"No, not again.", Emily mumbled dreamily. "You're joking."
Her phone never stopped tinkling until early sundown.
The room she paid for in the first cheap motel she has found along the way, was now echoing full-time without any pause for at least two hours.
The sound was killing her.
Emily was a headstrong person and she was not glad to give up her endless half-human sleep since she didn't feed for days, but Andrea wasn't the one to give up either.
In one single moment, before Andrea called her again, she saw it was already two minutes past 8 in the evening and that it was time to get up.
Before determining to call back Andrea and let her know she is okay, she threw one quick blurry look at the old surroundings in the motel room.
Couch on the left, cheap mattress she was lying on, tv that didn't work, and stinky, old kitchen she will probably never use.
Why does life have to be like this?
"I'm alive and soooo not ready to talk.", she responded before her telephone even had a chance for another beep that already killed half of her brain cells.
Hearing frequencies, as a perk of being a half-vampire, was one of the rare ones she liked.
"I know you're alive!", Andrea screamed from another side, bitterly stabbing Emily's ear. "Since Ivan didn't drop dead, I assumed you're just being your usual asshole self so I decided to keep calling."
'I know, that's why I didn't answer.', Emily replied, standing finally up from the mattress that made her back sore, too.
"Seriously, Em, we were dead worried for you.", Andrea wasn't being all that cheery anymore. "Where are you? Things have been complicated around here too."
'I'm in Silvermoon', Emily retorted reluctantly, still cranky from sleep. "I'm planning on staying here for a while, I need to get some rest before I continue my run.'
"Em, you gotta be careful. That place is crawled with wolves and it won't be long before Hell breaks loose."
"I know, I will be. No worries. Where's my twisted brother?", she changed the subject, because she was tired of running and didn't want to even consider going away for a shorter while.
That's why she has chosen a witch-neutral ground. Nobody would hunt for the Circle here, she was sure of it.
So no, she wasn't going anywhere.
Even if Hell breaks loose.
"Oh, Ivan? He's probably somewhere jamming with his nincompoop friends. Do you want me to call and check up on him?"
"For Christ's sake, Andrea, no.", Emily was irritated with her extremely protective attitude over Ivan, but at the same time, she knew that's what has been saving their lives; his in the first place, for a very long time. "Just let him be a rebellious teenager and watch out over him."
"Of course, Emily, you don't even have to ask.", Andrea mumbled, still sounding strict. 'Should I at least say 'hi'?"
"Yeah, you can say 'hi'.", she said, finally awake and already putting on her favorite black sweater. "I gotta go, Andie, we'll keep in touch.', she hanged up on Andrea without saying goodbye.
For a moment, Emily closed her eyes, just wishing her little brother was here.
I know that birds fly in different directions, I hope to see you again ...
Soon, she opened her watery eyes, holding up the upcoming tears.
Determined that she won't be ruled by her emotions, with all of the super speed possible, she took off out of the hotel and found herself somewhere in the middle of the street, among the million ghastly chatting and ugly looking people she couldn't bear.
But at that moment, she felt better. That was her way of paying revenge for ordinary life things, such as emotions.
While walking down the street in a jumper and her black leather jacket, actually stabbing people with the look that came from her light eyes, she found some paper in her left pocket.
When pulled out, it looked like some German traveling tax and she didn't want to be bothered with such stuff.
She ran away from that Hell on Earth yesterday and she was back in her home country.
Still pissed at the struggle she had to endure, she just threw it away behind her back and without even trying, straight into the junk street can.
She was pretty depleted for the last couple of days; not only because she lacked a lot of sleep and knew she wasn't going to be able to hold on for much longer.
Her vampire side will need to feed, but in this condition, she would just throw up the blood. On better days, she was drawn to kill, as any other vampire would be, but on days like days, she even despised her own blood.
Soon after the torturing thoughts of feeding started tormenting her, the sight of a bar "Carnivore" with some old school sign and good music taste passing through the doorway, caught her attention.
