"That was so fun," Kaylee shouted ecstatic with so much energy to feed a toddler. "Can we do that again soon...please mom?"
I smiled slowing down to Laurie's pace. "Sure Kaylee," I answered. I turned to Laurie, her smile appearing underneath her poker face sadness. "You don't have to hide that smile. You enjoyed yourself...did you?"
Laurie nodded. "It was really fun." I watched her chuckle lightly and I smiled. This was the first time I saw her smile with warmth in her eyes and I would continue to work on keeping that up. I would never make light of her family being killed; I just wanted her to know she could still find happiness and live in it. "I love camping."
I brushed my hand over her shoulder and felt her shudder slowly building comfort through my touch. "You will love the wolf I already see in you."
"You think so?"
"Duh Laurie. Your cool...so your wolf will be cool too." Kaylee jogged back to us. "Plus you taught me how to make a fire. I never knew how to do that."
Laurie slowly began to interact with Kaylee and I was happy with the progression of just two days ago when we first left.
We were finally back at the house Sal held me captive. The scent of Sal's blood still tingled the air as we walked up the steps of the porch. The dark sky was enough to have my eyes glow a shine of gold and sapphire within my pupils. I listened to the sounds at a distance sure I heard footsteps at a far. I sniffed the air, with no wind assisting me in catching anything.
Laurie stopped only short of the door. "Everything okay?"
I nodded. "Go inside."
I turned facing the dark and squinted my eyes trying to listen in further. Nothing. Maybe I was being overdramatic. The events of chaos since coming back to this pack had put me on high alert and I was feeling even more guarded then I was as a rogue.
"Where the feck have ye been?" Rosalie came out of the house in a hooray of vexation. "My great grammy has been fuming over ye for the last two days."
Frowning, I ignored her hollering attitude.
"Think ah like to be foostering around alone with wolves for two days."
My expression skewed wondering her meaning. "Where did she go?"
"She was watching over ye silly arse."
I snarled turning back around to the dark sky and distant ambiance near by. After a few seconds Elena appeared. "You've been following me."
"You left without permission," she responded just as sternly.
I snarled, exposing my teeth. "I do not take orders or follow anyone but my own fucking path."
Elena huffed. "You and I both know it is important to follow and then lead once you know where you're leading off to."
"And I have been leading my life for several years...and now this pack," I snarled even louder announcing to the pack I was definitely back.
"But you've never," Elena took notice to the Weres coming out and lowered her voice and her temper to a softer tone. "You have never led as the hybrid you are now." I bit my own lip as Elena softened her eyes to me, less angry and hostile. "Yes...you had control and I watched as you fed from the animals you hunted. But..." she stepped closer to me, lowering her voice even further..."but you had to feed twice as much and there is more to being a vampire then feeding. How about when you can't get to any source of food but...your pack." Her last few words were whispered a hollow sound that only I could hear. That was only due to my extra upgrade of hearing. Elena voice still was low but not too private. "You hadn't known I was watching you the entire time."
I grimaced even further knowing she was right.
"There is so much more to being who you are now."
I watched as Nina appeared out walking down to me. I let her slide her fingers through mines, linking us together as she leaned foreword, kssing my lips. "It's getting late," Nina told me.
I agreed.
Elena scowled. "This is pathetic."
"Excuse me," I questioned.
"Your...girlfriend--" Elena stopped her own words from finishing. "I need you to understand--"
"Mckayla gets it. We both get it," Nina disrupted.
"Elena...Mckayla can talk to you about this tomorrow night," Nina said.
"You need to feed," Elena stated.
"I'm fine," I said not sounding to sure of myself. The moment I said that I could feel my gums ache.
"You want to bet your girlfriends neck on that?"
Hearing her words my eyes snapped back to hers and then Nina's. The idea of harming Nina stung something hollow inside me. "I would never harm my mate." I noticed she diminishing my level of status in Nina being my mate.
