We're all hiding something, aren't we? From the moment we wake, look in that mirror, all we do is spin our little lies, suck in that gut, color that hair, twist off that wedding ring. And why not? What's the penalty? What are the consequences, really? "I'm only human," you say and all is forgiven. But what if some cruel twist of fate makes you something else, something other? Who forgives you then?

-Aidan Waite

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The smell was intoxicating. The sound was deafening. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. I followed the man down the alley and swift as an otter in water, I raced up behind the man. I covered his mouth with my hand to stop him from screaming and sank my teeth into his neck. The thickness of the blood washed down my chin, sticking to my neck but the blood tasted so good, I didn't want to stop. And I didn't stop. Not until he was drained. Every ounce, every drop of blood gone from him. I let go of him and took a step back from him, letting the man drop to the ground with a thump. The fear washed up on me and gripped my insides. I didn't mean to do that. The impulse was too strong for me to control. I was just so hungry, so thirsty. My hand shook as I pulled out my phone and dialed one of my best friend's number.

"Aidan?"

"Yeah?" He sounded shook up too.

"I didn't mean to do it. It just happened. It was an accident."

"Calm down, calm down. Where are you?"

"Uh, in an alleyway behind Moonlight Bar."

"Ok, meet me over at Yasmin and Jupiter. I'll pick you up there at dawn."

"Thanks." I hung up and wiped furiously at the blood on my chin before running out of the alley.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEE

Every human spends a night or two on the dark side and regrets it. But what if you only exist on the dark side? We just want the same things you do: a chance at life, at love. We're not so different in that way. And so we try…and sometimes fail…When you're something other, a monster the consequences are worse. Much worse. You wake up from the nightmares. We don't.

-Aidan Waite

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I stood in front of my locker mirror, placing a stray of hair gently back under my headband. Aidan and Josh were behind me getting their uniforms on. Josh Levison. My second best friend, though I don't know how he's my best friend since we almost never get along with each other. But that was what Aidan was for. Aidan's like the only person who could keep me and Josh from ripping out each other's throats. Josh had brown eyes and brownish blondish hair. He was a werewolf that turned every full moon like last night. Aidan Waite. My first best friend. Tall, salty goodness, thick black as night hair, brown eyes, but pure dark, evil black when he vamps out. Yep, my best friend, Aidan Waite, is a vampire. Though, you don't have to worry 'cause he doesn't drink live anymore. You may think I'm odd since a werewolf and a vampire are my best friends but I'm a vampire too, so it's all good. Though there's more to my story. I'm actually a witch but a vampire didn't like my magic so she turned me. So, me being a witch and all, I tried to cure myself with a simple spell. But that simple spell went all wrong and went downhill and I turned into a dog. But I'm not a werewolf or anything. I don't change on the full moon. I change whenever I want. So, that's my story.

"Hey, you know there's a better way to do this." Aidan said. I pulled my white tennis shoes from the locker and sat down on the bench behind me.

"Do what?" Josh asked.

"Oh, I know." I sneered. "Be a better killer. A better monster."

"No, thank you."

"Yeah, I'll pass with the mutt."

"Or dignified monster." Aidan clarified. Josh chuckled as I slipped on my left shoe and tied it.

"You're joking, right?" Josh asked.

"You shouldn't have to run into the woods every time that you turn. And you shouldn't want to tear out everyone's throats." I stared at a man's neck vein as he passed me, listening to the blood pound inside, just calling my name, and waiting to be drunk. That man was just asking for me to ki—Aidan snapped his fingers in front of my face to draw me out of oblivion. I shook my head and turned my attention back to my shoes.

"Pretty sure the gang down at the Econolodge wouldn't take too kindly to me doing it there. So…"

"So, what about what I said?" I slipped on my right shoe and quickly tied it. "What about the apartment?"

"Yeah, it's perfect. That's a great idea. Let's do that. It's perfect. We'll have full moon parties. We'll invite the neighbors over and eat them." I stood up and stood next to Aidan.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Josh can eat the livers and kidneys out of everyone and he can leave the rest for us to drain."

"Or…We can look after each other like normal people." Aidan said.

"Normal? Normal, Aidan? Really? Have you not noticed the fangs that we grow every time we get near a drop of blood? Or the scary, stupid-ass mongrel mutt, monster that Josh turns into every month?"

"Aren't you tired of punishing yourself..." Josh sighed. "…squatting in hostels and hourly motels? Don't you ever just want your own bed? Besides, god! What do you do with a girl if you meet one, Josh?"

"And yet another gentle reminder of how badly my life sucks." Josh said. "Thank you."

"Seriously, would you just think about it? Both of you? This could help. The three of us." Josh stood up and locked his locker.

