A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 21: “Please hear the plea for forgiveness…”

Brad looked into the eyes –or as much as he could – of the seven-foot creature standing before him under the moonlight, with his hands firmly planted on his shoulders. All he could do was contemplate his life to date, thankful for the memories, and maybe try to hope for the future – the lather not easy when at the hands of this beast.

However, like always, he wasn’t ready to back down. He believed in his love to Juliette, he believed in the family they could have together beginning with Melody, and wouldn’t go back on what he did previously. Every move made had been done for the right reasons, whether this thing wanted to agree or not.

“I don’t think I’m insane, but rather a true friend,” he begins his plead as he tries to focus his eyes on the thing. “A friend was in danger – I saved him. Another friend was being harmed at the hands of someone – I saved her. That’s all I see what I did. Then yes, I confessed my love to a vampire against every righteous belief, but I’d do it again no matter how many times redone. Am I insane? No, but I am in love, and nothing will change how much I love her. It’s only right that she knows how much I love her.”

“Did you know there could be consequences for your actions?” The furry creature questions and Brad nods his head as he tries to keep his calm demeanor.

“Everybody questioned it, and told me about that. I accepted that. I would do anything for her – that’s how much I love her. So therefore, I ask you please hear the plea for forgiveness, and allow us to unite together.”

“Forgiveness?” Brad could hear the anger laced in those words, knowing that maybe he shouldn’t have pushed the boundaries.

“Yes, please, for the sake of our love and the meaning behind that. For the sake of family, love, and everything important. We both respect traditions, hence why we called upon you to oversee the wedding. So please understand our reasons, give us your blessing, and allow this to happen…”

“I promise to follow any requests or reasonings that Brad has within your traditions,” Juliette then adds. “I promise to accept anything that you may say. Like him, I would do anything for what we have together. We’ve fought to get to this point, and I’m not ready to let him go again. So please…” The creature takes his paws off of Brad, looking towards Juliette as he looks her over.

“Marking?” He questions and Juliette nods her head, lifting her dress to show the mark on her skin.

“He truly loves me so he wanted to protect me. I accepted, and promised to offer the same in response. Please….” The creature glances over them both, before making his way over to Melody. “Leave her-”

“Let him,” Brad interrupts, earning an intrigued glance from not only Juliette, but everybody else.

“Baby….” The creature states as he looks her over, before lifting her up in his arms. An immediate howl escapes her lips underneath the moon as her tail and ears fully form, with her eyes looking into his. “Cute baby…” He coos her a couple times, earning some giggles, before sharing a couple howls together. He then hands her back to Yolanda, before turning his eyes back to the couple. “A family is a couple who care about each other no matter what, and are willing to do whatever they can for their child as they grow together. Your daughter is beautiful, despite her vampire qualities.”

“Her fangs are questionable,” Joey whispers, remembering his questionable experience her that afternoon. Hence why he was glad to be sitting opposite side of the circle right now.

“I will give you the chance to be a couple and be together, with a blessing,” the wolf continues. “But if you dare cross the paths of what you’re allowed and not, don’t be surprised if I come back for both of you.” Juliette and Brad both nod their heads.

Just like he came, he was gone as he disappeared into thin air right after their heads nodded together. The pair then glanced at each other, down to the rope, and back to each other.

“Father Montagee is not coming back,” Alice Cullen announces, feeling none of his presence in the air.

“Then how are we supposed to officially be married?” Brad and Juliette question, now feeling let down more than ever. It was nice to be able to say they had a moment with the great all mighty, but they would rather hear the words of marriage.

“Chylder surrounds and has given the power to the one of his choosing….” Alice then looks towards Edward, who glances back at her in surprise.

“Me?” Edward questions and Alice nods her head.

“You helped them become a couple with your experience,” Alice reminds him. “You answered the numerous questions that they faced. If it wasn’t for you, who knows where they’d be. For them to stand here, they needed a guide. The guide gets the right away to marry – only if thee believes the couple is ready for that life together.” Edward knew there was no questioning what their future could hold together as he stood up and made his way into the circle without any hesitation.

“Excuse me if I am rusty while trying to remember the ceremonial words….” He then takes a deep breath, thinking it over a couple times, before placing his hands on top of their right hands. “As both your arms and the cloth form the symbol of eternity, may your love endure through this life and all others. As the Gods and the old ones are witness with those of us present now, I proclaim them Husband and Wife, and thus are they bonded forever. The two are now one.”

Brad and Juliette smile together as it felt amazing to hear those words.

They each then take a ring out of their own pockets, slipping it on each other’s fingers, with their smiles not fading a bit.

Edward then loosens the ties, glancing between them with a smile of his own.

“I present to The Juliette Daniels Forever Bound, Eternally Free!” He speaks out loud. “You are Wife to thee husband now for eternity.”

“Forever?” Joey questions and Alice nods her head.

“We don’t fade away nor do we end our lives, and when you cross paths, you better be certain,” she states as Joey looks at her, a little afraid.

“Or else?” A smile then forms on her face as she pats his shoulder.

“We’ve worried you enough, my friend….”

“You may not kiss – or the traditionally words, you may bite…” Edward says as he backs away from the couple.

Without a drop of hesitation, Brad pulled her towards him, firmly kissing her lips with all of his might, before standing with a smile before her. It felt beyond amazing to finally be able to call her his wife.

THE END

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 20: A Wolf’s Tradition

Dawn smiled as she took her own step forward, eyes focused on her brother and Juliette before her. She couldn’t believe that she once hated the young lady that stood beside her brother now and was the mother of her niece.

How was that possible?

Regardless, she couldn’t wait for what the future held, knowing that the pair were due for a ton of happiness in their future for what they had endured to be together. Glancing back at their daughter being four months now, she knew it’d be fun watching the first vampwolf grow more.

“Ritual beginnings, please…” the father requests as Dawn takes a deep breath.

She begins her first movement of the request, with her and Brian making the circle around the couple. She couldn’t help but glance at the sky a couple of times to make sure the moon was truly full, and even took a glance at her watch to make sure the time was right.

“Is this why we’re here so late?” Brittany Logano questions as she watches.

“The wolves tradition is midnight weddings, and vampire tradition is night time for obvious reasons,” Edward answers as she nods her head.

“Man, if you guys tried a daytime wedding, it’d be fun watching you crystallize as you marry…” Joey comments, earning a stern glance from Edward.

“You realize that we’ve come a long way from that crazy folklore and have developed skin creams and guards? You do realize that you can’t believe every movie that you watch, right?” Joey rolls his eyes as Edward takes a deep breath.

Everybody’s eyes watched as the fire in the center of the circle came to life with a big flame, thanks to the hard work of Brian and Bob. The father then takes an iron vessel that had sat at the side thus far, placing it over the fire. In the vessel, there was a pint of water – as directions specified.

“A substance of question must be added….” The father starts as Brad reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small vile. He hands it over to the father, allowing him to pour it into the vessel. “How do you become of this liquid?”

“I went to one of our religious spots of question, and requested it solely based on the act of love,” he starts, remembering that trip a week ago. “Needless to say, the reaction that I got once they learned I was marrying a vampire wasn’t that kind. However, they said the spirits could determine my fate, as we usually see fit.” Brad takes a deep breath, still remembering how chilling those words were that day. However, he didn’t feel he had anything to fear as a glance towards his daughter thus far showed how the spirits had been – fair, allowing her to grow to her own self. He smiled as he saw the ears pop out a little amongst the blond hair as Melody sat in Yolanda’s arms.

