Chapter Eight

Interlude in Something Sticky

Nick

I can't believe I've let myself get talked into this. Of course I got stuck with the crazy chick. Good old Nick, let's push him around a bit, we all know he won't push back. Sometimes it really sucks being the nice one.

When dad and I arrived at Stonehaven, Clay and Elena didn't waste any time telling me about Faith. It was quite amusing actually, one of those rare moments when they completely agree with each other without noticing. Very rare indeed.

They told me that her name and her occupation, a so called Vampire Slayer. Can't say I've ever heard of those before, and Cassandra and Aaron sure as hell have never mentioned anything like it. By the time I thought to ask Jeremy he'd already barricaded himself in his office with my dad and it didn't look like they would be coming out any time soon. I'm pretty sure they were planning damage control.

So, I had to get the information from Clay and Elena instead, it's a good thing she was there because Clay, intelligent as he no doubt is not only has problems controlling his instincts but also his emotions. His message still came across loud and clear though, he doesn't like Faith, not in the slightest.

"What is she even doing here?" I asked when they told me about the strange girl I hadn't got to meet yet, "What were you thinking letting a human onto the grounds?"

"We didn't let her do anything Nick, she just wandered on in." Clay told me. I've known him since we were kids and I can tell when there's something wrong. "Elena and I had gone for a run and Jeremy was in town to grab groceries so we weren't here when fucking Jaime invited her in."

"That's not fair Clay," Elena's voice was softer than I would have expected, considering Clay just insulted a friend of hers.

Elena and Clay's relationship has always been a little odd, not only because werewolves generally don't have relationships and she still resents him for him turning her, which she essentially considers a major betrayal. If there's one thing you can always count on with Elena, it's that she won't brook any nonsense when it comes to Clay's behaviour towards the people she cares for, which makes for a highly entertaining time whenever we see Paige.

But this girl, there doesn't seem any reason for him to be so worked up over someone who is essentially non-threatening.

Sure it's not especially pleasant to have your territory invaded, but I actually have a fondness for humans, especially the ladies, unlike Clay who doesn't actively hate so much as consider them a general annoyance and waste of space. I really wonder sometimes if there's anything he actually cares about other than Elena and the Pack. And his books, freak of nature that he is.

"What's so special about this chick? How'd she find out about us anyway? And more importantly why should I care?"

"Erm… she sort of found out about us by accident…remember that mutt who was killing girls in Philadelphia? Well Clay and I went out to clean up after him and, er, she kind of, sort of…saw us," Elena has the grace to look embarrassed and I have to admit that I'm surprised. They're bitching may be irritating and constant, but Elena and Clay still make the best team we have in the Pack, and the combination of his brute force and reputation and her knowledge of all the mutts make them a formidable weapon. Therefore the fact that a human girl not only managed to watch them, without their knowledge and then came here to confront them about it, well, the mind boggles really.

"What is she doing here, why haven't you got rid of her?" I'm not particularly fond of killing people, pack werewolves don't kill humans unless absolutely necessary but if this girl knows about us she represents not only a danger to the Pack but the supernatural world in general and I'd say that situation warrants the means.

"We can't," Elena's reply when it came was short and flat, "she knows about us and she seems to have taken out insurance, told some guy all about it and he apparently expects regular updates or he'll blow the whistle on us. And anyway, she's not entirely human, or at least that's what Jeremy says, she hasn't got any interest in exposing us."

"What do you mean she isn't human? You said she was," I looked from Elena to very uncomfortable looking Clay. His behaviour is starting to make sense to me now. His every instinct is telling him to kill the girl and get rid of her body, to protect the Pack at all costs. But those two instincts are clashing and he can't do one without the other. Poor baby.

"I guess it's one of those things we'll have to take his word for," Elena answered me with a shrug, "I personally can't tell the difference. She's completely mental though, practically called on Clay for a shootout at high-noon. And he," at this she jerks her thumb at her nemesis/pseudo husband/bodyguard, "says that there are some myths he's read, which refer to the legend of the Slayer, always thought they were a load of old crap but it looks unpleasantly like they may have been based on truth."

"So, what are those myths?"

"The Slayer was supposed to be a mystical warrior endowed with the strength and speed of ten men," Clay's voice hoarse as he speaks, as if it's taking him a lot of effort not to go tearing out the door to rip the girl's throat out then and there, "Always only one would exist at any given time and they were supposed to exist purely to hunt supernatural creatures, things like us, to hunt them and kill them wherever they would find them. When one died, the next would be called, no matter what the circumstances of death they would just keep coming and coming. Always teenaged girls, they barely lived longer than a year after having taken on their new responsibilities. They're supposed to be a myth, they're not supposed to be real and they're definitely not supposed to be sitting in our fucking kitchen right now, drinking tea and playing hopscotch with Jeremy's stupid girlfriend!"

Ah, I think we've just uncovered the root of Clay's problem. There's a predator in the house, one that he is unprepared for, in the house with Elena, and with Jeremy. I'm seriously surprised he hasn't tried to kill her yet. Inside his own head, Clay is probably screaming.

It looks like he can see what I'm thinking because all he says is, "He forbade it."

Shit, Jeremy gave Clay a direct order. He doesn't do that very often, while Jeremy is the Pack Alpha he rules by suggestion rather than force. Plus, he's actually rather nice so none of us have a problem doing what he asks of us. But for him to give a direct order to Clay means that he's completely serious, we all know that Clay is no more able to disobey Jeremy than he can grow a pair of wings and fly to Uranus.

Actually, now that I come to think of it, there was that one time, where Elena was kidnapped and we had to drug Clay from freaking out. Good times, one and all.

"So exactly what is it you want from me? As much as I love you both I really don't think you dragged me in here so we could all catch up."

"Well," Elena looks up at me archly, I hate it when she gets that look on her face, it usually means I'm about to be taken to the cleaners, "we were wondering if you would mind very much taking her out. She keeps whinging at me about taking her out on parole or something and it's driving me crazy. I'm sure she's a lovely girl deep, deep down but I think it was a mistake to let her eat all that sugar, I swear she was doing handstands on the upstairs railing when I came out of my room earlier. It's creepy! Plus I'd quite like to enjoy some time with Clay on my own, and I can't do that because he's so tense that he keeps jumping at the slightest sound."

Oh gods above, I'm being sacrificed so Elena and Clay can go about their sex-life undisturbed. Why is it always me? Hurridly they explained that I should take her now, before I changed my mind and preferably as far away as possible, maybe lose her altogether. Also, I should keep her away from sharp, blunt, hot, cold and above all pointy objects and not let her assail innocent bystanders.

And now here I am, faced with the evil equivalent of the energiser bunny. After much sarcastic byplay she kneed me in the balls. Can't honestly say I know why, I happen to quite like Anne Rice; her overly dramatic romanticism is just endlessly amusing. In fact, I'm waiting for the day she writes about werewolves, my plan is to buy every copy published and wallpaper Clay's room with it.

Still, I don't think bad fiction deserves quite such a violent reaction.

I suppose for now, it would be advisable to just smile and nod a lot and go along with everything Faith has to say. That way, most of my essential organs might still be in working order by the time I take her back to Stonehaven. Clay and Elena owe me so big for this one….