Flash Fiction Friday

"Surprise, Surprise" ©2006, Tempest Knight “Come out, come out…wherever you are?” The one with its guttural voice tinged with an Irish brogue shouted. “Yeah. We just wanna play with ya.” Yeah, let’s play ‘hide and seek.’ I hide while you overgrown mutts seek. Huddled behind the trash bins, I clutched the Glock tight. Their growls sounded closer. Or maybe it was the echo in the alley that made it so. Hell, whatever. Their claws scraped on the asphalt as they approached. I swallowed hard. I dared to peek through the small gap between the bins. Three large fully-transformed lycans stood on the clearing. Fangs bared, foam dripped from their jaws. My heart pounded so fast I could almost hear it. I closed my eyes and concentrated on slowing my heartbeat. Lycans had very sensitive ears. I didn't want to give away my position. Not if I could help it. “Here, witchling, witchling. We just want a taste of your flesh.” They laughed at their own entendre, and I rolled my eyes. Oh boy, a comedian. Suddenly something clang close to where I was hiding, and I held my gun so tight my knuckles turned white. My mind raced as I pondered fast my options. But what options? I was trapped in a dead-end alley. I looked at the fire-escape stairs. Go up? Nope. They’d catch me before I could reach ladder. And I couldn’t shoot my way out of here. I only had two silver bullets left. One silver bullet wouldn’t slow down an Alpha werewolf unless it punctured a vital organ – the heart or the brain. And there were three out there barely 30 feet away. What was going on? It just didn’t make sense. Alpha males seldom banned together. But tonight I’d run into a pack of seven Alpha lycans. I’d shot 4 before scurrying into the alley. One of the trash bins rattled, and my head up snapped up, expecting to see a fur face with yellowish eyes staring at me. “You can run, but you can't hide. I can smell your fear.” Damn. Game over. Trying to keep my arm from shaking, I raised my Glock and aimed. I only had one shot to kill the lycan. A loud yelp pierced the night, and then all went quiet. I frowned as I strained to listen for any sound. Too quiet. Where the fuck did those fanged doggies go? “Ms. Star, you can come out now.” The French-accented masculine voice startled me. I slowly rose to my feet on shaky legs, my gun still held at the ready. My eyes widen as I gazed into the blue-in-blue eyes of the vampire I’d seen at the Café three nights ago. “Lucian.” I couldn’t keep the surprise in my voice even if I tried. “At your service, madame.” He bowed with Old World grace, and his white-blond mane spilled over his shoulders. “What the hell are you doing in my town?” Bravado quickly replaced my fear. I glared into those vampy eyes. This time he didn’t try to bespell me. Good for him. He tsked. “Is that the way to treat your savior, mon chere?” He leaned his powerful muscular frame against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He wore black slacks covering his long lean legs. The burgundy shirt hugged the muscles of his chest, the tightness of his abdomen. He gave me a boyish grin that would have melted the resolve of any other woman. Oh okay, it affected me too. Just a little. At least that’s what I told myself as I walked past him. “Thank you,” I muttered. I hated to owe favors. Especially to night creatures. They had a twisted way to collect back. “My pleasure.” His voice was deep and husky. The kind that evoked satin sheets and hot sex. I shook my head trying to dissipate the images that were forming there. Did this vampire always have to make every word sound so decadently erotic? I glanced around and frowned. “Where are they?” “Who?” “The werewolves.” “I took care of them.” I bet he did. “I have to get rid of their bo…the evidence.” “I already did that. I assure you I don’t desire unwanted attention either.” I swung around and arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I bet you don’t. Somehow I get the feeling you weren’t invited, right?” He simply stared back at me with unblinking eyes, remaining immobile like a beautiful statue. I took his silence as a ‘yes’ and pushed on. “Aha. Just as I thought. Naughty, naughty. You’ve slipped into a Master Vampire’s territory. I doubt you’re here on vacation so that only leaves one option open.” Before I could blink, he shoved me against the brick wall, knocking the wind out of me, pinning my body with his. His eyes were like blue flames. Oops! Maybe I’d pushed him a tad too far. “You are very perceptive, Calista. I’ve always loved that in a woman.” His warm breath fanned my ear, his mouth hovered close to my neck. I couldn’t control the shiver that ran up and down my body. I could almost feel his lips touching my vein. He pressed closer to me, and even through the material between us, I felt every hard muscle, every line of his body, molding to mine. My skin tingled where we touched. “So you’ve figured out what I want to be.” “Master,” I whispered. “I love the way you say it. Maybe it’ll all be worth it just to hear you call me Master.” “Fuck you.” “That can be arranged, mon chere.” His mouth crushed mine in a fierce kiss. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breath. He was overpowering my senses with his drugging kiss. His fang nipped my lower lip, and I tasted the coppery tang of my own blood. I heard his guttural growl of excitement as he suckled my bloodied lip. A small part of me knew how insane this was. I should have stopped him. Instead I moaned, and he plunged his velvety tongue, then darted it repeatedly inside my mouth in a mindlessly erotic dance. He kissed his way down to my neck. Licking. Tasting. Then I felt his fangs scrape the skin close to my artery. Gasping, I pushed the gun into his ribcage. “Step back, Lucian.” With prenatural speed, he moved back to the opposite wall. “Or what?” He looked at the Glock pointed at him and grinned, showing his fangs. “You’re going to shoot me?” That reminded me of the two bullets left, and I sighed inwardly as I put the gun down. Besides, silver didn’t work with ancient powerful vampires like Lucian. Suddenly, the howl of a lonely werewolf broke the night, and the air filled with the howls of more lycans. Cursing, I swung around, ready to shoot. Lucian grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the fire-escape ladder. “Get out of here, Calista. Hurry. I'll cover your retreat.” Now the werewolves’ howls were edging closer. I looked up at his face etched with concern and hesitated. He shook his head. “No. Go. You can’t do anything here.” He was right. He could take care of lycans better than me. As I started climbing, I looked down at him. “I owe you one.” “Yes, you do.” I saw the glint in his eyes before he disappeared into the shadows and shuddered. -------- Read more flash fiction stories starring Calista Star: The Job Never Ends The Star and the Ghost