Instinct [TEMPORARILY ON HOLD]

You Must Face The Age of Not Believing I.

A/N: I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, or religious holiday of their choosing- or just simply a great weekend! I apologize for the lack of christmas specials, I might still write one later but I've been extremely sick for the last week and a half and when I didn't have to work, I was in bed dying lol. I'm feeling better now, tho, so here it is! <3 

Dedication of this chapter is for @Future_Hopeful! Thanks for all the comments and love and support! xx.

***

The streets were empty and cold. It was long after nightfall that I was actually released from the hospital. Winter was surely coming, and I was chilly down to the bone from the cold November winds.

My apartment was a short walk away from the subway stop, and I couldn't possibly walk fast enough. The thought of stopping for a hot coffee to warm my insides seemed more and more delicious by the second - but that would have meant I would be away from home longer.

Demo was used to my schedule, but I always worried he was going to get into trouble if I stayed away for too long.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, trying to block the wind from getting to me. It was a hopeless effort, of course, because it got to me twenty minutes ago, right after I left the hospital.

Suddenly, I heard something behind me.

I swirled around-

-just to find the alleyway completely empty. Just as I thought.

If I was someone else, I would have told myself that it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. That I was just exhausted from working a shift long enough to be illegal, and in desperate need of a long nap.

But the reality was, I've been attacked before. Just two blocks away, to be fair.

And I knew it wasn't just my imagination. Since that night - the first night I met Alexander, and he rescued me from the group of disgusting bastards who tried to... molest me, I supposed, I learned to listen to my instincts.

And every single one of them told me to double my steps. I knew that I was in danger.

It didn't help that every single time I looked over my shoulder, I found the streets behind me completely empty. City that never sleeps, my buttocks...

Suddenly, I felt a gush of wind, blowing my hair forward - and successfully blinding me. The blood froze in my veins. I knew I should have taken off, and tried to outrun my attacker, but my legs were frozen in place.

So I did the one thing that every horror movie in existence taught me not to do. I turned around.

And nearly choked on my own bloody spit.

"Xander..." I breathed. Except, it wasn't him. Not really.

What stood in front of him looked an awful lot like the man that I was nursing an enormous crush on. Except for the deadly golden flash of his eyes. And the veins bulging in his forehead and neck. And the fact that he had...fangs?!

Something pointy that resembled animal canines were sticking out from between his lips - which were pulled into a sneer.

Alexander looked like Demo did when he spotted another large dog in the park peeing on his bush. That look never brought on a friendly exchange.

I took a step back, away from Xander, who - to my dismay - mirrored my action, stepping forward. He towered over me, his already tall frame further enhanced by the protruding veins. He looked fucking terrifying.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him reach out towards me - but I was already spun around and dashing toward my building.

Come on, Sophie, I tried to encourage myself, this is what you do... You're a runner. Just pretend you're at a park, chasing Demo... No one behind you, you're just running for the fun of it.

Except my feet were aching from being on them all day at the hospital, and my scrubs were rather uncomfortable, as they tried to stretch to match my rhythm. Oh, and the man I was pretty sure I was dating was probably right behind me.

My building came into sight as I rounded the corner, and I increased the speed, deciding to sprint the last few hundred meters. Craning my neck, I turned to see how close he was - or if he still followed me.

But once again, the streets were all abandoned.

I sighed in relief, but kept up my tempo.

A scream left my mouth, as I looked back in front of me - and nearly ran into Alexander. His arms were outreached, and I was a hair away from running right into them.

I didn't need to throw myself into him, though, because he was already grabbing for me. His large hands curled around my elbows, yanking me towards him with a force that lifted me to the tip of my toes.

"Down!" I yelled, surprised by how stern my voice sounded. I didn't feel so confident at the moment, and my heart was beating a mile a minute - a sound he must have been able to hear - but my voice didn't falter. "Put. Me. Down!" I commanded, holding up my index finger as best as I could, and wagging it in front of Alexander's face.

I took a deep breath, fixing my eyes on his full, golden ones. "I said-" I exhaled, feeling more confident by the moment. "Put. Me. Down."

Xander didn't lower me, but he didn't proceed with biting my head off - or whatever he was about to do - either, and I took that as a good sign.

"I won't ask again!" I held my extended finger steady, and I watched his golden gaze flicker from me, to my finger. "Down-- ah!" I little whimper left me as I my knees nearly buckled under me, overtaken by the unexpected weight of my body.

Xander's hands left me, but he didn't step away.

He watched me with curiosity as I used his torso to steady myself, before standing up straight again. "Stay there." I breathed, keeping him at arm's length. The adrenaline of the whole situation was crashing on me, my body finally registering the shock my brain has been hiding from it. There was a medical term for this state, but with the blackness threatening to overtake my vision, I couldn't recall it.

Strong arms came around me, holding me steady. "If you try to attack me again, I swear I will bite you!" I threatened Xander. "You scared the breath out of me..." I admitted, allowing him to scoop me into his arms. With one hand under my knees, and the other supporting my back, he carried me towards my building.

I rested my head on his shoulder, ignoring the nagging reminder of my brain that the same man was attacking me mere seconds ago, with the intention of possible harm. It was easier to just let myself be carried.

Xander knew the code to the front door, so we didn't need to fish around for the keys. I didn't ask how he knew, and he didn't offer an explanation by himself.

He walked up the stairs confidently, with me still in his arms. If my weight bothered him, he showed no sign of it.

When we reached my door, he produced a key - again, I pretended that this was normal - and let us in. Demo bounced up cheerfully, nudging my bottom with his wet nose as I hung from Xander's hold. He didn't even sniff the man carrying me, reassuring my hunch that this wasn't the second time they met.

Xander walked us to my room, and deposited me on my bed. After pulling off my shoes, while I simultaneously struggled out of my jacket, he simply covered me with a blanket and left, an excited Demo trailing behind him, with his leash in his mouth.

Only through the mirror by the front door did I spot his still golden eyes.