My days flew past me into the coldest winter. Rain and thunder roared over the glades and the valleys surrounding my neighbourhood and I appreciated every moment. Cloudy mornings were easier to wake up to. I wasn't assaulted by sunlight or the neighbour's unruly chirpiness while forced to stay active in the normal hours of the daytime.

Theia Alexandra's house was loud with new trinkets and bells she was buying or bringing out from her cupboards — alerted by my return home for the holidays. She'd ring them in the morning and burn some white sage to waltz around the corridors muttering to herself as if that alone was going to clear off my "bad spirits". I took it as calmly as I could. Acted as if I couldn't see her doing it and we stayed in blissful denial that we were rubbing each other the wrong way. It was too easy to pretend that not long before I went to university she was always on my case — telling me how wrong my existence was and how much bad luck I carried.

It didn't matter how kind I was, how much I did for her and the house that was crumbling around us. I learned to be less emotive until I had my own place and with that new power of independence I blossomed enough to just walk out of the room when she crossed me. It seems pathetic, even wrong to not answer back like I would with anyone else. It was just the easy way out.

Ari had healed up enough on her own, but once I intervened she was up and running again as if she hadn't learned a thing. I made her promise not to go chasing after vampires which she took great offence to but promised she would keep me updated on where she was, who she was with or who she was pretending to be for the day. I couldn't stop her from her usual antics so I warned her to not get caught doing something stupid. That I would not be fixing up her messes. She had waved me off as if I was being dramatic. There wasn't getting to that girl right now and she wasn't my main problem.

In this dreary month, I hadn't heard from Calix or the last members of the Mavros line, so I prepared for the possibility of being taken into court. What if his mother had convinced him to sue us? They have every right to. Not that I have anything they could take from us. The suspense of it all was too much and I didn't visit them to see if I could press the matter and beg for forgiveness. I was afraid of making any kind of wrong move that would inspire the worst outcome — not when Mrs Mavros was around.

'Look, Ari,' I said turning the stereo down as I drove towards the beaming lights of the city.

The mist was curling in thick silver tendrils across the road making this rotten night look eerie. It was such an awesome aesthetic that I would normally appreciate but tonight was not my night. Ari sat in the passenger seat in a cute torn mustard-coloured crop top and black pleather pants that look fresher and less worn out than mine. Her blue streak in her hair was bleached to pink and her caked face was staring excitedly at her phone. As far as she was concerned, the day I saw the Mavros' everything went well. I really believed that but now with no word, I would have to get us both prepared for what could come.

Of course, she was thrilled about this night out while I was freaking out carrying the burden of it all. I didn't have time to witness what Giannis' "boyz" night out looked like at club Penthouse, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back eight hours so I can figure out how the fuck I ended up agreeing to this outing in the first place.

I picked up an old job at an art supply store and my boss, Dora was mildly happy to have me back — I'm not sure she's the kind of woman that really noticed her surroundings too much. My friend, Martha and I had a lot of work cut out for us around the shop. Me being a nocturnal creature, living on little to no sleep, it pressed hard on my lower back and my brain to be a chirpy salesgirl in the sunlight. Martha was much better at faking it in the daytime, and it was a good thing too because if I was left in this shop on my own to deal with the customers I don't what I would have been like. Martha and I needed the extra money and we were a packaged deal since we were thirteen in high school. Dora knew this and welcomed us with open arms and a dazed expression. Martha took care of the customer service while I lumbered around doing the heaving lifting.

However, only a few hours into the shift Martha found me in the back and kicked the row of crates I was napping on. I pried one eye open startled from a bittersweet dream but didn't show it in my body and when her pastel pink bangs bounced as she shook her head at me, I sealed my eye shut. Therefore, she kicked the crates again and Lycius' saddened face drifted away from my dream.

'I'm awake!' I hissed as I sat up. The storeroom was colder than the rest of the shop and I had only meant to sit down for a minute. Naps really were a dangerous game.

'You're lucky I'm the one who walked in on you,' she said. She reached around me to pick up something while I hung my head between my knees. 'Are you hungover?'

'Oh, she's here today? Great,' I said ignoring the question. I didn't move from the crates, my body felt too heavy from exhaustion. I rubbed my eyes then lightly tapped the dark baggy circles under them and growled. They felt paper-thin. Everything in me felt fragile. I had hoped I would be able to catch up on some sleep-ins and enjoy the nights like I'm supposed. I was too frightened of the what-ifs and thought making some money would help. What a joke...

