Garren’s POV:
“And off we go,” I said softly after I had opened the door for Roxanne.
She hesitated for a second before getting out. Her gaze was fixed on my mansion, as expected, and that made me smirk.
The huge mansion ahead of us wasn’t a typical mansion that everyone liked at first glance. First of all, it was painted black, and secondly, the door handle had a skeleton design. With her werewolf abilities, she was able to see the place clearly despite it being very late at night.
The idea to paint it that way and in that color came from an interior designer and architecture friend I rarely associated with. He was so in love with dark colors, and I didn’t mind at all because the place was rarely used, so why not make it weird?
Also, there was something that a few supernatural beings knew about me which left them shocked, but with time, they got used to it. As much as I enjoyed classical music and formal wear, there were rare times when I was overwhelmed by emotions and turned to my darker side. I embraced dark-themed places and outfits. Killing, sex, and illegal substances were what fueled my drive to live more, and everything was just wild. The mansion became a well-known home to a lot of bad supernatural beings and people because it was perfect for illegal acts. Only when I was called back by the council elders did I return to my normal, calm, focused life.
“Shall we go in?” I asked, immediately shutting the car door.
“Yes,” she answered, then moved ahead as I followed behind.
When we reached the doorstep, she looked at the door handle, then back at me.
“Is this safe to touch? It’s not some kind of weapon, is it?” she asked as I chuckled softly.
“Do you think I would lure you here just to kill you?” I asked mockingly.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I was thinking that the handle could be a weapon that wards off intruders who would try to break in,” she answered, concerned.
“Well, thanks for your concern, but the handle is just a regular handle. Moreover, no one in their right mind would come here to steal anything,” I said simply.
“Why is that?” she asked curiously.
“Because it would be the death of them. All things in my house are protected by a witch’s spell. If anyone walks out with anything, be it as little as a spoon, they die right at the doorstep of this mansion or a little further down the road.” I lied, then smirked when her eyes widened in shock.
“So be very careful not to walk out with anything that’s a part of this place,” I warned, then burst into laughter, startling her.
“What?” She asked at the top of her voice.
“You know, for someone who is unique and brave, you are too naive. Like, look at the look on your face,” I pointed out as I smiled widely.
“Wait, was that a lie?” She asked, nearly screaming.
“Mm, I don’t know,” I answered as she angrily hit my chest lightly over and over again.
“You are a fucking meanie, Garren!” She exclaimed as my smile faded.
I moved my hand around her neck and leaned in when she halted her movements.
I was about to kiss her when I sensed someone’s gaze on us.
I pulled back and brushed my hand through my hair.
“How about we go in? It’s a little chilly outside, don’t you think?” I asked seriously.
She frowned and dropped her hand, with a sad expression on her face.
“What?” I asked in a low tone.
“Nothing,” she answered, and then turned and opened the door with a low sigh.
She glanced at me and opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself and went in without a word.
That’s exactly what I wanted her to do, go in. I could tell that she wanted to feel my lips pressed hard against her own, like I did, but I had to act dumb because I needed to find out who was spying on us.
In a second, I ran to the bushes at lightning speed where the culprit was hiding. Before he could run, I grabbed him by the collar, pushing him roughly against the tree.
He was breathing heavily and trying to remove my hand, which was pressed against his throat.
I inhaled deeply and frowned when I realized he was human.
“P… please,” he forced the words out as he struggled to breathe.
I removed my hand from his throat and grabbed his shoulder to allow him to breathe. He took in a sharp breath, then shook his head violently.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” he managed to speak out after a few seconds of silence.
“Of course I won’t, but you will need to tell me why you are here,” I answered in a friendly tone.
The man swallowed hard, then looked around as if hoping for someone to save him.
“Why are you looking around? Is it because you are waiting for someone or because there are more of you?” I asked loudly.
“Damn right we are,” a male voice answered from behind.
“Guys, run away now. This man isn’t…” I moved my free hand to the man’s mouth, shutting him up, while my other hand was still on his shoulder, stopping his movements.
“Let him go, bastard,” the man behind me warned.
I closed my eyes for a second and calmed down. By the sound of their heartbeats, I could tell that there were fifteen of them in total.
“If I do, what will you do to me? What exactly do you want from this place?” I asked when I opened my eyes.
“For months, we have been trying to break into that mansion, but no matter what equipment we use, the door or walls do not break. And when we were about to give up, you presented yourself. I mean, how lucky are we, boys?” he asked as the other guys cheered and laughed as they approached us.
So Roxanne was right about some stupid beings trying to break into the mansion. What a pity it was for them because what I didn’t tell her, and what they didn’t know, was that no one could break in no matter what because of the shield that was surrounding the whole place.
Anyone could reach the doorstep, but they could never force their way in unless I was with them.
“So, in short, you want to use me to walk into my mansion?” I asked.
“Whatever you call it, dude,” he answered sarcastically.
“Do you know what happens when I’m provoked?” I asked seriously.
“We don’t give a shit, dude. So let our friend go. You should be the one worrying because we have guns,” he answered.
“No, you are the ones who should be,” I said, then sunk my fangs into the man’s neck, ripping out his veins.
When his corpse fell to the ground, I turned and flinched in pain as three bullets pierced my stomach.
I slowly looked at the bullet wounds, then at the group of men who were wearing night vision glasses and carrying guns.
“Now I’m annoyed,” I whispered, then moved in flash movements, ripping their throats open with my claws before they could react.
Once I was sure I had cut every throat open, I stopped moving and looked at my bloody hand as their bodies all fell to the ground.
Luckily, the bullets weren’t that deeply embedded into my flesh, so they could easily be removed from the wounds, allowing them to heal.
“Garren!” Roxanne screamed as she ran towards me but stopped at a certain distance before reaching me. Her eyes were fixed on the dead bodies on the ground. When she looked up, I could see fear in her eyes.
“We are screwed. How dare you show our mate such an unsightly sight,” my lycan growled, displeased at how everything had turned out.
“I guess it’s time she starts embracing who we are. We are not like her, remember? Vampires hunt to feed,” I answered him silently, then held my breath when she ran into my arms.
“I’m glad you are safe and okay,” she whispered softly, surprising me.
Before I could respond, she pulled back and went down to her knees, pressing her hand on my stomach.
“Does it hurt?” she asked in a cracked voice.
No, it didn’t. It only hurt when the shots were fired, but that was all.
The bullets were already out and the wound was healing steadily, yet I still wanted to see more of her concerned face.
“I lost a lot of blood and right now I feel kind of weak,” I whispered.
She quickly sprung to her feet and pressed her hand on my cheek.
“Please drink my blood,” she said as I raised a brow in awe.
A few minutes ago, she looked scared, but now she was offering me her blood easily. What exactly was going on in her mind? I was dying to know.