I looked around and Elliot was smiling.
"What?"
"I think its makeover time." She whispered with excitement. I stared at her my mouth agape. I was getting ready to yell at her but she spoke before I could.
"Oh Selena! You're never around out killing our kind and tinkering with your car and four-wheeler or locked in your room, we never spend any time together! It would be nice to have a mani-pedi, hair, and then we can go shopping once your all better!"
I just stared at her my mouth still hanging open and I saw her pleading eyes and I melted.
"UGH! FINE!"
"Oh yay! You wont regret it honey." She dashed up the stairs and came back down with white and clear nail polish. I sat up just enough so that it made Parker and Logan glare. Spencer chuckled and plopped down dramatically.
"Guess we'll stick around for a little while, ain't got nothing better to do."
"We don't want to be a bother though," he added.
"Oh your no bother, you could stay and live with us for all I care," Parker chuckled and ducked out, I glanced up at Logan who glanced down at me, I'm sure Parker wasn't bluffing but I don't think he meant it so literally. Elliot immediately got my attention when she was scrubbing off the black nail polish already on my nails. I sat through the torture as she put acrylic on my fingers over the white tips and coated them with gloss, and also when she put cushions between my toes and painted them exactly like my nails. As she set a fan in front of me and forced me to put my nails and toes in front of it, she flitted back up the stairs and got the expensive looking hair straightener and plugged it in. I raised an eyebrow more in fear then curiosity. My hair has never not been curly, and now she wanted to make it straight!? The overwhelming feeling of fear caused my veil to snap into place.
"Oh don't be a baby! It will be curly once you take another shower, let me have my fun." Elliot scolded and Spencer laughed maniacally. Logan looked at me sympathetically. She pulled up some of my thick hair into a clip and got to work on the under part of my hair. I felt my hair sizzle and I reached back and it was pin straight. I was so scared of how it would look, how would it look on me. Her expert hands flew the clip until there was no hair left. She spun me around and took one last grouping of hair, my bangs. She ran the straightener through it and my bangs fell flat and straight onto my cheek. I sat there and she smiled a huge grin and clapped her hands.
"I am amazing! Look at how gorgeous you are, and just in time the sun is up."
I looked out the window, I hadn't even realized it had went down… I got up slowly and Logan was staring at me his eyes wide.
"What are you looking at?" I said and turned around to see if there was something behind me.
"Nothing, Elliot just did a good job, you look beautiful." He whispered nearly inaudibly. I looked down and Elliot, though I didn't realize she left the room, walked back through in jeans and a knit top.
"Well come on, go get dressed."
Parker flitted over and removed the gauze from my neck and he rubbed the spot wear my wound was.
"It has healed rather well, you should be fine to go shopping. I think I'll follow you guys there I need to pick up a book and a few other materials. Do you gentlemen want to come along as well?"
Spencer shrugged and stood up.
"I'm game, we got nowhere to go except home."
Logan stood up as well and looked toward Elliot whom I assumed still had his keys. She grinned and tossed them to him and we all walked to our garage and Parker, Elliot and I got in our cars and I looked at Elliot and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you think it will look suspicious if there are five expensive cars following each other out of state?"
Elliot thought for a minute and spoke.
"You're right. I'll ride with Parker, and you can drive the boys, or they can drive you or which ever."
I looked at Logan and Spencer and they got into my car, so that was the answer. I was driving them. I grinned a smug grin and climbed into the drivers seat. I peeled out of the garage and I could hear Parkers disapproving voice.
"It isn't a race there Selena, I'm starting to get worried with your reckless driving."
"Parker, it isn't reckless, she's just having fun."
"Where is she learning all this from? She didn't use to drive like this five years ago."
I laughed at Parker and Elliot's conversation because I could tell without even looking how Elliot's expression would look, because in fact, she was the one who taught me. I laughed but decreased my speed to a more comfortable 70 mph. Logan in the seat beside me put the sunroof down and turned on the radio to some Rock/Indie music I liked the beat to. I put my car on cruise and started tapping my feet to the beat of the drum. Spencer was in the back seat singing along and head-banging to the music. I laughed and let out a contended sigh because in some ways, Spencer was like the brother I had always wanted. I looked over at Logan and he was singing along too. I laughed again and I could see Parkers black Chevy pull up in the lane beside ours and he rolled down his windows.
