Flora and I were eating dinner. Somehow, I had managed to make lasagna that was actually edible and I had done it without burning the building down. Shocking, isn't it? And the saddest part is that this was actually one of the biggest accomplishments I had done for the year.
Last night was still weighing down on my mind, but I was determined to keep my mouth shut. Sleep tugged at my eyes. School was wearing me out. I had half the mind to drop out. But in Draycott, with knowledge comes great power. If I ever wanted to get out of here, then I would have to suffer through another year of school.
Flora took another bite, chewing harder than necessary. She had already voiced her displeasure about the noodles being hard, but I was just glad for the fact that there was a slight chance we wouldn't get food poisoning again like the last time I had attempted to make dinner. Cleaning up vomit wasn't as pleasant as it sounded. Not that it even sounded pleasant in the first place.
"Ew, why is there brown stuff in my food?" she mumbled through a mouth full of orange juice. It dribbled down the front of her shirt, covering the small white rabbit. I sighed and passed her a napkin, with which Flora began wiping and making an even bigger mess.
"It's the meat." I answered. I grabbed a towel and wiped her chin. A second later, there was a clattering from the living room, and Mother stumbled into the kitchen. Flora took no notice and continued eating. I was surprised to see that she had managed to wake up.
Mother looked barely human. Her blonde hair had withered down, which left her scalp visible to the thin strands that had managed to stay on. Her blue eyes which Flora and I both inherited were cloudy, with red rings around it. Wrinkles and stains covered her face, and a thin white powder left a trail down her mouth. She was a walking zombie, and smelt of puke even from where Flora and I sat. Pity creased Flora's eyes. Even she could see what a mess our mother was.
"D-Did you feed the dog?"
I ignored her. Flora was about to answer, but one look from me silenced her. We didn't even have a dog. We watched her stumble to the sink. A second later, there was a fit of couching and then the sound of vomit hitting against steel.
"Ewww." Flora mumbled.
I grabbed her bowl of food with mine, and we went to the living room. Ignoring the many bottles of beer on the floor, I set down the food on the glass coffee table. Flora obediently sat down and began eating again, attempting to read a book at the same time. I took a bite of the lasagna and turned the old tv on. A news reporter in a horrid pink pantsuit was reading off the latest news of the night on the BBC channel.
"-for the loss of such valuable lives. And back to you, John."
The screen flashed over to a burly man in a charcoal suit. He was balding and had a deep baritone voice. Ribbons of the minor news in other countries passed across the screen with a blue background. The reporter cleared his throat, shuffled his papers, looked directly into the camera, and began speaking.
"A shocking discovery was made this morning in Draycott, London. Police came to investigate a call made by local fisherman passing through the area about a rancid smell near Draycott Library. It was later confirmed that the cause of the smell had been from a newly deceased body found between the alley of King and Seward Street. Details are still coming in, but the first report has claimed this was a homicide. CCTV cameras that caught the nature of the murder had been destroyed within a one mile radius. Police have denied to release any new details other than an a statement to say this had been an act of-"
I pressed the power button. The screen flashed into a rainbow to colors and turned black with a line of static down the middle. The air felt empty without the presence of someone talking. Flora glanced at me but said nothing.
My heart hammered in my chest. I pushed away the food, appetite gone. They must have discovered the body. I didn't know if I should be relieved or worried. What if one of the cameras caught my face? I forced myself to push the paranoid thoughts out. The men who had committed the murders would have thought to cut any power lines, or they were some incredibly amateur criminals. No one could have known I was there that night.
"Victoria, there's someone knocking on the door." Flora's voice snapped me back to reality. I rubbed my eyes, finally comprehending what she had said. There was someone knocking on the door. Loud, persistent knocks that almost broke our door down.
"Stay here, I'll get it." I said quickly.
The Checke residents never got visitors. Ever. I doubted anyone knew there was even a family living in the apartment building. To passerby, it just looked like a run-down haunted house. I straightened myself out as best as I could and walked to the door.
"Who is it?" Flora shouted from the living room.
I opened the door, ready to greet whoever it was. But there was no one there. I poked my head out, disappointment and relief washing through me. Disappointment because it would have been nice to talk to someone other than Flora, and relief because then no one could see what a horrid place we lived in. A light in the hallway flickered. I shut the door.
"No one."
I was about to walk back to Flora when she appeared in the living room doorway. Her blue eyes trailed above my head and she smiled.
"Hi!" she shouted happily.
I could feel my eyebrows knit together. Confusion swirled around in my brain, and then slow understanding. Flora wasn't even looking at me, but behind at the person who had knocked. I was about to whirl around when something cold pressed against my lower back. Flora's eyes were still happily examining whatever she saw behind me.
"Hello." a deep voice answered my little sister.
I shrieked and stumbled back to Flora. There was a man standing in the doorway. Two others flanked behind him. I looked down and realized that it was a gun he had pressed to my back. His large body covered most of the doorway, and muscles rippled his body. His eyes were strikingly grey, and his chiseled features made my heart pound. He had dark hair that was effortlessly messy. He was wearing all black and looked dangerously handsome. I mean, he was freaking gorgeous.
But also a killer. It had to be the same men I had seen the night before. The ones they were hunting who had killed that man on the news. Flora whimpered behind me.
