A New Orleans Threesome (The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf)

By Louisa Bacio

Chapter One

 

The echo of her own footsteps haunted her. The normally busy street felt too quiet. If Lily were in the woods, she would think that the animals knew something lurked, a storm was brewing, or a predator was on the loose. Right now, maybe the time of night was just odd.

Earlier in the day, she’d gone job hunting and discovered that most of the managers worked during the evening shifts. She’d filled out a couple of applications and set up one interview for tonight.

She pulled her cell out of her purse and checked the time—almost eight thirty p.m. She was close, and she’d be early, too. Her interview with the bar’s night manager was scheduled for nine, and she wanted to get a spot first and check out the surroundings.

She got the feeling she was being watched and glanced behind her. No one was there—just the empty sidewalk. A few streets ahead, she glimpsed the glowing lights of Bourbon Street. There, no matter the time of day or night, it would be hopping and inhabited. With more people around, she’d breathe easier.

The ball of her foot hit the pavement at the wrong angle, sending her ankle twisting to the side. She cried out, flinging her arms out for balance, like a child playing airplane, barely righting herself.

“Goddamn cobblestone sidewalks,” she mumbled. She needed to invest in some new shoes if she planned on staying long-term in New Orleans. The uneven “quaint” walkways in the French Quarter were pretty to look at but

hell on one’s feet. It didn’t help that most of her footwear were some type of heels, even her boots. It also didn’t help that no two sidewalks looked the same. Some were old bricks, others were lined with stones, and the most boring

were cement. Years of use and various hurricanes had worn down the surfaces over time, but not enough to make an easy walking path.

This past year at home in Seal Beach, the city had come in and shaved down all the uneven sidewalks in her  neighborhood. It made strolls much easier since there was less chance of stumbling over a rough spot, but it looked

like hell. Literally, on the seams of two cement slabs, they shaved down the material until it lay flat, leaving a discolored lighter view under the surface. In some areas, the stones

gaped after being sliced open in the process.

A rumble of music flowed out from behind her, and a flash of headlights illuminated the street. A car approached, but she kept walking. As it grew closer, her muscles automatically tightened. It probably didn’t mean anything;

they’re probably just being careful not to pass the pedestrian too quickly.

“Hey, baby.” A youngish man hung out the window. He wore a black-and-gold Saints hat low on his forehead. “You need a ride somewhere?”

Drunken laughter erupted inside the car, sending shivers down Lily’s back. She hiked her purse farther over her shoulder.

“No thanks.” She walked faster.

The car paced her. “Come on now,” the guy continued. “Don’t be like that. A pretty lady like you shouldn’t be out alone on a night like this.”

She looked straight ahead, hand fisted at her side, doing her best to ignore the comment. One more block and she’d hit the safety of Bourbon Street.

“Got a party you’re going to?” he asked.

“No party, just meeting some friends,” she said quickly, without meaning to respond. Always good to make them think someone’s waiting for you. She tapped into her selfdefense lessons. That if something happened to me, I would be missed.

Above her, a few gaslights glowed, familiar and comforting. The yellow light bathed her in soft bubbles of safety in contrast to the darkness, creating a disorienting effect. The next block, filled with For Sale signs and empty houses, lay in shadows.

The car revved past, twisted quickly, and then stopped in the driveway of a deserted-looking residence, blocking her path. Through the darkness she couldn’t see the face of the driver, only the whiteness of his smile. She considered

turning left and heading down to St. Peter’s, but that meant one more unnecessary block of darkness and they’d easily follow her down that one-way street.

Fear pounded through her body. Her heart hammered and the slight thrill of the hunt made everything, including the follicles of her hair, tingle. Her body throbbed, letting her know how good it would feel to unleash her power. If only she was able to control its fury. She tasted the strength coursing through her body.

It was as if another voice spoke through her consciousness: They mean to cause you harm.

She sighed, consciously wishing to avoid any confrontation. The palms of her hands itched, as if the magic scratched to get out, to assault anyone who dared do her harm. The guys were just out for a joyride, and perhaps they’d go a bit too far if pushed in the wrong direction, but what they weren’t expecting was her.

For this reason alone, she truly needed help. She needed to learn to control her power before she hurt someone, before she killed someone.

From the other side of the car, the door opened with a squeak, and the first guy stepped out. He leaned over the side of the Cadillac, giving her a once-over. They were at a standstill, playing chicken. She weighed her choices again.

To go back to the hotel was out of the question. It was either take the alternate street or walk straight through them.

“So what do you say, sweet cheeks,” he asked. “Ready for a little private party?”

More laughter seeped out from the open windows of the car. Tension vibrated through the air. Time slowed as they came to a standoff. The music shifted from inside the car, and “Love the Way You Lie” by Rihanna and Eminem flowed out, fueling the aggression.

