I looked out towards the street, feeling as though on the brink of sleep. It was all so familiar, yet something wasn’t right. My eyes danced down the houses before landing on a duplex down the block. We were already at my house. “I shouldn’t be there right now,” I managed to get out. Only after I said it did I remember I had technically been kicked out. The knowledge was just with me.
I looked up to the vampire that held me, confused slightly by his appearance. No longer was I being held by the long foreheaded creature I’d seen during the games. The man who looked down at me was blatantly unremarkable. He had plain blue eyes, which sat on a face you’d pass a million times a day without a second thought. When he spoke again his voice was different too, less surreal and more monotone than before. “You are not welcome there at the moment,” he seemed to acknowledge as though he had already known. “Is there someplace else you would be more comfortable?”
The few choices I had came to my mind in a single file line, waiting patiently for me to consider them in turn. Whatever this vampire blood had done to me, I knew one thing for sure. I appreciated my thoughts not constantly running wild. So I lingered on the first name for a moment; Collin. Though I would rather be with him than anybody else the option was ultimately not a good one. Seeing me in this state would only make him that much more upset when I told him the days events. I needed to be healthy and sound when I informed him of what had happened. And, although the man holding me now looked different, I was sure it was Claudette who held me now. I had no clue what would happen if he recognized Collin.
Castin was the next obvious choice, but there was a problem there as well. I didn’t know where he lived. When I’d been there last I’d been insane. Not how I was now, with my thoughts cool and collective. “I don’t remember addresses,” I admitted upon realizing I was of little help.
He gave a gentle nod before closing his eyes, the air around us growing dense. I wondered if it was my cue to close my eyes again, but my body told me it wasn’t. Trying to keep my eyes open and fight of the weariness in my bones I waited for him to speak again. “Tedur has given me another address. One for a Kelson?”
He must have memorized the name from the report he had to do. Unless he used a power on his fellow officer, or that man was a vampire as well, they would have had to do some sort of form with our information. It was the best I was going to get at the moment and I nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
My eyes closed and the air seemed to tingle against my skin. It almost felt as though it were a million little threads being traced over my entire body. When the sensation lift colors bled, zooming towards me in a long drag before blending together to form a glowing white. Just as the world went blank around me, the colors switched back on and I was greeted with a different scene. This time, we were surrounded by trees.
“It is not my wish to leave you so weak when it was one of my rules which was broken.” I tilted my head back the slightest bit to look up at the same mundane face I’d seen earlier. But it was not the right face for the vampire I knew him to be, and it troubled me at the core. “If you would partake from me once more, you should be able to regain the strength to stand.”
In a fluid movement he shifted to hold me with only one arm as though I were weightless, raising the other to bite at his wrist. As Matthew had done for me earlier, he presented his wrist to me. My eyes rose from the droplets of blood on his wrist, up to the face he wore. I gazed into his eyes, picturing them for the little slits I knew them to be and blinked slowly to let it sink in. Once more it was the true Claudette who held me, his pale almost translucent skin shining eerily against the dim light of the moon. Pleased, I turned my mouth to his wrist and lowered my lips to the liquid that bubbled from it.
The familiar rich, deep flavor overcame my senses. It seemed almost heavy, a dense feeling overcoming my throat as I swallowed the blood. After my second gulp I had to pull my mouth away in order to breathe. The pureness of the blood was nearly overwhelming. I inhaled deeply, the air making my mouth feel cool and pleasant. After licking the remains from my lips I turned my eyes up to Claudette who had been watching me intently.
For the first time since I’d laid eyes on him Claudette actually was showing minor curiosity in his ghastly features. “You prefer this face to the other?”
Surprised that he’d noticed I nodded, no longer feeling as weak as I had before. “Is that why you changed it?”
He looked bemused as he replied. “It was not I.”
The realization I’d just made a huge mistake rushed over me. I wasn’t sure how, but I’d managed to directly affect his power. It had to be like with Collin’s power. Deep down I didn’t want it to work so it didn’t. Though my reaction had been innocent, I’d just thrown myself to the wolves by it. The last thing I was supposed to do was make myself the interest of any more vampires. The little monster in my gut had forced me into a fight where I’d done the exact opposite. And now it was too late to fade from the radar. I’d been remembered. Worse yet, I’d just displayed my secret to Claudette.
Gently, he set me on my feet. The moment I’d touched ground I stepped away to gain some space between us. Though I felt trust in Claudette, I didn’t feel much. I knew that I still had to be careful. “Don’t tell Matthew I shared more blood,” he instructed me, his words slow and chosen carefully. “It is better if he not know.”
