“You must have some werewolf in you,” Julia said. “How do you feel about what happened earlier today?”

It appeared that Julia was done beating around the bush. In a way, Clara preferred the diversion as it allowed her to hyperfocus on a task at the expense of her own emotions. 

“Mortified,” Clara confessed. 

“Must be one for the record books,” Julia began. “Old enough to be my great-grandmother.”

“…I’d add two or three greats to that.”

“Damn! Are you older than Evelyn?” 

“You’d have to add about a dozen greats to mine…”

“So she’s robbing the cradle with a great-great-great-great-great-grandmother?”

“You’re going to make me cry,” Clara confessed. 

“Must be that time of the month,” Julia teased.

Clara took in a sharp breath before her emotions and reason reached the same conclusion. She burst out laughing and slapped the table hard enough that the phone flipped in mid-air before landing onto the mattress.

“Horsefeathers,” Clara said. “I needed that.”

“What was that?” Julia asked. 

“Slapped the table,” Clara said while blood flushed through her cheeks. Why am I feeling so warm?

Clara’s eyes began to fill with water. In that moment she could see past the monster and see the woman of worth within. 

“She has a beautiful soul…” Clara said while her lower lip trembled. 

“Why do I get the feeling you are being literal,” Julia said. “You two have something in common.”

“What’s that?”

“You both opened my eyes.”

Clara had been the one who killed Julia’s father in self-defence, the pack alpha, and started her fall from the pack. However, it was Clara who saved the very same from an attempt on her life and entrusted her to save someone near and dear to Clara.

It seemed to Evelyn taught the werewolf that corpses were not all deserving of being put down. Werewolves were the natural enemy of the vampire, which is why vampires rarely strayed from the cities. 

“I hear you’re a woman now,” Julia teased.

Clara smirked, because that smart assed banter was the Julia she knew. The werewolf had a way of getting under the skin of another, very much like she did. 

“How did—(you find out?)” Clara blurted out. 

The answer was obvious, Evelyn must have called Julia to let her know. The reasons for which were not necessarily obvious. That is until the phone vibrated in her hand. 

She unlocked her phone and saw the notification. 

Evelyn: I thought you could use the distraction. Gives you a good reason to open up with Julia. I know you’ve been worried about her. 😘

“Evelyn…” Clara said.

The last time a vampire bit Clara, a failsafe kicked in. Dozens of vampires ended up dead, and Clara did not want to take any chances. I’m not sure I’d ever forgive myself…

“So in a hotel for tonight until—(I figure this out).”

Her phone rang and her head snapped towards the source. She got up and slipped the phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket. Who actually calls me?

Clara looked at the screen and recognized the number. This was the phone she left for Julia, which immediately banished the contents of her stomach to the bottom of her toes. 

The last time she got a call from Julia it was a plea for help. Julia was seconds away from being captured, and Clara heard every frightening detail of that scuffle.

She stretched out her wings and sat backwards on one of the chairs while looking out the window. Clara was on the second level of the hotel, and she had a great view of the street below. Even in the dead of winter tourists braved these streets to find restaurants, bars, and entertainment.

“It was supposed to be date night…”

She let out all the air from her lungs and closed her eyes. None of this was Evelyn’s fault, but the situation was disappointing nevertheless. 

“I’ve never reacted like this to your blood before,” Evelyn protested.“I’m not afraid of you,” Clara replied. “I’m afraid for you…”