Chapter 11 - Keep Rolling Rolling Rolling.

Rain doesn't look convinced. I give him a reassuring smile as best I can, but it's interrupted by a big yawn. I'm seriously worn down. I can't remember the last time I felt this tired.

I can understand Soothing's mistrust in me. It sounded like Erebus was designed for garou like Rain. The process removing the taint of the wyrm and allowing them to continue on as true garou. I'm not a true garou. I'm made up of a creature they've never seen before and their mortal enemy. On top of that, what I've done, the thing that he finds most abominable, was a conscious decision made by me. Me being true to the nature of the creature I was. But I knew in my heart, my living, beating and strong heart, that I'm not that person anymore. Yet, Soothing can't bring himself to see that yet. I don't think anyone here will have yet, they're just grateful we came and saved them.

My reflection stares back at me from the last few drips of the coffee in my mug. I frown, there's something... Something not right with my face. I stand up and head to the kitchen, looking around I grab a metal mixing bowl and look at my reflection. I'm staring intently at my reflection. What's wrong, my face is the same, isn't it? There's something missing... My eyes widen like saucers. My tattoo, my markings on my head, they're gone! The bowl hits the side with a clatter. I.. I have to be tired, this has to be some hallucination, yeah that's gotta be it.

"Bro? Are you alright?" Rain walks into the kitchen with Soothing behind him.

I look up at the pair, Rain looks concerned, Soothing looks concerned and annoyed.

"Please, my forehead, my tattoo, it's still there right? I'm just tired and can't see it, right?"

Rain blinks. "Umm, no bro, it's gone. Definitely not there anymore."

Soothing raises an eyebrow. "You won't have had it since your first change. Your body will have rejected the ink and healed it."

I lean back against the sideboard and shake my head. That was one hell of a shock. Couldn't someone like mention this shit to me? How many more nasty surprises have I got to come?

"Urrgh. So, what can I do to help? We should pack stuff too." I ask.

"Nothing. You two are shattered. You've both worked hard and need to rest before you can be of use to us again." says Soothing.

I nod an can't stop another yawn, my eyes blur again. I'm really wiped out at the moment. That's probably why I keep getting so emotional.... Yeah, honestly, that has to be the case. Nothing to do with me being an emotional little so n so, honest. I should go back to sleep, but I want to be ready to go when everyone else is.

"How come you're not helping out Soothing?" Rain asks.

I wince, but decide to take this one. "That's obvious bro, he's here to make sure I don't get in the way with my stubborn attitude to trying to help and end up making a pig's ear of it."

"Ahhh, looks like he's got you pegged then bro." Rain grins.

I grin back at him, trying to keep myself from looking at Soothing. I know he's here for that, but he's also here because he really doesn't trust me still. I can't blame any of them, but now I've really gone from being something special and unique, to a unique pain.

"Luckily, we're done now, we can head on out." says Soothing.

I blink. "How did you know that? You didn't get a phone call or anything."

"Pack speak, or mind speak, whichever you wanna call it. It allows us to talk mentally to other members in the pack. Rain, since you've got the most energy, head on to the med bay and make sure you have everything you need or left there as well as anything you think Alex here might have left behind. We'll meet you outside at the trucks."

Rain nods and scampers off.

"Come on, lets' go." he walks ahead out the door and I follow. We don't say anything, I trail almost sullenly behind him, wishing I had some magic words to make things better between us. Yet, I can't find any nor does some revelation strike me.

We come around a corner and Soothing opens the door. My heart must have stopped for a moment as fear lances through me. Sunlight. The floor in front of me has a perfect rectangle of sunlight that stretches just below my feet. I can't move, I feel paralysed. I'm about to walk into destruction, I'm going to die, I'm going to burn! My knees give way and I collapse at the edge of that rectangle of light. Sweat pours from me, my heart starts beating again at a hundred miles an hour. I can't stop them, the tears, the tears slide down my face. My eyes are fixated on the light, the blood is rushing through my ears. I can't run, my body won't move, I'm so tired and scared that I just can't move.

A hand appears in my vision, it grips my chin and forces me to look up, I'm looking at Soothing.

"Alex! ALEX! Can you hear me?! Come on, snap out of it!"

I can't blink, the tears are in my eyes, they're stinging, but I can't move. I see his hand move back and open up, then the palm crashes against my cheek. The shock to my system does it. I can move again, oh that fucking HURTS! I place my palm against my cheek and look up at him as I try to rub the stinging sensation away.

"Ow....Thanks I think."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I... I'm sorry Soothing. It's sunlight... I'm scared."

"Why the hell are you scared of sunlight?"

"As a vampire, it's fatal. The sun's touch. We burn away till there's nothing left."

"So you're terrified because you used to be a vampire?"

I gulp and nods "It's been over ten years since I last saw the sun, seeing it after that would have killed me. I, I'm frightened."

He looks down at me and is frowning.

"Alex, it won't hurt you. I promise. Come on, you can trust me." he puts his hand out to me.

I'm so scared, my body will barely move. I just manage to raise my hand and take his, my body is shaking like mad as I grasp his hand gently. I can't seem to stop shivering, I can't hold his hand firmly, he has to grip mine and pull very firmly. My eyes are wide, my breath is coming in pants. I'm fighting not to run, fighting not to hyperventilate, I'm looking at him. I gulp loudly as he starts to step back into that light. I'm putting my trust in him I have to.

