CHAPTER III: WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU [RAY CHARLES]

DISCLAIMER: SM OWNS ALL, NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

A/N: Kind of a time jump in this one, in a small way that may not even be noticeable. As always read and review.

James was actually not that bad of a person once you got used to him.
I was clearly suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

After driving two days straight, one full day that consisted of him on the phone speaking in French and winking at me and one stop for him to take a picture of me, we were driving down a gravel drive that was enveloped by trees. We were surrounded by green and the wolf inside me was content. I rolled down the window and breathed in deep the fresh sea air that permeated the wind. For the first time since I'd been snatched from my home, I felt a small smile grace my face.

The trees parted as we neared a grey-shingled house—no a small mansion. I looked at James and he shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch the single family home reference you gave me in your description."

He parked next to a motorcycle and motioned for me to get out of the car. As we walked towards the front door, it opened revealing a woman with a wicked smile and ruby red eyes to match.

"James, you never call."
"Dutch! It's been too long!"
I watched as the two embraced and walked into the house arm in arm jumping from French to English rapidly.

I walked behind them into the home that was decorated surprisingly warm creating an atmosphere that made whomever walked through the door immediately feel at home. This was both comforting and terrifying.

"I have the all the documents that you asked for," she said eyeing me and inhaling in my direction. "Where'd you pick her up at?"
"If my memory serves me correct people go to you for your services because you don't ask questions." He stepped in front of me. "It sounds to me like your asking questions."
Dutch's red eyes squinted before landing on my face for a moment.
"Jay, are you in trouble?"
"Dutch…"
"No you answer me," her voice became stern. "Where did you get this girl? Are you in trouble?" She was desperately searching his eyes.

"Goddammit James!"

"Anne, I can explain."
Anne?
"Did you kidnap her?"
"I…"
"Jesus Christ!" she began pacing. "She's not human, I can tell that from that horrific scent coming off her."
"Hey!" I objected. "You better-
"Don't speak to me! I want nothing to do with this." She said grabbing her helmet that was on the floor next to the door.

"Anne!" James called after her. "Wait a second."
She spun around on her heel, "Why are you always getting into trouble Jay! First you leave me, your sister, and run off with that red headed bitch and her spare. Then you call me cause you want some documents for yourself and a girl that you kidnapped. A girl that is not human." She paused, "Are her people going to come after you?"
"No, Anne. I would never do something that I hadn't thoroughly thought through. You know that, you know me."

She sighed deeply before looking at me. "Are you okay? Is he treating you well?"
"Besides the kidnapping, yes."
"He's not so bad ya'know. Once you get to know him, you'll see that he's not so bad."

They conversed silently for a few more minutes before they embraced once more and she rode away.
"Dutch is Anne, and Anne…"
"Anne is my sister."


I woke up to a knock on the door of the room that I had chosen as mine.

"Leah, I just came back from the store and I got you dinner." James said through the door.
I rose slowly, stretching my limbs, feeling the bones crack and the sleep slowly leave my body. I opened the door to him standing with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

He had been quiet ever since Dutch/Anne left. It was strange, and I found myself hoping that creeper James made an appearance soon. Creepy on the verge of pervert James I could deal with, quiet and complacent I could not.

I followed him down to the kitchen and saw the spread that he brought back with him.

"Are there other humans in this house that I need to know about?"
He laughed, "No, I just wanted to make sure that you had everything you need."

I couldn't really fault him because I was hungry as hell, so I quickly piled my plate high and sat next to him at the counter.

"You kind of dropped a bomb on me then ran away." I said before shoving a piece of stemmed broccoli in my mouth.
"Dutch is my sister."
"And…"
"You aren't going to let this go are you?"
"Until you get cable, you are my source of entertainment."

Listening to James talk was like living in an alternate universe where Netflix was the love child of Hulu and Apple TV, whom had met cable and had a baby. I was hooked.

His life was absolutely fascinating. Born into an aristocrat family from London in the late seventeenth century. He and his sister, whom got her nickname from her love of Dutch apples and stealing them from their neighbors imported trees, were attacked while leaving a ball. Their carriage driver was killed, while they were bit and then left to change and figure out their new life on their own.

He and his sister were in Iowa when they ran into Victoria and Laurent. Laurent was clearly interested in his sister, but she wanted nothing to do with him. James however, could not resist the fire that Victoria had stirred within him. At first they were just fucking, killing, and laughing. But then she convinced him to leave his sister and come away with her.

"The sex was too good to leave."
"So you just left your sister?"
"I've never had my priorities completely straight. Dutch is the more rational one out of the two of us. She's always cleaning up my messes."
"Did you even love her? Victoria, I mean." I asked him.
"It was relationship of convenience." He laughed, "She's one crazy bat, I'll tell you that!"
"I'm starting to think you're attracted to crazy."
"I'm attracted to you."
"Well then you like crazy and damaged."
"We're all a bit damaged. Just waiting for someone who's not as damaged as us to fix us and make it all better."
"And you think that you can fix me?"
"I think that we can fix each other."

I am unfixable.
Damaged beyond repair.
And it was too bad that James had not realized that, because once he did he would too leave like the rest of them did. I actually pitied the day that he did. Was this what loneliness, abandonment did to a person? And so what if he did fix me? I could not give James what he wanted. I was both stunted by love, and in love with someone who did not love me in return.
Unwanted. Unloved.

"I only know one way to fix a vampire."
"How's that?"
"Well… you're not going to like it."
He tilted his head, "You see, it involves animal blood."

So yeah, James wasn't that bad once you got to know him.
But I was in no way even close to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.


EPOV (after Leah's phone call)

"Who was that on the phone?"
Bella turned to me with wide eyes. "Edward! You scared me."
"Who was it?" I asked again.
Her brow furrowed as confusion clouded her face. "I don't know they hung up before saying anything."

I reached for the phone, checking the call log for a number only to see that it was restricted.
"Is everything okay?"
"There's a situation, nothing that you should worry about."
"Can I help?"
"Bella, there are things that you don't know yet. Things that I'm not sure how to tell you."
"You can tell me anything Edward."
I sighed, pitching the bridge of my nose.
"Bella, have you ever heard of werewolves?"