His metal eyes trailed over me, and his body stiffened. Something bright flickered through his eyes, like a flash of gold. I must've been imagining things. The man turned his face up. It looked like he was sniffing the air, but it couldn't have been. No one sniffs the air like a dog. I pushed Flora behind me protectively.
The two men behind him made a move to come into the hallway, but the handsome man growled at their sudden movement. It didn't even sound human. Flora had finally decided that these men were bad, and ran into the living room. I sent a silent prayer that she had called the cops or left. I didn't care what happened to me, but hurting Flora would kill me.
"Don't touch me!" I shrieked as the man came towards me. His red lips tugged up in a smirk and he took no motion to stop. I stumbled back, almost falling again on the door's threshold. Before I could fully turn and escape, his thumb shot out and flicked my chin.
I didn't know what was happening. A warm feeling ran up my face from his simple touch. It felt as though a thousand butterflies filled my stomach and were gently trying to get out. Fiery trails emanated from the place he had touched. I jumped back and rubbed the spot vigorously.
The man clenched his fists, but said nothing. His other two friends stormed into the foyer behind him. They were both wearing ski masks, but both had the same cold brown eyes. The shorter man made a move to come towards me, but he didn't take two steps before being flung into the wall. A crash followed by a tinkling noise came as he fell down, groaning. The lamp I had brought broke and fell to the ground. It shattered into a million pieces of crystal. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my wits and courage.
"Don't touch her!" the man roared. His voice was husky and deep, with a color of accent on the edge that wasn't English. Something inside me fluttered at his words. For some reason, I had a sudden urge to feel his lips on mine. I hated myself for feeling like that. He was a killer, for fuck's sake. My hormones needed to get under control.
Panic rose in my throat. I glanced around for Flora, but thankfully she was nowhere to be seen.
"What do you want?" I stuttered, backing away. The man didn't move, but watched me with silent, cold eyes. They were insanely mesmerizing, and I found myself fighting to look away. His strong gaze had my knees trembling. I swallowed, but my mouth was dry. "What do you w-want?"
He took a step towards me, smiling coldly. "I have a few things to tell you, Victoria Checke." I didn't ask how he knew my name. "I know you saw me kill that man last night. But to be honest, that's all useless now, is it not? You can't explain the way you feel towards me right now, do you? That strange little feeling that is urging you to rip my clothes off and let me ruin your innocence? I feel the same way. Allow me to explain."
He chuckled darkly at my shocked expression and continued talking. "My name is Lucian. I am the fifth generation of the Winter Wolf Pack. My father was Demetrius Nayati, now deceased. First born son steps up, and here I am. We are one of the oldest and most powerful pack in history, and how unfortunate that my mate has such bright hair. You look very confused, love, so I shall clear it up. We came here to kill you tonight, but I found something worth more. I am the Alpha of the Winter Wolves. You, love, are my mate. As for what I want, you asked? It is simple. I want you."
I couldn't help myself. I laughed softly, finding all of this hilarious. It just seemed so ridiculous. A strange man, no matter how handsome, comes into my house, claims he's the alpha to some mystical pack of werewolves, and says I'm his mate? What kind of drug was going around the street these days?
Judging from the looks, the men were more than displeased with my hysteric reaction.
"Do you think I am joking?" Lucian raised an eyebrow, grey eyes roving over my sweaty face. He sounded so dangerous that it promptly stopped my laughter. I straightened up, realizing that he truly believed what he had claimed. I suddenly came to the conclusion that these men were utterly insane. Even though Lucian had thrown his friend into the wall with inhumane power, even though I felt strangely attracted to him, there was no way I would get sucked into the whole werewolf conspiracy.
Draycott's rumour was getting out of control.
"Would you like for me to demonstrate?" Lucian smiled politely. He could see that I didn't believe him. I decided to play along, and nodded. He walked towards me and this time I didn't move back. Lucian stopped when he was mere inches away from my face. The urge to kiss him came back with a rush. Warm fire snaked its way into my stomach, and I had stopped breathing. His steely blue eyes glinted humorlessly.
"Oh, Victoria...." he muttered. His breath felt like a sauna against my lips. I pressed my lips together and matched his glare with one of my own. Lucian lifted a finger and brushed a strand of pink hair from my face. His skin made no contact with mine, but I felt the hard thudding of my heart nonetheless. A smile tugged at his lips.
"Forgive me." he breathed into my face.
Suddenly, his blue eyes flashed golden. I shrieked and pushed hard against his chest without thinking. The small contact with his body caused my hands to flower up with heat. Lucian chuckled darkly and bared his teeth at me with the manner of a child. They had turned into sharp incisors, glinting with saliva. His eyes roved over my body, a sudden hunger in his eyes. I screamed again and moved back in horror. With a sickening crack, his face took up their handsome features once again.
"I already asked for forgiveness, did I not?" he murmured to no one in particular. I shoved myself back, searching desperately for Flora. He faced me again. "But I will say it again. I am very sorry, Victoria. I hope you will understand. All in good time, little mate."
A sharp pain flowered up from my leg. I glanced down, horrified to see an injection sticking up. The clear liquid was draining from the tube into my skin. Lucian said something, but all I could hear was a roaring sound in my ears. A girlish scream sounded from the far end of the room. Panic gripped my chest. I tried to look back up, but my world had already twisted into nothing.