“Thank you….” The father then stirs the liquid accordingly, as Brad and Juliette glance towards each other. Juliette couldn’t help but glance down, saying an extra prayer to herself, as she hoped this wasn’t where everything failed at once. “It is at this time that we pray to the Great Spirit of the Unknowns to allow a union of such unique nature…”

Alice looks around, taking a deep breath, as she tries to read the emotions in the air, curious as to the strength and power that this spirit would bring to the table. She could only wonder with how it’d clash with Chylder.

“Come, spirit so powerful!” Father chants as he places his hands on top of the left hands of Brad and Juliette. “Come, sprit so dread. From the home of the werewolf, the home of the dead. Come, give me thy blessing! Come, lend me thine ear!” Brad closes his eyes, knowing that the moment of truth laid just beyond the horizon. If there was no blessing, then everything they had done to this point was worthless.

“Oh spirit of darkness! Oh spirit so dear! Come, mighty phantom! Come, great Unknown! Come from thy dwelling so gloomy and lone. Come, I bessch thee; depart from thy lair. And body and soul shall be thine.” Juliette remembered the tales she had heard about werewolf homes, and the darkness that clouded their vision in being stuck to who they were. She remembered the tales of how Brad and his family had overcome those. She wondered if the great unknown would give them a break, despite being different, because of that. She wondered if maybe he’d have sympathy from knowing those feelings.

“I, Father Montagee, offer to thee, Great Spirit of the Unknown, this night of July 4 my body and soul, on condition that thou grantest me, from this night to the hour of my death, the power of love. I beg, I pray, I implore thee unparrellled Phantom of Darkness, to bless thee couple.” Brad couldn’t help but keep his eyes closed, fearing the worst, as he didn’t think there could be sympathy given. How was someone so dark and evil supposed to understand what he had with Juliette?

The father then strikes the ground three times with his foot, before taking a couple of the hot simmering liquid and sprinkling it on the circle around Brad and Juliette. He repeats the process until the entire circle is sprinkled.

As if on cue, Brad and Juliette go down to their knees, glancing up, hoping everything falls together as it was supposed to.

“Is this normal?” Edward questions as he looks over at Paul Wolfe, who simply nods his head. “And they call our tradition strange….”

“Don’t bash the tradition – I don’t want to take a chance of offending him,” Paul instructs, as he also had silently prayed to himself over and over that things would go smoothly.

“Do you think it’s going to go smoothly?” Joey wonders and Paul shrugs his shoulders. “What’s that supposed to mean? We should get to know if we’re in danger he-”

“We warned you so hush!” Alice instructs as she looks around the beach, trying to pull from all of the senses. “Feel thee senses….”

As if on cue, a big flame erupts from the fire, seven feet in height, with a spirit like figure forming out of it. Everybody outside of the circle takes a couple steps back, with Joey wrapping both arms around Brittany protectively.

“Ahh yess….” Paul commands as he had grown used to that in previous ceremonies. “The Unknown…” 10 seconds…20 seconds….30 seconds….and then they watch Father Montagee run off as the creature remains. “Oh no….”

“What’s wrong?” Edward questions almost instinctively.

“He’s supposed to disappear after 30 seconds, but he’s not. Instead, he’s forming a sterner shape…”

“What do we do?” Paul shrugs his shoulders.

“He’s angry, he’s frightful, he’s…..” Dawn starts as she watches the shape form more definitely.

“Angry? Frightful?” The clouded shape questions as it’s total formation come to truth.

“Did that cloud shape formed from the fire turn into something real, for real?” Joey questions and Brittany slowly nods her head, fear engulfing her as she fights the urge to scream.

“The Great Unknown,” Brad states, before forcing Juliette to bow down before it with him.  “I bow to you, and accept your presence….”

“Good, because you know my reasons….” He speaks as he circles the couple. “A wolf marrying a vampire in front of fellow wolves, vampires, and humans. Is this actually happening?”

“Yes….” The seven foot tall fury wolf stops, facing Brad directly.

“Do you realize how many rules you have broken?” Brad nods his head, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. “So why do you dare present this to me?”

“I love her. I want to be with her for life. I want to be one with her. We have a special connection and I wanted to make it official. Sir, I believe we can make it work together, please.” A great roar escapes in response.

“And who is that?” Brad follows the length of the long finger, swallowing another lump.

“My daughter – our daughter, Melody.” Another big roar escapes as he swirls around them in quick fashion.

“Please, have mercy and understanding….” Kay pleads as she feels all the fears that she had about this wedding coming true in that moment. The seven furry wolf then moves closer to Melody, with Danny instantly standing up and in front of it.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” He yells in response as Juliette’s jaw drops in response.

“Danny!?!” She yells as Brad looks to the binds that held him and Juliette together. He was almost set o break them for the sake of safety, though wondered if this was a test instead.

“I could never harm a child,” the furry man states before turning back to the face the couple. “The pair who formed against wishes and truth, that is another story. After all, this union comes following the killing of a wolf.” Juliette shivers as she thought back to that night.

“He was harming her, threatening the life of a friend – I had no choice,” Brad pleads, remembering how instincts kicked into gear before anything that night.

“You killed a wolf for a vampire and a human….” Brad nods his head. “That is against everything known, but now you plead to me to be happy of this union?” The furry man then walks right up to Brad, placing both hands on his shoulders. “Are you insane?”

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 19: Chylder’s Approval…

As the ceremony progressed, eyes focused on the couple and the red band that never covered the band previously wrapped around their wrists.

“I like the flowers and ribbon better,” Amy whispers and Brittany nods her head in agreement.

“Flowers and ribbon symbolize wolves coming together, while red cloth is a vampire tradition,” Edward Cullen whispers over their shoulders. He had chosen to sit behind them, rather than with the usual circle of vampires and wolves, to explain any questions that they may have.

“As they tied that cloth, the waves grew larger…” Brittany observes, glancing out to the ocean underneath the moonlight.

“Aw, that’s the work of Chylder of the Blood. It’s her way of symbolizing her warth over the ceremony, which can be a good thing. While she may not fully approve according to legend to Brad being a wolf, she is at least in attendance and giving them attention. That is something to be thankful for, and wise about. It goes against the nerves of Alice.” Alice glances over at her brother, intrigued by his comment.

“You weren’t supposed to mention,” she whispers as Edwards rolls his eyes. He always believed fair warning was necessary, just to be prepared in danger. He could only imagine if something were to happen without that. Meanwhile, Alice was set on keeping their vampire and werewolf lives secret from humans due to not wanting to disrupt their world.

“Should we be worried?” Amy questions and Edward shakes his head no.

“There’s nerves about a possible disturbance due to disapproval of ceremony and marriage for the pair,” he starts, recalling the discussion had with Brad and Alice previously. “I don’t see that as being a problem, especially if Chylder is here in spirit already.”

“So what would he be saying if it wasn’t a little windy to cause that?” Joey whispers to Paul Wolfe, who could only chuckle lightly. The chuckle earns a stern glance from the others, but they quickly overlook it as focus returns to the ceremony at hand.

“Stand now as ye will stand forever,” the father continues with a glance between the pair. “Like this crimson cloth, your hearts are tethered.” Juliette and Brad didn’t need a reminder of their hearts being together forever – their lives to this point were enough to convince them, otherwise. Besides, a marking left on her skin also represented that better than anything. She laughed when some people believed it was a tattoo. “This goblet’s wine is your blood of devotion, so sup from this dedication potion.”