Lily saw the guy flick his eyes toward one of his buddies in the car, then a smile came over his face. He looked back toward her, and her skin crawled with awareness. Time was running out.

Pushed in a corner, she let her mind race with any alternatives to violence. She hated being in this situation with no options. But physically, her body was more than ready to take over.

In the past, when her powers surfaced, Lily had lost control a few times. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. At first, it seemed like a twist of fate, those that did her wrong or caused some type of harm to her had a little bit of  karma head their way, and then the coincidences became too much.

The first time involved one of the workers at the group home where she’d lived. He preyed on the weakest in the home, taking money to purchase personal items and supplies and not delivering them. One girl, Cynthia, had bounced

from house to house and had suffered too much pain for a girl her age. Yet she still dreamed about finding a home of her own. That asshole set her up and made her think that she was going to meet a prospective family. He told her not to mention anything to anyone else in the home, or else one of the other kids might try to take the spot. Instead, he took her out to a park and had his way with her. Cynthia didn’t tell anyone in charge for fear that he’d accuse her of lying— who’d believe a kid in foster care anyway? She was used to being treated badly. He was just one more in a long line of broken promises. But in the darkness of the night, in the bedroom they shared, she told Lily. When he came to Lily with a very similar story, she knew what was happening, and she was ready. He would never hurt another kid again.

Not sure about this. She looks mighty fine. I’d like a bit of that ass, but Marco, he has a habit of losing it. Like last week with that other girl. Thought we were going to have a little fun, then he got all serious and cut her. Didn’t mean for it to go that far, but once he got started, he couldn’t be stopped.

The thoughts flowed into Lily’s head, like a running, uncensored dialogue. She focused on the guy across from her. The cocky smile on his face wavered a bit, as if he were second-guessing the entire situation. A bead of sweat dripped down from his forehead, down the side of his face, and he wiped it off his cheek.

“Who’s ready for a little bit of action?” another male yelled from the back seat. Marco, Lily thought.

Time had run out. It was now or never.

Fear pounded through Lily. She didn’t want to hurt anybody, but sometimes she didn’t have a choice. Sometimes, a little bit of hurt stopped a lot from happening. She tensed, ready to run. Running remained an option. And, perhaps, if she hoped and prayed enough, he—or they—couldn’t give chase.

The music pulsed, fueling their fury at the world and increasing her terror.

The creaking sound of another car door opening reached her, and she knew who the person was going to be: the crazy one. Lily tapped into his thoughts. He had grown tired of waiting and wanting and needing. She wouldn’t be his first, and if it were up to him, she certainly wouldn’t be his last.

Moments before, she had been afraid of the unknown in the darkness behind her, and now a real, live evil lurked right in front of her. Which was the worse of the two evils?

The one right here. Right now.

She held her hands out to ward off danger. A pulse of sonic waves flowed from them. Pure, warm energy shot through the air. The impact hit the car, as if an oversize boulder had landed on the windshield, and the glass shattered inward, showering the inhabitants with shards. The guy on the outside flew backward onto the cement, covering his head and face with his arms to protect himself from an unknown and unseen assailant.

The moment their surprised screams rang out, she ran, forgetting about the job interview, high heels now slapping against the pavement toward the one place to go for help, to the safety of humanity in front of her, and from the demons of her past.

…

As soon as the woman entered the store, Trevor took in her wide eyes and tasted the fear that clung to her skin and clouded her aura.

“What happened?” he asked first, and then, “Are you all right?”

Her body trembled and she kept her hands fisted at her sides. Something drew him to comfort her, and as he approached, she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest.

He held out his hands. “It’s good. You’re safe here.”

Whatever had happened, though, had already taken place. Her deep-red hair offered a stark contrast to her pale skin tone. Even all jittery, he still thought she looked beautiful—a woman in need. I could be her hero. Now where did that thought come from?

“I-I-I thought I was going to kill them,” she said. “They scared me, and in my mind I heard what they wanted to do to me, and I thought I was going to kill them.”

Trevor tensed, gearing up for protective mode. “Is someone chasing you? Should I lock the door? Call the police?”

“No. No, I lost them. It’s over.”

His instincts kicked in, as if she were a member of his pack, and he needed to protect her. If someone hurt her, he was going to kill the bastards, and he wouldn’t feel sorry about it, either. He steadied himself. The feelings weren’t warranted. He didn’t know her.

“Who?” he asked. “Who tried to hurt you?”

“Some thugs on the street,” she said, glancing out the windows at the streams of passersby.

He went to move, to go outside, but she grabbed hold of his arm. “Wait, they’re not there. It was down a few blocks, and after how I left their car, I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere fast.”

