I'm Hungry
Chapter Three: Different Means
A/N: TW for violence in this chapter.
I decided to take up the humans offer for a tour of the town. This would give me any ins and outs to understanding the area better. I had already scoped out the school and all the details there. And truly, how could I resist spending an evening with Bella? It was stupid to persuade such a thing but I promised myself that if I allowed myself to indulge just this once, then I would never stray near her again.
That evening could not last long enough for me. But I kept tight lipped, avoiding talking too much to Bella even as she made conversation because I did not want to give her hope. This would be my last meeting with her before I hunted her down as our first high school victim of the Hunt. That way, I could get rid of this obsessive need I felt for her. With her not in my life anymore, surely my feelings would fade?
To be honest, I was confused and in desperate need of guidance. But James could not offer me any, his intellect of that of a young boy. And I trusted no one in the Coven with this. What if they came after her? What if her blood called to them sexually as it did to me? I could not bare that. I would have to murder each and everyone of them then and there.
I was astounded by the fierceness of my desire and I concentrated on the road ahead of me as I drove back home. I had found a sizable flat in the downtown area and James and I had adapted to it. We were no strangers to living in human cities. But never with plans to stay for this long. The Hunt generally lasted about four months. We'd spent one month in the wilderness, picking off the random hitchhiker or camper that strayed too close. Slim pickings, but what we'd been used to all our lives. Now, we lived in what she seemed to be a kingdom of blood. There was a feast around ever corner.
It was enough to drive any vampire into a bloodlust. If they were weak willed enough.
I found James attempting to plug in the Xbox I had stolen for him. In order to come off as more human, we had gathered an assortment of stolen items. He had heard a boy in his class talk about Xboxes and had decided to get one to fit in better and so he could know what to talk about.
Generally, we tried to stay away from any students, to prevent them from getting too close and suspecting us. But, in order to lure a target in, we needed to know what to talk about. Still, knowing our dynamic, it would be up to me to use my body to lure someone in.
Seduce them.
Boys made easy targets. I knew this all too well.
"Any luck?" I asked and he shook his head, cursing under his breath as he battled with the cables. Technology was not our friend. We had lived out of touch from human society for long and such things were hard to catch on when not fully immersed. I frowned but did not comment further, the borrowed blood in my veins racing as I thought back to Bella. I had only been separated from her but I already ached to be by her again. I had to see her.
Her scent lingered on my skin like a second layer and my stomach twisted in pleasure at having her scent more thoroughly marking me everywhere. "I'm going out," I tell him as I head back out the door.
"But you just got back!" he calls back plaintively. I ignore this, insistent that I see Bella. I promise myself, this is the last time. That after today it stops. Because in two days time, I plan to end her. I know her routine well enough. I know how to make a body disappear too. It shouldn't be hard, even with her father being chef of police. He is no match for a vampire. And if anything, he could always be my next Hunt victim.
I walk my way back, savoring the moment of when I'll ascend that tree branch and get to watch her. Wrong! My mind screams at me. I usually have more sense than this. But my body tugs me closer to her house, like a puppet on a string.
I climb up the oak tree, settle myself among the leaves and watch her, a content little smile playing on my lips as she sits at her desk and does her work.
It isn't long before she jerks back, staring out the window. I freeze. Has she noticed me? Can she see me? But the foliage is thick this time of year. She shouldn't have noticed anything. I watch as she approaches the window, staring out it. I don't move. I don't dare to breathe. But I have nothing to worry about. She cannot see me with her weak human eyesight. Still, she draws the curtains. And I cannot see her any longer.
This fills me with rage. How dare she do that? How dare she rob me of her?
I have half a mind to stride up to the window and rip those curtains away. But the rational part of me says no and I force myself to go back home, in a horrid mood for the rest of the night. James notices but he avoids me, going to hide in his room. He knows what my moods bring.
He's smart enough to hide away.
My sour mood persists and I am mad at Bella for doing this to me. While I have no classes with her, I do share a lunch period. I sit, brooding and pushing an apple along the table, pretending like I'll eat it.
"Are the preparations in place?" James whispers so only I can hear.
They had been. But now they're not. Because I could not spend one last night staring at Bella. Things have to be pushed back. I don't know how to explain this to him, and I don't want to. "Change of plans," I mumble out and he knows better than to press.
