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Some descriptions of characters that previously existed have been altered to fit the vision of this story. If you are interested in viewing the character reference photos, please view my Pinterest Board (/clairebear_04/like-breathing-but-harder/).
Chapter 8: Claire
I paused for a moment, my eyes lingering where Quil had looked back at me before diving into the trees. I was too discouraged to move.
Knowing I couldn't sit and pout all night, I hoisted myself off the bed and wandered into the living room. My eyes wandered around the house looking for something to do. I could finish the dishes, or start a load of laundry, I groaned and rolled my eyes.
I took the opportunity to walk around the house, turning off the lights that fought off the nighttime blackness, starting with the front room by the door. The darkness filled the space, covering the furniture and carpet until I walked into the light of the dining room. I turned off the kitchen light on the other side of the house, surrounded on either side by lack of light. I hesitated before turning off the dining room light as my eyes peered into the bathroom.
For as crummy as his house was, one redeeming factor was that it had an old, cast iron, claw foot tub. It was rusted in places, the faucet and shower head were a little worse for wear, but it was my absolute favorite for baths.
I turned the hot nozzle on, clogging the drain as the water began to pool in the bottom of the tub. Propping my phone against the sink the music on my playlist echoed softly around the walls, surrounding me in steam and guitar strums.
I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes pausing on my lips. The feeling of Quil's tongue, his teeth pulling on my lower lip, the way his kiss shifted in intensity lingered on my mouth. I huffed and pulled my hair on top of my head, wrapping the hair tie around it thoughtlessly. I pulled my shirt off, discarding it onto the ground by the door along with the rest of my clothes. Well, this is not how I thought these were going to come off, I gloomily stared at the pile.
Putting one foot in at a time, I sat in the tub, my knees drawing up to my chest again. I reached forward to turn the faucet off, the old pipe dripping softly as it stopped.
I closed my eyes, allowing my body to relax in the warmth. My fingers rubbed against the sides of my calves, relishing the feeling of Quil's arms under my legs as he carried me to his bed. I heaved a heavy sigh, watching the water ripple from my breath. My mind thought back to the electric current that ran over my body, the waves of energy collecting in between my legs, the way it intensified the more Quil touched me.
I felt like crying. My chest was heavy and my throat tightened, threatening to spill tears down my cheeks. It was then that I heard the back door open and close with a dull bang, causing me to jolt upright, the water splashing around me.
"Hey, I'm in here, I'll be out in a second," I shouted out to him, I didn't want him to see me so distraught. I stood up quickly in the tub, grabbing the towel and wrapping it around me quickly. I yanked the stopper from the drain, watching the water begin to disappear just as quickly as it came.
I wiped myself off quickly, a few loose hairs at the base of my neck sticking to my wet skin. Pulling Quil's shirt over my head, I noticed that my phone had stopped playing music when it reached the end of my playlist. I promptly picked up my shorts off the ground, slipping in one leg, when I noticed how quiet it suddenly was.
My heart immediately clenched, I really didn't want him to feel bad, I thought, pulling the shorts up to my waist. The drain made a slurping noise as the rest of the bathwater disappeared, the room falling completely silent.
"Quil, I'm sorry-" I opened the door, expecting to see him in the dining room waiting for me, but was met with the empty room I had left when I closed the bathroom door.
"Quil?" I asked, glancing back into the darkened kitchen. My eyes searched for any sign of him as I gazed into his bedroom, only to be met with more confusion. I swore I heard the back door-
The blood pumping in my body suddenly ran cold as goosebumps covered my skin. My muscles froze, unwilling to move until my mind identified what it was. My brain told me to turn my head but my heart refused to supply my muscles with the blood to do so.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could barely make out the figure standing near the front door. It was too dark to make out any definitive features, but I could perceive his looming size compared to the front door. Every part of my body fought me as I forced my head to turn to the left, just enough to see his red eyes staring directly at me.
A blood-curdling scream rose out of my lungs, though I couldn't hear it. A piercing, ringing sound echoed in my ears as I ran to the back door, fumbling with the doorknob. Get to Quil! My head screeched at me. I tried to turn it, wiggling the handle as I looked over my shoulder to see if my attacker was behind me. You have to try! Get Quil!
I knew I couldn't outrun a vampire, my only chance would be to find Quil. But who knows where he is, they could be miles away. If this vampire wanted me dead, I would be soon.
Tears blurred my vision as I used my shoulder to heave the door open, stumbling outside. My eyes whipped around me in all directions, trying to locate the red eyes again. The back door banged shut again, no one following me through it.
