Chapter 33
It felt strange to be sitting in the passenger seat beside Reuban. It was such a normal action; it seemed wrong.
"How long will it take to get there?" I asked.
"About 30 minutes."
30 minutes inside of a small space with Reuban. I felt my heart rate pick up. I gripped by seatbelt to try and get a hold of my nerves.
"Are we just going to buy clothes?" I asked, trying to start up a conversation. Reuban had been acting distant since we left the mansion.
"Not just clothes. We have some other things to buy as well." I glanced over at him in surprise. His expression was placid as he kept his gaze on the road.
"What other things?" His eyes flickered over to me quickly before fixing back on the road.
"We'll have a couple of days before we reach the werewolf pack." He ignored my question and changed the subject. I sighed in frustration. My only comfort was the realization that I would find out soon.
"A few days?" I asked in shock. "I thought you would be able to get us there a lot quicker than that."
"If I were traveling alone, perhaps." His voice was even. He showed no traces of anger or resentment.
"I'm sorry. I know it must be annoying dragging me along." I nervously fiddled with my thumbs.
"It's not annoying... it's worrying. Humans are so fragile; I don't want anything to happen to you." Reuban didn't spare me a look, but his tone was warm and affectionate. All of my nerves dissipated as I watched him.
I was once again struck by how handsome he was. The bridge of his nose was in a perfectly straight line, his jaw was broad and firm, and his eyebrows were the perfect amount of soft brown to match his windswept hair. Best of all were his beautiful blue eyes which stared ahead. They were pristine, and I felt I could look into them all day long. Was it a vampire trait to be so beautiful, or was that just Reuban?
"Are you going to ogle me the whole trip?" My head snapped straight ahead immediately, and my heart pounded heavily in embarrassment.
"Sorry." I muttered in a very small voice. I knew my entire body was beet-red in mortification.
It took me a moment to glance back over to him, but I was surprised when I did. I hadn't noticed before, but Reuban looked nervous. He licked his lips, and his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. A soft blush was barely visible behind his black trench coat collar.
Reuban was affected by my staring. I made him nervous.
For some reason, this information filled me with a boldness I'd never possessed before in his presence.
"Reuban." I started as I turned my body to face him as best I could. "There's been something I've wanted to ask you about for a long time."
"What is it?" His voice contained the same seriousness I presented.
"Why do you want to be king?" The words rolled off my tongue with a sort of satisfying ecstasy.
"It's what I was born to be." He answered simply and matter-of-factly. It sounded like a rehearsed script.
"But why would you be so desperate to be king? You do everything the Master tells you without hesitation; all for his position. It can't be simply because it's what you were born into." My logic was irrefutable, and he took a long time to answer.
"I... I can't do anything until I become king." His voice was brimming with frustration.
"What do you mean?"
"There's so much I need to accomplish which I can't without power. I need to find my parent's killer. I need to see justice done. But most of all..."
"Most of all?" I implored, desperate for more information. It felt amazing to have Reuban open up to me. It was such a rare event.
"I... actually wasn't born to be king." He confessed. I noticed the car had decelerated dramatically during our conversation. Normally he drove ridiculously fast, but now he was going a normal human speed.
"What do you mean? You're a prince. You're the prince"
"I am a prince, but only the eldest has the right to be king." This confession left the car in a state of unrelenting silence. I thought back to the photo I stole a glance of in Reuban's room. There was another boy in the picture: the grey-eyed boy.
"So... you have a brother?" I asked in a timid voice.
"I had a brother. He... He isn't around anymore." Reuban's agonized voice shattered my heart.
"I'm so sorry." I reached my hand out and placed it on his right hand in a comforting manner. He gave me a grateful smile.
"He was a really great brother. He always took care of everyone around him without wanting anything in return. He had a genuine respect for every living thing. He was made to be king." A wistful expression came over him.
"Can I ask... what happened to him?" I ventured. Reuban glanced at me quickly before shaking his head.
"Maybe later. For now, we're here."
I hadn't even noticed we pulled into a large mall parking lot. With a jolt, I realized I would be around other humans. It felt so strange to be back in my ordinary world.
For some odd reason, I felt out of place.
"You need to stay right by my side the whole time. No wandering off." Reuban instructed with a hard voice. I couldn't help but frown at his expression; he was on-edge.
"I'll stay right beside you. I promise." I tried to sooth his nerves, but I couldn't tell if it worked.
We entered the large shopping complex, and I was hit by the boisterous noise and chaos. I had become so accustomed to the big quiet mansion that this loud and frenzied mall was a culture shock. I reached out and clutched onto Reuban's leather jacket sleeve. He glanced down at me.
"Are you okay?" I nodded without replying and surveyed the mall. People passed by us without a notice. Lights from all the stores illuminated the white tiles, and I felt helpless in the madness.
Reuban pulled me along to an expensive clothing store. I finally let go of his sleeve when we entered the store, but I stayed as close to his side as possible. I couldn't understand my fear. I'd gone to malls dozens of times, but now it felt like a horrifying quest. I wanted to return to the mansion and curl up in my warm bed.
Reuban pulled item after item off of the shelves: long sleeve shirts, sweaters, jackets, jeans, sweatpants, sneakers, and more. He grabbed both female and male items.
"Are we stocking up for winter?" I asked sarcastically. He simply sent me an irritated look and continued with his plunder.
I stopped him as he headed straight for the cash register.
"Wait, I haven't tried anything on yet." I told him in confusion.
"I know your measurements. They'll fit."
