Hey guys and girls! (Probably mostly girls) So, here's the long awaited chapter! Thank you so much for your reviews, and I apologize: I only just recently learned that not responding to reviews are considered rude, so SORRY to all! I will try and respond to every review I get from now on!

Also, I had to cut this chapter in half (kinda), so depending on the response this one gets, I'll post the other half sooner or later :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 14

"So prom's not too far away now", Sunday said as she and Talae walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria. Students and teachers were crowding the halls, most of them heading the same way as the girls.

"Yeah, I know. It sucks", Talae smirked, knowing full well how excited Sunday was for the yearly event, what with being on the prom committee and all.

The blonde girl gasped and stared at her wide-eyed, "how dare you! Prom is a sacred event in high school. And you are going."

Now it was Talae's turn to gasp, "Nuh-uh! I'm not going, nope, no way dude. Not happening." She was shaking her head furiously as she ducked around a group of teachers standing in the middle of the hall.

"Yes you are! And you're going to love it too!" Sunday insisted as she linked her arm through Talae's when they entered the lunch-room and went to stand in line.

She groaned, knowing there was no way around it, "but, but... I don't have a date, hah, there!"

"What about your boyfriend, Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky?" Sunday teased, making kissy-faces at her, laughing when Talae shoved her lightly.

"Fine, I'll ask him," she grumbled and Sunday giggled at her.

When they got their food they sat down with Candy, Jennifer, Jack and Caleb. Sunday sat down next to Caleb and kissed his cheek. They'd been 'official' for at least a month now, but Talae had a feeling that Sunday was keeping him at a distance. He hadn't even been over at her house yet, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to.

But that didn't stop them from 'discreetly' making out at the table, and even though she did everything to avert her eyes as they sucked each others face, it did remind her of Jacob.

Over the last month, since before she broke her hip, Talae and Jacob had been getting to know each other in the old fashioned way. He'd taken her on dates, more out of tradition and obligation than anything, really: their first date revealed that neither of them had any 'talent' for dating. She'd felt awkward dressing up in her nice sun-dress and sitting in a fancy restaurant, trying not to scarf down the meager portions as Jacob had a hard time sitting still in the movie-theatre and not taking off the head of any guy that looked at her.

After that they'd agreed to drop the traditional dating-game. The official moment of them becoming boyfriend/girlfriend was when her parents had asked them one day hanging out and watching TV. They'd looked at each other and nodded 'yes', not really getting it when her mother started crying tears of joy and insisted that Billy and Jacob came over for an 'family dinner'. Jacob and her dad had the awkward dad to boyfriend-talk.

It wasn't that they didn't care. They just didn't care about official titles. They knew that they'd be mates for life, so they didn't waste time of labels. What mattered was the time they spent together. And boy did they spend time together. Not just in the make-out department, but in general she found out that life with Jacob at her side was easy, right. They were practically two peas in a pod.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Sunday giggled at her, knocking the dreamy-look off her face. Talae shook her head and looked around, seeing student beginning to walk back towards the classrooms, signalling the end of lunch. At the end of that thought the bell rang and she gathered her trash and stood up with Sunday, picking up her bag.

"No..." she tried not to smile like a fool as she dumped her garbage in the bin, walking towards their next class.

"Liar," Sunday chuckled, "you're so in love with that boy that it's painful to watch".

What a weird thing so say, Talae thought, giving her friend a scrutinizing look. Sunday just shrugged and smiled as she linked their arms again and dragged the black-haired girl down the hall.

She was running through the forest that covered the lower parts of a mountain, snow littering around fifty percent of the ground and tree tops. It was right before dawn, not a soul moving as she tore through the woods on two legs.

Was she running from something? What was it? Or was she chasing something? Was she in danger? Or was it play?

The forest held no answers for her so she kept running up the mountain side, the density of the trees lessening as the altitude rose. Taking a quick look down her body she noticed she was wearing a pair of too torn jeans and the rain coat that got ruined that night when the rock had knocked her off the bike. She frowned at the bizarre attire and couldn't remember why she was wearing it.

