Savannah paced her room restlessly. She had stormed into the house with tears streaming down her face and locked herself in her room, ignoring her mother's concerns. That had been hours ago, and now she was all cried out. She felt numb, as though a piece of her, an extremely important piece, was missing. She was no fool, she knew that it was the loss of Adri that had caused her very soul to ache, but what could she do?
The woman obviously wanted nothing else to do with her - she had made it painfully clear. She supposed she could always watch over her in secret, but then it wouldn't be the same would it? Guard and Intended were supposed to share a sacred bond, and with that came a friendship. Severing the bond was like severing a limb, and she felt it keenly. She knew she couldn't go through her life feeling so incredibly empty, and she pitied others like her who were doomed to such a fate.
She was extremely agitated, almost to the point of literally climbing the walls, when the sensation of transformation overcame her. She fought it, already tired of her other form. Besides, what use was it to her if Adri refused to accept her offer of protection? She began to pant as the urge to shift grew stronger, as pain through every fiber of her being. She broke into a cold sweat as she stumbled to her door, unlocked it, and threw it open with such force it slammed into the wall denting it.
"Dad!" she screamed, her body burning in agony.
As expected, he came running. His eyes widened as he took in her condition, though he understood immediately what she was trying to do.
"Stop fighting it," he said as he approached her doubled over form. "The longer you fight the worse the pain will be. Let the shift come, as it will eventually regardless."
Whimpering, Savannah did as she was told, releasing whatever bar she had on her other form. The relief was immediate, as was the shift, though she noticed it was more painful than it should have been. She released a sigh of contentment as the pain faded, leaving her with her head hanging. Her father stroked her head and back, gaining her attention once more.
"Go for a run, explore the city. It's really the only thing you can do at this point, and it's dark enough now that you shouldn't be caught," Ethan said with a smile. Savannah cocked her head, unsure if she should truly go out. "Go ahead. There's nothing like it."
Giving an affirmative grunt to show she understood, she headed downstairs, unsurprised when her mother opened the door for her with a gentle smile.
"Be safe, honey. Make sure you get back before dawn."
She nodded as best she could before trotting into the night.
Adrianna was shattered, utterly and irreparably so. After the confrontation with Savannah she'd cried herself out in the silence of the classroom before she collected her bag, which thankfully had not been stolen, and dragged herself home. Once home she'd collapsed into bed, more tears coming forth as she recalled other instances wherein people had betrayed her, the memories clashing together and causing her to unintentionally compare the ghosts of her past to Savannah. Add to that the emptiness that seemed to overtake her soul, and you had one emotionally battered and broken woman.
She had been serious when she'd told the girl it didn't matter if she lived or died, as she really felt that she was worthless. She'd descended into a restless sleep for a few hours until hunger woke her, forcing her to go hunting. She'd listlessly thrown on a jacket and headed out, desperately trying to ignore the ache in her head and eyes.
Savannah had only been out for a few hours but was already bored. She'd been around to nearly every part of the city, explored every back alley, side street, and the bordering woods, and frankly it was tedious. She wasn't interested in exploring her "territory", couldn't really bring herself to care about anything since the argument with Adri. She'd only gone out to please her father, and she knew she had basically all night to do what she wanted, but there just wasn't anything that could capture her interest. She was just about to head home when she smelled something new.
She stopped dead in her tracks, unsure if what she was smelling was really there, as she had yet to master her heightened senses. Another inhale proved that yes, she was actually smelling Adri's perfume, though it was faint. Her ears swiveled, desperately trying to get an indication of where the woman was. When that yielded no results she honed in on the perfume, beginning to follow its scent toward where she was sure Adri was. She felt emotions swirling inside her heart, happiness, wariness, and melancholy at war with each other. The ongoing battle didn't deter her, and though she knew she shouldn't she continued to track the woman.
She followed her scent to the edge of the woods, where the older woman was apparently hunting. 'That's strange,' Savannah thought. 'Don't Vampires usually hunt humans?' Nonetheless, she continued to watch, intrigued by the huntress' fluidity and speed. It appeared as though she hadn't been out long, as there were no carcasses or blood to be seen.
She watched from the shadows as the Vampire caught the scent of her prey, eyes flashing a luminous green before she bounded after it. Savannah followed, never having seen a true hunt before. She caught up just as the woman brought down a fawn. She watched in amazement as the woman curled over the carcass, and soon the sounds of drinking filled the air.
She could smell the blood, metallic and somewhat alluring, in the air as well as the fresh meat. Her stomach rumbled quietly, though she ignored it in favor of the show in front of her. So wrapped up in the odd display that she almost missed the slight displacement of air as something whooshed past her. Reluctantly tearing her eyes away, she looked into a nearby tree, expecting the disturbance to have been an owl. To her shock, a man sat in the uppermost branches of the tree, crouched with eyes fixed on the woman obliviously drinking.
