Page 27 of Fangs & Fur
The words don't quite register at first. As if I'm seeing Tyler through a dream lens where nothing makes sense or matters. I’m floating.
But then the sounds of the cafe tumble back into my ears and suddenly the weight of Tyler’s words press down on my shoulders, forcing my spine to compress and my hips to sink into the wooden chair.
“How?” I ask, barely able to breathe.
Biting his lower lip, Tyler looks just as bad as I feel. As he opens his mouth to respond, an ominous shadow falls across the table. I blink up at the figure who towers over Tyler. With those dark eyes burning into me, his tattooed hands creep across Tyler’s shoulders until they cup his throat.
“Are you okay, heartstring?” The man’s soothing voice flows across both of us, yet his words are directed at Tyler, who leans back into him and closes his eyes. For a moment, the man simply holds my friend until Tyler’s gaze meets mine and the color returns to his cheeks.
“Yes, Cole,” he replies.
Ah. Cole. The strange man who took Tyler home from the club. The same Cole who is apparently Tyler’s childhood friend, even though he looks like he runs five underground crime syndicates.
For a heartbeat, Cole simply watches me, but with Tyler nudging at his chest, Cole finally returns to his seat behind us.
“He’s a little possessive since the vision.” Tyler clears his throat. “I haven’t had one that strong in a very long time.”
I nod, but my heart still races as my question lingers between us.
“It wasn’t very clear to see. It was dark and there were so many people moving… fighting,” Tyler sighs. “But you… your neck was broken. And Xander was trying to save you.”
“Xander?” I sit up. “Was he okay?”
A sad smile creeps across Tyler’s lips. “I don’t know, but he was with you. That’s all I saw, I’m sorry.”
My brow furrows as I process the vague descriptions Tyler is giving me. I guess it never occurred to me that I'd ever be promised my future, well… death.
“And how accurate are your visions?” I hear myself asking as Tyler lets out an embarrassed chuckle.
“Not very. The future changes all the time. But what I do know is Xander is hopelessly in love with you.”
My jaw drops. “How do you know?”
Tapping his temple, Tyler gives me a cheeky grin. “Clairvoyant, remember?”
I smirk. “So you know he’s a vampire?”
“Of course! He was close with my dad when I was a kid. Xander would always bring me candy and sneak it behind his back before Mom could catch him.” Tyler giggles. “Most of the coven who grew up here grew up with Xander and the other vamps.”
“Are there other vampires?” I ask.
Nodding, he continues, “There’s a few that live here, but Xander’s friends have moved. But every few years they’ll come to visit. You should ask Xander; I'm sure he’d love to find an excuse to get his group together.”
I sit back in my chair and watch Tyler finish his sandwich. Cole still watches us closely, but this time I see the way he tenses when Tyler coughs, or when someone walks a little too close as they pass our table. I swallow and shake off the shiver that scuttles across my skin.
“Do you know when I'll die?” I pick at the edge of my napkin.
“If,” Tyler responds. “My vision was less visual and more… cursed. It could mean anything and will probably never happen.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. Up until a week ago, I thought vampires, witches, and werewolves were imaginary. So I can see right through Tyler’s backtracking. He’s sweet to try to dismiss his vision, but I can feel the table shake as his foot taps away at the stand below us and how his shoulders have been tense since the moment he saw me.
I sigh, feeling a headache forming in the back of my mind. “So what should I do to make sure your vision doesn’t come true? Is it a spell or salt across a doorway?”
Tyler giggles, “You’re clearly not a witch. But the best thing you can do is try to forget I even said anything at all. Less manifesting and more… ignoring.”
I give him an incredulous look but nod my head, nonetheless.
The shadowy cloud Cole emits darkens, and I smirk. “So, you and Cole, huh?”
