The Lost Boys

As the World Falls Down

Chapter 10

Strange Encounters

The next few days were rocky at best. Allegra was still having a hard time adjusting. She didn't leave the cave unless it was to sit just outside of it by the water, feeling that she didn't have the will power to keep herself in check. She just couldn't get over the sight of Mitch. He'd been so confused and worried. David had to kill him in the end though because she couldn't keep herself in control. She didn't want that to happen again. She didn't want to be responsible for the death of someone she knew.

That was why she'd stayed in the cave for the last few days, her hunger gnawing at her insides. Despite the pain it caused her, she still refused to eat, even when the food they brought back was like ash in her mouth. Every time she ate regular food it made her sick, leaving her to curl up on the bed beside David.

On the fifth day though, he finally had enough, dragging her outside along the beach. She fought him tooth and nail, but it didn't deter him in the slightest.

"I told you, I don't want to!" she yelled, growling at him.

The others had followed, skimming the beach as they went. Having her holed up like she had been had put a damper on things. It just wasn't as fun without her.

"Come on, Chica!" Paul laughed. "It'll be fun."

Allegra narrowed her eyes at him. It was only made worse when he came up behind her and pulled her away from David. She cried out, nails bared as she was tossed over his shoulder. She hated when he did that. In fact, was warned him the last time that if he did it again, then he'd be on the ground.

"If you don't put me down, I'm gonna kill you!" she hissed, squirming in his hold.

If he knew what was good for him, he'd listen.

"Paul!" she bit out, nailing him in the back of the head with her elbow.

He howled in pain for a moment, but didn't let her go. As a result, she did it again and again, until he finally started pinching her in return.

"Put me down!" she growled out.

Her foot at that point was about three seconds from hitting Paul in the balls, only stopping when David grabbed her by the ankles and let her hang.

If she had a shirt on, she might have actually been embarrassed, but she'd given up on it, deciding to either walk around in a bra or bikini top. She'd debated on a crop top, but that meant tearing a shirt up and she hadn't taken the time to grab anything from home yet.

"Would you guys just leave me alone!" she pleaded, trying to kick out again.

She didn't' stop, even when she nearly clipped him in the face. She just wanted to go back and sleep.

"Allegra, if you don't stop and calm down, I'll bite you again," David threatened lowly.

Over the last few days, he'd explained certain things to her, though reluctantly on some. She knew what his bite would do, but she felt like she had to chance it, continuing to fight.

"Allegra!" he hissed, nearly dropping her on her ass, before twisting and holding her in place.

"No!" she hissed back, squirming as much as possible.

She was being reckless and it was starting to piss him off. He never knew that she'd be this much of a handful. If only he could get her to feed willingly instead of letting herself waste away, he'd be good. It just wasn't that simple though.

"Damn it!" he hissed, pulling her against him roughly with her back to his chest.

"David, I already said that I don't want…"

She stilled as he pressed his teeth to her throat. He didn't bite down, but he kept them poised and ready. It seemed to be enough, but just to make sure, he pressed down with the barest of pressure until blood welled at the tips.

"David," she whined, falling back against him.

It was like a calming warmth had washed over her, caressing her nervous system. It made her mind go blank for a few seconds, something clouding her senses. It wasn't until she let out a throaty groan that he finally drew back his fangs. He rested his chin against her shoulder, his grip losing just a hint of its hold. He didn't want to hold something like this over her head, but he really had no choice if she couldn't tame the beast inside of her.

"Allegra," he breathed out, brushing his lips against her neck.

She moaned quietly, closing her eyes as she relaxed just a bit more.

"You need to eat," he sighed, ignoring the watchful looks of his brothers.

They had been quiet the entire time, watching the altercation between the two of them. The other three knew not to get involved, standing back and watching things unfold. It was the only thing that they could do, watch as David tried to lull her into submission.

"But I don't want to," she whined softly.

"Allegra," David started. "If you don't eat, you'll die," he told her, turning her around to face him. "Is that what you want?"