Savannah growled under her breath as she took him in. The man was large, she could see that even from her vantage point on the ground, much bigger than either she or Adri. He had long blonde hair that hung to his shoulders, and there appeared to be some sort of substance matting it together. She refused to think of what it could be. His eyes were a brilliant red, the exact color of the blood she could smell mere feet away. His clothes were slightly tattered and torn, though it didn't appear from lack of care, rather that he had recently been in some sort of scuffle or accident. He radiated an air of pain, hate, and slight insanity. Even in her wolf form, Savannah was on high alert, especially since he hadn't once taken his eyes off Adri.
Her eyes snapped back to the woman in question as she saw her stand out of the corner of her eye, finished with her meal. Blood ran down her chin, dying the pale skin red and creating a lovely if slightly disturbing contrast, and disappeared into the collar of her jacket. Without completely realizing it, the young wolf found herself wondering just where the blood trail went, imaging it running down her chest in the hollow between her breasts.
She was torn from her musings as Adri began to jog away, leaving the carcass. The man in the tree watched her too, waiting until she was nearly out of sight to hop into the next tree, following her. Savannah growled deeply, her mouth pulling into a snarl. She didn't like the way he was looking at Adri, not one bit. It was a look of obsession and awe, but underneath was the promise of horrible things, of pain to be inflicted. She ran after him, not about to let him harm her Adri.
She trailed him back into town, into the maze of side streets that most people ignored or never used. It definitely wasn't the best place to be anytime, much less in the middle of the night when it was pitch black. The longer she followed them, the longer she realized Adri had no idea someone was stalking her. 'But shouldn't she?' she thought. 'She's usually so observant.' She continued to follow them, her fur standing on end as anxiety nagged at her. 'Something's not right,' she thought as she watched the man grow closer to the woman. The feeling only grew when he crept right behind her as silently as a ghost.
'He's going to hurt her!' she realized moments too late as he grabbed the unsuspecting redhead. She stopped dead, stunned as he threw her beloved teacher to the ground. Cold, murderous rage began to envelope her mind as she watched Adri begin to struggle, unable to free herself from his larger form. Red seeped into the edges of her vision as he straddled the woman, and it was only when she saw terror flash in her pretty emerald green eyes that she reacted.
Savannah sprung forward, snarling dangerously, and knocked the larger man off Adri. He flew backwards a few feet from the force of the impact, landing on his back and getting the wind knocked out of him. In the few seconds it took him to recover, Savannah stepped protectively over Adri, crouching low over her body and growling menacingly. The man stood, grinning wickedly.
"How adorable, a little mongrel. Tell me darling, however did you manage to gain such a mangy beast as a familiar?"
He stepped closer to the pair and Savannah snapped at him, signalling that he'd better stay away. He merely smirked, stepping closer. Her growling turned to a snarl, malicious and threatening, promising pain should he wish to touch the woman lying prone underneath her again. His smirk grew, parting his lips enough that she was able to see his fangs glittering in the moonlight.
"Step away, mutt. This doesn't concern you, only pretty little Adrianna here."
Hearing him speak the woman's name only served to enrage Savannah further, sending her back to growling, though they were by far more menacing than any sound she had made so far. How dare he, a stranger, dare to speak to her Intended, much less touch her?! He took another step closer and she lunged, obviously taking him by surprise as he staggered under weight. She used that to her advantage, sending her fangs deep into his upper arm. He screamed, the pitch rising as she clamped down harder and ripped her own fangs downward, tearing his arm open in a spectacular shower of blood. It was then he threw her to the ground, literally, the impact creating a small dent in the concrete. She vaguely heard Adri gasp through her daze, trying to stand and falling back onto her side uselessly.
"Now, where were we?" the despicable man asked, once again, advancing and cradling his injured arm.
Still light headed, Savannah pushed herself to her paws, once again propelling forward, this time smashing his face into the ground. His nose broke with a sickening crack, more blood splattering the ground, some of it splattering the redhead who had yet to rise. Savannah looked directly at her, momentarily losing focus as she took in how pale the older woman had become, how terrified she looked. The Vampire underneath her used the momentary lapse in focus to roll her off, pinning her to the cement. Her head slammed into the rough concrete, dazing her once again.
"It appears as though I've underestimated you," the male Vampire whispered as he slowly increased the pressure on her throat.
She felt her air cutting off and her breathing growing shallow. The last thing she saw before becoming engaged in a series of tumbles was hauntingly beautiful verdant eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Using her back legs, she used what little energy he still had to kick the larger male off of her. Then began the battle for survival.
Savannah had never fought before, much less as a wolf, so she wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but it seemed as though some internal force was driving her. She dodged and weaved, for the most part ignoring the strikes of her opponent. They rolled across the ground, hissing and snarling, each battling for the dominance needed to win. Savannah howled in pain as he managed to bite into her shoulder, the wound deep and possibly tearing a muscle. She retaliated with a sharp snap of her own, catching him in the back. He hissed in pain and she managed to flip him over once more, jumping on him with all her weight and hearing a satisfying crack as she did so. As his head slammed into the ground for the umpteenth time, she noticed his neck was perfectly bared.
