I tried to keep my promise, I don't think this one took me as long lol ;p and I expect some reviews people, I made this chapter from a suggestion from a reviewer so I hope I did them justice.

~Selene

Chapter 14

I wouldn't really call it wussing out, I'd call it being smart. Ya know, why should I talk to Salem about love and junk when I don't love him anyways? And after what he did...after bringing Vikki here he didn't even deserve to hear the word mentioned by me.

There's three rooms in the hotel, and there's seven people. Well, I guess eight including me. So everybody basically bunked with everybody, and Salem fell asleep in the armchair in Alyssa and Justine's room.

I slept on the couch. It's a futon really, but it's not like I planned to have that kid in my bed with me after all this crap. I'm sick of Salem, and school tomorrow – though I hate that place – is really looking like my happy place right now.

It took me a good two hours to finally pass out, ya know, after flopping and flipping all over the frigging place. I went into one of those out-cold sleeps where you seriously don't wake up until noon. It was fantastic.

Or, so I thought...

Have you ever dreamt up a random place? Yeah, that's what this was. Only, I'd been here before, this was one of the dances at my school, the valentines one where Beca and the rest of the VIP made everything pink and red and put hearts and candies everywhere.

I remembered this dance, but not a lot of it, I was so plastered that night I can only recall spinning around in circles on the dance floor, and Salem trying to keep me standing straight.

Thing was, in this dream, I wasn't drunk. Nope, I'm pretty frigging coherent right now, like look, ten toes, eight fingers and two thumbs. Hell – I can even walk in a straight line!

Everybody from school's here, everybody that I remember seeing. It was one of those sign in dances where our Nazi of a principal actually let us bring boys. In other words, it was a huge contest to see who could swap spit the longest and who could grind until their legs hurt.

I was kinda glad Salem wasn't part of this dream, I mean, it's bad enough to see him when I'm awake. Problem is–

"Is this better?" What an unfamiliar voice!

I turned around grouchily, not wanting to talk to anybody right now when I saw him. Ya know that expression my jaw hit the floor? Well damn, you see this dude and it'll really frigging disconnect.

He was taller than me, but only by maybe a head. And his hair was long – but not like surfer long like Kellen's – I mean long, long.

It looked black in the dim light and was just grazing his shoulders. And what shoulders! Like, gatta be some kind of star quarterback deal going on right now.

He looked my age, with the smooth features and fading baby fat. His eyes were large and abnormally green, and the way he smiled...

"Oh my God!" I staggered back a step, "Whoa!" I gawked at Hristea, at the way he crossed his arms over his blue blouse, at the way he laughed – so...so not like a one hundred-twenty-six-year-old.

I felt my face scrunch, "But...how?" I shook my head, hands flying up over my mouth. How did somebody that flipping massive get so, I dunno, small and juvenile?

"You're dreaming Sawyer, you're most receptive to me in sleep." He shrugged a not-yet-rock shoulder and tilted his head, long hair curving over the almost-square curve of his jaw. "Here I can manipulate what you see, what you hear. Although-" He gave himself a once-over "-This...version of me, is quite real. Perhaps not anymore, but it once was."

I blinked once. Twice. Waiting for him to blow up into smoke and vanish like some terrible practical joke. But he didn't, Hristea stayed tall, lean and a teenager no matter how many times I blinked.

"You're freaking me out." I coughed, "How-how old are you?" My lips felt clumsy and stupid on my face, and my voice sounded weak and confused.

He sighed, "Fourteen." Then Hristea made a face, "My adolescence kind of blurred by in a flourish of legs and breasts, so really it's not..." He stopped himself, lifting a hand and pinching the bridge of his nose.

This is nice. This is so, ya know, great. Really it is. I think I'm used to this now, Hristea is Hristea, he's still a dick and a player and I hate him. Just 'cause he got young and hot doesn't change anything.

"Can you just-" I tilted my head side to side "-go away. Get out of my head and just...leave me alone once and for all. I'm not interested in old people, really I'm not."

Pivoting on the balls of my feet I started walking for the exit. This is my dream, so I can make up whatever I want to, and if I wanna make up a place where Hristea can't go then I bloody well will.

I tripped, falling on my hands and knees, squealing a little when I realized I wasn't at my valentines dance anymore. This was more like a....like a what? Like a meadow?

No, like, an endless sea of flowers is more accurate.

Trees and flowers and rolling hills that went on for as far as I could see. This place never ended, there was no escape! But I didn't think this up, I was imagining my cell at Black Wood.

Pushing myself up I stood, rubbing at the grass stains on my knees. "You can't go where I'm not." I jumped, whirling around to face the actually Hristea, the one that's a frigging giant. "It's impossible."