"How could four walls and a toilet possibly help this?" He pointed to each one of us. Aidan walked past Josh and slapped his shoulder as he went. Josh followed after him with me behind him. "And for the record, reminding that I haven't had sex in the last two years—" We walked out into the hallway of the hospital and a girl stared in confusion at Josh as we stopped in front of her. "Hey. Total lie."

"It's not." I said, shaking my head.

"Sorry." The girl said.

"No, he is." Aidan said. "Please."

"I am." Josh said.

"I'm Aidan."

"Hi." The girl returned the greeting. "Um, Cara."

"Josh." Josh introduced himself.

"This is Glaceon." Aidan introduced me. "She's not good with people." Hmm, I wonder why? Oh, yeah! Because I always want to drain them and leave them for dead, Aidan! "Are you new here or—"

"Yeah, I'm actually—I'm just filling in for…Rebecca." I saw Aidan stiffen beside me. "She didn't show up in ICU, so they called me in."

"Welcome, Milady." Josh said in an English accent. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling and shook my head.

"Just shut the hell up, Josh." I muttered.

"Yeah, I'm actually just looking for the nurse's station. Do you know—"

"It's second floor, left from the elevator." Aidan answered.

"Great. Thanks. It was really great meeting you three." She giggled as she walked away, obviously turned on by Aidan's good looks. I mean, who wouldn't be? If any girl wasn't turn on by him, they're obviously gay.

"Well, I'm off to the cancer wing." I said. "Because that is my job. And it's the reason why we're at the hospital. Because it's the closest we can get to of being human." I turned on my heel and walked away from Josh and Aidan.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNN

"How's the poor, little dopey mutt doing today?" I taunted Josh as I sat next to him on the park bench.

"And how's the failing witch, blood sucking, bitch doing today?" Josh sneered. I grimaced.

"Ouch. That one actually hurt." Josh smirked. "Oh, don't get too happy about it. You don't see me crying, do you?" Aidan came up from behind the bench and sat to the left of me. Birds chirped in the trees as silence engulfed us.

"Are you serious?"

"About what?" I asked. "You being a dopey mutt? Absolutely."

"Being normal, you mongrel." Josh lifted his attention to Aidan. "Or at least trying to be." Aidan sighed.

"Mm-hmm." Aidan hummed.

"I used to think this curse was what happened to me once a month. And I realized this—this—this is the curse: every day…sitting on a bench…watching people walk by…eating sandwiches, making plans, being…what I used to be."

"I have a feeling I should say something bitchy to that but I-I-I just don't know what." I said. Josh ignored me.

"I always tell myself: "Well, Josh, this is what…you get. This is what you deserve. This is what you are…Now." I can't do this…like this…anymore."

"Of course I don't cook." Aidan murmured.

"You don't eat." I laughed. "You drink."

"And I don't clean."

"That is also way out of my league."

"I have OCD." Josh said.

"Uh, my credit's crap. Just putting it out there." Aidan informed us.

"So, is mine."

"Mine's not." I said. It was silent for a moment then the three of us burst out laughing.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGG

"Took us a month, but we found it!" Josh exclaimed, running down the stairs of the house. I circled the living room, looking at every edge, every corner, every crack. Aidan came out of the kitchen, shaking sewage from his hand. Josh stopped in his tracks and looked from me to Aidan and back again. "There's a view."

"Of an alley." Aidan said. "The plumbing's beat to hell."

"Go upstairs. You can see a building that can see water." Aidan and I stared at him like he was crazy. "It's—there's a reflection." Aidan and I laughed at him.

"I'm going with Aidan on this one, Josh." I said. "We can find another house."

"Look at those windows." Josh pointed to shutters that had a window seat. I cocked my head to the side and looked at it in thought. It would be a nice place to write my stories.

"It would be great to write my stories there."

"I mean, you could rest a pie on those sills."

"And you just ruined that idea."

"Yeah, you could if you were an eighty year old woman." Aidan scoffed.

"This place is amazing, Aidan." Josh said. "You know it. I want it."

"Just play it cool, ok?"

"Totally."

"You sure?"

"Got it!" Josh chuckled.

"Glaceon, what you think?" I looked around the room again and clicked my tongue in thought. "Glacey?" I turned to Aidan and Josh.

"Sure, what the hell do we have to lose?" I muttered. We walked outside and down the steps to the landlord, Danny.

"So?" Danny asked. "What do you guys think?"

"Well, honestly, it's a little dark." Aidan said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah."

"Which a coat of light paint can help." Josh said. "A lamp." He turned to Aidan and me. "You like dark."

"Oh, that's really funny, Josh. Well, you can—" Aidan elbowed me in the side to shut me up.

"And the plumbing is a little bit—" Aidan began.

"Look, I know." Danny said. "I keep meaning to fix that."

"Which we can help with." Josh said. "I mean, what are weekends for?"

"Sleeping in." I muttered which caused me to get elbow to the side by Aidan.

