Hey everyone. Sorry for the ridiculously long wait between chapters. I had a ton of stuff going on, including losing a job and then getting a new one. So I apologize for my lack of updating. If you guys are still interested in this, I am a few chapters ahead in writing them, so I guarantee my posting will be more frequent, at least for a while. So please, let me know if the interest is still there, and if there's anything in my writing that you don't like. I welcome any and all criticism. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own the South of Nowhere characters, trust me, you'd know if I did because the show would still be on air.

Chapter Three - Smitten

I leave class the instant the bell rings, ignoring Spencer as she tries to hand me my book back. "Keep it," I mutter under my breath as I bolt. That was the most excruciating hour of my entire existence. Her scent overwhelmed me, surrounded me, overpowered me. I could hear her pulse racing and her heart beating loudly as the teacher addressed her as being new to the school. I could hear the small sighs she emitted from her mouth as she listened to the other students talk. I couldn't stand the way she was making me feel; so out of control, so much like a predator. I see Kyla in the hall and I grab her arm, forcing her to follow me out of the school.

I hit the front steps and keep on walking, releasing Kyla's arm from my death grip. I can hear her following closely behind me, knowing well enough to keep her mouth shut until we were far from the school. We hit the forrest and walk deep into it and I finally start to feel like myself again. I stop and close my eyes, breathing in everything that surrounds me, trusting my senses to release Spencer's presence from their midsts. I turn and face Kyla, seeing the confusion and the worry etched into her face. I move closer and pull her into a hug, relishing the feeling of humanity that returns to my body. I pull back and look at her.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, shaking my head at my previous actions.

She takes my hand into hers, "Wanna explain what happened? I haven't seen you that..." She looks as though she's trying to find the right words, "primal in a while."

I turn my head quickly and stare at her. Could she really tell what I was feeling? Was I that obvious?

As if reading my mind, Kyla nodded her head, "Ash, your eyes were dark, almost black." I cringe, that's what happens when we feed, just another indicator of the monster within us. "And you were practically snarling when you grabbed me."

I shake my head, "I don't know what happened. I've never had that reaction around a human before." I release her hand and pull my hair back into a loose ponytail, fidgeting nervously with the rubber band as I do so. "I thought it was just my curiosity about her being a new student but, god, when she sat down next to me I was so overwhelmed I almost..." I couldn't even say the words; I couldn't say the one thing that I've been fighting against for my entire life.

"You wouldn't have," Kyla says strongly.

"How do you know..."

"Because I know you, I know you Ash. You would never hurt someone. You would never tap into the primal part of you. You're too strong."

I shake my head and swallow hard, "But she smelled so...god...amazing doesn't seem to cover it. And she was shy and so nervous, and she tried to talk to me and, I was just so mean to her. I had to be," I explain, "I was so afraid to touch her, to be that close to her. God, she must think I'm horrible. I am horrible." I stop my rambling to notice a smirk on Kyla's face. My anger starts to rise, there is nothing about this situation that is funny. "What the hell are you smiling at?"

Kyla's grin grows, "You sound like you're smitten. You don't sound like an animal right now. You're talking about her personality, and wondering what she thinks of you. You aren't talking about ripping her throat out and draining her dry..."

"I would never..." I start.

"My point exactly. Ash, whatever this girl is doing to you, you're strong enough to explore it. She might be stirring the beast inside you, but she's also stirring the humanity." I stare at her in confusion. "You and I go to school every few years because you think we should be around humans, so that they can help us remember what we once were." I nod my head in agreement. "But you've never really lived, Ash. You've never really interacted with them, or truly cared about any of them. You've just existed. This is the first time I've seen you. Do you realize what your face looks like when you talk about her."

I shake my head and wonder when I became so transparent.

"Spencer," Kyla says, and I can feel the corner of my mouth twitch. "Even her name makes you want to smile."

I nod slowly. How can I be so attached to someone who I've spoken less than 10 words to. Someone who knows nothing about me besides my first name. Someone who I know nothing about.

Kyla steps forward and pulls me into another hug, which I gladly fall into. "Trust yourself. Trust that you can do this, and explore these feelings. If it gets too bad, we can go away for a bit. I'll be by your side the whole time. Promise." We pull apart and I smile at my sister.

"What would I do without you Ky?"

"Be a shriveled, lonely shell of a person?" she says without missing a beat.

"Gee, thanks," I reply, "And I would never be shriveled." I give her a big grin and tighten my pony tail. "Now, lets go eat so that I can 'explore my feelings' a little better tomorrow."

Kyla bounces up and down slightly before getting into a runner's stance, "Race ya!" She takes off into the woods before I can even respond.

"Cheater!" I shout after her, as I chase the bouncing brunette through the forrest.


It's night now, and I'm walking along the coast of my beach. I feel must better since I've 'quenched my thirst' with Kyla earlier. I kick my feet slightly as I walk, barefooted, through the cold sand. I prefer the beach during the day, because of the warmth it brings me, but the night has it's benefits too. Because it's so chilly at night, people rarely come to the beach, meaning that I can be more myself; more vampiric, if you understand. I walk to the pier, to the exact spot Spencer was sitting just this morning, and I stand for a moment. Thoughts from this morning start to enter my brain: why did she move here, why was she crying, how did she seem to know that I was watching her, how can I make things right with her?

I shake my head and leave the spot, moving to the beach part underneath the pier. I spot a small fire and frown; I assume that someone had been camping earlier and I move towards it. How can someone be so careless as to leave a fire burning underneath a wooden structure, don't they know that...

My thoughts halt as I notice a body lying close to the fire, shivering underneath a blanket. I frown, "Bums." I move closer and suddenly am bombarded by the smell.

Strawberries.

Spencer.

I panic instantly, forcing myself to block out her scent. I'm fine, I can do this. Kyla's words repeat in my brain as I remember Spencer's small smile from earlier that day. I can feel the animal inside me. It was chomping at the bit this morning; urging me to sink my teeth into her. But now, I can feel it beneath the surface. And it's at bay for now. I slowly reopen my sense of smell to her.

It's easier than before, to breathe around her. I move closer toward her to test myself. Yes, easier. Kyla was right, I can do this. I smile, proud of myself. Proud that I passed the first test.

I can tell now, from where I'm standing, that she's asleep. I can also tell that she's freezing. Her heart is beating very slowly. My instincts, the vampire ones, fall by the wayside as the human in me realizes that Spencer is cold, too cold. She wouldn't last the night out here.

I stand over her and peer down at the sleeping blonde. She's shaking intensely now. Her lips are blue and her breath is coming out in small puffs. The fire is doing nothing to keep her warm. I tilt my head to the side as I watch her sleep for a moment. I had imagined that she would look peaceful, almost angelic when she slept, but she looks far from that. She looks troubled, upset. Her forehead is furrowed and her eyes are scrunched tightly together, as though she's having a nightmare.

I debate with myself for a moment. Can I actually be this close to her? Can I have a conversation with her? Can I make her a part of my life?

All questions are stopped, however, when a small, painful whimper is released from her mouth.

I never want to hear that sound again.

I lean down over her and shake her gently. "Spencer," I whisper. She stirs, but doesn't wake. "Spencer," I repeat louder, grabbing her shoulder and moving her more forcefully.

Her blue eyes shoot open and focus in on me. My brown eyes stare into her ocean blue eyes for what seems like an eternity before she speaks, confusion and panic ringing strongly in her voice.

"Ashley?"