I wanted to ask why, but before I could he had his hands on my shoulders, and was looking down at me through his slits. His long pale skinned forhead seemed to tower into the night sky. Around him the colors shifted, and only he seemed to stay whole. The odd sensation that coated my body danced over my eyes and I closed them, the sensation making me uncomfortable. How I hadn’t noticed it the first time I was uncertain. Nevertheless when I opened them the world around me had changed once more. The only thing that remained the same was Claudette’s frame looming before me.
He released me, and his eyes focused elsewhere. My own gaze followed, and I looked into the glass of the elegant front door I stood at. The reflection showed the boring man from the street beside me, yet when I glanced to Claudette he was still in his true form. “You should be careful,” he warned, still staring at my reflection in the glass rather than me. “If Tedur was truly your owner you would have been unable to go against his wishes by drinking my blood.” My eyes met his in the glass, his stare piercing. “If you wish to remain unowned, you first must have the will to own yourself.”
Without a moment of hesitation he disappeared into thin air, leaving me staring into the front door at myself. I was surprised to see I wasn’t nearly as beat up as I thought I’d look. In fact, the only thing out of place was my hair. Everything else had already healed, and I had a feeling it was all of the vampire blood I’d consumed tonight. I ran my hands trough my hair a few times, taming the mess to instead lie as messy curls around my shoulders. When I finished I refocused my eyes to instead look at the front door I stood at. I’d most definitely never been to Shane’s house before. What would be my excuse for showing up now, in the middle of the night?
I faltered for a moment before knocking gently on the front door. It seemed as though lights were still on in the house. If Shane was up I’d just tell him the truth. My mother kicked me out, and only Aiden was allowed to stay. If anything would work it was that, and better yet; it was the truth.
When the door was pulled open, I don’t know who was more surprised me or the man who opened it. “Uh- it’s not my birthday is it?”
He looked to be mid-twenties as he stood in light grey sweats, a brand name printed in big letters up the side embellished with a little eagle just where they came to stop at his waist. From there up it was nothing but well built muscle covered by smooth skin all the way up to his slightly cocky expression. I tried not to dwell on his good looking features, and instead looked up into his blue eyes. “Is Shane home?”
“Depends,” he smiled, his eyes scanning me over quickly. I felt just as silly in the dress as when I’d first tried it on. I looked like a doll, or more appropriately in the real world setting; arm candy.
“On what?” I asked, trying to sound self assured. If the circumstances hadn’t been so unusual it would have been easier.
“What it is you want with him.”
Before I could come up with an answer, Shane stepped up behind the boy. “Is the pizza-“ he paused as his eyes met mine. “Isadora?”
I couldn’t help but greet him with a weak smile. “Hi Shane.”
He was in matching pants as the boy at the door, but unlike him he wore a cotton t-shirt on his torso. Although not dressed to go out, I was pleased to see he at least looked awake. “Don’t just stand there, let her in,” he snapped at the boy, turning his eyes back to me. “Aren’t you freezing?”
For the first time I noticed the cold outdoors air that was being blown against my bare skin. The dress left most of my legs uncovered, and all of my shoulders and arms. Until he’d mentioned it, I hadn’t even felt it. I nodded a little as the boy stepped aside, appraising me as I stepped in past him. “I didn’t have time to grab a coat.”
Shane waited for me to follow before walking further into his warm house. We walked through a cream colored hall lined with family pictures before entering a large livingroom. The large tv was paused on a game screen. I could feel the other boy following behind me up until I stepped into the room. “Make yourself comfortable,” he said, running one of his hands through his blonde hair, “do you want a blanket?”
I gave a little nod, sitting on the large L shaped couch. He wasted no time leaving the room to go fetch me one, and my eyes flickered to the boy from earlier. He stood, leaning against the doorway into the living room, with his arms crossed as he stared at me. “Who are you to my brother?” the man asked, sounding curious. “You don’t look anything like the usual girls that show up at our door.”
The comment didn’t quite feel like an insult, but it still made my nerves tense the slightest bit. If it hadn’t been for the vampire blood coursing through my veins I worried the monster in me would have woken up. It had been acting up so often as of late I’d come to expect the constant mood swings. Only now I was as calm and collected as I’d ever been. “What makes me so different?” I asked, almost issuing a challenge. The interest in his eyes made me want to play with him. I wasn’t even quite sure what that meant.
