Curse you education! Nah, I need it. Because of it though I might be slow on updates. I'll try to get them out fast enough but I will be a very very busy student for a while. You know what would probably help me feel like getting another story out faster? Go on, guess...Reviews! Yes, I knew you would get it! Chocolate? No, reviews. What? Ok, that's inappropriate good sir or madam. We can't go off topic so back to reviews. They make me happy and if I get some encouragement for me to keep up the story then more chapters can be cranked out. By the way, no I wasn't on coconut milk, I was proving I could talk to myself. Take that sister! She didn't believe I could as well as post the nonsense. Boy did I prove her wrong. No, but seriously, hope you enjoy!
~Jade~
The day was finally over and I hurried out to my car without hesitation. It was hard enough prying Vega from my side and ten times as hard sneaking away from her ever present sight. I jumped in my car and turned it on, hastily backing up then tearing out to the street. Once I was on my way I relaxed. I actually got away before she could talk my ear off. I chuckled smugly and continued down the road. Once I got home, I started on the pile of work I received today. Irritation quickly set in when I tried starting on my creative writing assignment so I ditched it for a cup of coffee. That would get me on track and inspirational in no time. However, a frantic search of the kitchen turned up none. I swore and crossed my arms. I glanced up at the clock and sighed.
By now it would already be dark outside. I thought about the pros and cons a bit before deciding to go anyway. I drove out to my favorite little coffee shop, intent on drinking good quality coffee before I began writing. It was located on the outskirts of our small town but that was one of the reasons I liked it. It was quiet out there. I ordered a good sized cup and then sat in one of the leather chairs to enjoy it. A half hour later of uninterrupted relaxation I was ready to go. It wasn't like my parents gave a shit about where I was, and they themselves were probably not home, so I took my time. I tossed my cup in the trash on the way out and then pushed open the door. I was almost to my car when a suspicious sight stopped me.
"Beck?" I whispered in confusion, seeing him leaning on one of the trees lining the entrance to the woods. He tensed when he realized I saw him and then he darted into the trees. Without thinking, I ran to catch up with him. I almost fucking fell a few times on the undergrowth but I still pushed through. I saw him slightly ahead of me but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep up. I slowly lost him and stopped to catch my breath. What the hell was Beck doing out here? A snapping twig followed by a rustle made me tense, suddenly aware that I had stopped in the middle of the woods. How stupid could I be? I should know never to do shit like this unless I wanted to get killed. I mean, did I watch all those horror movies and still not learn a thing? Damn, I did sound like a gank.
I had to admit that I could understand what others deal with when it comes to my snarky comments but that didn't mean I'd be nice now. My thoughts pushed away the inner monologue with slight irritation so that I could focus. I wondered how many predators could be out here. I turned to backtrack when a pair of flashing yellow eyes caught my attention behind a big tree. I gasped at how high on the shadow the eyes were placed and took off without hesitation. That had to be a bear sized creature but I wasn't going to stick around to find out. I could see the town streetlights ahead and sighed in relief when I was suddenly forced to skid to a halt. A figure blocked my path, and by the size of his build, it wasn't Beck. He began stalking closer and I continued to put space between us. My hands twitched, ready to pull out my trusty scissors. He gave me the worst vibes.
"You daring girl, you. I wouldn't do that," the eerie calm voice warned me. I quickly turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. I didn't get far though. He was right in front of me in seconds. My breath hitched uncomfortably at his proximity. I stepped away and my back hit the rough bark of a tree. Shit, I was cornered.
"Don't look so scared kid. I won't kill you…necessarily," he teased, his steps bringing him closer. I flung up my booted foot so that my hand could slide out the scissors hidden there as fast as I could. He growled and lunged. I swung as hard as I could and sunk the blades into his side. I never thought I'd ever attack to kill but this guy did nothing but send off alarms that screamed for me to defend. He roared in pain and tried to grab at them but he hissed and pulled away. I had no idea what to think when smoke rose from his penetrated side. I tossed the weird occurrence out of my head and broke into another run. I was beginning to think I got away when I stopped to rest against a tree. My heart was pumping at the max and I gasped for air. Disgusting, I was sweating too.