I growled, "What's your damage?" Stepping back, I flinched at the feel of grass sweeping over my bare legs. "Like, is rejection not in your vocabulary?"

Hristea chuckled, his shoulders shaking. "To be blunt," He murmured, coming towards me while I reversed. "The angrier you get and the more you reject, kind of turns me on. You're a challenge – it's extremely exciting."

I groaned, throwing my head back and stomping my foot. "Why are you so frigging honest?" Putting my hair out of my face I squinted at him. "Besides what happened to your frigging Italian threesome, that looked like it was gonna be a party."

Hristea pursed his lips, his bright eyes narrowing. "Since I'm being honest, I'll say: yeah it was." I scoffed, not wanting to hear anymore, but that didn't stop him. "It was also tedious, lacklustre, lifeless and, very boring. Now I'm just jaded."

Ever want to smack someone so hard you hope their mouth will fly off? Why the hell did he think I wanted to know any of this, like it held any kind of importance or whatever to me. What did he want, a pat on the back?

"I'm telling you because it is important." He said matter-of-factly.

I screamed, stomping forward and shoving him. "Get out of my head!"

His arms came out and crushed me to him. Thrashing, I kicked my legs up, pushing against his chest as hard as I could, and still not getting anywhere.

Hristea put his face in my hair. "It's important because I don't want them – they're both pathetic wastes of Undying blood." His voice got low and hostile near the end, Hristea exhaling heavily through his teeth. "It's important because I have to show you how much I need you."

Those words sounded really weird coming out of his mouth. Not like romantic weird where everybody goes, "awww!" I mean like, weird that he would say something like that. The words didn't seem to fit there, like it was way, way....out of character?

I inhaled slowly, gradually putting my weight in his arms, until Hristea slowly let me go. He had that kind of mixed emotions thing going on, on his face again as if even he sort of thought that was odd.

Hristea shook his head, looking frustrated. His fangs showed when he spoke, and his voice was stiff and robotic. "I just need you to give me a chance." He pressed his lips together, green eyes all distant and dark like he was trying to figure out a really long math equation in his head.

I rolled my eyes, "No." He snapped his teeth together, making me stumble backwards, hands up to protect my throat.

Hristea's eyes were light all of a sudden, and not in the bright happy way either. I mean, scary milky cloud light. The colour clashed with the luminous green, it made my heart leap into my throat.

"Why?" He snarled, it wasn't natural. It sounded twice as furious as he looked, it was more like a trapped roar.

My voice shook, my gaze lowering to the swaying green grass and colourful flowers. "Because I tried to and you screwed me over royally." I tried to make it a frightening hiss, but I was too scared.

He growled, "This is different!" But it isn't, I mean, Sabina and Sorina were beautiful. And why would I even bother trying to compete with them for Hristea? It didn't seem worth it – he didn't seem worth it.

I shook my head, not looking at him. Standing my ground, I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut and waiting for him to go berserk or something.

There was a thump, it was so heavy and loud I opened my eyes, gasping when I saw him kneeling before me. "This is different." He clenched his teeth, the muscles in his jaw surging crazily. "I love..." He shook his head. "I need this."

I cringed, "Stop it." Hristea gave me the very frigging definition of The Puppy-dog Look and I swore. "I have a boyfriend," After I said that Hristea tossed his head back and chortled.

"Yes, Salem. The inadequate one." Hristea rose to his feet, leaning in closer than I was really comfortable with. "How could I forget?" He spoke through his teeth, looking at me through narrowed eyes.

Nodding quietly, I kinda waited for the tense air between us to go away. When it didn't I whispered, "So it'll never work."

But Hristea snorted, brow creasing, lip twitching. "You mean the one who got his ex-girlfriend's daddy to pay for their flight here, and the hotel. What a keeper." Hristea's words stung me real deep down, he just made me feel real small and real stupid.

Then I was angry. Angry because he was right. Hristea inclined himself toward me, pressing his forehead against mine. His skin burned me, boiling my blood and making my heart jump and stop, and stop and jump.

"Just let me do this." He murmured, his words were soft but the undertone was harsh. "I can't ruin it twice. Just..." He breathed, "Give me a chance."

Part of me was scoffing, telling me to get the hell away from him and wake up. None of this was real in the first place, just because Hristea can get under my skin doesn't mean there's anything there for us.

The other part? Well, my gut kind of twitched with anticipation, my heart kind of stopped. I needed to do this. I told myself here. This is right – something about this just fits.