'You're going to get us both fired.' Martha dumped a box of paintbrushes on my lap and they smacked down so hard, I felt the crate sharply jut through my jeans into my thighs. She was mad, but not because of my daily naps. She knew I was hiding something from her and she did not like to be excluded from anything in my life. I couldn't tell her about Lycius Mavros. Not yet and not in the way that would give away the myth world and my place within it. Which was very small...

'I'm sorry,' I said. She charged out of that room with purpose, a purpose to alert me that she was not happy and would stay that way till I confessed all my sins. As she didn't carry enough of them already in her mind.

I groaned as I rose with the box in hand and left the storeroom a little more sluggishly. I put on a charming smile as my boss Dora met me in the middle aisle. She was talking, but all I heard was murmuring, husks of words bouncing off my face leaving behind a stale coffee smell. I nodded my head and hoped she wasn't telling me anything important until she brought up something that finally woke me up.

'Sorry, I missed that last part,' I said.

'Did you hear those dog cries last week?' Dora repeated patiently. Her hair was cut into an ashen bob, it made her look like she was wearing a wig, maybe she was. It curtained her greying face and I analysed the paint-covered apron over her white blouse and cotton black slacks.

'Dog cries?'

'Oh yes, it was awful. Everyone suspects there are rabid dogs in the parklands. I think there's something suspicious going on and it's got nothing to do with strays. All dogs deserve love.' She stroked her grey eyebrows, combing the hairs upright while she stared dazedly at my work apron. I couldn't read those thoughts shining those foggy eyes but I assumed she saw needy puppies in the splatters of paint of my uniform.

'Of course, um, whereabouts did you hear the crying?'

Her eyes focused back onto mine as if she had just realised I was there. 'Well, I didn't. People have been talking about the howling. It might just be gossip but, I don't know, I hope nothing is happening to those sweet creatures. They're very compassionate you know.'

'I do know.' Dora floated past me as she usually did, like a magpie suddenly drawn to something shiny and moved onto another object of interest shutting down the conversation instantly. Her ballet flats thudded loudly across the floorboards and I watched her hunched figure draw away before pulling out my phone, gently balancing the box on my knee.

Still no message from Calix or Lycius, but Ari was informing me of her whereabouts and sent through a picture of a big knife she found. The picture had her holding the tip of the blade close to her tongue.

'Where the hell did she get that?' I hissed. I tucked my phone away when Martha summoned me to the front of the shop. 'Where does she get the time?'

When I got out of the aisle I froze at the figure waiting at the counter chatting up a bored Martha. His solid muscled frame was made bulkier in a leather jacket, and his hair had grown lighter looking more chestnut than brown. In his back pocket was the swell of his huge wallet making his butt look like it was growing a tumour. I turned away and rushed back down the aisle pretending to not exist.

'Rhea.' Dammit. I spun around and acted shocked by his presence.

'John.' Instead of getting offended, he snickered and tagged along while I went about my job shelving everything. 'What can I do for you?'

Giannis batted his lashes at me, I didn't trust his new enthusiastic grin. 'It's what I can do for you.'

'This I have to hear. Why so cocky this morning?' He got all giddy in that boyish way at the word. He seemed to take my words as a badge of pride. Each to their own, I suppose.

'It's three o'clock, Ree,' he said.

'That's a late morning for me.' As I sorted out the products I plucked out some tools to hand to Giannis, any random sponge or marker to confuse him as he spoke about his weekend plans. I think that's what he was talking about. I just kept handing him expensive objects and he just kept taking them. 'So, what do you think you can do for me?'

'Make your dream come true,' he said and before I could retort with something creepy or snarky he went on. 'I'm going to take you out tonight.'

'Oh, finally, I'll get my sister to start the funeral arrangements.' I shoved the box of brushes into his arms. 'I can't promise I'm easy to kill.'

'Ha-ha-ha-.' He dropped the box at our feet in a loud thump and trapped me against the shelf with his arm over my head. I was stuck somewhere between the pastels and the sharpies. Nothing useful for self-defence so I crossed my arms over my chest to create some sort of fantastical barrier. 'I'm taking you to Penthouse tonight. Show you what a real party looks like.'

As quick as light, I said, 'Can't. Busy.'

'Liar,' he said still grinning. A migraine started flaring in my temple. What was this man's game?

'Martha and I have plans.'

'That's funny I just spoke to her. She said she's out with her family tonight. She made it very clear that you were free.'

'You're still willing to push me into this date despite my lie?' I said dryly.

'I never said it was a date,' he said in an AH-HA way that made me flinch.

'It's not.' I started walking again, or I was going to pass out from his perfume. 'If I feel like going I'll see you there.'

He stepped in front of me and the smug smile cracked. 'I'm not taking that answer.'

