An excerpt from my current story
The coffee shop wasn’t as crowded as it often was. Then again that was probably because it was rather late at night to be out for coffee - 8:30 in fact. Only the last lingering customers were sitting comfortably in their seats, reading a book or simply staring into space as they sipped on their warm drinks. I myself held a steaming cup of hot chocolate. I had never been one for coffee. Even when I did drink coffee, I put so much sugar and cream in it that it was almost a whole different type of drink rather than coffee.
I was one of those in the coffee shop that happened to be blankly staring out the window, watching the headlightsof carsas they drove by, the yellow-white light reflecting off the wet streets.
My family owned this coffee shop. Well, not necessarily my family - more like my pack. However, if anyone knew that the local pack of werewolves was running their best coffee shop, we’d be out of business. People knew that shape-shifters really existed - it had been known for decades - but humans still feared us. That’s why we tried to hide what we really were. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be accepted because we were different. That’s the strange thing with people. If they meet someone different than them, they have a hard time accepting that person, no matter how hard they try.
Brushing a strand of black hair out of my eyes, I downed my hot chocolate and stood up. “Hey, Jack, I’m heading home. See you later?”
Jack looked up from his task of sweeping the floor, brown bangs hanging down in his face. His past-shoulder-length hair was tied back loosely, and his black work apron bore remnants of spilled milk and the dust of ground up coffee beans. He was twenty-one, but I always thought he looked more like nineteen. Come to think of it, he acted younger too. A kid at heart with a smile that was contageous.
“Okay. See you later, Kerry,” he said, flashing me one of his famous grins, his hazel eyes sparkling boyishly.
“Bye,” I replied, giving a wave and slipping on my long black coat. A woman with graying hair looked up from her book and frowned at me. It was probably because of the way I dressed. I had on large clonky black boots, baggy black pants with an immitation silver chain hanging at my side, a black T-shirt with a loud white “Metallica” over the front of it, and of course my trench-yet-not-trench-type coat. My straight black hair, which was at the time pulled back in a messy bun, pale skin, and stoney gray eyes added to the effect. I didn’t give her so much as a glance and moved on, shoving my hands into my pockets as I stepped outside.
It had been raining earlier that night, and I could clearly see the reflection of the neon blue lights that read “Luna Zev” in a puddle by the door. What most people didn’t know was that “Zev” was a name that meant wolf. It was an odd title for a coffee shop - or any other shop, for that matter - but once you got used to it it wasn’t so bad. After awhile it grew on you quite nicely in fact.
I stood there for a moment and breathed in the sweet smell of night. Satson was a small town rarely ever found on a map surrounded mostly by country and hills, so the scent of the air wasn’t as polluted and full of smog as it was in the city, despite the highway being only a few miles to the east.
Slowly I walked across the slick asphault of the parking lot. The dull clunking of my boots was loud enough for me, but probably would have been barely audible for a normal human. The half moon shone brightly in the blanket of dark that was the night sky and a gentle breeze swayed the loose strands of my hair as I stepped inbetween trees and onto the sidewalk. The street to my left was dark and glistening with water. All was silent except for the rustling of wind in the trees and the gentle metallic clang of drops of water as they fell from a roof onto a drain pipe.
A gust of wind came from behind suddenly. On the air came the suddle, hollow smell of the dead. It wasn’t a rotting, repulsive smell. In fact, it was more like the smell when you walk into an old dusty house. It was empty and damp.
I wasn’t surprised when a rich, melodic voice called to me from behind. Slowly I turned and gave a hollow smile as my eyes rested on a woman. Dark brown hair cascaded down her back until it reached the backs of her knees, and her eyes stared without emotion or feeling at my face. She was around five-seven - the same height as me - and her skin was a rich brown that had paled because of five hundred years without sun. “Hello Keket,” I mused. “What brings you here on this fine night?”
She stepped towards me with a shadow-like grace that was partially from being a vampire and partially something she had always carried with her as an Egyptian. “Have you heard of the vampire called Chandresh?” she asked.
I frowed at the strange question. “No I haven’t. Why do you ask?”
She sighed. “He has told me that he wishes to see the alpha male of the werewolf pack, as well as a representative for the werepanthers and a representative from any other wereanimals in the area.”
She had my full attention. “Why does he want this, and why should we go? We can’t just have our highest in authority go over to some random vampire’s place every time one asks.”
“I know that, but Chandresh is not one that should be refused.”
“So, you work for this dude?”
She didn’t seem to appreciate him being referred to as “dude”, nor did she seem to like the idea of working for someone. Something dangerous flashed in her eyes and I felt the first brush of power slide over my skin. “No, not exactly. I am an independant, you know that well, but he has requested that I ask, and I did not refuse him.”
I leaned casually against a tree. I was curious about this so-called all-powerful Chandresh, but I was getting frusterated as well. I wanted to get home and be lazy. “With all do respect, Keket, you still haven’t answered my question.” No sense in getting a vampire angry for no reason.
She swept a long strand of dark hair behind her shoulder with a casual flick of the wrist. “The only reason I have not answered your question, dear wolf, is because I do not know the answer. Chandresh never told me why he wanted to see the werecreatures, he only told me that he wanted to see them.”
I rested my head against the trunk of the tree and closed my eyes. “So, tell me, why are you doing this vampire’s bidding all of a sudden? I know how much you despise being ordered around.” I opened my eyes only to nearly be blinded by the sharp yellow light of the street lamp in front of me. Quickly I turned my head away from the bright light, lowering my eyes and trying to focus more on Keket. She wouldn’t hurt me. We had known each other long enough to decide that we were friendly rivals and didn’t try to harm one another unless there was a formal challenge or we really got on each other’s nerves. But I had to admit, tonight she was a bit testier than usual.
Keket was staring at the ground blankly, as if she had suddenly spaced out. This was odd for her. She wasn’t spacing out; I don’t think she’d be caught dead doing that. Or is it, she wouldn’t be caught alive doing that? Either way, she had too much pride to let people see her let her gaurd down. In fact, I wondered if she let her gaurd down even when no one was around. “Chandresh,” she said, her voice smaller than usual, “is not one most vampires care to challenge, nevertheless disobey.” She raised her chocolate eyes to my own gray ones, and I gasped at what I saw in them. Fear.
I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, that shadow of fear I had seen only a second ago fled from her eyes and was quickly replaced with her usual cold stubbornness.
“So will you tell your alpha what I told you? He may bring others if he wishes, but only a few. That goes for any of the other wereanimals as well.”
I just nodded silently. I didn’t feel like talking much anymore. I was thinking too hard. What had this guy possibly done that could cast so much fear into even Keket?
“Then I bid you farewell for now.”
“Yeah. Bye.”
Keket lifted her eyes to the sky, and with a sound much like the sharp hiss of a snake, was consumed in a thin wisp of black mist. Keket was one of the vamps that had the ability to teleport.
I stood there for a moment longer, still wondering to myself how terrible this Chandresh was supposed to be. I had felt vampire powers before, and I had to admit sometimes it was unnerving, but not seriously frightening. At least not from any of the vamps I knew. This guy’s powers must be pretty phenomenal to scare someone as confident as Keket.
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There's the first two pages. It's just the typical vamp and shapeshifter story, but oh well. Please tell me what you think ^_^. Thanks! Bai!

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