Gracie - Sherry Foster Page 0,15
for a minute Halo. Hold me and tell me it isn’t my fault he didn’t stay. Tell me his demons were too big for us.”
Halo ducked his head down to look in her eyes. “How bout I show you his demon and you decide if it is too big for you?”
Gracie straighted on the couch and put her feet on the floor. “Excuse me?”
“I said—.”
Throwing her hand up she interrupted him. “No no, I heard what you said, but what I want to know is how you know what demon he fights and I don’t? I was the one who lay in his arms and traveled the stars. So how is it you know his demons and I don’t?”
“Probably because you asked me to watch the drone footage?”
“The drone footage? What does the drone have to do with—. Wait, that is why you want me to watch the footage? Because his demon is on there? And it isn’t another woman? A man? His new partner? But, if he is gay then why did he pick me over you? He could have had you.” She broke off and turned her head to look at the computer. “Do you mean to tell me it caught something? Which one?”
“You are not tracking well. I need you to watch the drone footage. The one facing the forest. And no, it didn’t catch him with another man. I wish it had. I mean, not for your sake, or even for mine, oh hell, just watch and you will see.” Halo told her.
She drew back and turned to stare at him a moment before turning back to the computer. “I will know what demon he fights by watching the footage?”
“You are scared aren’t you?” Halo asked.
“Yes.” Her voice little more than a whisper. “What if whatever you saw on the footage breaks me like it broke him?”
“Then I will put you back together again. I have done it before and I will do it again. I will always put you back together. You are my partner and my best friend.”
“Will you keep holding me while I watch it?”
“Girlfriend, you know I will.”
Gracie turned till her back was pressed against Halo’s chest and reached toward the computer. At the last minute she drew her hand away. Halo, feeling her tremble, reached over her and pressed play then drew her tight against him, arms wrapped around her.
Together they watched the video. As the man turned to a wolf Gracie gave a startled scream and tried to draw back but with Halo behind her she had nowhere to go. Lifting a trembling finger she pointed at the screen. “Did you see that?”
“If you mean did I see your man turn into a wolf, then yeah, I saw it. Was kind of hoping, even at the last, that I was still drunk.”
“I’m not drunk. I saw him turn into a wolf. So his demon is a werewolf? Am I dreaming? Tell me I am having a nightmare”
“You are having a nightmare.”
“Halo!”
He shrugged. “You told me to tell you so I did.”
“What are we going to do? Oh my god. I slept with a monster. Do you think I am going to turn into a monster?” Gracie shifted in his grip until she again faced him.
“Um, did he bite you?” Halo asked.
“Well, yeah, but he didn’t draw blood. Do you think it makes a difference? Am I going to turn into a werewolf?” Gracie’s voice, shrill, rang through the room.
“Uh, girlfriend, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, I don’t know anything about werewolves. They don’t exist.”
Gracie gestured to the screen, video now dark. “Clearly they do because that was one.”
“I was hoping I was still drunk and you would tell me I was imagining things while you threatened to shoot me or something for scaring you.”
“What are we going to do?” The look on Gracie’s face shattered Halo’s heart.
“Find him and, and, I don’t know, kill him maybe? If you kill the one who turns you then everything goes back to normal, right?”
“I think that is vampires. How do you kill a werewolf? Silver? What happens if I turn? Do you think he turned me into one of him?” Gracie’s voice trembled.
Halo stroked her cheek, the tear tracks still visible on her face. “I don’t know. Do you have a taste for raw meat?”
She blinked a few times before answering. “Nooooo. I feel the same. Broken hearted, shattered, raw, mad, but nothing that would, I don’t know,