"Vampire" (Title Undecided)

Prologue

A look of disappointment was splattered upon my facial features. Why had he stopped so soon? I lifted up my arm, a hand reaching out to feeling the place where his fangs had pierced my neck. I was finally able to see again; my grey eyes met with his almost instantly. And, as usual, his black eyes held no emotion. I felt his eyes crawl around my skin, as if he was contemplating whether or not to bite me again, just for the heck of it. It’s not that I meant to test him. It was just the fact that I missed being with him that drove me to want him. Okay, maybe I was lying. I wanted him badly, because he was so powerful. I longed for the numbing sensation to take over for eternity; I was ready. A cool smile slipped upon his lips, and he pulled me close once more. I instinctively arched my back, baring my neck. All I got in return was a laugh.

Chapter One

“Easy, Stella, do you really want to die?” This question was one I had heard so many times. I was tired of hearing it. Annoyance keenly took hold, my face flushed as my body furiously tried to generate more blood. “I’ll say it again as I’ve said it before; you know all too well what I want.” Sure, maybe I shouldn’t be so snappy, but he seemed to be mocking my every desire. That wasn’t right…how could it be?

A brow was raised at my quick wits. “You always say that. Why must you tease me so?” I draped my arms around his neck, staring him in the eye for only a second before I began to get dizzy. “Or maybe, why must you tease me?” I swayed slightly; his eyes were so hypnotic. He lifted a powerful arm and gently pulled my eyelids over my eyes. “Stella, you are too young to possibly know what you truly want. One day, you might want to-” I opened my eyes and cut him off. “One day, I will be yours. Blood-bonded to you, so I never have to grow old or face a strange world again. Why can’t you give me what I want?”

I knew I was being childish, but he had been holding off for two whole years. I was seventeen now and there was nothing I wanted more than to stay with this vampire. But somehow he always found a way to disappear right before he was about to blood-bond me. It was rather irritating, and he simply pretended that he was oblivious to my feelings. “Stella, I can’t. You know as well as I do that your little friend would track both of us down and somehow punish us for it.” That was it. I didn’t want to be so harsh when talking about my neighbor, but she was just so annoying sometimes. Janice knew everything about anything, and didn’t know how to keep a secret or mind her own business. This vampire was right, as he usually was; Janice would find a vampire hunter and my prized addiction in life would be gone forever, all because I wanted to be his.

He knew that I was defeated. I pushed away from him, and leaned against the wall a foot or so away from him. “So?” Again, I was known for being childish when I really wanted something. “So?” He raised an eyebrow, and then turned towards me. “Stella, what would you tell your parents? How would we hide it from Janice?” I sighed; again, he had a good point. “Look, I don’t know. The only thing I do know is that if you don’t hurry up and suggest something, I’m going to find someone else.”

Yeah, I was lying. He knew it, too, but decided to play along. “Oh.” He got really stiff and quiet, and immediately I felt bad. “Goodness, must you always be this way?” He turned his head slightly and looked at me, as if asking me the same thing. I knew it was stressful, especially on him, but I didn’t see how he would have to think so long about something like this. “Stella…”

I looked up at him again; his voice was so deep, so husky….I knew what he wanted. I went to him with fluid ease, and wrapped my arms around him. I kissed his lips slowly, and then pulled away to see his reaction. He gripped me suddenly, and pinned me against the wall. I didn’t know whether or not to bare my throat or kiss him again. Don’t. His voice penetrated my mind, and I simply closed my eyes and let go of my senses. Immediately, I felt his lips on my neck. I knew that he wasn’t exactly willing to bite me again; he had just fed. Slowly his lips moved up to mine, and we kissed.

“Stella…you have no clue how badly I want to please you… But you know that we have to wait.” I opened my eyes, obviously hurt. “Wait? You said that word two years ago. How much longer are you meaning?” I shook my head, pulling away from his distracted arms. I didn’t know how much of this I would be able to take. It’s one thing if he had made me wait a little over half a year, but two years? If I didn’t know any better, he was just like my parents. I always had to wait.

I went over to the couch and lifted up my sweater from where we had carelessly tossed it. I slipped it on, and then zipped it up. I was leaving. “Stella, wait…” I turned and glared at him. I hated that word. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’m not getting any younger.” I looked away from him and walked over to the door. As I turned the knob, I felt his hand grab my shoulder. He was being as gentle as he could, but he was stressed; I was spun around, a sharp intake of air signaling my surprise. He usually avoided using his brute strength due to the fact that I was a human, and he was utterly stronger than I would ever be.

“Stella, please. You are being irrational.” I snorted and shook my head. “No, I think it’s you who is being irrational.” I ran a hand through my jet black hair then glanced at him again. “To you, two years is nothing. But to me...two years is a long time.” I looked down at my feet, and then spoke quietly. “Quit playing games with my heart if you aren’t willing to go all the way.” I was about to cry, believe it or not. I wanted so badly to go home and wrap my arms around my dog and lock myself in my room for hours. I just wanted to disappear and never have to worry about any of this anymore.

The leech took a deep breath; he didn’t know how to respond to this. I moved to grab for the door knob again and he stopped me. I barely even noticed him move at first, but his hand was on mine, and he was stiffening. I didn’t even need to ask him why he was doing this, or if he’d ever let me go. I wasn’t as naïve as many thought me to be. I knew exactly what was coming: Lecture time.

“Stella, enough is enough. You know that I have been around far longer than any human has. Yes, I understand the time difference. But what I don’t get is why you are in such a hurry to get rid of any valid paths in your life. You are human, Stella. I am a vampire. I know the difference as do you. How can you not see what I’m doing for you?” I couldn’t stay strong anymore; a tear was rolling down my face. He made a move to wipe it away, and I seized my moment to open the door. As the setting sun let a lovely color splash upon my fair skin, I knew that I couldn’t leave him without saying something in return.

“You are a vampire. I am a human; predator, prey. I get it. I am young, and life has much to offer me. But I have chosen, and I want to live with you and your kind.” I turned my head to look at him, and then got ready to say goodbye. “Until you are ready to see this, don’t come tossing a rock at my window.” I hugged him quickly and left, getting into a long, steady stride even before I heard the door slowly close. I felt bad about being this way to him, but what’s done is done, and there’s no way to change it, now is there?

It didn’t take long to get home; I was in pretty good shape considering the fact that I really didn’t need to work out. When I opened the door and came inside, my mother just gave me a look and shook her head. She really didn’t want to know what her daughter had been up to. She had long since stopped prying, because I had grown fond of my stories. Whether they were true or not, I would tell any random one to my parents when asked about my habits.

I went over to the refrigerator and fished out an apple. I had found that apples usually helped calm me down after a stressful day. I jogged upstairs to my room, and slammed the door behind me. Again, my parents had given up. They had finally realized that I was what I was and that I wasn’t going to change just because they didn’t approve of something. I immediately flopped onto my bed after hearing the click the signaled I had successfully locked my door. It heard movement from underneath my bed; I freaked out. I jumped up and huddled against the wall on the far side of bed, only to find myself laughing because I had gotten scared of my own dog.

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wriggled free from my bed’s skirt and leapt upon the bed. I smiled; Lucifer was a cute little thing indeed. He was a traditional tri-color, but barely had any tan midst his black and white fur. His tail fanned the air in pure happiness; he was glad I was home. I laughed a little as he bounded towards my huddled form and attacked my face with kisses. I instinctively began to stroke his soft body, whispering sweet words of praise to Lucifer.

His name had been something that had been suggested by my vampire addiction. After all, that was who I had gotten him from. After I had proclaimed my intent with the leech, he had given me this little puppy for a present. When I turned 18, Lucifer would be two years old. My parents hadn’t really cared that I had randomly came home with a dog, but that wouldn’t have mattered anyways. Lucifer was mine, and I planned to keep him at all costs. Meanwhile, the dog seemed quite as keen on keeping me. I had heard that this breed of dog was one of those dogs who formed a “to die for” bond with its owner, and that it was almost impossible to break once it had solidified.

Lucifer let out a quiet bark, for he had never been a barker. I knew what he wanted: to go for a night walk. I smiled at his eagerness to stay fit and lifted him up into my arms. I got off the bed and strode over to my closet. I reached out with my free hand and pushed aside the black curtain, which held an intricate design of red and black roses, intertwined with blue lace. I reached up, pulled a long string, which triggered my light switch. I set Lucifer down on the floor, and began to speak to my companion.

“Now Lucifer, what shall you wear this time?” I’ll admit it; I loved to mix and match clothes, accessories, and leashes with collars. It was something that was costly, but it was worthwhile in a sense. Lucifer’s big, round, expressing eyes left my gaze and searched through the outfits, and he pawed at the vampire outfit. I smiled and laughed; this was last year’s Halloween costume. “So, I see you’ve decided?” His tail wagged pleasingly, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he had chosen this outfit. “Okay, okay, I’ll put it on you.” I took it off its hanger and knelt down; I cursed slightly under my breath. Lucifer cocked his head, knowing that I had either remembered something or was displeased with something, and by my tone, he knew that I wasn’t happy.

“No, it’s not your fault, Lucifer,” I said as I turned and retrieved his brush. I turned back towards him, and he started pawing at the costume again. “What is it, Lucifer?” Perplexed by his actions, I lifted up the costume. A note fell out of it.

Stella, I’m sorry about this. I just don’t know how we can hide it from anyone. I don’t think you could fake a death, Stella. The only option is if you run away…but I don’t know if you’d be willing to do that.

My, Lucifer has turned out to be very clever, hasn’t he? I figured that since you told me not to toss a rock, I’d slip in and put this note in his costume. I’m a bit concerned as to why he didn’t bark when I showed up, but we’ll discuss that later.

Meet me at the creek at ten o’clock. Tonight.

My hands trembled slightly after I scanned through it for the second time. What could he possibly be thinking? I knew my parents wouldn’t care. It was Friday night, and I really didn’t have a curfew anymore. I glanced at Lucifer, who was nudging my leg; he wanted to go now. “Hold on, buddy.” I wanted to take Lucifer with me. Since it was eight o’clock, we had some time. It would take me around fifteen minutes to get to the creek, and Lucifer was due for his bi-weekly bath.

Lucifer seemed to know what I was thinking. He whimpered, and then lay down, putting his head on his paws. He wasn’t all that fond of baths, and that was because I had to use a bad-smelling shampoo in order to get rid of a skin infection. Apparently it had something to do with his bloodlines, or with his habit of hiding under my bed. Whichever way, we would soon be back to using rose-scented dog shampoo, and Lucifer would be happy. I plucked my canine friend from the floor and stood up, grabbing with my other hand for the grooming basket. As I looked around for the brush, I discovered that it had disappeared. Lovely. So now blood-suckers are thieves too.

Walking down the hall, I couldn’t help but to notice an odd stench. Wrinkling my nose, I scanned the area around me for a likely cause. It didn’t take long for me to find a pile of dirty clothes through outside of the attic stairway. I didn’t want to know why they were there, really. I stepped over them and into the bathroom, where I set down the grooming basket and my dog. Lucifer acted as if he was going to make a run for it, but the horrible odor of old, dirty clothes seemed to discourage it.

“Lucifer, calm down. The bottle of the stinky shampoo is almost gone.” I was quite pleased with how well things had worked out; the bathroom looked fantastic. I closed the door to the bathroom and walked over to the other door that could be found in the bathroom. It led to the adjoining room, which I had converted to be devoted to dogs. A special corner was sectioned off, and was tiled instead of carpeted. There was a grooming table and a special tub for bathing dogs. Lucifer had grudgingly followed, knowing that he wouldn’t get his walk if he didn’t get his bath. I smiled, shaking my head at his emotional broadcast.

I lifted my friend up from the tiled floor and put him in the tub. Since he never wore a collar when he was inside the house, I didn’t have anything to remove. I turned on the water, pre-set to a certain temperature, and began to saturate Lucifer thoroughly. Since he was used to this temperature, he just stood there looking at me, as if begging me not to use the smelly shampoo he dreaded so much. “Sorry buddy, but we have to.” I reached for the bottle of shampoo and squeezed a moderate amount of shampoo onto his coat. I closed the bottle and set it down, and soon had the coat worked up into a smelly green lather. I didn’t like the smell one bit, but I would definitely sacrifice my comfort for the health of my companion.

Once I had worked it into his coat, we had to wait a few minutes before rinsing the soap off. This was the part Lucifer hated the most. “I promise that as soon as we are done grooming you that we will go one our walk. I promise,” I said as I stood to go and rinse him off. His tail faintly wagged at my words, but he knew better than to wag it a lot during a bath. He knew that I didn’t enjoy getting wet with my clothes on, and I was glad he did. It didn’t take long to get the shampoo off, and as soon as he was fully rinsed, I lifted him out of the tub with his favorite towel. I was glad it was durable; we used it every time he took a bath.

I placed him on the grooming table and rubbed him with the towel all over to get his fur somewhat dry. I unraveled the grooming leash and pulled it over Lucifer’s head, enforcing the fact that I required his head to be out of the way as I pulled out the scissors. It didn’t take long to notice that, as always, his fur had grown in length again. It used to perplex me, but I was used to it now. I quickly went through and trimmed up the fur between his toes, and then retrieved an unopened grooming brush. I took off the wrapping and went at the task before me with practiced ease. Since I brushed him every morning and night, his coat was in good condition when it came to knots and mats.

Now it was time for blow-drying. Lucifer wriggled slightly; he didn’t want to face his mortal enemy, but knew all too well that he had to be satisfied with the fact that it wouldn’t hurt him as long as I was controlling it. Since this dryer was meant for dogs, it worked quickly yet effectively. It wasn’t long before I was brushing out his coat once more, smiling to myself at how Lucifer was getting excited; it was almost done. I removed the grooming leash and let him turn his head; he was missing something. I looked at him and patted his head. “Stay, Lucifer.” I knew that he didn’t require anything more; he would stay since I asked him.

I went back to my room and was about to go into my closet when I realized that I hadn’t closed the curtain. But, sure enough, it was pulled. The light was off also….something I hadn’t done. I carefully ease the curtain open, and then stepped inside. Something ceased my waist from in front of me and a hand clamped over my mouth just as I was about to scream. I fought those strong arms for a few seconds before my eyes adjusted to the darkness; it was my addiction. I calmed down slowly, my sides heaving as I tried to make up for the fretting I had done.

“Stella, why are you so afraid?” His voice was deep and husky again. Instead of his hand stifling any noises, I found that his lips were soon pressed to mine. I felt him move; he was closing my curtain. Again, I felt my heart race, my hormones raging as if they were Thoroughbred race horses. After about a minute or two of increasingly urgent kissing, I pulled away. “Why are you here?” Sure, maybe I was spoiling the moment, but I had to know. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before answering. “I couldn’t wait. I had to see you.” This answer was quite interesting. He usually had patience. A quiet, questioning bark split through the momentary silence; Lucifer wanted to know who was here.

“I didn’t know you were busy.” He pinned me against a wall, and then ran a hand through my black strands. “Well, I didn’t know that you were so intruding.” Again, I was ruining the moment. But Lucifer would have appreciated this, had he known that I was trying to get back to him. Another bark was heard, and I squirmed out of the vampire’s grip and out of the closet. I looked back at him, but he was gone. I made a face, and then reached towards the floor, finding a white gown that matched my curtain in design, fabric feel, and appeal to my mind and eyes. He wanted me to wear it on the walk. I laughed a little; he was so difficult sometimes. I grabbed the vampire costume and then retrieved the black collar and leash that was adorned with red roses that climbed upwards.

Returning to the grooming table, I apologized to Lucifer. “Chief Seduction was just here. I’m sorry, buddy.” I began to put the costume on him, knowing that this year I would be getting a new costume for him. It was September, and I was in my senior year in High School. Next month, Halloween would be here….and that meant I could go in public with my friend the leech without getting odd stares. I glanced over at the clock on the wall; almost 9 o’clock. I secured the collar around his neck and then went into the bathroom with the leash. He followed right after me, and sat down in the doorway as I began to change into the gown. My grey eyes seemed to stand out so vividly with my black hair framing it and the intricately designed dress to make it shine.

I grabbed a brush and began to fix my hair. Twenty minutes later, I was done getting ready; all that was left to do was to find a pair of slippers to match the dress and transfer my stuff into a matching purse. I opened the door to the bathroom and began walking over to my room. My little vampire pooch leapt of the pile of clothes and followed me, and growled slightly; someone was here, or he smelt the remnants of my little visitor. I let him go first into the room, and he immediately ran to my closet. He leapt upon a new object—or was it two? I knelt down and pulled two identical slippers from underneath Lucifer. I shook my head; how many times would he drop by?

I slipped on the slippers; a perfect fit. The footwear matched the gown fully, and I was beginning to wonder where he was getting all these things. I turned to look for a new purse and I found one matching my outfit. I sighed; why? Lucifer was getting tired of waiting around; he was beginning to chase his tail. I quickly transferred my things and grabbed my silver cell phone from my dresser drawer. I picked up the leash and put it on Lucifer and turned off my lights. I stood still for a moment and just listened, and then was satisfied that he wasn’t here. 9:30. I had half an hour to get to the creek.

When I turned to close the door behind me, a gentle, warm breeze caressed my body. By the wagging of Lucifer’s tail, I could tell that he was looking forward to a walk in this condition. I stepped off the porch, a light yet somehow graceful stride taking over the usual brisk pace I was accustomed to; what was getting into me? Lucifer was off sniffing at something, his black cape flowing just as fluently as his silky fur. I was on my own when it came to consultations. Oh, lovely. I couldn’t help but wonder at why I conversed with myself, but I knew better than to ask myself or anyone else. It was pointless, as was trying to win an argument against myself.

It was quiet. The moon was bright, and it was full. The stars couldn’t compare to the moon’s elegance; it was so beautiful. I suddenly felt like dancing; the urge was too strong to contain. I dropped the leash and twirled around, a smile plastered upon my lips, creasing my face. Lucifer looked on with confusion; he didn’t exactly understand why I was behaving like this. To some unknown lullaby, I swayed and moved. It didn’t occur to me until Lucifer was barking and running towards me that I realized I was being watched. My little hero started growling; he crouched down in front of me and bared his teeth; it had to be a male he was worried about, or another animal.

I glanced down at my phone; we have barely two minutes to get to the creek. It was only until I started searching for the unseen threat that I realized we were at the creek already. Suddenly Lucifer let out a sound I identified as an indication that he was going to pursue his prey—or was it our predator? Before I could stop him, the canine sped away, bounding quickly and seemingly effortlessly towards an old but highly-efficient willow tree. As the dog disappeared under the vines, I ran after him; I didn’t need my friend getting hurt or worse, killed. A snarl and a couple more growls signaled that he had found his prey, and had locked hold when a muffled sound came from in the cover.

I pulled aside the vines, entering the fortress of darkness before adjusting to the light chance. I froze; why had Lucifer stopped growling? I started to call his name, and something leapt up at me. I nearly screamed, and brought my arms up to my face only to feel the scrape of my dog’s nails come in contact to my palms. As the form rose in the air again, I grabbed hold of it. “What did you find, buddy?” I was inquiring to a dog with hunting lines in him. He knew what that phrase meant. Lucifer started squirming, so I put the fur ball on the softly padded ground and began to watch him. It wasn’t long until I felt arms around my waist.

“Did you forget we were meeting here?” The voice was familiar, a sound I had come to long for and breathe for. “Maybe,” I said, arching my back involuntarily. “Stella, stop that. I don’t intend on doing that…..at least, not yet.” Oh, that’s reassuring. The sarcastic statement was mine, yes, but I was hoping he would hear it and ignore it. Isn’t it? His voice rang in my head, but I really didn’t mind. Somehow, I was falling into his grips of seduction. Again. And somehow, against all my restraint, I somehow liked it. My arms rose to wrap around his powerful structure, lips trembling as my heart began to race.

I didn’t care that I might be getting myself into more trouble. I didn’t mind that my body was now pinned against the tree. I was feeling okay despite the fact that I felt a bit tipsy; was this really what love really felt like? A fuzzy feeling gripped my bodice, and the last thing I wanted to do was release my hold on him. Although Lucifer was still here, he must have laid down somewhere; I couldn’t hear him rustle about. Forget about Lucifer, Stella. He is fine. I smiled slightly; was this mind reading thing something he really enjoyed? He didn’t need to answer me in words, because he pressed into me harder.

My heart was throbbing, whether I liked it or not. And I knew that it was driving my vampire desire insane. I could just barely notice his breathing become ragged and heavy, but I knew mine was also changing. I couldn’t help but wonder why he had asked me to meet him, and why he had given me such a wonderful outfit; was I to be changed, or blood-bonded? My hopes began to rise before I was distracted by a strong, breath-taking kiss from the leech, and I soon forgot what I was even thinking about. It didn’t surprise me when I couldn’t bring up the strength to pull away; my knees were getting weak. Had I not been pinned up against the willow tree’s trunk, I would have collapsed already.

My body, even though I was enjoying this very much, began to ache. The force of being crushed was just too much. Due to the fact that I simply could not pull away of my own free will, I let our kiss slow down, until he realized the look of pain in my eyes. He pushed himself off of me, but had to double over to catch me as my knees gave out on me. “Stella, are you okay?” His voice was husky. I knew all too well that I was not, that something might be broken, but a little lie couldn’t hurt anyone, right?