“With all due respect, your honor, I am not a bloody thirsty vampire,” Juliette states as she looks at the glass. “I am a vampire that will thirst upon packets if need be for survival purposes, but mostly stays on course with a human diet. My dear husband-to-be, also sticks to the human diet and not the blood thirst of an animal chaser. It is how we blend day-to-day with the humans.” The father looks towards the glasses, before his eyes turn solely on Juliette.

“You already know how the church feels about human and vampire interaction, as well as this anti-blood deal.” Juliette nods her head, remembering the lecture received when she was a little girl at eight years old. It almost made her want to run away from the church and vampire life forever, fear of the future and what was to come. However, Father Montagee was one of the founding figures who was willing to let that fact go and give her a chance, only remaining focused on other beliefs. “To break ceremony code is also a vow against what it stands for. Therefore, to break code of ceremony, that breaks code of your marriage. Do you accept the chances you’re taking before thee great Chylder of the Blood?”

“For sake of ceremony and reasoning, I can accept a sip. I just thought honesty of myself and Brad was important before thee wise one.” The father nods his head as he picks up a glass, placing it in her right hand. “Brad, you don’t hav-”

“I respect traditions, rightfully,” he interrupts, holding out his right hand.

The pair each hold their glasses firmly, drinking their glasses fully as Brad makes a couple faces along the way. Through the stages, the tail and ears pop a little out, with animal instincts beginning to fight through. As they do, the waves on the beach become even stronger, with a wind blowing through the middle of the couple’s ceremony.

“Now do you laugh at the legend of Chylder?” Edward questions with a glance towards Joey, who immediately shakes his head no. “That’s what I thought.”

“Is she showing approval or denial?” Amy wonders, having grown more intrigued as she continued to learn more details.

“Jasper?” Jasper glances towards the group, taking a wiff of the air as she tries to read the senses that are swirling around them.

“I feel approval, happiness, acceptance,” Jasper comments. “It’s as if Chylder is approving of them and accepting them for who they are. Perhaps honesty is the best policy, as they say, for at least Juliette was honest in her ways so Chylder was not left guessing and wondering as to Brad’s existence.”

“It’s as if there’s a shift in the universe and premonition that I had a wedding fear dissipating with her warmth,” Alice adds as she glances around the area.

“Chylder thanks you for drinking your glasses in full,” the father states. “Now we shall begin the vows, in accordance to proper vampire tradition….” Juliette takes a deep breath, remembering their sessions spent with Father Montagee going over those.

“I will stand by your side, hunt at your back, and fly within your soul,” Juliette states as she stares into Brad’s eyes. Brad had no denying that she’d do any of those things, having seen her abilities to fly previously, remembering his initial shock of a reaction. “I will stand between you and all which would harm you.” Brad nods his head, having seen her ways of protecting him against those who vowed vampires and wolves should never meet. “I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh….well, not really, but you get the idea.” Brad chuckles, knowing she was good at helping his wolf tendencies, as well as Melody’s weird ways right now.  “I will never betray you, for you are my Heart, my Soul, and my Life.” Brad smiles, nodding his head in approval. He knew it was now his turn to say those same words.

“I will stand by your side, hunt at your back, and fly within your Soul,” he begins as she smiles. She knew his hunting instincts were strong, remembering the night that Jason had attacked. “I will stand between you and all which would harm you.” She knew that was true, seeing his protective skills on full display that night. “I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.” She smiles, knowing he was good at helping her follow proper skin rituals. “I will never betray you, for you are my Heart, my Soul, and my Life.”

Father Montagee then picks up the goblet, pouring the drops that remained between the pair on the stone altar. Juliette knew the ceremony was finding a close, and hoped the blessings of Chylder remained.

“Above you are the stars, below you are the stones,” the father begins. Brad couldn’t help but look up and smile as the clouds had cleared from earlier that evening, forming a beautiful sky full of bright sparkling stars.

“As time passes, remember, like the star should your love burn brightly, like the stone should your love be firm. Be close, yet not so close that you restrict one another.” Juliette chuckles, knowing that could never happen as they’d always let each other follow their dreams. She also knew that she could never grow old of spending time with him, still unable to forgive herself for the time they lost apart.

“Possess one another, yet grant each other the freedom to grow. Be understanding and compassionate, and have patience with each other, for storms may come, but they will quickly pass.” Brad nods his head in acceptance, having seen that already, through the incident with Jason and Juliette’s pregnancy. A quick smile trade with Melody, and he could only wonder what was to come as she grew more.

“Be free in giving affection and warmth. Fear not, lest the ways or words of the unenlightened give you unease. For the Lady and Lord are with you, now, and always.” Juliette nods her head, silently saying thank you a couple times as she continued to feel the warmth around her, proud that Chylder had been more accepting than she could’ve originally believed possible.

“With Chylder in approval, it is with our deed that we plead to the Gods of the Wolves, and make sure they are as equally accepting of Ms. Juliette Daniels as the Chylder and the bloods have been of Mr. Brad Keselowski. May the present wolves take a step forward, as we begin the midnight moonlight plea of love.” Brad takes a deep breath, saying his own prayers as he knew they were only halfway there. He just hoped that everything went off smoothly.

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 18: “Are you ready?”

July – Daytona Beach

Juliette looks at herself once again in the mirror, before spinning around a couple of times.

It was certainly not how she envisioned her wedding day through the years.

“Wow…” A comment emerges from the back of the room as Juliette spins around immediately, almost tripping. She thought she was alone until she heard the voice. “If there’s such thing as traditional vampire bride, then please put you in the book as you look absolutely stunning and perfect in that rich red.” Juliette smoothes the dress back out as she looks back at herself in the mirror.

“You really think so?” She questions and Alice nods her head as she walks over.

“Absolutely. I mean, I think Brad’s jaw is going to drop when he sees how pretty you are. You’re absolutely stunning.” Alice then runs her hands through Juliette’s hair, brushing it out of her face. “What do you think?”

“I love it, really. I thought I was alone…” Alice then freezes immediately.

“Oh sweetheart, I can leave the room if you want me too.” Juliette shakes her head no. “You know why I’m here. Everybody is worried that the council may strike and put an end to the wedding. We’re here for protec-”

“I know, I get it.” She then turns around to face Alice. “So with that said, is it okay for Brittany and Amy to be here with Joey and Dale?” They hadn’t wanted to invite friends due to the nature of the ceremony. However, it was their wedding and they knew being their special day it needed to be shared with those closest to them. It was why they went ahead and invited those who knew the truth.

“The chance of something happening is very slim, considering Father Montagee agreed to officiate the wedding. Therefore, I see nothing to fear despite the visions. However, in case of something, we will make sure that your friends are okay.” Juliette nods her head, accepting.

She knew that it was her wedding day and that should be her primary focus. However, she couldn’t help but feel a couple nerves through the process.

************************

Brad stands in the middle of the beach, hands claps together before him, as he is surrounded by his brother and Juliette’s brother Danny. He glances between the pair of them, a slight smile as this was a day that he had been waiting for awhile.

He glances towards where his friends were sitting, glad that they could make it. He had tried to explain parts of the ceremony and why it was done accordingly. However, he knew nothing would make sense till the day of. He just hoped they didn’t scare them off.

“Your tail hole is open,” he hears from the group, as his hand immediately reaches around the back of his pants – no tail escaping. He then glances over at Dale, sticking the middle finger up at him quickly as the group laughs.

“Good try,” he yells back with a smile, before glancing back towards the center.

