The whole situation of being allowed to leave feels almost surreal; maybe too good to be true? But I can't shake the fact that I have met the man who supposedly is my future lover. I'm intrigued by him yet meeting him will bring me closer to my death.
The feeling of my throat closing in on itself and a hotness over my body causes me to run outside. Seeking fresh air doesn't immedietly make my body cool, so I step out into the rain. The open wound on my leg stings immediately at the drop of water.
I cringe but still allow the miracle rain shower to speck my clothing. I tilt my chin up to the sky, feeling the soft drips fall upon my cheeks. This rain is calming, and not as invasive as the cold downpours I experienced in the woods before.
My ears still perk at the sounds of everyone back inside, so I cautiously turn a corner and almost scream when Luke comes out of hiding. He has a huge look of concern on his pale face and I can't fathom how I managed to not hear him. He must have been standing there for a while.
Instantly he pulls me up into a gentle hug, "I'm so glad you're okay."
I nearly fall at the weight being pulled onto my injured leg. The physical affection does not do me well and I push him off me, even though he attempts at clinging to me. I hear the sounds of short breaths out of view. They are out in the rain and I'm assuming are the rest of our group.
"Do you guys know how worried Estelle and Lynn are?"
I point back to the building I came from but Luke only takes ahold of my arm and tries to drag me towards the woods where the group is hiding. I stop him in the middle of the field, "Listen to me!"
He looks around panicked, "Not right now!"
"The alpha werewolf is dead, and they are set free from some mind trap. We don't need to fight anymore, they're letting us go."
"What?" He releases my arm and gazes his blue eyes over my shoulder. The stiffness fades from the muscles in his face.
"They thanked us..." I feel sick once more, "...and I was gifted the slave."
His relief suddenly shrinks, "Did you find Koda?"
I was right, there was one less person that should have been coming back with them, "No. I hoped you would have found him."
"Well he's not here at all."
My mind wonders about where he could have been taken. The only explanation I've concluded is that he got free. But deep in the back of my mind I'm reminded about how many times he's left us without warning. It could be another one of those occasions.
****
Gathering together for a grand reunion of ten, my family has decided the only way to get back is by foot through the forest. I stray at the back of the huddle, uncomfortable from being in such a crowd; especially with the two werewolves and slave immersed in the group as well.
We are advised by the wolf pack leader that the trek will be almost half a day on foot and so with Jane being drained of energy we will need to have someone carry her. The new alpha announces he will send the second wolf to lead the way and to carry Jane upon its back.
With the rain subsiding, the alpha bids us a heartwarming farewell and bows once more at me. My mind is spinning to the point where I only nod and speak to no one.
The intriguing vampire beside me gives me company at the back of the group as we walk into the shaded forest. Unfortunately his presence is becoming somewhat sickening and I have the urge to get to know him; although I refuse to speak a word to him.
I just can't imagine the fact that the Hunters are correct, that this man will be the key to the ritual. Not only this but how can they know he is the man I will love? You can't predict such a thing, right?
Time passes and the sun begins to peek through the trees. We pass by an open area and coverage of trees begin to thin out. The vampire man besides me stops in his tracks briefly groaning before announcing, "I apologize for being such a burden, but my sun potion is gone..." He pulls a small bottle from his pocket showing me that it is empty.
"Just leave him!" Leddy yells with a ragged breath.
I stop in my tracks next to the vampire, "No."
"Then you'll be left behind as well."
I'm going to get left behind if my leg doesn't start feeling any better. I'm trying to ignore the pain but it's getting to the point where the throbbing is getting to my head. I'm sweating, and I know it's not warm out enough for that to happen.
Protesting and arguing is not my strong suit, and I'm utterly shocked that this stranger has spoken to me this way. Especially after I am the one who killed the evil alpha wolf.
Abe gives her a snarky reply ahead, "Why don't we leave you behind instead, huh?"
The vampire finds some shade on the other side of me where he is less exposed, we continue on our way cautiously but in moments the sun still flashes upon his pale skin. I glance over to him, unable to help but noticing that his skin is turning a bright red almost instantly where a beam of sun landed on his flesh.