"We're going to stop at the blood bank in Evansville to pick up some uh dinner,"
He laughed but continued.
"Do you gentlemen want any or do you prefer to hunt your own?"
I looked over at Logan who looked back at Spencer. Spencer shrugged and chuckled.
"Sure, we've been doing a bunch of new things today. Why stop now?"
I smiled and replied to Parker and he smiled a warm affectionate smile back and they turned at the road up ahead. I kept going straight; I noticed a rather huge blur of green run into the trees… following our car. The thin black sheet covered my eyes as my intuition flickered. I felt a growl build in my chest and I abruptly turned up ahead. Logan looked at me in surprise and he whipped his head around looking for the cause of my alarm. Spencer was alert and ramrod in his seat. I stopped the car and yanked out the keys and threw them to Logan.
"If I'm right, we may need help and you need to be prepared to get it." I hissed at him and flitted into the trees.
"Selena!" Logan screamed and ran after me.
"NO! Wait here until you hear a sign…until I scream your name," He stopped and looked at me with pain filled eyes. I looked at him apologetically and took of quickly into the trees. I saw the mountainous figure and he was stopped and had his back turned to me. I knew I hadn't snuck up on him so I didn't bother to hide my ferocious snarl that bubbled up to my lips. I kicked off my shoes and he turned around slowly and his eyes were a vivid red and he smiled at me.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said politely.
I couldn't explain what happened next, I felt as though something or someone had lit a match inside my head; inside my entire body I crumpled onto the ground and fought against the urge to scream. He was on top of me pinning me down the next second. His expression changed and the burning stopped. The sandy haired giant was looking at me murderously. I looked over at a large pine tree, panting, and it came crashing down on him. I scrambled to my feet but the burning came back. I whimpered and my knees buckled and I hit the ground again. Like before he was pinning me down, but this time he didn't let the burning stop.
"I'm Jeremy."
I was whimpering and panting the whole time, fighting the urge to scream so Logan wouldn't come and endure this pain.
"Now listen!" His husky voice commanded. I whined a little but I was listening.
"You're the strange one, the black-eyed one. Do you remember the last of our kind you killed? The female?"
I thought back to the brunette female who managed to incapacitate me and I wondered what she had to do with this monster, but he answered my unspoken question.
"She was my mate. I was not far behind when I witnessed you killing her. I would have killed you then if the two other males hadn't have showed up! I've been waiting for you to come out so I wouldn't have to go to you. I now have my chance to avenge Larraine." He somehow made the burning worsen and I couldn't help but shriek as the wind was blown from me. I felt the raw force unleash and the earth bellow me quivered and all the trees around us were uprooted. He looked at me wide-eyed but the fire raged on.
"Too bad I have to waste this great opportunity. You have some much potential...not to mention how beautiful you are…" he ran his tongue from my hair line to my chin and the fire continued on somehow hotter than before. I couldn't hold it in any longer; I screamed a bloodcurdling scream and boulders and trees surrounded us and collapsed around us somehow making us more secluded from everything else, appearing to look like a wall. I thrashed against his hold and I almost broke free once. I ended up getting my knee loosened and kneeing him in the gut, it only made him angrier.
"ENOUGH!" he screamed and he leaned down and took a chunk of my hard skin from my clavicle. I screamed even louder then before, and he seemed to enjoy it. Now the fire was focused on the wound in my chest and I could feel, I could make the earth move. I got a little light headed and all of a sudden, the fire was gone. He was gone. I was left to die without the burning, I smiled. I could still use all of my senses unlike last time. It must have something to do with the fact that the last time was my jugular and this time it was only my chest. I lay there and heard so much noise, growling, grunting, tires on the earth floor, running. I heard an angels voice, I saw a rainbow of colors, and I saw my lovely mother, my darling father. I smiled as all the images painted a wonderful picture in my head. I was then being cradled against a warm chest. I looked up and smiled as the rainbow came back, and this time I could feel what it feels like to be cradled here. I could still hear sounds but they seemed a little muffled now. Fireworks raged in front of my eyelids and the air around me seemed thicker.
Parker! Help her, she isn't breathing anymore! I heard Logan scream frantically.
Logan place her on the ground, hurry there isn't much time! Parker urged.
