The Phantom Mate

Chapter One

"In one aspect, yes, I believe in ghosts, we create them, but we haunt ourselves"
-Laurie Halse Anderson

'Jessica, your house is creepy.'
Jessica let out a hearty laugh to Shanes comment. 'I suppose, but at least it's free!'
'It's only free because your dads the alpha,' Felix grabbed his bag from the back of the car, 'and I want my IPod back.'
Lavender still sat in the car, looking at the grey walls, with the window down she called out to Jessica, 'this looks like the Vamparian House.'
Jessica opened the front door and started rummaging around the drivers seat for Felix's IPod, 'actually, now that you mention it, I think this was a Vampire Safehouse at one point.' She threw the small, white IPod back at Felix, who caught it, laughing. 'So what, we living in the house of twilight now?'
'Only for the next three months,'  Jessica winked at Lavender who yawned, 'it's summer!'
Shane opened the door for Lavender and took her hand, 'so,' he asked her, 'how did the operation go?'
'What, the one where they put my guts back into my stomach? Pretty good, I guess.'
Shane smiled at her, 'shame, come, you need rest.'
Lavender smiled at Shane as he took her arm and led her towards the mansion-like house.

'Woah,' Felix dropped his bag on the satin rug at the door entrance, 'antiques for days, man, check out these paintings.' Lavender looked at the one he gestured to. Three pale women stood around a red throne, there was blood on their lips. Felix turned to Jessica, 'Vampire Safehouse at one point, huh, Jessica?' Jessica looked at the painting.
'Okay, so, maybe it was a little sooner.'
Lavender shivered as she entered the house, damn, it's cold, she thought to herself. Just then, her gut lurched. 'Shane....' she coughed. The side effects of the pain killers given to her in the morning were beggining to really kick in, she held her stomach as she felt the urge to puke. 'Mm... bathroom...--' her hand flew up to her mouth and she ran up the stairs, frantic, gliding across the hallway, past the stone antiques and wall decor and started to open up doors, finally finding a room with white tiles and a toilet at one wall. She threw herself over the seat and let out her breakfast.
Shane ran into the bathroom and started holding her brunette hair out of her face, Felix and Jessica followed after. Lavender finished and collapsed into Shanes arms, her eyes opening and closing, slipping in and out of sleep.

'Need...a... shower...' Lavender sniffed, washing her face. Shane, who stood by the door, chuckled. 
'You need sleep, come, Jessica has a room for you.' 
'I'm pathetic,' Lavender said as Shane took her hand and started to lead her to her room.
'No, you're beautiful.' Shane brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.
'My stomach was recently out of my stomach, I nearly got the pack killed, my family thinks I'm a basketcase, now I'm throwing up all over the place... I maybe don't even have a wolf anymore.'
Shane stopped, wrapping his arms around Lavenders back. She welcomed his warmth, leaning into his collar bone. She noticed how his knees were bent. 'And I'm short.'
'None of that matters anymore, Lavender, you're safe here with us.'
'When do you think the pack'll be safe again?' Lavender asked.
Shane shrugged, 'I don't know, let's just wait it out during the summer, if it's still not safe, we'll find one of our allies as a temporary home.'
'I don't want a temporary home, Shane, I want home home.'
'Well, for now, this is home home. Come on, Lav.'
Her room was at the end of the hallway, the door was slighty ajar. Shane pointed to her bag, at the corner of the room, 'get yourself sorted out, Lav, Felix and I are going to do a quick run-around to make sure the grounds are safe. Jessica's in the kitchen, making sure all her instant ramen packets are acounted for, will you be alright?'
Lavender nodded, 'thank you, Shane.' Shane smiled at her and closed the door behind him. She threw off her coat, it landed on a red couch in the corner of the room. She shoved her hands into her pockets and began to look around the room, the walls were painted velvelty red with random gold streaks. There was a chest of small drawers against one wall, just under the window. Lavender opened up one and found an old photograph, on it was a girl, a beautiful girl. Her hair was done up in a victorian style, her eyes, even in sepia, looked vibrant and bright, but her face held fear. Lavender wondered where she had seen the face before, it seemed familiar, but vague. She turned it over, 'Lady Lillian Canterberrie, Orria House, 1854.' and lower down it said, 'Vladmir's Rule'.
'Woah,' Lavender said to herself, 'this was a vampire place for a while.'

Lavender started to go through more drawers, she found a locket and a crumbled piece of paper. After setting her clothes within the drawers, she turned to her bed and fell onto the soft mattress.

I've found you...

Lavenders eyes opened suddenly, she woke up screaming, sweat running down the sides of her face. 
'Shane! Shane!' She yelled pulling at her hair, eyes wide.
Shane came sprinting into the room, he grabbed Lavender and she clung onto him.
'Lavender what is it?' He asked, pushing her away, looking into her eyes.
Lavenders breathing was fast and heavy.
'Shane...shane... I, there was a...' Tears started coming out of her eyes.
Jessica was standing in the doorway, yawning, 'I'll check the pill box and see if a side-affect is night terrors.'
Shane looked at Lavender again, 'Lav, did you have a night terror?' 
Lavender was shaking, she glanced at shane, no, no, it wasn't, it was more than that, she wanted to say, but instead she just nodded.