Chapter Two

I hadn’t planned on passing out. I hadn’t planned on being carried to his house. I had not intended to make Lucifer pace around me and worry until he grew so exhausted that he crawled up into blanket that the vampire had placed over me. I did not mean to make my one true desire feel guilty. This was something that not even I could have predicted. At first, I didn’t realize anything was wrong. And then, I realized that I saw only black. I panicked, and it was only until I found that my eyes were closed did Lucifer start liking my face.

Squinting against the change from black to the dimly-lit room, I lifted an arm to pet Lucifer. The fact that I was awake obviously excited him greatly. I was glad to know that he was a quiet dog on most occasions; if he had started barking now, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. The weight of my furry companion soon alerted me to something else; pain. I winced in pain, shuddering as a chill passed over me. I groaned slightly; what had happened, again? Just then, the vampire I had come to desire so strongly walked into the room with another blanket. He smiled invitingly at me, and then kneeled down next to where I lay.

“Are you feeling okay, Stella?” I knew his question was genuine. I forced my smile through the pain, and then made an effort to sit up. I visibly winced, and I saw worry take over his expression. “Oh….” He didn’t know what to say. He knew that any injury I had sustained was caused by him. I shook my head at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” In truth, I knew I require medical reassurance that I would be fine…but I was trying to reassure my vampire. I smiled hesitantly, and then I reached out, touching his shoulder. “I’ll go to the doctor later, okay?” What I was really trying to say is that I would much rather have suffered than to have to leave him.

Lucifer licked my hand, nudging my arm in attempt to capture my attention. I patted his head, caressing his silky ears, and then glanced back at the male being that was kneeling beside me. “Okay. If that is what you want.” He nodded, and made as if to get up. I tightened my grip on his arm and then lifted my other arm. My heart raced involuntarily as I got closer and closer, my eyes starting to narrow their gaze until all I could see was his lips. I drew him in, and soon, we are kissing, yet again. The lingering sensation of his lips on mine was something I always felt anew, every time I experienced it. I didn’t want it to end. I pulled away from him for a moment, letting our lips slowly come apart as I dared to look him straight in the eye. I saw something there…something…different. Before I had a chance to inquire about it, he stole my breath with an urgent kiss. I felt his hunger, his need for this feeling….and he knew my appetite for this was growing, faster and faster, until I didn’t know if I’d be able to stand ending anything that was started.

Slowly, against all my control that I thought I had, I was pulling him onto me. No, I hadn’t realized it at first, but what shocked me the most was that I was actually doing this. One of my hands was running through his somewhat long black hair, and the other, well, I had no clue where it had gone off to. All I knew is that it didn’t matter right now, because now, my lover was upon me. I could feel his smile beneath our kisses, and I could feel my heart beat even faster. Not to mention that I could feel Lucifer squirming away from the couch; first, he found his way from underneath the blanket, and then he jumped to the floor. I couldn’t suppress the laughter as it went from a murmur to a giggle.

“What’s so funny?” The leech looked at me, humor written on his face; I must have been blushing also, because he lifted a hand to gently rub my cheek. “Oh…Lucifer was trapped underneath you.” I tried so hard to stop, but it took me a few more seconds before I had regained my composure. The vampire got up, not catching the fact that I had said was. I smiled, shaking my head. “He got up already,” I was now sitting up, ignoring the pain I felt in my side. Was something broken? I began to replay the scene in my mind, but the only thing I could think of what perhaps we had gotten carried away. Did we? The sudden intrusion on my mind was startling; I had to stifle a curse. “Oh….” I didn’t want to say yes, but was it safe, or right for that matter, to lie to him? “In a way, yes, we did. But…it’s fine, okay?”

The vampire shrugged; this was his way of dismissing the topic. I stood up, stretching my body out slightly. I yawned generously, and then bent over to fold the blanket. It occurred to me then, as I glanced downwards, that I wasn’t in the dress. Instead, I was wearing baggy pajama pants and a slightly tattered t-shirt. Yes, it’s something I would gladly wear, but how had I come to be in this outfit? I straightened out, quickly folding the blanket and placing it on the couch, and then sat back down on the couch. I glanced around; where had the leech gone? My attention was soon stolen by my little dog, which jumped on my lap and let out a quiet bark. As I began to pet him and murmur to him, he began to lick my hand and wag his tail. Had I hurt his feelings by getting injured, making out, or being so confused in front of him?

The vampire returned, holding the outfit I had previously been wearing. Seeing them, I blushed; although it had been kind of him to put me in more comfortable clothing, he had done more than enough by changing the clothes himself. I began to wonder what else he had done while peeling off my clothes, but I quickly stopped myself from thinking on it; those wondering thoughts would lead to distrust, and I definitely didn’t want to lack trust for him, not when I wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him.

He saw my blush, and it didn’t take him long to start blushing slightly also; I could tell that he would have a hard time telling me what had all gone on. I whispered something to him, and then stood up. I tried stretching again, and then began to probe my sides; was something broken? I winced as I felt my ribs, and knew immediately that I would need some x-rays to confirm what was wrong. By then, my vampire friend had come up to me, watching as I checked out what was wrong. I lifted my shirt up slightly, seeing bruising where I had felt immense pain. I groaned; I didn’t want to go to the hospital, but now, I had to. I glanced over at the leech. “Well…as you can see, I must be banged up pretty bad.” I flashed him a smile, and then continued. “Would you mind watching Lucifer for me, while I’m gone?” I knew that my lover wouldn’t want to take me to a hospital. They would get suspicious over him, and that’s the last thing we needed.

He nodded. “I’ll watch the dog.” He came towards me, wrapping me into a tender embrace. “Be careful, alright? We’ll be waiting for you.” I smiled at him, and then turned the knob to the door, and walked out. As usual, it didn’t take me long to get home. The walk was nice though, and it was getting light outside. Had I really been gone that long? I pushed the door open and wandered in, making a face at the weird smells. I was glad I didn’t wander around the house much, because I don’t think I’d last long with all the putrid scents. How did Lucifer stand living here? I sauntered into the kitchen, wondering where my parents were. It occurred to me that they might still be asleep, and as I glanced at the clock, I knew that’s where they were. I thudded up the stairs, not caring who heard. I lifted a fist to pound on the door and worn, annoyed face of my mother was they. “What do you want?” She snapped, grouchy as if she had waited up for me.

“I need to go to the hospital….I think I have a few broken ribs.” I could see it in her as her face creased with worry that she still cared at least a little about me. “I’m not going to ask what happened….but the doctors might. Better come up with a good story.” She turned and walked back into the room, her robe plopping the ground as she went out of view. “Get ready. I’ll be out in a few.” I shrugged at her, and then wandered over to my room. Everything was where it had been left, and I found myself looking for my phone. I felt quite idiotic when I realized that it had been in my purse, which I had left over at the vampire’s house. I sighed, and then went over to the bathroom. I made a face at the odd-smelling pile of clothes, and turned on the water faucet to dampen my toothbrush, and then made a face at myself; I looked like I had just romped around, not woken up after passing out. I rolled my sparkling grey eyes at my reflection, and then proceeded to brush my teeth.

“Stella, are you ready?” My mother’s voice called down from the hall, beckoning me to get going. I rinsed off my face, and then washed out the sink. I dried my face and hands, and then raked a brush through my hair. I threw it in a ponytail and then turned off the lights. Closing the door behind me, I ran down the stairs. “I’m ready,” I announced, and then went over to the door. “What about shoes?” My mother gave me a look, one that seemed to ask what had possibly taken away the little girl she used to know. “Right,” I slipped on a pair of flip-flops, and then opened the door. Yes, the sunrise was quite beautiful. I leaned on the door frame, and was nudged forward by my mother. “Let’s go.” I sighed, and then headed over to the silver mustang. It was a convertible, and my mother obviously hadn’t thought to put the roof back up. I hopped in, and realized that my mom was staring at me weird again. “What?” I asked, exasperated. She got in, and then shook her head, starting the car. “You’d think that you’d be less energetic, as much time you spend in your room.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I rarely was ever in my room. I spent a lot of time out with Lucifer or my vampire lover.

After we had buckled in, we backed out of the driveway and were on our way to the hospital. I still didn’t know what I would tell the doctors, but by the time we got there, I had decided on a reputable one. As we sat in the waiting room, I glanced around at the other people, wondering what they were here for. There was a little boy with bleach-blonde hair, and blood had dried down his face. I winced, wondering what had happened. His brown eyes caught me looking at him, and he quickly looked away. Was I really that frightening? I sighed, and soon, the boy was walking through the door to be looked at. I was glad he was getting checked out, but I still couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong. It wasn’t long before my name was called, and the doctors led me and my mother into a room. I looked around, observing everything. It was too clean. I shuddered, and then got up on the examining table. The doctor who was caring for me walked in the room. He was going bald, and I though he looked funny; the white tufts of hair were sticking out as if he wanted an afro.

“So,” He said, looking down at his chart to read my name. “Stella, I see you think you broke something?” I nodded, and he acted like he was writing something down. “Now, let’s see.” He instructed me to remove my shirt, and then asked me to lie down. I felt bare…I felt cold. As he felt around, he became curious as to how it had happened. “Well, I was walking my dog and he ran after a rabbit. I ran after him and didn’t see the log until I fell and landed on it.” Sure, I could have done better, but it was just like a teenager to do something like I did, so he shouldn’t question it. Still, he looked skeptical. “Your medical records say you have 20/20 vision. How did you miss the tree?” I glared at him. My mother butted in, forcing a thin-lipped smile. “Teenagers. What will we do with them?” She let out an uneasy laugh, and it just went to show how unaccustomed she was to defending me.

The doctor grunted, and then scribbled something down on his clipboard. When he looked back up, he began to speak. “Alright then, let’s proceed to the x-ray room.” I stood up and followed behind him, and before I knew it, I was swaying. My mother stabilized my movements with guiding hands, and when we had reached our destination, I could barely stay awake. What was going on with me? I had felt fine. Now, I felt like I wanted to cuddle up to someone and sleep. I felt like a pack animal. I lay down on the x-ray table, and forced my eyes to stay open. It was so hard….sleep was calling to me as if I wouldn’t live without it. And, that was true; I couldn’t live without it. After it was done, I heard them saying I needed surgery. I didn’t understand how that was possible…I couldn’t be that hurt. But as it was, I soon found myself in an operating room, and they were sticking a needle in me. My mother had fear in her eyes, and she asked where my dog was. I smirked; she didn’t call Lucifer a rat this time…..It wasn’t long before I drifted away, leaving my mom’s question hanging in the sterile air.

                                       ~

Orion sat upon the earthen mound, wondering to himself how he had let this happen. How could he have been so blind? He hated himself for believing that vampire. He had never thought himself a fool…but now, he had reason to think otherwise. Regardless of whether or not he was completely to blame, he hated himself. He blamed himself. He didn’t want to hear anything about the seductive powers of vampires; they didn’t exist in his eyes. After all, he was one of them now.

“You fool,” he muttered under his breath, and then felt the place on his neck where a scab should be. A hiss of rage flooded out from him; it was true. Vampires could heal abnormally fast. This would mean that he’d have a hard time ending what he had started. A sigh was heaved from his trembling body, and soon, he was trying to find a way to disappear. His parents feared him, as they had known of his change before he had. His older brother didn’t know yet; he was out of town, courting his lady. His little sister had just stared at him in disbelief. His only hope lied in his brother, whom would definitely lose courting privileges if it was found that he was family to a blood-sucker.

He stood up, stretching out the kinks that had grown to become familiar as he sat and thought and thought and sat. He never accomplished anything, unless you considered blaming yourself even more as an accomplishment. He knew what he would do. He would hide himself, and never show himself to the rest. He didn’t need companionship…look where it had gotten him. After all, monsters were monsters, and there was no doubt that he was automatically in that category now.

Years passed, and soon, Orion grew to miss the feeling of being with others. He decided that he would return to his family, and ask their forgiveness once more. Upon walking up the path to the place he used to call home, he noticed something different; there were trees scattered everywhere; fully grown trees, ones that hadn’t been there when he had left. He thought it to be odd, but nothing more. He lifted a pale hand and knocked on the door, a hopeful feeling rising within him. A wrinkled, worn old thing answered, and immediately there was shuffling inside the door. Now, two worn things stood in the door, eyes widened in horror. “Orion?” They seemed to be so surprised…he didn’t understand why. He opened his mouth to ask where his parents had gone, and the door was slammed in his face.

It didn’t take him long to recall their faces. Immediately, he understood. Those had been his parents. He kicked the dirt roughly, and then made his way into town. Perhaps his sister was about somewhere, or maybe his brother was waiting for him. Walking through the town, he was shocked to see all the changes. It amazed him, and he didn’t understand why. He picked up the newspaper and read the date. It was 20 years ahead of what he thought it was. He laughed; it must be a mistake. He walked into a fairly new bakery, and stopped in his tracks; his sister was there, putting freshly baked loaves of bread on a shelf. The young woman looked up and smiled in a pleasant manner, not realizing at first who he was, or who he had been. He smiled back, but knew that this wouldn’t last long.

His lips parted, allowing friendly-toned words to flow outwards. “Good day, Juniper.” She seemed startled at his greeting, as if he was speaking in another language. “Excuse me?” She squeaked, and then brushed her hands on her canvas apron. Orion met her gaze, and then saw the recognition go overboard. She grabbed a broom and held it to her side, obviously not trusting her older brother. “Get out of here, Orion.” She was speaking so angrily…if she had been a wolf, she would have been bristling. “I won’t hurt you…I don’t want to.” He said quietly, and saw a strong, burly man saunter out from the storage room.

“What’s going on here, love?” Orion shook his head; now his brother-in-law was going to either hate him or fear him. Maybe even both. “Jeremiah, this is my brother, Orion,” she said cautiously. The male smiled, and then put out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Orion. I’m Jeremiah.” So, Juniper hadn’t told her husband about him. Lovely, wasn’t it? “I’m sorry I missed the wedding; I have been gone for a while.” I spoke truthfully, but he obviously would have no clue why I had gone off. I could see puzzlement on his face, and I soon was struck with a question I didn’t know how to answer. “Is that so? You look so young…you can’t be more than eighteen summers.” My sister was 28, it seemed like. That meant she had been married probably at 18. I flashed him a smile, and then lied. “I was with distant relatives.”

He seemed to buy it, and only then did he realize that his wife was simmering with anger that was about to explode. “Orion, get out. Now,” I gave her a sad look, and then turned to leave. I waved lightly at Jeremiah, and then wandered out of the bakery, towards the town center. It didn’t take long to see my older brother, carrying a babe in his arms while his child ran about him, happy as can be. He glanced in my direction, and I nodded at him. He knew who I was. I wouldn’t trouble him, as I saw that he had family now. He couldn’t risk being with a vampire, a disowned family member. It would ruin everything. Orion knew now that he was immortal, and wouldn’t age. He also knew that staying where he was known was dangerous. It didn’t take him long to find someone on the street, begging for someone to take the horse off of his hands. It was pitch black, with a fire in its eyes that said it had a spirit. It was a stallion, and by the looks of it, an unwanted stallion. “Take it! Take it!”

Orion inquired as to why he would be asked to take such a fine animal for nothing in return and the man only confused him even more. “Its bad luck, you see? I can’t keep him. He kill pure white mare. He is demon.” Orion tilted his head, and then felt the horse for any injuries or conformation disorders. Finding none, he asked if the man had any tack to give him. He was rewarded with thanks and praise and was given a saddle complete with a blanket, a bridle complete with a bit and reins, and everything else that had been used on the horse. “He is crazy horse. Kill many if not watched.” His voice was foreign…Orion began to wonder where this horse had come from, after all. “Thank you, you take demon away from my soul and family. Thank you.” And then, the little man was gone. Orion made a face in confusion, and soon began to tack up the horse. There was nothing wrong with it, except for the fact that it watched him with constant amazement. Was it used to being treated like a feared thing?

“Well Demon, looks like that makes two of us.” Orion patted the stallion’s neck, and then mounted up. Again, the horse just looked at him, perplexed as to why he was being ridden when he was feared so much. The vampire only shook his head, laughing. He and Demon traveled for years and years, and formed a herd out of horses that people discarded because they were black. He lived out in the country with them, away from civilization, and fed from Demon when he was hungry. Many foals were born, and they were never anything other than black or white, or a mix of both. It was as if they were void of any color. When Demon passed away, 30 years after Orion had acquired him, Orion had continued to breed these horses. Having had farm experience, Orion was accustomed to being with the animals, even if they were his prey a lot of times. His favorite would always be the one he fed on, as he felt that it formed a different sort of bond with them.

For years and years, people began to wonder where Orion had gone. Juniper hadn’t been quiet about the unwanted visit, and everyone knew how Orion had taken black horses from anyone who didn’t want them. They all knew, but most of them had provided to his collection, so they never betrayed his whereabouts. The story of Orion continued through the years, and finally, Orion heard of the tales being told of him. He was known now, and that meant he had to leave. He and his heard rode into that town, and there he released his herd, letting them run loose. They knew how to fend for themselves, and they had easy walkways, for people feared black horses. They didn’t know what to make of a score of tiny black foals and a couple of white one and a dozen mixed. It baffled them, as they hadn’t realized what selective breeding could do. They soon found out, as it took many years to get the black streak out of the lines. By then, technology had taken over, and Orion was wandering around cars instead of horses.

It didn’t take long for him to find that everyone now was novice to what he was. If they knew anything about it, they obviously thought it to be mythical. It was a pity, as a naïve culture would spell disaster eventually. But seeing as he would be staying among these ignorant people, he would just deal with it. It was better to be thought of as nothing more than a human than to be known as a monster. After all, ignorance was bliss; you learned to cherish it as time went by. He got a job working a construction site, and soon earned enough money to start paying for a rent-to-buy home. It was only a year being in this new scene, but Orion felt that perhaps he had found somewhere to belong in. Having this state of mind drove him to make himself a registered resident of this prosperous town. The locals seemed to like him, but there were always the odd few who noticed his black eyes and avoided him.

He found a fairly small house out past the woods, about a mile from the creek. Due to its size and location, he was leased the house for fairly cheap, and the landlord had agreed to make it a rent-to-buy deal. The moment Orion stepped into the home, he had felt comforted. This was where he would choose to reside. Eventually, he would have to move because he would always look like an eighteen year-old, but there was always time to think about that. For now, Orion was glad to devote all of his spare time to remodeling and decorating his place of residence. He soon was inspired to create a rosebush fence around his house, as the flower had always been one of his favorites.

One year, an odd occurrence was beheld. A rosebush had produced a very dark red rose. All the others were a traditional red, but this one was almost black. Orion carefully clipped the rose, and started it inside his house, on a sunny windowsill. Perhaps, when isolated, the gene would create more dark roses, and eventually create a black rose. As he waited, he grew to long for companionship of another kind; he longed for a partner. With this in mind, he decided he would sign up at the local high school as a senior, thinking that maybe since he’d already graduated, he’d pass this grade. When the new school year started, he was mortified to find that everything was so new. He knew next to nothing what was being taught, and had to stay after classes were over to be tutored by the teachers. When asked what he had completed before, he simply stated that he wasn’t allowed to speak of his past. Sure, maybe he was lying, but it was the only real way to avoid talking about who he had been.

Halfway through the year, he met a girl. She was in her freshman year, and was ripening as a young woman. Her long black hair was amazing to him; he didn’t see many with hair the same color as his. What shocked him the most was that she suggested in her words, thoughts, and body language she knew what he was. She knew, and she wasn’t afraid. It thrilled him, and stirred emotions deep within him. He had asked her name, and she had given him a flirtatious smile, proclaiming proudly, “Stella.” Ever since then, there had been that spark in her grey eyes. He desired her, and she desired him. It wasn’t long before they would be caught making out in school, whether it was during lunch or between classes. Stella became a good fibber, and as his ‘parents’ were always out of town, there was no real trouble.

After their romantic relationship had begun to grow into something more than a simple infatuation, Orion bought Stella a puppy. It was a playful little thing, and they had decided together that they would call it Lucifer. A few more weeks went by, and Stella declared her goal to become blood-bonded to him. He had laughed, shaking his head at her antics. She was kidding, surely? As time passed, he found that Stella really did want to be his. And, how could he tell her no? He loved her, and because he loved her, he wanted to make sure she was happy at all times. After things started to really get heated, he would keep things from going too far by feeding on her. And, Stella enjoyed it. She loved the sensation. He then decided that, if and when Stella was truly sure about becoming his, he would bond her to himself. She always said she was ready, that he was being a worry wart for being afraid of the outcome. But Orion knew the consequences of decisions made in haste. After all, haste made waste.

