Shaylee’s POV:
I ran until my feet ached. When I finally emerged from the woods I found myself near Blake’s house. Just where I wanted to go. I thought.
Frantically, and in tears I knocked on the door. I fidgeted in place till the door opened.
“Shaylee?” Blake opened the door, wide eyed and confused.
I leapt into his arms crying.
Who cares if Colton wouldn’t approve of me being here, he LIED to me!
“C-colton…H-he he’s a werewolf!”
Blake hushed me and pulled me inside.
“It’s ok. Calm down. Take a deep breath and say it slowly.”
I did as he said and took a deep breath. I looked up at him.
“I saw Colton in the woods. I know this sounds crazy, but he’s a werewolf.”
Blake didn’t look at me though rather… he looked behind me, “Brooke, don’t—.”
Something hard hit the back of my head and before I could process anything, I blacked out.
Colton’s POV:
I gave up on chasing her. I knew I could catch her, but the sound of her sobs broke my heart. I couldn’t face her—couldn’t try to explain if she was crying.
I found myself trotting slowly back to the pack.
“Did you find her?” Violet whined.
“No.” I answered her with a low bark.
“It’ll be ok man.” Brian told me.
“Let’s hope so…”
God let’s hope so.
Shaylee's POV:
Tons of memories flooded through my head.
My whole childhood.
The three years I missed out on.
Me and Colton…oh god, me and colton.
Him teaching me to ride a bike…. And him kissing my booboos when I fell off.
Me teaching him how to bake cookies, even though he burned them on his first try.
Our sleepovers in the woods in our clubhouse.
That night…that awful night I lost my memory.
That awful night I almost lost my humanity.
I remember now. Blake led me downstairs to the basement and I was ambushed, knocked out by Brooke.
I woke up, young and afraid and Blake’s dad was in there with a weird machine…
They told me of a prophecy…
That Blake was some kind of Vampire Prince to this secret society of vampires. That his dad was the King, but he was getting too old to lead, and that Blake needed to take over, but not without a bride.
A Queen.
And the prophecy said that that girl was me.
But the only way I could be queen was if I became a vampire too.
And that they knew I would say no because of my stupid werewolf bestfriend, so they had no choice but to force me to become one.
And so they strapped me up to the machine and inserted needles in me. But Colton found me… he broke down the door in his wolf form and saw me. His eyes glazed with murder and he attacked Blake’s dad. He was no match, the little ten year old wolf. My heart clenched at the sound of his ribs breaking. They chained him up. I screamed for them to stop and Colton growled bloody murder, his neck rubbing raw with his struggling against his chains. But they painfully inserted the needles into my arms and legs. I felt it when they flicked the switch. I felt the blood being pulled from my body. Felt life leaving me. Felt humanity leaving me.
This was it, I was going to become a vampire. AT TEN, and all I could hear as I died was the incessant growling coming from my heartbroken bestfriend.
But I woke up on in a hospital bed with my parents next to me and had no recollection of the night before. Then a week later we moved…
But I was seventeen now.
And they were doing it to me again.
My eyes shot open and I let out a blood curling scream.
Colton’s POV:
I froze mid-hunt.
Everyone else in the pack stared at me.
“Something’s wrong.”
They all looked at me cautiously.
“I don’t feel anything” Luke said.
“It’s Shaylee, something’s wrong.”
They exchanged looks.
“Well yea, she ran off crying.” Leslie pointed out.
“I know that, but something else is wrong. Really wrong. I can feel it.”
Violet stepped up to me and nudged me with her nose. “Go find her.”
I nodded. “Brian, you’re in charge of the pack.” And with that I took off.
I had a sixth sense when it came to Shaylee. I always did. That’s why I always came to her rescue in the nick of time. And something was definitely wrong.
With every growing second I felt her fear grow in ten folds. My paws hit the ground at the speed of light as my nose led the way to her rescue.
I was coming Shaylee.
Hold on.
“Will you shut her up? I don’t want her parents hearing next door!” Mr. Cunningham instructed.
Brooke came over with a red tint to her eyes and fangs blazing. She gagged me with a cloth. I glared at her. How could she look at me… pretend to be my friend every day when she knew what her father and her brother were forcing me to do.
“Personally, I’m hoping you don’t survive the transformation. You see, if Blake doesn’t have a bride, I get to rule.” A glint of jealousy flashed in her pupils before she got up and walked to the other side of the room.
That’s when I noticed Blake sitting in a corner. He looked pained. Guilty. I didn’t want to look at him. To think I almost considered him my boyfriend at a time.
“Blake. Snap out of it! NOW.” His dad barked, his fangs barred.
“Come help me set up this machine.”