I let out a deep breath and began walking when a strong hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. He had me pinned roughly to the tree I had used to rest faster than I could blink. With the moon coming into the trees at this angle I could finally see his face. He had blonde hair and brown roots that were grown out so that his hair fell over one side of his head in a faux hawk type of thing. His clothes were nothing but black and leather. Piercings adorned his eyebrow like my own but he also had one on his nose. His open mouth was what got most of my attention. It contained sharp teeth I was sure he was going to use on me. I highly doubted a guy like this would have them to simply look cool. He held me to the tree with one hand by the collar of my button up shirt. He grinned and reached down to tug on the scissors still embedded in him.
"This is silver alright, but not pure. You'll have to try harder than that," he said with a chuckle. He held up the bloody blades so that they reflected in the moonlight, bringing out the red that coated it. It would have looked awesome had it been any other circumstance. His ice blue eyes shot daggers at me before he cocked back his arm and swung down to dig the blades into my own side. I cried out as the pain burned through me like a hot iron. My hands gripped his hand on the scissors tightly so that my nails dimpled his skin, but no matter how tight my hold became, it never drew blood. Tears of pain and panic rolled down my face and I whimpered. He laughed and leaned in close.
"Fuck, you smell good enough to eat. I guess it won't hurt to try a little before she comes running," he mumbled distractedly. He was eyeing my neck, but all I could think about was the 'she' he had mentioned. It was quickly wiped from my thoughts when he suddenly forced my head up so that my neck was exposed. His tongue ran over my skin before sharp knives tore into me savagely. It took a few seconds for my pain addled brain to realize he was biting me. His jaws tightened forcefully, making me scream in agonizing pain. Things were quickly getting blurry as my hands tried tiredly to push him away. He purred in pleasure and soon I was slipping down the tree limply. His grip tightened so I wouldn't fall. A rumbling growl ripped through the air and he pulled back with fear clear in his haunting eyes.
"Aw shit! So soon?" he exclaimed. He dropped me on the ground and turned to face a giant creature. Its shadowed frame was easily slightly bigger than the size of a bear. It didn't look like one though. The head was more dog-like and it stood differently. The claws on its hands were almost like fingers. If I hadn't just been assaulted by what I believed to be a vampire, then I wouldn't have thought werewolves existed too. The wolf snarled and the vampire returned it. They squared off, and then quicker than either the vampire or I could register, the werewolf slammed a claw into the vampire's head, taking the body part with it. The body swayed before collapsing, draining blood onto the grass. The wolf quickly went to work dragging it away to tear it to pieces.
I took that moment to grip the scissors in my side and yank. I gritted my teeth, but got it out in two tries. I slid them back in my boot and then tried to get my numbed fingers to cooperate and retrieve my phone from my tight jean pocket. I was just about to pull it out when the wolf returned. I fell into a panic again and tried to get up, only managing to flinch. My body was wrecked and I quickly learned I had no control of it by this point. Breathing was becoming hard and my thoughts turned sluggish. The wolf carefully walked over on all fours and whimpered. The sound caught me by surprise and made me freeze. It slowly came forward again, almost like it was trying to make me understand it wasn't a threat.
My hands gripped the grass under me as pain shot through my body. The violent shudder brought forth another whimper from the wolf. It was now right in front of me. I gazed up at the creature and my eyes locked with its, strangely soft, brown eyes. A weird feeling of calm fell over me. Its head dipped down and the muzzle pushed at my shirt carefully. The wide tongue slipped out to lick gently at the wound on my side before it pulled away to check on me again. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was trying to help me. But why? Suddenly, the wolf was a rippling image before it altered into a smaller shape. My eyes practically fell out of my head when a very much nude Tori Vega stood before me.
"Vega!" I choked out, coughing and groaning when the pain hit again. I fell over on my side, gripping at the significantly smaller hole in my other side. What the hell? My neck wasn't feeling any better. Vega rushed forward and dropped down next to me.
"Jade, I'm so sorry! I didn't get to you in time!" she cried out, her hands working to push me on my back slowly. I gasped from the movement.
"Vega, what's happening to me?" I questioned, a cold feeling similar to staying out in the snow too long was settling over me. It seemed to flow like ice through my veins. Fuck, I was dying.
