Chapter 1
While science has proven that stars are giant masses of gas, some cultures still believe that stars are the eyes of deceased people, while others say they are spirits unwilling to be born. But to me, they are like mesmerising sparkling diamonds, which makes me forget all my worries, makes me feel infinitesimally small in this vast universe.
Here I am miles away from city lights and noise, gazing at the vast expanse of the sky filled with twinkling stars, as if it holds the answers for all my problems, my worries, and even the restlessness growing inside me. I have an uneasy feeling that something is going to happen. Something big.
I have had this feeling since I received that one email. I have not heard from him in ten years. TEN steady, balanced years disrupted by one email. My mind swamped by wayward thoughts, memories, and faces of the life I left behind, the life which changed after one accident I wish had not happened, the life which changed me...
“You shouldn’t be out here alone; it is not safe.” A deep, familiar drawl with the hint of the west said from behind me, startling me out of my thoughts.
“You know I cannot resist this magical view,” I say, still gazing at the stars. “And I wasn’t out in the open for that long.” Tearing my eyes from the beautiful night sky, I turn around to meet the owner of the voice I have not heard in the past ten years.
He hasn’t changed. Standing tall with broad shoulders, he still radiates dominance. His dark brown hair is short but falls over his forehead, sharp cheekbones with a prominent jaw, which only emphasises his handsomeness, forest green eyes looking deep inside your soul, reading all your secrets.
“You look old, Natasha,” he smiles, revealing white, even teeth with sharp canines, where I know a set of fangs resides.
“And here I thought you were the charming one out of all your brothers, Slade,” I roll my eyes, smiling slightly, and walk towards him.
“Oh, I am very charming, you should ask Jane. But honestly, you know better than any human, to stand here alone is risky; what if someone or something else showed up instead of me? You should be more careful.”
Suddenly, he lifts his head, and a stillness surrounds him as if he were a predator scenting danger, and when he looks back at me, his green eyes are more prominent, surrounded by a red ring.
I open my mouth to speak, but he quickly pulls me towards the passenger side of my car. As soon as I am inside, he appears on the other side in a blur of movement. “You have the file with you?” he asks, starting and reversing the car in one swift move. “Seatbelt.”
“Expecting trouble?” My voice was calm, but I could feel a heavy lead settling in my stomach as I put the seatbelt around me. We speed past the grassland area, leaving the cliff behind covered in a blanket of stars.
“Yes, but they are still miles away, so we can lose them.”
Sighing, I lean my head on the headrest and look out of the window. This situation is all too familiar, but I trust Slade; we have had each other’s back one too many times. The memories of our first encounter play in my mind like a movie.
It was my first visit to Doctors Without Borders, and our camp was in a small town in Brazil near the Amazon Forest. At that time, I had finished my PhD in Genetic Engineering. My first assignment was to join a group of doctors and nurses in a study to treat a strange illness affecting the village. One day, two nurses and I were called by one of the leaders of a tribe, later I would know that it was a pack instead of a tribe, to treat their children who suddenly fell unconscious and comatose. The tribe leader was sceptical of our arrival but had reluctantly agreed to allow us into his camp upon persuasion by Slade. Slade Johnson had taken a keen interest in my research on manipulating genetic codes to cure rare diseases. According to him, “I heard about a young girl who got her M.D. at the age of 19 and then a PhD by 22. A new age genius. Well, I didn’t care about that. But I do care about your research. Because it helped me find a cure for us.” And by ‘us’ he meant werewolves and vampires.
I remember meeting Slade for the first time, inside a small makeshift laboratory surrounded by samples and instruments. I remember the first time I learned that werewolves and vampires have been living among us for centuries. My initial shock and disbelief were quickly replaced by curiosity and fascination. Blame it on my scientific side. I never once felt intimidated by the six-point five feet vampire breathing down my neck while I tried to figure out the cause and cure of the illness spreading across the tribe. He answered millions of my questions on supernatural, science, life, history, and even spirituality with so much patience that I saw him more as an encyclopedia than a threat. I still did not understand why they needed my help when they had Slade, a brilliant vampire scientist with almost five centuries of knowledge and experience, then me. Nonetheless, together we found the cure and saved those children. During my month-long stay, I developed a strong bond with the pack. And an unusual friendship with a vampire.
But I left that life behind, left those memories locked in a box and buried deep in my mind.
Until today.
Slade pulls up into a short, hidden path leading to my home. How did he know this was here? “You know where I live,” I meant it as a question, but it sounded more like a statement.
“Yes, Natasha, I know where you live. I have been keeping tabs on you, just to make sure you are safe. I honestly never planned to intervene until necessary. Like a life and death situation.”
Which reminds me, I reach behind us to retrieve my bag from the backseat. I pull out a few files and a USB flash drive and hand them over to him when he stops at my driveway.
“Here, these files have all the analysis reports and my notes, and the USB flash drive also has the analysis reports along with the raw data of DNA analysis. From the werewolf’s genome sequence, which we mapped all those years ago, I can say that you are looking for an absence of a DNA sequence which leads to imbalanced protein metabolism. But since I did not have the DNA of the near kin of the patient, I cannot be sure until we match both the sequences.”
“Thank you, Nat, this will be very useful, and I will work on comparing the sequences. Now go inside because I can sense them getting restless,” he chuckles, referring to my family.
“It was nice seeing you, Slade, despite the circumstances. I am glad you have found your mate, and that you are happy,” I say, smiling. I am happy for my best friend.
“It was nice seeing you, too, Nat. I will get in touch with you regarding the results. And if you don’t mind, I will secure the parameters and set a few security measures around your house, only to be sure,” he stares at me, daring me to say no.
“Sure, knock yourself out. I know better than to argue with you; keep the monitors or whatever you need me to keep with myself in the basket outside the back door.” I get out of the car and meet him in front of my car. He has parked my car with its front facing the garage door, blocking the view from the windows.
“Take care, Slade. I hope you find the answers you are looking for and that our paths don’t cross again. No offence, but I don’t wish to get involved and risk their lives.” I step forward to hug him. I have missed this sense of comfort and familiarity. “Good night, Slade.”
“Good night, Nat, and you too, take care. Call me, even if it is a hunch, okay?”
I step back and look at his face, the seriousness in his eyes confirms my gnawing fear. Our meeting and the ‘trouble’ he sensed earlier might not have been a coincidence. I give him a nod and make my way toward the front door. Before unlocking the door, I turn back to see him, but he is no longer there. I scanned the surrounding area only to find it empty; it’s like he was fickle in my imagination, but I know better. I quickly unlock the door and go inside, engaging the locks back in place.
