Summer's Wolf

One.

I smelt her before I saw her. Now that may sound like an odd thing to you, but me to me, it was more then natural. I smelt familiar scent of strawberries and vanilla, shampoo and conditioner used for years, the same brand of perfume she always wore, the same washing powder, the same hand soap. All the scents that hadn't changed in over five years.
She didn't see me when I saw her, I stood against the dark back wall of the club, Second Nature, hidden from the thriving crowd of dancing bodies and inebriated youths spending their university funds on slightly over priced drinks. I was only there as a body guard, a bouncer to any of the club inhabitants, dressed head to toe in black, hair pulled back at the nape of my neck, eyes narrowed and hawk like. Noone dared near me and my fellow bodyguard.
Thought their attention was on our employer, where as my own had drifted away to where the familiar scent came from. She had just entered the club, looking exactly the way she had done when I'd left her life years ago.
Samantha Summers was dressed in the tightest little black dress I'd ever seen, it hugged her body in all the right places. Her thighs, hips, stomach and chest where on perfect form, curvy and ample. She'd grown from a awkward looking twenty year old to a beautiful twentyfive year old with such grace. Not that she hadn't been beautiful five years ago, but now, now my breath caught in my throat. Her face was the same soft roundness, framed by her glorious flame red curls, her lips full and crimson red with carefully applied lipstick, then her eyes, such a brilliant emerald green that I longed for her to see me and let me drown in them once more. I was staring. Badly.
So much so that the man to my right elbowed me sharply in the ribs,
"Kate, what are you staring at?" Noah hissed in my ear. With reluctance I pulled my gaze away and met his sea blue eyes, they where narrowed and locked on my face. Noah was a tad shorter then myself, hitting my shoulders, just about, so I looked down to see him,
"Nothing, Noone one, just scanning, like you," I knew I was stumbling over my words and that Noah wasny quite believing me.
"Im going to sweep the area, you stay with her highness," the smaller man grumbled, his bright eyes still narrowed as he stepped away from the wall and disappeared into the throng of dancing students. I huffed and glared at the back of his dark hair, before fixing my attention back on the client.
Her highness wasnt actually royalty, but she damn well acted like it. Victoria Gregovic was a high ranking vampire official in the city for business with the Supernatural council, but since she looked like she was still in her early 20's she wanted to sample the nightlife and grab a bite to eat. So to speak. Which lead to Noah and I being her bodyguards.
The Council employed all types of supes for all types of things, but when supes like Noah and I came into their employment, we only ever got the muscle jobs. We where Werewolves, once high ranking werewolves, but now simply bodyguards employed by other Supernaturals. Years ago, I had been the next in line to lead the British Pack. Which is quite a big deal in the Werewolf world. The British pack had around a hundred members, families, lone wolves, bitten and born, and I was supposed to be their new Alpha.
But as always it seems in my life, tragedy struck when my plotting Aunt, Vivian, struck out and murdered my mother, the current Alpha. This had led to the pack breaking up, my Aunts loyal followers stuck with her, muscling and forcing the weaker wolves, the omegas, into following Vivian. If you stood in her way or said no, you where mowed down by their force and brutality. So very few werewolves got away, myself and Noah included. My twin never made it.
In our escape, Vivian continued through Britain, claiming territory and wolves in her wake, till she had the Scottish and Irish packs under her iron clad paw. The British pack now stood at a total number of 300 or so members. Those, like myself, who escaped fled to Europe and America, seeking refudge where we could. It was a very difficult 3 years of our lives.
I was suddenly jolted from my thoughts as Victorias cold, dead hand wrapped around my wrist,
"Huh?" I cursed myself for the grunt I let out, glad the music was too loud for Any one else to hear,
"Him, I want him," The tiny vampire woman almost growled, her eyes, normally a dark shade of green now hinting red. Vampires usually had the same colour eyes as they did when they died, only going red when their blood lust began to set in. Much like a werewolf retained human eyes until the change when our eyes grow brighter and more distinguished. I scanned the crowd for where she was looking pointedly at the 'Him' sadly it was Noah. This wasn't unusual, for a Vampire to want to feed from a werewolf, our blood was apparently sweeter and thicker. Far more quenching then humans. But since we where in employment of the Council she couldnt feed of either of us. But again, it was common for a Vampire not to pay any attention to their underlings. Ingnorant bastards.
