The Shifter // Colby Brock

~ Part 36 ~

"My name is Rachel... Rachel Hart." The young woman stuttered as she shuffled uncomfortably on Colby's bed. She'd only talked to me and Colby, her immediate distrust of the others being pretty understandable to be fair.

"Why was he trying to hurt you?" I asked her quietly, continuing to brush through her hair for her. She'd let me do it and seemed to smile a little. Trust is all it takes.

"I... I don't know. He just approached me when I was coming home and asked if I'd like an escort. Next thing I knew, he'd pushed me against some wall and had that horrible face. And... those eyes..." she went silent as she remembered what had happened to her, which had to be traumatic. If I saw a vampire before being told about them first, I'd have shit myself.

"Did you let him escort you?" I questioned, placing the brush down next to me and looking into her eyes. They were blue and beautiful, exactly matching her other features despite the paleness from her frightened state.

"I told him that I'd be fine but he insisted and when I said no again, he got fed up and pushed me down. I was terrified for my life." Her hand automatically went to her heart, desperately looking right at me. "You seemed to know him." I bit my lip nervously and looked away from her.

"Yeah... it's quite a long story." I stood up and walked to the closet, grabbing some of the few clothes I still had in the closet: a basic t-shirt and a pair of joggers. "Hopefully these'll fit you. Let me show you to the bathroom." I led her out to the hallway and pointed at the door then began to turn.

"Wait." She said quickly, making me spin so fast I should have gotten whiplash. My quick movement seemed to make her hesitate then she stepped up close to me and wrapped her arms around me. I slowly hugged her back, conscious of my blood lust and hunger. "Thank you so much." She whispered. I gulped and nodded at her, stepping away.

"It's fine." She turned and walked into the bathroom so I sped down to the garage and looked at everyone else worriedly. "What the hell do we do?" My question was directed at everyone but the old vampire being held down by a bunch of the clan yet he still decided to answer.

"Give her to me so I can do my duty." Edward replied angrily, staring directly at me with a fury.

"Other than what the crazy vampire says." Jake sent me a little grin to try and lighten the mood. I just looked at Colby for help.

"We can't keep her here." He said immediately. "She obviously has a home to go to where she probably has someone to look after her. She seems young enough." I heard the door opening upstairs and, by instinct, sped straight to her.

"Looks like you're gonna have to fight her about that." Sam said sounding like he was smiling a little. I reached out to the slightly frightened woman and grabbed her hands.

"Where is your home?" I asked politely, watching the way her face changed.

"I just got kicked out." She said then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "And my ex told me not to go anywhere near him."

"So you have nowhere? Where were you supposed to be headed when Edward - that guy - attacked you?"

"To a hotel. I have it for tonight and then that's it." She said honestly as she leaned back against a wall. I gave her a sympathetic smile then lowered my voice.

"You can't turn her away, Colby."

"I say she stays. Honestly, dude, she has nowhere to go and she's clearly just a kid." Sam suddenly spoke up authoritatively as if he was the leader of the clan. I could feel Colby's anger. "She has to be protected, you know that."

"And what better place than a house of vampires who like to help people?" Corey added to help the cause. I completely forgot that I'd been standing silently in front of Rachel for the whole time.

"You can stay here for a while."