"And I know I've got to face it"
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
WHEN SEVYN WOKE up, she was surrounded by two chilled bodies, her own trapped in a cage of arms, holding her in place. Mildly curious, she peeked her eyes open, looking in front of her at Marko and behind her at Paul. It would seem they had decided to spend their day sleeping with her. She couldn't help but blush, a warm feeling spreading through her chest.
She bit her lip thoughtfully, contemplating how badly she needed to get up. Truthfully, she didn't want to move; she was comfortable where she was. With a smile on her face, she pressed her body back against Paul and tugged Marko closer, if at all possible.
Sevyn stayed there for a few more minutes before forcing herself to blink home and get dressed, since she hadn't anticipated staying in the cave last night. At this rate, she might as well move in, but she didn't want to give David the satisfaction of winning so easily.
Tonight, she decided to dress up a bit differently. She pulled on a short white skirt and a fishnet shirt over her black bra, showing off plenty of skin. Her goal was to snag Marko's jacket to wear with this outfit—a good mix of Paul and Marko's style. She figured they would appreciate the tribute.
She quickly applied her makeup in her usual casual style, then pulled on a pair of well-loved Doc Martens. After throwing her hair up in a lazy bun, she checked herself out in the mirror. Hmm, maybe I should dye my hair a different color, she thought before heading out.
Sevyn appeared in the cave just as the sun began its descent into the horizon. With a grin, she did her usual sweep of the cave for anything to take.
Sevyn was in the middle of pocketing a small wad of cash when a voice called out, "Put it back, kitten."
She yelped and jumped, turning quickly to see David and Dwayne enter the main chamber of the cave. With a glare, she put the money back where she found it, grumbling the whole time.
David flashed her a mocking smile. "Good girl."
Sevyn practically hissed in response, her glare intensifying. Despite the fact that she was stealing from them, she was still annoyed he'd stopped her and made her return her haul.
Well, what he knew about.
Grumpily, she threw herself down on the couch, actively pouting. Both vampires found their regular spots among the seating, waiting for the rest of their brothers to join them. While they were both amused by her sulking, neither one of them were about to try and distract her or make her feel better about being told not to steal.
That was Paul and Marko's job.
Only a minute later, the pair emerged, the latter yawning, arms stretched up in the air.
"Why is the pixie pouting?" Marko asked before flopping down on the couch beside Sevyn, draping an arm over her shoulders, his eyes on David.
Sevyn opened her mouth to complain about their leader when he responded for her. "Your girlfriend tried to steal from us again. She's throwing a tantrum because I told her to put it back."
These boys loved to throw her under the bus.
Marko turned back to Sevyn, and was about to tell her they'd nab something on the boardwalk that night, when he got his first good look at her and bit his thumb. "Nice outfit, pixie girl. Check it out, Paul, you have a fan. She's missing the jacket, though."
Finally awake, Paul looked over at Sevyn and grinned. He swaggered over with a look of pure masculine pride. "Looking good, babe," he purred, winking.
Despite the blush coloring her cheeks, she rolled her eyes at the pair. "Well, it's not complete yet. This outfit is supposed to be a mashup," she explained before giving Marko a pleading look. "Can I please borrow your jacket?"
"I thought you were going to steal it. You talked a big game, but you haven't gotten it yet," Marko teased.
"That's because you basically live in it!" she complained, huffing.
Sevyn was starting to feel attacked.
The group laughed as she grumbled under her breath. Taking pity on her, Marko shrugged off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. "There you go. Take good care of it, or you'll regret it," Marko warned with a wink. She could tell he was trying to soften the blow of an otherwise very serious threat.
Now grinning, Sevyn nodded enthusiastically. Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled her arms through the sleeves and stood up to model her whole outfit for her boys. She was swimming in the jacket, but she loved every bit of it. It smelled like spicy bergamot—like Marko.
Marko clapped, and Paul whistled; the other two silently admired her, but those looks were no less potent.
"Damn, babe, you're looking sexy tonight," Paul called out, giving her a thorough once-over. He couldn't help but get excited, not only by how much skin she was showing but how she'd taken the time to dress like them. He couldn't keep his hands off her much longer, so he got up and pulled her a bit roughly into his arms to plant a kiss right on her plush lips.
"That's enough; we're going out," David announced, frustrated with not only Sevyn but himself. She really did look good in that tiny skirt and bra under Marko's jacket, showing off a lot of skin. He even found her tattoos sexy before she covered most of them up with Marko's jacket. She looked delicious, and he wanted to take a bite.
With a loud groan, Paul let her go. She couldn't stop the giggles bubbling up. He really was the sweetest of her boys; he always knew how to make her feel sexy and wanted.
It wasn't long before the ragtag group found themselves at the boardwalk. Sevyn perched on the railing, her legs dangling limply. On one side stood David, gazing out over the beach, smoking, while on her other side was Marko.
He was in the middle of a spirited retelling of a fight the gang had with some surf nazis when Michael came charging over. He pushed Sevyn in his haste to get to David.
Sevyn let out a squeal as she nearly went head over heels off the boardwalk before Marko lurched over to save her. He held her shoulders while she steadied herself, silently asking if she was okay. Nodding, her attention turned to the pair beside her, eyes wide with shock.
She guessed this was the night of the big reveal. The realization brought both excitement and dread. While most of her was confident in their plan, a small part was still worried. These boys were everything to her now—both her best friends and lovers. She'd never had that before, and she was going to fight like hell to keep them.
