I feel so terrible for such a late update but school is taking over my life on the weekends as well. Ugh, I hae school. Thank you for such the sweet reviews and for those you haven't given up on this story, thank you so much. I'll try my absolute best to update sooner then usual, but I can't make any promises. Hope you understand. Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.


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Blood

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"You don't have to do this."

"It's what we're created for…..isn't it?"

"For monsters. You are not a monster."

"You're not going to change my mind."

Eli tugged on his jacket, defeat splayed across his face. I know how upset he still was with himself but I need to get this out of the way. Its been a month since I was turned and only two weeks since I came back. The burn was flaming and nothing was able to help. So it was time to fix that.

"Okay if we're going to do this, you'll have to follow every single direction I give you," he instructed with an intense stare, indicating he was being just as serious about this as I was.

"I understand," I nodded, walking out of the apartment. "Show me exactly how you do this."

Eli led the way outside and took us down the secluded streets. I was wondering how there would be anyone coming down this way; not a soul could be detected. But Eli knew what he was doing. He's been doing this for years, and even though we weren't on the greatest terms at the moment, I trusted him.

"Wait," he pushed us softly against the brick wall and his attention was set dead ahead. "Smell that?"

As soon as he said the words, a mouth-watering scent zinged alert all of my senses. They were coming soon, I could hear them. I could smell how appetizing they were and I could just imagine how they will taste.

"Do we go after them now?" I asked, but my voice felt so far away, my whole attention on the people soon passing by our way.

"Don't move," he held onto my wrist before I could make a move.

His restraint on me was irritating and I couldn't help but let out a small growl. He ignored me and tightened his grip. The scent was coming close and I was getting frustrated.

A few people came in our view, probably in their mid 20's. Two girls and a boy. They didn't seem to notice Eli and I but a few seconds after, they were lying on the ground, blood coming out in small gashes. Eli wasn't next to me anymore.

He was over at the people, and I watched as he wiped blood from his lips. The hunger started to grow but so did something else. A lustful urge that I wasn't too familiar with.

"This is it, Clare," he said. "Come here."

I quickly sped over to them and we kneeled down to the injured people. One of the girls was unconscious with severe bite wounds on her neck. The boy was writhing in pain all over the place while the other girl was trying to cover her blood-soaked wrist, letting out gasping breaths.

"Focus. Concentrate. Attack. Kill."

The words sounded robotic when they left his mouth. Even through my clouded mind at the moment, I could tell those words were ones' he lived by for many years. I decided to completely listen and scooted closer to the girl with the gushing wrist.

She screamed in fear as I delicately grabbed it, and pulled it up to my lips. I felt my eyes change over and my control slipping. I finally enclosed my fangs on her skin and sucked in the blood with all the force I could muster.

I never thought blood could taste like this. So sweet and savouring yet at the same time, wanting to devour every single last of it. The girl beneath was screaming in agony but her pleas and shrills were drone out by the high her blood was giving me. The blood suddenly stopped going in my mouth and I realized it was all gone. I dropped the girl's wrist and looked at her dull brown eyes staring in the sky.

"How are you?"

I almost forgot Eli was beside me, and was looking at my every move. He looked a little worried when I took note of him and probably scared I would lash out on him again and leave. But I didn't feel like that anymore. This was a new me, one I would have o get used to. And I don't really seem to have a problem with that at the moment.

"I'm fine. Are you going to have the guy?"

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After some major convincing, Adam and Fiona agreed to go with Declan and I out to the city. I was a little nervous but things should be okay this time. It wasn't just Fiona and I, plus I'm pretty sure Declan knew what he was doing.

"Excited, are we?" Declan asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

We were inside his limo, and I sat beside Fiona with him and Adam across from us. I noticed he's been giving me all these different looks throughout the drive, but thought nothing of them. As Fiona put it, "he was player." He hit on any types of girls and if he showed any interest in me, it was nothing.

"I guess you could say that," I said cautiously. "Where exactly are you taking us?"