I can hear the sound of his skin sizzle every time he's exposed for only a second. I peek up ahead of the group, hoping Jane can give us a solution but she's out cold ontop of the werewolf's back. From what I see my sister doesn't look too well either.
Abe finally spits, "Leddy, give him your jacket."
Suprisingly the woman has no argument and takes it off. She turns around at the two of us and throws it in the vampire's face, "I'll want it back."
Her bitterness towards the man makes me wonder if vampires really are what I think they are. Monsters. Killers. My belief in that has been stuck in the back of my head, even though this whole time I've been covered in my own blood and he hasn't once done anything out of line.
I take a step and stumble forward, tripping over a rock hidden by leaves. I catch myself with my injured leg. It shakes and my knee almost gives out before I take the pressure off of it at the last second.
I take a deep breath, huffing and blinking down at it. The blood has seeped into my clothing, and runs a few inches down from the wound.
A few minutes pass by, feeling like an eternity of excruciating pain. A dizziness washes over me and I feel myself falling behind. I stop all together, unsure if I'm going to faint before I can take another step.
Without any warning the vampire places his palm on my shoulder gently. I flinch, not from fright but from a feeling I've never felt before. A warmness flutters throughout my body, like butterflies down my arm. I don't want to cringe away from his touch, and when I meet his eyes everything around me goes silent once more.
This must be some kind of trap, right? He's making me feel this way on purpose. Vampires aren't like me, they drink blood, they live off of their prey, right?
"Now that I am your's, it is my duty to take care of you..." I've never heard anyone speak to me with sincerity. "May I attend to your wound?"
I glance down at a pool of blood where the laceration is on my leg, not giving the man an answer. I'm unsure what to do with it.
The vampire looks down upon himself, taking a piece of his suprisingly clean shirt in his fist. His hand starts pulling the fabric with ease as if it was paper. I watch his eyebrows furrow and I'm instantly drawn down to his eyes.
They meet mine almost instantaneously and I'm quite embarrassed that he found me staring. He gestures for my leg and I only nod, unable to speak because my teeth are gritting in agony.
His hands work with persicion on my leg, while my green eyes can't be drawn away from his attractive appearance. I play with my hands, panicked, but continue finding his long eyelashes quite beautiful.
Once I feel him tying the knot I avoid his eye contact, only catching him blink back up at me with approval of my leg, "Is this too tight, milady?"
"It's fine." I mumble, fixated on his hand smeared in my own blood.
Will he react to this? He didn't just moments ago but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
"...please allow me to carry you. I know you are in distress."
I shake my head no, turning him down. Maybe this isn't my best option but I stay true to my decision even as he stands and reaches both hands down to me. I shoo them away, even though standing on my own is almost too difficult. He doesn't argue, but turns his head down slightly.
There's no way I should allow him to carry me, I can't; even if I'm fascinated by his touch. I refuse to let myself get close to a vampire who could easily manipulate me.
We continue, and I fall further behind the group. I try to keep up but my body doesn't allow. With a sharp pain up my leg I tremble, with my leg giving out and my body crashing to the ground. This time unable to get up.
The vampire offers a hand and I take it, sparking a warm feeling up my fingertips. When he grips my hand, gently pulling me to my feet the sensation washes up my arm; creeping slowly.
He doesn't release my hand, as if forgetting but I do as well when he parts his full lips once more, "Please, let me carry you for a while," He begs as my mouth falls open with a blissful gaze upon his face. "It will be more harm to let you trek through this forest with the severity of your injury."
"Okay." I mumble, still lost staring upon his angelic features.
A softness washes over his face to what I assume is relief, and he sends me a light grin before easily scooping me up in his arms. My face falls into his neck and I get a whiff of his gentle scent.
He begins walking quite fast, catching us up to the group in no time but all I can pay attention to is the odd sensations washing over my body. The warmness is not just radiating off his body but through me, deep inside me. The joyus feeling is unexplainable but it is almost calming.
Within a moment he whispers closely to me, "Better?"
The pain in my leg is entirely gone, as if it is suddenly healed. I gasp, "I think so."
My eyes close, hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat. I'm shocked to find it once again in sync with mine. I drift into a content state, not understanding what spell this vampire has upon me.
