Chapter Five
Cold feelings
"It's too cold for you here, and now; so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater."-The Neighbourhood
"Faye!" I screeched, and I ran to her without thinking. There was this rush of energy inside of me-this burst of complete joy and happiness. She smiled warmly, holding her arms out to welcome me. Leaping at her we embraced tightly. I sucked in a breath, the smell of her strawberry-scented hair enflaming my nostrils. She was still a bubble of energy. I almost forgot Raphael was standing right behind me.
"I missed you so much!"
"Me too! You never called...or messaged me or anything...."
"I wish I could've...but so much has gone down since we last saw you..." I nodded in understanding as she wiped tears of joy from her eyes. The wind whipped around us coldly. Faye looked so gorgeous, even though she was wearing an oversized black sweater. Her bright brown eyes sparkled in delight and her mocha-colored skin-tone was flawless.
Someone cleared their throat behind us. I flinched without thinking, and stared into Raphael's now darkened eyes. I couldn't stand to be around him without feeling some electric current running through me. Quickly, I looked away.
"Sorry to break up your little party, but we've got to hit the road." He told us seriously, strolling over to the driver's seat. We followed quickly behind him, and Faye made a funny face.
"Yeah, yeah Mr. Grumpy-pants." She teased.
"Mr. grumpy-pants?" he shot back with a snicker, as we entered the car. She nodded, smacking the back of his pants. I guess it was a friendly gesture but for some reason my cheeks reddened. Faye glanced at me and winked.
"We heard about what had happened Peyton; with the vampires and everything. We're so sorry...if we had known..." Faye was saying, turning back to look at me in the backseat. I gave her a small smile.
"And your parents..." she continued sadly. I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat.
"No...you guys had your own worries; it's okay." I assured her. Raphael gripped the steering wheel tightly as we flew by houses in the neighborhood. The car hummed steadily but he was going at a killer speed.
"No. It was not." He said between gritted teeth. I wish I could've lied again, but the note of finality in his voice made me realize that he was right. No; it was not alright.
We drove for a long time; my cheek was pressed against the dense window-pane. Beads of raindrops rolled down and before I knew it the rain was thundering through the sky. The sky had grown darker, making the already thick atmosphere thicker. I wondered if I was making the right decision; to leave my friends...in order to protect them. For some reason I couldn't help but to feel guilty. I didn't feel like I was protecting them like Ayora made me believe...I felt like I was protecting myself. I felt like without me...they were sitting ducks; but we were all sitting ducks even when I was there.
My mind blanked out for a bit as we drove and I simply listened to the thundering of the rain. The whole sky had become a patchwork quilt of grey. A heavy, thick emotion like nostalgia and melancholy became intertwined in my heart, and I just sat there amidst the silence staring into the rain, numbing myself to the pain of everything around me. Before I knew it, my eyelids had grown heavy....and I drifted off to sleep.
I wasn't sure what time it was when I awoke; but I knew the sky was dark. With foggy eyes and a foggy mind, I realized someone was carrying me. Goose-bumps rose on my skin as I nestled against the warmth of someone's black t-shirt and leather jacket. The cool wind blew against my arms as I felt the swift motion of someone moving. Feeling disoriented I thought to move, but then decided against it. Whoever was carrying me smelt so good...like woodsy and warm.
My head was pressed against his chest. His heart was beating so fast.
"Raven just texted me...wants to know how close we are..." my ears perked up at the sound of Faye's voice.
"Tell her we're stopping for the night....we're like four hours away." He replied. Raphael's voice floated, like a dream. My ears perked up at the stillness of my surroundings. I could hear branches and leaves whishing in the wind.
"Yeah...where are we, even?" she queried, kind of amused. Raphael sputtered a laugh.
"Not a motel for sure." He retorted, but his voice flew high, whispered in with the wind. I decided it was time for me to stop playing games. Sucking in a breath, I pretended I was just waking up.
"Raphael...hey...where are we?" I muttered, voice coming out embarrassingly groggy. He chuckled and froze, before letting me down softly on my feet. My vision was a bit dizzy as I collected myself, certain I saw two Fayes. I gasped, holding onto his strong arms. My fingers were vibrating with some sort of electricity.