Declan looked pleased, almost coy, as he crossed one leg over his knee and relaxed himself.

"You have nothing to worry about, darling." he winked.

"Clare you still haven't told Adam and I why exactly we're going out," Fiona interjected, looking annoyed.

"Well we've been living with your brother for awhile now. And we've been fed quite well," I gave Declan a side glance, assuring him his services are appreciated. "But I'm craving, Fi."

Fiona tilted her head, confusion written on her face. "What are you talking about?"

Before I could respond, Declan cut in. "She needs blood, Fi. Not food. Blood."

"We have blood at our house," Fiona mused, tapping her chin with her finger.

"Yes, sister dear but we don't have fresh blood from the human," Declan said gently.

"This is crazy," Adam muttered, first time speaking since we left. "I'm supposed to look after you. Eli is going to kill me."

"When did he ask you to do that?" I asked, a little irritated.

"A while ago," he shrugged. "He doesn't want anything to happen to you. Even though you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I still clearly remember the time you threw me across the room."

"Sorry about that," I smiled apologetically, still remembering that hectic awakening. "But I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Eli needs to stop worrying."

"Yes you can," Declan said, pulling my attention back to him. "You are capable of many things you just don't know it yet."

His eyes were sparkling with an unfamiliar emotion, but it didn't surprise me. Declan Coyne was a suave guy. And he was well at hiding his emotions. In a way, it kind of reminded me of Eli.

"Umm… thanks?" I raised an eyebrow and quickly disregarded the double meaning he was so subtly trying to hint at me.

"We're here," Declan announced, the car stopping a moment later.

We all shuffled out of the car and I was left in shock. We were in Times Square. I've seen this place so many times in movies, at school…. Holy, we were actually here!

"Oh my God," I echoed my amazement. "This is what you had in mind?"

Declan looked smitten. "Fiona and I live here. Been visiting this place for the past 10 years. Perfect place for all of your desires."

Aside from Declan's melodramatic opening, I was in so awestruck that we were actually here.

"Fiona this is amazing. I should be used to this, but I don't think I'll ever be," I smiled, taking in the view once more.

Fiona looped her arm through mine. "Give it a few hundred years and you'll get used it."

We both laughed and started to walk down the busy street. Adam and Declan following behind.

"OH! Let's go shopping. I still haven't showed Clare the full wonders of it," Fiona beamed.

I heard Adam groan. "Princess Fiona, don't you think it's tad bit late to go shopping?"

"Nonsense! There is no wrong time to go shopping," she dismissed before turning to me. "What do you say, Clare?"

Fiona looked excited, Adam looked defeated, and Declan looked angered. A dark look glazed over his eyes that even made me shrink back in slight fear. But I wasn't too much in the mood anymore to have blood. Because Eli has no idea that we were here and I didn't want things to go chaotic between us anymore. Besides, shopping in Times Square sounded rather appealing.

"Sure. Sounds like fun," I smiled.

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For the remainder of the day, all four of us went into different stores and tried on weird things. Fiona and I had a blast dressing up the boys in the craziest and wackiest things we could find. Surprisingly, they had just as much fun as we did. It wasn't even hard for me to be around humans for once. I was a little proud of myself.

Declan apparently had a secret location for him and Fiona whenever they wanted to have sushi. I still hated sushi, but Declan and Fiona really enjoyed it so I went along with it. Plus, we were able to lounge around with other vampires, Rich ones, of course.

"So this idiotic man came up to me and started to sniff me out," Declan said, retelling a story of his. "Apparently it was hard to know if I were a creature or not."

"Wow, because I've never heard that story before," Fiona said sarcastically, sipping some champagne.

"Always so enthusiastic aren't we, Fi?" he chuckled, before looking over to me. "Clare I have someone I would like you to meet. It'll only be a few minutes."

"Okay," I stood up and looked at Adam and Fiona. "We'll be back."

Declan led the way towards the back of the whole place. He opened a door at the end of a secluded hall and gestured me to go inside. Against my better judgment, and letting curiosity getting the best of me, I went inside the room and saw a woman and a man in the middle of the room.