I realised being straightforward wasn't going to work on him. Therefore, I managed to whip up a charming smile because maybe if I showed that I wanted him he would be put off. I pressed a hand on my heart. 'John, you'll never be able to keep up with me.'

'I need a partner who knows how to move. You know how I am, I like to get real close...'

'Oh, I know.' I laughed nervously. 'But, I really can't tonight.'

'Alright, I tried to be reasonable.' He pulled out his phone and started searching through it.

'This is you being reasonable?' He didn't hear me or maybe he chose not to and brought the phone to his ear beaming down at me over his broad droopy nose.

'Hey, Arianna,' he said. My customer service facade dropped as my heart fell into my stomach. I could hear an excited voice on the other end making bile rise up my throat. I shrunk three sizes as my young and impressionable sister was invited out to Penthouse with the both of us. 'I can't wait!' Giannis said winking at me. When he hung up the phone he leaned over me, and I shrunk even smaller and boiled with a controlled rage threatening to boil over. 'I'll pick you guys up.'

I probably stood in that aisle dumbfounded until I heard the bell ring from his exit. Even then my eyes were tracing the shapes of watercolour palettes but not really taking the colours in. What just happened? He really used my own sister against me?

'Are you listening to me?' I said to Ari.

'Yes, sorry. I've got friends coming tonight. They're meeting us there.'

'Good. That's good.' It means we won't be left completely alone with Giannis and his pack of meatheads. 'But, we really need to talk about the Mavros'.'

At that, Ari's head snapped to attention. 'I thought everything was okay.'

'I thought so too. But I haven't heard from them.'

'So? Maybe they don't think we're worth the trouble,' she said not so optimistically. In fact, she said as more of a question.

I shook my head. 'If we could somehow throw the blame on Lazza then maybe we could get out of it.'

'He blocked me... But we could still blame him. It's the truth.'

'Lycius didn't see him .'

'He smelt him though! I remember what he said. Do you think he's still mad I hit him with the candlestick thing?'

'Let's just prepare ourselves.'

'How?'

'I don't know... You don't have to have a secret stash of a million dollars do you?'

'Great. We're fucked. Stupid Lazza. Stupid werewolf. He purposely misunderstood everything.' When I growled her name she scoffed. 'He tried to kill us! You! He's an arsehole. I don't care what I did to those stupid paintings. You can't say that it warrants death. He's a psycho.' I wanted to bite my tongue but the name-calling just didn't sit right with me.

'I remember Lycius coming to your defence when your friends wouldn't. Do you remember year nine?'

'That was different,' she snapped. 'Those were just everyday bullies and Lycius was a different person then. He was human.' She stuck her chin up defiantly.

'You don't think he deserves a little more compassion? After all, he did fight your battle for you.'

'Oh please, he beat up my bullies but paraded me in front of you like a big hero. He just wanted to impress you.'

'I doubt that.'

'Because it didn't work and you got angry at both of us for resorting to violence.' She snickered. 'That was probably the only time I liked him. When you two fought it was like watching two feral cats fight for a fishbone.' She didn't want to see Lycius as a person. Fine. I wasn't going to fight her on it. What she saw was a monster with his talons at my neck.

'If I ever find that parasite...' I said.

'Oh, no. I'm going to kill him. I deserve it. He went through my brain-he possessed me!' Ari kicked her feet up on her seat and bound her arms around her knees.

We sat listening to the hum of the radio playing in the background as the skyscrapers grew bigger. I took one hand off the wheel to hold my sister's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

'Did anything else happen?' I asked.

The city reflected off her eyes. 'No... He talked too much about himself. Did you find out what his connection was to the Mavros family?'

'No. Though, understanding very little, it's probably something petty.'

'Who do you think the other wolves are?'

'I wish I knew. Lycius was a bit of a minefield.'

Ari cackled. 'You mean he didn't fall for your charms?' She had curled her hands to her cheek and batted her lashes.

'Are you mocking me?' I slapped her shoulder.

'He didn't like your flirting? Or you shoving your boobs up to your chin?'

I slapped her hard again but she erupted into more heavy laughter. 'I do not do that. I have a little more skill than bouncing a titty.' At that, she started laughing hysterically.

'Maybe he's into poodles now.'

I slapped her arm again except multiple times between words. 'Don't. Be. Disgusting! And don't say stuff like it's very speciesist.'

'He's a monster! Why are you defending him?'

'It's a little more complicated than that, Ari.'

'I think you're just making it more complicated.'

'He was a werewolf in hiding and his family didn't like me. His mother still doesn't like me. Trust me, it's complicated.'