"Look, truth is, there was an engaged couple living here. All right? They started fixing the place up. Things didn't work out."

"What, they split?" Aidan asked.

"Yeah, sort of. She died."

"Who died?" Josh asked.

"The girl, you idiot." I sighed. "Keyword, she." Aidan elbowed me again, harder this time, causing me to groan in pain.

"In the house? Shouldn't you have mentioned this in your ad?"

"Well, I don't know." Danny confessed. "Do people do that?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Aidan said.

"Look, if you don't want the place—"

"It's fine?" Josh questioned Aidan.

"People die." Aidan said.

"In old age homes, car accidents. Not with their heads lodged in my future oven."

"Josh."

"Yeah, um…" Danny's trailed off for a moment. "She was my fiancée." I closed my eyes and sighed.

"God, Josh, how much stupider can you get?" I muttered. Aidan didn't even elbow me then. Obviously because he must have agreed with me.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Josh said.

"Look, I probably should have mentioned that." Danny confessed. "It's just, um…I don't come back here much."

"And that's why you're, uh, out here?" Aidan asked. Now, if that was Josh saying that I probably would have said something smart ass to him. But it was Aidan who spoke and who wants to be a smart ass to him? I respect Aidan. I wouldn't do that to him.

"Look, you three seem all right. I know the place isn't perfect, but it's a great place for a couple and their daughter. It really is." Couple? Daughter?

"What?" Josh and I questioned him.

"What?"

"It's ok." Aidan said, shrugging his shoulders. I glared at Aidan.

"So—so look, I can come by on weekends and do what fix ups I can. As far as I'm concerned any furniture in there is yours. And honestly…I don't need a credit check."

"Really?" I asked. "From any of us?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, man, that's great because I lied to both of you. My credit's shit too."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH

I sat in the middle of the kitchen table, crossed legged. Aidan sat in a chair to the right of me, reading a magazine. Josh stood at the stove and tried to flip an egg from a pot to his plate but epically failed. I was too far into thought to snap something at Josh. I was trying to create a spell to get rid of my word block.

"Look at you, Julia Child." Aidan muttered, not even looking up from his magazine.

"Well, if you're alone in the kitchen and you make a mistake…" He imitated Julie Child. "…who will know?"

"Let mind and body soar." I spoke the words of magic. "To heights not reached before. Let limits stretch so you may catch. A new truth ex—" Something caught my eye from behind Aidan that stopped me from finishing the spell.

"What?" Aidan asked.

"Someone's in the house." I was off the table in seconds because of my vampire speed. Josh grabbed a plastic spoon from the drawer. "Really?"

"Where, Glaceon?"

"Upstairs." Aidan stood up and turned and headed for the stairs. "Aidan, Aidan." I joined his side.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Josh ran in front of Aidan to stop him. "Shouldn't we call 911?"

"You're a werewolf." Aidan whispered to him.

"Yeah, occasionally."

"Useless condition." I muttered before phasing into a German Shepherd and running up the stairs with Aidan and Josh behind me. We ran into the first room and saw a woman standing there staring at us. She was no more than twenty five years old. She had curly black hair, gray shirt and sweater and dark yoga pants.

"Oh, ladies and gentlemen, the Bobbsey Twins!" The woman declared. "I am god. I am everywhere. I drive all night just to get home."

"Are you trying to scare us with Bon Jovi?" Aidan questioned. The woman stared blankly at us, lost for words for a moment.

"You can hear me?"

"Yeah.

"You went searching for drug change under the wrong couch cushions, lady." Josh said. The woman began laughing. "I'm calling the cops."

"Josh."

"What?"

"She's a ghost."

"Shut up." She started gasping and laughing. "You're a ghost?" She disappeared and then misted back in front of us.

"Sorry, I don't totally have a handle on this." She said. I'm Sally. Hi!" She disappeared again. "Crap!" Aidan sighed and ran his hand down his face.

"Wait, what?"

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUU

"So, you—you—" Josh stuttered over his own words. We were down in the living room with Sally standing in front of the couch and us behind it.

"Speak, mutt." I ordered. Josh glared at me before continuing.

"You've been here since you…"

"Since I bit it?" Sally finished for him. "Pretty much." She started giggling. "Six months of a one sided conversation, me ranting, people just walking through me. Oh! For a month, there was these vegans. Like, this isn't Burning Man. You can shower."

"How did you die?" Aidan asked. "If it's not too personal a question."

"No, not at all, especially since I have no idea."

"At all?" I asked.

"I remember going to sleep. I remember lying next to Danny, and I woke up and there was this. Anyway, you three gonna go all Twilight on each other at some point?

"Excuse me?" Aidan questioned her.

"I know what you are."

"How?" Josh asked.

"Because it's all you guys ever talk about. I wanna be normal but I can't, cause I wanna eat people, etc." Aidan sighed and took a couple steps away from us. "It's ok. I'm cool with it. Believe me, the regular living are overrated."

