oh my gosh you guys. sorry don't even make up for the long wait. sorry sorry sorry. i will try very hard to get chapters up. luckily this is a longer chapter (but that also means that i may have more errors.. please forgive me. i sacrificed grammar in order to update sooner)

hope you like this :) review and as always ENJOY

Chapter 18:

Outside it smelled like rain—so much better than the damp cement I have smelled recently. Thunder clapped and rolled in the distance. Flashes of purple and yellow illuminated the sky. The dark blue sky had a spot that was glowing from the full moon, and complimented by the fluffy grey clouds of the oncoming storm. The wind started to pick up and my hair flew around my face, whapping me in the mouth and eyes. I tried to tame it by putting some behind me ear, but it was no use.

Cashile led us to the car just as the rain started to spit. He came in a large black suburban, with shiny chrome on the sides and wheels, although, dust had it made it a little less shiny. The interior seemed to be the same tan color as the dust.

I've never been in a car before, well, I've never really seen one either. The closest thing I ever saw was Cashile's motorcycle. In the human compound, no one had anything this special or luxurious.

Joan went ahead and hopped into the back seat. Cashile had taped a bandage to Joan's neck to stop the bleeding and allow Seth's bite to heal. He shut the door for her once she was all settled.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a soft whisper, putting one hand in his back pocket while the other brushed away one of my fly away hairs. All I did was nod my head in return as I hugged myself. "I'm so sorry. If I didn't leave you, this—"

"I'm fine, really, and I'll be even better as soon as we take down Seth." I muttered. It's true: I would feel better as soon as Seth is gone; I just didn't feel great right now. I wanted to relax. I wanted to eat. I wanted to fall asleep in Cashile's arms, without having to worry about anything.

Cashile looked at me with concerning eyes and then kissed me on the forehead. "Tin thermos, cup holder, closest to the front has some A negative calling your name." he shrugged slightly, "It not AB negative, but it's the closest thing I could find."

I smiled up at him. "Thanks. That's just what I need."

"You're welcome," Cashile hugged me with his strong arms and I felt safe. I always feel safe with him. Now I have the assurance that everything will be okay, that I will get revenge on Seth, and Cashile will get revenge for his family.

. . .

It turns out that The Cache is only five minutes north by car (running at vampire speed would take mere seconds in comparison) and the vampire compound is only thirty minutes south. Cashile and I pondered about what would have happened if Seth had ventured out any farther, but we quickly stopped because we didn't want to jinx anything. Seth finding out about The Cache would be even more devastating than him already knowing about the power of humans.

We unanimously decided that we should drop Joan off at The Cache for her safety and planned to tell the compound that Seth killed her. In more ways than one this worked in our favor. Joan would finally be safe and we could get more vampires to help us find Seth. It was practically against the law for a vampire to kill another vampire's donor, especially when their donor has such a rare blood type. The vampires will be furious, they will want justice, and they will help us find him.

"Viktor said he would be here soon. He said that he was briefing the council members about Seth, and to keep an eye out for him. Viktor can protect you if anyone comes out here. Allison's brother, Shane, said he would look after you too." Cashile informed his mother.

"Be safe," Joan said strongly. "Both of you." She looked at me now and hugged us both. The strange, warm memories flooded my mind again; all I could think of was 'I can't lose her, not again'. I blinked furiously to keep any tears from falling.

"You too," I wished her back.

It's hard to leave this place—The Cache—knowing that this place is safe, and sector free. Why can't every place be like this? Why do we have to go back the vampire compound, where danger lurks around every corner?

On the ride home I stared out the glass window as rain slapped across the car. So many things were overwhelming my mind that I was in a daze. What if we never find Seth? What are were going to do about the people at The Cache? Will we ever live without sectors? Where are these memories coming from? Why do I feel the way I do about them?

"Cashile?" I spoke up softly.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Umm," I started awkwardly. How do I explain that I've been having these strange memories without Cashile thinking I'm crazy? It's like I'm talking to my mom again when my body was 'changing'. It's awkward to bring up, but I needed answers. What if I am going crazy? "Do new vampires have… hallucinations?"