"Miss Gregovic, you can't feed off him, he's one of your guards tonight. That's Noah Snow, my partner," I grumbled into her ear, stooping almost half my height to do so,
"But I want him, he smells so good. Like fudge," I rolled my eyes and sucked in a breath,
"We can return to the Council and they can offer you a willing werewolf to feed from Miss," I said softly, trying to sway her towards leaving the club. Not only did I not want her to feed off Noah, but the smell of strawberries and vanilla was getting closer to me. So close that I fear Samantha was stood directly behind me.
The hand the curled around my hip confirmed that very thought.
Of course I jumped, spinning around and thrusting Victoria behind my back in a protective stance. I was her bodyguard after all. But the hand owner was Samantha, and she did look somewhat surprised at my sudden movements,
"I knew it was you," her soft face broke into a smile and my heart melted all over again,
"Er hi," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. Behind me Victoria was trying her hardest to tug away from my grip around her wrist, probably to get to Noah,
"Its been a long time Kate," even though Sam spoke softly and the music pounded loudly around us, I heard every word she spoke. And she knew it. Her emerald eyes where filled with an intense heat, locked on mine, keeping my gaze and focus on her. Only her. Her scent surrounded me, filled ever pour of my body, fogged my brain. Feelings that I had thought where buried deep where raising high, my inner shewolf crashing against my own internal cage that held it, threatening to let my animal instincts take over. I wanted nothing more then to gather the shorter girl in my arms and lavish her with years of unrequited pleasure I held within myself. But I couldn't. I was working. And the vampire brat who was my job was making life difficult.
Victoria was tugging at my grip around her wrist, her cold fingers clawing at my warm skin, I knew she was trying her hardest to get away from me and I knew I should oblige her wishes and let go, take her back to the council paid hotel and order her in a meal on legs, but the emerald eyes of Samantha Summers had me rooted to the spot.
Sam moved closer to me, unaware of the vampire behind me, pressing her body against mine. She was ALOT shorter then me, I measured at about 5foot 7inches tall, and Samas no more then 5foot 4inches, if that. But still her body fit perfectly against mine, her warm breath tickled against my bare throat, her hands skimmed up my side,
"You look exactly the same," she muttered, her body swaying slightly against mine, trying to entice me to dance with her. Wanted nothing more then to comply to Sam's blatant flirting, but the vampire brat was doing everything she could to distract me.
"Kaatttteeee, I want to leave," the drawl of Victoria's voice broke what ever was going on between Sam and myself, causing the shorter redhead to jump back as Victoria literally crawled around me. Dropping her porcaline skinned body over mine, the vampire smiled enough to flash alittle fang and the expression on Sam's face darkened,
"I didn't realise you where here with someone," the red head shot at me and my stomach sank,
"No, no, it's not like That Sam, I swear, its-its complicated," I trailed off as Sam turned her back to me, her little black dress encased body disappearing into the pulsing crowd, "Fuck," I grumbled, mostly to myself. Sam was the only good thing I'd ever had, and I'd screwed up, again. Damn it.
"didn't take you for a lady lover Kate," Victoria purred, dancing around my immobile form, I growled low. I didn't want to talk to Victoria. I wanted to run after Same, gather her into my arms and carry her away from this dank club and into the sunlight. But no, no I was here with a Russian vampire deligate, tasked to serve Nd protect. Again, damn it.