She shook her head, biting down on her lip as she stood before him. It was still hard for her to accept.

David had been fairly thorough in his explanation of things. He'd explained how the life of a vampire worked. He'd explained the pains of hunger, the gnawing beast that now clawed at her insides, pushing her toward the vessels of blood. It was all that she could do to fight it, despite the pains that it caused her. As David stood there with her though, she slowly began to realize the pain that she was causing him with her hesitance.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked up at David, those icy blues staring back at her. He didn't say anything, merely letting her do her thing as she bit down on her lip. He held so much patience, but she realized even with all his years that he still had a limit to what he could tolerate. She could see it cracking at the edges as he stared down at her, trying to get her to see reason.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, licking her bottom lip.

Nodding, David slowly let go, his fingers lingering just on the edge of her forearms. He went to say something, lips parting as he readied himself only to be cut off by Paul.

"Can we get something to eat now? I'm hungry."

The words that came out of Allegra's mouth next, it shocked them all, her voice quiet and firm.

"Yes."

xXx

Chatter was everywhere as we made our way inland away from the boardwalk. The engines revved, roaring as we sped down winding streets. I'd pressed my head against David's back, my hands clamped down against him. One was wrapped around his middle and the other had come to rest against his thigh.

As we rode on, I couldn't help, but to think about what was going to happen. I'd consented to the hunt, saying that I'd finally caved into their ways. I still didn't want to though, but the churning in my stomach wasn't relenting, pushing me toward the inevitable. It scared me though because I knew that once I finally decided to feed, I wouldn't be able to stop. The hunger was just too great for me to ignore.

"We'll be stopping soon," came the sound of David's voice.

The rich timber echoed in my head, something that I was still getting used to. He'd explained to me how it worked, the fact that he was the only one that I could communicate with as a result of having his blood in my veins. As Sire, it allowed certain 'gifts' as he'd put it. Had and his brothers could speak as they were all connected via Max, but I could not. Not unless David decided to project the thoughts into my own. It would be the only way to hear them outside of the usual verbal means of communication.

"How much farther?" I asked, shifting against him.

I brought my other hand up around his waist, burying it inside of his trench coat and inner jacket. His muscles twitched beneath my hands, a small smile forming on my face. I'd only ever seen him without his shirt once and it had been a worthy sight. I could still picture him along the sand, his chest bare and feet free from the confines of their boots. He wasn't overly muscled, not as much as Dwayne, but he was still toned as he sported the hints of a six pack beneath his skin. His arms were hard and defined flexing when he moved, each tugging and pulling as they went.

"We're about three miles out," he told me, never taking his eyes off the road. "We can't afford any more deaths in town at the moment," he explained, referring to the group that he'd massacred.

I nodded my head in understanding as I turned my gaze outward. Trees were flying by like a breeze in the wind and the colors of random lights followed. They came as a blur as they flew by on their bikes, turning at the end of the road.

At the end of the strip they found several buildings. There was a club and smoke shop side by side, a gas station down at one end. The strip itself was loud at this time of night, confusing me.

Slowly, we pulled up off to the side and the boys parked the bikes. The others were the first to dismount, heading inside, before going their separate ways. David stayed behind though, staring out in front of him.

"This is where we part ways for a bit," he told me, slowly stepping off his bike.

He turned to face me, eyes staring into mine. I could tell that he was mulling over something in his head, gears turning slowly.

"You're going to have to forgo some of this alone."

I froze when he told me this, swallowing thickly.

"But…" I stopped as a group passed us, frowning.

"I won't be far," he assured me, gripping my hands tightly.

"What are we doing?" I asked. "I don't understand."

Drawing me closer, David pressed his forehead to mine, placing his hands on either side of my head.

"This is going to be your first lesson in seducing your prey," he told me, before stealing a kiss. "I'll explain as we go."

xXx

The club was alight with music, stereos blasting it around the room. Teens and young adults were dancing to the beat, bodies shaking and swaying rhythmically with one another. It was like a large sea of fish, the waves pulling anyone in that dared to get close enough. Many of the people were dressed loosely, allowing Allegra to blend in without a problem. It had still drawn a few heads, eyes following her as she weaved in and out of the large throng of people. She'd been instructed to act natural and that's what she was doing, quietly making her way over to the bar.