"Well, a girl's gotta eat.", she murmured to herself, already coming in, drawn by some good feeling she barely had.
Again, oh, those feelings...
The bar was unusually enjoyable from the inside.
Unbelievably crowded with young people and nutty scents, but, oh, she forgot it's Friday.
Time for new generations to drink up their livers and throw up their hearts on the dancefloor.
It was full of wood and forest things, cool images of rockstars, drumsticks, guitars, and autographs.
It reminded her of Hard Rock Caffee since it was designed in the same manner. It looked like a Hard Rock hut. She found that quite charming.
She knew this could potentially be a witch place, so she was safe. And that's what mattered now.
On the other hand, the coffee also had a lot of animals hung on the wooden walls - deers, wild pigs and many other not so catchy animals, which gave the bar a pretty extravagant vibe.
The funny scent still lingered through their nose holes a little bit, but she dismissed it.
Emily found it quite familiar from somewhere, but that was nothing she will unravel tonight. She was just out on her regular Friday night lonely drink.
Some of the girls next to the bar were cringing over the boys who were presumed to come and met with them tonight.
On the other side of the bar was the pool table and some handsome fellas were being strongly beaten by the other one, maybe the best looking of them all.
Here usual spot, whenever in the world she was for the last twelve years, was at the bar chair, next to the bartender.
"Well, that's an unusual sight; the lonely girl at the bar table.", she soon heard the bartender who was washing and wiping some cool-shaped glasses. "What can I get you?"
'I don't see anything unusual here.', Emily smiled innocently. "One beer. Larger one. Killer one. Please. Thank you.", then she peeked at him with her penetrating blue and big eyes to check her interlocutor. And a nice scene in front of herself was surprising.
It was a guy, not much older than her [judging by the looks] and his hot Latin blood was boiling out of his veins.
She could smell it.
"In a second," he smirked, openly reacting to her checking him out.
In the next moment, he was sprinkling the beer into the goblet.
'Thanks.', she smiled politely once more, trying to act natural.
Since she had some small bottle of bear blood to help her regenerate herself, a good opportunity was to drink it with beer, to disguise the smell.
She wasn't in shape to balance the two conflicting sides inside of her and she needed to find a way through it somewhere in the middle.
It stunk.
It stunk like Hell, but it was the only way to heal her out of the shape she was.
Her human side was growing weaker and so did the abilities she had. Not good if Greta's hunters decide to visit this isomerous little town, because, talking of smell, yah, the whole bar still smelled weird.
Of supernatural.
Even the gorgeous guy in front of her.
"Here's your order, blue eyes.", he said. "Hope you like it, it's homemade."
"If it's strong, I'm not picky.", she dragged the goblet to herself over the bar table.
The guy turned his back to snatch some stuff and it was that moment when she hastily emptied the bottle into the goblet.
He turned around with eyes wide open as if he was discerning her doing something.
In the next moment, that somehow made her freeze.
But he just grinned, which instantly relieved her, so she just smiled back with a feeling of ease in her chest.
This one didn't see the beer's color growing darker and that was a good sign.
He kept glancing at the goblets in front of him, looking for what he can do next.
"So, blue eyes, what are you doing here?", he asked casually, deciding to polish the wet goblets from the washing machine.
I will ignore his half-Spanish accent and be a decent human being tonight, Emily thought to herself, I won't be a usual asshole. Try, talking, Emily, try to be good.
"Long story to tell. What are you doing here?", she answered in the same manner, smirking back and taking the sip.
"Long story to tell.", he grinned.
"Long story to tell has the weird Spanish accent, I must admit.", Emily chuckled. "Not much of a mystery, don't you think?"
"I moved here when I was young. It's just me and my dad. That's the long story short.", he looked at her. "Your turn.", he grabbed another glass and she heard, somewhere between the relief she felt and the girls still talking about the boys who were still late, the doors opening and strong footsteps coming towards the bar behind her.
"I moved here yesterday and had no idea where to go, so I ended up here. That's my long story short.", she said, taking another big sip from the glass. She wouldn't be so voracious if there wasn't something in it that she needed.