"We're far away from Worchester heights." He breathed, and I looked up into his eyes; they were glowing with the twilight. Faye's boots made a crunching noise as she drew closer to us, her curls rustling with the breeze. My eyes landed on the trees scattered around us; we were far away from civilization it seemed.
"We're not quite at wolvenpraire yet." Faye said with a smirk. My eyes widened as I encompassed my surroundings.
"Where the hell are we then? In fact I don't wanna know." I sputtered, finally taking my hands off Raphael. He and Faye shared a knowing glance. Dusting my hands on the back of jeans I gave them a questioning stare but didn't push it.
The car seemed to be parked a few ways off.
"We're going to camp here for the night." Raphael said darkly. Grasshoppers whistled in the distance. Surprise glinted across my features as I stared up at him.
"Yeah, okay...where?" I asked in confusion. Throwing her hood over her head, Faye came to stand beside me.
"Up there." My eyes followed her line of direction, jaw dropping as I saw the mountain-top peaking in the distance, adrift with the clouds it seemed. I glanced back at her with a scoff.
"You're not serious..." I gasped. She nodded.
"It's a faster way to Wolvenpraire. Don't worry about the car-it's a rental."
"We're throwing the vampires off our track." Raphael said. I followed them as they moved swiftly through the darkening forest; not entirely sure where we were going. My shoes crunched loudly on the gravel beneath me. God damn, they were so tall and fast.
"Yeah okay...I guess that makes sense. How did you guys know they were on our tail?"
"They aren't...but we would be able to smell them pretty well."
"So...this is all just a precaution?" I asked. Faye smirked.
"An evasive tactic. ...so to speak. "
I was only wearing a thin blue sweater. Goose-bumps seemed permanently imprinted on my arms, the further we walked. I was so cold I was afraid I was going to turn into an icicle; but I didn't dare voice my complaints as we walked; Faye and Raphael didn't seem at all bothered by the cold, clothing fluttering loosely around them.
The trees and forest scenery nestled into one big blur the further we walked. The sunlight had dipped lowly behind the mountain and we surrounded by a purple haze. The mist ruffled the hairs at the back of my neck. I shivered at the cool feeling, like feathers whispering along my ear. Finally we came to a pause at the beginnings of a small green stream. Birds whistled high in the trees, and the silky water floated downwards over rocks and pebbles. Faye turned to me, hair flipping as her...whoa. Faye's eyes were a glowing orange-hazel. She looked like an ethereal being.
"Hey Peyton...Raphael and I think we can get there a lot faster if we shifted; what do you say?" she asked, voice rising hopefully. I looked between her face and Raphael's back-he was wearing a black leather jacket and not saying much.
"Um, I guess that's okay." I replied, feeling butterflies roaring through my stomach. The wind whipped my hair back against the trickling sound of the stream. She smiled warmly.
"Great! You can ride on Raphael's back. We'll get there in no time." She assured me, and before I could prepare myself she had thrown off her hoodie and was standing in the open woods in a black bra. She went for her jeans before seeming to remember that Raphael and I were standing right. There. She twisted her head to the side, giving me a look.
"You don't mind, do you? It's not a big deal for us to see each other naked-we've been doing this since we were like fifteen." She told me. Raphael coughed deeply while I felt my cheeks become heated.
"Do your thing guys." I chuckled, like it was no big deal. But I had to admit that I was a tiny bit jealous. I turned my back to them as they threw their clothes off like it was no big deal. When would I have my first shift? I was turning eighteen soon. For the first time ever a trickle of fear shifted through my mind at the thought. Was I more afraid of shifting or never shifting? I mean, I loved the fact that I was a supernatural being...if I never shifted I didn't think I would be able to handle that. The vampires were after me because I was a supernatural being.
"Done." I startled, twisting around at the intrusion into my brain-that mind-link telepathy thing was so freaky. I'd have to get used to it again. I gasped out loud, eyes landing on two massively beautiful wolves. Raphael's fur was moonlight-white as I remembered it and Faye's was a reddish-brown like her hair. They stood ethereal against the night; and their powerful presence was so majestic it made me feel... afraid.
Peyton; you never have to be afraid of me.