Taking the opportunity, she quickly closed her jaws around the patch of flesh. She felt her teeth puncture critical pipes and muscles, and took joy in the panic she created as he furiously clawed at her sides. With one spectacular jerk of her head she ripped out his throat, relishing in the blood that immediately coated her chest and face. She stepped off the man as he began to gurgle, desperately trying to breathe through vital fluids and a throat that was no longer there. She panted as she watched him writhe and squirm, triumphantly trotting to Adri's side and sitting beside her, both of them watching the man die.
Only when he was completely still did Adri make any sound at all, a quiet whimper that Savannah couldn't tell meant if she was relieved or upset. She nuzzled her cheek, feeling the hand that wrapped itself in the fur on her shoulders. They sat that way for endless minutes, simply staring at the body in front of them. It was only when the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off did Savannah totally realize what she had done. She had killed someone, an evil and malevolent someone, but still a living being. 'It's for the best. You've done no wrong. He was trying to hurt Adri,' her subconscious whispered, and the truth of the words hit home. She was a Guard with an Intended. Said Intended had been threatened and she had reacted accordingly.
Sighing silently, she allowed relief and exhaustion wash over her before glancing at the woman still holding on to her with a death grip. She appeared stunned, terrified, drained, and, though it was only a flicker among the other emotions, amazed. The blood she had drunk what seemed like hours ago had dried, leaving a rusty trail down her chin. Savannah huffed, worried for her. Letting her exhaustion consume her, she felt for her human form, grasping it and slowly shifting back. The change left her shoulder to shoulder with the redhead, and before she could catch herself she slumped against her.
She felt her tense and sighed.
"Adri, please don't run," she croaked, throat dry from all the sounds she had made while fighting.
"Run?" the woman said quietly, "Why would I run? You just saved my life."
Savannah couldn't help the tired smile that graced her face.
"I had to. I couldn't just let you die."
"Why? After everything I said, wouldn't that have made things easier?"
"What? No!" Savannah protested. "Just because we argued and screamed doesn't mean I want you dead."
It was in that moment that Savannah realized something. Her feelings for her teacher ran deeper than she thought. She wasn't sure how much deeper, but definitely more than a crush.
Adri's eyes widened at the revelation that the girl still cared for her. She had been sure her words had been enough to scare her off, or at least hurt her to the point of leaving her alone. Her heart fluttered at the thought that maybe she hadn't ruined things beyond repair. She also felt an immense amount of guilt at the thought that Savannah hadn't lied, at least about being her Guard. After what had just happened she was forced to acknowledge at least that. That thought in mind and guilt weighing on her heart, she opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"What?" Savannah asked dumbly, an apology the last thing she had expected to come out of the woman's mouth.
"I'm sorry," Adri repeated. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you when you told me about being part of the Precon Guard or about me being your Intended." She laughed bitterly. "I guess one day I'll learn to accept things as they are instead of picking them apart."
Savannah heard the despair in the words and felt the pain behind them, but chose not to comment, hoping to keep the fragile conversation going.
"Who was he anyway?" she asked instead, changing the subject.
"Andrei, a Vampire from a clan in my home country. He was part of a rival clan sent to give me a message, though he never got around to it since you stepped in."
"Sorry," Savannah mumbled, not really meaning it but hating the thought that she'd upset the older woman.
"Why? You did me a great favor. He would have given me the message of course, but not before I'd paid for it."
Everything clicked together then. The way he'd been straddling her, the fear in her eyes, the reason he had known her name. The mere thought of the "price" the redhead had nearly paid was enough to make her blood boil once again, her eyes flashing with her inner wolf. She growled, the sound reverberating deep in her chest, most definitely inhuman.
"Shh," Adri soothed, "it's over now. Hopefully they'll think he simply deserted them or was unable to find me. He never was the most dedicated or focused tracker."
"He touched you," Savannah snarled. "He was going to rape you. For that I wish I'd made him suffer more."
Silence descended, the woman stunned at the declaration. If she'd needed any further proof that she was indeed an Intended, there it was.
"He suffered enough," she said shortly. Internally she was saying so much more. 'I thought he was winning. I thought he was going to hurt you. I thought he was going to kill you.' Shaking her head, she laid her head on the girl's shoulder, finally acknowledging not only her exhaustion but the bond they shared. "Thank you."
Without thinking, Savannah wrapped her arm around petite shoulders, pulling the woman to rest against her slightly larger frame.
"Of course, always," she said.
Neither made a move to return to their respective homes, instead sitting for the few hours before dawn in silence, enjoying the other's presence and conceding that the argument was no longer important. They watched the sky brighten from black to purple, not truly able to enjoy the sunrise because of the buildings surrounding them. It was only when the first rays of the sun became visible above the buildings did they separate. No words were shared, though loving looks were, as they headed to their respective homes to prepare for the new day.
The one thought on Savannah's mind had her cringing. 'How am I going to tell my parents about this?'