-Peter's POV-
I walked home from school alone like I had been doing for the past couple of weeks. When I arrived at the manor I hung my backpack on the back of the desk chair in my room and changed out of the school uniform. I grabbed one of the books I had been reading off the shelf and went downstairs to read in the living room. Sitting by the window, I sighed, content with the peace and quiet. After an hour, Drogo walked in and asked me where Lydia was. I just shrugged my shoulders, saying, "Jones kept her after class. I don't know for how long, though." Nicolae was also in the living room, sitting in the armchair and reading his book, when he suddenly put the book down and headed out into the foyer. Just then, we heard someone pounding hard on the front doors. Drogo and I exchanged glances with each other and then rushed to join Nicolae. The front door was already open where I could see both Sarah and Sebastian standing there trying to catch their breath. The panicked looks on their faces had me concerned. Nicolae invited them to come inside and explain their presence at the manor. "I can tell you both have something very important to tell us. Please, do come in and we can go sit and talk in the living room. "Heh... The one time I'd prefer you to read my mind," Sebastian spoke sarcastically, out of breath like he had been running instead of riding his bike. "I can if you want me to," offered Nicolae. "No, it's okay. we will get right to the point."
Sarah had obviously been crying. Seeing her smeared makeup, I knew something was wrong. I immediately blurted out the words, asking, "Where is Lydia!?" Sarah broke down crying as she answered, "I w-waited for Lydia by the car. I saw her come out after she was done talking with the professor. I just.... It was only a moment." "It's okay, Sarah. Tell us what happened," Nicolae said, encouraging her to continue. "I looked down to check my phone messages and then put it away in my bag. When I looked up Lydia, she.... She was gone." "Gone!? What do you mean gone?" I asked with my voice raised louder than necessary. Sarah continued, saying, "I ran over to where I had seen her standing by the steps. Her backpack and phone were on the ground, along with this." She held up a handkerchief that reeked of chloroform. "So then I ran inside the building to tell Professor Jones," Sarah finished.
"That is when I rushed outside to the area where Sarah said she found Lydia's belongings," Sebastian spoke up. Drogo suddenly asked, "So someone kidnapped her? Was it the Templar Descendants?" "No, I do not believe it was," Nicolae chimed in. "How can you tell?" asked Sarah. "There is a smell on top of the chloroform that I have never smelled before, something I am not familiar with. It is definitely a supernatural essence, but it is neither the scent of a wolf, nor is it a vampire." Drogo replied, "Well, that doesn't make any sense! There are no other supernatural creatures in this town except for witches." "Honestly, it was not any of us. Lydia is an ally, so we wouldn't...," "No, we know it wasn't anyone from your clan either," Nicolae said with assurance. I could not speak. For the first time in a long time, I felt something I hadn't felt since being human. I had almost forgotten what it was like to feel nausea and suffocation. Both symptoms came upon me like I was being punched in the stomach multiple times. Nicolae noticed my state of being and came over to place his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.
"Lydia's bag and phone were not the only things found at the scene either," Sebastian announced. All eyes on him, we waited for Sebastian to continue speaking. "I found a black hair in the grass that was too thick for it to be human hair. I went into the Science building to have Professor Shultz take a look at it under the microscope since he was still in his lab. He should be calling me with the results any min−." Just then, Sebastian's phone rang, cutting off his words. We all watched in silence as he talked on the phone. Seeing the look on his face told me the answer was not good news. Hanging up after getting confirmation, Sebastian revealed the news by saying, "I was afraid of this, but Professor Schultz just confirmed it was a gorilla hair." Sarah and I both gasped in astonishment. Looking at each other and Sebastian, we spoke in unison, stating out loud, "Jacob!!" Knowing the three of us were the only ones who currently knew about him, it was time to have that talk with Nicolae and Drogo. After sharing Lydia's past, both my brothers shared in our horror and hate for the guy. Sebastian even announced that it was him who saved her that night in Idaho and that he told her as much when he had her stay after class before she was taken.