"Where is she?" Michael asked with a growl, fisting David's shirt.
David, meanwhile, was much more aggressive than he was in the movie. He knew it, but he couldn't help himself; Michael had almost hurt Sevyn, and David felt just as responsible for her well-being as he did his brothers'. Sevyn had long since become pack.
This wasn't the laughing David from the movie; he was all simmering anger. He fisted Michael's shirt right back, holding him close. "Take it easy, Michael."
"Where's Star, David?" Michael asked again with a slight wariness when faced with David's chilling look.
"Michael, if you ever want to see Star again, you better come with us now," David said, his grin now cruel and taunting. It delighted him to see Michael so out of sorts.
David looked over at Sevyn, who was staring back at him, looking her over for any injuries Michael might have inflicted in his blind rage. Sevyn nodded, letting him know she was okay.
After that, the group made their way back to their bikes, off to the party in the woods. Before Sevyn could climb on Paul's bike, David called out.
"You're with me tonight, kitten," David crooned, smirking.
Shocked, Sevyn stood there for a moment with owlish eyes before slowly making her way over. Their eyes never left each other as he helped her climb on his bike behind him. Once her arms were wrapped securely around him, he gunned his engine and led the group off into the night.
Once they parked, the boys and Sevyn made their way to the tree and climbed up. Sevyn stuck close to Dwayne, his arms caging around her as they stood on the branches. All of her boys looked excited for the hunt—flush with the anticipation of a good meal.
While "Walk This Way" blared from an unseen boombox, Sevyn took in the revelry that was about to come to an abrupt and violent end. She couldn't lie to herself this time; she was not looking forward to this part. She was a criminal, but not a murderer.
"Michael, over here," David called out, the other boys egging him on. Sevyn glanced back to see Michael still on his bike, looking like he was barely holding himself back from something he wasn't cognizant of. "You don't want to miss this."
When Michael joined them in the tree, Sevyn offered him a pitying look, one that only served to confuse the teenager more.
"Initiation is over, Michael. Time to join the club," David said ominously. Suddenly, all around her, the boys morphed into their demonic forms, their faces a grotesque version of themselves.
Michael trembled in fear as the boys laughed around him, mocking him for his sensitive nature.
Faster than either mortal could see, the boys all flew off and fell upon their unsuspecting prey.
It was a bloodbath, one that, no matter how much she prepared herself, Sevyn wasn't ready to see. It was a much different experience seeing people being eaten in real life right in front of you than when it's on a screen. She could feel her stomach churning as the blood sprayed and drenched the ground around the bonfire.
While Sevyn was morbidly captivated by the scene unfolding before them, Michael was in a state of complete panic. Never in his life would he have guessed that the group he was hanging around with were vampires. Sure, Sam had said as much, but who could believe that?
Well, now he did.
The thirst for blood was so overwhelming to him, his face changed as well, his inner nature beckoning him to join the chaos. He looked like he was barely holding himself back.
Seeing this, Sevyn blinked a few yards away, hidden by some brush. She didn't trust the half-vampire not to attack the nearest living thing in that state.
This was all so much more intense than she was expecting that she didn't know what to do or think; she was so overwhelmed by it all.
When the bodies started burning, Sevyn had had enough. She couldn't hold it back any longer and threw up in the bush beside her. The smell was horrific. Intellectually, she knew it would smell bad, but actually smelling it was nauseating.
Groaning, Sevyn hobbled further away, not wanting to be near all the violence anymore. Her stomach was still rioting, threatening to lose whatever was left. She let out a heavy breath as she sat down on the ground where she could no longer smell the burning bodies.
While she was upset that she was missing the rest of the scene, she felt it was best to sit it out. But she couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself for not being able to handle what she saw. Didn't she just admit to herself that she was going to make the change? How was she supposed to do that if she couldn't handle this? Would things change when she did?
She had so many questions and no answers.
After some time, Sevyn could hear someone approaching her from behind. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't handle the smell," she said weakly, not facing whoever it was. She was ashamed and embarrassed. She doubted the boys didn't already know that she'd gotten sick and run away.
Without a word, a pair of arms scooped her up and held her against a naked chest. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, while her arms clung to his neck. Unable to help herself, Sevyn looked up at Dwayne with sad eyes. All she wanted was for him to hold her, to soothe her nerves.
Seeming to know this, Dwayne remained silent and simply held her close, allowing her to bury her face in his neck. She hid away from all the looks she knew she was getting as he walked her back to the bikes.
The group was rather subdued now, not only from full stomachs but with the knowledge that everything was coming to a head. Soon they would be invaded by a bunch of teenagers, and they were counting on Sevyn to help.
She knew this without them saying anything. She also knew that her reaction to this night had caused some worry; she could feel the tension in the air. At this point, she didn't know what to say to ease their minds, still in a ruffled state and unable to coherently vocalize her feelings.
When they got back to the cave, Marko and Paul both kissed Sevyn's cheek and said goodnight to her, David gave her a tender pat on the back, while Dwayne carried Sevyn to her room, where he lay down with her, holding her close.
By the time the sun came up and Dwayne was deep asleep, Sevyn was still awake, thinking. She had not only disappointed the boys but herself as well. While she knew Paul, Marko, and Dwayne would be over it by morning, she knew David would remember; she just hoped he'd not judge her too harshly.
Tonight, she'd wallow in self-pity, but she knew she was going to have to get over it if she was going to reassure the boys she was still with them.
Next time, she'd be ready.