****
My brain is awoken by the sounds of others around me, talking, sighing of relief and gasping in excitement. The gentle stride of the vampire servant comes to a halt and I'm suprised by soft raindrops upon my face.
Upon arrival back to my grandparents property, I peek my eyes open only to be looking up at the vampire who must be exhausted from carrying me almost the whole way.
His eyes meet mine, a beautiful green that makes me stumble upon my words, "Put me down now."
His eyebrows furrow and I realize I've never been so demanding before. The vampire hesitates for a second and takes a glance at my bloodied leg.
"Please." I stammer.
The servant gently places my feet on the ground and I stumble slightly with the pressure on my leg. It throbs instantly, and I recall that it felt only like a scratch when he was carrying me.
He places his hand on my forearm, "Milady, please do not allow me to have you walk on your own. I refuse to let you fall."
I only nod, entranced by his gaze; a spark in his eyes and a shy smile upon his full lips. His warm hand against my arm gives me tingles up my forearm, and I grip his wrist with my hands. My cheeks feel hot.
I have to admit, his touch has me feeling quite different still.
The lot of us cautiously step up to the front door of my grandparents estate. My breaths become horse but I don't know if it's because of the pain I'm in, the fright that this could be a trap and the Hunters will come, or that this man is making me feel so intoxicated.
Someone pulls out a key, "Wait!" I spit, "Let me listen first..."
I do so, hearing the noises of the evening. The trees rushing in the breeze, the sky dripping light drops of rain and it splattering on the surfaces of the leaves. I hear a creak, something blowing in the wind. The sound of the home settling, the deck, the wood floors inside.
I search for signs of life inside, wondering if I can manage to go that far again. A curtain blowing in the wind, possibly the kitchen window that was never closed. The first floor is empty, the basement as well.
"Miss?" The vampire is confused.
"Shhh..."
The upstairs, something is there; breathing. A heartbeat, calm breaths, no other movement. Somebody is hiding for us, waiting?
"I think somebody is upstairs." I finally announce.
The Estelle and Lynn start panicking, and Luke puts his hand on Lynn's back gently. My aunt and uncle look at each other, staring a plan on what to do but they're quickly interrupted by Leddy, "Let me and Abe go in first, we can scope out the place and capture the intruder."
I want to protest, to tell them that this is a bad idea. We've been through so much and honestly we shouldn't even be here, but half of the group insited we needed to be back to find clues to where Koda went.
Our wolf friend had turned back a few minutes ago, and in turn placing my still exhausted sister on the grass in the front lawn. We should've sent him in, I gaze around still holding ahold of the servants wrist for support. The yard is empty, as if the werewolf never came with us in the first place.
How could he leave so quickly?
I'd rather not be here, but the rest of our party agrees, opening the door and allowing Leddy and Abe to enter first.
They walk past the stairs but I whisper, "No!"
Abe looks back at me in the doorway, and so I point up the large wooden staircase. He turns back around and nods at me, his twin trying to protest and take charge but he doesn't listen.
"The downstairs is secure, it's the upstairs. Someone is up there on the other end." I tell them.
My aunt and uncle go to check the main floor despite me knowing there's nobody down here. Jane who's still asleep on the lawn, is watched over by my grandfather. While Luke, Estelle and Lynn stand in the front room of the estate with me.
I hear Leddy and Abe search the second floor. First my bedroom, then Jane's, finding nothing so far but not relieving any of us. Once they go into the other upstairs wing of the home I hear some worries come from Abe's mouth.
"There's blood..."
I gasp, knowing the rest of us were not injured in the process even though I don't recall much of being taken by the wolves.
Leddy sighs, "Get ready, it's time to kill the bastard."
They search through the first bedroom, one staying at the door covering for the other. The room is cleared and they go down the call with confident strides, something I'd never assume to happen in a situation like this.
Not a moment passes until I hear Leddy, "Oh shit!"
My hand start trembling and I'm ready to start running but the servant holds me back, "What is it?" He seems shaken as well.
"Let me listen!" I huff.
From the second floor Abe groans, "Is he dead?"