All of a sudden, we each heard a gasp coming from the doorway to the living room. Turning around, we all saw Lorie standing there in tears, having heard every word. "Y-You have to get her back!!" she shouted with a shaky, demanding voice. Lorie then ran for the staircase to escape to her room again. Standing up, Drogo said, "I will take care of Lorie. You all decide what we are going to do about Lydia." Nicolae asked, "Sarah, can you locate her?" "I... I don't...," she said, still in a panic. "Sarah, calm your mind. Focus...," Nicolae stated calmly. "Right! Yes, I... I can use a locator spell. I just need something of hers, which I got right here. Do you have a map?" "Yes, in my study. Just one moment." In a flash, Nicolae was gone and then back in the living room again with a map of the area. Placing it on the coffee table, Sarah pulled out a small pendulum from her bag and held it over the map, dangling from her fingertips. With holding Lydia's phone in her other hand, she chanted the words 'Faire à voir là ré' multiple times.
After a few minutes had passed, nothing happened. The pendulum never moved, which frustrated me even more. "It didn't work!?!" I yelled. "It means she is not in the general area and must be far away by now," Sarah confirmed with a worried look on her face. "He is obviously very fast," Sebastian suggested. "You may need a map of the continent then, Sarah," Nicolae interjected. "I will need a more powerful locator spell as well. My grandmother's grimoires should have what we need." "Okay, if there is no more you can do at this time, go home and rest for now while you can. We will regroup another time," Nicolae advised. Standing up, he walked Sebastian and Sarah out to the entrance to see them off. I stood alone by the window, looking out beyond the treeline of the forest. (We will find you, Lydia. I promise, we will find you)
A week had gone by since the day she disappeared and there was still no trace of Lydia's whereabouts found. Not knowing if she was dead or alive drove me insane. My guilty conscience was weighing down on me more and more each day. Every passing moment without her left an empty hole within my heart; a void unable to be filled. Playing the piano was of little effect to ease my mind. I even attempted to write, but nothing seemed worthy enough of existing on paper. I couldn't bear the agony growing inside of me much longer, thinking about Lydia's well-being. One evening, I laid on my side against the couch cushions on the floor in the living room in my pajama pants. There were crumpled up sheets of paper all around me. Nicolae came in and looked at me sadly. We were all struggling because none of us knew much background on Jacob, which made the search for her all the more difficult. All we had to go on was his first name, the nature of his shapeshifting ability, what he had done in the past, and what he was capable of doing now. For a brief moment, I imagined Lydia being violated and abused again. The thought frightened and angered me so much that I broke the pencil I was holding without meaning to. I shuttered and tried to push the thought out of my mind as I blinked and shook my head back and forth.
"Were you thinking of Lydia again, brother?" Nicolae asked me. "I can never stop thinking about her, Nic! To imagine what she could be going through at this very moment.... It is unbearable! Nic, we must find her at all cost and soon. We have to! I can't take much more of this pain in my gut," I pleaded desperately. My brother looked upon me with sympathy in his eyes and replied, "I know, Peter. I understand.... Sebastian just called to give an update, by the way." I sat up and looked up at my brother in the hopes of receiving some good news. "I am sorry, Peter, but it looks like the research is still without any progress. Sebastian will continue looking for any clues that will lead us to her, though." "And we still haven't been able to get ahold of Lydia's family either? Neither her parents or sister?" "Unfortunately, no." At the news, my anger surfaced and I hit the floor with my fist. "Peter, look at me," Nicolae gently demanded. After a few seconds, I complied reluctantly. He then spoke again, saying, "Your eyes are dark. You must hunt." "I am not in the mood!" I retorted. "You must! You need blood, and it will help you think clearer as well. Come, we will all go together." Even though the thought of drinking blood disgusted me at the moment, I knew Nicolae was right. I gathered up all the wadded up paper, stood up and walked into the kitchen to throw them away in the trash can. I then went upstairs to get dressed for the hunt.
-Lydia's POV-
I felt Peter's hands on me, touching me. I moaned as his hands groped my breasts and moved down to my thighs. I wondered how we could be together when the last thing I remembered was him avoiding me. Then it hit me, I knew I had to have been dreaming. My eyes were still closed and I felt groggy like I was doped up on meds. Slowly, I could feel myself coming to as I blinked my eyes open. There was a shadow above me, but my vision was still too blurry. For some reason, I also couldn't move my arms. My mind still confused and foggy, I whispered Peter's name, but then felt a sharp pain as the individual backhanded me in the face. My consciousness awakening was expedited in the process. With a sudden terrifying realization, I remembered everything and knew it was not Peter who was kneeling above me. I tried to scream, but my voice wouldn't cooperate. My vision became clear enough to confirm my fears. He stood up, towering over me, and I saw a smile that scared me cross his face. "You didn't expect to ever see me again, did you, Lydia?" I heard his familiar voice say with a tone of satisfaction. The voice echoed, so I tried to look around at my surroundings, and found I was tied up in a cave. He was right, though. I did think I had escaped my past, but somehow, Jacob found me and I didn't know how it was possible. I also couldn't understand why my mind felt like it was so jumbled, I couldn't think straight.