The way she phrased it made Trevor pause, and he opened his senses to her. She didn’t smell human. Despite being frightened, her body hummed with power. He better be careful around this one.

“Oh, yeah?” He smiled. “Taught them a lesson in manners?”

“Almost too much,” she whispered. “It felt so good. So powerful that I almost wasn’t able to stop it.”

“But you did, and that’s what matters. Given the choice, not everyone would stop. Some believe people like that need to be dealt with, no matter the consequences.”

She glanced around the store, taking it all in. “I’m sorry to run in here. I didn’t know where else to go. I’m Lily Anima, and I’ve been told that you might be able to help me.”

Well that certainly changed things, and put a different

spin on the damsel in not-so distress.

“We run an after-hours bookstore,” he said, a bit wary of her intentions. “I’m not quite sure how we’re supposed to help you with anything, unless you’re looking for some sort of rare first-edition release.”

“Listen. You have to understand. I only came because it’s an emergency. I need for this either to go away and stop happening to me, or to rein it in, before I end up killing someone.”

She took a step forward and stood directly beneath a light; the gold streaks in her hair shone. She glanced up. As if on cue, the bulb flickered, sending out waves of darkness, until it shattered, going dark. She took another step forward, high-heeled boots crunching on broken glass.

“Holy shit. Stop there.” His werewolf senses came alert, but he squashed them down. She didn’t seem to want to harm him. “Lily. I’m Trevor. Not sure why you came here, but you’re lucky it’s a slow night. I’ll lock up the shop, and let’s go upstairs to talk about it.”

Every so often this happened. Someone turned up in their bookstore, Pages, seeking shelter. His partner, Lawrence, had a history of offering a safe haven to wayward Others—those with paranormal abilities. They helped as they could, but usually Law made those decisions. Lily more than fit the description.

From her wrist, Lily removed a hairband and pulled back her hair. Soft curls immediately escaped around her face. Her skin appeared flawless, translucent almost.

Delicate veins traversed her chest. He averted his eyes. Ah, yes, Law was going to like her a lot.

“If it’s a bad time, I can come back. I was panicked and here was closer and safer than my hotel.”

“No prob,” Trevor said. He didn’t feel as laid-back as he tried to sound. Something nagged at his subconscious that letting this woman into their lives was going to change everything. Avoiding the broken glass, he went to the front of the store, flipped the sign to Closed, and knelt to turn the key in the lock. With a pull on the handle, he made sure it was secured.

“Remind me to clean the mess up—later. Follow me toward the back of the store, and we’ll go upstairs.”

“Hazard of being around me. I’m sorry. I’ll help.”

They wound their way through shelves of local history, cookbooks, psychology, and a full wall of erotica of all pairings. Trevor aligned one book before opening the door that led to their private residence.

Downstairs served as a mixed new-and-used bookstore, and upstairs laid a residential oasis. They lived in an oversize loft, what had once been one huge room. The space had been broken down into different sections: kitchen, dining area, living room, and sleeping quarters. Within the middle space, high Asian-influenced black partitions separated the area. Around the outside of the floor, they had installed walls to afford privacy in the bedrooms.

“I never would have guessed all this was up here.” Lily took in the surroundings with a refreshing amazement.

“That’s kind of the point.” He didn’t explain that it was better if people didn’t know. “Now, I’ll have to warn you about my partner, Lawrence. He can be intense. I’m sure you know the saying, his bark is worse than his bite.”

“Not sure if I believe that. He’s a vampire, right? And you’re a werewolf. Both known for their, ah, bites.”

Nonchalant, her words hung in the air. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. Well that secret was out in the open. “How do you know that?”

“I told you I came for a reason.”

“I’m starting to believe you.” She didn’t come off as a groupie. He secured the lock behind them and slid the keys into his pocket. “Honey… I’m home early, and I brought company.”

Within the time it took for Trevor to blink his eyes, Lawrence stood before them. His lover moved with an inhuman speed that still shocked him after all these years together.

“I noticed. Delightful.”

A soft hand pressed against his back, and Trev had the briefest impression of her energy flowing into him.

“Oh, you scared me,” Lily said. The lights above teemed and flickered, alternating between casting shadows and spots of brightness.

Lawrence made direct eye contact, and Trevor understood—when they were alone in bed, he’d be answering questions about why he’d brought an unknown being into their private living quarters without warning. For now, though, it was his job to keep everyone calm and happy.

“Tea anyone?”

His lover brushed his lips against Trevor’s cheek, and offered a strong centering point. No matter what potential changes this newcomer may bring, they’d weather the future together.

“You’ve been working all day,” Law said. “Relax, and I’ll take care of everything.”

With history in mind, what Lawrence promised came true. He was a vampire of honor.

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