Somehow I'd been able to shut the world out until I felt my bed beneath me. I kept my eyes shut though; I didn't want to talk to either one of my brothers. When I heard the door slam I opened my eyes and let out a breath I had no clue I was keeping in. I turned on the television that hung on the wall close to the door but opposite to my bed. I picked the show were some girl was slowly killing every man who'd ever wronged her. It was a movie actually, Monster. I was totally siding with the girl when my balcony doors were opened. The black curtains fluttered in the slight breeze as did the curtains that hung on my bed. Dianne grinned as she walked in and sat on the loveseat beside my bed. She leaned forward, waiting for me to tell her about it. A reason she was my good friend was because she was completely unfazed by my emotions, but somehow she still cared.
"Want me to take you to get your rabies shot?" She smiled
I laughed but playfully glared as she laughed at herself as well. I turned back to the TV to watch the string of commercials. Dianne's eyes burned a hole through the side of my head as I did. I turned back to glance at her and smirked at her cocked eyebrow. Shaking my head at her I turned back to the TV again. Dianne huffed and I heard the love seat creak as she got off it. Her totally not amused face blocked the screen as she sat down in front of me. I groaned and turned the TV off. Trying to watch it with her here is useless she won't give up until I talk to her about my issues. She should be a therapist. Dianne found her sense of humour as she realised she had my full attention. I fell back into the pillows on my bed and stared at the empty wall, man I need some decor in here.
Dianne sighed, "What happened? Your brothers decided to tell me the basics but I thought I should hear it from you to."
"He-he's my..... Mate." Was all my brain would offer
"Who?" She pried; I thought she knew the basics.
"Ian." I choked.
"What’s wrong with that?" She wondered acting more and more like a pretended therapist with each question.
I looked up at her, "He's a werewolf."
Dianne smiled, "I know, but doesn't it feel better saying it?"
"Yeah sure, he attacked me then almost kissed me, then looked disgusted and he was gone. A crappy way to be a mate I think." I mumbled
"So let me get this straight. Some guy has the tough ass I see every day Sophie in bed moping? Do you see the issue that I see?" She smirked, trying to give me a pep talk.
"You're right." I sighed
Dianne nodded, "Damn, right! I always am! Now we are going to go out and show him that you don't ware his dog collar!"
I laughed and got up off of the bed. She was right I'd been through wars, countless deaths, basically everything. Why would I let him get to me? That was when I decided to forget Ian, who had no doubt forgotten me. So I showered, put on a black tank top and we went to the mall. The Benson Mall was about twenty minutes away from the small town of Crawford. We took the Camaro parked in our eight car garage and were there in no time. It was a Saturday afternoon so naturally the mall was crawling with teenagers. We parked on the East side. Dianne chose the East side mostly because the West side was covered in graffiti and drug addicts. I liked my car and I wanted it to stay its shiny red color, not a metallic black spray paint color. We walked into the mall checking out the unique clothing and the cute boys, well Dianne was doing the last one. I was under the impression we were here for a little retail therapy but it came increasingly obvious that Dianne was on a mission. She stopped every attractive guy or snobby girl who looked her way and I shared confused glances with them every time. I just wanted a new sweater, not a new person.
"What are you doing?" I whispered to her after she stopped the fifth person. We were starting to look like serial killers.
"You need this." She hushed back.
I was still completely confused but decided not to argue about it. I followed her around until a boy with ruffled blonde hair looked our way and winked, automatically attracting Dianne. I followed her over to him and watched her put on a mini show. She pulled his ear to her mouth and whispered "come with us?"
The boy nodded vigorously which is a first, most of them was got freaked out by the whole ear pulling thing. Who would blame them it was weird. I once again followed as she led us to the West side. My mind was completely confused, trying to come up with answers to why we would be going there, and drawing a blank every time. Frankly I blame my wounded ego, Ian did hurt that a little bit and my once confident strides where now scuffing feet. Dianne blocked her mind from me and I held back a sigh of frustration, I just want to know what she's setting up here! She pushed through the exit doors and took us behind the garbage bins. I gave her a look of complete confusion and she gestured for me to just watch. I watched as she kissed the kid then when all his guards were down she raised one fist and knocked him pout. I jumped a little as he fell to the ground. In that moment everything clicked, this is how I'd first taught her how to feed. My mind was now panicking, I didn't want this.
"What're ya waiting for?" Dianne gestured to the limp body.
"I'm not going to drink his blood." I stated, crossing my arms.
"Just a pint, won't do him no harm." She convinced, standing up to walk over to me and un-cross my arms.
I gave into her pressure. I'm weak and it'd been so long since I last did it. My conscious was beating me up though as I crouched down beside him. Just like any drug blood has addictive qualities; it took me awhile last time to get off it. I strange need led me forward towards the unconscious boy. Dianne stood back and we had a silent understanding; I knew she'd stop me if I got out of control.
I bent over the boy’s body and my fangs grew. A part of me tried to pull away, to push my fangs back to their normal size. Sadly that part was overpowered by a massive want. I found the right vain and bit into his neck. Hot blood flowed into my mouth and I smiled on the inside. I'd forgotten the taste. My victim felt no pain, only a slight pinch when I pulled away. Mostly it was like going to sleep, both the boy and I were relaxed.
I stopped myself when I got to a pint and pulled away closing the wound with my tongue, we had a certain chemical in our saliva that speed the healing process, the first vampires didn't have this but like any species we evolved to survive. The guy would also have no recollection of what just happened, it was always like that. He would wake up with a big blank spot in his day. A second of darkness. On top of the usual amnesia, Dianne erased his memory so he wouldn't even remember us, god I taught her well.
Once he was fully brainwashed we left him leaning against a bathroom stall in the men’s room. Granted we got a few strange looks as we did this but most of the people in the bathroom turned away when we walked in to cover them. We continued through the mall shopping at clothing stores and I surprised myself by getting clothes. The surprising part wasn't the fact that I bought clothes, it was the clothes themselves. Usually I got long very covering, very appropriate clothes but this trip had me buying shirts that would show my mid-drift and short shorts. I wasn't trying to impress anyone or anything, I'm not that girl but I had some confidence in these. Another spot in my mind was shouting things like 'this'll get Wren back!' and 'this will make your mate like you.' but I was ignoring it, it wasn't helping much.
We left the mall before sundown though and before long we were headed down the stuffy road.
"How is that possible?" Dianne suddenly asked
"What?" I murmured completely confused.
"How can a vampire mate with a werewolf?" Dianne muttered back
"I don't know the gods are crazy." I sighed.
"Sure are, it's like they want to make our life hell." Dianne agreed.
I smiled a little, Dianne's Texas accent seeped into her voice. I loved her country voice but she refused to speak with it. She thought it made her weird. It only rarely came out when she forgot about it or she's really angry. She playfully punched my arm when she saw my smiled and we both chuckled.
"The Texas goods sure do." I smirked
"Bite me." She stuck her tongue out
"Already have." I pointed out, laughing some more.
She shot me a dirty look, "If you and your mate are ever on speaking terms you should know there will be payback." She threatened
"Why does it have to be when we're talking?" I wondered
"Because you're so emotionally scared anymore damage could do something totally bad and I'm lazy." She smiled
"Well good look, as if he'll ever talk to me again."