Change of Heart 2

Chapter 39

The metal gates clanged open but as usual he was too weak to raise his head up and see who it was. Not like it mattered anyway; every time those gates opened it cleared a path for torture and terror. The bright emerald green which was once his eyes no longer existed, so, with dimmed colored irises he took in the sight of the buckets at the end of the tubes and scoffed.

"Th−They're not...full yet." He forced the words out.

"No, but you're done here." The familiar voice filled the cell even though it was spoken as a whisper. As though her voice pumped energy through him, his head raised gave a small smile to the woman who helped him the night before.

"What do you mean I'm done? There's still three more buckets to be filled here." He nodded towards the empty buckets which were connected to the tubes.

"Screw it Adrian! Those buckets are the difference between life and death for you and you can't die." Before he could speak she ripped the needles and tubes out of his flesh causing him to flinch for just a minute. "Here," She dug into her pocket, pulled out a bandage and stopped his blood from running out of his skin.

"What are you doing? You're gonna get in trouble for this!"

"Let me worry about that ok. What you need to do right now, is get the hell out of here and back to your friends. They need you." She was very serious as she untied him from the chair.

"But the buckets−

"Let me worry about that, Adrian."

"They might kill you!"

He was free from the chair and she pulled him up holding his face in her hands. Staring him straight in the eye she spoke very carefully to him. "Listen to me, you are going to leave and don't worry about me ok. There's a black SUV parked just outside the door. Get in and get out." She pushed the keys for the car into his palm.

"Won't they come looking for me when they see that I'm missing?"

"They don't care about you, Adrian. They got what they wanted from you and that's your blood. What happens to you after doesn't matter to them. Now that they got what they wanted they have no reason to stay here in California anymore so they're gonna leave. Don't worry about them looking for you ok? Just go back to your friends. They really need you trust me."

"Why do you care about me so much? Why are you helping me again?"

"Here," she said pulling something out of her pocket and completely ignoring his questions. "this is yours." His necklace laid in the palm of her hands.

"Thank you." He took it and hooked it around his neck, where it belonged. "For everything."

The woman smiled and touched his and the look in her eyes said that she wished she could've left with him; but Adrian knew she couldn't. "Now go! Go!"

He hesitated before he left and turned to her one last time. "Are you gonna be ok?"

"I'll be fine." She tried to fake a smile and Adrian wondered if she was trying to convince herself of what she had just said. "Now please, go."

Without another word he ran through the doors and darted into the designated car. It was years since he'd driven but driving wasn't something you just forget. The speed of the car however definitely was something he's forgotten. He had to slow it down sooner though, as a black SUV speeding through the streets of California in the bright daylight wasn't something normal. He was surprised that he made it out of the building without any trouble at all. Then again, they were werewolves, not federal agents. Adrian had been in California long enough to know the way home, however instead of driving his new car there, he drove it into the parking lot of Stefano's one of the most popular coffee shops in California. Partially because he craved a good latte and partially because there was a familiar face seated at one of the tables.