                         

                ~

I woke up in a recovery room. My mother was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine. I had an IV in me to keep hydrated, and I felt numb. I quickly lifted and arm to stifle a yawn, but as my sides expanded, I felt a twinge of pain. My mother looked up, startled by my sudden awakening. Was I not supposed to wake up or something? I rolled my eyes, and then moved the blanket off of me. I needed to know what they had done. I moved the gown, and saw bandages. I began to panic; what had been, or was, wrong with me? My mother came over and swatted at my hands, fixing my gown and replacing the blanket. “Stella, leave it alone.” Her tone was harsh, and I hadn’t heard her talk to me that way in a while. It was quite interesting though, and I looked at her with my eyes widened slightly.

“Quit looking at me like that.” She snapped, and I looked away obediently. “Umm…” I didn’t know how to ask. “What’s wrong with me? Why did I need surgery?” My mother sighed, and then began to explain. “You had broken ribs, and on the x-ray it showed that something had been cut. Extra fluid was loose inside of you. They went in a fixed it.” I nodded, and then picked at the tape that held the IV in. “Stop it!” Her voice cut through my amusement and I put my arms at my sides; so much for almost being an adult. “How long will the stitches be in?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be long. “Two weeks, maybe; the doctors said that you will heal fast, so it might even be one week.” I didn’t bother asking why the doctors thought that; I just shrugged and toyed with the edge of the blanket.

“They said that as soon as you can walk without getting dizzy, you can go home.” I glanced at her, and then made as if to get off of the bed. “Stella, you’d better wait until you eat something.” It was annoying, having my mother being my mother again, but I obeyed her. I glanced up at the clock; it was lunch time. I sighed, and then rubbed my temples. Lucifer would need to be groomed once I saw him again. I began to wonder where Orion was, and if he was taking care of the dog. I laughed at myself; of course he was. He wasn’t stupid. I glanced down at the IV, and then sighed; why did these things always have to happen? It’s not like I could be punished for experiencing pleasure, right? After all, we had only been making out. What harm could come of that?

I hadn’t time to think further, as my mother announced that she was headed to the cafeteria to get food. I made as if to follow, but she pushed me back down onto the eerily soft bed. “No. You have to stay here.” She gave me a smoldering look that let me know what she had left unspoken: or else. I slumped on the bed, and then wished for my cell phone; I wanted to call somebody. No, I didn’t know who I would call. But just the thought of talking to someone seemed to clam me, and I curled up as much as I could on the bed and closed my eyes. I was exhausted, despite the fact that I had been unconscious for a while. Before I knew it, my mother’s hands were gripping my shoulders. She was gently shaking me, and for a moment she was just a blurred image, and her words were just senseless babbles.

“Stella? Are you alright?” Her words finally became words, no longer noises as they had been. I yawned, stretching by instinct and recoiling also by instinct as pain flitted warningly into my system. I nodded, and then glanced towards the door. A few people stood there, a look of relief on their faces as they saw I was awake. I couldn’t help myself; a giggle rippled through my body. I ignored the pain as it raced through me, for the laughter just continued. The doctors didn’t know what to make of this sudden outburst and judging by my mother’s shocked face, neither could she. After a minute or two, I had calmed down enough to sit up and wipe the tears from my face.

With a troubled expression playing on her face, my mother placed the tray in front of me. She seemed afraid, as if I was some mad person that belonged in a Looney Bin. A hush filled the room, and I found the silence hilarious. I just couldn’t help myself. I cackled and laughed until the tray toppled onto the floor, sending mashed potatoes with gravy and vegetables all over the place, splattering across the floor. This was absolutely side-splitting. I fell backwards, shaking with so much mirth that I couldn’t contain myself. I began to roll, and one of the doctors leapt over the mess I’d made to restrain me. Another came, and as I giggled and chortled, I felt a sharp prick, and then I began to drift away. I smiled and chuckled one last time before darkness wrapped itself around me like a warm, fuzzy cloak.

Chapter Three

I opened my eyes, blinking against the bright light I knew was behind me. I was lying on a soft bed, with a blanket over me that was perfect for snuggling with. I smiled dazedly, in a very good mood. I didn’t realize at first where I was at. In fact, I think I knew, but maybe I didn’t really care. Maybe I would just lie here and refuse to get up. No. I made a face, confused; I knew this voice….but why was it in my head? I shrugged, thinking that it was probably nothing. After all, I felt light as a feather, and really didn’t care about anything at the moment, except for staying right here.

The white walls that surrounded me were utterly bare. I was happy; no shadows. Stella. I glanced around me, annoyed now that this voice kept on disturbing the peace I was enjoying so much. I snuggled deeper into the blanket, my own warmth flooding through me as I made it so I was practically engulfed in the supple cover. I might not know where I was, but I felt good. I didn’t know who I was, but I didn’t really care. I didn’t know why I was here, but nothing seemed to matter. Stella! The voice was angry now. I got scared. I curled up into a little ball, letting the blanket consumed me so I wasn’t there. I wasn’t here, I wasn’t anywhere. Couldn’t I just fail to exist, and let this sweet nothingness be myself? What was I, anyways? Who was I?

It occurred to me that maybe the voice wanted something. I thought for a moment; what was it that it had said? Stella. It had said Stella. What, or who, was Stella? Something was touching me; I squirmed, and then the touch went away. I smiled to myself, feeling absolutely splendid. The touch came back, and I realized that I liked it. I moved a little, leaning into the touch. And then, it went away. As puzzling as it was, I was okay to let myself forget about it. I didn’t need it, did I? The touch came back yet again, and I couldn’t restrain myself from pulling the blanket off of my head. My eyes widened; there was a guy in this room. He hadn’t been here before, had he? I struggled to make a noise, but nothing came to me. Stella. There was the voice again. I looked at the face of this guy, and noticed that his eyes were black. And, I knew that I could trust this person. I knew that he cared for me. Even if I didn’t know why or how, I knew that I knew.

The male pulled back the blanket, and invited himself in my realm of warmth. I smiled at him, accepting the intrusion as if he had been there all along. Lying there, I felt safe. In fact, I felt even better than I had before. The guest took one of my hands, and placed it on his face, and I let out a giggle. I took one of his and placed it on my face, thinking it was a game. But then, his lips were on mine and I felt a tug. No, it was more than a tug. It was a pull. I jolt into reality. I blinked, suddenly afraid. I knew who I was with. I knew we were under a blanket. But for crying out loud, where the hell was I? I pulled away, but I saw a satisfied look Orion’s face. “What are you smiling at?” I hissed, and then made as if to stand up. “Stella, wait. Stay.” I glanced back, and obediently sat back down.

“Stella, they drugged you. When I heard, I came as soon as I could.” I was confused now. Who had drugged me? And from who had he heard? I shook my head, unable to grasp the situation.  “Your mind is still foggy, but I did the best I could to distract you.” It took a while, but I finally understood what he was saying. He had stirred up my hormones to over-write the drugs. I glanced around again, and then realized with horror where I was at: “A Looney bin?!” I struggled with this knowledge, and soon looked to the vampire. “How long have I been here, and how did you find out?” Orion looked at me, and shook his head; “About a week. I found out from Janice.” Of course, the blabber mouth of the world would know. She must have been snooping around…or maybe she had overheard my mother talking…or maybe my mother had been billed and Janice had looked up the address. And the duration I had been in here was sinking in; one whole week. Everyone must know by now. And when I got out of here, if I ever got out of here, everyone would know me as the psychotic chic.

I tried to stand up again, and he didn’t stop me. But as I lost my footing due to not having stood in a while, he was right there to catch me. I closed my eyes, sighing in exasperation; why me? He lifted me up and put me back on the bed, and glanced around warily. “We have to keep it down. They aren’t used to hearing anything come from your room.” I winced; had I really been that far gone? I tried to come up with a plan to escape, and only ended up with a throbbing head. I mumbled little curses under my breath, hoping for all I was worth that Orion knew how to get me out of this. A gentle pat from the leech told me that he felt my confusion, and was sorry I had to go through this. I looked over at him, and then lifted one of my hands, placing it on his. I traced little hearts on it, watching as my fingers moved over his soft, pale skin.

It didn’t occur to me until about a minute of my non-stop tracings on his hand that I realized they way he hungrily looked at me. No, it wasn’t a hunger for blood. It was a hunger for physical contact, for love. Perhaps, even, for lust. I pretended not to notice, and turned his hand over, revealing his palm, and moved my fingertips lightly up his wrist. My eyes rose to place a delicate touch to the moment, and a small smile flickered across my face. I didn’t particularly mind being alone, with my greatest desire. In fact, I was relishing this moment. I shifted my weight slightly on the bed, and then continued to run my fingertips on his sensitive skin. It wasn’t long before his hands were shaking, and his eyes were closed, and his breath was ragged. I knew he was trying to restrain himself….but why would he want to do that?

I stopped moving my hands, and suddenly pushed him onto his back. I immediately curled up against his breath-taking body and molded my form to his. His hand slid over my waist, settling part-way against the blanket. His fingers moved a little bit, and I jerked a little; I was highly sensitive now, and he wasn’t helping. I closed my eyes, hearing and sensing that he was smiling at me. He grazed his fingertips on my stomach, exploring as well as teasing. I arched my back, a pitiful attempt to stop form jerking. A curious noise came from Orion, and all of a sudden he was on top of me. My breath was taken away, and it was al I could do not to move as he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I love you Stella.” His lips grazed my neck, and then to me ear went the sweet, light kisses. I was hardly able to control myself by the time his lips reached mine, and as soon as our lips parted, a little noise of pleasure was uttered. I was surprised, of course, but more so when I realized that it had been me.

Orion looked down at me, having pulled away at my sudden outcry. He was surprised, I saw, and didn’t know what I had done. I lifted an arm, letting my hand caress his strong chest, and then curved it around his neck. “I love you more, Orion.” I rarely spoke his name, but when I did, I really meant what I was saying. I had used it a few times when I was mad at him, and after two years of knowing him, I was surprised with the fact that we didn’t end up killing each other. We were drawn to each other, yes, but how, really, would we ever become one? The only option really was to either be changed or blood-bonded, which Orion was obviously keen to avoid. I still didn’t understand why he worried so much, but maybe we just needed time to think and discuss what we thought. It sounded like a wonderful plan to me, but how would I ask him?

His black eyes seemed to smile at me as he lowered himself and kissed me lightly. I wanted more, but he pulled away again. I pouted slightly, and then turned my head; was someone coming? Orion cursed under his breath, and then quickly darted under the bed. I didn’t understand why he did that, because couldn’t he just teleport somewhere? Remember Stella, I am real. I’m not some fictional character from one of those odd books you read. I smirked, and then quickly got under the covers of my blanket. If I pretended to sleep, maybe they would leave. I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door. I heard quite, hushed voices, and I heard the door open. Why could I hear everything so vibrantly? I quickly slowed my breathing, putting on a pleasant, dreamy smile. I wondered how I looked, then, with my tangled hair and flushed face. Would they know that I had been up?

A few voices arose, and one of them struck me as my mother. I tried to conceal my puzzled thoughts, but I didn’t need to. They were walking away. A little clatter startled me slightly, but I ignored it. After a few minutes of lying there, I opened my eyes. The clatter must have been the door getting caught on something. It was cracked open. I sat up, pulling away the blanket. I slid off the bed, and stood up. I made a face at the gown I was wearing. Didn’t they have any suitable pants? I looked in the dresser, finding a simple pair of a blouse and crisp pants. Ignoring the fact that Orion was now out from under the bed and watching me, I changed from the gown and into the outfit. I ran my fingers through my hair, and then put on a smile. “Are you ready to help me out of here?” He smiled back and nodded, and let his eyes scroll up and down my body before stopping at my eyes again.

I couldn’t help but blush. I wasn’t uncomfortable around him. I just felt the need to be modest sometimes. I took his arm and we crept slowly to the door, and he peered around the corner. He signaled it was clear, and we darted from the room and ran down the hall. He pointed down the hall we should go down, and we soon found a flight of stairs. We ran down it, and soon found the front door. Orion glanced over at the desk, and then picked up the doormat door stop and slid it down the hall, hitting a door. I jumped; the lady at the front desk jerked up and scurried down the hall in such a forbidding manner I forgot that we were supposed to run. Orion grabbed my arm, and we ran through the doors. As soon as we were out of there, he bent down. I made a face, and then leapt on. I knew that he would be more capable of running than I was, but really, did it have to require carrying me?

I didn’t have much time to think. He darted off so quickly I almost fell backwards. I gripped onto him tighter, and I felt his body shake a bit as he laughed. No, he wasn’t going fast enough to cause alarm; we merely looked like a young couple, madly in love. We fled through the parking lot, and crossed the road. I saw a gap on the other side of the road, and my gut twisted; he was going to jump. I closed my eyes and whimpered, and felt him laughing even more once we had gotten over the ditch. We were in the little handful of trees now. Okay, it was more than a handful, but it was a dwarf compared to the vast woods next to Orion’s house. I was proud of myself then; I was staying on his back, though I had failed miserably at horseback riding. What was the difference here?

The difference is that we are running—running for our life. I didn’t make a face at his words this time. I thought on them. Running for our life….he had said ‘our’. What had he meant? It was all becoming a bit clearer, though I knew I wouldn’t be able to think correctly for another day or two. I was lucky to even be thinking this much. Any normal person would still be delirious. But I wasn’t a normal person. I was with a vampire, and that vampire was my greatest desire. He was mine, and I was his. I wanted to spend eternity with him. Did he want to spend eternity with me? My thoughts were cut off as we hear sirens in the distance. I slid off his back when he stopped, and we fell in the grass, laughing. We would have to get back up in a few seconds and keep running, but this time Orion could go as fast as he could. We’d go to my house, get all my things, and then hide out at his house. My mom wouldn’t think to look for me there. She didn’t even know about Orion. But…Janice might open her mouth to everyone, so…how safe were we? I climbed on his back again, and he was going so fast in a heartbeat. I clutched onto him blindly, closing my eyes against the wind. My hair flew wildly behind me, and I hung on for all I was worth to his strong body.

Before I knew it, and before I was ready, we arrived at my house. I grabbed a few trash bags and threw my stuff into them, and was careful to get everything for Lucifer. I took down the curtain and everything else in my room. In about 10 minutes, and with Orion’s help, everything I owned was stuffed into these plastic bags. We carried them out towards the creek, and once we were safely out of view, he took each bag, darting back and forth between me and his house. Once he finally came back for me, I was grateful. I was glad to have such a great friend. I mean, really, who else had a friend that would come rescue them from a mental hospital and let you live with them? I was a very lucky girl. When we got to his house, I literally jumped from his back and bounded into the house. My little fluff ball leapt into my arms, happy barks flooding the household as he licked my face. His tail was waving like a fan; I was glad to know he cared that much. This meant I had done a good job taking care of the little dog. I hugged him to me, and then stroked his silky fur. It was virtually tangle free; I glanced over at Orion, smiling in gratitude. I couldn’t hear any sirens, which I guess was a relief. They hadn’t started the search over here. I wished it would rain, so if they decided to use tracking dogs, they wouldn’t find me.

Speaking of dogs, I was glad that Lucifer had been here. He was supposed to get micro-chipped, but luckily I had gotten hurt….I was starting to see how all these events were now falling into place. It was as if Fate Herself was saying Orion and I were meant to be. I put Lucifer down, who was jumping up and down as the bag containing his things was opened. I looked at Orion, and strained to catch his eye. He glanced up at me soon enough and I smiled one of my flirtatious smiles. He smiled back, shaking his head, as if to say: What will I do with you? It was silly, I knew, to always be so happy. But with him, I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t going to fight any emotion when it came to him. It was simply foolhardy to try, and this I knew by experience; ever try to hide something from a vampire? It was impossible. Therefore, I was simply better of to go and let my true colors show.

Lucifer nipped at my hand as it rested at my side, wagging his tail furiously. I giggled a little, and then knelt down to the floor, letting my knees absorb most of the shock. I tried not to wince, and managed a crooked smile before I was forced to bite my lip to keep from gasping. I grumbled to myself afterwards, and then took a duck decoy out from one of the bags. I shook it in front of the dog, and then gave it the best throw I could. The sudden stretching of my upper body’s muscles shook me horribly; I hunched over, clutching my sides as if my life depended on it. With a pained, worried expression, my vampire knight lifted me up from the hardwood floor and took me up to his room, laying me carefully on the bed. I tried to take off my shoes, but failed as soon as I tried to bend even a little. Orion quickly peeled them off, and then gently moved me into a more comfortable position. I looked at him, a grateful sigh dispelling from my bodice as I smiled. I knew very well how lucky I was to know someone like this. It was amazing.

He left the room, and soon, Lucifer had curled up defensively against me, and occasionally licked my hand, trying to comfort me. Orion returned with a pill and a glass of water, and held them out to me. He thought better, and sat on the side of the bed and offered me the pill. I opened my mouth, letting my tongue slide out. He placed the pill on it, and then held the glass of water up to my lips. He lifted it up a little, and I tilted my head, back, swallowing the water and the pill also. I knew it was pain medicine, probably Tylenol. I yawned a little after he pulled away the cup, and snuggled a bit into the blanket. He laughed a little, and then lifted me up effortlessly, using one arm to keep me against him and the other to upturn the blankets and sheets. Lucifer moved, prancing warily as he waited for me to be put back down. As I was carefully lowered onto the soft embrace of the bed, I gazed up at Orion. So strong. I almost forgot what had happened earlier when I looked into his eyes. I was hypnotized.

“You know, looking into a vampire’s eyes, especially when weakened, is simply a fool thing to do.” His matter-of-fact voice held a hint of humor; I was unable to suppress a giggle. “Maybe I am a fool,” I said, looking away. “Maybe, maybe I’m a fool….” I glanced back up at him. “A fool for you.” His eyes widened a little, and I felt some sort of heat rising through me. My cheeks flushed, and my throat seemed to close. All of a sudden, it opened, and lyrics came tumbling out:

Aren’t we perfect, you and I?

Isn’t this moment bliss?

I want to stay here forever

Lost in true love’s kiss

I tried not to act surprised. Orion didn’t bother to disguise his feelings, though. “Stella….where did you learn that?” What was that look meaning? He was looking at me as if I had said something completely out of line. I looked at him blankly. “I dunno.” I shrugged at him, and then looked down at Lucifer as he claimed my lap as his perch. Lapdogs. I could feel Orion’s eyes boring into me, so I stumbled over my words as they finally came out. “It just kind of was there.” I looked up at him, afraid that my spur-of-the-moment oddities had upset him. He blinked, and then strode out of the room. I ruffled Lucifer’s fur, and then gave him an uneasy smile. “Maybe I should go to sleep, boy. I must be overly tired.” I yawned as if to prove my statement true, but when I got situated under the cover with Lucifer tucked under my arm, more words came to me. I let them flow out, and tried to keep note of what was escaping.

Hush, my dear one

Please don’t cry

The mountains sing of peace

The forests sing of freedom

Even the sky has its own sweet lullaby

It didn’t occur to me at first that this might be a lullaby at first. Lucifer wriggled out from under my arm and landed a few wet kisses on me before jumping off the bed. Maybe he needed to go to the bathroom. I slowly kicked off the covers, and sat up. My head was spinning now. What did this all mean? I stood up, and then fixed the blanket so it was neatly upturned. Lucifer was no where to be seen. I crept slowly, leaning against anything I could find. Once out of the room, I glanced around; it was so dark. It was quite, except for my throbbing heart and the light click of Lucifer’s nails on the hardwood floor. I glanced warily at the stairs; since when had Orion’s house had stairs? I went to grasp for the railings, but toppled over; nothing was there. I curled up in fetal position, closing my eyes. Something was definitely wrong with me.

“Stella, what are you doing there?” The calm, quiet voice was barely heard as I sobbed in panic. A hand was on me now; I yelped, and then began to babble endless things, weeping and struggling to breathe all at once. I was lifted up, and I began to panic again; I flailed my arms and legs, wildly trying to get away form whatever had such a strong hold on me. I faintly heard some weird, deep noise; a growl, maybe? I felt the bed underneath me, and everything was dark. I thought I had passed out. I could hear my heart thudding, and feel my sides heaving, along with the sharp, insistent pain from my injuries. My head hurt. My body shifted as more weight was added not too far from me on the bed, and I began to panic; I was still awake.

“Stella, it’s alright. It’s me. Orion.” The sound of the familiar name somewhat calmed me, but I felt something move over my legs and I screeched. A warm, wet thing was attacking my face, and I began to cry again. I was so scared, and didn’t care much to think rationally. What was rationality, anyways? What was real, what was not? A hand suddenly clamped firmly over my mouth, and I felt a sharp prick on my neck. The sensation was overwhelming, and so familiar that I immediately calmed. My breath was still quick, as it seemed right to be. Soon, the sensation was gone, but I felt better. At least, I felt safe. I could see again, but it was because my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. “Stella, are you alright now?” I nodded, then added a bit uncertain, “I think so.”

I knew now that Lucifer was with us, and Orion was in the bed next to me. I knew that I was on the right side of the bed, Orion the left, and Lucifer was on the foot of the bed, waiting. It was nice, knowing what was going on now. “I think that your body rejected the pain medicine. It’s gone now, Stella. At least, a majority of it is.” That was all he could do. I knew better than to ask him to take more blood. It was unhealthy for a vampire to constantly gore itself, especially on tainted blood. Not that it’d kill them. To make a long story short, it simply wasn’t natural. I suddenly felt all bubbly inside. “Orion...” A smile formed on my lips as I spoke, and I felt his body tense a little at the sudden change in my demeanor. I reached out slowly, finding his face. I stroked his cheek for a moment, and then leaned forward, finding his lips. I tasted blood. It was my own, I knew, but it was amazing to taste it now for some odd reason.