"Hallucinations?" Cashile looked at me curiously and then returned his eyes to the empty road.

"Yeah,"

"Well, it could be from hunger," he pondered. "No offense, but you look like you haven't fed in a while. Bloodlust will do that to you; you'll start seeing things, people…" Cashile started chuckling at a memory. "One time I swore I saw a person in our living room in The Cache. I tore up a whole pillow, desperate to find blood."

I laughed with him. "No, not that. I've been feeling these things, remembering things. I know they are not my memories, but they feel like they are."

"When do these…memories, happen?" he asked curiously.

I thought about that for a second. "Around your mother. The first time I saw her in the room, I thought she was my mother and I had all of these childhood memories flood my thoughts."

Cashile stayed quiet for a moment. "You're remembering what I remember," he thought out loud.

"What? How is that possible?"

"Through the connection we share, the blood we share. I'm your sire, and I turned you. Part of you will always be with me, and part of me will always be with you."

"Those were your memories," I repeated.

"You're not crazy," Cashile interrupted my thoughts. "It happened to me too, with Viktor."

"Does it ever go away?"

"Not really. I feel the same way you do though. When I went to look for you, I had no idea where to start, but something kept drawing me out. I didn't know it was drawing me to you until I found you. I could feel your pain, your anger, your fear, your hunger… it all called for me to save you, and it felt like I was going to rip apart if I didn't save you."

"Whoa," I breathed, shocked.

"I told you this sire stuff is serious." Cashile chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so!"

Cashile looked concerned for a moment before he started speaking again. "What did he do to you, Allison? I could feel your pain, a lot of it…"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said quietly.

"Talking about it might make it easier. Keeping that all inside of you can't be healthy."

"He used acid, okay?" I snapped.

"Acid?" Cashile questioned.

"Yes, acid. It was around my restraints so that whenever I moved it caused more pain than before." Now that the words had left my mouth, I started crying. I hate him; I hate Seth. My tears were from fury and remembrance of the pain he caused me. They felt warm against my face as they first left my eyes, but my icy skin quickly cooled them. Cashile reached over the center council and grabbed my hand. "I'm sorry," he said. "We don't have to talk about it anymore."

. . .

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until Cashile shook me awake. I had been dreaming about life before the Choosing Ceremony. Those memories seem so blurry now that my vision and mind are sharper. I remembered the abandoned house I would run to, my family, and Wes's adorable way of pronouncing his "th" sound with an "f". Life was so easy back then. I thought it was bad, living in fear of a vampire attack, but now it's even worse. Hopefully, after Seth and everything is taken care of, I can return to that peace.

We arrived at the vampire compound around dinnertime, so our arrival was inconspicuous. Everyone was most likely in the dining hall and not walking around the corridors.

Cashile drove the huge car right into the garage, next to his motorcycle, and I saw Viktor waiting by the door. "I talked with Jaymes," he started as we got out of the car. "They will keep an eye out for Seth, but they said they haven't seen him since he took Allison."

"That means he went straight for the compound," Cashile said gravely. What little heartbeat I had, it skipped. Seth went to the human compound.

"Do you want me to send reinforcements with you?" Viktor asked. Cashile stayed quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "Don't worry, if they go, I'll keep your mother safe. You know I will." Viktor kept talking.

"Fine. Send them over. We'll leave in about an hour." Cashile started heading for the door, and I began to follow him when Viktor spoke up.

"Cashile," he closed the distance Cashile had put between them and clapped both of his hands on Cashile's shoulders. "You're the closest thing I have to a son, remember what I taught you, and take down Seth before he kills out two entire populations."

"I will," Cashile turned again. He seemed to be in a hurry. He and I both knew we had limited time.

"Good luck," Viktor wished and then took off, at vampire speed, into the night; he was faster than anyone I've ever seen.

"Come on," Cashile pulled on my wrist. "You can shower and change clothes before we leave, and you'll need to feed too." Cashile inspected me up and down for a moment. "It will need to be live, if you're okay with that."

"Fine," I said, remembering that I had taken from Joan and how amazing it felt and tasted. My mouth started to water just thinking about it.