Silly scents became intenser since her abilities started to sharpen.
And they were becoming much closer to her.
"Raul!", shouted the voice that was synchronized with the footsteps Emily heard seconds before. Something made her wake up as if it was a hazard alarm, but she couldn't quite tell. "One for me and my boy here. And for that girl in a white dress, she's so pretty and stupid.", he said, addressing the last part to one of the girls staring at the blond, tattooed guy now standing next to Emily. Every thought they had of the boys that were late was now gone.
As if God himself entered the bar.
"Peter, Teddy.", the bartender that now had a name, Raul, started instantly pouring the goblets, welcoming them as if they were old friends.
"Is there any weird activity tonight? Everything ok?", the blonde guy left her asked and she froze. The other one came on her right side. She was, luckily, on her last sip of the beer.
'Nothing unusual. Everything's in order.', Raulo smirked and looked at her.
Oh, crap.
She knew it.
She's trapped.
"Thanks for good company tonight, Raul.", she smiled gently. "I have to run off some stuff to do.", she slides down the bar chair, but something pretty sharp came under her jumper, directly opposing her ribs.
"What stuff has to do with the girl that moved here just yesterday?", the voice of the guy she supposed was Teddy, the bar God, comfortably penetrated her ears. "Sit where you are or you'll leave the bar in a garbage bag.", he spoke to her very softly.
She felt that he has the silver in his hands as his temperature was radiantly growing, which she felt while being next to him.
His body temperature was wildering because of that silver knife and it was a lot higher than Rauls or Peters. So, the silver hurts them ...what the hell they were?
Good thing is that they didn't know they can't kill her. But knowing they could kill Ivan if they hurt her was a dreadful thought, so she was deadly frightened.
"You set me up.", she shrieked at Raul, but he just smiled naively as her very self did when she first entered the bar.
"Your eyes have nice color, I have to admit.", the blonde boy stared at her. "Calm down and tell us what the hell you are and why are you here.", he inquired with a little less forbearance than before.
She neglected that her eyes turn purple when in danger or scared.
She wasn't entirely human, but neither were they. Yes, their hearts were beating just as much as hers, even more rapidly now, but their scent was strange. So familiar, yet very odd.
She felt the radiation of their high body temperature evolving around her. It was the opposite of her lower one and all she could think about is how the run is over. They'll end her, whatever they were.
"I'm here by accident. And I'm human. As much as you are, at least.", she glanced at him ready to strike. But the silver knife on her ribs ended up dangerously pressed to her skin so she took a step back, with Teddy following her.
"You'll have one more chance to tell us what are you and what the Hell are you doing here before we take any measures.", another shot of apprehension was shot in the air.
'My guess is she's a witch, but glamour vampire. She's hiding something, Teddy. No one would camouflage themselves this way.', Raul announced, looking at her.
Her gaze moved from one boy to another, while the guy name Peter was behind her.
There was no way she could break out without resulting in trouble or ending up injured.
"C'mon, sweetheart, I don't want your pretty face all over my bar. Just tell the truth.", Teddy told her, clasping a hand on her cheek. She was looking at her as if he liked her.
It was a game. And she was offended.
This is crap.
She's over.
She's screwed.
Whoever these people were, they were going to surrender her to hunters. Because no one knew whom there searching for. They were called the 'Ultimate justice' these days. As we're speaking...
'I'm human enough to call upon my right of the Ultimate Justice. You cannot kill me, nor hurt me because I'm not the real threat to the community.', she said confidently, looking at Teddy without a blink.
"Of course, we can't, I can feel your heart beating. Is it me or the fear for your life?", Teddy teased her, raised his eyebrow, so convinced in himself and she looked at his eyes once more, rejecting to back down.
"But... do you know what Mental chains are? I'm pretty sure they don't break any of the Ultimate Justice rules.", he muttered the last part in her ear, causing her to shiver, unable to do anything.
Holly crap, she thought, they were werewolves.