“If there will be jokes and thoughts taken away from the ceremony, they will have to leave,” Father Montagee then speaks as he joins the group. Brad glances back at his friends, giving him a nod, before looking towards the father. He knew how much it meant to Juliette to have the figure she grew up seeing as a child officiating the wedding.

“I can assure you that won’t be a proble…” His voice trails off as he hears the shuffling of legs, immediately glancing across the beach.

Underneath the moonlight, the gleam of a red dress shone brightly, matched with a blond hair that he knew his fingers loved getting tangled in. His eyes immediately meet hers and a smile forms upon his face. He didn’t think she could look any more beautiful, but that she did on that night. He knew it was a look that he’d never forget, either, as stunned as he looked upon her.

His eyes don’t move as she makes her way closer to the group, followed by her ladies in toe. Once she reaches the group, her hands reach over to Brad’s, before the pair turn to face the father, bowing as a sign of respect for him coming out.

“My background is not in the specifics of werewolves, obviously, as I was brought to believe they were the devil’s creature set to end us,” Father Montagee begins, as he glances between the pair, with his comments sending a shiver down the spines of many. “Through time, though, creatures like yourselves have taught me that God loves all children equally, and so should we. For that reason, I did contact the beliefs of the wolves to make sure all was respected.”

Brad and Juliette locks eyes, not even caring to watch as the father reaches into a bag of contents, pulling out a series of ribbon and flowers. Kay and Bob Keselowsk immediately smiled as they watched, though, knowing the traditionalist style they were sewn and the meaning of them.

“A ribbon is meant to symbolize the bond of a pack, while the flowers are meant to symbolize following your desires and tracks,” the father continues, catching the pair’s attention. “May each hold out their left wrist to the middle, where they will be tied together. Per the traditions, it is meant to bring you together in ceremony, to formally welcome Juliette to the pack, and to trust that the desires together are equal.”

Brad and Juliette hold out their wrists, allowing them to be tied together accordingly. There was nothing wrong with the step, as they both knew their love fit every bit that he had spoken of. Brad’s family had grown to like Juliette – even Bob to a certain degree. They’d also trusted their desires together, seeing how they had grown and the beautiful daughter they had in Melody as she continued to get bigger. Lastly, coming together was meant to be the truth of the night.

“With our couple formally tied together and united for the ceremony, I welcome one and all,” the father begins the ceremony as planned. “I bring you here to witness Ms. Juliette Daniel and Mr. Brad Keselowski as they pledge their dedication to walk the night together.”

The words seemed off to those sitting outside of the usual circle, but it made sense. Vampires were supposed to travel at night, away from the light of day due to painful and other reasons. It was one of those ‘quickly grow used to and move on’ if you want to be here. It went along already having to be there at midnight for a wedding.

“From the night we come, to the night we go, cursed or blessed to walk the moonlight alone,” Juliette closes her eyes, pondering the words. She hoped on that night she was blessed as she didn’t need any outside disturbances.

“Sometimes another soul walks our path, then two become one, in love everlasting.” Brad smiles as he looks into her eyes, knowing that was what had happened. A chance meeting in the garage had brought them closer together than they ever could’ve realized.

“Come forward, Chylder of the Blood, and welcome this couple to your brood.” Juliette’s eyes remained closed, as she said a prayer to the almighty in hopes that the blessing she wanted was truthful in that moment. As she repeated the request in her mind, she could only think of the vision Alice had warned them of.

“Within each other, these two are found; bear witness as their souls are bound.” Brad glanced down at the bounding ribbon and flowers, almost chucking as he knew these words were useless. A glance over at Yolanda and the beautiful girl on her lap already showcased the bond the pair shared.

The couple’s eyes then both turn to their wrists once again, watching as the father lifts them up together over a goblet of red wine, twirling a red cloth over the ribbon and flowers that were already holding them together.

Juliette knew the red cloth was set to represent a blood bond, something they didn’t have. She wondered whether that’d receive approval from the power need be for the blessing of course.

Glancing around, seeing the waves of the water clash higher, she knew this was only the beginning…..

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 17: Axaltra Pocono 400

“Are you sure we should be here?” Alice Cullen asks as she glances over at her brother.

“We need to warn her,” he answers. “It’s the only fair thing to do.” Alice rolls her eyes as she crosses her arms.

“But really, warn her here? In front of everybody that she knows who isn’t supposed to know a drop of her world?” Edward knew the timing could’ve been better, but he wasn’t about to waste any either.

“I’m sure we can find some quiet time, and you can be here since you have that pass.” Alice looks down at the pass around her neck, reading it over, before letting it go and rolling her eyes. She still wanted to know how Edward had gotten it for her quickly.

“Why doesn’t Danny or Yolanda do this stuff?” Edward knew the answer, obviously, having spoken with Danny.

“It’s called they’re babysitting Melody and she can’t be around humans right now. Hello full moon time, hello random changing. Do you want to scare everybody and make them thing Keselowski is an alien?” Alice thinks it over, having some doubts over Brad. It wasn’t that too shabby of a plan.

“Hey….” Brad says as he opens the door, glancing between the pair confused. “I wasn’t expecting guests this weekend….” Edward walks past Brad, with Alice following in toe. “Don’t I get any explanation?”

“Shut the door,” Edward states as he glances between Juliette and Brad, both looking at him with confused glances. Brad closes the door as requested, before focusing his eyes on the pair.

“You don’t normally come around….” Alice shakes her head no, not really having any desires to deal with vampires after the first round. “Why are you here?”

“Because she came with me on an important assignment.”

“Assignment?” Juliette questions and Edward shakes his head yes.

“You see visions of the future….” Brad recalls and Alice shakes her head yes this time. “Why don’t I like this idea at all?”

“Because perhaps it means danger is coming your way and you’re scared,” Alice comments as Brad lets out a sigh. He knew it was never good to see her. “Alright, look. Word has spread that you guys are set to get married in a month and that obviously doesn’t sit well with people. Needless to say, there’s some vampires who are out to find you and well, destroy you.”

“How did you come across this information?” Brad wanted to laugh it off, believe it was just another random scare.

“How the hell am I supposed to protect him when we’re busy with our lives?” Juliette demands, feeling a shake of fear as she knew what the people were capable of.

“The message was dropped off by a fellow mate who knows the group but actually likes you,” Edward informs Brad. “He told me it would be wise for me to warn you. So here I am with your warning, sir. As far as protecting him, just be careful and watchful. They’re not going to strike during the day so just watch what you’re doing at night and who you’re hanging around. Oh, and never go anyplace alone.” Juliette glances over at Brad as he rolls his eyes.

“He’s serious, Keselowski,” Juliette says with a stern voice.

“I have seen visions of a meeting with a deadly consequence,” Alice starts. “People in a room, discussing, plans of death for someone else. Needless to say, this fits that vision adequately.” She then pulls out a piece of paper, handing it to the pair. “Those are the people I see. Stay far from them.” Brad and Juliette unfold the piece of paper, looking at it together. They couldn’t place the people anywhere from the drawings.

“Thanks….” Juliette didn’t want to be comfortable with the news, given the danger that she knew laid over their heads.

“We must be going. But we thought we should tell you. Goodbye.” Alice and Edward then head for the door together.

“You’re not even going to stay for the race?” They look back, shaking their heads no. “That’s crazy!”

“We got things to do, people to see. We just wanted to protect you.” Without another word, the pair left the motorcoach, leaving Juliette and Brad standing there, facing each other in silence.

