Page 4 of Little Fangs

Misty pressed her paws into me, making heavy biscuits on my chest. Harlan chuckled, calling it a sign of love. I pressed my lips together, trying to keep myself from becoming emotional. It was something else I was taught—don’t let humans see your weakness, they’ll exploit you for it.

“Thank you,” I said.

Harlan got me a hunk of deer meat on a plate. It was delicious, even if I only sucked the blood juice from it, leaving the meat dry and tough. He laughed about it, saying I’d aged it, and something came over me as I laughed along with him. It was maybe the first time I’d had a laugh like that in years.

But that didn’t change anything.

I had to leave. And I had to rescue my friends at the manor.

There was no way I was leaving town or the state without my plushies.

Plushies I’d been afraid to name because my brothers would tear them to shreds.

Some had names. In secret. My secrets.

I’d rather die than live without teddies.

And maybe once I was away, I could find someone. A Daddy.

2. HARLAN

All types of beings lived within Willow’s End. It was one of those places where if you lived there, you knew what happened there, and you often never left. The rest of the world was boring afterwards. But I’d heard there were pockets of towns across the world just like ours. I wondered how many other humans had the same job I did, dealing with them as they held their rituals on fallen logs, leaving behind the wax of their candles.

Nobody spoke about it in town, but we all knew, and some knew more than others. I lived on a stretch of road out of town and into the woods themselves, practically isolating myself.

Micah was a vampire. He didn’t need to tell me what he was. It was between that and a shifter, and since I didn’t notice any fangs when he first opened his mouth, I couldn’t be sure. But there they were. Tiny, just sharp enough to leave their marks in the meat, barely a puncture.

He slept for most of the day with Misty on his chest or climbing around him. He clung to one of Misty’s chewed plush toys—an old, matted rabbit—as if she’d forced it into his arms, and the way she was around him, I was sure she had. He kept the blanket up over his face and I noticed the gold chain wrapped a couple of times around his wrist. It looked expensive. I made sure the lounge stayed dark until the evening arrived while my mind whirred with questions.

I was employed by the government as lumberjack-of-all trades. The Willow’s End woodlands were under my watch and authority in a sense. The role of a ranger, caretaker, conservationist . . . The work was important, taking care of the forest and the animals who inhabited it. Of course, that also went for the deer I was allowed to hunt, but each one had to be documented and reported.

Plus, I could make anything with my hands.

In the middle of chopping wood on the stump at the side of the cabin, I noticed Misty in the corner of my eye, followed by Micah. He was looking a little less beaten and bruised than he had been in the early hours of the morning.

“Hey,” I called out to him, setting the axe by the stump. “You better?”

“Yes, thank you for everything,” he said. “I should go.”

“No,” I said. “You’re not going anywhere just yet. You’re still looking a little pale.”

He smirked at me, hiding it with a hand, as if wiping it away. “That’s how I always look. Thank you for helping me, Sir.”

I shook my head, leaning the axe by the stump. “I don’t want you to leave until you’ve had something to eat, at the very least.” I approached him, tilting my head. “And maybe a bath, and—and something to wear.”

“You’ve been too kind,” he said, shaking his head. “But I should go.”

Staring him down, I didn’t care if he was a supernatural being who could pin me to the ground with his preternatural strength. “You don’t owe me an answer, but where would you go?” I asked. “I’m asking this as a courtesy, because you were on death’s door last night, and I don’t want to hear about you turning up dead in the morning.”

“I won’t,” he said, but I could tell from his eyes, he didn’t believe his words.

“Then tell me where you’re going, so I can at least look out for you if something like last night happens again.”

His bottom lip trembled. “Why would you—you do that?”

“Because you showed up here, at my door, and it’s my job to make sure this is a safe space,” I said. “That includes for you too, Micah. Now, I’m guessing you’re hungry.” I nodded and watched as he copied my head movement. “I’ll get you another buck steak, and I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be grilling mine.”

Once again, he smirked and wiped it away. “Thank you, Sir. I can—I can help you, if you need it.”