He didn’t fight me. A little thrill ran through me, and I couldn’t help but to keep my hands from wandering. I felt this pull, and though I didn’t know where it’d take me, I wanted to follow it. My hands found his chest. It was so muscular…even more so, and it was tensed and flexed now. My fingers stroked absently; I had never been able to consciously move my fingers this way, not even close. It was always out of my control. His hands were on me now, one on the back of my neck and the other running through my black strands. It filled me with more heat, which I passed on as more urgency in the kisses. I didn’t dare to keep my feelings to myself; this was way too strong, too honest to ever hide. I was panting now, my breath coming in little gasps. I felt so warm, so enveloped in this. The bandages must have been thermal, because I could feel, quite distinctly, acute warmth.

His hands were wandering now. When they found the bandages, he pulled away abruptly. “Stella...you’re bleeding.” My eyes widened; how did he mean? I was hoping that it wasn’t my period; it was simply too early. I still had a week of leeway before I could begin to expect it. So…he must mean that the bandages had blood on them. The room was suddenly flooded with light, and I could see that my latter presumption had been correct. I sat up, glad that I hadn’t stained his sheets. Yes, there was blood, but his acute eyes and sense of smell had picked it up before touch had. I sighed, and then wandered over to his bathroom. I would have to take off the bandages and see what was wrong, and then re-bandage it up. I glanced over at Orion. “I’ll need plenty of more bandages, and some disinfectant. Maybe some medical tape, too.” He nodded, and went off to find his first aid kit. No, he never used it. But he had soon learned that I was prone to injuries, and had not hesitated when the prospect of a first aid kit had come up.

By the time he had come back to the bathroom, I had stripped off the shirt. I was silently glad that I could keep my bra on. I would need Orion’s help, and even if I had dreams and hopes of being with him for eternity, I still had modesty issues. As for the fact that I was in front of him in a bra, well, I just thought of it as a bikini top. With that illusion, I got confidence. “Can you help me get the bandages off, please?” I had to fight myself to avoid smiling; I lost the battle though, and let blood rush to my cheeks. He grinned at my girlishness, and then nodded. “Anything for you.” I was slightly shocked right then; since when had he become lovey-dovey and domestic? I eyed him suspiciously as he began to remove the bandages. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and forced myself not to wince as the torn flesh was revealed. Blood began to dribble down, and without thinking, I removed the pants. No use staining his clothes, right? I grabbed some toilet paper and dabbed at the trickles of blood, waiting for Orion to get the disinfectant.

“Is there a problem?” I asked off-handedly, trying to stay focused. I was feeling dizzy again, but I fixed my gaze on the bloody toilet paper to try and stay with the present. I received no answer; instead, I that Orion was looking at me. I blushed immediately; why did he have to look at me now, in that way, when I was so vulnerable? I shivered a little bit, vaguely aware that I’d have to take a shower before we put the new bandages on. I looked away and dabbed again at the bloody thing. “Um…” I tried to find the right words, and then gestured at the kit. “I think I’ll need to take a shower….so…um….maybe we could put strip of bandages directly on the bleeding parts and then put duct tape over it…to seal it.” I was staring down at my feet, of all things. I noted that they had removed that black nail polish from them. I glanced at my hands, noting also that my fingernails had been stripped of polish also. Joy.

Without a word, he left to retrieve some duct tape. At least, I think that’s what he was doing. I took a minute to gaze at my appearance. It was vaguely familiar, but I looked different, somehow. Then again, I was clothed when I was seen in the mirror at normal times. Now, I was in black under-things. I laughed at myself for a moment, and then shook my head; Victoria Secret was quite a hysterical subject, in my eyes. Sure, I wore it, but I felt, somehow, that the silky garments I wore had been made solely for me. I yawned, then, and then turned just in time to see Orion standing there, surveying me. I blushed deeply, once more, and bit my lower lip. I knew what he was feeling. At least, I thought he did. I think I was feeling it too. Was it lust, or was it love? I knew I loved him. But, somehow, I knew that, with some guilt, I was feeding lust. And on the other hand…..I liked this. I wanted to act on this feeling, this deadly sin.

What was I thinking? I shook my head, and then applied a few bandages, and then watched as he quietly went about the task of taping them down. He intentionally (at least, it seemed that way to me) brushed his hand on my chest. I blushed even more than I thought I could; was I really that prude, to have this strong of a reaction? He looked at me, hunger in his eyes. I knew that he would honor nothing above being able to shower with me. I leaned up, and landed a soft, gentle kiss on his neck, and then buried my face. In the crook of his neck, I felt safe. I nudged into it, somewhat unconsciously, with my nose, and inhaled his scent.

His hands rested on my bare lower back, and as he rubbed in a comforting, cuddle-like gesture, I could help but think of what it’d be like to shower with him. I bit my lip at the thought, and I could tell that he somehow knew what I was picturing. His fingers slid over the fastening, stopping there and just…being there. My hands, which had hooked under his, flexed; my nails were driven somewhat into his back, and I found, with stunned realization, that this all seemed natural. It felt as if it’d been done so many times before. And, I relished this familiarity. I let my hands fall, and I smiled as he shivered from the touch. To know that he wanted me was enough to keep me alive. I knew that this had gone far enough, but his warmth upon my quickly chilling body was addictive. It was Orion who forced me out of my comfort. “Go on now. Take your shower.” His black pools rested on my grey ones for a lingering moment before he turned and exited the bathroom. He had closed the door, but I had the urge to thrust it open and run to him. Silly me.

I turned on the tap, automatically turning it up to just about full-blast hot water. I pulled the tab, and smiled to myself for no absolute reason as the water came raining down from the showerhead. I stood there for a moment, kind of blacking out, and was quite startled when the door opened and Lucifer came trotting in. I stood up abruptly and flung the door open, only to find all of my bathing items in a little bag: razor, soap, shampoo and conditioner, buff puff….it was all there. I glanced at my dog, watching as he was sniffing cautiously at the bloody things, and wondered why he was in here. I soon just shrugged and removed my final garments and stepped into the steamy abyss.

I took longer than usual in the hot water. I had turned it up to full blast somewhere between finishing my usual bathing routine and beginning to cry. Lucifer had poked his head in once I had begun to sob, but withdrew after he saw that I wasn’t hurt. At least, he knew that I wasn’t hurt enough to require him to get all wet and soggy. When I turned off the hot water, I instantly got goose-bumps. I shivered continuously, and it wasn’t long before my teeth were chattering. I grasped for the towel that had been put on the counter, and dried off as quickly and effectively as I could with shaking hands. I put on the silky under-things once more, and then opened the door. I was freezing, but I knew that the sooner we got this done, the better. Orion appeared out of no where, and I had to keep from screaming. Why did I have to be so girly? I ducked my head, letting my thick, wet mop of hair fall into my eyes. I was thinking of cutting it, getting those swept bangs I had seen around. Maybe some streaks….maybe…Orion’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Are you ready?” His question was simple, but I didn’t want to answer. I knew that it’d hurt immensely to take off the duct tape, but knew it was inevitable. “Sure.”

He slowly began to peel away the duct tape, but I began to wonder whether or not he was deliberately checking me out. In five minutes, we had gotten an inch lifted from my skin. I decided that I’d lie down on my back, as I knew it’d be a while. I drew my arms up and put them underneath my head, closing my eyes as I pretended to ignore those hungry black eyes. A couple licks to my face made me giggle “Lucifer, you silly pooch!” I opened my eyes and freed one of my arms to ruffle the dog’s fur, and then glanced over at Orion. He seemed to be fixed on just staring at me. I felt a blush coming on, but instead got bolder. “You know, this is quite comfortable. I’m willing to lie here all night.” I was aware that his eyes widened a little, and that he was weighing the pros and cons. “Stella, don’t tease me.” He said it so quietly, so huskily that I barely picked it up. I drew my lips into a seductive smile. “And what if I choose to go against your wishes?”

All of a sudden, he was there, pinning me down. I smirked, thinking sarcastically. Well, it’s not as if I planned to move anyways. He made a deep noise is response, and I lifted my arms up, letting them crawl up his chest. I felt a longing to see his wonderfully chiseled body, to feel each and every curve and muscle his vampire masculinity could offer. But, as longings went, sometimes you had to fight them and beat them down. I did just that. His head lowered, body shifting so his arms could keep him off of me. He still seemed wary about the incident with the tree. I let my thoughts slip away, and kissed him. He didn’t kiss back. I pulled away, letting my head drop down so I could study his features. He looked down at my body, and let his eyes meet mine. I want you. His unspoken words whispered into my mind gently, lovingly. Wasn’t it love? I kissed him again, deeper this time, and felt the urgent pull in his lips. Lust. My eyes closed, and I allowed myself to shift naturally. What happened would happen. There was nothing wrong or upsetting about spending time with one of the opposite sex, or the same sex, for that matter. It didn’t hurt to do these things.

A few minutes later, with my breath coming in little pants, I forced myself to pull away. I needed to calm down. I bit his lower lip, seeing a smile form upon his face. He rose and went back, silently, to the task at hand. I squinted my eyes against the feeling as the tape was removed, but knew it wasn’t all that bad. I would live. After a few more minutes, half of the work was done. I yawned, stretching out a little. I was still cold, but we were getting closer to finishing, I could hold out. I dabbed at the little pool of blood that had collected, and sighed. It was dull, just lying here. But I knew that the events afterwards would be a bit more contrasting. I mean, who wouldn’t have fun with a vampire? I smiled to myself, and met the ebonite jewels that were of my love. He had been listening to my thoughts.

Soon enough, the bandages were replaced. It was done with much giggling, tickling, and little, quick kisses. We just couldn’t wait to get to the bed. No, not for the reason you’d think. I wanted warmth; he wanted me to be warm. Combining our needs, we had this odd urgency to share warmth. Curling up against each other, I found that it was so easy to let all my cares float away. In my silky pajamas, I must have gotten his warmth immediately; the shivers were almost gone. Lucifer curled up on the end of the bed, knowing any cuddling time with me for him wasn’t to be found tonight. Almost as if it was programmed into us, we simultaneously embraced each other; our bodies molded to each other instantly. I arched my back, against my will, and let out a little sigh. I met Orion’s gaze, and kissed his lips gently. We knew our limits. For a vampire to breed with a mortal could cause serious problems, even if they used protection. It just wasn’t done.

I yawned, and then turned my back to Orion. He slid his arm over me, and got a bit closer, once more molding to my bent form. And, it all felt safe. I was comfortable. Lucifer felt me relax, and crept up to curl up against my chest. I smiled and stroked him fondly. Despite his eccentric name, it was natural to call him that. It had just seemed to fit him immediately. I messed around with his fur, twirling it and braiding it. When I fell asleep, I was both content and satisfied with my life. I mean, I had a dog who I loved to death. I had a vampire as a lover, and he had rescued me from a psychiatric hospital. I owed Orion, but I’d make up for it. I knew I would.

When I woke up, Orion’s hand was underneath the shirt, resting lightly on my bare stomach. The thrill I suddenly got wasn’t fair; why did I have to feel like this when I was hurt? I smiled and found myself yawning, Orion’s hand moved, first up my stomach a bit, and then I felt him tense against me. He withdrew his hand as if it was on fire. I giggled at him, “Having enjoyable dreams, are we?” He blushed, and I relished this rare occurrence. I didn’t bother to fix my shirt as it exposed half of my stomach; I wasn’t very self-conscious, not now. I had slept with this guy, after all. And, I trusted him. He could have done anything to me last night, while I was asleep. And he hadn’t. That was very convincing as to his values. Lucifer lifted his head and landed a little kiss on my nose before jumping off the bed. He needed to go outside. I stretched, pushing against his on purpose. He grabbed my waist and laughed; before I knew it, he was lifting me in front of him. Lucifer sat calmly at the doorway, knowing he’d be let out soon enough. I was put down after a little flying in the air; he enjoyed showing off his strength, however unusual it was.

I grabbed a leash and fastened it on his collar. We went out back, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to take another walk. Well, not here, I knew. But wouldn’t people look for me? I sighed, and stood off the back step to let Lucifer do his business. Until I was sure that it was safe, I was afraid that Orion would have to be the one picking up the…waste products. In a few minutes, Lucifer and I were back in the house, and I was washing my hands. I would make breakfast myself. I asked Orion to bathe Lucifer, or at least groom him, and put a skillet on the stovetop. I thawed some bacon, and in the meantime I cooked some eggs. After I had made enough eggs for us, I went and started up the bacon. After about ten pieces, both of the males were drooling, waiting in the dining room. I had checked in on them a couple of times, and Lucifer had even begged. I saw all the humor in it, but something seemed to be bothering Orion. I made a face at him, raising my eyebrows in a question. He didn’t even bother to fill me in.

When breakfast was served, the vampire’s eyes seemed distant. Lucifer ate at my feet, his bowl of kibble accompanied by many small pieces of juicy bacon. I ate, chewing thoughtfully as I let my eyes rest on Orion. They fell to his untouched plate, and I made a face; he had always enjoyed eating human food before. In fact, it’s why he always kept his house well-stocked. Whenever I came over, we usually ate something. I cleared my throat, hoping to stir him into his senses; what was his problem, anyway? I finished my food quicker than I’d meant to; a swift glance his way showed that he didn’t notice, nor had he touched his food. I sighed, and then rose. I cleaned out the sinks, and then started doing the dishes. Lucifer was prancing around my feet, trying to beg for more bacon, but I knew the limits. Too much human food would hurt him badly. “Orion, could you bring your plate over, please?” I heard nothing in response. No rustling, no clank of silverware on the glass plate. Nothing. “Orion?” My voice faltered for a moment, and then I looked up. As I’d feared, Orion was gone. I knelt down to my dog, and ruffled his ears. “Hey buddy; can you go get Orion for me?” His tail wagged, his whole body saying he was eager to please. He raced off, nails clicking relentlessly on the hardwood floor. I went over to the table, and shoveled the food into the garage disposal. Turning on the water, I let it run for a few moments. I heard nothing besides the water.

“Lucifer?” My voice shook; I wasn’t used to my dog disappearing. He was always around me, and when he failed to let me know of his presence…something must not be right. Panic rose within me and my heart rate sky-rocketed as I leapt into a jog. I found the door leading to the garage slightly ajar, but when I pushed it forward, the dim light in the hallway couldn’t breach the darkness I saw before me. Impenetrable. It took me a few seconds to decipher the odd noise I was hearing, and then I realized in horror that something was breathing so hoarsely…they must be dying or something. I reach for a light around the door frame, and pulled my hand back, blood coating my fingertips. I gasped, and then turned around, gagging. I was hyperventilating, and I knew that I’d most certainly faint soon. “Lucifer?” My voice was shaking, just as my whole body was. A whimper reached to me, and I spoke again. “Lucifer, come here, boy.” I prayed fervently that he would come to me, unscathed. A little patch of color could be seen, and then my little dog was standing at my feet, looking at me as if he had just seen something horrible. I quickly lifted him into my arm and locked him in a bathroom, not wanting anything to happen to him. I searched for a flashlight, wary of my bloodied hand, and ran back to the door.

 

Chapter Four

The breathing was even worse than I recalled. “Orion?” My voice was alien to me. I fought back the faintness I began to feel, and focused on trying to turn on the flashlight. Once I had it shining brightly against the cloaking darkness, I regretted it. A mutilated body lay in a heap on the floor, and there was blood splattered around him. I found the light switch, and quickly ran to the form. I gasped; it was Orion! Tears sprung to my eyes, and reached for him, letting my hands search his body. What had happened? I wanted to call an ambulance, but it was a stupid thing to think. The hospital wouldn’t be able to help him. He’d be safer here, with what I could do. A quick scan around me found the side door to the garage was swinging restlessly in the breeze, and I hardened my gaze; no human did this. It was another vampire. “Orion, listen to me. I’m here.” The body shifted, and his eyes were fixed on me. “I don’t know how to help you, but I think I’ll have to get you into the tub, to clean you up.” I knew what this required. I knew, also, that I would need some assistance from the poor thing, in order to get him in the tub.

Without waiting for consent, I hooked him under the arms and began to drag him. He groaned in pain, and I tried to ignore it; it was for the best. I pulled him into the bathroom I had shut Lucifer in, and lowered his shoulders back down. I got the hot water running, hoping he wouldn’t mind my preference in water temperature. Lucifer leapt onto the toilet, panting anxiously as I peeled off Orion’s clothing. My breath was uneven, and I knew that my heart must be skipping beats. I was shocked, yet again, by the perfection of his body, despite the fact that it was torn and bleeding in many places. I forced a smile, trying to enhance the situation? I left his boxers on, because I highly doubted there would be a wound there. Okay, maybe I was just a little bit nervous about having to see that part of his body. I looked at his face, and he got the message. He forced his bloody self upright, and crawled into the water. His eyes widened a bit in surprise at the hot water, but averted my gaze. I switched it to the showerhead, letting it rain down on his body. I gazed at him for a moment, and then grabbed a washcloth. It was time to work.

Half an hour later, I had taken inventory on his wounds: a gash an inch deep in his thigh, various scrapes on his back and chest, and many scratches on his face, arms, and sides. He would heal fast once I had put ointment on, I knew, but I still couldn’t help feeling very sorry for him. I reached to turn off the water, and his hand whipped out. I yelped, falling backwards. I smashed down on my elbows, and commenced to rubbing them. I shot a glare at Orion. “You could have warned me!” He turned off the water, and stood up. I looked away, intent on giving him privacy. He laughed at me, already seeming to have healed. I tossed him another sizzling glare, and then left the bathroom. Lucifer followed, and as I plucked him from the floor, I saw that I’d need to give him a bath. He waggled his tail, and licked repeatedly at my face; I had to laugh. I went over to the bags of things I had still on the floor, and fished out his grooming basket. I went over to the kitchen sink, and soon was sorting through the soaps. I reached over to turn on the water, and groaned; I still had dishes to do. I frowned, and with a little elbow grease, I was done in about five minutes.

I scrubbed the sinks once again, and soon had hot water going. I removed Lucifer’s collar and placed him in the sink. He immediately yowled and leapt at me, soaking my shirt and face as he licked me, begging me not to put him in there. I forced myself to smile, but I knew it came out strained. I put Lucifer quickly into the sink again, and ignored his protests. I suddenly was very irritated, and shot him a glare. He cocked his head, and then barked. I ignored his questioning gaze, and soaked his long, lustrous strands. With rigid, stiff movements, I eliminated all traces of blood from his body. A set of pale hands reached over, plucking the dog from the watery mess and removed them from my line of sight. I closed my eyes, and walked off. I knew that Orion knew what to do with him. I raced to my bags and ripped it open; some of my clothes went flying. I kicked them back into place, and quickly retrieved an outfit. I went into the other bathroom and dressed.

When I came out, I couldn’t bring myself to see them. I was so upset, for a reason I simply couldn’t fathom. I needed to go for a walk…I needed…I needed to be anywhere but here. I threw myself onto Orion’s bed and curled up on my side. Before I knew it, sobs were shaking my body. I was crying for no reason. I was too deeply consumed in sorrow; I forgot to feel ashamed. I was asleep then, after a few minutes, and didn’t wake again until the time it should be dinner. My stomach growled critically at me, and I shot an insult at it. Satisfied that it seemed to shut up, I sat up on the bed. My hair was a mess, I knew; it was hanging around my head in an unruly mop. I didn’t feel like brushing it just yet. I inhaled deeply, letting it out in a sigh. I began to wonder where Orion was, but cast him out of my mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was best to wait. I wasn’t ready, was I? I mean, really ready?

I closed my eyes again, trying to clear my mind. It was still foggy from sleep, so I assumed that I was only imagining the feeling of another in the room with me. I opened my eyes, and screamed; Orion was kneeling in front of me, studying my face. I scrambled backwards, and he pinned me down even before I could scream again or curse at him. A little smile played on his lips, and suddenly his lips were on mine. I squirmed, fighting against him as much as I could. He took it the wrong way, thinking that maybe I was responding to him. He got more forceful, and I finally screamed. I rolled away, and flopped off the bed. He threw me a puzzled look, and was in front of the doorway as I tried to run away. “Stella, calm down.” It was a command. I didn’t want to be ordered around. I rammed into him, and fell backwards with the sudden resistance; he caught me before I could hit the ground. I was still angry, but knew that he wouldn’t let me go. I closed my eyes and sighed. That was all I could do. He carried me over to the bed, and sat down with me in his arms. “Would you like to explain to me why I’m the bad guy?” His voice was taunting at first, but when it became clear by my set jaw that I wasn’t in the mood for games, he got worried. “Stella?”