He got down on his knees once more and began to slide his hands up my legs. I tried with all my might to move away from Jacob's touch, but I couldn't escape him, being up against the wall of the cave with my arms tied behind my back. The rocky surface felt hard and cold to the touch. Leaning forward, he grabbed my face, holding my jaw so tight it hurt. I groaned in pain as he spoke to me again, saying, "You thought I wouldn't find you?" He continued when I didn't answer. "It was easy to learn where you were after paying a visit to your family's home. They were reluctant to give in at first, but with a little persuasion, I managed to squeeze it out of them.... Literally." Jacob then gave me his most sinister smile. "W-What did you do?" I asked, though scared of the answer. "You haven't heard from them in a while, have you?" Without waiting for my response, he confessed, "Hard to contact someone when you're not breathing anymore." He turned to better see my reaction.
I couldn't breathe. The shock of what I had just heard was too horrifying and unbelievable. I closed my eyes to keep from seeing Jacob's facial expression. Choking out the words, I asked, "H-How could you?" "Easy.... Choked them to death. I even killed my own parents, so what makes you think I would care any more for your family?" I gasped and began sobbing. "You are mine, Lydia! You hear me!? MINE!!! No one is going to stand in my way. No one will keep me from getting what I want. Not our parents, not your sister, and especially not this Peter you speak of. You belong to me!!" I tried glaring at him with as much hate and disgust as I could portray. Jacob took a firm grip of my jaw again and kissed me forcibly. In an attempt to hurt him back, I bit his lip enough to draw blood. He released his grasp on me and growled, touching his finger to his lip and seeing the blood. As he pulled away, I spit the blood back in his face. He immediately hit me across the face with the back of his hand again. He then untied my hands from behind my back and tied them again above my head around a large boulder to keep me from attacking him or getting away. Not that I could at the time anyway, for the muscles in my limbs were so weak from being drugged, I could barely move.
Feeling the weight of Jacob's body on me, I knew what he was going to do next. I dreaded what was coming, powerless to stop it despite my protests. I watched him unzip his pants before he lifted up my skirt. I didn't recognize the outfit I was wearing because it wasn't the school uniform. I desperately tried to keep my legs together, but failed in the end as he pried my legs apart with his hands. My fears became reality as he penetrated me with such painful force, I cried out loud. My body convulsed and ached with each hard lustful thrust. It was not love he had for me, but a toxic possessive obsession. All I could do was cry in agony, waiting impatiently for it to end. After what seemed like an eternity, Jacob pulled himself out and stood up on his knees over my stomach. He forced my mouth open with one hand while holding himself over my face with his other hand. Stroking himself, he suddenly released his warm bodily fluid into my mouth, forcing me to swallow, which made me gag. He groaned in pleasure after he was done with me, making me sick.
Determined that Jacob would more than likely hit me if I was to puke, I held back my nausea as best I could. Leaving me there to lay on the ground, Jacob walked off out of sight after zipping his pants back up. My mind and body in anguish, I cried in silence, curling my legs up to my chest as I laid on my side on the cold damp dirt. Not knowing where I was being held, the fear of never being found overwhelmed my mind, which was slowly becoming clearer with the drugs fading from my system. When Jacob returned he walked towards me, holding a syringe. I cried out, "No! Please... Don't!" It was too late by the time I spoke the last word, for he had punctured my arm with the needle point end of the syringe and injected more of whatever drug he had given me previously. What it was, I didn't know, but my senses were becoming dull as I slowly lost consciousness once again. I could faintly make out the words he spoke as he said, "You think I am going to allow you to use your power over the mind on me? Think again!" 'How did he know?' I thought to myself before I passed out completely.