Running Wild (Sequal to I'm Not A Vampire)

Scarlet

**BLADE'S POV**
        "Drake?" I shook his shoulder gently. "Draake?"
        Drake blinked and looked up at me. "Yeah? Did you say something?"
        I frowned. It was about two weeks after we'd finally gotten home, and we were at the same park where Drake and I'd had our first kiss. Ever since Matt had died, Drake had been so distant. He barely talked to anyone, and he always had this distant look in his eye, like he was in his own separate world. It scared me, because he was only getting worse as the days passed. I'd thought bringing him here might snap him out of it, but I'd had no such luck. "Yeah, I've been trying to talk to you for ten minutes!"
        "Sorry," he bit his lip. "I was zoning out, I guess."
        "You seem to be doing that a lot, lately," I said. "Are you sure you're okay?"
        He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. What was it you were trying to talk to me about?"
        I sighed and shook my head. "I asked you if you'd come up with a name for our daughter yet?"
        For the first time in fourteen days, I saw Drake smile. "Yeah, I did."
        I looked up and beamed, ecstatic that he was happy. "Well, can I hear them?"
        "I don't know if they're any good."
        "Oh come on, please? They can't be that bad."
        "Well...my favorite one is Scarlet, but-"
        "I like it."
        "Really?"
        I smiled and leaned closer, kissing him gently. "Of course, it's beautiful," I said.
        Drake's lips curved upward beneath mine. "Thanks, Blade," he murmured, kissing me back as I pulled him closer, soaking in the feeling of his kiss. This was the first time he'd really kissed me since Matt died, and I wanted to hold onto the moment for as long as possible.
        When we finally had to break away, I said, "I was thinking. For her middle name, I thought we could make it Matlin. You know, for your dad."
        Instantly, I knew I had made a mistake. The smile that Drake had been wearing so briefly fell at the mention of his father. He turned his face away, gazing at the sun setting over the horizon. He stayed silent for the longest time, until it became clear that he was checked out again. "Drake?" I asked, and when he didn't answer, I touched his hand. "Drake, at least tell me what you think of the name. Drake??"
        He looked at me, snapping out of his daze just long enough to breathe, "I like it. It's great," before looking away again.
        I sighed, my heart sinking to my feet. I'd had him, but now he was lost again. "Come on, Drake," I took his hand gently and pulled him to his feet. "Let's get you home. Jayy's going to be worried if you're out too long."

**ASHLYN'S POV**
        I watched the sun set from the nursery window. In my arms, I held my little niece, who was sound asleep. Blade had taken Drake to the park over an hour ago, and I had gladly volunteered to watch her while they were gone. I loved being around her. And with Drake acting all fucked up as of late, I'd sort of taken over as a second parent to her.
        Drake, the thought of him made me frown. I was glade he was okay and all, and I felt so incredibly bad for him since his dad died, but it'd been almost a month since that incident. And even though I understood he needed time to mourn, it ticked me off that he was so unresponsive and distant all the time. I mean, he did have a child that had to be raised. Besides, it was putting Blade through absolute hell to watch him slowly transform into a vegetable.  
        I looked back down at the sleeping baby in my arms. She already had a full head of shining black hair, though she was only a month old. She was still too young for us to determine exactly how much werewolf was in her versus vampire, but even just by holding her, I could somehow sense her power. Drake and Blade had yet to name her, mostly because Drake was busy living in his mind for the past two weeks.
        Suddenly I heard the front door open and shut from downstairs, and I immediately sat up straighter in the rocking chair I was sitting in. Jinxx had changed Sammi a few days ago, and they had taken her out on her first hunt. Sophie was in her room, and I was the only other person in the house besides the baby. I listened intently as footsteps sounded on the stairs. "Anybody home?" Blade's voice carried down the hall
        I sighed in relief. "In here!" I called softly.
        Blade appeared in the doorway. He looked tired, and from the defeated hunch of his shoulders, I could guess what had gone on when he was with Drake. The same thing that had been going on since Matt died, nothing. "Hey," he said quietly, noticing that the baby was sleeping. "How was she?"
        "Perfect," I replied with a small smile, standing and handing her to him when he held out his hands. "What happened with Drake?"
        "Well, I finally got him to talk," he began, eyes on his sleeping daughter. "And then he was gone again just as quickly."
        "Well, at least you got him to talk," I said encouragingly, trying to mask my rage at Drake for pretty much abandoning my brother and his daughter. "What did he say?"
        "He came up with a name," he replied simply with a small smile.
        The grin that spread across my face was genuine. "For her? What?"
        "Scarlet."
        "Scarlet?"
        "Yeah. Scarlet Matlin Good."
        "Did he come up with the Matlin thing?"
        Blade's smile fell, and he went and walked over to the rocking chair, sitting down on it slowly so he wouldn't jostle the baby, Scarlet, too much. "No, I did," he explained. "Then right after I said it, he just checked out again."
        I could see the sadness in his eyes, and a part of my heart broke with his. "Blade," I murmured. "I'm sorry."
        "He's really scaring me, Ashlyn," he whispered, and when he looked up at me, I saw he was crying. "I-I don't know what to do. He's just getting worse and worse."
        I frowned and hugged my brother as tightly as I dared, trying not to wake Scarlet. "I'm sorry, Blade. Everything will work out though, I promise. I'll kill him if it doesn't."
        At this, Blade pulled back and shook his head furiously at me. "No, Ashlyn. Don't even talk like that."
        "I'm sorry bro, but he's really starting to piss me off," I stared out the window, fuming inside. "The way he's just living in his own little world not even caring that it's worrying you or that he has a daughter that he's not even attempting to help take care of!"
        "He can't help it, Ashlyn. His dad died, he's really upset," he muttered, but the tone of his voice suggested that even that excuse was wearing thin to him.
        "That's no excuse for leaving you guys to worry about him," I snapped. 
        Apparently our voices had risen, because Scarlet suddenly jolted awake, letting out a distressed cry. Automatically, Blade and my attention shifted to her. Blade held her a little closer to his chest and began to rock her back and forth slowly. "Shh," he whispered softly. "It's okay, Scarlet. It's alright."
        Scarlet looked up at him, and she abruptly stopped crying. Her gaze on Blade was curious as she reached one chubby little hand up and grabbed one of the drawstrings of his hoodie, yanking it down and letting out a small giggle.
        Blade laughed and kissed her forehead. "At least you know how to lighten the mood."
        I smiled with him, but I still had not intention of letting Drake off the hook. He'd have to come out of whatever funk he was in, sooner rather than later. If he didn't, him and I were going to have problems. I wasn't about to watch my brother go insane again.

YAY HAPPY PICTURE TO GET OVER THE SAD PICTURE!