“We’ll be fine,” Brad says quietly as he reaches out, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. “We’ll be fine. I love you, and I’ll do whatever it takes for you. We’ll be fine….”

***************************************

Brad laces his fingers with Juliette as they head back to the motorcoach lot together. It had been a great day at Pocono Raceway. He had a solid finish, and watched one of his good friends Ryan Blaney snagged his first career victory. Needless to say, they also knew it’d be a late night with the party about to ensue.

“Looks like we have a party to go to,” Brad comments as they reach the motorcoach. “I know you’re missing Melody so you can go see her with Danny, and I’ll do the party alon-”

“There’s no way in hell that I’m letting you out of my sight!” Juliette cuts him off, causing Brad to spin around instantly. “You heard what Alice and Edward said. They’re also most likely to strike at night. Perfect opportunity while you’re drinking your ass off with Dale and Ryan, and not aware.”

“So you’re coming to play bodyguard?” She shakes her head yes.

“Besides, I know Ryan just as well as you do. Don’t you think I deserve to come? Danny will understand.” Brad lets out a sigh, agreeing to it as he goes to the back to get changed.

“You know, you still owe me one….” She then smiles as she walks down the hall, leaning against the door frame. “You said that having a weekend alone, you’d offer me what I wanted more than anything. I haven’t seen that yet, sweetheart.” She then smiles as she twirls a piece of her hair with her finger. “I’m still waiting….”

“I did say that I owe you one, but I didn’t say this weekend or today, now did I?” Brad turns around, grin forming on his face as he walks right up to her.

“Yeah, but I know you want me…” He then slips his finger down her pants, running it along her slit. “You’re all wet and juicy and wanting me. You want me. You want all of me. You just don’t want to admit it.” She feels herself craving to his touch, almost kneeling over in slight as he pushes his finger inside of her.

“Bradley….” He smiles, hearing her purr his name.

“Yes Juliette?” She then lets out a low moan as she pulls him closer to her.

“Stop being a little tease and get the deed done. We have a party to get to, remember?” He smiles, continuing to push his fingers inside of her.

“I remember….but a party for two sounds so much better….” She couldn’t deny those words.

“Bradley, stop teasing….”

“Why sweetie?” He then leans in, kissing her lips, as he continues to fondle inside of her.

“Because I need you…..” He then backs up a little, smiling.

“I thought you’d never say those words.” He then kisses her lips once again, before moving his tongue down to her, licking the entire way, sucking ever so lightly where the scar from the bite mark remained.

“A deal is a deal….”

“So you’re finally craving….” He then goes back to sucking her neck as she feels herself reaching out, craving him, thirst building in her mouth.

“Bradley…..” He then moves down her neck to her shoulder, slipping the strap off from her tank top, before licking and sucking there, too.

“Yes?” He then repeats the process on the other side.

“Why are you making this so damn hard? I thought you wanted this more….” He then laughs, enjoying the tease he was creating.

“Because I want to make it worth your while and wait…” He then slips her tank top up, pulling it off. He reaches around her back, unclasping the bra before sucking one of her nipples.

“Bradley….” There was no holding back the moans anymore, as she badly wanted to move over to the bed.

“Didn’t you try to talk me out of this? Have you changed your mind?” He then switches the sides.

“Oh gosh yes…..”

“So now you want me?” He then picks her up, carrying her over to the bed, laying her back on it, before climbing on top of her and continuing where he left off.

“Bradley….” He then lets his tongue move down to her belly button, doing a circle around it as a giggle escapes her lips.

“Ticklish, are we?” She didn’t need him having any distractions.

“Keep focus…” He then lets his tongue roam down further, licking her along the waist line.  “Damn Bradley….”

“What’s wrong my little vampire? Are we thirsty for something?” A small growl escapes her lips as a response to the question as he slips her jeans off, followed by her underwear.

“Just already, please…” He then goes along her waist again, before down her thigh and back up, while placing a finger back in her slit. “Bradley….”

“What do you want, Juliette?” She then reaches for him, pulling at his firesuit, followed by his underwear, stroking his cock.

“You know what I want, jackass.” He then looks at her in surprise.

“Desperate, are we?” She then lets out a moan, stroking him once again.

“Please…..” He then pulls his fingers out, smile crossing his finger as he moves his cock closer, brushing it along her slit, moan escaping her lips. “Please Bradley, please….”

“Your wish is my command….”

******************************

The pair walk up to the front door, glancing at each other with a smile, before opening it and going inside. They had arrived an hour later than they had anticipated due to their extracurricular activities, but neither was going to let the smile disappear off their faces in response.

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 16: Winstar 400

Brad walks into the motorcoach, smiles as he sees Juliette curled up on the couch, glancing over something.

“Do I want to know what you’re doing?” He questions as she lets out a chuckle.

“Figuring out the final piece of our wedding,” she answers as he looks on surprised. He didn’t think she’d ever get through her planning, but knew better late than never with the date set for next month.

“Oh, really? So you figured out the idea for our ceremony?” They had broken down the werewolf traditions together following Brad’s discussion with his parents, followed by figuring out the vampire traditions, courtesy of Edward. Juliette had everything mapped out on a page, trying to twirl together the best of both worlds in a sensible fashion.

“I think I have it down to a science, and I think that you will approve.” He sits beside her after slipping out of his firesuit, glancing through the notes that she made. It honestly wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.

“I can handle this, I think….” She then chuckles as she thought there’d be objections with some of the steps. However, it was nice to be on the right track for once.

“Now, it’s just our wedding vows. Do you want to go traditional, proper, or make our own vows?” He thought it over, nerves flowing. He could easily write himself a blog on the website and pour his feelings out.  He was also good at expressing himself with ease. However, telling her how much he loved her in front of everybody? That may give him stage freight.

“What do you think?” He didn’t know whether it was a good idea or not to give the option to her. Knowing how girls worked, he could see what was coming – hence the scribbled notes on the paper underneath what he had just read.

“I like the idea of our own vows. It’ll just make the wedding that much more special.” He then lets out a sigh, knowing there was no choice now.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. I’m fine writing my own.” She then smiles, glad, as she had already put in a half hour of trying different things.

“So  why don’t you go grab a shower so you’re not so stinky, and I’ll make us something for supper? Then we can see how the boys make out in Texas tonight.” A sly smile forms on his lips.

“I thought maybe you’d like to join me for the shower.” Her cheeks immediately flush red as he pulls her close, kissing her lips. “We got a weekend with just us since your brother is watching Melody. Why don’t we take full advantage of that?”

“Careful puppy, you’re bound to get me pregnant with another one of your crazy wolves…” He then chuckles as he wraps his arms around her to keep her held close.

“And what’s wrong with that?” She smiles, knowing that she wouldn’t mind a second child – just not right yet. She wanted to get through Melody’s stages of growth, first.

“Nothing at all. But, for now, I say we stick to the plan….” He lets out a sigh as he lets her go, getting up off the couch. “You’ll be the one all grumpy if you miss the start of the truck race…”

“We could always do the shower together, and go for a smaller dinner than normal?” She then gives him a small push as he looks back with a grin. “Come on….”

“I want to finish up this first, okay?” He lets out a sigh, pouting a little. “Brad…”

“Juliette….” She shakes her head, licking her lips, as she watches him head down the hall. It was so hard to resist the offer.

**************************************

The pair focused their eyes on television, watching the battle for the lead come down to the final stages. They were already yelling at the TV and back and forth in regards to the previous pair of restarts. Brad insisted that Christopher Bell jumped one of them. Juliette insisted that Chase Bricoe should’ve restarted as the leader for the second.