Finally taking a shower felt amazing. I let the warm water run through my hair and it seemed to wash away any worries I had—at least for the time being. I had never realized how amazing warm showers felt until my body was actually cold. I feel like one of those lizards that sit on the warm rocks to get heat into their bodies.

After shampooing and conditioning, I smelled like rosemary and mint. I felt completely refreshed, well, not completely; my throat still ached at the thought of blood.

I ended up changing into a dark pair of skinny jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a black zip-up hoodie. I looked into the mirror for the first time in days. I don't know why, but I expected myself to look much worse than I did. I guess I didn't take into account that this was the first time I have seen myself as a vampire.

My hair, now that it was dry, loosely waved around my face, framing it perfectly and giving off a lustrous shine, accenting its deep caramel color. My eyes were the same warm brown they have always been, but they seemed brighter and more attractive. The only thing that seemed wrong with my face was that there were dark circles under my eyes, which was only from one thing: hunger.

I have never been a big fan of make-up, mostly because I never could afford it, but today I decided to try it out. I had only watched my mother put on makeup once. I caught her off guard, secretly primping herself, dreaming of a better life. I was young then—about six. She scooped me up onto her lap, put blush on my cheeks and tied my hair back into a sophisticated bun. The only other time I've seen someone put on makeup was when I watched Christina in the mornings, but I shouldn't learn from her; she has a knack for excessive coverage on her already beautiful face.

Cashile had sent a whole bunch of stuff to his room—that we now shared—to please my needs. Clothing, make-up, undergarments, and every kind of other girly beauty products I could think of. I played with the unfamiliar tubes and kits.

For my eyes, I played it safe and just highlighted them with eyeliner and a nude, sparkly eye shadow. I grabbed the cover up in my hand and studied the familiar stranger in the mirror. I didn't need it. My skin was flawless, apart from the dark circles, but those would go away soon. I settled on a faint blush to give my face a little life.

I stopped putting on whatever make up I had on and just looked at myself in the mirror. I leaned in and inspected my face. It's strange how human I look, even though I'm far from it. I can keep my vampire side hidden if I want to, but right now I didn't; I haven't seen my face transformed before. Thinking about it, the irises of my eyes changed the same blood red I have seen Cashile's before. I lifted my upper lip with my finger and revealed my fangs. Fangs! I giggled at the sight of them; never in my human life did I ever picture myself looking like this. Never did I imagine being okay with it either, but here I am.

One last time I fluffed my hair, returned my eyes and teeth to normal, headed toward the dining hall where Cashile told me to meet him, and for the first time in a long time, I felt pretty, and confident.

Sitting at a table together were Cashile, Alex, Christina, and Jaxon. It was strange seeing them now. Changed. Vampires. All of them drank from a silver thermos and they were withholding a normal conversation until I walked up.

"Hey!" Christina got up and hugged me. I never thought of her as a hugger until now, but things change. "Damn, look at you. Vampire definitely suits you." She eyed me up and down.

"Right back at ya'," I told her, inspecting both her and Alex. They looked stronger and more mature, and then I saw Alex playing with one of his fangs with his tongue. I sighed as I smiled. They did look better, though. Not saying they weren't attractive before, but wow. The transition caused their more attractive features to pop. Vampires are always good-looking; it attracts prey easier.

"Are you okay?" Christina asked quietly and sincerely. Cashile shot her a look, which quickly shut her up.

"I'm fine, just a little hungry is all." 'A little hungry', was and understatement. My throat craved blood. There was a hollowness of my stomach that ached for attention. I know I just had blood on the way here, but it wasn't enough; I still craved it.

I could hear the muffled heartbeats of the humans through the thick walls of the feeding chambers. I never understood until now why the walls were so thick; it's to keep the vampires from creating a feeding frenzy. It suppresses the sound so they don't go crazy.

My mouth started watering again. My eyes found Cashile's and he must have seen the hunger in mine because he got up. "Excuse us," he said as he pulled me along to the chambers.