"Oh Jade," she whimpered, the sound almost resembling the one when she was still a wolf. Her hot hand pressed to my cheek before moving down to pull up my shirt. She inspected the injury and nodded before reaching up to turn my head. She seemed to flinch at the sight. Her expression alone made me want to try to forget I was torn open and bleeding out. Her eyes found mine through the haze falling on me before she leaned in, and then, her hot mouth was on my neck. The feeling soothed me, making my body numb to the pain it was in. Her tongue passed over a few times and then she pulled away. My tired eyes stared at her and she looked back at me with worry. I couldn't keep them open anymore. I let them flutter closed and then numbing darkness swept me away.
~Tori~
I should have known something bad would happen the minute I lost track of Jade after school. She must have darted out of school the very second the bell rang. I pushed Trina to go faster and jumped in the car with her to head home, hoping that Jade was alright. I spent my time at home trying to finish my work but a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach kept distracting me. It was around the time we were all going to sit down for dinner when I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know where she was; at least to check up on her. Something told me she wasn't at home, safe. I always followed my instincts and right now they demanded I go now. I stood from the table and marched towards the door.
"I'm taking my rounds early," I muttered as I went.
"Be careful sweetie," my mother called.
"I want you back before I come home from the Council young lady. No staying out," my father told me. I nodded distractedly and left. I ignored Trina's car as I headed to the outskirts of town. Really, we only used cars to keep up appearances. If I wanted to, I could travel a great distance on foot. I shifted gears into a run, my body ready to undertake the transformation. As soon as I was hidden among the trees, I let my body take over instinctually. I deftly removed my clothes, and soon after, my body changed into my wolf form. The feeling of intense heat subsided into complete freedom. I galloped through the woods, following the scent I knew well. Jade was out here just as I thought. She was in trouble, if the smell of her blood was any indication. I trampled a bush in my haste to veer around another wolf who had taken his place by my side. I recognized him as a young newcomer to the patrol route. His thoughts told me where he had seen Jade and I ran off in that direction. I burst from cover to see a vampire feeding on my Bond mate.
I let out a growl and he turned to focus his attention on me. I ignored his petty speech and squared off with him. No one would hurt my Jade and get away with it. I couldn't scream this at him so I let a snarl loose. Before he could even attack, I beheaded him with an easily aimed swing of my claws. I ran forward to grip the body in my teeth and then dragged him away. I tore him apart, if only to make sure he couldn't put himself back together, and then returned to Jade. She looked awful. The strong scowl I was used to seeing on her face was replaced with a pained, frantic expression. She watched me carefully though. I was barely aware of the whistling whimpers escaping me as similar panic sprung up. I approached her as innocently as I could in this form. It wasn't like she could run away but I didn't want to cause her more unneeded stress. When I was close enough, I kept eye contact before leaning in and tending to the injury at her side. In this form, the healing qualities in my saliva would speed things up twice as fast as in my human form.
Once I was done there, I looked back at her and prepared my body to resume its human form. The familiar heat spread as the transformation took hold. She gawked at me when I was completely turned back. I knelt at her side, trying to apologize, but nothing could fix this. She had been bitten, and the scent clinging to her own told me the vampire had successfully mixed his blood with hers. Her body shuddered every once in a while, making me whimper again. It hurt me to see her like this. I carefully got her to lie on her back before checking the injury to her side. It was closing up nicely. I tilted her head so I could get a clear view of the bite next. It marred her now paler than normal flesh and made me uneasy just looking at it. It was jagged and cruel, ghastly. I had to help her ease into unconsciousness or the change was likely to cause untold pain. I leaned in and covered the bite with my mouth.
I worked gently to close this gaping hole too, my saliva insuring her no pain later as well as a faster healing process. When I pulled back, her normally lucid gaze had gone hazy. Soon, her eyelids fluttered closed and she fell unconscious. I held a hand to her cheek and let tears of fear and concern slide down my face. I didn't know what to do. As far as I knew this hadn't happened before. I knew I felt every bit as connected to her as before. My internal pain was a constant reminder. Would I still feel strongly for her after she was a vampire? We weren't really at war or hated them but we didn't get along well. Where most wolves kept the peace, most vampires caused trouble. Wolves excelled at socializing with humans while vampires saw them as food. The sound of Jade's struggling heart caught my attention and I knew it was starting. The change was taking hold of her. I picked her up gently and cradled her close to me. I shivered, her body was already cooling. I looked down at her blank face and leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.
