Page 6 of Her Vampire Hero

Chapter Three

Jenny awoke to the smell of bacon and the disorienting feeling of being in an unfamiliar bed. For a blissful moment, she thought the events of the previous night had been a particularly vivid dream. Then she stumbled downstairs, following the scent of breakfast. Red, the grandmotherly werewolf innkeeper, beamed at her from behind a steaming platter of pancakes.

No dream.

"Good morning, dear. I hope you slept well. Hungry?"

Jenny's stomach growled in response. "Starving, actually. Thanks."

As she dug into a stack of pancakes that would make IHOP weep with envy, Jenny marveled at the surreal normalcy of it all. Here she was, having breakfast with a werewolf, in a town full of supernatural creatures, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So," she said between bites, "any advice for me?"

Red refilled Jenny's coffee cup. "Keep an open mind and remember that underneath all the fangs and fur, we're not so different from anyone else. Why don't you go explore the town a bit? It's a lovely day, and there's plenty to see."

After Jenny finished breakfast and got dressed, she confirmed that her phone still didn’t have a charge. Without anything else to do, she went for a walk. The town looked different without the cover of night—still impossibly quaint and slightly off-kilter, but less menacing. She strolled down Main Street, taking in the eclectic mix of shops and cafes.

Her eye was caught by a storefront with a sign that read, "Twilight Tree Yoga Studio," in flowing, leaf-like script. Through the window, she could see a group of people—and were those actual trees?—contorting themselves into impossible positions.

Curiosity piqued, Jenny pushed open the door and was immediately enveloped in a wave of earthy scents—pine, moss, and something undefinably green. The studio looked like a piece of forest had been transplanted indoors, complete with living trees growing right through the floor and canopy of leaves overhead.

A man—or at least, Jenny thought it was a man—approached her with a serene smile. His skin had a greenish tint, and his hair looked suspiciously like moss.

"Welcome to Twilight Tree," he said, his voice as soothing as a babbling brook. "I'm Villosa. Are you here for a class?"

Jenny blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. "Uh, no, just looking around. I'm new in town. Jenny Cortado."

"Ah, the newcomer!" a melodious female voice chimed in. Jenny turned to see a woman with iridescent skin and hair that seemed to flow like water. "I'm Evinara. We've been dying to meet you!"

"Great," Jenny muttered. "Looks like the Beastly Falls gossip mill is running at full efficiency."

Villosa chuckled, the sound like rustling leaves. "News tends to spread like wildfire here. Or perhaps like a rapidly growing vine would be more apt."

"Right," Jenny said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "So, you're a... tree person?"

"Dryad," Villosa corrected gently. "And Evinara is a siren. We find yoga helps balance our supernatural energies."

Jenny watched as a woman in the back of the class shifted into what appeared to be a pretzel shape, her limbs bending at impossible angles. "Uh-huh. And the extra-bendy people?"

Evinara laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. "Oh, that's just Elastica. She's part rubber golem."

Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Of course she is. Why not? So, you two have been here a while, I take it? Any insider info you can share with the new girl?"

Villosa and Evinara exchanged a look. "Well," Evinara said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "what would you like to know?"

"Where can I make a phone call?" Jenny asked, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. “I need to see if I can postpone my job interview.”

Villosa's branches—er, arms—rustled sympathetically. "I’m sorry, but part of the curse is that the town is stuck in the year 2000. We are unable to contact the outside world.”

“You can’t leave? Like ever?” she asked aghast.

“Not until we find our soul mate.” Villosa assessed her. “Have you met anyone that appeals to you?”

Jenny's mind flashed to Rook, with his otherworldly beauty and gentle demeanor. She pushed the thought away. "I'm not exactly looking for Mr. Right. I'm more interested in getting out of here in time for my interview."

Evinara's melodious laugh filled the air. "I’m glad you’re not my mate then."

“Or mine,” Villosa agreed.

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