"We're leaving," I grumbled,
"But I'm having fun!" Victoria protested, pouting,
"Its nearly sun up, we're leaving," I collected her in my arms, lifting her with ease and throwing her over my shoulder. She fussed and kicked, but Noone paid much attention. Noah appeared at my side almost instantly, his eyes scanning the crowd as we walked through and out of the club. The Councils car was already sat at the curb waiting for us, Noahs doing no doubt.
I held back the urge to toss Victoria and her whiney ass straight into it, instead I set her back on her feet and let her climb in on her own accord,
"Sit up front Noah, she wants your neck," I whispered to my friend, and he nodded with no words, his dark curls bouncing slightly.
" Volki derzhali menya v bezopasnosti. Ne khotelos' pozvol'te mne okhotit'sya, chto ya khotel, khotya," my Russian was terrible, so I picked up few of the words that Victoria chatted into her phone as we drove. Something about the wolves and hunting. I had no idea who she spoke to, probably her sire, the great Russian vampire king, Mirak. He too was nestled at the council headquarters. I had no idea of what business the Vampires from Russia had to do here in an English city, but most of them where here, the king, his consorts, his lieutenants, like Victoria, all hidden away in the depths of the council headquarters, deep underground where the sun couldnt reach them. Nor their enemies.
The blonde vampire continued to jabber into the phone pressed tightly into her ear. I'd stop listening minutes into the car journey, as I stared out of the tinted windows, watching the first rays of the sun rise tickle the horizon as the silent driver monuvered the streets back to HQ. Students and drunken adults trying to clutch onto their youth stumbled from clubs and fast food bars, shouting and raving to no music. I was glad that I wasn't them, but in the same breath I wished I was. I wish that I didn't have to run and hide. That Noah didn't follow my almost blindly where ever I went. I wish that we didn't have to be employed by the council just so.we could step on our home soil saftey. I wished I could see Samantha and actually be with her, rather then break her heart, over and over. But my cards where delt, there was nothing I could except live what I'd been given.
The sounds of the car doors slamming jolted me back to reality, as I realised Victoria and Noah had left the vehicle. Following suit, I stepped out onto the Pavement infront of the council building. Nothing too fabulous, or extravagant, the Supernatural Council headquarters was simply an old battered, yet vintage hotel. It hadn't been a hotel for over 80 years, so still had the look of a building stuck in a century long gone. The main entrance had once been painted a beautiful crimson red and now it peeled and cracked with each season that passed, the main building itself had probably once had a grand fascia, but now it was a faded red brick colour, the windows boarded up, bricks missing here and there, generally the building gave the word 'condemed' a new meaning.
Thankfully, the insides told a different story, it was pretty much a building within a building. As we walked through the main doors, we where greeted by fluorescent lights and plush white carpetted floor. I always felt like I should remove my boots ever time I entered HQ from fear of dirtying the prestine floor. I'd attempted to the first time that Noah and I had entered the building, but our escort, a large demi demon, had stopped me with a snarl and grunt.
We made our way further into the building, passing silver and white doors, some with golden name plagues, some blank, till we reached the main door, where the 3 Council Elders resided. As we came to a stop, Victoria turned to us both, her green and red eyes scanning us intently,
"I want you both on my staff from now on. There's no point objecting, Papa will make it so," then she was gone, disappearing through the door.
"Well she's pleasant," Noah scoffed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as we turned away, heading for one of the other doors. I grunted in agreement, following his in near silence. Noah lead the way through a white door to our left, up 4 flights of stairs and into a room that was the entire space of that floor. The main cafeteria for the council staff.
The Buildings main entrance had many doors, that led to many places, up and down. To sleeping quarters, mostly downstairs, to conference rooms, and the like upstairs. Of course there where locked doors that so few people knew where they led, unlabeled rooms, hidden doors and just empty spaces that still belonged to the original hotel we where based in.
At the moment, the cafeteria was mostly empty, the usual guards hanging around until their day time shift began, a few stragglers from the night shift, most where like myself and Noah, from broken homes, tribes, packs and clans. No where else to go but here, under the watchful and protective eyes of the council.
"Kate, we need to talk,"