“Caution!” The commentators let out, causing looks of confusion as to what could be the cause, and who was leading.

“I swear to gosh….” Brad starts, knowing he’d scream if it was a stupid reason.

“Holy crap Peters!” Juliette lets out as they show a replay of Timothy Peters’ flip. Not a bad reason for a caution. “Glad that he’s okay because that was….Holy!”

“Good to see him moving around.”  They then watch as TV waits for the replay and call of who won the race.

“And we’re hearing Christopher Bell is tonight’s race winner,” the broadcaster says, causing Brad’s jaw to drop. They then show a clip of the fence caution lights going on, with Christopher and Chase side-by-side.

“Bell won?!?” Juliette questions as she sees a blue bumper barely ahead. “That’s horseshit! Are you sure Kyle is not paying off NASCAR?”

“I have no idea,” Brad says, shaking his head. “There is no way that Christopher won. Chase’s bumper is clearly ahead as the fence lights up. There is no way…..”

“I’ve said before the officials are blind, but they are more certainly blind tonight!” They then see the clip of Buddy Sisco on pit road, yelling with the official.

“I’ve never seen Buddy fired up like that, but I don’t blame him. There is no way….”

“This is ridiculous! First, they suspend crew members for a simple mistake on pit road due to how they wrote their dumb rule about secure lug nuts, and now this? Seriously, how much is Kyle and Toyota paying NASCAR?” Brad shakes his head in disbelief, though then holds his breath as he watches them interview his driver. Surprisingly, Chase took the calm level-headed approach, and didn’t say anything out of turn.

“He handled that a lot better than I would’ve. I would’ve been fuming!” Brad then stands up, snatching his phone off the table as he texts Buddy, along with a couple other crew members. “This is ridiculous…”

“Please tell me that Buddy is marching into the hauler right now to yell at NASCAR?!?” Brad shakes his head yes, reading the response. “I mean, you can’t tell me that Christopher won based on that crappy replay….”

“I know, I know. Buddy is going to see what he can do…” Brad then grabs a drink from the fridge, before plopping back on the couch with Juliette. They wait awhile in silence, rolling their eyes as Christopher is interviewed in victory lane. It took around six minutes, but Brad’s phone went off. “Hello?” Juliette looks over, watching Brad’s facial glances, knowing that he was talking to Buddy about the conversation with NASCAR. It seemed pretty obvious that perhaps the right call was made and Christopher was the winner. However, Juliette could only look on confused at the thought as she watched Brad hang up after awhile.

“Well?”

“NASCAR timestamps the video and they mark exact time they throw a caution – hour, minute, second. They showed Buddy the timestamp to match and boom, Christopher was ahead. The caution actually flew two seconds earlier. The lights are on delay.” Juliette’s jaw drops in shock.

“Seriously?” Brad shakes his head yes. ”Well somebody should tell Eddie Gossage to fix his damn lights so they do a better job, or stick ‘em up his ass.” Brad chuckles as he takes to twitter, explaining things in a couple of tweets. He knew it was only fair to apologize for what he said earlier, especially since he respected Christopher.

“You aren’t the only one saying that…..”

“I’m the only one that will take the damn bulb and stick it there, though.” Brad chuckles again as he finishes up with his last tweet, setting his phone down and turning his eyes on her.

“How about instead of doing that you focus your energy on me?” She smiles as she grabs him by his shorts, pulling him right close to her and kissing his lips.

“It’d be my damn pleasure…..”

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 15: “Necessary Conversation”

Edward Cullin walks through the halls of Brad Keselowski Racing, glancing around as he takes everything in before reaching the office in question.

“He’s in there,” Austin Cindric simply says before walking away.

“He?” Edward questions as the young driver looks back.

“Yeah, Brad. Isn’t that who you’re here to see?” Edward pulls out his phone, re-reading the text message.

“Usually it’s Juliette that sends me messages to meet her different places.” He then reads it over, once again, “But nope, this time it is Brad. Thanks…”

“You’re welcome.” Austin then heads down the hallway, glancing back a little curious as he watches Edward enter the office, closing the door behind him.

“You know, normally it’s Juliette that wants to talk about things. You never want to talk vampire things…” Brad looks up from his desk, knowing that Edwards was right. However, this was important.

“Let’s just say this is a necessary conversation about my daughter,” Brad informs him as Edwards sits down, slightly confused.

“Everything okay?” Edward asks, a little worried based on Brad’s tone.

“They are – but only because Juliette stepped in. Let’s just say that she tried to bite my teammate a week and a half ago.” Edward’s jaw drops in surprise, though he had to admit it wasn’t totally a worst case scenario. He remembered when Bella met his family for the first time.

“How did that come about?”

“He came to my motorcoach for a band-aid as his finger was bleeding. A bit dropped on the floor, and she smelt it before going for a bite. I pushed him out of the motorcoach and her way, while Juliette grabbed her.” Edward was thankful for the quick movements by both, only wondering as to what would’ve happen should the teammate been bitten.

“What was his reaction?” Brad remembered the pair of conversations clearly. It was why he called Edward.

“Caught off-guard, scared, fearful, wondering whether he should even spend time around myself and Melody. He questioned it twice to me. Let’s just say that it wasn’t the most settling experience. Now, Joey is my best friend and we spend a ton of time together. I can’t be having this happen, especially not again.” Edward understood the concern, remembering the concerns he had surrounding Bella before he eventually bit her.

“As long as you keep her away during the full moon hours, and make sure there’s no more bloody sightings, there shouldn’t be a problem.” Brad took in those words, wanting to leave the topic alone.

“There shouldn’t be? I want a guarantee.” Edward lets out a sigh, wishing he could do that.

“Look, there’s a 95% chance of nothing hap-”

“But there’s a 5% chance that she’ll go after him again? Do you realize this isn’t a chance that I want to take?” Edward could only sigh once again.

“I get that. However, nobody has ever done this before – werewolf and vampire. Nobody knows how that’s going to mix and affect things. Hence why I can’t give you perfection. I know it’d be fine vampire world, but I don’t know how being a werewolf affects that.” Brad could only shake his head in response, accepting.

“Sometimes I just wish we didn’t have to deal with this at all. I just wish there was something I could do and it’d magically go away. It becomes more a problem than a good thing. The worst part is trying to make people like Joey, Brittany and Paul understand.” Edward could only symphasize, remembering his experience with Bella’s father.

“Give it time. As they learn more and see that things aren’t as strange or weird as they seem, or at least somewhat more balanced than given credit for, they’ll get it. I know it’s stressful and painful at times, but it’ll be fine. Besides, I think they can all attend the wedding without fear of incident.” Brad lets out a sigh as he knew that was now just over a month away, and yet plans hadn’t been finalized yet. “Bad topic?”

“Sometimes I just wish we could go to the local court house, get married and be done with it. Trying to balance ourselves with tradition is just pain staking at times.” Edward smiled as he remembered his and Bella’s wedding together.

“You’ll figure it out. You both always do.”

At home, Juliette sat on the couch, holding Melody in her arms as she rubbed her back.

“You know, your ears are sort of cute,” she comments, seeing the werewolf formation of her ears. “Perhaps cuter than your father…”

“Dada…” Melody says as Juliette just smiles, holding her tighter.

“Yeah, dada. You’re like your dad in many ways sweetheart.” She then glances down, noticing something tickling her by her stomach, laughing as a little tail sticks out. “Oh Melody….”