Tilting my head, I had to roll up on my tiptoes a bit to reach him completely. This kiss was odd, ya know, like just strange. It was slow and, long and, smooth and, soft and...I dunno, perfect?

Putting myself away from him again, I pressed my lips together, clenching my teeth. I felt like I needed to think about this, mull it over or something. That's normal isn't it?

Hristea wrapped his arms around me – the frigging steel bands they are when he murmured, "I'll come for your answer tomorrow night."

Just like that he'd vanished, as if he was never even there in the first place. Heaving a noisy breath I closed my eyes, counting twelve seconds slowly in my head, eyes fluttering open I stared up at the high beige ceiling of the hotel.

Rolling over, I sat up to stare at the droopy blue-silver drapes, at the purple light pouring through them. If anything felt like a dream right now, it was this. I mean, waking up from a place so perfect and right and coming back to this dump, kinda makes you question reality, ya know?

Sluggishly moving off the futon, I cracked my back, pulled my fingers through my hair and stood up. I hoped everybody was still asleep, the last thing I wanted was to run into Salem right now.

So I crept down the hall, brushed my teeth and washed my face, quickly changing into some low riding jeans, my tank-top and a touque.

I didn't think it'd be so easy to get outa there, I mean, you'd think with all those people somebody woulda heard me or something. Not that I cared, if I could avoid pointless crap like the obvious drama between Salem and Victoria, then like, all the power to me and stuff.

Salem and Victoria. Vikki. As I came into the too-swanky hallway and marched towards the elevator I started thinking. What would I do if they hooked up again? I'd be pissed for sure but I guess it wouldn't count as cheating really, because I'd already run that play. I'd already cheated.

Ugh! Relationships are so stupid!

The elevator dinged and brought me to the lobby, when I glared at the receptionist all I got in return was a cheerful, "Good morning!"

Then I realized it wasn't that old prune from last night after all, it was a cute, tall brunette with big, flashy grey eyes and, big glamorous lips covered in all this sparkly lip-gloss. She straightened her uniform and waved at me while I crossed the room and slunk out the doors.

It was cool, the clouds were knit together, all thick and fluffy. There was a slight silver trim around the edges, showing teeny rays of sunlight. The clouds smothered it out, trapping the gold light behind a mask of murky grey.

A cool wind moved my hair into my face, nipping at my bare arms and seeping through my tank-top. How typical.

Really, you wouldn't believe how many people are like, out and about at 7:30 in Transylvania. With their harsh, thick accents and loud warm laughter, it was like I'd got up at noon in frigging Happy Land.

But they weren't happy, they were all like suspicious and junk, yeah, that's it. Everybody kept looking up and darting their eyes around like some kinda disaster was gonna go down at any second.

And I remembered why – the vamps. People lived in constant fear of the bloodsucker that I was....dating? Yeah, that works. I mean, I'd never seen Dorian or Emilia in action and, frankly I couldn't see Analeigh swatting a frigging mosquito. These people knew more than I did clearly, had stories that could probably go on for days.

Hristea's words sounded in my head, "Maimed hundreds. Slaughtered thousands..." and I broke it in chills.

How could I make such a huge decision about somebody like that? Somebody that hurt people, and killed people – ruined people's lives again and again. What made him think he deserved me in the first place?

How could I have even thought about really dating a vampire? I stopped myself in my tracks, staring down at the lumpy sidewalk gone black from earlier rain.

Hristea is a vampire. And not frigging fictional Dracula, dungeons and wads of garlic, I mean like hardcore, evil, suck-your-blood vampire.

And some part of me was into that. Huh, you learn something new every day.

Walking around the narrow, old streets I figured I was definitely gonna be late for first period. It took me a while to find mine and Gavril's usual route, I was coming around a corner when I heard this deafening scream.

The kind that turned your blood to ice, made your skin scrawl and your heart stop. I couldn't figure out how to move my legs again, as my eyes started racing around in search of the person.

There was a group of people all crowded at the front of a small, modest looking house. An ambulance stood outside on the curb, no sirens, no flashy lights. That's a bad thing, right?

I crept forward a little, off the sidewalk and a ways across the street to join the mob. There was a body strapped on the stretcher they loaded into the back of the ambulance, the body covered by a creepy white veil.

The wind blew and I turned my head to duck out of the harsh breeze, catching the shimmer off a silver cross, clutched in a woman's hand. I stared at the thick, shining crucifix for a moment, squinting my eyes and examining the body etched into it, spread out across the cross like it was hanging there.

Turning back to the stretcher, the wind whipped up the white blanket, revealing the boy's face. A lady cried out, reaching for him, while being held back in a man's arms.

