Chapter 31
I didn't sleep.
I needed answers.
Answers Noah couldn't give me. And after scouring the ether, I didn't find any answers. But I felt a heartbeat that's the most human thing imaginable. Isn't that what separated us from the vampires? I felt like my world was turned upside down. So Noah wasn't a vampire? No he was definitely a vampire he drank blood and he's lived for God knows how long. But his skin is warm and the heartbeat thing!
Maybe it was his instincts trying to trick me into a false sense of security. Just like how he got me to go to sleep with just his words. Maybe this was some kind of elaborate deception his body was doing. That had to be it! Just like he said he's the world's greatest predator. And this was supposed to trick me into willingly going with him. Even though I was already doing that.
I tossed and turned all night because I felt like my world was being turned upside down.
Vampires are bad. They're everything that's wrong with the world.
It was a black and white issue it was either you agreed or you didn't. Now, I wasn't so sure. Was I supposed to look at this philosophically? What makes a human a human? Is it a beating heart, is it love, a sense of purpose, a community, friends, family... I didn't know. I knew I was.
I needed a priest or some kind of a scholar to tell me what was right and wrong. I gave up on sleep. My mind wasn't going to rest until I had some small answer to my huge question. I quietly left the suite and headed into the hallway. Maybe if I talk to Raven or Emma they could... Do nothing? They were sympathizers so of course they would think... I don't know. I searched the house from top to bottom looking for Raven or Emma but I didn't find them. Maybe they went out it was still night. So I guess I'm just shit out of luck.
I rounded a corner and made my way down the grand staircase to come face to face with Aiden. He was just comfortably in black jeans and a long sleeve white tee. He gave me a small wave and a smile before trying to walk away,"Hey!"
"Hello".
"Do you know where I can find a priest. A vampire priest?"I said racing down the stairs.
"Thats a very specific request. Why?"
"I have an ethical dilemma that's calling me to question everything I've been taught. And you're supposed to go to faith, right?"
"Depends on the person you're turning to. Every religion is different", Aiden explained.
"Do you know a vampire priest or not?"
"Eric was a Catholic priest in his past life. I don't think he still practices".
"No shit", I said touching my neck remembering how close I almost came to death.
"I think he mostly did it to escape the draft".
"Yeah, I'll pass on that but thank you", I was ready to restart my hunt for Emma and Raven but before I could take off I had to ask,"How is your mom doing?"
"Good, if she keeps eating I think she may be walking again by the end of the month. But I'm not going to let my hopes get too high", he said cynically.
I couldn't blame him for being cynical. We always hope the best for Lily. We always encouraged her to do normal things. But sometimes that just isn't possible. And this is who she is, we're the ones who have to accept it. So it can be frustrating, I understood that. I understood that really well.
"It's the small wins that matter the most. They're the ones that should be celebrated", I offered.
"I'll keep that in mind", he gave me a small nod before heading down the hallway and disappearing.
I made my way to the front door and slid on my boots Connor had given me. All I had was the shirt Noah had let me borrow but it was good enough to be a dress. I definitely wasn't going to go into his room and ask for my pants back. They're gone.
"PAM?"
"Good evening, Haley, how can I assist you tonight?"
"Where's the nearest church? I need to talk to a priest", I was turning into my mother. Because that's who she ran to when she had problems. I understand why she did it now.
"Searching... At this hour there is only one church that is currently open".
"Perfect. How do I get there?"I said with my shoes on ready for however far I was going to have to walk.
Pam gave me directions and I committed them to memory. It was only a 10 minute walk 2 minute drive. Even at night there wasn't much trouble I could get into with a 10 minute walk. I rushed to the door and made it all the way down the staircase when I had to turn around and go back inside. I made a beeline for the kitchen and saw there wasn't really any food. There was just blood and a carton of eggs.
I hope father's not picky.
"I'm stealing these eggs! I'll see you all tomorrow", I screamed as I raced outside and into the night.
When I'd run, when my soles felt the earth and gained their own rhythm, my thoughts became lyrics - my own original track had the chance to play for its audience of one. The blacktop street was as soothing as the night velvet sky above.
"Stop, I don't want any trouble", I heard a voice say firmly but clearly terrified. I slowed down and stared forward to see a woman coming my way crowded by three men. She wore a tight bodyon black dress and heels so high they might as well be stilts. I didn't like the way she was trying to basically disappear within herself. And I really didn't like the way that those guys were touching her when she clearly didn't like it.
I bent down and picked up a rock and slowly made my way forward. I didn't know if these guys were vampires I didn't even know if the girl was one. But I did know she needed help. And I was probably the only person she was going to run into that could give it.
