"She won't be any trouble, as quiet as I am really." Mrs Greene was trying to persuade James to let her daughter move in with them while she mopped the living room floor. James was lounged in the corner of the sofa. He had a drink in one hand and his phone in the other. He was texting Ella and trying to get her to sneak away from her father and come over. Her responses were juvenile, and he was becoming bored. She couldn't because it was her turn to organise the cave for the full moon. She felt bad lying to her father. James sighed and cast the phone down on the cushion beside him.

"You don't need to convince me." He gulped the rest of his drink. "If she isn't in the way then she can stay"

James lifted his feet up off the floor and held them up as Mrs Greene cleaned where they had been.

She mopped swiftly then moved onto the next spot. "Thank you. I will help her move her stuff tomorrow then." she stopped mopping and observed James. He was vertical apart from where he bent his neck to allow his head to lean against the back of the sofa. He was wearing his coat and shoes and stared ahead of himself without seeing much.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, resuming the mopping.

"I'm bored. Younger girls are so boring." James huffed out a sigh.

"Don't complain. You picked her up and I've heard enough to know that she isn't holding back with you."

James cringed. "God don't talk about my sex life. It sounds weird coming from you." He rubbed his ears as if to clean them out then sprung out of the seat. "But you're right. I have got enough entertainment from her. I will go and find her now. I'm bored when she's not here."

"Be-" Mrs Greene began.

James whirled on her. "If the next word that comes out of your mouth is careful I am gonna kill something"

Mrs Greene shut her mouth and nodded at him. "Okay but you know what I meant."

James left the house to find some of the other local vampires lurking outside. There were three other families who lived near him. One of them never left their house. This was the Gibsons. They only opened the door for the delivery of new coffins when the others got too old and ruined the aesthetic of their place. James had been to their house only once. They had had no table and the youngest daughter played dramatic music on the piano all night. He never went back.

The other two were normal enough. The Willis family, from whom two of the vampires outside came, followed the same ideas as his father had. They hated the wolves and saw glory in the vicious nature of a vampire. James didn't mind the twins, they were dark skinned and skinny. Both had hook like noses and small brown eyes. The only difference was that one had bigger breasts than the other. This was a fact that James assured his brothers he wasn't the only one to notice. It was still all too easy to get them mixed up. James knew that one of them was called Jean and the other Jess, but he didn't know which face went with each name.

The last of the three vampires was Orlando Verney. Orlando was a huge and good-natured man. He stayed out of the werewolf debate and strictly off the blood from the vein. James had seen what happened when Orlando drank from humans and he didn't want another repeat of that. Orlando had blonde straight hair that almost vanished if the sun came out. His features were all close together and he was much larger than James or Robert.

Orlando was sitting on the grass and gazing into the clouds. His tongue swirled absently around in his mouth, causing his cheeks to bulge out. He wore a plaid shirt and ripped jeans. The twins were fighting. James didn't care enough to ask what over. They wore high waisted green jeans and belly tops. Unlike most sisters, these two liked to dress the same.

"What the hell are you rejects doing here?" James laughed.

The twins stopped yelling at each other and linked arms as they turned to him.

"Waiting for you mammy to let you come out of course." One of them teased.

"Jean don't be nasty. It doesn't keep them keen." Orlando lumbered to his feet and took James's hand before embracing him in a man hug. "Heard about your dad. Good or bad?"

James didn't meet his friend's eyes. "Good."

"Of course it is." Jess commented.

"Yea now you run the roost." Jean came and stood closer to James. She ran her tongue across her teeth.

Orlando shoved her shoulder. "Stop you vulture. Go find Eddie to dig for gold."

Jess laughed at her sister. Jean rolled her eyes and joined in with the laughing.

Orlando lowered his voice. "As long as you're sure you're okay."

James threw up his hands. "Yes. I. am. Fine."

Orlando scratched the back of his neck and spoke to the other two. "What's so funny? Huh? Is it me?"