Blake walked over, avoiding eye contact with me.
Worst part of it all, even worse than knowing my fate…was that I might die without apologizing to Colton. I wanted to hug him, kiss him, and hold him. I wanted to tell him I remembered everything. That it was always me and him. It always will be me and him. That I could never be mad at him and I accept him for who he is—wolf and all.
I started to cry. I would never be able to tell him that now.
“Bring her over here.”
I squired in my chains. NO! Not so soon!
“Father, do we have to do this? I’m sure she would agree if we had just explained the situation. She’s really a nice girl. We shouldn’t force her against her will!”
Blake’s dad slapped him across the face. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. No son of mine will be King with an attitude like that!” He spat.
Brooke undid my feet and wrist chains. But she had the strength of a bull and it was like my wrists were never freed once she put her hands around them.
I squirmed nonetheless.
“Blake. Help me stabilize her. She’s squirming like a damn fish over here!”
Soon Blake came over and stabilized me with his strong, nasty man hands.
I felt a growl erupt from my throat and I jerked my head towards him as if to bite him.
“What the hell was that?” Brooke shrieked.
I managed to spit out the cloth in my mouth. “I’m more werewolf than I’ll ever be vampire.” I said and looked Blake deep into the eyes.
His eyes then turned red and he picked me up and slammed me down on the table.
Brooke snickered. “Ooooh now you’ve pissed him off.”
I felt a crack in my side. Well, there goes one rib. I thought to myself.
I whimpered but didn’t cry. I wouldn’t be weak through this. I just wouldn’t.
They soon strapped me down.
It all hit me at once and I started screaming again.
But not long after they had be strapped in did I feel the cold press of the needle against my arms and legs and the sharp pain as they were inserted into my veins full of human blood.
I bit back tears.
Please, God…No.
The door broke down with a crash.
A growl erupted in the room.
And I swear…I had never been so happy in all my life.
I could see brown jumping from the corner of my eye as Colton attacked Mr. Cunningham.
It was just like when we were little.
Except Colton wasn’t a ten year old boy anymore and Mr. Cunningham was old. He didn’t stand a chance. Colton tore him apart.
Brooke squealed. She and Blake exchanged a look before they nodded and snuck up behind Colton.
“Colton, look out!” I screamed.
But it was too late. They sprang on him and he couldn’t take them both on of course.
“Lock him up!” Mr. Cunningham ordered.
“I want him to suffer as he watches the one he loves get drained of her humanity. I want him to hear her heart seize.” He spat blood, and he was gory to look at with all his deep gashes.
He reached over and slammed his hand down on the button.
I screamed again.
I could feel the lightheadedness as the blood left my body. “No. No No NO!”
You couldn’t hear me screaming though, through Colton’s vicious growls and teeth snapping.
Chills ran down my body at the mere sound of the hatred in his growl.
Colton’s POV:
It was all happening again. How could it?!? I vowed never to let them do this to her again since I finally got her back.
DAMNIT!
If only I could tell her how sorry I was.
I struggled against the chains. I could smell my own blood from the chain biting into my neck. But I wouldn’t give up.
I only managed to pull it off last time because the chains were rusted. They snapped and before anyone could make a move I ripped the needles out with my teeth I clawed the chains until they snapped and I grabbed Shaylee and ran like hell. They were right on my tail but they didn’t have what I had—something worth fighting for.
Love.
But when I jumped into her bedroom window, and laid her on the bed… it was then I realized I couldn’t hear a heartbeat. I remember I stayed till about three o’clock in the morning that night hugging and crying over her lifeless body. I had saved her too late. That was the day my insides died. Every hope, every dream, every smile died that day when she did.
I left her in her bed for her parents to find in the morning and I ran. I ran far away. I think I traveled up north to Boston. I just wanted to get away. Wallow in my misery.
By the time I came back, I found out her parents had moved. I assumed they were going to bury her body wherever they moved to. Too many memories here, I guessed.
It wasn’t until way later that I realized that she was alive.
I saw the color rushing from her cheeks. The way her body shivered to try to keep her warm from the lack of blood.
I changed back to my human form.
“Shaylee listen to me… I’m so sorry. I love you. I’ll love you till the day I die and I swear I will avenge you.”
I started to cry. I couldn’t help it. She was my only weakness.
“N-noo…don’t. I l-love you. Be h-happy.” She spoke and then her pulse slowed. Till it seized.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I growled, even in human form. I felt my eyes dilate to black, and my teeth sharpen. I was going to transform if I didn’t keep calm.
“Alright Blake.”
I watched with enraging anger as Blake stuck two needles into each of his arms.
“W-what is this? What are you doing?” I yelled.