"How do you know my measurements?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest protectively. He glanced down at my gesture and smirked playfully.
"I can tell." I gaped at him and followed mutely as he paid and left the store. We had way too many bags. I began walking to the car, but he stopped me. "We're not done yet."
"What else do we need?"
Instead of answering me, he dragged me off to the other side of the mall. Finally, we stopped at a small indent in the wall with a simple sign that read "Guns & Ammo." I turned to Reuban in surprise.
"What are we doing here?"
"We're going to provide protection for you." I didn't move and continued to stare at him in bemusement.
"So what, are you going to send me away with a bullet proof vest and an AK-47?" I remarked sarcastically.
"A bulletproof vest wouldn't do much good or else I would. But we are going to buy you a gun." He started to walk into the shop, but I stopped him by grabbing his elbow.
"A gun?"
"Yes, a gun."
"I wouldn't know what to do with a gun."
"I'll teach you."
"Why?" I questioned meekly, not truly wanting to know the answer.
"Because it will be your only defense if something happens. Werewolves are different than vampires. You can kill a one if you shoot it in a vital point, such as between the eyes or in the heart. They're harder to kill than humans, but you can kill them; at the very least you can slow them down." I felt my blood run cold as fear consumed me. This was really happening; I was going to be on my own for this mission.
"Reuban, this is the real reason you wanted to go to the mall, isn't it? It was never about the clothes." He hesitantly nodded.
"You need protection." I felt my eyes sting with tears, and my grip on his elbow tightened.
"You're really going to leave me?" I asked in a small childish voice. Even when the Master instructed us of the plan, I never truly thought about Reuban leaving me; I never fully comprehended the implications of the mission until this moment.
"I have to; it's the Master's command." He spoke rationally, but I could see he was shaken by my fear. He bit his lip as if to hold himself back. "I don't have a choice." He implored.
"Is it okay if I wait out here while you buy it?" I requested as I dropped my hand from his elbow as if electrocuted. I turned my face away from him so he couldn't see the single tear that escaped.
"Yes... I'll be right back." When I looked back, he was walking into the store and talking with the man behind the counter.
I let out a deep sigh and my breath came out as a shudder. Another tear fell down my left cheek, and I hurriedly brushed it away. Despite what Reuban said, I believed he did have a choice. But he would always obey the Master, no matter what.
I walked down the busy corridor of the mall to clear some space between us. I plopped down on a nearby green bench. I could still see the gun shop, but it was a distance away.
"Hey, pretty lady. What are you doing here all alone?" A blonde man slid onto the bench beside me, a little too close for comfort. He looked to be in his 20's, and he wasn't too bad looking. Compared to the beautiful vampires in the mansion, however, he was quite ordinary.
"I'm not alone." I replied and scooted away from him a bit. In response, he moved closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. The gesture was entirely too intimate.
"I don't see anyone else." His breath tickled at my ear, and I could feel the warm air raise goosebumps on my skin. I shivered.
"He'll be here soon." I tried to inch away while not appearing rude, but he had a solid grip on my shoulders.
"He? Your boyfriend?" He questioned.
"No... Not my boyfriend."
"Then who is the mysterious 'he'?" I tried to stand up, but he held me back. A bit of fear began to creep in amidst the annoyance and disgust.
"None of your business." I insisted and tried to free myself again.
"It could be my business, if you want." His speech was slimy, and I saw right through him. Before I could retort, an iron grip latched itself onto the man's arm on my shoulder. I followed the iron fist up a leather clad arm until my eyes landed on a furious Reuban.
"Reuban..." I muttered with part trepidation and part relief.
"So, you must be the non-boyfriend." The ridiculous human commented arrogantly.
With no remorse, Reuban yanked the guy away from me and onto his feet. The blonde boy immediately threw his hands up defensively.
"Whoa dude, chill. We were just having fun." The man complained as he tried to free himself from Reuban's grasp. Reuban didn't budge.
"Just let him go." I declared as I stood on shaky feet. Reuban looked at me in surprise. Without a word, Reuban's fingers detached from the man; he took off without looking back. "Thanks." I commented as I turned to him, but Reuban wasn't looking at me. His eyes followed the man with a look of pure contempt until long after he was gone. "Reuban?"
He finally glanced down at me. His expression didn't change.
"What were you doing?" He asked angrily.
"I was waiting for you."
"It didn't look like you were waiting for me." His voice was severe. I had absolutely no response to this, so I remained silent. I couldn't understand Reuban's anger toward me. "Let's just go."
Reuban grabbed my hand and lead me from the mall. I looked down at our intertwined fingers in surprise. My heart began beating faster, and I begged my hand not to sweat.
We reached the car, and Reuban irritably opened the door for me.
"Are we driving to Ron?" I asked meekly before entering.
"We will drive to the forest and leave the car there. The rest of the way will be by foot." I sighed in relief and entered the car. At the very least, by foot meant it would take longer to arrive. I dreaded reaching the werewolves more than I could articulate.
It didn't take us too long to make it to the edge of the forest. It loomed over us like a terrifying beast as we exited the car.
"Reuban... I don't know if I can do this." I admitted as I turned to look at him.
"You have no choice." He replied simply and began marching into the dreaded woods.
I took a deep breath in and out. In, out. In, out.
Then, I followed him to my fate.
~~~This chapter may seem like a bit of filler, but it's important to set Reuban and Jaime up on their journey. In the next chapter, the true adventure will begin. Let me know what you think! Also, how do you feel about jealous Reuban? ;) ~~~