The boy was older than me, but not by much. His skin was the colour of snow, and his blue eyes pierced through the crowd and right into me.

They were dead, empty, hypnotic eyes that clawed at the soul inside me, it made my heart stop completely for the four seconds our gazes converged.

There was silence in those four seconds. A deadly, disturbing stillness that chilled me all the way to my bones. The wind stopped, the rustle of leaves on tall trees stopped, the woman's wails stopped.

I stared at the crescent mark under his jaw. At the eerie, blood encrusted bite mark over his pulse.

Staggering back out of the group, I ran my fingers under my eyes where I thought I felt tears and, came across nothing but soft chubby skin.

Resting my palm over my chest, I felt the hard, thundering pound of my heart. Striding along sleepily, I made my way up the stairs and into the school.

Not bothering to stop by my locker, I slunk down the halls feeling half empty. I couldn't get those creepy, vacant blue eyes out of my head, it was almost as if they'd been branded into my skull or something.

My clammy fingers trembled on the classroom doorknob, it was hard to open the door. It was just so heavy.

"Good to finally have you with us, Miss Cohen." The teacher growled, I moved through the maze of desks to the back corner, dropping my bag under my chair and sitting quietly.

Those big, horrified blue eyes haunted me no matter where I looked or how long I closed my eyes. Reaching up, I felt my pulse where the boy had been bitten.

"Maimed hundreds. Slaughtered thousands..."

I've fallen so many times. Sometimes I like it, just that moment where everything stops, and it's just so, so...infinite.

I've never been scared of falling. When I'm falling I'm at peace, it's when you hit the ground when everything comes apart. Ya know, if I could just keep falling – if there wasn't any place to land, I don't think I'd be scared at all.

Dad used to worry a lot, ya know, I just jumped when I was a kid. Off of everything, anything that was high. I broke my arm one time Dad went like, ape shit until it got all better. And I twisted my wrist real bad another time – my joints are like super weak and stuff.

I loved that adrenaline of being nowhere and everywhere at the same time, slipping through a place that was between the sky and the earth. Like Limbo – I think that's what it's called anyways. Or is that where ghosts are?

Screw it.

Anyway the point is: the whole falling thing isn't the problem, when I'm falling I can release. It's just when I come back to the ground that causes all the problems.

I kind of wished for falling. That I could just go right through the stupid hall tiles, right through the whole planet and just keep falling. Now that'd be a rush.

Coming up to my locker and messing around with the sticky lock until it cracked, I fixed my touque in the teeny mirror Kristine had got me at the dollar store. Pursing my lips I dug around under my bag, through a mess of chocolate bar wrappers, pushed my fingers under a couple books, until I felt the sharp, slippery edge of paper.

Drawing out the picture of Hristea and wiping away a few chocolate crumbs, I stared into the unnatural white eyes of the wolf. The woman's scream from this morning echoed in my ears, the photo falling from my twitching fingers.

I raced to cover my ears. Pressing my forehead up against the cold metal of the locker beside mine, fighting with the ghostly blue eyes branded into my mind. Clenching my teeth, I tried to drown the noise by humming, banging my palm on the locker.

The screeches got louder before they faded, and stopped. Leaning away from the lockers I stooped to pick up Hristea's picture, crumpling it in my fist before throwing it back to where it once was.

I picked up my English binder, locking up my locker and heading off to class. I acted like I couldn't see the people who were staring at me, who laughed at whispered. They all had Victoria's voice. And it was hard not to leave a trail of adult teeth all the way to my third period class.

Pausing outside the door, I heard the scream again. Stumbling back a step, and into some kid who pushed me forward. Nails digging into the fabric of my binder I watched him bump by me and into the room.

It seemed so easy, walking in. But it wasn't – it was almost impossible. There were voices, voices only I could hear. They were violent whispers from people who clutched the big crucifixes around their necks.

But this was more real...

Spinning on the balls of my feet, I hurried down another hallway, avoiding teachers and slinking around like some criminal.

Binder under my arm, I stepped outside the cafeteria into the cool air. It was quiet for the most part, until someone yelped. The sound made the hair on my arms stand up, and I turned jerkily to see Eliani, Bianca and Danika push a girl up against the brick wall.

The girl said something I didn't understand, it was a blurb of jumbled pleas, but Eliani and her pack just laughed. In Danika's hand were a pair of thick glasses, she crushed them and smirked when the plastic lenses popped out to land on the grass.

Ever have those moments where you just...break?

I don't remember moving, or dropping my binder, or shoving Danika and Bianca. But I was holding Eliani's shoulders, gripping her Juicy t-shirt in my hands and, rolling us both to the ground before I realized it.