I thought about making another scene, but decided against it. It wasn’t worth it. I let myself go limp in his arms, and acted lifeless as he carefully laid me down in the bed. He was there beside me, watching my face in concern. I felt horrible for making him worry about me, but I was so confused…it hurt to know that I must have put him in danger. “Why did they attack you?” My voice sounded so weak, so small. “What have you possibly done to anger the other bloodsuckers?” He flinched at the term, and for a good reason, but it still baffled me; he hadn’t flinched before. He rubbed his temples, absently hinting that I’d said something wrong. I frowned, and my brow creased lightly. “Orion?” He glanced at me, his black eyes on fire. I gasped audibly and felt my eyes widen.

“Stella, you don’t get it….it wasn’t a vampire.” I made a face, and then became thoughtful. Of all the things that could have attacked him, the most reasonable one wasn’t the culprit. After puzzling over what it could have been for a good amount of time, and reached for his hand. I interlocked our fingers, and then looked feebly at his face. “Orion…please? Can you tell me what attacked you?” Lucifer nudged the elbow of my occupied arm, his cold nose warning me as well as comforting me. The vampire’s words came as a hiss, but you’d have sworn that his harsh tone was a knife; the fact that he was this angry, and exerting some of it on me, was the equivalent of being brutally beaten onto a pile of smoldering coals. “A werewolf. Stupid mutt,” he cursed the last part, and they grimaced as if it burned his tongue. A shiver rippled though me, and I removed my hand from his as if it had suddenly become a hot iron. I quickly clutched Lucifer to my chest; the little dog didn’t even protest the slightest bit.

Orion’s anger flared violently, and then disappeared abruptly. I eyed him curiously, and then cautiously stood up. He looked up at me then, his eyes sparkling as he pleaded. “Stella, please…don’t leave. Stay here,” his hand touched the indention on the bed when I had recently sat. My eyes followed his gesture, but I was afraid. It took a few seconds to realize it, but when I did, I was mortified; I was terrified of him. Lucifer whined, and then nudged my neck. I absently stroked his silky fur, which served to help me more that I’d realized. I stopped shaking, and returned the bed. I let Lucifer reside on my lap, and then glanced up meekly. I was ready to be yelled at again. What I saw in his eyes, though, was agony. He clenched his jaw, and then looked down at his hands, which were fidgeting with the faded jeans he had changed into.

“Please don’t be afraid of me…I’ve gotten so used to you trusting me. Please don’t choose now, after two years, to see me as a monster.” His words were breaking my heart; I could literally feel his pain, his despair. I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. I inhaled again, letting it flow out as evenly as possible, and then began to speak. “Orion…just tell me why. Can you do that?” I asked him, lifting my eyes, letting them blur with tears as I searched his face. As the first few tears fell, I focused on leveling my breathing, but it was useless. I would soon be taken completely by sobs. He lifted a hand from its dormant existence to wipe away the salty droplets, but my sharp intake of breath stopped him. He let it fall, and then sighed. “Stella, I’m not entirely sure why. It might be anything. Until it happens again, I won’t be able to find out.”

I stared at him in disbelief. He had not given me a reason, but that’s not what I was focused on. He has said ‘until it happens again’…that meant that it’d happen again. And the werewolf wouldn’t be so easy on him next time, I felt. I didn’t want there to be a next time. “Have you met this werewolf before?” He nodded vaguely, and then began to speak again. “His name is Hunter.” He let out a faked laugh. “It was a pun, get it?” He searched my face, the fake humor failing to convince me. He let his mask fall, and then continued. “For some reason, you appeal to him more that he can handle.” I grimaced, and then asked for an explanation. All I got was a feeble “you’re so attractive, so enticing” and it pissed me off. Bull. I thought angrily, and then glared at him.

“Okay, fine.” He caved, then, and gave me more to the story. “Hunter is from this werewolf pack that dates back to when I first lived. They had apparently been a rather friendly bunch, until the vampires began to seduce the humans, and rabid, blood-thirsty creatures had to be slain.” He glanced at me then, and I saw, as well as felt, his body tremble. “They allowed me to live, because I’d agreed to obey their rules and leave. I wasn’t to feed on human blood ever again, not unless I found someone that I could trust with my story.” His hand caressed my cheek. “I found you, Stella.” I looked into his eyes, and before I could lose my train of thought, looked down at my hands. “So, what’s the problem?” Orion sighed, and hesitantly continued. “They don’t think this is safe. They think that I’ll kill you.” He glanced at me once more, and I met his eyes. He looked away before I did, returning to the verbal discussion. “They want me to…to…” His expression became tortured, and then taunt with anger. “They want me to either hand you over to be killed, or to change you into a vampire.” I smirked at this, and he growled quietly. I made a sarcastic frown, and then muttered, “It’s not like I don’t approve of the second option…” He pretended not to notice.

So, this was how he was. He was going to act all stiff, and refuse to give in to either demand. I was willing to make an ultimatum if necessary. “I see…” I mumbled off-handedly, and then let my face steel over with sarcasm. “Yes, that’s it. I’ll run off to the fur balls and let them slaughter me! That’ll be so fun!” I rolled my eyes, and then sprawled across the bed. This explained why Lucifer hadn’t barked or attacked. The intruder had been part canine, and had used that as an advantage over my little buddy. I yawned, and then wondered, if either option wasn’t fulfilled, would they be willing to compromise? I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell Orion; he’d forbid me. But he loved me, and would die without me, it seemed. He hated drinking animal blood, and preferred human blood. The only way he could get that right now and not be slaughtered was me. He wouldn’t leave me no matter what I did. Would he?

“Orion?” He looked over at me, and waited for my question. “You love me, right?” He nodded slowly, and then kept looking at me. “You wouldn’t ever leave me, no matter what crazy stunt I pulled?” My bottom lip was trembling now, and I was on the verge of crying again. The sacrifice I was contemplating to make was making this very difficult to keep a hold of my composure. He pulled me up into his arms, ignoring Lucifer’s little yelp of protest, and hugged me tightly to his body. “Of course, Stella.” He pulled away so I could look him in the eyes. “Do you promise, Orion?” The worry and anxiety flooded my voice, my face, my entire being. “I promise, Stella. No matter what you do, I shall never leave you.” Relief filled me, and I kissed his lips lightly. “Thank you, Orion.” Confusion was hinted in his return kiss and hug, but it was resolved quickly.

“Lucifer needs his walk…” I began to say, and then became aware of the lulling sound of raindrops. My brow furrowed, and then my face cleared. “Perfect!” Orion looked at me curiously. “But it’s raining, Stella.” I ran down to the bags, fishing out Lucifer’s rain poncho. It was black, and would disguise him acceptably. I pulled out one of my long raincoats, one I’d bought not too long ago as a present for my mother. Not that I’d really cared, but it seemed like a polite gesture. She’d never seen it, and no one else had. Therefore, it was the perfect disguise for me. I sprinted back to the bedroom and began to fasten it on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. His tail wagged happily, and I wished I had a tail too, because it seemed kind of fun. I attached his black leash, one that almost every dog owner in this town owned, and then put on my raincoat. I had a large hood, which hung down to my eyes, and was rimmed with faux fur. It was tan to mixed gold, and it frayed out effectively. Orion looked at me blankly for a moment, and then smiled. “Enjoy yourself. Remember, no trips to the E.R.” I smiled, and then prayed that he’d forgive me for what I was about to do. He made a face, and I knew then that he’d been dipping into my mind. I immediately began to think of pads, perfume, and designer clothing, hoping to throw him off. He laughed a little, and then waved; it was more like a salute. I stuck my tongue out at him, and then led Lucifer out through the front door.

I had been around Orion long enough to know that once I started thinking about something girlish or utterly embarrassing to him, he stopped listening. He didn’t listen again until he was sure those thought were gone. That consisted of talking to me. I smiled, and began to run over the different parts of a make-up compartment, and then began to fervently recite a sickening song about boys and make-up and fights with girls. I knew, after the song was over, he was gagging and shutting off the connection to my thoughts. I smiled triumphantly and walked quicker through the watery atmosphere. I knew where to go, surprisingly. Werewolves like the woods. I’d heard a lot of howling in my life in this town, and had associated with the steady stream of smoke which could only belong to a campfire or maybe a fireplace. I sniffed the air, and came back with nothing but the sultry scent that came in the summer storms. It wasn’t all that bad, though. I liked it. I began to walk towards the woods, walking right off the sidewalk. Lucifer hesitated, prancing warily for a few seconds before whining, and following after me.

Once we were in decent cover, I knelt down to speak to Lucifer. He had sat down as soon as I had stopped walking, and was trying to itch his ear. He was having trouble, with the poncho in the way. I smiled. “Look, little buddy, we need to find the werewolves. You know, the ones who attacked Orion?” His little head cocked, and then his mouth widened into the joking grin that signaled that he understood. I smiled. “You remember how they smell, I know. But can you make it clear that we don’t bring harm? I don’t want to be imprisoned—Orion will know if any bad has happened to me.” Lucifer stood and wagged his tail reassuringly. I smiled back, a little doubtful, but willing to trust him. I had invested a lot of time, getting the dog to understand like a child would. It would probably improve as he aged, but he was still young yet.

As I stood, Lucifer was already set to his task. He was sniffing all over, and it took only a minute before he barked gruffly to signify that he’d found the scent. He glanced at me, and they trotted forward, knowing I’d follow. As we maneuvered through the trees, I began to think about ponies, rainbows, and little kittens. I made my thoughts as gruesome as possible, just in case he had decided to check up on me. I smirked, imagining his face. Lucifer suddenly froze. I held my breath, and then glanced around us. The woods were much vaster than I’d thought. I couldn’t see anything but vegetation, in every direction. I glanced down at Lucifer, who was still as stone. He let out a little bark, and then tossed his head in an uncharacteristic howl. I winced slightly at it, for I was not used to noise when it came to my Lucifer.

And answering howl loomed in front of us, and Lucifer’s tail started wagging like there was no tomorrow. He was very friendly, but this was amusing to see from him. I pulled my hood back, letting the dimness of the trees distort my features. Ahead, brush was moving and gruff noises were flowing towards us. Sooner than I was ready for, a small group of four wolves –no, five!—were striding towards us. The fifth wolf hung back, and it looked as if he was apologizing for something. I squinted my eyes, a bit confused, and then relaxed. This was Hunter. He was a rather small wolf, and he looked young. Maybe even my age. His gray fur didn’t really fit in with the others; one was white, another brown, and two were black. Maybe colors meant something…maybe rank? The brown wolf stepped forward, and I realized that the little pack had stopped their procession. Lucifer sat at my feet, looking quite pleased with himself. After all, he had fulfilled his task. I felt a familiar probe on my brain, and then flooded my thoughts with another icky song, and then memories of my childish self, wearing frilly dresses. The wolves cocked their head, looking at me in confusion. I smiled apologetically at them, and waited until the probe was gone. I cleared my mind, and saw their posture correct.

I glanced at the wolf closest to me, and then spoke my intentions. “I’ve come to compromise.” My voice hung in the still air, and I listened to the faint lullaby of the raindrops atop the foliage. The leader nodded his—was it a he?—head and waited. I cleared my throat, and then began to speak. “I am aware of your conditions for Orion. I am also aware that he will consent to neither of them…” My voice trailed off, and I swallowed audibly. “I am hoping to have him change me somewhere in the future, but he is very hesitant. Only time will change that. I’m also aware that you aren’t exactly willing to allow more time…” My voice was shaking. The patient gazes of the wolves baffled me, and I had to grasp at my previous thoughts, my self control. “I would like to offer something to you, in exchange for more time.” I saw curiosity steal at them, one by one, and took it as my cue to continue. “I am offering my body.” Confusion rippled through them, and for the first time, one of them timidly penetrated my mind. Please specify. It was Hunter. “I am willing to become a breeder for your pack…you know, I’ll have your babies. That is, until Orion comes around. I don’t know how it would work after the changing.”

Lucifer nudged my leg, standing and then sitting again. They wanted me to wait. I shrugged, and then sat down upon the velvet ground. I pulled Lucifer into my arms, stroking him to calm myself. After a few minutes of dispute and consideration, the pack all looked at me. Hunter entered my mind again. You offer is accepted. I felt a probe again, and knew that it was Orion and not the other wolves. I let a steady stream of information concerning my menstrual cycle take over my thoughts, and almost felt the disgust as the probe vanished. I glanced at Hunter. Orion can’t know about this until I’m pregnant, I thought, and saw the wolves relax. Some even let out a coughing bark, which was obviously a laugh. I smiled weakly, and then felt Lucifer nudged me again. Time to go. Hunter, obviously assuming the role as my translator, trotted to my side and nipped at my hand. I knew he was being friendly, but I wasn’t exactly used to the sudden bond that was connected. My thoughts began to race, and then, as he licked my hand, I realized that with the mysterious bond had come another bond: mental. It’s okay, he thought consolingly. We aren’t as bad as you might think.

I followed him as he walked a few feet from the quartet of wolves, and then began to worry about who I would be paired with. Take it easy, he laughed. We’re not going to murder you. I think the first taker though, he said, looking at me with humorous eyes, is going to be the Alpha. He seemed to find this hilarious, and I rolled my eyes at him. Lucifer was still on my right, and was smiling that joking smile again. He was proud of himself. Yes, I was too. I stopped, and stooped down to pick up Lucifer. He wagged his tail and licked at my face. “Yes, you’re a good boy. I’m very proud of you.” I cradled him in my arms, ignoring the amused glances that Hunter stole at us. We were walking again, and before I knew it, we came to a little clearing. A cabin—ha, wasn’t I smart?—was in the center, and a few men and women lounged around the wooden structure. Most seemed to be asleep, but they all jumped up once they caught scent of me. A few became wolves immediately, and their hackles rose as well as the growl that seemed to be everywhere at once. Hunter stepped in front of my frozen form, growing defensive. I was silently glad that he’d chosen to like me; I needed him right now. The four wolves from the confrontation all barked in unison, silencing them all.

It startled me. The door to the cabin creaked, and a strikingly handsome male stepped out into the open. He had long brown hair, and he wore it in a ponytail down his back. He wore the same clothes I’d seen most ‘emo’ guys wear. It seemed to fit him, too. I glanced down at Hunter, who was sitting. A quick look around the clearing showed that all, except for Lucifer and I, were sitting. My brow furrowed, confusion taking over. The probe tentatively entered my mind again, but disappeared as soon as I began to think about puppies. Good. I was about to sit down, also, but a rough, velvet voice stopped me. “No,” was all I heard. I righted myself, and then gazed at the male whom was presumably the Alpha. I wondered, right then, how this looked. A girl, just about ready to graduate high school, was standing in his territory. A normal girl. A girl who had offered her body to the males in this pack as a pacifier for their demands to her vampire lover. I shivered, and then looked away from him amber eyes. They were a little unsettling at first, for I was used to looking into black eyes. Well, only one set. I normally didn’t need to look into anyone else’s eyes.

The male walked forward, and morphed into his wolf half. I blinked, automatically reforming my definition of these creatures. They were shape-shifters, not werewolves. He was a dark brown in color, and it was so rich….it was something that could hardly be explained. But, it was perfect. I was surprised by my thoughts, and felt my knees weaken. I wished that I was sitting now, so it wouldn’t be obvious. I saw a smile pull his lips up, and shuddered again. I was glad the probing hadn’t returned yet, because I might not be able to switch my thoughts. When he reached me, he stood taller than Hunter had. Of course, he was older than Hunter too, I assumed. A low bark escaped his muzzle, and Hunter quickly moved aside. The Alpha was now right in front of me, surveying my body up and down before Hunter told me that I was wanted inside the cabin. I nodded, and soon it was the three of us, walking quickly towards the cabin. I understood their hurry; I needed to be back as soon as possible. When we entered the structure, I was surprised. I was immediately at home, and it was toasty warm within the building. Hunter nudged my hand, and I glanced down at him. Leave the dog with me. He’ll be safe. His thoughts made sense. I put Lucifer down, and offered my end of the leash to Hunter, though I knew it wasn’t needed.

He took it into his mouth, his eyes bright in amusement. Lucifer shook himself as I put him down, and then seemed intrigued by the switch. He leapt up and licked my hand, and then Hunter led him outside. I glanced over at the Alpha, who was standing by a door. He looked at my coat, and then back at my eyes. I nodded obediently, and removed the article of clothing in question. I was glad I’d thrown on a pair of comfortable sweats, and a t-shirt that had a smiley face on it. The shirt was pink, with the main part of the face black. The details were pink. It was a more laid-back type of shirt. I was silently hoping he didn’t rip it. I followed him into the dark room, which had been lit with a few candles. It was….romantic. He took me in his arms, in a hug that could have been from anyone at any time. He looked almost apologetic as he pulled me to the bed….

When it was over, I was somehow excited. It had been my first time, yes; it was the prospect of a baby that gave me the shivers. They were good shivers, though. The Alpha had been gentle, and that was all I knew. He had spoken to me on the bed, and had given me a sedative. I wouldn’t feel a thing. The sedative wore off quickly, but, as fore mentioned, we were in a hurry. As he led me back to the door, it came to me that I hadn’t even acquired his name. “Excuse me…sir.” His eyes flashed, and a chuckle rumbled from his throat. “Yes?” His voice was so familiar now—he’d spoken to me that whole time. About anything, really. He knew enough about me now to help me through this. “What’s your name?” It was a simple enough question. He smiled, and then embraced me after I’d secured my raincoat back on. “Taze.” I giggled at the name, and he smirked. “What’s yours?” He demanded playfully. “Stella.” My voice was breathless; he raised a brow. The probe came on powerfully, and I quickly thought to him, Lucifer ran off. I’m bringing him home now. The probe seemed satisfied, and fled. Taze glanced at me, baffled. “My…boyfriend.” I said, and he nodded. “I’ll keep him in the dark about this until I’m sure I’m pregnant…I’ll make sure Hunter keeps you up to date.” He nodded, the humor still dazzling in his amber gems.

It’s not that I was unfaithful…but Taze seemed very attracting. I longed to stay here—he was kind, and capable of defending me. But Orion…he was my life. I sighed, and Taze lifted my chin to meet his eyes. “Stella, you aren’t being forced to stay with him. If you’re unhappy, do whatever it takes to make you happy once more. He can’t blame you for that,” his liquid voice sang. It made sense, too. I bit my lip, and glanced down at my feet. “Taze, I was so committed. I was so sure…but now, all I can think about is you, the baby, and Hunter.” I saw amusement take hold of his features briefly, but it was erased when he saw that I wasn’t kidding. “All I can tell you right now, Stella, is this: you are welcome here, due to our deal. If you so choose to leave your…boyfriend, you will have a place here. As the Alpha, I promise you.” I believed him. I hugged him tightly, and let myself lean into him. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes; his scent was soothing, and woodsy. I felt him tense, and then relax. It was obvious that he avoided physical contact, then. I pulled away, smiling in apology. “I feel…so different.” He nodded in sympathy, and then opened the door. The musky air hit my face in a warm welcome.

As we stepped out into meadow, a series of excited barks and yips greeted me. Lucifer and Hunter came running towards me, the leash still sitting doormat in Hunter’s mouth. I smiled, and reached down for my little companion. He licked my hands and face, and then cocked his head; he wanted to know details. I began to wonder, as I had before, if Lucifer was really a normal dog. Was he a shape-shifter in disguise? It was entirely possible. I glanced down at Hunter as he spoke to me telepathically. Stella, I will agree with you; there is something unusual about him. His words made me think, but there wasn’t enough time to really analyze this. The Alpha was nodding to me, in farewell. I lifted my hand and waved a small wave, and then looked back at Hunter. “Is there any way for you to shift into something else, like a dog?” He cocked his head, thinking on this. After a bit, he seemed to understand why. I haven’t ever tried. Do you mind…? He strutted into the forest, and was gone from my sights. A few curses and threats flitted into my mind, and I stifled a laugh. Eventually, a satisfied-looking Irish Wolfhound came out from the trees. Lucifer barked defensively, and then found out—probably telepathically—that it was Hunter. He squirmed, and I let him jump out of my arms.

The Alpha was chuckling, but I could see the look of worry in his eyes. He knew that we planned to stick together, Hunter and I; he was worried about Orion hurting Hunter. I hadn’t known that this type of shape-shifter could be anything but human and wolf, but apparently it went to other types of canines, too. Either that, of Hunter was a miracle worker, I thought. Hunter barked in amusement, and then nipped at Lucifer as the dog bounded around him. I knelt down, and stopped the squirming body; I removed the collar and leash, and quickly fastened them around Hunter’s neck. I saw the hurt look in his eyes. “Look, I have to. Orion won’t like it if I bring in a stray, regardless. But he won’t like it even more if I don’t have some means of control over said stray.” His expression darkened, and I was quick to explain. “He needs to think that you’re a stray…” My voice trail off, and I was soon picking up dead twigs and dried leaves and messing up Hunter’s well-groomed coat. It was short, but I made do with what I had.

