The Wolves of Cain

This Isn't You

Monique comes over and whispers in Adrian's ear, even though she knows the wolves in the room will hear anyway.

"Adrian. Snap out of it." Monique's words cause Adrian to stand up hastily and run out the door. Monique is right behind him.

"Let's go after them, Lucas!" Lena calls to him, rushing out the door. Lena knows she won't be able to keep up, but she's gonna try.

Lucas catches up to Lena quickly. "Are you sure?" Lucas asks Lena. She knows what he means. Lucas is asking Lena if he should leave her behind.

"Yes. Go." Lena says surely.

"Then you go back inside. Be safe." Lucas' eyes beg Lena to obey.

"I will." Lena says with a reassuring smile.

As Lucas runs off at an inhuman pace, Lena worries he will be mad later.

Lena technically lied to Lucas. He told her to go home, but Lena said okay to being safe, not to going home. So Lena creeps off in the direction Lucas went.

Mason races off after Lucas and Adrian, not noticing Lena is following too. Jerica quickly catches up to Lena.

"So where is everyone else?" Jerica whispers to Lena.

"I have no clue. They're too fast and I can't see in the dark." Lena replies, also whispering.

"Let me try to fix that." Jerica responds and pauses. Lena sighs in frustration but stops beside Jerica.

Jerica closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. Holding out her hand, Jerica concentrates on feeling electricity moving in her veins.

Sparks fly from Jerica's fingertips for a moment, lighting up the space around them.

But Jerica can't hold on to the electricity. It dies out leaving Jerica and Lena with no light.

"Okay, thanks for that. But we have to keep going." Lena says quickly and starts walking through the woods towards what she hopes is the usual "meeting spot."

"Why can't we have superspeed? Or wings? Shouldn't all angels have wings?" Jerica goes on.

"Adrian said we don't have wings. I'm sure he knows more about all of this than we do." Lena comments while practically ignoring the conversation.

"Which reminds me, where are-?" There's a thump as Jerica's words are cut off.

"Jerica?" Lena whips around to see an empty space behind her where Jerica had been. "Jerica?"

Lena hears a buzzing in her head and feels her heart thumping crazily in her chest.

Lena tries to call on the electricity that she knows is inside her, but can't seem to find it. So Lena focuses on the one power she has some control over. Levitation.

Lena's gaze darts wildly around, searching for Jerica and whatever took her. Lena feels the familiar light feeling start in her feet. Then Lena wonders how this is going to help. Why did they come out here with no protection?

Lena hears a yell that comes from the left, so she takes off after it. Lena usually has to ascend into her speed, but now she's immediately at full speed.

"Ow!" Someone yells angrily. Lena knows she's almost there.

"You're no fun!" A voice that's very close by Lena says.

"You bet I'm not! Now keep yourself and your stupid green hair away from me!" Lena recognizes Jerica because who else would say something like that?

Lena stops when she catches a glimpse of vine girl. Jerica is standing across from her with her hands on her hips.

Lena sighs in relief as she evaluates Jerica and finds no obvious injuries.

"My hair isn't stupid! At least it's my natural hair color. Yours isn't." Vine girl responds with a smirk and a girly laugh.

Before Jerica can reply, vine girl takes off, leaving Jerica in the dust.

"You're jealous of her hair?" Lena asks Jerica as she steps into view.

"Ugh. Why do you know me so well?" Jerica groans out with a hint of a smile.

Lena laughs and grabs into Jerica's arm. "Come on. We have to find the others."

"Did you see the fight?" Jerica asks excitedly as they walk along.

"No, I heard it though. Why did you two have a cat fight? It was like a girly fight in the middle of the school hallway." Lena teases her best friend.

"Oh, it was a real fight at first. I shocked her so hard that even Adrian would've gone down!" Jerica replies haughtily.

"I doubt that." Lena says, thinking of how strong Adrian seems to be.

"I don't! He's strong, fast, smart, and don't forget handsome!" Jerica practically swoons over Adrian, right there in the middle in this mostly serious situation.

"Did you forget about Alex already? Ready to dump that shy guy?" Lena teases again. But this time Lena actually wants to know the real answer to this question.

"No. I'm not cheating on Alex or anything. Why does everyone seem to think that?" Jerica says seriously.

"So you guys still talk?" Lena asks instead of responding to the question.

"Yes. I talked to him a couple hours ago." Jerica says.

"Watch out!" Someone yells and slams into Lena and Jerica.

Adrian helps them up after knocking them down, shoving them behind him and facing the other way. Vine girl is standing near, ready with vines.

"My hero." Jerica says dramatically. Lena rolls her eyes.

Adrian had knocked Lena and Jerica over to protect them from the vines that were attacking right behind their backs.

Lucas comes up and grabs Lena's hand. "What are doing here?" Lucas growls out with angry glowing golden eyes.

"Helping." Lena whispers. His gaze is so intense Lena feels she has to be quiet.

"That's not what it looks like." Lucas replies, sounding furious.

"Come on." Monique's voice comes from next to Jerica. Lena didn't even notice her.

Monique pulls Jerica through the woods and Lucas pulls Lena. They make it to the main path and tell Jerica and Lena to go home before they get hurt.

Lena and Jerica obey this time, hurrying home, leaving the fight to the others.

~*~

"Ivie." Adrian calls out to vine girl, wondering if Ivie can hear what's happening while vine girl is in control.

"This isn't Ivie. Didn't I tell you that?" Vine girl asks, putting a hand to her chin for dramatics.

Somehow Adrian can feel that Ivie is still with them, even when it's vine girl talking and acting.

Adrian uses his super speed to suddenly be standing right in front of vine girl.

Her breath catches in her throat at Adrian's nearness.

"Ivie, this isn't you. You're not like this." Adrian growls out, letting his eyes glow a bright red and his fangs come out.

Vine girl seems to snap out of it, smirking at Adrian.

A sudden pain makes Adrian grunt and stumble backwards. Adrian's hand goes to his chest and rests in a sticky mess. Blood. A lot of it.

Adrian falls onto his back with blood pooling from his chest, right where his heart is at. His eyes fade back to their normal blue and his fangs recede as he gasps for breath.

"ADRIAN!" Monique yells and rushes forward.

Monique sees the blood that's still pouring out. "She got you in the heart." Monique whispers.

Lucas stands shocked as he hears Monique's hushed words. Adrian got stabbed in the heart. That means he's going to die any minute now.

Lucas listens closely to Adrian's heartbeat as Monique presses her hands to the sound. Lucas holds his breath as Adrian's heart stops beating.

Vine girl makes a strangled noise in her throat before collapsing on the ground.