She squealed. I saw the confusion on her face before I dropped my fist on it. It took her a good long ten seconds to recover before she was kneeing me in the back and ripping at my hair.

Eliani flipped us over, her kneecaps grinding into my sides. Groaning, I snatched her wrists, thinking I could overpower her. Nope. Three long, bubblegum pink nails grated across my chin while I tried to squirm out from under her.

Clawing at her jeans, I tried to sit up against her forceful hands. Someone cheered, my head slung to the side, cheek searing. I could almost count all five of Eliani's fingers imprinted on my cheek.

Closing my eyes, I put myself in Black Wood, remembering how I got out of the restraining straps. Sucking on my tongue I hunched off the ground to spit in Eliani's face. She screamed, reaching up to scrub her eye while I sat up and threw her to the left and off of me.

My ribs hurt where her legs had been squeezing me and it was hard to move quickly. She rolled a fair bit in a mess of blonde hair and a terrible tan, Eliani struggled to get her balance again.

Picturing one of the nurses in my head, I let her run at me inhaling a shuddering breath before planting my foot in her stomach. Eliani fell back a bit, lurching over to hold her gut, someone seized my forearm and yanked at my hair.

With a wince I got a good upside down view of Bianca's furious face, grunting as I whirled under her arm, lunging into her stomach so we both fell with a hard thump on the ground. Bianca started to whimper while I pushed up off of her, her hand came instantly out of my hair and I left her on the grass like that.

Glancing between Danika and teary eyed Eliani, I sprinted at an unsuspecting Danika, who wailed. One time. That's all it took, and she was clocked.

The girl against the wall squinted at us, her messy black hair falling in her face. Her bottom lip was split and bleeding, a big blue bruise starting to form under her left eye. She wiped at her nose, not daring to come between us.

Clenching my teeth, I stood still on shaking legs when Eliani charged towards me. Her knee hit my stomach, knocking the wind clean outa me, and rocking me forward into her.

Eliani coughed out this vile snicker, her hands coming down on my shoulders. Moving as fast as I could, I Charlie-horsed her in the thigh. Squeezing my eyes shut, closing my fingers on her silky hair, tilting my head back and slamming my forehead into hers.

Whining, the both of us reeled back, my hands flew up to my face touching a tender soon-to-be-goose-egg. Eliani fell to her ass on the grass, moaning quietly and crying.

My whole body felt on fire. My heart was racing, adrenaline ploughed through my veins, speeding with the wild thing in my chest. It felt amazing – I felt amazing.

I remembered this, the agonizing exhilaration. Touching my knuckles, that were surprisingly like, unscathed – not like my whole frigging torso!

Sighing I fell to my knees, slouching back on my butt and sitting on the grass, letting the breeze rake through my hair and over the dry scratches on my chin.

I was falling again.

"Suspended!" Uncle Nick shouted, it was like the whole kitchen shook when he was angry. It reminded me of Dad.

I nodded, pressing the cold icepack harder on my forehead. "Yeah," I shrugged. "The VP said it was for like, a week and blah, blah, blah – ow!" Grimacing I tried not to make an expression, keeping my face as still as possible.

Uncle Nick paced around the kitchen, grumbling angrily to himself. "What am I going to do with you?" He muttered, dragging his fingers through his hair impatiently.

Shrugging a shoulder I screwed my lips to the side. "You could...send me to my room and let Aunt Kristine deal with me?" I murmured, thinking she'd probably just lecture me on why violence is bad and all that dumbness.

Uncle Nick nodded eagerly, obviously not knowing how to punish a fourteen-year-old girl. "Good plan." He half-grinned, then put on his wrathful expression again and pointed at the stairs. "Now go to your room!"

Rolling my eyes, I got up from the kitchen table, heading out to the hall and going upstairs. I stopped at Gavril's room, leaning in the door to see him on the computer. He glanced up at me and laughed, "You're on YouTube."

Grinning I leaned on the doorframe, "How many hits?" I watched Gavril's big hand – pretty much swallowing the mouse – he scrolled down and chuckled. "Everybody at school, minus a group of people-" Gavril looked at me knowingly "-about 800."

With a laugh I continued down the hall, opening my door and coming inside. I'd just reached the bed when I saw a dribble of blood just under my window. My stomach lurched, the trail of crimson drops went from my window, staggered across the carpet, all the way to the closet that I didn't use.

Hands shaking, I crept toward the closet, a scream well prepared in my throat when I pulled the doors open. Exhaling heavily when I didn't see anything, I almost jumped outa my skin when a pair of green eyes fluttered wide and fixed on me.

"Hristea?"