23. Die, Die My Darling

I was on a high-top table in my shit kickers punk rocking the fuck out, dancing, thrashing, having the time of my life. I had never heard this band before and though they had the very raw edges one might associate with a garage band, they were fucking awesome. Perfect outlet for me, and they were lucky I was here because I was definitely going to pass their name around.

Some random guy was standing close, watching me like a weirdo and occasionally dodging my flying feet. He noticed me noticing him and took it as a cue to try to talk to me.

I couldn't hear what he was saying and wasn't particularly interested anyway, so I waved him off. He didn't go. I ignored him and continued jamming, but then he wrapped a hand around my calf.

"SETH!"

He was there within seconds, pushing and shoving through the crowd to me. He pulled the guy's hand away, pointed at me and distinctly mouthed, "Mine."

The guy looked up to me and I gave him a back the fuck up off me look. He shrugged and walked away.

I loved having my own personal body guard.

The singer onstage announced that they were going to play a cover. Mark and I gaped at each other as the song started and yelled, "Misfits!". I jumped off the table and jumped around with him, hair slinging everyone in its path until the last chords and a lot of feedback ended the song.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight!" The singer said into the mic, met with rounds of screaming and applause. "And huge thanks to Liz Collins for gracing us with her presence! That's a fucking honor right there." He held a beer high and I held up the shot in my hand before we tossed them back in solidarity.

I made my way up to the stage and introduced myself to him. His name was Iann-with-two-n's, and he seemed super nice.

"That was a hell of a show," I complimented as he handed me another shot and leaned back against the stage.

"Thanks," he smiled. "I saw you guys play once back in Austin. Fucking wild show."

"Is that where you guys are from?"

"Nope, we're actually local. I was down there visiting family."

I nodded with a smile on my face and nabbed a pen from the merch table behind me. I gestured for his hand and he looked surprised but handed it over immediately. "This is my managers number. She's great at what she does and she can help you guys go bigger."

"Oh, wow. Thanks!"

"No problem." I glanced behind me and Seth was a good twenty feet back, glaring at Iann. "I should probably go," I said. "Cheers?"

He clinked his shot to mine and we downed them. I waved and said goodbye as he thanked me again.

Someone else was gearing up to play, but I felt done here. I slung an arm around both Seth and Mark's backs and kept on towards the door. "Let's get out of here."

Seth was more drunk than I had realized. He wrapped his arm tightly around me and kissed my cheek sloppily. "Where are we going, babe?"

"I know a place!" Mark said. "There's another show a few blocks from here. Should be starting..." He checked the time on his phone, "right about now, actually."

"You guys want to walk or get a cab?" I asked.

"Let's walk. Wouldn't want Seth puking in the back of a taxi. I don't think I've ever seen anyone drink so much in my life!" Mark answered.

We were in Port Angeles, and not exactly the nice side of town. Here, the buildings were crumbling and dilapidated and there was seediness on every corner. Hookers grouped together in their heels and lingerie, peeking into car windows when they slowed near them. Thugged out dudes leaned their backs against buildings in puffy coats with dope bulging out their pockets.

Fortunately for us, a troupe of hooligans wasn't totally out of place. I really doubted anyone would try to fuck with us.

We were being loud and fucking off while we walked, just having a good time together. This was one of my favorite groupings; Seth and Mark were so much fun. Sometimes it almost felt like I fit better with the guys than when Ana came along. She was my heart and soul but I preferred our one on ones.

Mark started to lead us down a long alleyway, too dark to see to the end of. I was immediately sketched out, even though I was a witch in the company of a werewolf. Seth was probably too drunk to fight right now and I probably should avoid setting people on fire.

"Can't we take a different route?" I asked just before I took the first step between two trashed buildings with tags covering their walls.

Mark smirked at me. "I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

"I don't know who told you that," I joked.

"We have Seth. Nobody's going to fuck with him," he argued.

"Seth is drunk as fuck."

"Seth has to piss really bad," Seth said, his head flopped forward. He was leaning a little too much weight onto me.

I sighed, resigned. We were going down the alley.

"Don't worry," Mark said as he hugged me with one arm. "I'll protect you while he... relieves himself."

Seth separated from us and we continued on until we couldn't hear him going. I leaned back against the side of a building and lit a cigarette. I smiled mischievously at Mark and leaned close to his ear. "Are you scared yet?" I whispered eerily.

"Nah. I know you've got my back," he winked.

I started to laugh, and then stopped as an unease swept through me. I didn't know why, but I was suddenly frightened. "Did you hear that?"

"You're just paranoid, Legs."

A tremor rolled down my spine. "I don't think so."

"Want me to sing?" he offered. "If yo' gonna scream, scream with meeee," he started, making me giggle. "Moments like this never last!"

"How cute," another voice suddenly said. A tall, thin, incredibly beautiful woman stepped just into our view. "Oh, don't stop on my account."

Mark stepped to his left so that he was in front of me. "What do you want?" he asked incredulously. "Get out of here."

I had some knives strapped to my inner thigh... But I knew they wouldn't help us. I easily recognized that too-perfect, tinkling bells kind of voice when I heard one. This wasn't just a bad person.