Step, step, step. My eyes are focused only on him. We walk, step after step, then I realise my eyes are fighting to adjust to the glare, I raise my other hand and put it across my face to shade it from the glare.

There's no pain. There's no burning. I'm alive! I'm actually alive!

Relief floods my body with a surge of adrenaline. I'm blinking and my eyes adjust to the sun. I'm outside, in the sunlight and I'm not dying.

"Soothing... Thank you.." I blush and try to rub the tears from my face.

"That was childish letting your fear overtake you like that. Though I guess all things considered you did well not to panic and run."

I nod and look down, realising I haven't actually let go of his hand. Though more aptly, he hasn't released me yet.

"So, why? Why did you trust me?" Soothing asks.

I look at his hand holding mine, then up at him. "Trust works both ways, but to be truthful, I don't have a reason to distrust you, even though I have given you reasons to distrust me."

"So you trusted me because you hope to gain my trust?"

"No."

"Then why?"

I look down at his hand still gripping mine tight.

"It was the right thing to do."

Soothing slowly releases my hand from his grasp. "That's something I hope you manage to keep doing."

I don't look up. "I hope so too." I hear him walking away. I look up and see him heading towards a car park. I seem to have come out of the main entrance, there's a paved path in front of me and a large metal wire fence type gate that has been pushed to the side. I can see in the car park is a large lorry where some of the pack members are loading up things. I think that might be the last of it.

I slowly make my way over, taking my time to pull myself together. It's so strange to feel the warmth of the sun again. Well, feeling it warm my skin instead of the burning sensation promised by it previously. There's faces here that all look familiar to me, but I don't know a single one of them. Oh hello nerves, where were you hiding? I used to run a bar for fuck sake. Yet here I am, trailing towards a truck slowly like the last person picked in a school kid's basket ball game. God, so this is what being a vampire did to me, I didn't give a shit about being nervous or meeting people for the first time. I can't believe I'm weighing up the pro's and con's of being a damn vampire!

As I get closer, I notice that no one is actually paying me any heed. They're all bustling about and throwing the last of some boxes on to the big lorry.

"RIGHT!" booms a voice behind me. I do recognise the voice, but I first need to figure out if I have actually jumped clean out of my skin or if it's just the horrible sensation that's roaring through my body from the goddamn fright!

Turning around, Wyrmripper is grinning widely at me and stood a couple of paces away. Everyone else is looking at him too. I'm still waiting to swallow my heart again so it can calm the fuck down.

"Nice job guys and gals, we're ready to head out. Everyone grab your vehicle if you have one, whoever doesn't needs to hitch a ride with someone who does. Make sure no one is left behind! Alex, Rain, Soothing. We're gonna take the truck so hop on board!"

I look around to see if I can see Rain and Soothing. Soothing is over near the lorry, but there's no sign of Rain. Frowning, I head over to Soothing.

"Soothing? Have you seen Rain?"

"He should be here any moment. He brought out the last of the boxes but went back in for one last sweep."

I nod gently but look towards the entrance. I'm worried, after all the shit that keeps going wrong, I don't want him to get hurt or something. My fears aren't unfounded, but they are alleviated when Rain comes out with Tina, the pair of them smiling and chatting together. I let out a sigh of relief and lean back against the truck with my eyes closed. This worry is going to age me at this rate.

"Well boys. I'll have to catch you all later. I'm gonna go report this lot to the upper brass. Nice meeting you Rain and you too Alex. We must chat sometime when you're not in trouble." says Tina.

I accidently look at Soothing when she says that and swiftly look back at her with my best smile. "From what I know about garou, I believe you're always in it, just the depth varies."

She laughs and struts off waving over her shoulder at us. I like her. I like Wyrmripper too. I also like Soothing. But it makes my chest cold and hurt a bit when I think about him. It's like a lesser version of every time I think of Colt. Ouch, yeah. Like a lesser version of that. I reach up and rub my chest as if that will offset the feeling, but of course it doesn't.

"Come on boys, hussle!" Wyrmripper moves up to the driver's side of the lorry and jumps up. I move towards the passenger door and wait, thinking Soothing will be getting in first, but he motions for me to head on up. I clamber up the side and open the door.

The inside of the lorry is pretty sweet. Grey material seats with red leather wall coverings. There's the driver seat that Wyrmripper is sat in.

Did I mention that Wyrmripper is pretty fit? I mean, he's not the most attractive guy I've ever met. But he's built like a brick shit house, jet black short spikey hair, permanent 5 o'clock shadow and green eyes. Honest to god green eyes. He's wearing some blue denim jeans and a wife beater shirt under a short denim jacket. His face is very square, like you'd see in the cartoons of military guys. If he grew a moustache I don't think I could take him seriously. Good job really, it's nice to have the eye candy, but I fear he would be the very definition of a 'jawbreaker' if I made moves.

Behind the driver's seat is a bench which I'm guessing is the sleeping platform as well. Wonder if they'd mind if I caught some shuteye whilst we travelled to..... I have no idea where the hell we're going actually. I clamber on over the passenger seat and into the back, parking my ass on the bench. Rain appears behind me and hops onto the bench besides as well. Soothing climbs up, hops into the passenger chair and pulls the door shut.

"All set? Let's go." Wyrmripper hits the ignition and the lorry roars into life