Chapter 1 – Runaways

Flash Back

I was lying on a bench in the middle of lunch; I was too excited to eat.

The school year had just started, so the weather was beautiful, slightly sunny but a little chilly. I could wear a skirt but still need a sweater.

"Hey Shiloh..." My best friend said with a monotonous edge, as she arrived and sat on the ground with her back to the bench.

She wore all black today, nothing new, we were so different. Her hot pink hair stands out even more that way. She had a black shirt on, some black skinny jeans and big black boots inspired by Adam Lambert, her favourite singer. Her fashion role model maybe.

"Blythe… guess what?" I said trying to hide my excitement.

"What?"

"You are sitting with the new SENIOR DRAMA CLUB PRESIDENT!" Ok, so far for hiding my excitement.

"You got it?" She said looking up

"Hell yeah!"

"Not surprised… Congratulations" She responded, with that typical monotonous edge of hers. It annoyed me sometimes that she couldn't be just a tad more "out there" she was one of the "quiet ones". I was not, obviously.

"Ok so now you BETTER get in the Drama Club!" I propped myself on my elbow, so I was looking at the top of her pink hair now.

"Sure, so you have an excuse to boss me around more often?" She smirked "I'm kidding, why not".

"well… we have a meeting after school… today" I grinned

"Yay"

I slapped her in the back of her head.

"What's that for?" She squealed. OH! how I loved to make her squeal, it was fun.
"Enough sarcasm missy!"

We were alone, in the small quad in the middle of the school. There was a BBQ teachers used to welcome 9th graders and a little pond with orange fish. It was usually very well kept by the people in gardening class. I stood up and started passing around.

"I have SO many ideas, like you have NO idea. T-shirts and a musical and … I don't even know.. I'm so excited!" I was almost jumping around.

"Oh god… Mr. Stanton should've never given you this much power… I am afraid" She said sarcastically, but there was some honesty behind her mocking tone.

I did not give much thought to that though.

"Hey" Some guy said behind me.

I turned around and had to tilt my head up a little, I'm 5 foot 5, I'm used to it. He had short, messy brown hair, a cocky easy smile and a gorgeous smoldering look behind those purple eyes… wait… what? Is he wearing contacts? The only thing that distracted me the most was his bone structure. Whoa! If God made them like these more often I wouldn't be single. He was so well built… But those purple eyes, had captivated me, they weren't normal. He gave me a funny look, I saw the glint change in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" there was laughter behind his words. That got me back to earth.

"Can I help you?" god Shiloh! Snarky much? I chastised myself.

"Yes, I couldn't help but over hear. You're the new Drama club president and well… I am new at the school" I would know. I have never seen the sights of him in my entire high school career, but it's never too late "and I would like to join" He finished with a nice smile, polite.

"Sure! We would LOVE to have you! The first meeting is today after school" I smiled the brightest smile I could manage. I couldn't believe myself. Who was I?

"I'm Shiloh, nice to meet you. If you need any help around, don't even think twice." Ok seriously, I was practically throwing myself at him. Hormones, let's blame the hormones.

"Steve. Steve Leopard. And thanks" He gave me this dazzling smile. That totally got me distracted from the fact that he had a funny –intense- but funny last name.

He turns, and gives me a half smile right before leaving. The bell was about to ring. I couldn't stop staring at him while he walked off. He had tight dark grey skinny jeans, a purple t-shirt that was tight in the arms and a broad back, strong. I was too busy paying attention to the swagger in that he walked, not ghetto at all. Just confident, powerful, like had something to prove to the world. Like he was more than everything everyone underestimated him for. I sure didn't.

"Earth to Shiloh! … Huston … We have a problem" Blythe said finally, quite a melodramatic person for not really ever being in the Drama Club. But I was about to change that.

"What is it?" I asked as the bell rang.

"Are you done undressing him? Because I'm bored waiting for you to shake it off" Blythe said with a
'you-naughty-little-girl' smirk playing on her lips.

"Oh C'MON! you have to admit THAT was YUMMY!" I said with my eyes wide, and a small blush creeping up my cheeks.

"Ugh… yeah sure… but can you PLEASE not lose your virginity when I'm around?" I rolled my eyes at that and walked inside the school before the second bell rang.

End Flash Back

"Where are we going? … What about my parents?" I asked scared and excited.

I was running away, we were running away. Steve and I, after the first day I met him when he asked me about Drama Club, things between Steve and I had escalated prominently. We had started dating not very long after that, and now it's been 6 months after that. March break just started.

"Anywhere… Everywhere. You'll love it Shiloh, I know you." Steve said giving me a reassuring smile paired with an even more reassuring look. He knew I was thrilled, yet he knew I was scared.

These kinds of things were too bold for my nature, only he could bring that Shiloh out of me. He knew me too well.

"gosh you think you know me so well Steve…" I said with an arrogant air, like there were so many things he didn't knew. Maybe there are, but I don't know them yet either.

