Page 7 of Fangs and Family
‘Well, be ready for a “it’s not you, it’s me” story, or rather how to waltz from one trauma to another, giving yourself PTSD and trust issues. Certain things in Nina’s past left scars, deep scars that can trigger reactions beyond any reasonable measures.’ Sara sighed, and I saw sadness clouding her eyes. She looked at me, her lips tightened in a pained grimace.
‘Nina doesn’t trust men, but you should already know that. She was hurt so much by them that I was shocked when she allowed you to stay in her home. Her father… I didn’t know him, but from what she told me, he was an alcoholic who resented his family, and the only memories Nina had about him were the constant shouting and violence whenever he drank, which was often.’
I nodded, keeping quiet, afraid any comment from me would silence Sara and leave me in the dark.
‘She needed to escape that toxicity, and unfortunately, she grabbed hold of the first man to show her affection. It was fine… at first. When I first met Nina… she was different. A bright soul with a heart as big as the ocean, an excellent nurse who’d be a better fit for paediatrics or convalescent care than the emergency department, but no, she wanted to help. Needed to, I suppose, taking every shift, every holiday, every night no one else wanted. She was practically living in the hospital, eating from the cafeteria and working, constantly working. I only knew she had a husband because she talked about him constantly, how loving and wonderful he was, how he fulfilled her every dream, and how they were building a future together. She seemed so happy… until the day I found her collapsed on the floor crying as if the world had ended.’
‘So, he cheated on her?’ I asked, my voice distorted by fangs that elongated, responding to my anger. It was a guess, me connecting the dots, and I held myself back, knowing where this story would end.
‘Are you sure you can handle it?’ She asked, the understanding and sorrow in her voice instantly cooling my anger.
‘Yes, I need to know.’
‘I didn’t know what to do when I found her. Her grief was so raw I thought someone had died. Nina didn’t want to talk at first, but between sobs, she told me a man had turned up at her home and repossessed every valuable she had, told her their bank account was frozen, and she was issued an eviction notice. All that time, whilst she worked all the hours of the day to give them a good life, the husband she loved so much was throwing everything away faster than she could make it on gambling and his “special” friends. I think every brothel in Tricity knew him by his first name, but that wasn’t the worst of it. She thought it was all a terrible mistake. She still believed him, but as she was working, she got a phone call from one of hisfiancées. Her husband had two other lovers, and when the repo man came to her house, that bastard simply switched his home address, telling the other woman it was Nina’s fault, and the stupid bitch called to berate her. The day I found her on the floor, she was essentially penniless, homeless and with a broken heart.’
I held my breath, rage filling my blood. ‘And you are telling me just now? If I knew… What’s the name of the arsehole?’ I asked calmly, without trying to hide the menace in my voice.
‘No, Adam. It wasn’t my story to tell, and I didn’t tell you all this for you to seek vengeance. So no, don’t look at me like that. I know what you’re thinking because I know what Leszek would do if it happened to me. Nina doesn’t need that kind of trouble.’
‘Not your story? Then why are you telling me this now, Sara? You must have known… know what I feel for her. Aren’t you afraid of what I’ll do to get her back?’ I couldn’t help myself.
‘No, Adam, I’m not afraid. Oh, and the reason I didn’t tell you till now? You’ll find that out soon enough,’ she said with such chilling certainty that, for the first time, I felt afraid of the seer’s power.
1.Tokaji Aszú - Hungary’s most famous dessert wine. The legendary elixir. sweet, sophisticated, and historically sought. The wine is part of the compelling story of Hungary's role in the modern history of wine.
2.At’kar – “Beloved” is both the term of endearment and a mark of commitment between the vampires.
3.Stribog – in Slavic mythology, he is the deity and spirit of the winds, sky, and air.
4.Obsidian is a volcanic glass that forms naturally. It is naturally black and has a glassy texture with a vitreous lustre. It is also sharper than any steel blade and, in magic, is used as a crystal that wards off negative energy and channels magical energy in rituals.
Chapter 3
I’d been questioning my response toward Pawel for nearly a week now, the anxiety growing as I analysed every moment of the encounter. The truth was, I loved my brother, troubled as he was. I was harsh because I thought cutting him off would force him to mature, but he was family, and I might have left him without a sliver of hope for help.
What if he really was in trouble this time?What if his life was in danger because I’d turned him away, worried he’d spend the money on maintaining his extravagant lifestyle?
I look around my tiny apartment. One bedroom, one bathroom and living room with a small kitchenette area. That’s all I’d been able to afford once I crawled back to my feet. My ex-husband left me with nothing, well, except maybe a broken heart and trust issues after I’d been blindsided by all of his affairs.
In the beginning, this place felt like failure, with the dreary, mildewed walls and thrift store furniture gifted to me by my friends and the hundreds of stairs that turned each journey into a chore. However, I grew to love it, and after several painting parties, along with the colourful, mismatched throws I’d collected, it perfectly encapsulated my healing journey. Nothing expressed this more than the World War Two bayonet I’d embedded in the front door during one drunken pity party with Sara. She’d laughed so hard when, with much pomp and circumstance and an unsteady flourish, I’d punctuated the end of my wallowing, scaring my neighbours half to death with my enthusiasm.
I admit I had anger issues when I returned from Kosovo, and my distrust of men deepened after witnessing those horrors, but working beside Sara and the boys gave me a sense of family I’d never experienced before. Still, reality snapped back into place as soon as we returned, leaving me angry, betrayed, and fighting a messy divorce. Not that there was anything left to fight over, but my lawyer found enough evidence to save me from paying alimony to my freeloading, cheating ex.
Fuck! Why am I thinking of that again?I wondered, losing grip on my anger. My chest heaved, and my hands shook, almost as if I’d regressed to the time right after my divorce when I was a skittish, shaking mess of pain and betrayal. It had taken Sara’s help and a life-changing mission in Kosovo for me to decide no man would rule my life ever again. The teasing I’d received from my friend when I cut my hair and bought a motorcycle still made me blush.
It took me a moment to calm my breath before I stripped down to a sports bra and sweatpants, picking up the boxing gloves. The male training torso looked at me with empty eyes when I dealt the first blow, then the next one, and on till I was covered with sweat and panting, but the negative emotions refused to die down.
The last time I felt like this was when the god of woe and darkness, Czernobog, had nearly killed Sara. I’d seen the concern in Adam’s eyes when he saw me pounding my fists into the dummy’s body until tears blurred my vision.
I felt like he’d saved me when he grasped my hands, pulling me away from the mannequin. He pressed me to his chest, and for some reason, in those powerful arms, I could breathe again.
‘It’s alright, Nina. She will be fine. Leszek will take care of her. It’s alright, sweetheart, you can cry with me,’he’d murmured, and my knees buckled, unable to keep my weight before he lowered us both to the floor. It had been the only time since my divorce that I’d allowed a man to console me. To melt into his arms while he rocked me gently, wiping my tears away.
I missed him. Despite being an annoying, egotistical arsehole who thought he had a divine right to tell me what to do because the mighty Forest God made him my guardian, Adam had his moments.
I still remember when he saw me playing Fortnite, then rolled his eyes and took me to the middle of the room to show me someactualfighting moves.
I’d been so happy when I’d finally landed a punch that I threw myself into his arms, laughing like a madwoman. At that moment, Adam looked at me like I’d knocked away his blindfold, and he finally saw me, the real me, and he liked it.