'Someone who doesn't like you? Shocking.' She paused and from the corner of my eye, I caught her smirking at me. 'You want his furry di-,'

'I swear on the gods, I'm going to drive us into a wall and end our misery now!' she cackled loudly at my blushing face.

I drove into a laneway and sought out a free car space a few blocks away from the nightclub. We left our coats in Theia Alexandra's croaky car and walked through to the main streets of the city. Here there were naked trees were lined up with branches curling in like decrepit fingers. The roar of partygoers leaving their bars — done with their predrinks — only grew louder as they fought for a club to dance their worries away. This piercing misty night fuelled me with newfound energy and I threw an arm over my sister's shoulder grinning.

'What if we ditch and go to Lah Lahs instead?'

'No way, I want to see what Penthouse looks like! Giannis says it's great.'

'You're going to hate it,' I sang.

'You don't know that.'

'Mm-hm.'

I adjusted my black halter top and stuffed my phone in the pack pocket of my pleather pants. My hair was pulled back in a high bun and I had chunky ebony crosses dangling off my ears. I hadn't shaved my armpits at all this month and I didn't bother in hopes that it would turn off Giannis. I had a black snake armband and a thick blocky choker around my neck that dangled little onyx teardrop beads down my cleavage. I had heard men avoid kissing girls with dark lipstick on so I dressed accordingly tonight, though Giannis was very determined hours ago to get me with him tonight. I'm not sure a glittery copper coloured lipstick and the usual thick black kohl around my eyes would halt his devilish intentions. If they really didn't, I might learn to respect the big brute. I stomped on the concrete with gothic platform boots that laced up to my knee. If I was going to have to fend for myself tonight, I wanted to at least be able to gaze over people heads for the clearest exit out of there. When women complimented me on the way over I returned the favour but in my usual flirty manner. Arianna and I gestured to those who made an effort tonight and looked amazing for it, and we avoided eye contact with ones that didn't make the cut.

I realised how much I had missed hanging out with my sister. How I didn't even have to finish a sentence or form a coherent one for her to know what I was talking about. We could be speaking to each other in grunts or aggressive hand gestures and know exactly what was being said. I couldn't stop holding her hand or linking arms with her. I think it was because we were so close to losing each other a month ago. It was easier to get along now that she was getting older and I was calming down a bit with my own bullshit. However, I felt her absence once we crossed the street to Penthouse.

This club was a double-storey building with the first floor open to the street below with its glass windows instead of brick walls. We could see how packed it was inside and all the neon pink and blue lights shadowed the bodies of dancers turning them into one big black blob of people elbowing to get across each other. I was surprised the music wasn't making the glass shake and groaned at the line up outside folding around the corner of a closed up kebab shop into an alleyway.

'I can get us in for free at Lah Lahs you know,' I decided to share knowing though that it was meaningless. Ari had already caught sight of Giannis and his friends in the lineup and the only way I was able to distinguish him was the violent way he was telling a story to his mates. Lots of hand gestures and pounding his fist into his open palm. Didn't need to listen to know what that story was about. They all dressed similarly in jeans and white shirts. One had styled himself with a fanny pack, and you know what? He looked great with it. He had it slung over this shoulder making it his distinguishing feature from the rest lads. As we drew closer I suppressed the shock when I realised I knew already them. The old meathead gang really stuck together all these years, huh.

I had kept one friend from high school and that was Martha but Giannis and his friends look blissfully unaware of the fact that if they wanted to grow up they needed to reach out farther from their friendship group. When the two friends looked at me both grew pale in fright and possibly embarrassment. Right, because I'm the embarrassing one in this boyband of clones.

'Bless your little cotton socks,' I said when I reached them. 'You're all still friends. That's sweet.'

'You know Halloween is months away,' one of them said. Bitch I am Halloween. But what was his name? Fuck. I couldn't remember. I don't think I could remember the other guy's name either. Martha and I always just called them Giannis and the Meatheads.

'You look like my sister's Monster High Dolls,' said the other.

'That's a long way of saying I'm fabulous. Thank you,' I said.

'See, I love when a girl can take a joke,' Giannis said. The insult wasn't bad at all but I'm always wary when a man says something like that. It was one of those little red flags and I just knew that behind closed doors these men said horribly offensive things and used each other for validation to say the nasty things. I could feel it curl around my bones — the dread of what might be said by this band of cis white men.

Ari went in to hug Giannis and he gave one back half-heartedly and turned to me to give me a much warmer greeting. I was too slow to say no and when he hugged me he pressed a wet kiss on my cheek. He might as well have doused my face with alcohol or worked as an alcohol wipe to take off my half make-up. He kept an arm secured around my waist as Arianna introduced herself to the others and I noticed that they too had downed their rounds of predrinks with the way they were swaying. I didn't particularly like the way these twenty-somethings were looking at my little sister and instinctively dragged Arianna back out from the line keeping my hands on her shoulders.