"We have to hurry," he reminds me. "You know how the Coven gets about numbers."
"I know," I snap at him with more force than needed and he simpers back from me. I lower my red gaze from him, finding I have crushed the apple in my grip. Innards lay everywhere. I fling the reminders aside in disgust.
Across the room, Bella has gotten up to go the bathroom. Some girls follow a minute after. I hold my breath, try to stay still. My body betrays me and I am up. James looks at me questioningly before he too gets up.
"Stay," I snarl at him, like one does to their dog. He gulps and stays put. I walk after them. It's not hard to pick out Bella's scent among all the others. It takes me to the second floor. To the bathroom where I had first met Bella.
I heard voices in the bathroom. One I instantly recognized because I had followed it here, unconsciously. Bella's beautiful voice, tinged with distress. What could be causing it? I pause by the door.
"Jessica. Seriously stop this. What the fuck is wrong with you!" Bella exclaims. My eyes widen and adrenaline propels me forward. Who dares to lay a hand on Bella? The door slams open so wide that it embeds itself into the wall. Everyone stops and stares at me. Bella, held in the grip of two girls I don't recognize, one blonde and the other black haired. Jessica stands with a pair of clippers in her hand. They're plugged in, but not turned on yet. I think I know what the intent is.
To shave Bella's hair. Her beautiful locks. The brunette had tried pulling free but she's too weak against the girls holding her.
For a long time no one says anything. "What are you doing here, new girl?" Jessica stands up, turning to me. Bella struggles behind her only to get slugged in the stomach by the black haired girl. Instantly venom pools in my mouth as I envision ripping her to shreds right here and right now. I restrain myself, knowing there is a better way I can get revenge. Because I will not let this pass.
They should have known better than to mess with my prey.
"The name's Victoria," I tell her, swallowing down the venom in my mouth. I take in a deep breath to try and control myself. Jessica giggles, swinging the clipper in her hand by it's cable.
"I don't recall asking," she said. She was trying to intimidate me. Put me in my spot. She had no idea who she was messing with.
"I don't recall caring what you thought," I shot back, as equally snooty as her. I could feel Bella's eyes on me, probably wondering what I was doing; if I would save her.
I would. No one got to touch her but me. Her body and blood were mine to savor.
Jessica's face turns ugly. She does not like to be challenged. That makes two of us. I only pray she won't do something stupid that might reveal my true being.
"Let me tell you something," Jessica strides up to me, angry. She thinks she owns this school. How adorable if it wasn't so offputting. It might ruin my appetite! "I know you're new around here, but there are rules in place. I run this school, do you understand? And if you cross me, you're dead."
Dead? Good luck with that. I smirk at her. This only makes her angrier and even though she stands a head shorter than me she tries to throw her weight around. "You think that's funny?"
"Yea, I fucking do," I said with a chuckle, crossing my arms over my chest. "Because you see, where I come from," as this I began a chilling purr, leaning right into her space. "I'm top dog. And I did a lot worse things than shave someone's hair off. So, keep that in mind, cupcake," I patted her condescendingly on the cheek. "And if I catch you doing something of this shit again," I tell them as I move past them to the stall, affecting like I didn't even care anything more about this scene. "...well then," I trail off with a shrug.
Jessica can't stand this. She is fuming. She rushes over to me and slaps me in the face. I let her, just for the cold satisfaction of what I know will happen next. She lets out a huge scream as bone snaps. I didn't even blink at her blow.
Her friends drop Bella and rush over to her side, hurriedly shuffling her out of the bathroom and to a nurse. They don't spare me another look. It's only Bella and I in here, and the excitement from earlier and the scent of Bella, has me aroused. I leave, knowing if I stay any longer it will not bond well.
"Wait," Bella rasps and I am betrayed by my body when it does stop just as I reach the exit. "You helped me. Why?"
Ugh, such a cliché thing to ask. I don't answer. I just walk away. In my mind, the target has changed.
Jessica is going to be our next Hunt victim.
I hurry to tell James this.
"What are you doing here?" Jessica sits on her bed, cross legged, phone in her hand that is held limply as she watches me walk in through her window, all the way up on the third floor. She knows there's no feasible way I should have been able to do this.
