CHAPTER 12 - MEETING MAX

Before I went to find Fred, I made sure I knew how to get to Ophelia. I had been positive that she would be fine with us staying with her. As we grow closer, I'm not so sure anymore. Originally, I had only planned for two of us to stay with her. Now that there are four of us, I don't know how she'll take it. Especially seeing as three of our group are technically untrained newborns.

The street, and the houses; all look the same, but something feels different. A feeling of unease envelops our group. The sun has almost set and I can feel night approaching. I have to do this quickly.

I stop on a corner, a few houses away from Ophelia's. I can smell her scent and have been able to for a few miles. When I stayed with Victoria, she was always so impressed with my tracking ability. She said it was one of my best qualities and one that drew her to me.

I turn to the group. "Wait here. I'll come and get you. Please don't leave this spot." Fred nods and Bree and Diego echo him.

Here I go. I take a deep breath. Although breathing is unnecessary, it helps calm me down.

I reach the house in less than a second. My speed is a skill I think I inherited from my childhood. My brother and I used to race each other in a field near our house. He always beat me.

Walking up to the front door is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I have ever had. I knock lightly. I hear footsteps drawing closer and then the click of a key in the lock. The door swings open and a man stands before me.

"Hello?" he says in a quizzical voice. "Can I help you?" He smells like a wolf.

"Hi, my name is Maia. I was wondering if someone called Ophelia lives here. Is this the wrong house? I'm so..."

He puts up a hand and I stop mid-sentence. "Say no more. I know who you are. I'll go get her." Just as he's about to leave, he turns, and smiles, holds out his hand and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Maia."

Does he know me? Who is this man? Is his 'wolfy' scent passed on from Ophelia? Or is he a wolf himself?

As I stand on the doorstep, waiting for someone to return, a shiver runs down my spine. I'm not cold. Vampires can't get cold. I'm nervous. How will she react to me?

I needn't wait much longer, because a minute later she's there. She looks just the same; the only change being her long, caramel-coloured hair that I knew once before has been cut into a neat bob. A huge grin forms on her face and she pounces on me, drawing me into a tight hug.

"Oh my god, Maia! I can't believe it's really you! I'm so excited I can barely breathe!" I laugh at her child-like excitement. Ophelia pulls back, still with a hand on each of my shoulders. I notice the man from before standing behind her.

"Come in, Maia!" She beckons me through the door. I glance down the street to where I know I have three anxious friends waiting for my signal. I have to go inside and explain everything first.

I follow Ophelia through the door and the man shuts it behind me. He brushes me as I walk past him and my mind is set. He is definitely a wolf.

We walk down the hall to the living room and Ophelia gestures to the sofa for me to sit down. The man takes the chair to my right and Ophelia sits on the sofa to my left.

Excitement is buzzing her. I don't need my 'power' to know that! She's practically shaking!

"Maia, you haven't said a word yet! What's going on? Why are you here? Not that I'm not super excited to see you!"

I laugh. "I haven't said anything because I haven't been able to get a word in edgeways!"

I hear a cough behind me and turn to face the man. "Ophelia? Are you going to introduce us?" He asks.

"Oh right! Maia, this is my husband Max. He's a wolf. You may already know that from the smell!" Maybe things can change in six months. This makes me more uneasy to explain my reason for being here.

"Lovely to meet you, Maia. Ophelia has told me all about you!"

I shake his hand. "I wish I could say the same for you!"

Ophelia nods, "We need to catch up. It has been a while."

"Not sound too forward, seeing as we've only just met, but why are you here?" Max asks. This is something I need to talk to Ophelia about alone. How to say this politely?

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude Max, but would I be able to speak to Ophelia in private?"

Max nods. "I understand. I'll be upstairs if you need me." He nods to me and leans down to kiss the top of Ophelia's head before leaving.

"So what's up?" Ophelia takes my hands in hers.

I quickly catch her up. I tell her about meeting Bree and Diego and how they helped me find Fred. I tell her about Riley and the newborns. I can't hide anything from her because she would see right through it, so I'm honest with her. I keep a careful eye on her expressions and monitor her feelings, so I know when to stop, but she remains perfectly calm. I then move on to tell her about our current situation.

"So basically, my main question is, can we stay for a couple of nights? I promise it won't be for very long. I know it's a big ask, seeing as you have Max and there are four of us and three of them are new-borns, but I promise you they are all well-behaved and can definitely contr..."

She stops me mid-sentence. "Let me talk to Max, to prepare him, but of course, you can stay. I don't want you to be in any unnecessary danger, or your friends. Plus, I have to meet Fred!" A huge wave of relief washes over me and a lean in and hug her tightly.

"Give me five minutes, and then you can go and get your friends." She disappears from the room. Those five minutes feel like forever, but when she returns with Max they are both smiling. "Of course, your friends can stay!" Max says. "I can't wait to meet more vampires!" It's unbelievable, but he isn't being sarcastic! I can tell he's being truthful, which I find strange. Noticing my curious look, Ophelia says, "Max is a very open person. Also, he's always been very eager to learn about the vampire world. You're the first vampire he's met."

I nod. How strange, for a wolf to actually want to get to know vampires. He must have been changed recently. I'm sure I'll get that story at some point.

"Go get them, then!" Ophelia says. Both of them wait in the doorway, whilst I make my way down the street.

I find Bree perched on a wall, with Diego standing next to her, playing with her hair. Fred is sitting cross-legged on the pavement. As I approach, they all look startled and Fred rolls into a fighting stance. I feel suddenly nauseous and light-headed, but as quickly as it appears, it is gone. A concerned look grows on Fred's face and he rushes beside me. "I'm sorry, Maia. Are you ok? I didn't know it was you!"

"I'm fine, but did you do that? What was that?"

"It's a protection thing. I can sort of repel people. It helps with invisibility. If I don't want someone to see me or know where I am, I can create a kind of force field for myself. Sorry, I didn't tell you earlier."

"Hey, it's ok. That is really cool by the way! Just please don't use it on me again!"

Fred laughs, "I won't, I promise."

"So is everything cool with your friend?" Bree asks.

"Yeah, she's fine. She has a husband now, which is new," I try to hide the worry in my voice, but I think Fred catches on.

"That's ok though, right? Is he cool with it?" He asks.

"Yeah, he's fine. Actually, he's quite excited about meeting you all! Turns out, he's a wolf who loves vampires! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one."

"Well, I have to say," Diego pitches in, "that I'm quite excited to meet both of them!"

"Let's go then. They're waiting for us on the doorstep!" We start to walk down the street, at a normal pace as so not to appear intimidating.

"Oh and one more thing," I turn to face them, "please don't drink the blood of any neighbourhood cats."

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