So here's the thing about vampires. They live life very quickly. They can run faster than a car, they never stop to sleep. They're used to getting everything done instantly. So this next part has happened to me, numerous times, since I've met Alec.
I yanked a shirt over me, the second I straightened it, my worn jeans hit me in the face. Without time to give him a glare I hopped into them one leg at a time. I wasn't even buttoned when he grabbed me again and started to carry me out the door.
I really must have read the books obsessively, because I instinctively knew to close my eyes. I felt the momentary rush of wind. Then suddenly we were in front of my car, Alec already had my keys in hand. He tossed me lightly inside, expertly aiming me right in the middle of the seat so I didn't wobble.
He didn't buckle his seat belt, but he ordered that I did while he pulled the car into reverse. The momentum threw me forward. I hadn't had enough time to actually put on the seatbelt so my forehead hit the dashboard.
"Ow!" I yelped. The car came to a screeching stop.
"Are you bleeding?" Alec demanded to know. I felt my forehead.
"No..."
"Good." Then the car lurched backwards, spun out of the parking space and sped forward. Finally stable, I was able to fumble with the seat belt so I was strapped in. I leaned back and stared at the gross ceiling of my ancient car. I was starting to feel sick.
"So fragile," Alec grumbled. I couldn't see where he was going or what traffic laws he was breaking, but my body was being tossed from side to side. "That is another reason why the book could not be true. Whoever has the patience to do everything at human speed is fiction. Now please pay attention, you're being very difficult." That's when I realized my movements were getting very sluggish. My head rolled over slowly to face the vampire. He looked confused for a moment. Then he clapped his hand over his face.
"The NyQuil..." he remembered out loud.
"I'm very prone to medication," I slurred.
"Yet you couldn't sleep..." he muttered.
"At least I'm not worried about meeting the..." It took me a while to find the word, "...vampire." Alec cursed. I was quiet for a little but. Then I couldn't help but say it. "That's what you get for drugging me."
Alec shook his head slowly as he stared out the windshield.
"Mistake after mistake..." I heard him mutter.
Sound familiar my fellow fans?
Then we pulled into a dark alleyway in between two buildings. I decided that now was the time to pay attention to my surroundings. As fuzzy as my mind was, my attention was easily grasped when I realized how dark it was and the clouds were rolling in front of the sun.
Alec killed the engine.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'll be okay," I said soberly. He made eye contact with me, moving side to side as though to test my reflexes. I watched his eyes and their fiery colors with fascination. He determined I was fine. He looked around and leaned toward me. I mimicked him.
"Listen to me. This might not go well," Alec said whispering. I nodded slowly. I was sure that I knew what that meant. Nicholas could pounce at me any moment I'm in his presence. That realization wasn't new to me though. I was surprisingly calm. Or maybe it was just the cold medicine. "If I tap you twice. That means that I'm going to attack. If I do that I want you to stay completely still with your arms at your side. You also might want to close your eyes, but no matter what happens, make no attempt to escape because you can't."
I nodded again. Then he told me something. Something I did not recognize until I reread New Moon.
"And if he tries to kill you, remember don't move. Try to convince him that you're not worth the kill. Beg, if you have to." Then my nods came more frantically. My heart rate picked up. He meant this in case Nicholas caught me alone. I knew that would only happen if Alec was dead.
My expression and rushing adrenaline made him see how frightened I was suddenly. He forced a laugh and smiled confidently. "Just in case. Don't worry. Remember, I love to win." You couldn't not believe anyone with a face like that. Or maybe he'd used his special suggesting on me. Or maybe I was just drunk on cough medicine. I don't know.
He turned to open the door as I unbuckled myself. But, ever with the dramatics, there was a slam on the hood of the car. In a movement so quick that I literally got whiplash and hit the back of my head on Alec's stone chest, we were out of the car near the opening of the alley. Alec was freezing cold, his touch was just as shocking.
Then it was like someone had pressed pause on the situation. I had time to assess everything. Nicholas had dropped down from some perch from above onto the car. He now stood, arms crossed, his stare firmly on Alec. He wasn't as handsome as Alec, then again I might be biased. After all he is the bad guy. The James to my Bella.
As described in the books, he was the perfect male specimen. He held something different than Alec though. He was more in control. His motions were fluid rather than precise and sudden. Also unlike Alec his eyes were a perfect ruby red. They glistened as he spoke.
"You're late," Nicholas said in a silky tone. Alec's hold on me never loosened. I didn't want it to. His arms were crossed over me so my back was to his front. I held onto his arms for dear life like I was expecting him let me go.
"You're late as well," Alec accused with a flick of his head. "I have a human to lug around. What's your excuse?"
"I have a busy schedule," Nicholas responded jumping down from my car which now had one large dent its front and a damaged engine inside. "How are you doing Jaylin?" I didn't respond. I couldn't. I was speechless and in shock all over again.
"What happened to Alba?" Alec asked. Alba was the mediator, I figured. Nicholas stayed a respectable distance from us. I guess this meeting was supposed to be some sort of truce, then again if no one was playing by the rules anymore I wouldn't trust either vampire to play nice with the other.
