passed until Brenna finally managed to say in
a weak voice, "Holden, what are you doing here?"
He rolled his eyes and said
sarcastically, "Why do you think I am here Brenna?"
Aradia, unknowing of the
situation but hoping to ease the tension, chose this point to crack
a joke. "You're here to see the sights of Salem?"
Holden turned, and looked at
Aradia through narrowed eyes.
"The last witch I presume?"
he said, sneering.
Aradia did not even dignify
that with an answer.
Holden did not answer
either.
Instead, he turned back to
look at Brenna and said, "Honey did you really believe that rolling
with the last witch's crew would prevent me from taking you back?
Ha! Please. I maybe a bunch of things, but I am not that seriously
deluded."
Brenna said
nothing.
Take her back? Aradia thought suspiciously, what is he talking about?
Since no one else said
anything, Holden continued by asking, "So who is he?"
"What?" asked
Brenna.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh give
me a break Brenna, for three long years you bounce from one
relative to another in two months time all over the damn country,
but the moment you get to Salem you end up staying for more than a
year? Only reason you would do such a thing is because a guy. So
who is he? The least I can do is know what his name is before I rip
out his heart, and eat it in front of him!"
He then grinned viciously
while everyone stood stunned, not daring to breathe or move.
Holden, however, did not wait and began to move towards Brenna. He
was instantly blocked by Roy, Al, and D who stood protectively in
front of their cousin folding their arms with their feet
apart.
All of the brothers were
very formidable, but Holden looked at them as if he was facing down
a bunch of five-year olds. "Oh don't tell me she's doing all three
of you?" he joked crudely.
Roy took one threatening
step forwards, but Brenna quickly stepped in front of him. "They
are my cousins Holden, leave them alone!" she snapped.
Holden looked back at them,
and then nodded with sudden understanding. He then however asked,
"But if they are not the guys you have been shacking up with who
is?"
"What's going on
here?"
Everyone turned to the voice
that suddenly spoke from out of the darkness. Once they noticed it
was Xan, Brenna gasped. She then started waving her hands motioning
for Xan to get the hell out of here.
Xan did the exact opposite;
he made his way towards Brenna, and stepped in front of her. He was
now merely inches away from Holden, and glaring at him. Brenna
looked scared, and paler than a ghost did. For a while, no one said
anything until curiously Holden stepped a little closer to Xan, and
sniffed the air between them. Naturally, Xan recoiled but did not
waver in his intimidating position and expression. Holden's weird
actions, fortunately, lasted only for a second. Unfortunately, his
expression then turned from amusement to shocked
disgust.
"A vampire?" he said slowly.
"This is the guy you dumped me for Brenna? A vampire! My god! Have
you no shame? I mean it is bad enough you are lying flat on your
back for another guy, but for it to be a vampire. Dear lord! I
don't think I could be more insulted if I tried!"
"I would disagree with that
especially if you asked someone about your haircut," Xan muttered
loudly.
Another tension-filled
silence filled the room while Aradia looked over to Rhonda, Felix,
and Calvin. Quickly, she grabbed Rhonda's arm and whispered into
her ear to call the police. She then told Calvin to clear out the
club so when the cops showed up no one was arrested for illegally
occupying the club. As for Felix, she told him to go look out for
the cops, and warn them once they got here.
Her friends reluctantly
complied, and Aradia breathed a sigh of relief. She now had no
reason to fear exposure from the others. However, she also realized
that without the humans there was nothing to prevent Holden or any
of the other hiddens from engaging in a huge terrible violent
battle.
No one noticed them
Learning to Kill: Stories