“Why, we’re inserting half of Blake’s blood into her. So that not only will she become a vampire, but she will always be linked to him.”
I growled. “NEVER!”
The sad thing was, if she did make out of this alive, and had half of the one man I hate most in this world’s blood inside of her… I’d still love her.
“Too late it’s already half way done.”
I struggled once more against my chains.
“You’ll never get away with this!”
“Oh yea? What makes you say that, you mangy dog?
“Because I have one thing this time I didn’t have last time”
They all looked at me skeptically.
“And what’s that?” Mr. Cunningham smirked.
“Friends.”
And right on cue the other five members of my pack came leaping in.
Vi and Leslie took on Brooke. Brian and Luke took on Blake, and Harrison broke me free.
“Harrison, get those needles out of Shaylee. I’ve got the dad.”
I changed instantaneously into wolf.
Mr. Cunningham and I circled each other, sizing up each other’s intentions.
Enough of this. I growled and leaped.
He wasn’t expecting it. He tried to move, but I was faster than him. I got his arm into my mouth and bit down. Blech! Vampire blood. I ignored the bitter taste in my mouth and bit down harder, as I slung him aside. He hit the wall hard. I grinned.
Seeing Shaylee laying on the table helpless only fueled my anger.
He was able to defend against some of my moves, but it was obvious who was going to win.
And I wouldn’t let him live.
I clawed him across the chest and he collapsed. I leaped and grabbed his neck in my teeth and ripped.
His head came clear off.
I spit out the blood furiously.
I looked around to find the others fighting Blake and Brooke.
Suddenly a cloud of smoke appeared and when it cleared, the twins were gone.
I growled.
“Find them.” I snapped. The pack nodded and took off.
I changed back to human form, and with tears in my eyes I walked over to the table. I couldn’t hear a heartbeat coming from Shaylee.
I fell onto her, bursting into tears. I let it happen again. She was gone. The woman I loved… gone.
I held her close to me, thinking if I held her any closer I might break her bones.
I soon kissed her once on her forehead and then moved down to her lips.
Gently, I laid a kiss on her soft, cold lips.
“I love you, Shaylee Turner… and I always will.”
I held onto her while I cried.
I don’t know how long I was there, but it must have been a while.
But suddenly I heard a thump.
I blinked, thinking it was my imagination. Another minute later, there was another thump.
I looked down.
It seemed to be coming from her chest.
I laid my ear against her chest, and another minute later I heard another thump.
Excited, I gazed over her face. Slowly I saw her eyes move behind closed lids.
Shaylee’s POV:
Darkness. That’s all there was. No Colton, no light leading me to heaven... just darkness.
But suddenly I could hear sobbing. Then a blistering headache took over my head and my limbs felt like they weighed a hundred pounds as I tried to move. To comfort whoever was crying on top of me.
I tried my eyes, they would barely work.
I tried harder, knowing deep down inside that it was Colton who was crying on top of me, and knowing I had to get to him—to comfort him.
Soon blinding light clouded my vision, and I thought maybe I had dreamt it all and I was going to heaven. But then I saw a beautiful face block out the light.
Coltons.
“Shaylee?” His voice cracked.
Finding movement in my limbs again, I sat up—ignoring my blistering headache—and wrapped my arms around him.
“Oh god, I thought I had lost you again.” He broke into sobs once more.
“Shhh.” My voice was hoarse and my throat burned.
“I’m ok now. And I’m not going anywhere.”
“I love you Shaylee… so much.”
“I love you too Colton.” I smiled. Blake and Brooke were gone, for now. And I was in Colton’s arms… alive. This was all that mattered to me. Even in death, I found the sole thing I wanted most was Colton. Just Colton. He was all I needed.
And he was here. I was alive, and we’d never separate from each other again.
But one thing I couldn’t ignore, was the tingling sensation in my nose. I could hear something coursing through Colton. Like liquid water running through his body.
My throat burned at the sweet smell of something.
Blood.
Blake’s POV:
The death of his dad proved to him, that he wasn’t a boy anymore. He needed to take over the kingdom and find his bride.
He smiled. They hadn’t finished the complete transformation, but enough of his blood was left in her so that they were connected in some way—even if it was small.
She could never truly escape him.
And even better than that… she was a damphire now. A half-vampire.
Blake smiled.
This wasn’t the last time he’d see Shaylee.
Soon she’d be searching for him, wondering what’s happening to her.
And he’d be here… waiting for her. Waiting for his bride and future queen.
And with that, he knocked on the door.
His Uncle opened the door.
“Come on, young children. We have much to discuss.”
Blake and Brooke exchanged a look.
Yes. Yes they did.