We set off through the trees, with Lucifer trotting off and coming back periodically. Hunter seemed to be wary of the leash; whenever he saw it, he skittered away and growled at it. I laughed at his antics, but hoped it was all a charade, that he was practicing for when we got to the house. I’d hate to be torturing him. Walking up the driveway, Lucifer glued himself to Hunter’s side, and sat obediently with him when I reached for the door. It swung open, and Orion stood there. I nearly fainted from the swirl of emotions; I’d had enough, surely, for one day. Orion was outside immediately, hugging me. When he pulled away, he kept his hands on me. “Stella, you smelled weird.” His face was mockingly severe, and soon we were laughing. “It’s the new dog,” I said, gesturing towards the grayish dog. Orion knelt down, and Hunter licked his hand, wagging his tail placidly. He seemed to buy it, though he cast a wary glance at the canine before standing again. “Well, lets get you all inside; it’s going to storm again in a few minutes.”

Sure enough, thunder and lighting tormented the atmosphere soon after we were inside the warm building. I took Hunter into the kitchen, and scrubbed the sink down as he eyed me suspiciously. Once I had the hot water running, he tried to take off; I was thankful that I had the leash on my side. I frowned, finally putting two and two together; Hunter was too big for the kitchen sink. I turned off the water and drained the sink, and went over to the bathroom. I scrubbed out the tub, with Hunter nudging me the whole time, begging me not to give him a bath. I smiled at him, and then tied the leash around the toilet. “Don’t rip the toilet from the floor,” I warned, knowing that he was capable of it. It wasn’t nearly as much as the fact that he was a shape-shifter—he was also half wolf, and had a ton of muscle. I finished up cleaning the tub, and rinsed it thoroughly. I went and retrieved the grooming basket, and set it down in front of Hunter. “Which one do you want?” I asked, and received a flat Neither, from his thoughts. I scowled at him, and reached for the flowery, rose-scented one, and he yelped; he nudged the lemon-scented one, his eyes wide. I laughed at him, and he grumbled obscenities.

After I had him in the tub, it got really awkward really quick. I was sued to giving Lucifer a full-scale grooming, which Hunter would either take the wrong way or be horrified with. Speaking of Lucifer…He’s going ripping open a bag full of toys, he thought to me. I nodded, and thoroughly soaked his fur. He nudged my hand, splashing the water that had been in the cup onto my shirt. I let my jaw drop. “On, no you didn’t!” I said in mock severity, and then splashed him. He barked, and then pawed at the water, sending it spraying at my face. I squealed in laughter, and Orion was soon at my side. “What are you two doing?” I giggled, and Hunter sat down, acting innocent. Orion’s black jewels narrow, glittering suspiciously. “Oh, nothing. Just giving the stray a bath. You know, the usual.” He smirked, and then glanced at the Irish Wolfhound that was actually a shape-shifter. He shook his head, and then left the bathroom. “Orion,” I called, letting my smile fill my words, “would you be a dear and get me some pajamas? I’ll be in the bedroom in a sec—let me hurry up and suds him up.” He was back in a flash, and I let a naughty grin cross my face. He raised his eyebrows, amused. He left the bathroom then, and I knew he’d be thinking about what pair to put me in.

I scrubbed at Hunter’s fur, and simply made myself pretend he was Lucifer. It worked out quite nicely, though I could hear the wolf’s thoughts and feelings as I did so. I ignored them as best I could, and soon was toweling down a fresh, lemon-smelling pooch. Lucifer yipped, and came bounding towards us with a squeaky toy, as long as he was, clenched in his jaws. Hunter made as if to run to him, but I grabbed hold of his chest and refused to let him go. He barked at me, but I shook my head. “Lucifer, please get me the bag of collars, please.” Lucifer cocked his head, pondering on it for a moment. He soon smiled that joking grin at me, and trotted off towards the bags. Hunter whined, and then licked my face. Please don’t? I sighed at his pleading, and shook my head. “I have to. You know I do.” No, you don’t!  He really seemed to enjoy arguing with me. Strange, wasn’t he? Lucifer came back with the bag of collars, dragging it as he crouched with his back towards us, yanking backwards. We he got that, he seemed heavily pleased with himself.

I stroked him, praising the dog for his accomplishment. I picked out a tan-colored collar, which had specks of black on it. I fastened it around Lucifer’s neck, and kissed his nose. He licked my chin, and then snuggled up against me. Hunter coughed in disgust, and I reached out and shoved him playfully. He sighed, and then sat. He licked down his ruffled, damp fur, and wrinkled his nose at the strong citrus scent that was radiating from him. I smirked, and dug through the back. I found a simple black collar, but I decided that he needed something more…woodsy. I picked out a camouflage collar, and adjusted it to fit around Hunter’s neck. He seemed to appreciate me choice, but didn’t think about it. Instead, his stomach growled. He pawed at his nose, bashful. I laughed lightly, and then stood up, taking the collar bag with me. The two dogs followed me, watching my eyes. I began to think about bacon, grilled chicken, and baked beans. Hunter was nearly drooling by the time I decided to stop thinking about once my stomach gurgled in protest.

I went and put food out for the two dogs. Hunter eyed the gourmet canned food, but soon ate it without much thought. He at least liked it; that much was clear. While they ate, I started snooping through the refrigerator. A voice behind me made me jump; I hit my head on the top of the bottom half of the refrigerator. Rubbing my head, I closed the door. I turned around, and then spoke. “What did you say?” Orion chuckled, and then swung me into his arms, cradling me like a baby. “Someone looks hungry. And sleepy.” I nodded, and then buried my face in his chest. His scent was comforting; I knew it, and had grown to get very pleased when I smelt it. But now…it seemed like a sleep serum. I yawned, and my stomach answered defiantly. I blushed, and Orion smiled. “I’ll cook.” My eyes widened in amusement. “I have to see this,” I mumbled, a smile trickling upon my lips.

 Chapter Five

           

He wasn’t that bad of a cook. He was shockingly adept for someone who didn’t need to cook to survive. Then again, all he’d done was make oatmeal, and cook some bacon. As I ate, he watched Hunter curiously. I could tell that he was reminded of something when looking at this dog, but I also could tell that he wasn’t able to place it. I smiled, and then tore a piece of bacon in half. I whistled quietly, and Lucifer ran towards me; Hunter soon caught on. “Sit,” I ordered, and watched as first my dog and then the shape-shifter’s bottoms hit the floor. “Down,” I whispered, and smiled at their ears pricked, and watched them fall to the floor. “Roll over.” Lucifer got it immediately, but Hunter seemed disoriented. He was careful not to think of anything around Orion; he knew better. I tossed Lucifer his piece of bacon, and then turned my eyes to Hunter. It was an interesting spectacle to witness; he first flopped onto his side, and then rammed into Lucifer. I giggled in amusement; I had to admit, this was something T—I cut my thoughts off, and Orion shot me a look. What was that? His mind whispered to me, and I blushed. I picture the Looney Tunes character Taz, and pictured him failing at rolling over. Orion nodded, but the understanding look didn’t reach his eyes, not quite.

Hunter glanced at me, casting a warning look in the process. He finally rolled over, and when he did, I was shocked; he had done perfectly this time. I then narrowed my eyes; he had failed just for my amusement. Or…was it to fool Orion? I tossed the piece of bacon at him, and he caught it mid-air. He savored it happily, and then barked loudly; he got into a playful stance, wagging his tail comically at Lucifer. They were soon bouncing around the floor, horse-playing in a carefree manner than made me wonder what the future would hold. I quickly averted my attention to eating, and ignored Orion’s confused stares. Once I’d finished, I got up and went to wash the dishes. Orion stopped me, kissing my lips fiercely as soon as I’d tried to protest. Feeling lightheaded, breathless, and surprised, I watched as he took over. I absent-mindedly walked back to the room, and got dressed. He’d chosen a loose outfit, which I was thankful of. I wasn’t in the mood for attractive pajamas. After all, I was going to sleep, right? I wasn’t a model. I wasn’t obligated to dress up to bed, now was I?

The pants were draw-string fleece pants, and were a deep, dark navy blue. Light yellow stars were scattered in a wild explosion all over the place, where as the top was just a white tank top that was torn a little in a few places. I smirked as I walked into the bathroom, and brushed my teeth. After that was done, I gazed at myself in the mirror. I didn’t really look any different than what I was used to. My hair was rather messy though….I wondered why, and if Orion was suspicious about it. I raked a brush quickly through it, and then sighed as my bangs flopped down over my face. I shrugged, and walked out of the bathroom, jerking my head to the side so the bangs were out of my eyes. Orion, apparently, had finished quickly. He was waited for me, and lifted me up onto the counter. I flinched as he let his hands brush over my body, and then began to wonder what he had up his sleeves. I smiled then, thinking to myself, That’s impossible; he’s shirtless. He doesn’t have any sleeves. My eyes widened. Shirtless. I eyed him warily, and was soon left gasping for air as he attacked me with an onslaught of passionate kisses. He got quite forceful; I even forgot that there was a cabinet behind me.

“OW!!!!” I yowled, and then clutched the back of my head, which was throbbing angrily. Orion leapt back, his eyes wild for a moment before he settled down. “Did I hurt you?” His voice was quiet, subdued. I shook my head. “No, the cabinet hurt me!” I hissed, and then leapt down from the counter. Lucifer and Hunter were grooming each other in the other room, but I could feel their eyes on me as I walked into the bedroom. I crawled feebly into the bed, and was thankful that there wasn’t a light on in here. My head was hurting like crazy. Orion appeared in the doorway, an aspirin in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. His eyes were carefully guarded, and he didn’t even try to read my mind. He set the cup and the white pill on the nightstand and then left the room. I picked up the pill, examining it the best I could in the darkness. I didn’t want it. I got up, and stumbled as blood rushed to my head. I heard two sets of nails clicking towards me, and immediately, Hunter’s body was supporting mine. I leaned towards the bathroom, and he helped me obligingly. I dropped the pill in the toilet, and flushed it.

Lucifer whined, and then nudged my leg; he saw that I was getting weak. I shook my head, and then slumped down to the floor. I leaned against the toilet, turning my face up towards the ceiling. Hunter’s cold nose—I could tell it was his; Lucifer’s nose was smaller—probed at my cheek. You need a doctor. His voice was concerned, and I couldn’t even console him. I knew I needed one. But I couldn’t go because there were people looking for me. Then come to the packsite. I couldn’t. Orion would get suspicious. Then get the leech to get some ice. I opened my eyes, glaring at the term. Lucifer bounded quickly out of the dark, cramped room. He came back in Orion’s arms, and Orion was worried.

“It’s a concussion,” I mumbled. I let my eyes close once more, and felt him lift me up from my pedestal by the latrine. I didn’t know where he was taking me; I was blacking out. Urgent licks to my face, obviously from Hunter, forced me into reality. “Ice.” My speech was almost incoherent. He understood, apparently, for when I remembered what was going on, I could feel something cool pressed to my head. I couldn’t move. My eyes opened, and all I could see was a dark blue. What the heck? Hunter licked my hand, and then nudged it comfortingly. He’s put a blindfold on you…so your eyes aren’t so sensitive. I found myself doubting him, and then laughed quietly; what was there not to trust about Hunter? As I thought, I found a few things. A gentle probe into my mind forced me away, and I smiled. Orion’s relief was audible in the sweet words and sounds that I heard in my mind.

“Stella, I was so worried.” His voice was familiar, and soothing. I wanted to hug him, right then and there. I lifted my arms up slowly, careful so I wouldn’t hit anything. I felt his strong body upon me, and gave it a tight squeeze. He laughed a little, but I could tell that he was still worried about something. I let go of him and then went to reach for the blindfold. Quickly, a hand seized mine and brought it back to his body. “No, Stella. Leave it on,” was all I heard. I groaned. “How long have I been out?” I grumbled, and Lucifer let out a low growl. “Lucifer?” My brow knitted together in puzzlement, but I’m sure no one but I knew this. Taze has been keeping a close watch on the house. Hunter’s explanation hinted that I’d been out more than just a few hours. “Orion…I want to hold Lucifer.”

The dog was soon in my arms, but I could feel how rigid his body was. He wasn’t relaxed or happy like he was usually. I began to grow more suspicious. I stroked his fur, encountering many, many knots, and wrinkled my nose at his dog smell. It had certainly been more than I’d counted on. And then, hazy flashbacks of seeing the blue more than just the time I had earlier. Something going down my throat….I forced myself to stop. Wetness penetrated the cloth, and I could feel the warmth spreading. I was crying. “Stella…it’s okay. You’re alive.” He said alive. He hadn’t said okay or fine. I reached up and tore off the blindfold, and gasped. Orion looked….different. His eyes were vacant, and his face was…old. It was if he was no longer vampire and his age was finally catching up to him.

I glanced down at Hunter, who now whined and glanced over at the door. I tried to sit up, and my breath was stolen away from me. I used one arm to support myself, and the other to rub at my temples. My head was only slightly swollen, but I smiled in relief as I didn’t get dizzy.  Orion was glancing warily at the door, where a shadow loomed perilously. It was sunny out. A good day for a walk…I swung my legs over the side of the table, and almost fell as the blankets that had cushioned me for who knows how long slipped. Orion was there in a flash to protect me, but his caresses didn’t feel the same. When he kissed my lips, it all felt so different. And, ugh, what was that smell? I wrinkled my nose distastefully, and then realized that it was me. I smelled revolting. I shook my head, and then wandered towards the bathroom. Tell him that I’ll try to go for a walk later. I’m going to take a shower now… My thoughts trailed into nothingness, and soon, I was in a steaming stall, letting the hot water pound the stiffness from my body.

When I was all washed up and smelling acceptable once more, I quickly dressed in some old, faded jeans and a Harley Davidson shirt. I pulled my hair back, and brushed my teeth. As I was walking towards the door, my stomach growled angrily. As I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I began to ask, once more, about how long I’d been out of it. I received a hesitant a week from Orion, and then an odd glance from him. I made a face back, and then took a large bite of the sandwich. I smirked at him as I swallowed the first bite, and then came to want a glass of milk. As I poured it, he kept silent. I could feel his eyes on me. “What?” I finally said, getting annoyed with the silence. I put down the glass of milk, leaving the jug uncapped next to it. His eyes fell, but I could tell he was looking at my stomach. “Are you saying I’m fat?” I was disgusted; how could he think so? I looked fine. So what, I hadn’t been active for a little while. Well, that’s what happens when your vampire boyfriend makes out with you and you forget about the cabinet behind you!

“You know what? I’ll go take a walk then. Burn it off. Then we’ll see who’s fat.” My temper was soaring, but I think it was because I had come to realize that yes; I actually was a little pudgy. I quickly finished my sandwich, chugged my glass of milk, and put away the jug. “Come on boys,” I said, and Lucifer, followed by Hunter, trailed me to the door. I opened the door and stormed out, letting it swing shut. As I heard no yelps, I figured that they were behind me. Good. The breeze that caressed me didn’t feel real. In fact, none of this did. But when I saw Taze round the corner and take his place beside me, I knew it was. “So...I guess I’m pregnant.” I said to the awkward silence, and received a nod from the father of the developing child. We walked about a minute more in the bright, sunny day, and I soon was heading into the trees. I glanced behind me, and saw Hunter nipping at Lucifer. “Boys,” I reproached, and then shook my head at them as they looked at me.

I swear, Lucifer is so high-strung right now. He needs to take a chill pill, you know. Relax a little. I nodded to this, for I knew it was true. What I didn’t understand was why. I lengthened my stride a bit, and heard Lucifer growl; I spun around to see him bristling, aiming his snarls at Taze. The male immediately shifted, his dark brown locks falling into place as if cascading down the rapids. He snarled back, and crouched down. I moved as if to pick up Lucifer and stop the fight, but Hunter was there before I’d realized it, and he was barring my path. Let them. If they don’t do it know, it’ll get worse and worse. I bit my lip, feeling helpless as Lucifer yelped in pain as he was smashed into the ground. Taze seemed to know what he was dealing with, and cut off oddly short on his advances. Lucifer wasn’t all that bad, but… I hadn’t ever let him fight before. I didn’t want him to get hurt. But now, I saw my mistake. Lucifer was going off of instinct, while Taze had that plus experience.

I felt even more helpless as Lucifer bayed in defeat, cringing away from Taze’s sharp teeth. Taze lunged again, this time knocking over the dog and exposing his stomach. Lucifer whined and whimpered, shaking from nose tip to tail tip. I tightened my arms into fists and closed my eyes, clenching my jaw. Hunter nudged one of my hands, and then licked it. Sure, I understood that he was trying to comfort me, but it didn’t change the fact that Lucifer was exposed in one of the most vulnerable ways. “I can’t believe you guys are being this immature.” I huffed, and then strode away, feeling my rage grow rather than subside. I wanted to hit a tree and watch it snap, falling to the ground with a sorrowful moan. I wanted to grab a knife and—I stopped my thoughts, horrified by them.

I curled up by a tree, and wept. No, not the normal tears anyone would cry; these were Stella tears. I was so upset, and so mad. I wanted to be alone. No. I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted the old, carefree Lucifer back. I wanted my old, seduce-the-vampire boyfriend-into-your-greatest-desires life back. I wanted the old Stella back. I wanted my old room, my over-protective parents, my nosey neighbor Janice, my high school life back. But no, now, I had Hunter, Taze, a high-strung Lucifer, and a wary leech as a boyfriend. And, not to mention, the baby that seemed to have been conceived. And, why was this happening? Me. It’s all me fault. You always made things about you, I accused, and then grew defensive. No, the things I eventually come to hate revolve around me. Ha. Thought you had me there? Oh, no! See, there you go again. Always about you, I taunted, and then hissed. But what is it that makes this happen? It’s not like I can control what goes on around me. I’m just Stella. Not God. I thought I’d made my point clear, but obviously not. You’re not just Stella anymore, the other voice replied, quite sullenly. Stumped, I tried to quiet my tears.

I looked around me, and couldn’t find anyone. I couldn’t see a way out. Good going, Stella. You’re lost. The little voice declared this with such mock in its tone, I wanted to murder it. Violently. I’d like to see you try, it taunted back. Okay, so now I had this creepy little voice inside my head. It wasn’t mine, it wasn’t Hunter’s, and it certainly wasn’t Orion’s. So, whose was it? Who else’s would it be, you twit? Indignant, I yelled out, “Yours, you annoying little pest!” I heard the area around me go completely silent. I stared, wide-eyed, at whatever happened to be in front of me; I was talking to myself. Now, I wished I was back in that freaky asylum. Maybe, this is why they’d placed me in it. I smiled faintly, though, at those memories. No more than 2 weeks ago, I was the normal Stella. And now, I was on the verge of finding out whether or not I was pregnant. What would my parents say if they knew? I couldn’t tell them though. I wouldn’t see them ever again.

Well, you could always go back. Forget all about the past. Say that you got raped but you thought it was a dream. That little voice was smart, I’d give it that. But I couldn’t. There would be so much guilt to pay afterwards. I can’t give up my way; I couldn’t be anything I wanted like they used to tell you when you were little. If I gave up what I had now, I’d lose myself. Wait…no, I wouldn’t lose myself. I’d lose everything that ever meant anything to me. Do you mind? I made a face; did I mind what? I shook my head, and then tried to remember where I was at. Okay, I was in the trees. That much I figured. But I hadn’t paid attention as to how far we had gone into the trees. I just thought we were going to the pack lodgings. Wolves….Hunter! Where the heck are you?! I waited about a minute, and received no answer. Great. Time to try again. Hunter, I’m not playing. I’m lost. To my right, I heard rustling in the branches. I screamed, and then shied away, clinging to a tree. A fox slipped out into view, but my heart still thumped wildly. Wild foxes didn’t confront humans, only if their den was bothered.

Maybe this wasn’t a real fox. Maybe it was a robot. Or, maybe, I was still unconscious. Yeah, that’s it. I’m dreaming. But did you dream when you were unconscious? I didn’t think so. Stop thinking so rapidly. The voice was so commanding. And for the first time, I recognized it as a female voice. I glanced at the fox again, who was sitting contentedly there, just gazing up at me. Not adoringly, but…unnervingly. I was getting scared. Hunter! Please! The fox stood up, and seemed to be smiling. I narrowed my eyes. “Hunter, you are so in big trouble!” The fox cocked its head to one side, and then gave a barely seen shake of its head. So, it wasn’t Hunter. And, it wasn’t a normal fox. Normal foxes didn’t shake their heads. Or, had I just imagined that? You doubt yourself too much, the voice accused. The fox was circling me. “I won’t taste good. I don’t have a lot of fat on me, and I’ve been unconscious for about a week.”

It might have been a comical scene, had I not been getting more weirded out by the second. But it wasn’t funny to me; at least, not right now. Do you think I care? I nodded, and the fox seemed to smile again. So, this voice was the fox. “Can’t you speak?” I was kind of….interested by this creature. It was either a witch or a shape shifter. Well, I’m sure it could be something else, but this is what almost immediately came to mind. No, I can’t. And, I am one of those. But my identity? It’ll remain a secret for a while. A bit disappointed, and getting a bit chilled, I let go of the tree and embraced myself. “I don’t even get a name?” The fox smiled and shook its head. I sighed, and then sat down on the ground. I was exhausted from my mental arguments, and my temper outbursts. I must be pushing myself too hard. Really, I should be taking it easy and waiting for my body to return to normal. After all, I had been unconscious for a while.

