CHAPTER 10

"I like your friends," Ryoko said, holding onto Rex's arm as they walked their way along the shore.

It was a warm night, not a single cloud was vissible. The moon was low and was surrounded by stars that made the sand glimmer.

Many people were enjoying the arm night. Couples, groups, joggers, and twice as many teens as the night before were out.

Ryoko kicked off her sandals and pulled Rex toward the water.

The waves leapt up to the shore, then flattened out with a loud WHOOSH, rolling up the sand.

"Hey, umm..." Rex started to pull her back.

"I'm really not a good swimmer. No joke, I suck in water."

Ryoko gave him a playfull grin."Are you sure? Or, is it because you don't have the right clothes on? We could go naked!"

He blinked at her as if she was crazy."No, I honestly couldn't swim to save my life."

She gave a sigh and then said with a smile,

"Well, I could teach you! I'm sure you could get it fast."

"Not at night. I've heard that the undertow at night is unbelievable," he insisted.

Watching her face go from happy to sad made his gut hurt.

"And I like walking with you more anyway," he said sweetly.

Her dark blue eyes lit up at his words.

"Well then, why are we standing here? Let's go walk on the dunes."

He agreed without hesitating and, putting his arm around her waist, led her up the sand, the sound of the waves followed them as they made their way along the shore.

He's becoming more open with me, Ryoko thought, pleased with herself.

And though he is very sweet, he's not very fun, maybe if he was a bit more like that Damen boy. Now he's my type!

His blood tastes just as dull as his personality, but it's better than nothing.

"Mmmm...blood," she whispered.

"What was that?" Rex said looking down at her.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, just saying that there are not so many people here. I like being alone with you," she said with a shy smile.

Her thirst suddenly became overwhelming.

"I like when the beach isn't so full of people," Rex agreed."It's more romantic that way."

They were alone in the soft valley between two huge dunes, walking barefoot in the tall grass.

Both eager for each other.

Ryoko kissed hiss lips first, her eyes locked onto his. Then, she licked her lips, she felt her fangs come down as she moved her mouth slowly to his neck.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and opened for a bite when the screaming began.

It was inhuman screaming.

"What the hell?" Rex said as he pulled back and looked around for the sorce of the noise.

Ryoko held in a hiss of anger.

So close, so very close.

And I am so hungry...

She knew what the noise was before she and Rex seen the birds coming.

A huge flock of crows were flying at the two of them, making all kinds of awfull sounds as they came.

"RUN!" Rex shouted, he pulled on her arm as he ran the other way as fast as he could.

The sound of flapping wings and pissed off kawing was just a few feet from their heads as they ran at full speed across the sand.

"What is wrong with those things?!" Ryoko said, trying to sound scared.

"I don't know! Maybe we were close to a nesting area or something, why else would they chase us?" Rex said without looking back.

Hmph! I know why, Ryoko thought. They are under the control of a vampire.

Xypher did this! He did this to get back at me. He was watching me and decided to but in!

What a dirty trick!

But you won't stop me, Xypher!

They ran and ran, the sound of the angry birds always just behind them as the kicked up sand clouds with their feet.

One crow swooped down and almost snatched a clawfull of her hair, she barely had time to duck out of the way as it missed, then it backed away with an evil cackle.

She was sure that Rex didn't notice this, but it wasn't just crows that were after them, bats were mixed into the huge cloud of wings chasing them.

So it was without question that a vampire behind the whole thing.

Ryoko could run like this forever, but she could tell after the first three minutes that Rex was starting to slow.

They ducked behind large dunes and ran in a couple circles to try and lose the cloud that was after them.

Soon the sounds of the crows grew silent, so Rex slowed to a stop and turned around.

"Now they're gone. Huh, we had to be close to a nest or something," he said with a short laugh.

"I hope they don't come back!" Ryoko said, fixing her face in an expression of fear, she started to tremble as Rex moved close to her.

"It's okay now, we're alone, no birds," he said with concern.

Xypher must have been the one to snatch at my hair, he was leading the others over to us, Ryoko thought angrily as she pretended to be frightened.

"Hey," Rex said, pulling her into his arms."Stop shivering, okay? You're fine now, they didn't get you." His tone was soothing.

She looked at Rex with shy eyes.

Poor guy, she thought. He's starting to fall in love with me. He thinks he's so lucky...

I wonder if he will still feel that way when he's a vampire, or will he hate me as I hated the man who turned me?

She sighed and pressed her face into his chest.

Her mouth was so dry all of a sudden. She could taste his dull, yet still filling, blood, thick and warm.

"Rex..." she whispered.

"Please take me away from here. I'm just so, so scared right now."

He smiled, holding her close." Where do you want to go? You tell me, and then we'll be off."

And so she gave him a small laugh, as she started to pull his arm to come with her.

And he followed her into the night.