"Not officially...from what I hear." Elena's words surprised me. She didn't seem like a woman who belittles someone elses relationship of any sort. Even Rosalie arched a brow at her. "Come with me," she ordered.
I looked to Nina and then Elena as if I was making a life changing choice. I knew the right choice, it was just not the choice Nina wanted to see. "I have to go."
"I could let you feed from me...or whatever you needed." I watched closely as Nina said that and I knew she would. She loved me to do that for me but I couldn't. Elena was right. Every time I fed on an animal, back when I was camping with Kaylee and Laurie I had drank them dryright before shifting and devouring them savagely. I could not conrtol myself enough to stop. Elena was the only one I could drink from and not worry about harming.
"I am not strong enough to stop..."
Nina was about to argue but only nodded.
I watched as Nina eyes soften to the realization of something. "You have to maintain a balance. Learn every side of who you are. I'm sorry I'm making it hard for you."
I smiled. "You're just being the woman I love." I leaned into her brushing a kiss over her lips.
I finally turned ready to follow Elena off.
For the longest time...Elena didn't speak. We walked toward the home my pack was previously in. She looked utterly pissed off in me leaving without telling her. Did I really upset her?
"No...you scared me."
I paused, standing to a halt. "I can hear you, remember?" She pointed to her temple. "I assume when you were in wolf form...that is the only time I could not pick up where you were and at the time...I didn't know that would happen."
By the look in her eyes I really did scare her.
"I get that you feel a need to have responsibility over me..."
"You think I do this out of obligation." Elena halted her movement forcing me to stop and face her. I had never taken the time to notice Elena before. Her eyes were a natural caramel hazel, with dark brunette hair that fell to her shoulders. Long lashes hovered over her eyes watching me as her thin lips quirked.
My mind snapped out of a trance turning my eyes away from her as I felt abash for staring so long.
"Let's get to the point of stating the idea of me siring over you isn't something you want. You were born a werewolf and a very dominant one at that." She held my attention. Elena began walking again and I followed closely trying to stay open to what she was going to say. "Let's think of it this way. Just like you had to learn under your father how to be an Alpha. You can learn under my guidance how to be who you are now."
"And you know something about hybrids?"
" I will say...you aren't the first hybrid I've met."
I arched my brow intrigued by that, really curious to know what other hybrids lived.
"None are none alive now that I know about besides you now."
"Why is that?"
Elena's eyes darkened turning from me. Before I could argue for her to answer my question she spoke. "That is a conversation for another time." I frowned ready to speak my mind and Elena sneered. "It is not wise to know things when you don't know the beginning of the story. Patience. I will say...make sure your pack keeps their mouths closed about who you are now."
"I don't tend to share my life with anyone outside my circle...and I have a very small circle who knows to stay silent."
I walked through the front door of my momentary abandoned home, snarling at the disarray of mess left for me to find.
I turned back to the door where Elena stopped short of stepping in. I arched a brow with a smirk.
"You going to make me stand here... amused by this."
My face agleamed glad to learn something new about vampires. I didn't mind having Elena inside my home. Far as the other vampies out there, it was good to know a small defense against them not being to come in uninvited. "You're free to come in," I finally said.
Elena sneered walking in with her feet heavy on my hardwood floor. I frowned narrowing my eyes at her. "Tell me something?" I asked walking into the kitchen tossing empty dishes into the sink. Elena followed and I took a moment before turning to her standing a few feet from me. I felt like there was never enough space between us. "How many of you are out there?"
"Enough..."
"You don't trust me?" My eyes scanned her for truth but I couldn't read her. I guess it was another vampire perk, not being able to read them well.
Elena glared at me a while longer as if trying to come up with an answer, walking away without a word towards the window on the opposite end of the kitchen. "There are many of us as there are...your kind." Her eyes sought mines out. "Your werewolf's half."
I rested the palm of my hands on the counter. "How does this sire bond work?"