They kept laughing. Jean even pointed at him then a tear leaked out of her scrunched-up eyes.

"Right." Orlando lowered his shoulders and made like a bull preparing for the chase. Both of the twins scattered into the nearby trees. Orlando nodded at James then chased the twins.

James knew the game well and took after them in a blur. The trees were as clear to him as if he had been standing examining them. But they were rushing past at an impossible speed. The forests raving was all around. Insects and animals chattered without end. James kept his eyes open for the twins. Orlando was miles ahead of him, he was older and so faster than James. But if James knew the twins, they had split up and one was hanging back to get him.

He heard a laugh and slowed down. Stopping, he listened. The trees creaked and a bird cheeped. A spider's legs clicked as it tiptoed across its web. James knew that the twins could move more silently than any of these things. He heard a whisper of a step to the left. That way was a fallen tree and the river. He darted into the trees. He felt his hand touch fleeing flesh. She was close to him. He sniffed for her. The perfume of the river was dominate. James found he wished Ella could play the game too. The thought of including anyone else had never occurred to him before. It was always just the four of them. He decided that the desire for her to be here came from the fact that wolves have a better sense of smell. She would be an advantage.

His thoughts had taken him over, so he didn't notice Jean until she had knocked her elbow into his jaw. It hurt and he grunted. Clicking his jaw back into place he narrowed his eyes at Jean. She was strutting in front of him. She smiled and licked her teeth.

"You're getting slow." She used a finger to beckon to him.

"Am I?" James bounded at her. He was older and faster. He caught one shoulder as she tried to run. Her flesh was squishy ice. He threw half his force into the hand that had her. She stumbled but didn't fall. She bent her spine back, as if doing the limbo. James staggered forwards as he was pulled by this movement. He let go of her and she spun to safety.

"Lazy," she accused, "Is daddy's coat heavy?"

James saw red. He rushed her. She dropped to her knees and slide past him. She was on her feet by the time he turned. She smiled and opened her mouth to chat a bit more. James had lost all patience. He hit her with his body side on. He felt the crack of the joints in her chest. Jean gasped and hit the forest floor. Leaves ran for cover from her falling form. She coughed as she healed.

James straightened his coat up onto his shoulders from where it had fallen during the scuffle. He breathed deeply and felt his muscles relax.

"Well," Jean gasped. She sat up, legs spread wide and dark hair in a tangle. "Someone took that seriously."

James surveyed the forest within view for the other two. "If you think that was seriously then you're the one who is out of practice."

Jean came off the ground like a cobra rearing up. She walked to stand beside James. Leaning in she whispered in his ear. "If they are still busy maybe you and I could do more practice at our other type of tumbling" She ran a hand over his shoulder and onto his chest.

James put on his charming grin. He spun around in her grip, so he was face to face with her. "Not today."

Jean recoiled. "Not today? Do I look like someone who takes appointments?"

James touched her shoulder. "I'm just trying to corrupt a wolf at the moment. What if we got caught?"

Jean narrowed her eyes. "A mutt? That's why you won't have sex with me?"

"So, we do have a nickname for them." James shook off the old thought. "Its more for the fun of her than her."

Jean shook her head. "Sure."

Orlando came crashing through the trees with Jess following behind like a ghost.

"Dude, I owned her." Orlando pointed to the girl behind him who had leaves sticking out of her hair.

He entered the tension and froze. "What's up?"

Before James could answer Jean spoke up, pointing an accusing finger at James. "He's dating a mongrel."

Jess screwed up her face and made a choking sound in the back of her throat. "Ugh!"

"James?" Orlando looked less horrified. He still didn't look at ease with it.

James spoke softly, as if coaxing an animal out of a den. "Dating is a strong word. We have been seeing each other."

"Dude, that's the same thing."

"No. Dating is romantic. Seeing is purely physical." James pleaded with his eyes for Orlando to back him up.