"I won't let them take you away from me, Jade," I whispered. No matter what happened, she wasn't going anywhere but by my side. I began running back the way I came, hoping I didn't meet up with the other wolf on patrol. He would smell the vampire's scent on her and grow uneasy, possibly alerting more wolves that were on the look-out. I stopped by my scattered clothes, happy that I didn't run into anyone else. I set Jade down so I could slip them back on and then picked her up again. I made sure the way home was clear with every step I took. I entered my house through my window and laid Jade out on my bed. I pulled out the built-in straps I had to use every once in a while when a full moon made my body's needs impossible to deal with. I blushed at the thought.
If I hadn't been tied down, I would have tried to find Jade and…well, I would have done something I would really regret later. I strapped the restraints on Jade's wrists and then moved on to securing the thick one over her middle. Once I was sure she was held down, I left to check the house. A note on the kitchen counter from my mother told me my father was at the Council while she and Trina left on an emergency call. My mother was in charge of the medical offices for the wolves and vampires. Trina must have been called in for a new stack of files that needed a place in our extensive library. I sighed in relief and headed back upstairs. I shut the door, locked it, and then leaned against the cool wood. Jade's hands clenched suddenly, her body now aware of the last effects of the change. She groaned and her body tensed harshly. Her hands pulled on the straps holding her down.
I could hear her heart constrict and beat erratically, fighting to function. She snarled, revealing the sharp fangs growing from her gums. Double fangs at the top, one slightly longer than the one next to it, and then two small ones, on each side, aligned to be between them at the bottom. My hands clenched at the sight of hers growing sharp nails, like claws, tearing into my bed for purchase against the pain. Her cry of agony finally pushed me to run to her side like the obedient mate that I was. I could practically feel the stress her body was going through. All at once, her frame went stiff and her heart slowed down until it too stilled. Her body then fell utterly quiet and limp against the bed. She looked fragile. She looked dead. I whined and reached out to run the back of my hand down her cheek. Dried tear tracks ran down her face, visible in the moonlight coming in from the window.
"Jade," I whimpered, calling to her. When there was no reply I pulled away and bowed my head. I had heard of those whose body couldn't survive the transformation. I had hoped she could. She was a fighter after all. The connection with her had been silenced too, making me feel worse. I opened my mouth to apologize once more, even if she couldn't hear, but it was then an energized electric current seemed to shoot through me. I gasped and shot from the bed, clutching my hand to my chest where my heart felt like it received an intense adrenaline shot. I growled at the pain, feeling my body trying to shift. My teeth had already sharped and my hands resembled claws, but I willed it away slowly. I looked up, panting, to see Jade's infamous scowl. She tried to move but stopped when the straps restricted her. Her eyes shot open and her icy light blue gaze, devoid of any green, locked on me. I froze where I was, entranced and curious. The Bond seemed to strengthen between us. I reached out to her but she growled, low and threatening, making me hold up my hands in surrender.
"Why, the fuck, am I tied down, Vega? And where am I?" she demanded, eyeing me warily. I sighed and relaxed. I was afraid she would already be lost to the thirst but she seemed clear headed. I knew she was too stubborn to lose control.
"Stop fucking smiling and answer me! Is this some kind of sick fetish? Did you kidnap me?" she demanded. Her hands pulled at the restraints for emphasis but I knew she could break them if she tried. Newborn purebred vampires were dangerous. We tried to keep them to a minimum for a reason. They were known to tap into strength surpassing a wolf's.
"No, you were attacked, don't you remember?" I replied. She froze and I could see the gears turning in her head. Then her eyes widened when she remembered.
"That wasn't a twisted dream I had? Shit, I thought I fell asleep at the coffee shop!" she yelled, slightly panicked. I shushed her as soothingly as I could and put a hand on her shoulder. I could feel the taut muscles under her skin tense at the touch. She inhaled deeply and her eyes closed, testing the air. Her lips pulled back, showing her razor sharp fangs, and snapped at my hand with a snarl, the white knives tearing into my skin like scissors to paper. I pulled away with a yelp, my hand already healing. I turned sad eyes to her, wondering why she attacked, when I smelled it too. I had her human blood all over me. Jade began pulling at the restraints, trying to get to me. How could I forget something like that? I instantly ran for the bathroom and stripped, intent on cleaning every trace of blood off of me before returning to her. There was so much I had to tell her.