"Quil!" I screamed into the night, hoping, begging that he could hear me.
I heard rustling in the woods behind me and my body tensed, awaiting the feeling of my spine being broken or teeth sinking into my throat.
Instead, I heard a whimper. As I turned around the tears poured down my cheeks, my chocolate wolf racing up to me.
He pressed his face into mine, my arms instinctively wrapping around his neck to keep me on my feet. The tears flowed effortlessly now, my body giving in to the horror and panic.
"Quil, Quil, Quil," I stammered, my brain rushing through it all. I pressed my face into his fur, my muscles trembling. I felt him wrap his head around my shoulder, pulling me into his body.
"What happened, Claire?" Jake ran out of the forest, wearing only shorts.
Trying to remind my lungs how to function, I pulled away from Quil, almost afraid to look at the house again. "In the house...this guy...I couldn't see him it was dark," my stomach lurched, seeing his red eyes in my mind.
"I'm on it. Quil, you stay here," Jacob jogged over to the back door.
My eyes were frozen on the house as he slipped inside, my hands running down my forehead then wiping my cheeks. Unable to stand still I wrung my hands as if trying to restore feeling in them.
Quil whined softly and nuzzled me with his nose. I let out a breath, my heart rate beginning to return to normal. "I'm ok," I whispered.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Quil tensed beside me, his arm around my waist tightening. "Where the hell is he, Jake?"
Jacob shook his head in disbelief. "I dunno. There's no scent, Quil. Nothing."
"I know what I saw," I butted in.
"I believe you, Claire," Jake clarified. "I can't explain it, there's not a trace of anyone but you two in there," he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry."
Quil leaned closer to me and kissed the top of my head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone."
"Well if it wasn't a vampire, what could it have been?" I didn't feel comfortable just letting it go. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had been violated, that there was something following me that infected my mind.
"We'll keep an eye out, Claire-" Jake started but Quil was fed up.
"We need to tell Sam," he demanded.
Jake stared at him for a moment, "Yes, so that he and his pack can be on the lookout." I noticed Jake's demeanor change and suddenly felt a tension between them.
"Hey," I intervened, trying to capture Quil's attention. "Quil it's ok, I'm ok," I insisted, even if I didn't truly believe it.
He studied my face for a moment and sighed heavily. "Let me know what Sam says," he pulled me with him moving towards the house.
"I will. Seth and Leah are out there in case he shows up again," Jake said to our backs.
I looked over my shoulder at him as Quil towed me along. "Thank you, Jake," I tried to show him my best look of sincerity.
He nodded back to me, his mouth shut tight before jogging back into the woods.
Quil stopped before we got to the door, looking me up and down. "You sure you're ok?" he examined.
I nodded and swallowed hard, my eyes fixated on the back door. It felt like it was hours ago that I was ready to claw my way through it.
"Hey," he grabbed my attention, taking my hand and squeezing it. "I'm right here, you're safe."
I looked deep into his warm, brown eyes and believed him. Quil would never let anything happen to me. "I know."
He would typically let me go in first, but this time was different. Instead, he propped the door open just enough, grasping my hand tightly as he led the way inside.
Jake had turned the lights on in the house, every corner of the rooms filled with the warm glow. My heart immediately relaxed the mysteries of what waited in the dark eliminated. It was late now, my body fighting me to sleep while my brain insisted to keep my eyes open and alert.
"You need to sleep," Quil murmured as if he read my mind.
"I don't know if I can," I muttered and fought back a yawn in my chest. At this, he turned to face me, his face twisted with worry.
"C'mere," he whispered, opening his arms to me. About an hour ago I might have turned down his offer, but now my body slid perfectly into his embrace like magnets coming together.
"Hold on," he instructed, wrapping my arms around his neck he hoisted me up. My feet left the floor and I felt the same weightlessness take over my body. I felt like a tiny koala on a giant tree, my legs on either side of his hips. My head rested on his shoulder as my eyelids became heavy.
When he reached the bed he leaned down, lowering me onto the bed before pulling the covers up over me. "Don't leave," I pleaded, grabbing his hand.
"I'm not going anywhere," he replied, walking around the bed to slide under the blankets behind me. He wrapped his large arm around my body, pulling me back against his chest.
"What about the lights?" I asked, my instincts told me to get up and turn them off.
"Mnmn," he discouraged, nuzzling his face in my hair. "Leave them on," he murmured, his even breaths warming my neck.
A small smile rested on my lips as my eyelids closed again, my face burrowing against his arm underneath me. The combination of his warmth and my exhaustion flooded me, forcing me into a deep sleep.