“Race…race…” During days like this, she’d just jabber random words, not noticing a single thing different despite furry ears and a tail. The only ones who noticed the difference was those around her.

“Yes, sweetheart. We get to see daddy race this weekend.” Juliette glanced at the calendar, knowing it’d all fade away that night with the full moon phase over for May. In a way, she was glad as it brought some normalcy back to their lives. However, she had to admit that she was cute with it.

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 14: GoBowling.com 400

Brad gets done his media interviews, before making his way through the garage area.

It felt weird without Juliette being there that weekend as normally they’d talk about the night, get ready to head home together, before leaving the track. Though with her being home with Melody, it left him to his own devices.

He was all prepared to get ready to leave, excited to see both his girls once again, though knew he had to make a stop somewhere else first. He makes his way into the motorcoach lot, past his own motorcoach before stopping at his teammates.

He takes a deep breath, knocking, knowing he couldn’t leave without stopping by first. He watches the door open before him, focusing on the eyes before him.

“Hey,” Joey says as he moves back, allowing Brad to enter with ease.

“Hey,” Brad simply replies, knowing nothing else would fit with the somber mood in the room. “I just wanted to stop by and see how you are. That was a wicked crash….” Brad hadn’t seen what happened exactly, but he heard from his team that Joey had something break, causing him to turn into Danica and crash both into the wall. Aric then had nowhere to go, joining the party. He saw the cars as they drove back through the turn during clean-up, shaking his head immediately.

“I’m fine, physically.” Brad shakes his head, easily accepting, as he gives his teammate the once over. He couldn’t help but pick-up on the tone of Joey’s voice, though.

“Beyond that, though?” Joey sits down on the couch, having not talked about it much except to Brittney.

“That shook me up, Brad. I was scared as ever for Danica. I was scared as ever for Aric. It’s great to see her walk away, and Todd said that Aric was talking on his radio. But that scared me probably more than any other wreck has ever, and I was really worried there.” Brad shakes his head, understanding once again. He could see that easily on Joey’s face.

“It’s understandable with how hard each of you hit. We know the risk and danger, but everybody hates to see that happen. Those wrecks are reminders of the danger, and even if we want to kill each other at times, we do care. I would’ve acted the same way, Joey.” Joey then looks up at Brad.

“So why is it that I will be like this now for the next 24 hours, and then put it behind me like nothing happened? It doesn’t seem right…” Brad sits down beside Joey, trying to think back to moments in his career in the same shoes.

“Because that’s what we do. The drive for success, the desire for speed forces us to put everything else out of the rearview. We remind ourselves that everything is as safe as it’s ever been, and the risk is worth it for what we want. That’s how it’s always been. The day a driver can’t do that…..well, we know the result.” Brad then puts a hand on Joey’s leg. “Look, don’t kick yourself in the butt over the change in heart when it happens. It’s the make-up of racer. It doesn’t make you less human or an asshole. It’s just who we are.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Brad then looks up as he watches Brittany walk out of the back, all set to leave, as he stands up himself.

“It’ll make sense. Give it time. You’re still dealing with the initial shock…” Joey shakes his head, knowing that Brad was right.

*****************************

Brad looks in the mirror, adjusting his jacket and tie, before walking through the house.

While Danny stopped by to babysit, the couple was getting to go out for a date night. For both, it was a special night being Sherry’s Catwalk for a Cause. Juliette could recall the days she helped Sherry with the first couple, while Brad always enjoyed seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces.

“Juliette, are you ready?” He questions out loud, knowing that she was in the bathroom, finishing up her make-up.

“Yep!” She replies, coming out of the bathroom. She slips her heels on, before making her way into the front foyer where Brad was waiting for her. As she came around the corner, his jaw dropped immediately as he took in her appearance. “Oh no…” She then glanced down at her dress, wondering if she should’ve chose something different. “It’s the dress, isn’t it?”

“The dress, you – everything together…” Brad was having trouble finding words to say, which was odd for him.

“Is it that ba-”

“Bad? Oh hell no! Let me just tell you that you look absolutely stunning!” A smile immediately forms on her face, as she spins around in a circle. She had chosen to go with a mid-tone red dress that went down to just above the knees. Tank-top style at the top, it tucked in at the waist virtue of a band that blended into the dress being the same color, followed by flaring out a touch in the bottom. She then chosen to go with three simple gold bracelets, along with her gold necklace from her childhood to top it off.

“Why, thank you…” She then walks up to him. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Keselowski.” She then leans in and kisses his lips as he wraps his arms around her. The pair remain lip-locked as she pushes him back against the wall, hands working their way underneath the edge of his shirt. “You actually take my breath awa-”

“You both realize you’re not alone right?” A voice reigns from the living room. They both immediately separate, trading smiles as they fix their outfits back to perfection.

“Sorry,” Brad apologizes as he glances into the room. “She just looked so stunning…” Danny smiles as he looks over at his sister.

“That dress does look good on her,” he compliments his sister as she gives him a quick nod.

“We’ll be back around 11. If you have any proble-”

“Just go. I’ll be fine.” Brad then takes Juliette’s hand with his, and the pair head out ready for a fun night.

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 13: “You look like you seen a ghost…”

Joey walks out of Brad’s office, feeling more stunned than ever by the conversation. He heads down the hallway, in a daze, trying to erase the image that formed in his mind.

“You look like you seen a ghost…” Brittany comments as Joey enters his own office.

“You could say that,” Joey replies as he sits in his chair, still caught off-guard. Brittany keeps her eyes focused on her husband, feeling puzzled herself. It wasn’t like Joey to be stunned.

“Well, what’d you see?” Joey didn’t know whether he wanted to repeat the details or not. He was worried that Brad would be upset if repeated – unsure whether it should be spread, and worried as to Brittany’s reaction. What if that ended the hang-out time they all had together?

“I’d rather not say…” Brittany lets out a sigh as she sits in the chair in front of Joey’s desk. She was becoming a little annoyed over the past couple of days.

“On Sunday, you return to the motorcoach after going to get a band-aid a little awkward and say it was just something strange that you saw, nothing new for Talladega. Then you come to your office and look completely stunned. Something is going on, Joey…” There was no lying that she was right in her comments as a lot was happening around them.

“Well, I can’t tell you, okay?” She glanced away, almost feeling as though her heart had been pulled apart by those words. What happened to total honesty when they got married?

“It’s about Brad and Juliette, isn’t it?” Joey glances up and shakes his head yes. He knew if he continued to give no details that she may freak out on him. “Well, strange and shocking is no surprise with them from what I’ve heard. I mean, what else do you expect when you’ve got a werewolf and a vampire?”

“What is your take on that, by the way?” Brittany shrugged her shoulders, though had to admit she found herself on pins and needles when she was around them at times.

“They’re both great people. I have a nice friendship with Juliette.” Joey knew by her tone that she was avoiding the topic, which made it even more important to keep quiet.

“Brittany, you know what I’m talking about….” She glances away and he knew there was no way that he could pursue the topic further. “With that reaction, I’ll just keep this quiet then.”

“Why?” He knew he was testing waters with big certainty in this discussion.

“Because you don’t need to know.” He then flipped through some of the papers on the desk, wishing they could discuss something else. “Did you hear that the appeal got deni-”

“You’re changing the topic, Logano.” He then froze at the mention of his last name. “Now, what the hell is going on?” He felt himself froze on the spot, debating whether to say something.