"Something strong, please," she said, pulling out a few bills that David had slipped her and placed them on the bar.

"Singapore Sling, coming right up," the bartender grinned at her.

She watched as the man pulled out bottle after bottle, pouring them into a mixing glass. Gin and Brandy were a couple that she recognized, pushing herself up into a seat. She hung her head back as she let herself recline, closing her eyes and listening to the beat of the music. The place the boys had taken her to was renowned for its selection of upbeat new music. This itself drew in many young people and music fanatics alike, giving the boys a much larger crowd of people to pick from.

The clink of glass drew Allegra's attention as the bartender placed the drink in front of her. He gave her a wink before moving on, a flare of red rising in her cheeks. Her embarrassment was made even worse as she realized that he'd scribbled his number down on the napkin seated beneath her glass, no doubt looking for a good time.

Glancing around the room, Allegra stuffed the napkin into her pocket, debating on taking advantage of the advance at a later point as food. She hated thinking that way, but knew that it was something that she was going to have to get used to. In order to keep face, she brought the glass to her lips, the liquid sliding down her throat. She nearly cringed, reminding herself that she'd requested a strong one. He'd definitely done his job as it burned down her throat.

xXx

Drawing in a deep breath, I let it out slowly, looking around the room. David and the others had disappeared into the crowd somewhere, taking the time to blend in as I had. I looked down at my drink again, trying not to cringe before quickly downing the last of it. I'd take beer over this stuff any day. Heck, I didn't even care for beer, but at least the drink of choice didn't burn like this one. I tried to think of a time where I'd had one burn like this one did, a warmth slowly settling in the pit of my stomach.

As before, I felt it growl, the noise only privy to my ear alone. I was already embarrassed to be hear. I didn't need anything else making it worse. As I pushed that thought from my head, I caught eyes on me. It was a young man at the end of the bar, his hair a little shaggy around the edges with the top slicked by with some type of gel or oil no doubt. I wrinkled my nose at the thought. Hair gel always had a smell to it. It was one that I didn't particularly care for. Its also why I was glad that David was particular about his when he used any. It was some sort of natural concoction. He didn't want any 'raunchy shit' in his hair as he had put it.

"What do I do? He's staring at me," I said, keeping my eyes forward as I grabbed a toothpick, slowly taking it to the underside of my nails.

It was a good distraction, the sound of the music still echoing in my ears as I sat there on my little stool. For a moment, I began wondering if I would get a reply. I did, finally, but he sounded tired. Or maybe he was frustrated. I wasn't sure.

"Make eye contact, but only briefly," he instructed, doing as he said. "Now, give him a shy smile."

Again, I did as he said, smiling at the guy, my lashing fluttering. I looked away then, tucking a bit of hair behind my ear. I hated this. I hated this so much.

"Hey there."

I nearly jumped at the voice, a hand resting on my shoulder. Turning my head, I found a man that I hadn't seen before. He was dressed nicely in dark wash jeans and a pressed long sleeved purple button up. The material shone in the light, suggesting silk. The hand on my shoulder was pale, but not overly so as my eyes trailed toward his face.

"Sorry if I startled you."

His lips moved, but I didn't respond, hand twitching. I could handle going to a guy, but having the tables turned like this made it unnerving. As though sensing my distress, I felt a pull at the back of my mind, a familiar voice calling out to me.

"Allegra?"

"My name is Thomas."

"Allegra, what's going on?"

"I…" I stopped, blinking as I pressed a hand to my head.

For a moment, I could have sworn I'd seen a flash of color, closing my eyes. I heard him again, David, as he called out to me. Worry was evident in his voice. He was also losing his patience.

"Allegra!"

I winced, feeling a flicker of pain as a means of getting my attention. Why had I even waited so long.

"David?" I called toward him, the other man standing there as he gave me a curious look.