Nicholas walked back and forth like a caged animal. Alec and I didn't move a muscle.
"You tell me, my friend," Nicholas said picking up his eyes. "One minute I'm watching a man drop his date off at her home, and the next I hear a crash down the street. Alba was gone when I went to investigate. I called her phone which led to a flaming trash can in the plaza. I thought you'd completely lost your mind. Then you actually went to the human. You told her everything!"
He gave me a look, then an uncertain look at Alec.
"I thought you'd become partial to the victim," the vampire accused.
"I didn't kill Alba. The only reason I told Jaylin everything was because I thought you had," Alec defended.
"So you cheated because I cheated?" said the predator. He scoffed. "Very mature."
"I wasn't about to let you get the upper hand. Why should I play the rules if you're not going to?" I looked from one to the other still holding onto Alec's arm with all my strength while the vampires had their pissing match.
"So someone else killed the mediator?" Nicholas said unbelieving.
"I know it doesn't sound likely," Alec explained.
"It certainly wasn't me," said the vampire. That was for sure. If it had been him and he caught me alone I would be dead before I could ever figure out that vampires were real. Then a new possibility popped into my head. What if it was Alec? But why would he kill the mediator?
"Maybe we should put the Game off until we find out what is going on," Alec said. Nicholas's laughter boomed.
"Forfeiting, are we? Then hand over the girl. We're in a nice secluded area. I don't think anyone will mind her screams," Nicholas said extending a hand. I shivered in Alec's arms. His grip tightened, almost bruising me.
"It is not a forfeit. Someone is dead," Alec tried to reason. It was then I realized that he was taking my suggestion and trying to negotiate. He was trying to spare me and my life. My god, he was doing something nice? I nearly went into shock all over again as my whole world didn't make any sense anymore. I couldn't help it. I craned my head to look up at him.
"There's no need to stop playing. In fact I think getting rid of the mediator only makes it more interesting," Nicholas said with a shrug. His walk turned into an elegant saunter. He raised a finger to prove a point. "You're willing to break the rules. You have done the insane and told a human about our existence. This is nearly as spectacular as that book. You will make an excellent opponent." Alec stiffened, somehow tensing even more so. Nicholas was getting at something.
Alec backed away.
"Give her to me or I'll report you. Do you know how many trackers would be tempted by the opportunity of playing this particular Game? The Game with no mediator, the Game where the vampire himself deserves death as much as the human for playing unfairly?" he asked.
"I did not kill Alba!" Alec said. His loudness made my ears ring.
"Somebody did!" Nicholas roared right back at him. His posture changed from rage back to content in a matter of seconds. He continued his rant: "And then you go and break the rules! You form a relationship with the girl. You have the incentive, you and your new fondness for humans and your fictional diet. I wouldn't exactly put it past you to be guilty of such a crime just to save a girl."
It took a moment to absorb all this. Of course I'm not jotting this down word for word. What I got from the conversation was that since Nicholas couldn't have killed this person, it had to be Alec. Even I couldn't see how it could have been someone else. Only a vampire or a werewolf could kill another vampire. And at this point I wasn't even sure if werewolves existed.
But why?
I wasn't really worried about that at the moment. I was thinking about this barter Nicholas was offering.
Either he had me or he was going to tell every tracker he knew that I was the ultimate prey. That was stupid though. Alec wasn't going to lose. He was just as competitive as Nicholas.
"The girl stays with me," Alec said loosening his hold. My feet touched the ground forcing me to acknowledge that my limbs had fallen asleep from his holding me so tight. I hadn't even realized he was cutting off my blood flow. With new confidence I somehow found the strength to stand. Alec gave a smirk, not just any smirk, but the one Bella describes on Edward.
"If you think that making the Game more difficult will discourage me, then you don't know me very well." That is a direct quote and quite possibly the coolest line I have ever heard anyone say in real life. Much kudos to my vampire for that one.
Nicholas was pleased with this. He chuckled darkly and turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder at me and gave a final wave. "I'll see you later, Jaylin."
Caught up in the moment I wanted to add something brave and witty to that, but all that came out was an awkward, "Uh huh..." When he was out of sight Alec let go of me completely. I exhaled deeply and turned around to face him. Alec looked at the ground and then back up at me.
"You're not going to faint or anything are you?" he asked.
"No," I said honestly. He gave a subtle smile.
"Good," he said. "There may be some hope for you yet." A rush of pleasure shivered through me as he said this. For a moment, I felt adequate next to the vampire. He looked back at the car. The crushed dent had totaled it completely.
"There goes our ride," I muttered. Then I smiled at my opportunity. "Are you going to run me home?" Alec gave me a funny look. He just shook his head and started walking normal paced down the sidewalk.
"There's a reason I wanted to meet him here. Your scrap-on-wheels is too slow. It was going to get discarded one way or another," he said. We stepped out of the dark alley to the street. He didn't even have to say anything. While I'm still not giving details, I knew which car on the street was his before he could even said anything.
I believe the word for this vehicle is "ostentatious."
I got in the car and took in that new car scent. Alec was at much more at ease as he pressed the power button and started the engine.
"Can I ever drive this?" I asked. I wasn't dignified with a response.