Once again the same guard was stationed outside, instantly letting Cashile in without hesitation, fearing the consequences if he had waited. I keep forgetting people fear him because of all of the rumors that go around. At least Seth hasn't influenced the vamp compound yet; they still think Cashile's a vamp/werewolf hybrid. "I didn't think your bloodlust was this bad? I guess I underestimated what Seth did to you. All of that trauma and little blood intake can equal one hungry vamp. Fresh blood will help suppress your hunger better than bagged blood." He said more logically than I expected, like we were back in the training room again.

"Yeah," was all I could say.

Once again, I walked down the hall of the feeding chambers. Now that my hearing and smell have improved, the walk was much more difficult. The scent of fresh blood teased my aching throat and I forced all my will power into not knocking down one of the doors to get my serving.

Cashile stopped in front of me and opened a door. I peered inside, curious to whose chamber we were going into since his mother was hiding at The Cache. The man inside was thin, yet sturdy, young—20 or something—and he had sandy blonde, curly hair. His eyebrows had an arch to them that made it look like he was intently thinking. He was sitting on his bed, against the iron posts, playing with his thumbs. Slowly, his head lifted and brightened. "Cashile," he said.

"Isaac, how are you?" Cashile responded politely, inviting me in farther by scooping his hand.

"As well as can be. What can I do for you?" Isaac asked, pulling himself to the end of the mattress.

"This is Allison," he wrapped an arm around my waist. "She's new at the whole vamp thing, and needs something close to AB negative. She knows… everything."

"Allison," he played my name on his tongue. "I heard about you. The only human Viktor chose." Isaac laughed and shook his head. "What the hell did he get you into?"

Cashile frowned. "Do you think you can help?"

"Anything to keep up appearances." I'm sure Isaac meant it as a joke, but something in his voice lingered as a protest. He rolled up his sleeve just past his elbow.

"Isaac and I grew up together in The Cache. He's been in the vampire compound to help Viktor and me gather information. He's A negative and, like I said, it's the closest thing to AB negative." Cashile explained.

At that moment I remembered the taste of Joan's fresh blood. I haven't told Cashile about that yet. I haven't even told him I've fed live either.

Everything human in me told me this was wrong; I know it's wrong, but I want to feed, to bite into his flesh and let his warm, fresh blood flow into my mouth. "Um," I looked up at Cashile, trying to ignore how much my mouth was watering, and then looked back at Isaac. "You really don't have to do this."

"Allison, I know it's hard, but it's the only way your power will return to normal. The blood packets won't help." Cashile said reverently. He thinks he knows what I'm going through; he thinks I find it repulsive to feed live, but I don't—at least part of me doesn't.

"Is it okay if you wait outside?" I asked quietly.

Cashile looked worried for a moment, his eyebrows creasing. "I'll wait outside," he confirmed. "But I'll also listen to his heartbeat and make sure everything is okay." Cashile took his hand and swept it across my hair.

"Okay," I nodded and watched as he left the room.

Isaac still sat at his bed, his eyebrows still arched in a curious way.

"Don't look at me like that." I ordered looking away and crossing my arms.

"I'm not looking at you like anything," he responded. Isaac leaned forward onto his knees. "Just do it."

I rushed forward, probably looking like a blur to him, and at sat down, taking his arm. I could feel his pulse beating in my hand, the heat of his skin radiating under me. In my mouth, my fangs popped out. After that, I didn't hesitate. I'm too hungry to hesitate. My fangs sank into his soft flesh, blood gushed freely into my mouth, filling me with life.

Cashile was right, this is nothing like AB blood, but it's close enough—blood is blood. I could feel Isaac's blood filling me up, healing my hunger, sharpening my senses, making me stronger, and soothing my aching throat. Everything about me felt enhanced and recovered.

I stopped drinking from Isaac and lifted my head. Cashile was already standing in the room; I didn't even hear him come in, I was too busy savoring the blood.

"Better?" Cashile asked.

"Better," I smiled and wiped a small drop of blood off of my lower lip.

"Good, because we have to go. Now." Cashile rushed.

"Thank you, Isaac," I called as Cashile pulled on my wrist. Isaac gave a quick wave and a sarcastic smile just before we left.

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