"Are you alright?" Thomas asked, fingers digging into the surface of my shoulder, nails pinching lightly at the skin. "I hope no one slipped anything into your drink."

I paused again, this time turning back toward him as I caught the hint of something in my nose. I tried to figure out what it was that I was smelling. There was pine, dust, liquor, rancid perfume. I closed my eyes as I tried to concentrate, the beat of the music pounding in my hair. It pulsed, my now dead heart beating just a tad faster as it tried to keep up with the sounds that vibrated through me.

"Allegra, answer me!"

Again, I flinched, I was getting distracted.

"I'm sorry, I… I need some air," I told him.

"Where are you?" I asked, getting up from my seat.

I gave Thomas a small smile, enclining my head as I turned to the crowd. I drew in a breath of air. My heart was starting to pound from the music. I could hear the hearts beating around me, warm blood pumping through their veins as the lead organ tried to keep up with their movements. Limbs swung, hips swaying, heads twisting. My eyes began licking around. I could smell it again, fresh, unhindered. A chill ran through me.

xXx

The noise in the room was loud like a roaring tide, concealing any voice that tried to speak up. In order to hear someone, you'd have to yell. No, you'd have to yell in their ear, pushing away the waves of music as the crowd drew you in. This is why David was grateful for his ability to speak to his brothers, to Allegra. Strangely enough, he was having an issue getting a response out of her.

"Allegra!"

He was starting to become impatient, uncertainty welling up in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps it really had been too soon to take her out. Was she getting nervous? Perhaps this was all too much stimulation for her.

"David?"

Her voice finally found him and he felt some of the tension in his shoulders ease up a bit. It only lasted for so long though as she went quiet again. Her voice sounded distracted. With what, he couldn't be sure, drumming his fingers against the table he was seated at. He wasn't trying as hard to get a snack for himself tonight. Most nights, he'd have one to two girls surrounding him, talking to them as he got them interested. Tonight, he was focus on Allegra finding what she needed while the boys enjoyed themselves, finding their own little snacks to much on for later.

"Allegra, answer me!" he growled out, lip twitching slightly.

He could feel a change in her mood again. It was confusing. She'd been concentrated on what was in front of her and then suddenly, she'd become distracted, dazed almost. It wasn't like her and it was starting to bother him. She'd never been the type to get easily distracted. That's why he was surprised she hadn't noticed what the little group was prior to the change. After all, Paul wasn't always the smartest in his choices, like cleaning up after a snack. Normally, he'd still have traces of blood on his face.

"Where are you?" she asked, calling out to him.

With that, he stood, forgetting about the beer in front of him. He glanced around, trying to find the up-do that they'd put her in, along with the dark studded bikini top they'd found that doubled as a comfortable bra.

"Come on, where are you," he muttered, stepping into the sea of gyrating bodies, grunting as he tried to push his way through.

He had to keep himself focused as his ears picked up on the pumping of blood around him. He could practically see the blood pulsing through their veins, warm and inviting. It was so tempting.

"Allegra?" he called out, pushing his way to the bar.

He was confused when he realized she wasn't there, glancing around. There was a close to empty glass setting at the bar, ice cubes laying at the bottom. He brought it to his nose, confusion flooding him. There was nothing, but alcohol.

"Can I help you buddy?" a man asked.

Turning, David found it to be the bartender, the man raising a brow in question to the glass in David's hand. Sitting it down, he turned to face the man fully.

"Yeah," he nodded. "The girl that was just here, where'd she go?" he asked.

"Why? You know her?" he asked carefully, looking David up and down.

The vampire could feel his blood starting to boil in annoyance, but took a breath, calming his unusual temper. As he'd explained to Allegra, emotions for a vampire could be a rather dangerous thing if left unchecked.

"Yeah, my sister," David told him. "Wanted to check on her before going outside for a smoke."

The lie was an easy one, the cigarette nestled in the fold of his ear. It was easy to master over the years. With a string of truth to it, it easily became second nature, slipping off the tip of his tongue.