“Promise you’re not going to freak out?” She felt herself come over with unease, wondering if she should start running or checking for bite marks.

“I promise….I suppose….” Joey takes a deep breath as he thinks it over.

“Melody tried to bite me on Sunday. My finger was dripping, she tasted the blood and then went for the bite. Brad got me out of the way, while Juliette grabbed her.” Brittany froze at the mention of the words, feeling her own blood go cold and freeze at the thought. So much for game night.

“Do you realize what could’ve happened if she bit you?” Joey shakes his head yes, having been well aware of the fear. It was why he went to see Brad earlier. “I thought they both said there was nothing to fear with them and everything was fine, and no worries of human biting. That doesn’t look that one bit!”

“Brad said that Juliette is trained vampire who doesn’t go for human blood, but rather certain animals – that’s the same case for other vampires that you see, too. However, Melody hasn’t developed that yet. They can’t control her instincts for the first two years. She turns into werewolf when seeing a full man, goes for human blood once scented.  By year two, these go away. By year five and six, they’re taught everything. And you don’t have to worry about me on the weekend because she won’t go after me unless she sees my blood.” Brittany rolled her eyes, knowing that she was supposed to feel comforted by those words. However, she knew that wasn’t possible. While she wanted to lash out at Joey and demand they keep their distance, she knew that wasn’t possible. Joey and Brad worked well together and that was needed for success, and he probably wouldn’t take well to being told otherwise. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to keep her guard up.

“Duty noted. What about today?” It was on the tip of Joey’s tongue, but he knew that he couldn’t say it.

“I was just caught off-guard with the discussion that Brad and I had about it, that’s it.” Brittany shakes her head, accepting, which causes Joey to immediately relax in response.

“Well I held my promise not to lash out and kill you all, so you better damn well promise me to be careful.” He shakes his head, accepting.

A VampWolf Wedding – Chapter 12: Post Bite Scare

Once everybody was done the post-race breakdown meeting, the drivers and crew members split up to their usual spots for a Monday afternoon. Joey was set to head back to his office, though instead made the short walk down to his teammate’s. He knocked on the door, causing Brad to glance up.

“You can always just let yourself in,” Brad says as he motions for Joey to walk in the room.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you if you were busy,” Joey replies as he enters, closing the door behind him. “Besides, I had to make sure Melody wasn’t here.”  Brad then glances back up from his desk, surprised by the comment.

“I thought we were cool about that…” Joey takes a deep breath as he nears closer to the desk.

“We are. I mean, I’m fine. It’s just….” Joey takes another deep breath, trying to find the right words. “It freaked me out a little, okay? I was caught off-guard by that.” Brad could only begin to understand as he knew it was always a surprise when people learned more details of their lives.

“I get that reaction from anybody who sees something a little strange it seems.” Joey had sat nervously, though perked up at the comment. He was worried he had offended his teammate. “Look, I get that it’s not what you’d call normal. It’s something you just see in horror movies, right? It’s a reasonable reaction. You don’t have to dart around the topic with me, Joey. Heck, Juliette expressed concerns about the next time you come over.” Joey felt his stomach flip at that comment.

“Concerns?” Brad shakes his head yes, keeping his eyes focused on his teammate. He wanted to try and make him as comfortable as he could.

“We’d understand if you were nervous around her, didn’t want to hold her, keep your distance. I wouldn’t blame you one bit.” Joey knew that wasn’t quite what he was thinking by concerns.

“What about her behavior? Will she do that again?” Brad couldn’t be 100% certain, but had a perspective gained after discussion with Edward about the meetings he went through with humans, and raising his daughter.

“As long as there’s no blood that she can see or taste, then you’re safe. That’s why she attacked you – she tasted your blood, liked the taste and was set for more. Look at it this way – you know that you have great blood.” Joey knew Brad was trying to be light-hearted, but it just didn’t feel right in this moment.

“Geez thanks Brad. Next time I’m not sure how I’m doing, I’ll just let your daughter check me out.” Brad took his turn with a slight chuckle.

“Hey, vampires only go after good, clean human blood. They won’t touch any with a trace of sickness.” Joey was surprised by the detail, but figured he couldn’t blame them as it was about protecting themselves. “Listen, if you go see her today or tomorrow or anyday, you’ll be fine. You can also hold her without a problem. Just know that if there’s any blood at all from yourself, make sure to keep your distance.” Joey then felt confused by those words, as he noticed Juliette’s reaction.

“Juliette didn’t do anything at the sight of my blood….” Brad sits back in his chair, having grown used to explaining things to people.

“Juliette is a very trained vampire. She doesn’t go for human blood at one bit – actually doesn’t like the taste, strangely. She is only able to enjoy certain animal bloods by what she tells me. But she’s also trained herself to not attach to human blood, stay far off it – same with Edward and the Cullens. With Melody, that’ll come with time as she gets older.” Joey felt his stomach twist and turn as he tried to make sense of everything.

“So she’ll be willing to attack me if she sees blood for a long time?” Brad shrugs his shoulders, having listened to Edward’s explanation.

“For the first two years of her life, we can’t control her instincts at all. She turns into werewolf and howls at the sight of the full moon and around those days, which is this week. She instinctly goes after human blood because that’s what vampires love. As she enters year three of her life, all those go away and disappear under the surface as she continues to grow.” Brad then takes a deep breath, remembering the details. “Our beings grow smarter quicker than a human so by year five and six, we can understand things like control and ability. At that point is when training begins to withstand full moons, how to change on instant like I can, and also how to deal with blood thirst.”

“So for the first two years of her life, you need to keep her guarded because of that?” Brad shakes his head yes.

“That’s why Juliette won’t be there this weekend as we have no babysitter and its full moon week.” Joey finally felt like he was getting an understanding for everything. “Any questions you ever have, don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ll give you the answers that I know.”

“What about your wedding? I heard you’re keeping the guest list real low. Do I want to know what’s up there?” Brad shakes his head no, as he wasn’t quite sure yet either. “That bad?”

“It’s going to have tradition from both sid-”

“You guys are anything but the traditional couple, though.” Brad chuckles, remembering that comment from his siblings and Yolanda.

“We want to honor tradition, though, because it’s who we are. We haven’t quite decided what to include and what to do yet – hence why I can’t say much yet. But, when I do know, I will let you know. Oh, and you’re invited along with Brittany, Paul, Dale and Amy since all of you know.” Joey was about to simply agree, thought felt puzzled.

“Did Juliette somehow tell Dale when she was working for him?” Brad shakes his head no. “Then how does he know?” Brad could only wonder about how to tell that story from Talladega last season. He had to laugh at the teasing jokes from Dale, too.

“Let’s just say that Jason used him as a pawn to get mine and Juliette’s attention.” Joey’s jaw then drops as he thinks back to a year ago.

“So you killed him?” Brad then looks away. “Holy shit…”

“I had no choice. He was either going to hurt Dale, hurt me and go after Juliette and probably kill her. I had to do what was necessary for survival based on what he was doing.” Joey felt himself in total disbelief now, worse than when he entered the office. “I hated every minute of it and wished that we could’ve handled things differently. But that night, it was either him or me or Dale.”

“I get that. I know that’s not you. I know that it’s strange. It’s just….I can’t picture that.” Brad then sits up in the chair.

“Then don’t and forget you ever asked. Besides, that past with Jason is in the rearview and forgot about. As Juliette said, we’re not mentioning that ever again.” Joey just quietly shakes his head yes, letting it continue to soak in.