple of weeks to stay maybe a month or two then I will leave.” He honestly informed the alpha of who he was and his plan of staying with them.

“Hmm, straightforward. Good. I will let you stay but you will answer our call and nobody else.” Jace looked carefully at him since he was a vampire but he could not sense any danger around him.

“Understood, Alpha Jace.” Vladimir nodded in agreement.

“And there are two jobs that needed an extra hand which I hope you can do while you stay here.” Jace added and Vladimir smiled since he need an extra budget for his travel.

“I will, Alpha Jace.” he nodded in agreement while smiling.

“Good, hmm…then, you can stay over at the duplex house two blocks away from here. You two show that to him.” Jace added what was Vladimir requesting him.

“Thank you, Alpha Jace.” Vladimir sincerely thanked the alpha who sensed that Vladimir really meant them.

As their conversation was done, the couple took Vladimir out of the office and they were shaking hands while chuckling at the kindness they were sensing in Vladimir. But that laughter died down when Vladimir glanced to his left. The couple looked over to what caught the attention of their visitor and their daughter showed up. Ashlyn came back soaking wet and partially covered with mud just like him.

“YOU!” Ashlyn reacted as soon as she saw Vladimir and did not care about the presence of her parents beside him.

“Me?” Vladimir played innocent while pointing himself questionably.

“She’s beautiful even though she’s covered with dirt.” he thought to himself as he finally had a clear view of the lady that he just tackled.