"So, wait. So, stop." Josh said. "So, let me get this straight."

"Josh, I swear if you say so one more time, I am going to rip—" Aidan covered my mouth with his hand to stop me from speaking.

"So," I pulled against Aidan to try to tear Josh up but Aidan pulled me back against his chest. "You've been watching us, right? Just going through our things?" Sally nodded and Josh sighed as he sat down on the couch. "Great, great. We're living with Sally, the peeper ghost."

"Oh, relax." Sally reassured him. "I can't even move dust. And I'm not a peeper…much. I would have that mole checked out." I laughed into Aidan's hand. Man, I would had said something if Aidan's hand wasn't there. "You were a pre-med, weren't you? You should know that." Aidan laughed and let go of me to sit down on the couch. I sat down between Josh and Aidan.

"Well, I'm going to enjoy this." Aidan said.

"You were supposed to marry what's his face, weren't you?" Josh said.

"Danny, yes." Sally answered.

"Right, so," My hand reached over to rip Josh's ear but Aidan pulled me away from him and sat between me and Josh. "What don't you just haunt him?"

"Josh, just—" Aidan tried to shut Josh up.

"No, I mean, listen. I'm sorry you're a ghost and all, but if you're gonna spend eternity with someone, shouldn't it be with the one that you loved or, you know, anywhere but here?"

"I'm sorry." I said. "I wish I could say it's a blood sugar thing, but Josh is rude all the time. It's part of the mongrel monster package deal."

"It's ok." Sally said. "Josh, I would love to leave."

"But she can't bec—right?" Aidan asked.

"Right."

"You're not my first ghost."

"How can you see me anyway?"

"Well, think of us as sort of different countries on the same continent."

"Oh, my god." I laughed. "That—that was just so beautiful, Aidan."

"Yeah, we're Africa." Josh said and we laughed together. "Ok, so about this whole leaving thing, have you tried?"

"Obviously I've tried." Sally said. "I haven't been moping around the house, rattling chains, taking bubble baths. I would love to just open that door and magically walk into the life that was ripped away from me. I did have plans, you know."

"We gotta get to work." Aidan said and we stood up.

"I'll be here." I grabbed my bag from the window seat and slung it onto my back.

"It was great meeting you." Josh faked a smile at Sally. We headed to the door, Josh in front, me behind him and Aidan behind me.

"At least I don't masturbate to Nova!" Josh turned and glared at Sally before glaring at me as I tried so hard to bite back uncontrollable laughter.

"I would say something, but I'm afraid I'll die of laughter." I said.

"You're already dead." Josh said, heading out the door with me and Aidan behind him.

"At least I don't masturbate to Nova!" I broke out laughing. I couldn't hold it in.

"Oh, that's right. You masturbate to a picture of Aidan, don't you?" I stopped laughing and walking to glare at Josh as my cheeks flushed a rosy color.

"Come on, we got to go to work."

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MM

I turned the corner to an alley that was a shortcut home. A figure walked out of the shadows and into the only light in the alleyway, hands stuffed in leather pockets.

"Glameow." I recognized the face.

"Glaceon." Her voice was high soprano, her long silver hair flowing gently around her shoulders.

"What are you doing here, Glameow?"

"I'm just here to visit an old friend. Am I not allowed to do that?" My cell phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket to read the caller ID. Josh Levison. I pushed ignored and shoved it back into my pocket. I turned my attention back to Glameow.

"What are you doing here?"

"The pack's here." My eyes grew wide. "Strange, I know. But not as strange as a familiar living with a vampire and a werewolf."

"I am not a familiar." Glameow laughed.

"Right, says the girl who changes into a German shepherd." My cellphone rang again and I pulled it out to see that it was Josh again. I hung up and put the phone back into my pocket before putting my attention back to Glameow.

"You and your pack need to leave. Familiars don't belong in Boston. There's too many—"

"Vampires, I know. Says the girl who's living with one of them."

"Aidan's not one of them. He doesn't drink live anymore."

"And let me guess, you don't either."

"I'm trying not to. That's why I'm living with another vampire. Aidan's helping me to control my thirst."

"Well, come live with the pack and we'll help you control your dog."

"Which one? Me or the mutt I live with?"

"You, silly."

"No, Glameow. I'm done with your kind. It's time for me to go home and it's time for you to leave Boston."

"Can't do that, sweetie. The pack's already here. And we're here to stay." She disappeared into the shadows. "With or without vampires." I pulled out my phone and answered my voicemail to listen to Josh's shaking voice.

"Glaceon, I need you to come to the room that…Arrrg!...Aidan showed me in the hospital. My sister's here and…Arrg!...the door's locked and…Arrrg!...if she doesn't get out before I…Arrg!...turn then I will kill her."