It was a bad vampire.

"Mark," I said, keeping my calm. "Don't."

The impossibly beautiful creature slid down into a predatory crouch. "No, Mark. Please do." She licked her lips hungrily.

Her face turned serious and snapped to my right then, just milliseconds before Seth came running our way. He was mere feet from us when he shifted, causing the vamp to take off in the opposite direction like a frightened cat.

Mark was staring open mouthed, even after he turned around to look at me.

"Come on," I said, yanking his arm. He didn't shut his mouth but he followed, and that was good enough. We reached the end of the alley and I looked around, attempting to hone in on Seth's location. I was hoping the vampire had been smart enough to just take to the rooftops and get the fuck out of dodge.

We crossed the street and went down yet another corridor between buildings until we reached a large dumpster with a very naked Seth behind it.

"Oh, shit," I said, trying not to laugh. "I guess I should go get you some pants, huh?"

"Please," he said through tightly clenched teeth.

I squeezed into the space with him and rubbed his arm. "Did you kill her, baby?"

"No," he growled. "She got away from me. Way too many people around here."

I popped up onto my tip-toes and gave him a kiss. "I'll go find you something to wear."

I was already walking away when I heard him tell Mark to stay with me. He caught up and kept glancing back and forth from me to his feet until he settled on just staring at me. "That was Seth," he finally said.

"It was."

"And the woman?"

My face fell. "She's... something else." He deserved to know, but he might die for it. I'd already been over this scenario. "Is that where you were taking us?" I asked, pointing to another hole in the wall club. The only stores near here were gas stations and convenience stores; definitely not a place for pants.

"Um... yeah," he answered after a moment.

I lead him over to it and stopped him near the door. "Wait for me out here. I'll only be a minute."

I dug my i.d. out but the door guy stopped me, smiled, and opened the door.

I went inside and the place was totally rocking. I definitely would have hung around for a while under different circumstances. My eyes roamed the edges of the room before my feet had to carry me in deeper. There were tons of t-shirts available, but so far no pants. Not until I was all the way in the back.

Unfortunately for Seth, the pants were capri-style sweats in women's sizes, and the left leg was emblazoned with the words "Nasty Girl" in a deep red.

I bought them anyway, along with a three xl shirt for him and a little baby doll tee for myself.

I found Mark right where I'd left him, and he silently followed me back.

I tossed the clothes to Seth and he put them on without looking, then stepped around the dumpster and into full view. Mark started laughing his ass off immediately while I unsuccessfully tried to hold it in.

"You're a nasty girl!" Mark yelled, bent over at the waist.

"Only you could manage to still look sexy wearing that," I said, and I really meant it. Something about the way those pants were fitting him was making me wet.

He came closer and smacked Mark's arm. "You're just jealous of my style," he laughed.

"Let's get the fuck out of here before we get attacked again," I told them seriously. The night had turned from fun to terrifying to funny, and funny was a good note to end on.

We started towards the street and Mark swung around and stopped in front of us. "So, yeah," he started, looking Seth up and down. "Why didn't anybody tell me that Seth was a fucking werewolf?"

"I wasn't allowed!" I said quickly. I trusted Mark; I would have told him had I been allowed to.

"No one outside of the pack is supposed to know," Seth said.

"The pack? There's more of you," Mark said, excitement burning hot in his green eyes.

"You can't tell anyone," Seth warned.

"Dude. I wouldn't do that." He put a hand on Seth's shoulder. "Secret's safe."

I saw a cab headed our way and stopped to hail it. I was beyond ready to get home, get these clothes off and to be in bed with my man.

The cab driver stared at us in the rearview. "Nice pants," he said to Seth.

Once I had my gorgeous man all tucked into bed, I headed out my back door into the cool air of the night. Mark was standing out here, elbows on the banister with a smoke hanging lazily between two fingers.

"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked without looking at me.

I nabbed his cigarette and took a long drag. "Why aren't you in couch?" I laughed. "I'm not tired. I think a good wind down is in order."

"Here, here," he agreed as he lit another smoke. "I can't imagine sleeping after... everything."

I bumped him with my shoulder. "You'll get used to this. You just have to adjust your view of the world."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "It's not like this is the first time for that."

I peeked at his face and was slightly stunned at the intensity of his expression as he stared at me. "Are you okay?" I eventually asked after a stretch of silence.

He shook his head a bit and cast his gaze to the wood beneath our feet. "Yeah. I'm fine." He took another hit off his cigarette and visibly steeled himself. "You know, it's just - "

The door behind us swung open and Ana appeared in a big, fuzzy bathrobe. "Can I bum one of those?" she asked.

"It's just what?" I asked Mark as Ana leaned her head against my arm.

He half smiled. "Nothing."

My face scrunched up skeptically, but I wasn't going to push it. "Well... okay. I should probably go to bed."

Ana snuggled me sweetly and kissed me on the cheek, and Mark gave me a huge hug before I parted ways with them. Seth was quiet as I undressed and slid into bed next to him. He mumbled my name and rolled over, cuddling me close as I drifted away.