As the foliage became more scattered a flash of light, or rather, a glint caught her eye up ahead. Her nostrils flared uncomfortably as the familiar sickly sweet scent invaded the air around her, urging her to go faster. She was definitely chasing something.

Her bare feet flew across the snow ridden ground as she closed in on the source of the scent. Darting past the tree-line she spotted the figure of a man, standing in the snow with his back to her. She skidded to a stop at a safe distance, spraying snow as her fists clenched, her body hunching over into a defensive stance, a growl rumbling all the way down from her gut.

He turned around at the sound of her threat, his cape swishing in a gust of air.

"You," she snarled as a smirk grazed the leech's chiselled face. His white, spiky hair stood stiff against the wind, his red eyes gleaming with malice and deceit.

"Pryvit, little puppy", he said in that heavy eastern-European accent, taking a rather formal bow, "remember me?"

Of course she remembered. She had scars to constantly remind her. She saw no trace of his female companion though, putting her even more on edge as her ears tried to pick up any sign of the little monster without her eyes straying from the big one.

"No worry, little one, I am alone," he laughed, rubbing his gloved hands together, "But, not sure you are any safer."

She phased instinctively as his shadow somehow lifted itself off the ground, hovering by his shoulder as a hunched, inky slither of darkness. It rattled as it inhaled deep breath after deep breath, gloving white orbs for eyes.

The white wolf growled threateningly at the monsters in front of her, a small twinge of fear taking foothold in her spirit as the shadow set its eyes on her.

What the hell is going on? She thought and snapped her jaws and rolling her tongue between her bared teeth as the grim apparition slowly started floating towards her.

She was about to charge when a dark, thick fog rolled down from the mountain, covering the landscape in a few seconds. Snapping at the air and sniffing around thoroughly, she was trying to figure out what the hell was happening. She could just skim the outline of the big vampire's hulking body as he hadn't moved an inch, but the shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Shit shit shit, she chanted nervously, whipping her head around trying to spot the damned thing as her whole body tensed and prepared for an attack. Something moved in her peripheral sight, but when she turned to look at it, nothing was there. Then she could hear it's breathing, that ragged, deathly sound echoed all around her, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Are puppy scared?" the vampires voice rang through the fog.

She barked and snarled loudly, the hair on her back and neck bristled and her ears were flat against her skull.

"No? Brave girl", he chuckled, clapping his hands mockingly.

A raging blizzard started at the blink of an eye, making her squint against the onslaught of frozen water as the scenery became blurry and hazy.

There was movement in the darkness around her. Before she could react or locate the culprit, something lashed out at her with talons of steel, or so it felt like. She let out a shrill whine as her legs gave out under her. The snow surrounding her slowly stained red as a huge gash appeared on her hind thigh.

It was like something burned at the wound, making it hurt more than it normal would. Was it poison? Had it poisoned her? Her breath was coming out in short gasps as the pain increased. Shit shit shit. It wasn't healing.

Swish, swish.

A loud howl ripped its way out of her as the talons struck her again, this time in her shoulder, the blood spraying violently from the deep wound. The fear building in her mind almost crippled her as she had no clue where her attacker was, or what is was for that matter. She whimpered feeling the anxiety and terror claw at her.

I'm going to die here, the though sent cold shivers down her spine. None of her brothers or sisters answered her, confirming that she was indeed alone in this fight; no one was coming to her rescue because no one could hear her.

Voices started whispering in the air around her, nothing she could make out as it was a language she couldn't understand, the blizzard and fog effectively blocking out the oncoming sunrise. She heard the vampire laugh cruelly at her despair.

Something compelled her to phase back so she did, amazed when she was still wearing her previous outfit and that had stayed intact.

The pain grew more intense and kept her from getting up. It was an effort to even breathe. Sobs raked her body as she hugged herself, rocking back and forth, trying to lessen the growing pain.