'How long have you guys been waiting out here?' I asked.

'An hour maybe?' the monster high one said.

Dear Gods. 'Let me check who the guard is,' I said.

'I already tried that,' Giannis said. 'Bouncer's on a power trip.'

'My sister has connections,' Ari said and the boys laughed.

'Oh, she got connections!' the monster high boy said.

'What you're gonna flash him?' said the Halloween boy and laughed as if he had shared the absolute best joke in the world. I felt Ari shrink into me, in fact, she curled into my arms in disgust while I smiled at the boys as if I was a babysitter caring for toddlers. 'If you do that they'll let you through for sure.'

'Apparently, I'm bad at bouncing my titties...' I said dully and Ari died for a moment in my embrace. Her laugh came out in a pig-like squeal for oxygen while Giannis and his boyz laughed in confusion. They heard titty, I'm sure that was enough to satisfy their humour. 'I'll be right back. You coming with me?' Ari was already leading the way to the front of the line gripping my hand for dear life.

'Do you think Giannis knows his friends are deadbeats?' Ari said looking around me to watch them.

'His friends are the deadbeats?'

She scowled. 'Giannis could do better.'

I didn't have the heart to tell her that the only difference between the three men was that Giannis was just very attractive. Even I could admit that and that was why he had gotten away with so much bullshit when it came to girls in high school. I couldn't speak for the women of today but he frustratingly only grew more into his godly features so I bet the wonderful women of this world were still making exceptions for this boorish man.

'You should be nicer to him,' Ari said.

'Even when he doesn't deserve it?' I waved to the security guard at the front and strutted up two steps to meet with him. Ari mumbled under her breath about how nice Giannis was but I blew her off and greeted the guard. I knew Paul from the Medallion Lounge where I would perform some weekends in the month. The club that Mrs Mavros' apparently has spies watching me or perhaps she watches me herself. Anyway, I suspected that Paul was a werewolf and that his security company was run by them. I had never directly asked him and there was no better time to but I would have to do this gently.

I hugged Paul who nodded to Arianna as I introduced her and we did the bland small talk about the clubs and when I was performing next.

I asked about his family.

'Great.'

I asked about his boss.

'The same, still a prick.' We laughed.

Then I pointed to the boys peering curiously over the heads in the line. Giannis nodded his head impressed by my connection. When he winked at me I tried not to gag.

'He's on the board in the office,' Paul said. Ari and I leaned in.

'Who John?' I said though I shouldn't have been surprised. 'Sweet old friendly John?' Ari scowled.

'Yep, we can let him through but he's on the watch list. If he's with you I trust your judgement.'

'He's not... Ugh. I'll turn a blind eye if you throw him out.' We both waved at the boys to skip the line and fly on through earning some glares from the people at the front of the line. 'What time of the night can we talk?' I asked Paul. I felt a warm hand grab my elbow and Giannis fitted himself between us. I scanned his sharp jaw and strong chin — yes Giannis was a very macho masculine man but there was no air of mystery or intrigue to draw me in. I didn't want to know more because there wasn't anything beyond the surface level that Giannis was ready to connect to. Or maybe all he was was surface level and maybe he was perfectly content with that. I knew what his intentions were against Paul, and I knew what would wait for me when I would enter that nightclub. I realized then that I shouldn't have let Giannis or Arianna bully me into coming out tonight and I should not have let Mrs Mavros bully me away into waiting this long for a solution.

'I shouldn't be here,' I said.

'Everything alright, Ree?' Giannis asked. His concern seemed genuine but again I knew him too well, I'd seen him with other women. I could write an academic essay on his predatorial ways of seducing women and an extra two thousand word essay and how much I hated that nickname.

'You shouldn't be here silly,' I said with a flirtatious smile. 'We'll see you inside.'

'Why do I have to be out here?' Ari complained.

'Ree's just being protective. Don't worry we'll look after her for you,' Giannis said.

'Fine.' I gave in and stood in a position next to Paul so he could do his job checking ID. I watched despondently as my sister all but skipped inside and disappeared into the horde of raging hormones.

__________

Hello lovely readers,

I'm so sorry that this update is a few days late! I just wasn't happy with how this chapter was going. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for getting this far.

Let me know what I can improve.

Let me know what you think of Giannis. He's kind of a mould of many different men I've met in my life so he is quite the character let's say...

Let me know what you think of Rhea and Arianna's relationship.

Vote! Comment! And share with a friend or a foe to make peace.