Orlando shook his bulky head. "I believe him."

"What?!" Jean screeched. Jess sped over and held her sisters hand.

"It's disgusting." Jean spat. Her glare said it all for her.

"Not to mention dangerous." Jess added.

"I know what I'm doing. And she is keeping it a secret." James reasoned. He felt tiny under all this scrutiny. His held onto the side of his coat with his left hand.

"Your dad would rib off your balls." Jean turned her back on James.

James clamped his teeth together and advanced to attack her. Orlando held him back. When James looked at him to let him go, Orlando shook his head. James relaxed. He was still fuming under the surface.

Jean gathered herself and was able to look at James again. "Its not natural. And under your father's roof."

Orlando stood between the two of them for good measure. "Look, its not ideal but if he knows what he is doing." He stopped to stare at James. "Then we have to believe him."

"Thank you. Besides its none of your business anyway." James sneered at Jean. Jess joined her sister in the staring match, but James was confident he was still wining.

Orlando ruined it by standing in his field of vision. "Okay, we are agreed that we will let it go?"

"Yea, but I will never go there again." Jean ran her eyes up and down James.

"No loss there." James smirked.

Orlando exhaled heavily. "Works for me."

James paced for a few seconds then suddenly started to jog into the forest. His shoes crushed leaves in a heartbeat rhythm.

"Running away?" Jess yelled after him.

"No." James walked backwards so he could wave them off. "Going to hang out with the mutt". James faced forward again. He decided he didn't like the word mutt. He would stick to wolf.

He got to just outside the area where the pack lived. He couldn't see the wolves through the trees, but he could hear them. They were heavy footed and there were a lot of them. Like a stampede, James thought. He sat on a tree stump covered in moss. It made a squishing sound under him. He took from his jacket a small bottle of cheap perfume. It was awful, way too strong and over powering. He sprayed a squirt, then waited. The sun was trying to push past the clouds. James squinted and lifted a hand to block out the light. He made a mental note to bring sunglasses in future. If he was going to be seeing a wolf he would need to be out in the day much more.

It was fifteen minutes before Ella came out and found him. She was wearing a flower covered skater dress that was a size too big for her. It hung crooked on her hourglass frame. Her dark blonde wavy hair was pulled into a pony tail. James didn't like it as much as when it was down, but he liked it all the same. He started to stand up from the stump, but Ella came and pushed him down again. She cuddled onto his lap and kissed him. She was good at tongue now. James smiled against her lips.

"Someone's in a good mood". He stroked an escape hair behind her ear.

She was playing with the buttons on his coat while smiling back at him. "Yep. There are new wolves, a whole other pack, coming into town."

James groaned and tipped her onto her feet. He ran his hands over his face and got up. "Why God?"

Ella watched him with confusion. "What?"

James came and took her hands. "This is not a good thing." He spoke slowly. "More wolves means more chance of being caught."

Ella considered putting a finger to her chin. James was calmed by the cute gesture.

Her eyes sparkled when an idea hit her. "Maybe the new pack will like vampires like I do."

James grinned and his eyes got wider. "Well if they all like vampires in the same way you do I will be wrecked."

Ella playfully punched his arm. "Stop. Come on, that's possible isn't it?"

"Ella." James held eye contact and pronounced the words deliberately. "What we have is unique. Other wolves will want to eat me." To reinforce his point, he gnashed his teeth together.

Ella shrugged from his grip. "You don't know that for sure. You convinced me and there is no one more anti vampire than my dad."

"Thanks for the reminder."

"You know what I mean. You can win over the new wolves too." She took hold of the front of his open coat. "You are very persuasive."

James nodded. "I do have that." He imagined the new wolves arriving and what would happen if he tried to reason with them. They would chase him, try to make him into vampire stew, and he would be forced to kill every one of them. He didn't mention this prediction to Ella. All he said was "Don't get your hopes up."