"Brought her here for her birthday. Wanted to make sure she was having a good time," he explained. "I didn't see her on the dance floor so I figured she was still sitting on the side lines like a wall flower," he chuckled.

The bartender nodded his head, giving David another once over.

"She's definitely a looker," the man nodded.

"Gets it from Mom," David said with a shrug. "Can't take her anywhere."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I got a sister like that myself."

It was silent for a moment then, before the man said anything, David waiting patiently.

"Looked like she was headed outside from some air with a friend or something," he finally said. "He seemed pretty interested in her."

David gave a nod of the head, before turning back toward the crowd.

"Thanks, man."

With that, he headed outside, his hair a mess from brushing up against so many people. He didn't really care too much though as he finally broke through, exiting through the door.

"Allegra?" he called out.

His eyes scanned the area, brows furrowed. He didn't see her. Since he didn't see her, he decided to concentrate on his hearing instead, closing his eyes to cancel out any unneeded stimulation. He heard the sound of an engine first in the background as it drove down the road. He could still hear the music pulsing from the building behind him. Turning his head slightly, he picked up on shuffling, followed by a growl. Finally, he heard it, her voice.

He was quick as he made his way across the street, lips twitching and eyes red as he slipped behind the dark building. He could smell blood, but not human blood. No, it was the same blood that he tasted whenever he bit into Allegra. It was sweet, but not something that would satisfy hunger.

Before anything else could happen, he flashed in front of her, his face contorted in anger.

"Ah, there he is."

The voice was foreign as he let out a snarl, keeping Allegra behind him, one hand curling into his jacket while her other cupped the side of her neck. It was bleeding, blood leaking out for a bite wound. The Sire inside of him began to rage. Someone else had bit her and that someone wasn't him. The idea made his skin crawl and rage boil. It was against ethics to have another vampire bite into one from a living Sire, especially if the sireling was a woman. Had the bastard not realized the beat of her heart or the chill of her body? Or did he not care?

"David?" she whimpered, pressing her forehead into the space between his shoulders.

His muscles twitched, hands clenched at his sides as he stood there.

"So, it's David, then?" the man spoke, a smirk on his sharp face, eyes a blaze like burning coals.

His hair was long and wild at this point, having fought with Allegra for a few moments before David came, her blood staining his lips.

"She's mine," David growled out, squaring his shoulders as he bared his teeth.

"You're a little ways from your hunting grounds, aren't you, David?" the man taunted, lips still turning into a smirk as he licked the corner of his lips, groaning lightly at the taste of Allegra's blood on his tongue. "So oddly refreshing."

"Paul. Dwayne. Marko," David called out, the message clear with just the sound of their names.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long as his brothers came flashing into view. The smirk on the man's face only grew more, hands rising as he began to clap.

"Impressive," he noted. "All yours?" he asked, turning his nose to the air.

The man paused after a moment, the sharp features of his face softening slightly.

"No," he realized, eyes turning back to Allegra. "Naughty, naughty boy."

All four Santa Carla vampires stiffened, leaving Allegra confused. She didn't understand what the man was talking about. Had David done something wrong?

"To become a Maker behind the back of the Maker," he smirked. "Do they know?" he asked cruelly. "By the look on your faces, I'd say not. So much trouble."

"David, what's he talking about?" Allegra asked, gripping his arm.

She was confused and rightly so, but now was not the time to explain things. David knew that what he had done was not something that was normally allowed. What he'd done, it normally led to power struggles which is why it wasn't 'allowed'. He hadn't had a choice though. Had he not acted, she'd be dead and he'd been alone again. He'd have lost her and that wasn't something that he was willing to do. As a result, he'd acted on instinct, saving the woman that he was falling in love with.

"Have you gone rouge then?" he asked. "It can be a rather dangerous thing for one so inexperienced."

Inexperienced? What was this bastard trying to say? At this point, he was at least 100 years old due to his added human years. He'd seen a century come and go. He was living in a new one now, keeping up with the things around him. How did that make him inexperienced?