"The same as the bond you have between you and your progeny." Elena opened the blinds to the window looking at and then walked over to me. "Just a few differences. You feel me as I feel you. I know when your hurt or in danger. You are mines as if I was your mother, or sister, best friend...every deep connection you could have in life." Elena walked back to me unrolling the sleeve that covered her skin. "You need to feed?"
I watched as her fangs protruded. Elena bit down on her wrist piercing her flesh as blood drew out of her.
My nose caught the scent before my eyes could register the sight. I felt my gums ache and my eyes burn knowing the hybrid inside me was eager to taste. "Will I...always want...to tear through someones vein?" I asked struggling to let my words out. That was the way I had been feeling since the beginning; always feeling the need to feed and drain someone whole.
"Just as much as you will always have the need to hunt." Elena lifted her wrist to me, giving me permission to drink. "I will teach you to control that desire."
I could feel the air in my lungs, strong like heat convective to my skin. Elena's muddy eyes agleamed waiting for me to drink.
Shit! It was too hard to deny a taste.
I reached forward grabbing her forearm as my mouth immediately caved over her open flesh. When my mouth gathered in the first spill of her blood, I groaned feeling my eyes darken with need to continue. I pulled my mouth away a moment taking in a long exhale licking my lips as I my wolfish fangs protruded. Without thought I leaned back in biting my fangs into her as I began to suck the blood right out of her.
Blood swirled in my mouth eventually going down my esophagus as I welcomed it into my system. The taste was sweet that I could drink for hours if I could. I felt like an addict wanting to prolong the high. I could feel Elena tugging and thought I heard my name but the taste was too great and the thought of not drinking any further was unbearable to allow.
Elena's voice entered my mind after a minute. "Enough," Elena shouted. Somehow my mind snapped open with my back pinned to the fridge, Elena's forearm hovered harsh against my throat. I now truly knew what it felt like to be over powered and I snarled hating that feeling. The only person I ever allowed be more dominant than me was my father and that was when I was still a pup. Now Elena had me in a bind I did not like and I couldn't overpower her.
"Let me go," I snarled.
"After you calm down."
I snarled again feeling my skin over heat with the need to shift. Something inside me scratched my insides yearning to get out. "You can not tell my fucking wolf when to calm down."
Elena pressed her forearm into my throat harsher and gasped, losing my breath. "When will your mind collect the knowledge that you are no longer just wolf any more? That makes you far more dangerous and for that you need to relax," Elena warned.
It took me a moment to listen to her words and I could feel the urge to savagely rend through someone gradually diminish. My breathing felt dragged with Elena's arm still over my neck and she released pressure letting me take in deeper breathes.
I closed my eyes feeling embarrassed and weak for not being able to pull her off of me.
Elena pulled off enough to give us a few inches of space. I could since her eyes still observant of me. "Soon enough...you will be stong enough to face any vampire who crosses your path. You just need to learn and grow with who you are now."
Elena continued to give me distance and I finally straightened my posture turning my back to her. I knew she would never bring harm to me and for that I could trust her enough to give her my back. I had lost controlhats why she had restrained me. I knew I was in the wrong and didn't have a right to be angry with her though I was.
"Aren't you curious to what I talked to Nina about earlier?" I guess the silence was starting to bother her.
"Something told me not to waste my time asking," I said.
I was about to speak but a faint scent in the air distracted me. The next moment I could feel distress coming from my pack and snarled making Elena look at me incredulously.
"There is an uninvited guest in my territory," I clarified.
Elena stepped out of my way. "After you...Alpha."
I didn't bother responding, taking off past her, back off into the outdoor ambiance toward the distress of my pack.
Could I ever have a moment where no one was invading my territory or threatening the lives of my pack? I would need to make a big statement to the outside world soon on what it would mean for them to challenge my pack or come in uninvited.
Somehow...being a rogue was much simpler and I almost missed it. But going back off as a rogue would mean leaving my pack and my family. And that was something I never planned on giving up.