I approached the white wolf cautiously, feeling a tingling at the back of my knees. He was at least four feet tall. Swallowing nervously I approached him, and gripping his silky white fur swung my left leg over his body. Tucking my toes in against the side of his rib-cage, I nestled myself softly into the fur near his shoulder-blades, and closed my eyes tightly. I knew from experience that he was going to go hella fast and if I didn't hold on tight I was definitely going to fall.
The wolves sped through the forest at super-human speed, the wind rushing against my ears. It was like being outside of an airplane or a race-car. I kept my eyes closed, knowing that the view before me blurred all into one would only leave me feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I had to buckle my knees tightly, and grip my fingers into his soft fur; my hair felt like it was being pulled off by hulk at the roots. I felt bald as Raphael sped through the massively steep forest trail and then up the steep mountain incline. I wanted the experience to last forever, it was so exhilarating. I felt free as we moved, almost like I was flying. They raced up the steep mountain, over its curves and edges like country-cross runners only ten times faster. It was over way too soon.
I waited three seconds as we came to a standstill before getting off of Raphael's back. Eyes still shut tightly and knees buckled against his side I was frozen-literally there were goose-bumps all over my body-but mostly I was in shock. My body was vibrating with electricity.
That was when I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder and slowly pry my off. I didn't want to leave-being there with him-feeding off his warmth-felt so natural.
I was shocked as I came to stand beside Faye, realizing we were standing in the mouth of a cave. Instantly, bad memories rushed to my head as I turned-being locked up in a cave last spring break-the claustrophobia and the fear...
"Ohmygod." I breathed, in one rushed breath as I backed away slowly. Concern clouded Faye's features and she approached me-fully clothed. They had been carrying their clothes in their mouths.
"Peyton-I forgot I'm so sorry."
"No-it's not your fault-wow, I hadn't thought about that in months." I realized, brushing my hair away from my face. I walked to the edge of the cave, to peek over the mountain. It was a glorious sight. I could see all of the trees scattered below in the forest-like a complicated maze. I could even see the streams-and above-it was beautiful. Glittering lights-like in a big city were scattered all over the blue sky-big bright stars; I had never seen them up so close. I was amazed-in awe at the beauty all around me. It was almost as beautiful-as wolvenpraire.
Almost...Faye folded her arms, coming to stand beside me. We met each other's gazes and smiled.
"You know you'll be okay with us right? We won't let anything bad happen to you." She told me sincerely, eyes glazed with concern. I tip-toed, giving her a kiss to the cheek.
"Of course I know that." I told her. It wasn't myself I was worried about. She returned the kiss, eyes shining brightly-though a normal color now.
"I'm gonna get some sleep. I carried two blankets from the car." She said with a whisper and a wink; I nodded as she sashayed off, not registering the underlying message in her tone-then it hit me. Wait-two? Those wouldn't be enough to sleep on and also cover ourselves with-but I realized that werewolves had a constant heated body-temperature. An unblossomed like me would definitely still get cold.
There were only two.
I turned away from the edge after a few minutes, entering the cave. The thin material on my body wasn't doing much. I was shocked to see Faye curled up in a corner already, eyes slammed closed. She must have been exhausted. I approached Raphael-now partially clothed- He wasn't wearing his black leather jacket any more-it was laying on the floor. My feet echoed softly as I sat close to him. Our bodies seemed to vibrate immediately, and a heat was emanating from his body that made me want to draw closer.
It frightened me.
"So...catch me up on all that I missed?" I asked softly, as a conversation starter. There was no way I was ready to sleep yet. He sighed, running a hand through his thick hair.
"Where do I start?" he chuckled, and his deep laugh sent an explosion of heat to my lower tummy. My knees felt weak, and I told myself to focus.
"At the beginning of course;" I said, giving his hard shoulder a playful nudge. He turned to face me, eyes staring intently. I froze, as he brushed his fingers across my cheeks, going to touch a loose tendril of my hair. My heart started to beat embarrassingly fast.
"Well...for starters...I was kidnapped." He said.
"What?" I gasped, but immediately regretted it as his hand left my face. He sighed once more-gosh he was always doing that.