Selena!? Selena stay with me sweetheart, Logan whispered quickly into my ear. I could hear and smell a fire nearby, mixed with a strong metallic aroma. I heard what Logan said, but how could I stay when I saw everything I ever wanted on the other side? How can I give this up?
NO! Selena Damnit now stay with me! Logan screamed at me, holding my face in his hands, I could feel his cool breath on my lips and he was shaking, a single tear rolled from his eye and he got even closer.
Selena, I love you stay with me now please!
I felt his cool lips on my forehead, and somehow, the gorgeous portrait in my head quivered and vanished and I was once again looking into a rainbow, a damp beautiful rainbow. I looked around and saw Elliot and Spencer running toward us Elliot with tears streaming down her rosy cheeks and Spencer with fear in his eyes as well, they were running away from the mound of fire. I could feel Parkers sure hands on my chest as he was pouring something onto the wound.
Is she going to be all right? Logan asked frantic.
She will be, the gift the man possessed freezes up all functions except her brain, it's a good thing we got blood because she's going to need a lot of it. Parker answered.
What does that mean? She can't like…move or do anything? Spencer questioned.
Sort of... She can breath, think, talk, and feed but that's basically it. It will probably take less time then a normal wound to heal, but then she's also got a normal wound, which will take 24 hours to heal. But looking at it now it's healing at an alarmingly fast rate…even for our kind. Parker answered mystified. I was then laid softly on a leather seat, only to be picked up again and cradled once again to a warm chest. I heard the front door slam and I could hear Spencer let out a low whistle.
This is a hot car
Shut up and driv-
Wait, Parker go with them I'll drive your car home but just stay with her incase something were to happen. Elliot's strained voice sounded. I could hear Parkers agreement and the passenger door opened and closed again and Spencer hit the gas. I felt almost the same burning sensation around the wound and then it spread. It wasn't as hot as before, but it still startled me and I gasped as the fire somehow started over again. Why? Why all of a sudden after I met the nicest man, the sweetest man have I been so weak? How have I been getting hurt so easily when before it was very rare? I stopped mid thought when the fire intensified and I screamed, causing Spencer to hit the breaks.
Parker! Logan screamed and Parker flew over the seat and urged Logan out of the way, I continued to scream and thrash against the hold of strong arms, I recognized them as Spencer's while Logan sat helplessly outside the car.
What's going on!? Logan shouted from outside.
I'm not sure, an aftershock? I've never dealt with this before! I wouldn't think it could happen again! Parker asked stressed.
Where is Elliot? He asked alarmed and I heard Logan stand up as we all heard the sound of an approach. It was Elliot, I could smell her.
He's gone! Jeremy didn't burn, I saw him get out of the fire! She gasped.
Selena! Oh my god Selena! Elliot cried.
Damnit! I'm going to find him. Logan screamed and took off.
"NO! LOGAN!" I screamed through the fire.
"Don't let him go alone! He'll get killed!"
Spencer go after him! Elliot shouted and took his place holding me down. The fire was almost… throbbing. It would start again stop again, start again stop again. When it would start again it seemed hotter than the last. After fifteen minutes of fighting the fire, it stopped. I slumped against Elliot's arms unmoving, not even daring to breath.
Parker? Is she okay? Should she be this still!?
I think she's worn out from fighting the pain, love.
Elliot sighed in relief and then I heard the boys emerged from the trees.
He got away before I could catch up, but I think he was hurting her from where he was, I don't think it was an aftershock. Logan described.
Lets get her home, she's exhausted. She could actually probably sleep.
What about Jeremy? Elliot asked frightened.
We'll worry about him later, when we encounter him again. We can't leave Selena alone for a moment or it will risk him finding her. Parker clarified.
Parker? Logan whispered.
Yes?
Do you remember when you said we weren't a bother? When you said we could live there for all you cared?
Yes...
For protection purposes…could we take you up on that offer? I know its wrong to ask it of you…its only temporarily.
Don't be silly; I think it's a great idea. You guys can stay as long as you like
All right, if you could drop of us off at our house on the way to yours, we'll get our things.
How about you take the Lotus and I'll ride with Elliot, I don't think anything unusual should happen to Selena from here on out.
Okay, we'll meet you back at the house.
The conversation warmed my heart, but not in the burning way. The door opened once again and Parker got out and got in with Elliot.