A muffled whisper jerks Jessie from her sleep. She slowly sits up, her heart beating so furiously it hurts. She looks to her boyfriend, who is sound asleep, his face peacefully illuminated by the flickering light of the TV.
She steadies her breath as she leans forward and mutes the TV. Closing her eyes, she focuses her hearing. A slow creak jerks her attention to her left. The kitchen door is the loudest door in the house.
"Jesus Christ, Cal, are you trying to wake her up?" A masculine voice snaps quietly, followed by an apology from another guy.
Jessie grabs the blanket from the back of the couch and throws it over Cade, making sure not to wake him. She then stands and creeps down the hall. She stops outside of the kitchen, where the two intruders are waiting.
She inhales deeply, imprinting their scents onto her brain. Smoke and metal. She takes a breath and pushes the kitchen door open, the creak causing the men to freeze.
One whirls around, a crossbow raised and aimed for her heart. "Who are you?" She whispers, keeping both in her sights, though the second thinks he's hidden.
"We're here for you, Jessica McCall," the man says, his voice stern.
She cocks her head. "How do you know me?"
He laughs quietly. "We've been looking for you for a long time, missy," he sneers. Jessie snarls and steps forward, her left eye twitching.
"Get out," she says calmly.
The man laughs again. "We'll make this quick. Now, stand still." He raises the bow and closes one eye, his finger resting on the trigger. He goes to squeeze when a shadowy form tackles him from the side.
He falls to the floor with a grunt, his weapon sliding across the ground. His friend emerges from the shadows and focuses his attention on Jessie. He pulls out a knife coated with something that stings Jessie's nostrils.
She growls deeply. Wolfsbane. The man launches forward, his blade outstretched. Jessie easily doges him and lands a punch to the side of his head. He groans and falls forward. Jessie reaches down and grabs the blade from his hand, wiping the poison on his sleeve before grabbing his collar and jerking him to his feet.
She shoots Cade a glance. He's busy with Cal, but he seems to be holding his own, so she turns her attention back to the intruder. "Who are you and what do you want?"
He laughs, his teeth covered in blood. "We know what you are, Jessica," he hisses.
Jessie's blood runs cold. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." Her heart hammers in her chest as he spits to the side.
"Your little secret," he hisses. "You're a werewolf, Jessica. And you're worth a lot of money. Money that me and my friend intend to collect."
The breath leaves Jessie's chest as if she's been tackled to the ground. Panic floods her brain as the intruder laughs. "Y-you're insane," she whispers, trying to cover herself. Cade, no doubt, is hearing everything. "Werewolves don't exist."
The man laughs again. "Sure they do," he says with a wide smile. "I hunt them."
Jessie's eyes widen. A hunter. She growls and jerks him so close that their noses touch. "How did you find me?" She hisses.
He shakes his head. "Like I'd tell you," he snorts.
Jessie growls again and digs her thumb into his right eye, applying more pressure with each second that he doesn't speak. "Tell me!" She shouts.
He groans and pants, his other eye screwing shut. "Alright, alright!" He shouts, his voice thick. Jessie lets go, her eyes narrowing when he opens his.
"Tell me," she demands quietly.
He nods. "Fine. There's a dead-"
"Cal, you keep your mouth shut!" His friend shouts, catching both of their attention. Jessie gasps. Cade is motionless, blood pooling around his mouth.
"Cade!" She shouts.
Cal grunts, his hand fumbling for something behind him. Jessie snarls, her teeth elongated, her nails forming dangerous claws. "You're going to regret this," she snarls dangerously, her voice deeper than normal.
Cal's eyes widen with fear as Jessie rears back and punches him square in the face. He falls unconscious, his nose shattered. His friend curses and grabs his crossbow, pointing it at Cade, who's slowly stirring.
Jessie creeps forward, her eyes glowing a brilliant gold. "Take another step and he gets it," the man warns.
Jessie tilts her head, her neck cracking loudly. The man staggers a bit, but doesn't look afraid at all. "Step away and maybe you and your friend will live," she warns.
He laughs and shakes his head. "I don't need him. Means more money for me, so kill him if that's what you want to do," he sneers.
Jessie blinks. "Wow, okay." She leans down and wraps her claws around Cal's throat. The other man seems completely unfazed, until she draws blood. He jerks, as if he wants to move to help Cal, but he doesn't.
Jessie smirks and tightens her grip, making it look as if she's cutting his throat, but, in reality, she's doing nothing but smearing the blood that's already there. "Okay!" He shouts.
"Move the crossbow," Jessie orders. He grudgingly obeys and drops the bow, kicking it towards Jessie.
She throws Cal to the side and snatches his gun and the bow. "What's your name?" She asks, the gun aimed for his chest. He lifts his head, his chin jutting out. She pulls the hammer back, raising a brow at him.
He sighs in defeat. "Jason."
"And what are you doing here?"
He grits his teeth, his eyes darkening. He doesn't say a word. Jessie sighs and raises the gun, but catches the way his eyes dart behind her. He smirks and lifts his head, as if he just cornered her.
Jessie whirls around, ready to attack Cal, but he's still on the floor. She gasps and whips around, but it's too late. Jason has his gun out and pointed at Cade. At the same time that Jessie presses the trigger, he does too.
Lightning fast, she rushes forward, but it's as if the world is in slo-mo. Cade jerks awake and screams as Jason collapses, his hands pressing against the wound in his side. Sirens echo outside of Jessie's house, the blue and red lights filling the room.
She sobs and cradles Cade to her chest, but it's too late. He's dying and he knows it. His breath is raspy and unsteady, a result of the bullet in his lung. Jessie grips his hands, small black lines transferring the pain to her body instead of his.
He sighs in relief, his eyes struggling to stay open. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she cries, her forehead pressed against his.
He smiles weakly. "It's okay, it's okay, Jessie. You did good." He coughs harshly, blood trickling down his chin.
Jessie whines and brushes his blonde hair out of his eyes, her engagement ring glistening in the light. "I love you," she whispers.
"I love you, too, baby." He inhales deeply as Jessie presses her lips to his in one last kiss.
His heart stops as soon as she pulls away. Her chest compresses as she struggles to find air to breathe. Her entire world crashes and burns around her as cops flood her kitchen, their guns raised.
They call in paramedics and attempt to get her attention, but she can't see anything. Her eyes are trained on Cade's glassy eyes and his lifeless lips. The lips she used to kiss. The lips that used to tease her and tell her how much he loved her.
Now they lay motionless for the rest of time. Or at least until they decay.
She finally breaks down and screams. The cops jump and cover their ears as she releases all of her feelings in one heartbreaking scream.