The leech walked slowly towards her, crouching down so they were at eye level. He reached out and wiped at the trail of tears on her cheek, almost tenderly, as a he smiled unnaturally down at her. She flinched at his touch, but didn't have the energy to try and pull away, crying out when he tugged violently at her matted hair.

"Tsk tsk, little puppy, not so strong without her family", he taunted, smirking.

He leaned closer to her face, an evil gleam in his eye as he bared his razor sharp teeth. She cried out trying to wiggle away, but her body had shut down. He let out a dry chuckle and caressed her cheek.

"Pretty girl, don't be frightened", he purred, nuzzling against her neck. The tears were freely streaming down her face now and she closed her eyes, just wanting it to be over.

Without warning he tore into her jugular, cutting off her scream as her throat filled with her own blood.

She jolted upright with a savage scream, her hand immediately flying up to her neck. Panting heavily, she squinted at her surroundings. My room, she thought disbelievingly, blinking furiously to accommodate the darkness. She felt around with her hands. Sheets. Pillows. Stuffed animals. My bed.

It was a dream. No, a nightmare.

She steadied her breath, forcing down the lump in her throat.

Her ears were ringing, but she could make out the thundering footsteps coming down the hall.

The door to her room burst open, barely staying on its hinges as her mother stormed in, a wild look in her eyes. Upon seeing her daughter safe and sound, if a little shook up and sitting in her bed with wide eyes, she calmed herself down a bit and entered the room.

"My baby!" she gasped, rushing to Talae's bedside, sitting down and cupping her face, making her child look her in the eye, "Are you okay? Nukkah, answer me."

The use of her middle name made her snap out of the daze she was in and her eyes finally focused on her mother's, "yeah, yeah I'm fine. Nightmare."

"Oh sweetie," her mom breathed, wiping Talae's face free of the tears she hadn't noticed falling, drawing her in for a comforting hug.

"It felt so real," she murmured, breathing in her mothers scent; strawberry tea and fresh linen. That always soothed her when she was a kid, waking up in the middle of the night and making a mad dash for her parents' bed, squeezing in between them and stealing their covers.

"I know honey, it's over now", Lily shushed, stroking her hair.

"Did I wake you?" she asked after a moment as her mother let her go.

"Oh it's okay sweetheart. Your dad is still snoring like a rhino upstairs and didn't hear a thing. It's a mother-thing," she chuckled and kissed her forehead, "now go back to sleep".

"I'll try. Thanks mom," she smiled and let her mother tug her in.

Talae lied still listening as Lily closed the door and walked back upstairs, the floorboards creaking ever so slightly under her weight. Then everything became silent once again and she lied awake, dreading the sleep she'd otherwise eagerly let in. It had felt real. The pain, the dread. The vampire biting into her neck.

She shuddered and pulled the cover up under her chin, shifting to lie on her side and drawing her knees up towards her chest.

Even though she had her eyes closed and she was tired, she was totally sleepless. For fifteen minutes at the most had she stayed in that fetal position, before she tossed and turned multiple times for what felt like hours.

Eventually she fell into a restless daze, not really asleep but not awake either, a state where she was free of dreams, but would wake up tired as her mind found no peace. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

His body relaxed as his eyes opened again, slightly glazed over. He let out a loud sigh and blinked, before focusing on the blonde girl standing in front of him.

"Well?" Zoya questioned impatiently, tapping her small foot on the concrete floor of the lighthouse.

"Will be tough one to crack, will need much time," Fedir answered, wrapping his arms around her as she sat on his lap. Her fingers played with the buttons on his shirt as he pushed the hair out of her face and kissed her cheek.

"I will call Aro in a moment then," she sighed, leaning into his touch, "what about the other one?"

"The young one? Yes, is strong too, might take long this mission," he murmured, moving his lips along her jaw.

She sighed again, tilting her head as his mouth moved lower.

Thank you for reading, remember to review, just a simple 'liked it' always brightens my day! 8D