"And your parents are taken care of. They think you got this drama scholarship deal in New York. Don't even worry about them, not like they worry much about you…" I glared at him.

But he was right. My parents were barely ever in my life, they were entrepreneurs and had too busy an agenda to keep track of me. If I wanted to be an artist they wouldn't give a crap. Those kind of parents that sort of paid their children with things because they felt too guilty for the lack of their physical presence in their child's life. Therefore, I was practically raised by nannies and thus far by boarding school.

I was packing already, my decision had been made days ago, maybe even months, subconsciously.
"Don't pack too heavy… we're not going to a runway show. Just the essentials." He said eyeing me and my packing.

"My laptop is an essential… and I'll see what I can do about the rest. Are we like walking or something?" I said sarcastically.

"yes… no … well… We are going on an adventure so to speak" He said seating on my bed.

"Oh… well that helps! Let's see… There's The Amazon… The Zahara or some deserted island thing…"
He laughed at that… he had an easy laugh, it was beautiful, silky, it coaxed me to feel like swooning all over.

"You're such a Drama Queen Shiloh! No… it's just that you have to be practical, you know. Like no fancy dresses and more jeans, stuff like that. Plus, you won't need it, my kind of dinner nights involve more running than waltzing" He said with a dangerous smile.
It was true, Steve's dinner did run. As in he had to chase it and catch it to eat it. I don't mean turkey for Thanks Giving Dinner or anything. Steve was a vampire. Well, not what we know as vampires, we as in us who have been educated under the wing of Anne Rice, L.J. Smith or Stephanie Meyer… Steve was something known as a Vampaneze. These were a different kind of the "usual". There were vampires though, but those only fed on little amounts they took from sleeping humans or something. At the end of it, it looked more like a mosquito bite than anything else. These were a weaker kind Steve wasn't fond of very much.
Steve's kind, the vampaneze on the other hand killed while they fed -Which is why he had never tried a single drop of my blood- He wanted me with him, so he could control himself in order to keep me. If he faltered, even a little, he would have to finish the job. It was how his kind lived. They had very simple, very direct rules. You kill when you feed, but you have to mark your victim before that by scratching them, say on their cheek. You cannot lie, at all, what so ever. And last but not least, actually as important as killing the victim was the rule of following the orders of your Lord. This Lord was Steve, so he was a vampaneze but not any vampaneze; he was The Lord of the Vampaneze. Honestly, very much a turn on for me.
So killing your victim is the number one reason why Vampaneze were so much stronger than vampires, all that blood had to serve for something right? But It wasn't that bad, it was kind of noble if you look at it from the vampaneze point of view. The fact that you feed on the human until it dies lets it stay within you, so technically you didn't killed them but gave them an eternity with you. They become part of you, and live on through you. So if they had a crappy life, you just practically did them a favour. And this point of view was fine with me.

"we are living tonight Shiloh…" Steve said impatiently.

"I know, I know… I'm done… almost" I had paired the obvious necessities.
Put on some basics, a second pair of jeans, besides the one I was currently using, dark and bold colors. Bright colors, really. A second pair of shoes. Neutral colors I could mix and match. Yes I was about to go on an "adventure" and I was thinking about "mixing and matching". I am pathetic, I know it, I embrace it, and I am over it.

"ok I'm done" I said 5 minutes later after checking on everything I had, hoping I was not forgetting something important. A little OCD did nothing wrong to anybody.

"finally!" Said Steve, sighing in relief.

"so where are we going?" I wondered.

"New York actually…" he said with a smile, A strong, big hand covered my small one. He felt cold, against my warm skin. I felt safe. Even if he was The Lord of the Vampaneze, I felt safe. Well, nobody's going to really mess around with him so … yeah.

I put on my black leather jacket, loving the comforting smell of new leather that never seemed to wear off and headed out the door.

From there we took a taxi to the airport. Then a direct flight to New York, I did have a passport and everything, thanks to my parents off course. When I took flights before, it was always with my parents to some exotic new vacation site. This time it felt different in so many levels.

"This is going to be great for you Shiloh, you need this." Steve said near my ear, I could feel his breath softly blowing so near my neck it gave me goose bumps. Even though I knew he wouldn't do anything.

"I do" I look up, there's an evil twist in his smile I've never seen before. But I think I like it.

"Just you and me out there to take over the world" I don't know what to think about the seriousness of the joke he pretends to make of this statement. But I wouldn't mind taking over the world.

And for the first time ever I see Steve really excited about something, usually he is very quiet and broody. He usually keeps to himself, except in Drama Club when he went full on all the villain roles he could lay hands on. He was snarky, and sarcastic, he was arrogant. Yet he wasn't the one with lots of friends, maybe his mean attitude and cocky personality kept people at bay. But he doesn't fool me, he never did. And although, all these traits had been a big reason why I was attracted to him, it doesn't mean I don't like this side of him.
With that grin still on his lips he leaned in and kissed me. It always took my breath away, almost in the literal sense. His lips caressed mine carefully, passionately. But I have always been the impatient kind so I took him by the sides of his head to deepen the kiss, he obliged, smiling into the kiss.