"My brother-Brustarios." He said throatily. A cold shiver ran down my spine at the mention of his name. Raphael looked up at me, pained.
"You know...that was why I couldn't call; or come see you-he had me there for months in the vampires' lair." He said with a lump in his throat. My mind was assaulted with images of Raphael being in danger . . . his brother was ruthless; he had tried to kill him.
"Why?" I breathed. His gaze dipped.
"They wanted you...wanted me to tell them where you were. They wanted revenge on you...because I killed Zauraus and that other vampire that day at the waterfall." He said softly, letting me know through his tone of voice that he didn't blame me at all, but I still felt like it was my fault.
"I don't understand...Brustarios had me that day. He was the last person to see me." I replied huskily. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I continued.
"I-I was about to tell you goodbye and I-I walked in on him kissing Aleara-I thought it was you and I ran way." I explained. I watched a strain of anger cross Raphael's features.
"That same time I was approaching the cabin...I was still far off in the woods...that was when he attacked me; got sidetracked-but he was really after you." He said, and we met eyes, both coming to the same realization.
"So I guess it's a good thing I ran off heartbroken? I beat myself so much over that-I thought how he could do this to me-only to realize that you didn't. It was him all along . . . and then the vampires followed me home. To Worchester heights...lived in my house-my cousin was one-"I ranted emotionally, tears brimming in my eyes. He touched my shoulders, and brought me close. I huddled underneath him, as he wrapped his warm arms around me.
"I hate vampires."
"I'm going to kill him." Raphael said seriously, voice thick and low with rage. It was the controlled way he said it that frightened me, let me know he was serious. I lifted my head-reluctantly-off his chest.
"Raphael-he's your brother. Your twin." I reminded him softly. He hugged my arms tighter.
"I don't care...I'm done playing games with him. Elder woodruff told me what your mom said, Peyton. He killed three of your parents. He deserves to die." He said strongly, gripping my chin. I stared into his eyes fearfully. I wasn't afraid of him, but afraid of what he might become; just for me.
"Don't-you don't have to say anything. This is my fight." He growled, and I shuddered at the power radiating off his tone of voice. I couldn't-didn't tell him that he killed Emily-Rose too; well Justin did-but they were working together, weren't they? I unraveled my arms from underneath him-being pressed so close to him-it was driving me insane. I wasn't sure my body could handle it.
I swallowed thickly, hearing my heartbeat pump loudly in my ears.
"We-we should get some rest." I whispered, and he nodded, eyes darkening.
"We should." He said, and I didn't miss the way he inched closer to me.
"The temperature out here can drop really fast-minus twenty degrees out here." He breathed thickly, and alarm bells sounded in my brain.
"You mean-it's going to get colder? I already have goose bumps all over my body." I chuckled.
"That blanket-it won't do you any good-but I have a constantly heated-"
"Body temperature." I breathed, heart about to leap out of my chest. He lowered his gaze for a second-I knew they were on my lips.
"It's too cold for you here..." he was saying softly, and I froze as he trapped me beneath the warmth of his body, hands coming down on either side of my waist. A lock of his hair fell over his face-just above the bridge of his nose. I couldn't speak. I was paralyzed by the proximity of his body to mine. With shattering teeth-I was begging to be held. His warmth-it was close.
"You'll have to take your clothes off." He said, and before I could answer he'd already tugged off his shirt. My gaze travelled over his massive six-pack decorated with swirling tattoos.
"My body will give off enough radiation to keep yours warm....if it comes into direct contact with your body...that'll do the trick." He explained to me, but I was distracted by the hungry gaze in his emerald eyes-and necklace dangling from his neck. It was thin piece of black string with a wolf on the moon.
"May I?" he breathed, and I nodded, not knowing what I was giving consent to. His fingers brushed the thin material of my shirt, and I felt my throat constrict as he lifted it over my head, leaving me in a white bra. The cold rushed at my exposed abdomen quickly-crystallizing like icicles. Then he pressed his warm chest to mine, and I sighed softly at the release of heat. Raphael wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I cocooned myself in the warmth of his body. The only thing separating us was the thin material of my bra and jeans-and his of course.
With my cheek pressed against his chest-I drifted off to sleep.