The three men grabbed the woman and trapped her in a corner. There was nowhere for her to run with a brick wall behind her and them in front of her. Two of them were blond and resembled each other enough that they had to be brothers. The third one was black haired and looked nothing similar to his... Creepy bubbies. They were silently watching the woman and I had the sinking feeling that they were toying with her as though she were a trapped mouse.
There was no doubt what they were as I got closer. The one closest to me was showing his teeth. They lookes sharp and his mouth was a little too long to be normal. The drunken man closest to me was sprouting so much hair that his arms looked like hairy a mat, he had wild eyes.
Drunken vampires.
The smell of alcohol was strong enough that I breathed through my mouth.
“I’m human,” the woman said softly.
“And totally fuckable.”
"Hey!" I shouted I'm walking into a world of trouble,"Leave her alone!"
"Piss off", one of the blondes shouted back at me.
“We were looking for a bitch and now we have her. I say we go by age on who gets her first.”
The second blond softly growled. “You say that because you are the oldest. Let’s go by size. Smallest to biggest so she survives longer.”
“I said back off her.”
The beefy blond with the teeth and hairy-arm problem turned his attention towards me. He sniffed, his brown eyes narrowing as he softly growled at her. I tensed as he approached me. I held on to my rock tightly ready to swing. "Did not tell you to fuck off?"
"I'm telling you the same thing".
He was close enough now to smell her fear. He inched even closer.
The black-haired one instantly appeared at my side and grabbed my neck licking his lips. “She looks tasty, doesn’t she, cousins?”
My gaze flicked from both men,"That's how you treat a lady?"
The black-haired one growled, taking a step closer, making me glare. He glared back but hunger lurked in his eyes as well.
“Take off your clothes,” the blond growled at me.
"You can go fuck yourself. Go find one of your own if you want to get laid. Leave us alone.”
“I say we take her too", the blonde laughed. I definitely had something to say to that but the dark-haired man started squeezing my neck harder to the point I couldn't talk anymore and I started scratching at the hand around my neck.
She could almost hear my dad's voice in her head, telling me if I was ever grabbed by a vampire not to struggle. He’d warned me that I’d never win a fight with one. They were too strong, too fast, and fighting would be a sure-fire way to turn an attacker into a brutal animal intent on killing its prey.
I couldn't focus on anything other than trying to breathe as my attacker held me high off the ground by my throat as I kicked and struggled.
“What do you have there?”
A new deep voice snared.
Things just went from bad to worse as I recognized Eric's voice.
“Get lost,” the man gripping me snarled back. “She’s ours.”
Long seconds ticked by where I only heard heavy breathing.
One second I'm in the air about to pass out the next I cracked my hand on the ground choking down air greedily. I heard what sounded like a scuff on the concrete.
“The way I see it,” Eric snarled, “is that she’s not yours and she doesn’t sound very willing from those screams”.
The blond next to me seemed to be in charge since he was the one doing the talking. “Mind your own business and get lost. We aren’t sharing so leave or my brother and cousin will tear out your damn throat.”
Eric had a deep-sounding chuckle. “I don't think you want to try us".
I coughed out,"Us?"
But before the word could even leave my lips I heard a guttur cracking sound and the dark haired man that was holding me by my throat fell to the ground like a sack of flour dead.
“Who are you?” the blonde stammered out.
“I’m the one who’s going to tear your fucking heads off” relief flooded my system as I heard Noah's voice. I tried to stand up but my legs buckled.
I heard another sickening snap and a high-pitched feminine screen. With Noah's help I was finally able to stand up straight but my vision was still blurry to the point I couldn't walk straight
"You should run", I heard Eric threaten coming up behind the blonde man.The tone in his voice left no room for misinterpretation.
He did.
Very quickly.
"Hmhaaapp", I don't know what I was trying to say. Noah held me by my shoulders and I stared up into his fluorescent green eyes. The street light showed me he was in a lot better state than I was. His full lips parted, his breathing slowed, but only nominally, as his tongue ran across his lower lip.
"Haley did they hurt you?" Noah asked softly pulling me into his arms.
All I could do was moan.
"Oh dear, she's broken you'll have to return her", Eric jested. Noah did not like that because he beared his fangs ready to attack.
"O my God! Are you okay?!" The woman who started all this said coming into view. She was tall and slender with almond eyes just like mine and dark hair, her skin was pale white and she reminded me of my mom,"Thank you so much for trying to help".
Again I'm trying to speak but only gibberish came out.
I was thankful Noah was holding me up because my knee started to shake again. I took a deep breath, inhaling a soft, masculine scent that reminded me of the woodsy outdoors.
Not that I could enjoy the smell because my world went black like someone had flipped a switch.