Hunter still hadn’t showed, and I couldn’t hear any thoughts from him. I had to sever that tie. Well, at least momentarily. He is going mad trying to contact you and reach you, though. I sighed, and then rolled my eyes at the fox. “Can I help you?” I huffed, exasperated. Actually… The fox’s voice trailed off, so I got up and knelt in front of the red animal. “I can’t help you with anything unless I know what I need to do.” The fox gazed at me a moment more, and then refused to meet my eyes afterwards. Fine. If she wanted to be like that, I had other things to do. Like, find Hunter. “Hunter!” I screamed, and then heard a rustling in front of me. The fox was gone. STELLA! His voice throbbed into my mind so harshly it blew my away.

He found me gasping for air, holding my head. An intense headache was no doubt on its way. And yet, as I saw him, I smiled. I was glad to be around someone I actually knew, and not some telepathic fox that knows too much about me. Come to think of it, where did she go? Ah, what do I care? Hunter’s slobber was a welcome thing as he licked me repeatedly and whined insistently, his tail waving like a fan in the air. “I’m so glad to see you!” I exclaimed, and embraced his shaking, wriggling body. He whined again and licked me again, and I found the repetition somehow sweet. I hugged him once more, and then realized how much I really did like seeing him.

Aw, that’s so sweet. His mental voice trickled into my mind, and it wasn’t even the least bit mocking. It was…romantic. My eyes widened at my thoughts, but I let it slide. So what? I was seventeen. I had a right to like whom I liked, right? I was tired, but extremely happy. That normally didn’t happen. I embraced Hunter again, and just sat like that for a few minutes. After a bit, he squirmed. I let go with a smile. “Sorry. I guess I really did miss you.” He licked my hand in response, and then sat down next to me. So…What’s this about a fox? Of course! I’d forgotten to tell him. Actually, I just hadn’t come to it yet. “Well, it’s actually sort of a long story…”

“What’s a long story?” Taze walked towards us, carrying a disgruntled Lucifer. I blushed at his sudden intrusion, but I hoped he didn’t see all of what had gone on. But why did I care? Oh, what does it even matter? “The fox I saw,” I answered, and then stood up. I promptly retrieved my dog from Taze’s arms and made a face at the makeshift muzzle that had been made from his leash. I sat down next to Hunter and unbound the poor thing, throwing sizzling glares at Taze. “That was unnecessary, by the way,” I mumbled under my breath. “I heard that,” he said flatly, and then cast me a glance. “It was necessary. That thing was getting out of hand.” I had been braiding Lucifer’s long locks when he had said this, and I stopped mid-braid.

 “Did you just call him a thing?!” I screamed at him, and Lucifer, along with Hunter, backed away. I marched right up to Taze, and looked pitiful up against his height. I didn’t care, though. He had just insulted Lucifer. “Listen here, Taze.” I hissed, getting in his face the best I could. “You can’t go around and degrade others that are different from you. And, for all you know, he could be just like you!” I growled at him, and then continued. “You seem to think that just because you are some Alpha you can boss around Lucifer, who doesn’t even belong to what ever it is that you lead. You’re wrong. Lucifer belongs in my pack, where I am the Alpha.” I was getting lightheaded now, but I forced myself on. “So, you are trying to lay claim on one of my minions. And, quite frankly, I just won’t have it.” I glared at him, and then narrowed my eyes. “Let’s fight, Taze,” I spat venomously, and then braced myself.

When nothing happened, I was shocked. But slowly, I got suspicious. Taze should have said something, since he hadn’t done anything. I followed Taze’s distracted gaze, which rested on Orion. My jaw dropped involuntarily, and I cursed myself for not feeling the probe, where he began to listen to my thoughts. He’d tracked me here, and had found me with his enemy. I could only imagine what was going on his mind. Why, Stella? I bit my lip, trying to ignore his heart-broken question. The only one neutral here was…actually, no one here was neutral anymore. Silly Stella. I am the neutral one. Uh-oh. It was her again. The fox. Who’s that, Stella? Hunter and Orion asked in unison. Their voices clashed in my mind, and both of them felt it; they visibly winced, and I had to fight to keep the smirk off my face.

My crimson invader stepped out from the bushes, and sat at my feet. She gazed up at me, and then yawned. I scowled at her; I wasn’t boring! You take offense too easily. Do you know how tiring it is to listen to your troubles? You are a daredevil, I’ll give you that. Could you at least slow down? I shook my head at her. “No. I won’t slow down.” I began to wonder, though, why she was following us. Her voice was so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. All I know is that it infuriated me to hear her voice that way.

If I had been a lion, I would have roared. If I have been a wolf, I would have snarled. If I had been a horse, I would have squealed. If I had been—oh, what does it matter? I was so angry right now. “You think you can just walk into my life and expect to be in it, just like that? Life doesn’t work that way.” She seemed to smirk. I didn’t walk into your life. You walked into mine. She stood up, and circled me. “What do you mean by that?” I questioned, and then scowled at the fox. Get that expression off your face. It’ll get stuck that way. I rolled my eyes, and then smirked. “Why don’t you make me?” I felt like I was losing this battle. And this feeling, well, I’ve felt it before. Again, I just can’t place it…

I noticed now that no one else was moving, or speaking. I glanced at Orion, Taze, and the two males off to the side. All of them were here. I glanced back at the fox, who was sitting in front of me again. You were always so defiant. Even as a child. I was slightly taken aback, because I knew this was true. She was creeping me out. “And how would you know?” I hissed, and then rolled my grey eyes again. I was tired of this. I didn’t have to put up with it. Orion and Hunter picked up on my intentions quickly, and the pair of dogs raced up to my side, while Orion held out his hand. I walked towards him, and then took his hand. He was so stiff. I felt so bad, though. I stopped mid-step and hugged him.

He didn’t hug me back. I looked at his face; it was so vacant, so purposefully empty of emotion. I bit back the tears, but they came anyways. “I’m so sorry…” I cried into his grey t-shirt. “I’m so sorry, Orion.” I was sobbing with a passion now, and felt horribly guilty for what I’d done. He’d done nothing but help me and I repaid him by going out and mingling with his enemy, and then had been caught at it. I was so ungrateful. I took him for granted. “Kick me out. Tell me you hate me. Say you never want to see me again.” I begged him, not even bothering to wipe away my tears.

He finally looked at me, but his black eyes were dead. I bit my lip hard, and a metallic taste sprung into my mouth, on my tongue. “Don’t ever ask me to do that.” His voice was cold, filled with contempt. “Don’t tempt me.” He was shaking his head now, and I took it as a bad sign. I thought he meant that since I’d suggested it…he might actually do it. He suddenly grabbed me, and I let out a startled cry. He kissed me gently, but his arms were nothing near gentle. They crushed my small body to his in a fierce embrace. What am I going to do with you? He wondered, and then kissed my cheek. I could see my blood on his lips. He twirled a lock of my hair around one of his fingers, looking down. When his eyes met mine, I couldn’t read them. At least they weren’t dead anymore.

“I think I might actually do it…” His voice trailed off, and I could hear the seduction dripping from his tone. He leaned in, grazing his teeth against my neck. I shivered, and then clutched his body in hopes of staying conscious. I wanted to experience this. I could feel his fangs scrape across my skin, but didn’t feel the numbing sensation. He laughed, and I frowned. “Stella, don’t frown. You’re pregnant. You should be happy.” I eyed him suspiciously. “You are wondering how I know, of course. Well, you’ve been out for a week unconscious. You’ve been out using pain killers for….another week.” I glared at him, now. I understood now, why he’d been so hesitant. He’d been telling half the truth.

“You know, a half truth is a whole lie. You lied to me.” He made a sad face as I said this. “You must accept your punishment!” He cocked his head, and then kissed on my neck a little more. “And it would be?” His voice was curious, but it was seductive again. “You have to tell me the truth from now on.” He sighed, and then looked at me straight in the eyes. “I can’t wait until the baby comes. And I found out because you were so out of it, you needed help getting to the bathroom. Since you’d been acting, not to mention smelling, differently when you came home…I decided I’d test you. This was this morning.” He was being honest. I bit my lip again, wincing as I bit into the wound I created before.

“Let’s go home.” I nodded at his words, and then walked with him. Lucifer was following us, with Hunter carrying the leash dutifully in his mouth. “So, you said I smell different. How?” I asked him, and received a curious glance from Hunter. “You just smelled…well, you smelled like a shape shifter. Actually, you smelled like the wolven shape shifters.” I sighed. He was right. I hadn’t really bothered to mask Taze’s smell once I’d gotten back. “I’m sorry….but you know what?” I asked. “I did it to save you. And I love you. It felt right, because I didn’t want you to be hurt. But now I see that I have hurt you, while trying to not hurt you.” I paused, and then made a face. “Does that make any sense?” He laughed, and then nodded. I didn’t care where Taze had gone. I still loved Orion, and that was that. Stop, Stella. You’re with me now. I nodded at his statement, and then stifled a yawn.

When we got back, Hunter whined and lowered his head to Orion; he wanted to be let in. Lucifer was quiet irritable, and he was let inside immediately. I knelt down and stroked Hunter’s luxurious fur; he was back in wolven form, of course. There was no use trying to mask what or who he was, because Orion already knew. I felt bad for all the trouble I caused, but amidst my uncertainty, I felt glad for everyone’s support, however dull. Orion opened the door, and with a sigh let Hunter in. He wagged his tail lowly, but kept his head down. He trotted in, and I smiled a small, sad smile. I changed everything around me.

I glanced over at the calendar as I wandered to the kitchen. It was the end of May. I would be getting my diploma now, if I’d stayed in school. I shrugged, and went to the fridge. I grimaced at everything, and then went to Orion’s room and curled up in the bed. I was pregnant. I was pregnant with someone else’s baby. I was pregnant a month before I turned eighteen. I was pregnant. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I delicately placed my hand on my womb, as though I could see or feel anything to the touch. I felt different, but it could mean a whole lot of things. I didn’t really feel like I had weights strapped to me, but I felt tired. So tired.

“Go to sleep, Stella. Everything will be okay.” Orion crawled into bed with me and wrapped him arms protectively around me. I gently pulled one of his strong hands to my womb, and closed my eyes. It wasn’t his biologically, but I hoped he’d treat it as his none the less. His other hand rubbed my back soothingly, and I was finally able to relax. Peace was coming to me, like the waves gently lapping at the shore at sunset. I had peace within me, like a misty dawn over a lake. I had peace like….

When I awoke, Orion was still with me.  He smiled at me, but it didn’t light up his eyes like it used to. Feeling guilty again, I tried to close my eyes again, to fall back asleep and just let everything go back normal. I knew it wouldn’t, though. Everything will end up affecting another thing; that’s just the way life went. Lucifer leapt onto the bed and padded carefully over to my face. He curled up against my chest, and sighed heavily. He smelled like the woods, but something about it made me queasy. I swallowed with difficulty, and then coughed a little. Can I make it better? Hunter was standing submissively in the doorway, head bowed and ears lopsided.

Orion nodded, and Hunter slowly moved to my side of the bed. Lucifer shifted, and tensed against me, but seemed to think better of things and went over to Orion. Hunter cocked his head, and then placed his front paws on the bed. In seconds, his tongue was lapping away at my face. Orion tensed. Hunter, I’m warning you. Hunter stopped, and withdrew his tongue. With a whine, he merely jumped on the bed and curled up by my feet. “Orion…he was just trying to help.” I was talking quietly, but everyone heard me. “No,” He murmured. I rolled my eyes a little. “Orion...I can hear his thoughts just as much as you can. That was part of the….” I bit my lip and inhaled sharply. I didn’t want to talk about that right now.

I got up from the bed, and walked over to the kitchen. I sat down at the table, and blinked; Hunter had followed me. He whined as he touched his cold, wet nose to my hand. I’m sorry Stella. It was easier when I could change to help to people out. I stroked his head softly. “Is that why I’ve never seen you in a form other than an animal?” He nodded. I sighed, and then looked longingly out the window. “Sometimes I wish that I could change into an animal form. It would be much easier.” I shrugged at my petty little wish, and then looked down at Hunter’s soft eyes.

Hunter pawed lightly at me. I don’t know if it’s possible. We could ask Taze, or find someone who knows. But…not until we find out when the…offspring…is due. I nodded, knowing that he was right. I looked back outside, and saw that it was getting dark. I made a face, and then stood up. I wanted an answer as to how long we would have to wait before the ‘baby’ was due. I grabbed a zip-up hoodie from the closet and whistled for Lucifer. Where are you going? Orion appeared in the doorway, eyebrows raised. Since he was now tapped into my mind full-time, there was no need to tell him. I did anyway. “I want to find out more. I want to know when the baby is due.”

Orion sighed. “Stella, shouldn’t you wait a little bit longer, until it starts developing?” I shrugged, and opened the door. Hunter and Lucifer trotted out, nails clicking. I glanced again at Orion. “Look. You might not be comfortable with how things are panning out, but you have to trust me. Even if I don’t deserve it, you have to trust me.” I walked out after the canine cousins and closed the door softly behind me. I sighed quietly, and then shivered. As I looked among the trees, shrubs, and houses as I made my way to the woods, a spot of crimson caught my eyes.

Lucifer barked in warning at the elusive intruder. Hunter raised his hackle and began to growl; its low rumble was loud enough to be a car. I caught another flash of the red fur, and knew what it was: the fox. It leapt towards me, over the snapping jowls of the boys, and landed at my feet. It sat down and tilted its head, as if questioning me. “Leave me alone. Really. I don’t know what you want, or how you know so much, but I don’t like it.” The boys had surrounded her now, and had their teeth bared aggressively.

The vixen looked calmly at them, and then glanced back up at me. Don’t pretend you’re going to stay hidden for the rest of your life. We will catch you…in fact…maybe a bit sooner than you know. I shook my head. She must be kidding. Sirens suddenly firing up through the air told me otherwise. “Come!” I yelled to the boys, and we scattered, disappearing into the forests. I was running, running, running…my heart was racing and pounding and my insides were twisting. I found myself suddenly in the clearing; I raced to the cabin.

I flung open the door, and glanced behind me. Hunter and Lucifer burst into view, wild looks on their facades. I shifted my weight uneasily, nervousness creeping up in large quantities as I waited for them to reach the door. When they bolted inside, I hurried in, closing the door quickly behind us. The pack must have been out hunting; no one was here. A shiver took hold of me, and I went over to tend to the fireplace.

With the fire throwing warmth and a soft light all around the woodsy-smelling cabin, I curled up in a corner, and put my head in my hands. It was all so clouded, and I didn’t understand; why was all this happening? Hunter padded over, leaving a simmering Lucifer to watch for our pursuers. Stella, are you alright? I nodded my head slowly to his question. Lucifer let out a quiet bark of warning, and came running towards us.

The door was flung open with rage and fury; there was no mercy written upon the face of the new arrival.

 

Chapter Six

“Do you have any clue what you have done?” Taze roared, slamming the door after the rest of the pack had filled in. They immediately changed back into their wolven forms, with hackles raised and teeth bared in an intimidating way. “You are going to kill us all! Are you mad?!” And I merely bowed my head momentarily. Taze had a point. After all, I had been admitted into an asylum, right? The door was flung open once more, but this time Orion came sprinting in. He closed the door quietly behind him, and then came over to me.

            “They are having difficulty getting to the clearing.” Orion put an arm protectively over me, obviously in tune with what had been yelled at me earlier. “Mad or not, she is baring your child. You have to protect her, as young are valued among shape shifters. Or am I mistaken?” He hissed with venom, and then rubbed my back. It was soothing…I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes. Hunter lied down on my feet, and Lucifer sat next to him, lips raised to expose a few teeth in an early warning.

            We could faintly hear the people trying to get to us. I knew that if they did catch me, they’d put me back into the asylum, and put me on more medication to cloud my mind. And I highly doubted that those medications were safe for developing babies. Although I should be trying to find a way to stop them, I was feeling increasingly drowsy. I took a deep breath, and then leaned my head on Orion.

            Stella. The mental intrusion startled me. I flinched, waking up to see Taze and the rest of the pack leaving the cabin, rigid and angry. Orion looked at me, concerned. Lucifer and Hunter were staring at me also, wondering what had startled me. “Someone just said my name…or…thought it…” I closed my eyes again, willing this all to go away. Who was that fox, anyway? What right did she have to turn me in?

            I was trying to come up with an idea, but I was drifting off to sleep again. Orion gently nudged me. “Stella, you need to stay awake.” I was half asleep, but I caught the note of panic in his voice. I didn’t know what was going on to me. I shrugged, against myself, and yawned. I dozed off again.

            Stella. I jerked awake; I recognized the voice now. The husky female voice….it was my mother. But how could it be?  I reached for Orion’s arm, noting for a moment that he was very rigid; tense. Lucifer stood up, nudging my hand. Stella, give in while you can. Save your friends. I frowned, and then titled my head. Why was I hearing my mother’s voice? Orion stood now, gripping me in his strong arms to support my unstable body. Hunter growled suddenly, and sprang up, snarling as the door creaked open.

            “I told you, Stella. And you didn’t believe me.” My mother strode in as her human, mother self. I felt light-headed. Hunter leapt at her, but was flung, yelping, into the wall. I barely caught the movement of her hand. Lucifer’s head snapped towards the fallen lupine, and then turned back to the real enemy. His growl grew, until I could have sworn he himself was growing. He stepped in front of me, bristling head to tail. It frightened me to see my little dog acting so aggressively.

            Orion tightened his grip around me. “Leave now.” His command was short, but it simmered with venom. He meant business. Sadly, my mother wasn’t ready to make any deals or compromises.

            “I do believe that is my daughter. So I advise you, as her mother, to let her go and be on your way. Before I lose my temper.” Her voice became a seductive purr and my stomach tightened, churning in that disgusted way. I was going to vomit soon. Hunter was up again, and seemed none too happy about his little flight. His lips twitched, froth gathering as his growl harmonized with Lucifer’s.

            “What do you want?” I asked quietly, although I was pretty sure I already knew. She wanted me. She wanted me, so she could kill the baby that had just barely started forming inside of me. She wanted to cloud my mind with medicine, and keep me from finding out. But the quest was, what didn’t she want me to know?

            “Stella, come here.” Her tone was flat, but held power. I felt my limbs begin to obey. No! I struggled to hold control over my body; Orion tensed, and gripped me harder.

            “You’re not her mother. You’re a witch. Spawn of the devil. Leave now.” Orion’s strength seemed to win over the magical persuasion; my limbs gave up. My body was exhausted; every breath took so much strength. I wanted to sleep…

            “And you’re any better than me? Ha! You’re a leech. At least I haven’t consumed Stella’s blood. At least I didn’t break her ribs.” She had a good point, I thought to myself. But she was also trying to kill my baby. Why was I calling it a baby anyway? It was just a fertilized egg at the moment...right? Oh, hell. I didn’t care anymore.

            Taze stood behind her; I saw now. In a flash, his hand came down on her pressure point, by her neck. Just as she fainted, he was flung backwards. I winced as I heard the thump of his body hitting the ground. Orion went over to my mother.

            “She’s out cold…” He felt for a pulse, and shook his head. “What?” I demanded, wanting to know why I felt displeasure in his thoughts. He glanced over at me, apologetically, and sunk his fangs into her neck. I jolted out of my trance, suddenly feeling as if I’d slept for a whole day.

            “Orion!” I was scared; what was he doing to her? But he kept on sucking, and I felt a sickening lurch as I began to hear the blood being drained from her. I put my hands over my ears, trying to block out the noise. But now I could smell it. The stench of blood, growing stronger with every breath I took. Hunter was eyeing Taze’s unconscious body, and then came over to me.

            Are you okay? He asked me, and then nuzzled my side with his cold, wet nose. I lowered a hand, stroking his face, his ears, under his chin. I began to wonder what it’d be like, to be a wolf. To be an animal in general, actually. Wouldn’t it be that much easier? No human problems to deal with…

            But then again, there was Hunter. And Lucifer. Weren’t they mixed up in human problems? I sighed; would I ever be satisfied? It was irritating, how each and every thought led to another, until it branched and ended in a spot where I had no choice but to realize the foolishness of it. Fancy that.

            Orion stood, lifting a limp body. My grey eyes grew wide, staring in disbelief; was my mother dead? Orion gave a small shake of his head, and then commenced to tying the witch up. I tilted my head slightly, watching him closely. What did he mean by this? But then, glimpses of a hand-scrawled book flooded my mind. I understood, but I didn’t know what I understood. At peace for the moment, I decided to go outside. Taze was out there, wasn’t he?

            A smile flitted across my features, and I knelt down before the father of the being growing within me. Without thinking, I took his hand. I placed it on my womb, which really didn’t show anything. It shouldn’t. I sat back, and then whistled softly. Lucifer trotted amiably out, having somehow picked up on my light mood. With a little jump, he was at my side, wagging his tail happily. He was pleased to be with me. Well, he was also delightfully surprised at my change in mindset. I was happy now, although I had been quite upset and confused not too long ago. It confused him, but he didn’t mind.