"Uhh, what is this?" I asked, however I had a small idea what this was.

Declan closed the door before walking over to the, very human, people. He grabbed the chin of the woman before looking into her eyes for the longest time. She blinked and her blank face was replaced with stone cold fear as she took in her surroundings. That's when I saw it.

The ring on his finger. Strikingly similar to the one Eli wore on his thumb.

"So what does that ring really do?" I said, referring to the ring on his thumb.

Eli twiddled the ring on his thumb before returning my gaze.

"It helps me persuade people into doing what I want," he said as nonchalant as possible.

"You mean like hypnosis?" I asked.

"Something like that… But I can't make people freely give me their blood. It only helps for smaller things. For example, I used it to help me get into your school," he smiled nervously.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at his ring once again. "I like it. But how does someone get it?"

"You don't get it yourself. It's given to you."

His eyes looked dull and the words sounded far away.

He has the same ring as Eli. But what was going on?

"Declan what are you doing?" I asked, a little scared now.

"Our friend here decided to come have some fun, isn't that right dear?" his white teeth glimmered brightly as he gave her a smile.

"Who are you?" she said in a scared voice. "How did I get here?"

"You see Clare, I have the power to render this girl under my control," he stroked the girl's hair delicately, ignoring her pleas. "If I wanted to drain her dry, she wouldn't feel a thing. In fact, I could make her beg."

"Your ring has the power to do that?" I was shocked but I needed to know how he was doing this.

He whipped his head to look at me, an alarmed look on his face.

"How do you know about that?" he demanded.

"Eli has that same ring, but he's not capable of doing what you can do."

"Ah, I see," he returned back to the girl. "This young flower, so fragile, so delicate… she doesn't have to feel a thing."

It went silent, until Declan viciously ripped through the girls throat, blood squirting everywhere and screams rippling from her mouth. I stared in slight horror and shock as Declan feasted on the well-aware girl as the man stood beside them, completely unaware by what was happening.

Declan dropped the lifeless girl and sighed. "Fresh blood always lightens the mood."

"Why did you do that?" I walked over to them. "She didn't have to be put through this."

"I know," Declan laughed. "Its just so much more fun when you hear your prey begging to live, feeling the pain that you're putting them through. Very rewarding experience."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. If I had what he had, I wouldn't have to put innocent people through agonizing deaths anymore. Why was he doing this?

"You are sick," I said.

"No Clare. I'm a vampire. Just like you," he deadpanned.

"I am nothing like you," I spat venomously.

"Oh no," he inquired in mock shock before circling me. "You've killed people before, Clare Edwards. And you enjoy it too. Because that is why we're created. You like the kill. You live for the kill."

I shook my head, not letting him get to me. "That's not true. I do it because its what I have to do. I'm still the same. I have friends… Adam, Fiona… and I have Eli."

"You didn't choose this lifestyle didn't you?" he taunted. "You try so hard to be happy when in reality, you are not. Because you hate that Eli did this to you. It eats at you every single day of your life that you have to stay like this forever."

"That's not true."

"Oh but it is," his lips were ghosting over my ear, but not quite touching. "You don't want Eli to know this because you're scared. You're scared because he'll leave you and you'll be all alone. You hate him for ruining your life. You hate him so much."

"No I don't!" I yelled in fury.

Declan swiftly walked over to the man before staring him down. The man suddenly displayed the same fear the woman did moments before and screamed in horror when he saw her body.

"Show him how much you hate him, Clare," Declan commanded. "Show him."

The man looked nothing like Eli or made me think of him in the slightest, but the rage simmered through me and I couldn't control myself as I lunged for the helpless man, tearing through him like a dog after a piece of meat. I didn't taste the blood. All I could taste was the kill. All I could see was the kill.

I dropped the man afterwards. The blood was smeared all over me and my rage melted.

"Much better, huh?" Declan smiled coquettishly. "Come on, my dear. Let's get you cleaned up."