After that nice romantic exchange, I went back to reading my Teen Vogue and he went back to listen to his music. Strong, banging drums and screeching guitars could not keep up with the scream-o music he liked so much, I felt him relax into his seat. His face would not give away to any sort of expression. Maybe his music was a little distracting for my magazine, but I suppose it takes a little of adjusting on my part. It freaked me out a little, he even knew what the dude was saying, but for someone who had no hard-core stuff like that in her ipod, I was doing pretty well when it comes to getting used to that.
I slept through the rest of the plane ride.

"Shiloh! Wake up! We're landing" Steve shook me a little and I opened my eyes, it was morning already and it was bright.

"ugh" I moaned "I hate the sun"

Steve had an amused smile this time, he had so many different kinds of smiles.

"Good, you won't miss it then" he kissed the top of my head and put on some really dark sunglasses.

"I thought sun didn't bother you…" I frowned.
"It doesn't, my eyes are sensitive, that's all" That was my que to leave it at that, so I did.

We left the airport and took another taxi ride to a hotel, nothing big, nothing fancy. Just clean and not necessarily ugly.

Once inside our room, Steve shut all the windows with those typical 'hotel-standard' heavy curtains and turned on the lights.

The room was decent, spacious, and simply decorated. There was a tv, a small fridge besides the tv station with the breakfast menu on top. Some small couches on the far left close to the window, but what used up most of the space in the room was a king size bed, full of pillows and heavy comforters, almost of the same kind as the curtains but softer and plushier looking. It was against the right wall of the room and had a night table at each side with lamp and everything.

I threw my bag in the closet and closed the door.

"so… we're sharing a bed aren't we" I stated rather than asked.

"yes" Steve simply said, a crooked smile creeping its way up his lips. He started moving in closer to me. I took a step back.

It was slow, but eventually I had nowhere to go and the bed played devil's advocate. I was trapped. Steve's eyes were more alight than ever. Something more than excitement was hiding behind those lashes. I almost stumbled, but I didn't fall. Steve's was right in front of me. He caught me by my lower back so I wouldn't fall, I could almost feel his body heat radiating from him, or was it just me?

"What are you doing?" I narrow my eyes, a smile playing in my lips. I know exactly what he's doing.

"this" He said as he leaned closer, his lips almost brushing mine. They were just a breath away but he wouldn't move more than that. He was playing with me.

I leaned in and kissed him for half a second, he moved and left me wanting more, therefore my head leaned in a little more against my will. Happy with that reaction, he finally took control of the situation. He could be so dominant sometimes, I was so turned on already I couldn't even muster a proper thought.
He kissed me hungrily, playing with my lips, nibbling. Yes… I could keep up with that. I went in deeper and our tongues battled out for a while. I was so immerse in NOT losing the battle, I barely even registered when he pushed me ever so slightly and my body gave in. We were in the bed now, how I loved the high of kissing him, there was just something else I have never felt before with any other guy. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was dangerous, and that my life was hanging on a thread when I was with him. He could kill me in the blink of an eye if he pleased. But he wouldn't, he promised. So I felt safe, to a certain extent.
Suddenly kissing doesn't seem like enough anymore, I need more. I took off his shirt and he easily lifted up his arms to make it easier for me. I caressed as much as I could, his broad back, his toned arms, they felt so strong, they were strong, they could stop a bus if they wanted to. His chest, soft and warm-ish. Oh and he had abs! "yay" I thought. I felt my shirt being ripped down the middle from my collar, I gasped. I knew he was strong. He started kissing and nibbling at my neck. He unbuttoned my jeans and swiftly pulled them off, hooking my leg around his waist. I want this, I need this.
I took off his pants in turn, he felt as excited as I was, he was just a tiny bit more obvious.
Things were getting very hot, very fast… Too fast… He knows I am a virgin, but right now he seems too busy to remember.
I was almost digging my nails in his back when I decided to nibble his neck. He tensed.

"Fuck, Shiloh!" He cursed and in the blink of an eye he was off of me and on the other side of the room by the tv. Who could understand him, he had started.

"Don't" He growled.

This was another side of him I had never seen. His eyes, as beautiful and alive as they had been minutes ago they were dark and hungry now. He even looked a little paler than usual, if that was even possible. He's eyes not only looked dark, but they looked deeper. Unnatural. As eerie as that seems, I felt numb, I was not scared of him. Maybe there's something seriously wrong with me, or maybe there's something perfectly fine with me, which would make me the only girl in the world fit for him.
He got dressed in a blur and left the room. Leaving me there all worked up and half naked.

"I need a shower" I said out loud.