Page 17 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within
He started shifting the moment he cleared the door. His clothing ripped off his body and his wings unfurled, allowing him to take a massive leap that cleared the sidewalk and the parked car.
With a roar, he started grabbing bodies and throwing them away from Jack. The small man was at the bottom of the pile. Before Mason could check him for injuries, a massive gray wolf jumped at him, snapping and snarling.
Standing over Jack, Mason roared at the wolf. Four more wolves joined the first one, all showing long, glistening teeth.
“You will not hurt him!” Mason declared, slapping his tail against the ground.
“Mason,” Jack said, sitting up. “They’re friends.”
“Friends don’t attack you,” Mason retorted. He didn’t know what was going on, but he’d keep Jack safe from these wolf shifters.
“What’s going on out here?” Anatoly said. He stepped into the street wearing nothing but a robe. A mountain lion the size ofa black bear ran up to stand next to him, swishing his tail as if excited to get involved in a fight. It was Zan, ready to help Mason and Jack.
“These mutts attacked Jack,” Mason explained. A sixth wolf tried to sneak up behind him and grab hold of Jack’s pant leg to drag him away, but Mason swiped his tail and sent the wolf flying.
“No, don’t do that,” Jack said, standing up and putting himself between Mason and the wolves. “Please don’t hurt them. They’d never hurt me!”
“I’m confused,” Anatoly said. “And I’m angry. I was in bed enjoying my flock and now I’m outside dealing with all of you! Everyone, inside now!”
Mason thought Anatoly might’ve used some of his thrall because the wolves all backed off a little and calmed down. They started to move to Joy’s front door, but Jack’s angry voice stopped them.
“Don’t you dare use thrall on my wolves!”
Mason took a step back, his jaw dropping as the young man stepped between Anatoly and the wolves. Jack’s top lip was pulled back to reveal long fangs glinting in the artificial street lights.
“Jack?” Mason said, his wings going limp as he tried to process what he was seeing. “You’re a vampire?”
Jack didn’t answer him, only continued to glare at Anatoly. “Release my wolves!”
Anatoly crossed his arms. “You’re too young to challenge me and win, Jack Clover. Don’t make me destroy you and your pack when all I’m asking is for everyone to shelter in my building and out of the sight of humans.”
Mason looked at Anatoly. “You knew he was a vampire?”
Anatoly raised an eyebrow and flashed him a sardonic smile. “You didn’t?”
Still in his mountain lion form, Zan made a huffing sound that Mason thought was probably a laugh.
“Don’t mock him,” Jack snapped, glaring at Anatoly and Zan. “Gargoyles can’t see auras, and they don’t have the sense of smell of a shifter. If he didn’t realize what I was, then it’s my fault, not his. There was a human serving behind the bar, so I didn’t want to say anything too obvious in case there were other humans in the bar that I didn’t notice. This is entirely my fault.”
Mason’s wings lifted again at Jack’s words. The ruse hadn’t been on purpose to gain his and Skyler’s trust. The looks from Zan when they’d all first walked in made more sense now.
A car honked on the street parallel from them, reminding Mason that not only were they all outside, but they were making a scene in the middle of the street.
“Jack,” he said, waiting for the vampire to look at him. “Anatoly can be trusted. He’s sheltered Skyler for months and let me stay with her. Unless your pack attacks him or his flock, he won’t hurt anyone. I swear to you.”
One of the wolves shifted into his human form and spoke to Jack. “I’ve been talking to the alpha of the Lobo Gris. We can trust this vampire.” The wolf glared at Anatoly. “We’re reasonable wolves. Don’t use thrall on us again.”
With that, he nodded his head at the other wolves and they all trotted into Joy. Skyler was standing in the doorway, and she quickly stepped back to let them in.
Mason didn’t like Skyler being alone with all those wolves, but he also didn’t want to leave Jack in the street. Thankfully Zan trotted into the bar right behind the wolves. Zan would watch out for Skyler.
That left Anatoly, Jack, one of the shifters, and Mason in the street.
“Gentlemen?” Anatoly said, gesturing to the bar.
“Mason, you go first,” Jack said, keeping his gaze on Anatoly, as if the vampire was going to attack Mason the moment he turned his back.
No one ever tried to protect Mason. He was a gargoyle; his people were the protectors. It felt both odd and endearing that this small vampire wanted to stand between him and danger.