I shut the window behind me and lean against it. I know my eyes are black now and I can feel my fangs pressing into my mouth at the thought of how I'm going to drain her soon. I've not eaten recently just so I can savor this moment more.
She is cautious but not afraid. It's a mistake.
"Oh don't mind me," I tell her conversationally. I fiddle with a framed photo of her and her nasty friends that she has on the dresser.
"I'm going to call the cops on you. Get the fuck out of my house-"
I blur over to her before she finishes her pointless threat. I sit down by her on her bed. It wasn't hard at all to track her down and learn her schedule in two days time. I place one hand on side of her face, mockingly caring. She jolts when she realizes how close I am.
"What-"
My other hand has taken her phone and crushed it like it's nothing. She looks down when she hears the crunch and her eyes go wide at my inhuman display. "When you're a nomad there's not much opportunity to select and pick carefully who to drain. You eat on the go. But, living in the town allows me to select my prey more properly. For example, now I have to chance to really punish the assholes who bully others for no reason."
She lifts frightened eyes up to me. Good. It's finally dawned on her what's going to happen.
"Vic-"
I tighten my grip, moving it to her hair.
Jessica's head bounces once, then twice off of the bedpost. She makes a weak sound of pain and knocks right out, bleeding from her temple. It will be easier to take her out into the woods. To make her suffer for what she has done to Bella. Her little friends will be next. I know that much.
To make things more interesting, I trash her room but quietly so her parents don't hear me. This way it will look like this was random and calculated.
I take her body, throw it over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then slink back out the window and down to the backyard. With my speed, I blur away, leaving her residency far behind. I've told James to meet me at the head of the river. He'll know where I mean. He won't want to miss this meal. But, I've told him to come a bit later. First, I want to have some fun with her.
She begins to stir awake as I set her down in the clearing, far from anyone. She groans and sits up rubbing her head at the pain there. I might have hit her harder than I meant to. When she sees where she is, she begins to scramble backwards and away from me. The leaves crackle under her terrified scrambling. "You fucking sick bitch. What are you doing-?" She tries to rise to her feet and run away but I blur in front of her and she bumps right into my hard form. She ends up back on her ass.
"You're the sick bitch. Bullying people like Bella for no reason." I shook my head and tsked at her as I approached her. She didn't get to her feet this time, just scrambling back on her ass.
"And what do you care. She is nothing to you!" Jessica cried out defensively.
I growled, snapping forth. I grab her by the neck and haul her up. "She is worth more than you. And I am going to make sure you won't be ever bothering her again."
"Please, let me go," she begins to beg. Huh, begging much earlier than I'd expected. "I won't bother her anymore. Just, please."
I tilt my head, pretending I am going to consider this.
"Hm, no," I say, smiling widely and letting her see my sharp glinting fangs. Jessica had dared to touch Bella and she was going to pay for it dearly. No one got to touch Bella. Not unless they were me.
Jessica began to scream here so I threw her at a tree. She hit it hard, her screams cutting off as she had the air knocked out of her. I went over to her, taking my time. "I hate it when they scream," I tell her as I yank her up by her blonde hair. There are tears in her eyes. Good.
I take the hand that she still has in a cast and I press down on it painfully, breaking her bone again. I knew her family had threatened to sue me over this but I didn't give a fuck. This would feel so good.
Her mouth opened in a silent scream and I used my hold in her hair to bash her head in against the tree trunk, leaving red streaks. Her body twitched and fought and then it stilled as I counted ten head bashes in. clumps of her hair and matter were sticking to the tree now. The anger that had been burning inside me in a maelstrom had faded to a dim ember.
I let go of her body, her blood scent flooding my nose.
I felt better. Like I had helped Bella greatly. There was still a part of me that itched to deal with the other two girls. Should I do it? Or should I not?
The whisper of feet on leaves made me look at where James was arriving from. He stopped several feet from me, eyeing the mess at my feet. "You normally aren't this messy," he said, shifting from one foot to another. He was hungry.
So was I.
"It's fine." I sniffed the air, the gray sky roiling over me. "It's going to rain." It would wash away the blood on the tree. "Let's eat."
He didn't wait any longer before he dove in, gorging himself on her neck. I sunk my teeth into the other side, letting my thoughts blank as I enjoyed the taste of the Hunt.