            Orion came back out, carrying a humane trap with a fox inside. The fox looked completely normal, but I knew, deep inside, it was my mother. And I knew also that I didn’t mind the sight of my mother in a cage. I felt, oddly, that she deserved it. I didn’t feel threatened by this creature. Orion smiled a tight, thin-lipped smile that told me he was thinking hard about something, all the while being exhausted. I got up and went to him, taking the cage from him.

            “You can’t hurt me anymore, you know.” I said, looking down at the pitiful creature. “I don’t care what you want to do. We can kill you right now. I can do it myself, with just my bare hands. But maybe I won’t…” I tilted my head, and then smiled. “But then again…maybe I will.” The cruel tone to my voice startled me, but I didn’t care. My mother deserved it.

            Orion’s face was twisted in confusion, for I wasn’t usually this way. I was normally caring. He usually had to make the hard, painful decisions. He knew in his heart that it was best if the fox was killed. Did I really want this? He gazed into my mind—yes, I was being serious. Dead serious. I wanted to kill her mother. What had come over his girlfriend?

            Lucifer tilted his head in confusion. He, too, was confused by my demeanor. I was never like this. He backed away from the cage, but then nudged my leg. Had I even thought this through? He was wondering quite a lot, obviously.

            I set the cage down, and then looked around for Hunter. Surely he was close by? I sent out a probe in the form of an open thought, where he would surely want to read it. He was just nosey that way. Hunter? I waited a moment, hoping for a quick reply. I got was I wanted. He came bounding towards me.

            Yes? He slowed to a halt in front of me. His tail, which was been freely wagging, now dropped. It slowly crept between his legs as he absorbed what I wanted to do. Horror became apparent upon his lupine features.

            Stella…why? The question was plain. Bold. Asking so much, out of words that amounted to so little. Yet, I didn’t know how to answer it. I just knew that I needed to. My life depended on it. So did my baby’s. So did all of my loved ones. And more danger was sure to come, whether I liked it or not. And this was, surely, the only way. Wasn’t it? Doubts crept into my mind…okay, so maybe killing my own mother was wrong. In many ways than just one, it was horribly wrong. But I was corrupted in a sense to the point that I really didn’t care anymore.

            Hunter lowered his head, and whined. He knew that what I was doing was what I was set on doing. He couldn’t change my mind. But it didn’t mean that he agreed. He knew he couldn’t stop me, which was just as well. I didn’t want anyone hindering what I had to do. And didn’t I have to do it?

            Taze was stirring. I didn’t want him to try and stop me. I had to do this quick. And I would. I went inside, and grabbed one of the pocket knives I had seen earlier. I came back out, and knelt beside the cage.

            “You’ve hurt me so much. I cannot begin to tell you how much I don’t want to do this. But I have to. I love you, Mom. But it’s obvious that we both can’t live. And I’m not about to die.” I tipped the cage, and watched her struggle to keep her balance. She was very groggy. All for the better.

            “You can say you love me all you want…it just won’t work. I’m done with this.” I opened the cage and dumped her out. I laid her out on her side. “Go to a better place, if you can. Goodbye.” I plunged the knife deep into her chest cavity, and felt her body convulse. I held onto the trembling body with one hand, and then tore the knife out. I stabbed down again, and again, and again. I’m not crazy, I told myself. This is for the best.

            “Goodbye.” I said to her again, and then stabbed her over and over. Her blood was everywhere. It was all I could see, all I could smell. It was all over my clothes and skin, where it was splattered. I could taste it on my tongue. I slit her throat deep, and sat back. I watched her final gasps, the blood pouring out from her mouth and nostrils. I watched my own mother die.

            Oh God, I thought. I just murdered my mother. I murdered my mother! And didn’t I deserve to die now? I looked down at my hands. My bloody, trembling hands. A sick satisfaction traveled through my body. And didn’t she deserve to die? The giggles started quietly at first. I hardly noticed them. And then they got louder, more hysterical. I threw my head back, and enjoyed my little piece of insanity. Surely I was right, in relishing this moment? My mother couldn’t hurt me anymore.

            I heard noises. I felt a little jab of pain. And then everything went black.

~

           

            “……Stella?” My body was gently shaken. I stirred, and then opened my eyes. It was my father’s face. I flipped.

            “What happened?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent and clueless as possible, just in case he was in on my mother’s plan too. I searched his face. He seemed genuinely worried about me. I looked around; no sign of Taze, Orion, Hunter, or Lucifer. Great.

            “The police had gotten a distress call. They followed it and found you. You were lying over your mother’s body...” He paused, and then took a deep, painful breath. “Your mother was murdered. They could only find your fingerprints on it. I’m so sorry Stella…they don’t know who did it.” And he looked genuinely sorry.

            An officer came into the living room, which was where, I realized, I was. “Did she finally wake up?” The lady asked, and then glanced over at me. “You gave us quite a scare. For a moment there, we actually thought you were the killer. But you seem to be more of the victim…” She came over and sat next to me.

            “Do you have any clue who might have wanted to kill your mother?” The concern was written plain as day upon her face. She really thought I was innocent. Ha! I put on a sober face, and shook my head solemnly. “Oh, no! She was such a great woman. Why would anyone ever want to harm such a kind old creature?”

            I knew I was pushing my luck. But the more I seemed out of it, the more they would leave me out of the investigation. Wasn’t that how it was supposed to work? Leave the poor insane girl alone—she doesn’t know anything, and even if she did, what are the chances of her being able to remember it?

            “You’ve been out for quite a few hours. Are you feeling okay?” The police officer reached out and patted my arm. I tensed; a few hours? Shouldn’t I be in a hospital? This was becoming really odd, faster and faster.

            “Hey, um, Dad?” I spoke awkwardly, as I never really talked to my father. But I had to ask him something. While I awaited a response, I glanced around me more closely. Something didn’t feel right. My skin crawled uneasily, and I felt that feeling you get right before something bad happens.

            “Yes, sweetheart?” He smiled at me, with that soft look fathers give their children when they’re very proud of them. Yep, something definitely wasn’t right.

            I moved my arms and legs a little, to make sure I wasn’t tied down. I wasn’t. It was funny, because I actually thought they’d have taken precautions. But maybe they thought I’d be too out of it to notice I wasn’t in a hospital. Either way, what happened next was absolutely and positively uncalled for and probably very unnecessary. But considering my situation, I suppose it could, in fact, have been necessary.

            “Dad? You can go screw yourself. And weird cop lady? You can feel free to do the same.” I threw off my blanket and leapt up. I ran towards the door, with my heart beating rapidly inside my chest. I grabbed the handle and turned, and then burst from the door. Only then did I realize that I had been disrobed.

            “Oh, crap!” I muttered, but kept running. Oh well. Maybe a real police officer would see me and arrest me for public nudity. Then I’d steal the car and drive away…but where would I go?

            Stella! The voice was urgent inside me. I flinched, and ran towards the nearest cover. Surely, I wasn’t running naked in a town? Oh, but I was. Hunter’s head poked out from the foliage, and a little bark escaped from him. I ran towards him, and dove into the thick brush.

            Are you nuts?! He thought to me incredulously, careful to keep his eyes adverted. We need to find you some clothes. Hunter then stalked off through the plant life, not even checking to make sure I was following. Something wasn’t right about him, either. Where was Orion? What happened to Taze, or Lucifer? I didn’t have a chance to ask. I knew it was a bad idea. So behind Hunter I followed, hoping that they were all right. After all, chances were, they were locked away somewhere being beaten to death or something morbid like that.

            After a few minutes, we came to the patch of woods that contained the clearing. Hunter promptly sat down, and began to groom himself. Ugh. Dogs.

            “Hunter…where is everyone else?” I curled up behind a tree, keeping myself out of his line of sight. The pale, supple flesh stretched over my body held little streaks of red; pools of blood seeping up through the broken surface of my skin. I traced the marks of imperfection with my fingers, shivering as a breeze weaved its way through the trees.

            “We’re right here.” Orion’s voice broke through the calm silence. I jumped; my heart raced at the scare. Lucifer trotted over to me, scanning over my exposed crimson. He nudged my hands, asking for attention. And so I gave it to him, rubbing around his ears and running my nails through his fur. His tongue flicked out from his mouth, touching the places where the brush had cut me. A smile breached my face, and for that one moment, I felt as if everything was all right.

            “…Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?” Orion inquired, puzzled as to why he could see every part of me. Taze came around the tree; Lucifer growled in protest. Taze’s eyes widened as he took in my vulnerable state. I mean, it’s not like he hadn’t seen me naked before. But obviously there was some cause for alarm.

            “Here, take my jacket.” Off came his black leather jacket, and soon I was somewhat covered. Orion’s jaw hardened; I could tell he felt pretty shabby for not having anything to help me out with. I looked from eligible male to the other, again having the feeling I should be choosing one of them and making my choice definite. But I didn’t know what I want. I glanced over at Hunter, however, and felt warmth spread through me. Was he the one I wanted?

            Some say that true love exists. Some say love is for fools…and others fall in and out of it so much, they never find the right one. But I didn’t know how I felt, you see. I wanted to find the right one…my soul mate. But how was I supposed to do that when all I ever encountered were mistakes, illusions?

            I didn’t know, I promise. I swear, if I knew, I would have told them. But I was so confused. I had a choice…actually, I had many choices. I just had to find the right choice, and pick the right one for me. I would have to totally disregard everyone else’s opinions and feelings, and be selfish.

            But what if I didn’t want to be selfish? What if I wanted to make everyone happy? I wished I could find a happy medium; find a place where I wouldn’t be tempted to either side. But obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. So why hope? Why settle for something so high up there, when I hadn’t the means of getting there?

            Why put myself through it?  Couldn’t I just disappear, find a new love? What was holding me back, anyways?

            Ah. Yes. The baby. The shape shifting baby that was growing inside me. Of course that’d be an issue! But it didn’t matter anymore. Well, the baby did. I wouldn’t kill it, of course. But I could run off! Yes! I’d run away, and never be found!

            Okay, so let’s recap. I’m pregnant with Taze’s baby. I’m pregnant because I wanted to form a truce between Orion, my current vampiric boyfriend, and Taze’s clan of shape shifters. Lucifer is a weird dog…at least, I think he’s a dog. And Hunter cannot shape shift into his human form. I had recently murdered my mother, and ran away from this creepy cop lady and my dad, who I thought at first knew nothing of my mother’s plan for me. And the only clothes I had at the moment would be Taze’s borrowed leather jacket.

            “I don’t understand,” Orion continued. “Why would more people be in on this?” He paced around, back and forth, left and right. “And, why do they want Stella doped up anyway? What did she ever do to them?” He stopped, seeing the confused look on my face. I must have missed part of the conversation. Hm. I was too busy thinking.

            “You don’t have any clue, do you?” He asked, his black eyes keying in on mine. Accusation held ransom his face until he regained control, softening his features. I shook my head slowly, keeping my gaze trained on his. “I don’t. I don’t know why everyone’s out to get me, or why this all had to happen.” I smiled weakly. “Don’t ask me; I’m crazy!”

            Orion raised a brow at me, and a smile flickered briefly upon his face. Ah, yes. The humorous vampire I fell in love with, seduced by his power and desire for me. Well, it could be that after the first time he fed from me, I became addicted to the feeling of numbness. Nice alternative to narcotics, don’t you think?

            “The point is,” interrupted Taze, “is that we have hardly any knowledge. They could strike out of no-where and catch us unawares. Mind you, we have a lot at stake here…” His eyes travelled over to my huddled figure, as if beseeching me for some input, as I’d given to Orion. Dare I play with fire? Hmm….sounds tempting. “I do agree. I mean, shoot. I’m pregnant, and we have no clue what this is going to do to my body. You, Taze, want my baby to continue on the line of shape shifters. I, however, want the baby to keep you and your clan” I looked pointedly at him, “from Orion.”

            I glanced over at Hunter. “Any input?” I felt the tension mount up between vampire and alpha shape shifter, and smiled on the inside. This was going to be so much fun! A low growl erupted from Lucifer as he got into a protective stance in front of me, bristling as he bared his little teeth. It was quite amusing, actually. You wouldn’t expect this kind of dog to be aggressive, much less appear threatening while doing it. But looks can be deceiving, remember that.

            I’m just going to say this: we need to find a place to hide you, and quick. All three of the bristling males simmered, considering Hunter’s suggestion. One by one, they settled down, nodding. Taze agreed the quickest, and began to pace. Lucifer took the longest to settle down, and with reason. He seemed to know me better than anyone. Needless to say, it’s not as if he could betray me with all his knowledge. Or could he? I’d been thinking a lot lately about how he didn’t seem like a normal dog, much less a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. But, hey. Maybe he was just different.
            Taze looked up, a bright glint to his eyes. “We could take you to the Grand Canyon! You could find a cave or crevice there, and we could bring you enough supplies to last for at least a year.” He slowed, realization dawning upon his façade. “We’d have to find a reliable person to stay with you, though…You still have eight and a half months to go, if this goes by human gestation.” He sighed, and sat down against a tree not to far from me.

            I was still stuck on the Grand Canyon. Really? Didn’t they know how dangerous that could be? And Lucifer was tiny. He couldn’t protect me from coyotes for long before becoming a meal himself. I shook my head and broke in. “So, you’re going to put me out there with coyotes and intense heat in Arizona, and expect me to deliver a healthy, sound baby?” Confusion spread throughout my body, and I felt rebellious. I shouldn’t have to go somewhere like that. Couldn’t I go someplace safe?

            But safety would have to be found without people, save whoever they chose to put with me to help me out during my pregnancy. Heck, I was probably safer by myself anyway. I mean, most of the adults I’ve met so far either wanted me dead or knew about something that I didn’t know about. I wish I knew what was egging everyone one. Seriously! As if I didn’t have enough problems already.

            Taze frowned. “You’re right, Stella.” And that was all he could say. No one else had any ideas, or if they did, they were keeping to themselves about it. I sighed, and found myself shivering. It was getting late out, and the breeze that was blowing by spoke of a cool summer night. Lucifer nudged my arms, and curled up on my feet.

            Hunter jerked his head up, a growl rippling through his body. Lucifer leapt up, ears erect as he tried to pinpoint what was amiss. Hunter then took off into the trees, snarling and foaming at the mouth.

Chapter Seven

           

            A month passed. Hunter hadn’t come back, and neither had Lucifer. They had chased after something, but when the morning light brought reality to its fullest, we came to realize that they probably weren’t returning. Taze and Orion tried to put aside their differences, if only to help me. But it seemed as though, while time was running out to find me a safe place to reside, the tension between them grew and grew. By the time the 4^th of July came around, we didn’t look for the two canine-related boys. We sat and watched the fireworks together, from a remote cabin in the woods in Oklahoma.

            I still wasn’t showing come July 12^th. It was my seventh week of pregnancy, and I was feeling quite crummy. I was always tired, and got irritable quickly. Did I mention that I was beginning to crave things? Goodness. Who knew having a baby would be so demanding? Seven more months of this. I could only hope Orion and Taze could handle my mood swings and necessities until then.

            August 12^th found us in Nevada. Funny…I was working on my twelfth week. We still hadn’t found me a place to live. However, we had purchased (or stolen) prenatal vitamins, which I took accordingly to ensure proper health for both me and my baby. I’d begun to think of names for the baby, although I wasn’t sure of the gender. If I came to have a boy, I was thinking of Zander or Max. If I came to have a girl, I was considering Ivy or Willow. I hadn’t voiced my thoughts, although I knew Orion could find them out if he wished.

            He was always vaguely linked to my mind now—that subtle probe brought me to knowing he was always on the alert with me. I didn’t blame him, though. He had his reasons.

            He refused to feed from me. Well, after he had realized I was pregnant, Orion had lost interest. It must have been a change in taste, I guess. But he was feeding off of animals he found along the way. He looked weaker than he had before, but Taze was trying to help him out. They hunted together, leaving me in a crevice or something. I ate whatever they thought I should, but was sure to cook it almost to the point of burning it.

            Not much fazed me anymore. I was tired and resigned to being as I should be. Then again, it’s not like I had much choice. I was dependant on these two males for my survival, and my baby’s. I wonder…what would they say, if I said I was done with both of them? Would they attack me? Attack each other? Was it possible that they’d just up and leave?

            So many questions flowed through my mind. I couldn’t stand to think anymore; after all, wasn’t thinking dangerous? I sighed, rolling onto my stomach. I picked at the assortment of grasses and leaves that served as my bedding, and felt like an animal. A smile crept on my face; an animal! Ha! What fun that’d be. Or…would it?

            Taze and Orion were very late coming back. Usually they were only gone an hour or two, and I stayed up all night waiting for them. It wasn’t until sunrise, at around six o’clock in the morning that they returned.

            My eyelids sagged from lack of sleep and fatigue. As they wound their way into my crevice, I could sense something was wrong. I sat up, feeling very stiff and sore from switching positions all night. My grey eyes must look hollow by now, I was thinking. There was no way I could be looking anywhere near as good as I used to now, after such a long night of worry.

            “Sorry Stella,” Orion’s apologetic eyes met mine, and I titled my head. “You’re hurt.” I narrowed my eyes, suspicion taking over. I glanced over at Taze. He was hurt worse that the vampire! I sighed, holding my head in my hands.

            The boys were packing up. I got up, stretching. “Where to?” I inquired, running a hand through the tangled black mess I called my hair. Taze grunted, picking up our only possessions in one armful. “Anywhere but here.” Orion came over, shaking his head. “Let me take that.” He successfully removed the items from Taze’s shaking grasp, and moved towards the exit of the crevice. Taze placed a hand on my arm, guiding me out as well.

            I yawned, and then shook out my hair. For minutes after exiting our temporary home, all was silence. I didn’t like it—it had to stop.

            “So, is anyone going to tell me what happened, or do I have to guess?” I questioned, my gaze travelling from Taze to Orion. Neither seemed to be willing to offer up answers, so I stopped walking and plopped down on the still-cool earth. “Fine. We can all play the quiet game. Starting…now.” I curled up on my side and closed my eyes. Shoot, I could use a nap.

            I didn’t hear anything. Good, I thought. Let them think. I did enough of it, worrying about them and skipping much needed rest. Let them feel what I was feeling. I took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of soil and water. Wait, water?

            I sat up, blinking unsteadily as my eyes adjusted. I could smell water, but there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Okay, I knew I was crazy…just not this crazy. I didn’t think to look at anyone else to see if this was real—I guess insanity does that to you. However, I could feel the ground underneath me as I walked carefully towards where the smell was coming from, and that was good enough for me. And then, as I thought I’d located the source of the smell, everything went black.

            When I came back around, I was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. What was familiar, however, was the hunger look upon all of the faces I could see. Vampires. Panic flared up inside me, realization dawning upon me. This was why Orion and Taze had been injured. I blinked uneasily, eyeing the thirsty leeches as they twittered in a different language. Sounded like gibberish to me, but hey, they must understand it.

            One reached out and poked my stomach. I jerked away, and realized the ropes around my arms and legs. I was hogtied, good and proper. Lovely. The same vampire poked my stomach again, and then placed her whole hand on my stomach. Her green eyes shone brightly, shimmering with energy and excitement. She was no longer lusting for my blood…what was she doing?

            Her eyes…they were colored. Why they weren’t black, like Orion’s? Why wasn’t she attacking me? I strained at the ropes, hoping to find a fault in the bindings. Sadly, I found none. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.   

            The bold vampire rubbed my stomach gently, smiling like a child in sleep, having a good dream. My heart went out to her for a moment, and then I recoiled. What was I doing? I blinked, and suddenly found her frowning. A hurt look spread through her face, and she withdrew her hand. She tucked her ginger hair behind her ear, biting her lip. Had I hurt her feelings? I frowned, and then jerked a little more. She tilted her head, watching me carefully. She cautiously placed her hand back onto my stomach, and I felt that same feeling from before. I embraced it this time, and relished the moment as her smile broadened and her eyes sparkled even more.

            Was this how she communicated with outsiders? Or maybe it was just me…I hadn’t even tried to speak yet. Maybe it was safer not to try. The vampire looked directly at me, meeting my gaze fearlessly. She said something in her native language, and the other vampires dispersed, leaving us alone in the little clearing.

            She glanced around, checking to make sure we were alone. She ducked her head closer towards mine, although I’m not sure why. Her eyes travelled to the spot where the baby was growing inside me, and before I knew it, her piercing green eyes were staring right into me. It unnerved me a little, and I felt her recoil. But I dropped the uneasiness the best I could, if to keep the vampire happy. She nodded at my resignation, and sat back on her heels.

            “You are with child?” She inquired, although it seemed she already knew. I nodded, continuing to watch her. I was sort of fascinated by her eyes. They sparkled, as if little stars were inside her irises, rotating to use the sunlight to their advantage. I must have gazed too long, for she ducked her head in embarrassment. “My eyes—you like?” She asked, a smile playing with her lips as her eyes searched my face. I nodded, still not sure if I should speak or not.

            I didn’t feel any probes. I couldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts but my own, and I didn’t feel invaded. This was odd…wouldn’t this vampire want to get into my mind, find my vulnerabilities? It was quite confusing, yes. But I wasn’t about to question this female leech, as she seemed to be enjoying herself at the moment. Why risk making her upset?