"I think it's time you back the hell up," David growled lowly, eyes glowering at the man.

They watched as a sickening grin formed on the man's face, eyes creasing slightly as the corner of his lips pinched. He stood taller, shoulders squared as he stared David down, taking a step closer. The words that rolled off his tongue were a quiet threat.

"Do you even know how old I am?" he asked slowly, eyes gleaming with a silent threat.

The group tensed, but didn't move as the guy drew closer, almost coming to stand toe to toe with David. The latter stood tall and unwavering. David didn't deal well with intimidation. In fact, it pissed him off to no end when one tried using it against him. Over the years, he'd dealt with it enough from Max. He'd even dealt with a few times in his human life with his father, though rare as it had been. He wasn't about to tolerate it coming from someone else. In his mind, this guy was a nobody.

"Do I look like I care?" David asked slowly, deliberately.

He felt Allegra's grip on his arm tighten. Her other hand finally having abandoned her neck, creeping around his waist. Her fingers pressed lightly at the flat plain of his stomach, calming the faint churning that had started inside. Her touch could tame the wildest of fire inside of him, instead, leaving it to simmer beneath the skin. She left him feeling warm, even now as she buried her head further against the space of his shoulders, despite the chill of her skin. It was no longer a natural warmth, one of a warm-blooded individual. For him, it was enough though, the mere touch of her hand as it lay against him.

"Take a guess," the man urged.

He dismissed David's own dismissive statement, his burning gaze still trained on the now slightly quivering woman behind the blonde. He couldn't help, but smirk, knowing that the scent of her own blood was driving her toward their more primal instincts. It was making her stomach churn with want, with hunger, something that she was still hesitant to admit. Before the man had interrupted their hunt, David had been coaching her through the necessary steps in order to draw in her prey. If she'd been given a few more minutes, the poor sap probably would have been at her feet. She'd have had her first real meal and she would have done it all on her own.

"We don't give two shits old man!" Paul cried out, his fangs bared.

Paul definitely had less control over his impulses than David and Dwayne. That had been realized years ago. Then again, Paul had been a little sporadic and impulsive even before the turn, mostly with his wild tendencies though. It was actually what led to his turning. Years of use and abuse in one form or another had left him at the end of a cold road. The turn had given him an outlet and a place to belong, something he'd been looking for from the very start of his long and twisted journey. Unfortunately, with one well-placed look, Paul was silenced.

"Aw, you don't want to play?"

Until now, David hadn't realized that this guy was actually taller than him, the man standing even straighter. He pushed that from his mind, reminding himself that so was Dwayne, his blood brother standing ever at the ready.

"What do you want?" David finally managed to ground out, feeling the tremor from Allegra's body behind him.

She was just as confused as he was. Toss in a raging bout of hunger into the mix, you had a rather testy vampire. Mix that with the fact of it being a newly turned, you came up with something that could be scarily unpredictable. He didn't want that for her.

Again, he caught the man's eyes gazing at Allegra. A slow boiling rage began to fill him again as it began to well up in the pit of his stomach, muscles tensing, despite Allegra's touch. His patience was beginning to wear and he wasn't too keen on snapping in front of everyone. He preferred to remain calm, level headed as he dealt with situations like this one head on.

"What do I want?"

Finally, he took a step back, much to everyone's relief. The relief was short lived though as he spoke his next words, a sense of unease filling David's body.

"I want to see how long it takes before your Master decides he wants her dead."

Alright everyone! I know its been a little while, but with college and work, its been a pain in the ass. I have too much fun with this story to give up on it. In fact, a large section of this was actually originally written out on paper which is why there was a major delay since I had a lot of stuff rearranged and temporarily misplaced as a result. Luckily, after a lot of digging, I finally found it! Unfortunately, I'm in the same boat with a couple of other stories until I can figure out where my large stack of papers went. Any way, here's the chapter, hopefully, I didn't lose too many of you. If you have any ideas for me, please let me know! Also, CHAPTER 11 is already in the works now as well. HAPPY READING!