He smirked, and it borderlined on charming as he said, “You look exotic.”
I smiled, pleased with his answer. “Is that all?”
“You even feel exotic.”
I knew I was baiting it out of him, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. I found myself rising to my feet, taking a little step towards him. “What do I feel like?” I asked, my voice breathy. I tilted my head, observing him in full. I could almost picture the warm blood coursing through his skin as it burnt suddenly warmer.
“Energy,” he responded, his voice almost a whisper. His eyes were glued to me as though unable to look at anything else. They were wide, almost dilated as gazed at me; mesmerized. “Like raw energy.”
Once more under my control I stopped my feet from carrying me any closer to him. Though it wasn’t the beast I was used to, the familiar animalistic feel was dancing in my stomach. Something in the vampire I had drank had controlled the beast but not quieted it. Right now, it was focused hungrily on the boy who watched me with wide eyes. I cleared my throat, the doorbell ringing as though on cue. Broken from my spell, he turned his eyes down the hall towards the front door.
“That should be the pizza,” Shane provided as he stepped into the room, a blanket in arms.
The boy shot me an odd look before leaving down the hall to answer the door. I looked back to Shane, smiling awkwardly as I muttered a, “Thanks.”
He shrugged as though it was nothing, coming the rest of the way into the room to set the blanket on the couch. “No problem,” he dismissed before his hazel eyes met mine. “What’s going on Isadora?”
“I was temporarily kicked out of my house.”
“I know, Aiden called me,” Shane surprised me by answering. “I tried to call you, but your phone was off.”
Nodding, my brown curls bounced a little as I patted the dress over my thighs. “No pockets.”
For a moment Shane looked like he was about to ask another question, but his expression quickly changed. “Do you need somewhere to spend the night?” he asked, once more ruffling his blonde hair. “You can use one of the guest rooms.”
Surprised by his offer I could do nothing but nod. I had come here to spend the night after all, I just hadn’t quite realized that when making my decision. “I’m sorry to just stop in like this,” I apologized, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“We don’t mind,” a voice chimed in, and I turned to see the boy from earlier with a pizza box in his hand, “he was boring me to death.” Shane shot him an annoyed look, and he gave a toothy grin in response. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to our house guest?”
“Isadora, this is my brother Luther. He’s back from dropping out of college,” he held his brother’s gaze, “again.”
Luther just smirked, carrying the pizza into the room. “I’m just changing my major.”
“For the third time,” Shane pointed out, rolling his eyes. When his brother turned his eyes to scan over me, he did the same. “Do you want to change into something more comfortable?” he asked quickly, as though realizing for the first time the black dress I wore.
Thankful for the offer I found myself nodding again. “That’d be great.”
Looking almost relieved he nodded his head down the hall. “My room’s this way,” he informed me, once more waiting for me to follow as he started walking. I followed behind, my eyes taking in his large house. By the time we reached his room, his blue eyes were on me once more. “I hope you don’t mind my clothes?”
I shook my head, watching as he pulled out a pair of sweatpants similar to the ones he wore and a cotton t shirt. He handed them to me, once more looking at me. “What is it Shane?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
A guilty expression crossed his face and he sighed. “I want to ask you what is going on, but I don’t want you to lie.”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.
“Does it have something to do with my best friend disappearing all the time? Why he’s been lying to me since we met?” he asked, sounding disgruntled. “I guess I should be used to it by now.”
Instantly I felt for him, connecting to the familiar feel in my own life. Aiden was just a much of a mystery to me sometimes, and it hurt. Knowing that Shane felt the same way seemed almost like a reminder I wasn’t alone. “I wish I knew the answers to that too,” I breathed.
“You don’t know either?” he asked, sounding surprised at this news.
That only made me feel worse, and I nodded. “I don’t even know why I got kicked out tonight.” I shrugged away the sad feeling, once more looking to Shane. “There are things Aiden can’t tell me, and things I can’t tell him.”
Catching on rather quickly Shane asked, “The same things I wouldn’t believe?” I nodded. For a long moment he looked at me, before running his hand through his hair once more. “What if I did believe you?”
“I don’t think you would,” I admitted with a little shrug.
Stepping up to the challenge quite literally, he stepped towards me. “Try me? If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s picking out the truth.”
I couldn’t help but entertain the idea in my mind. Instead of a muddle of thoughts like I’d usually head the answer seemed surprisingly clear. I could tell Shane, and it wouldn’t hurt anything. Unlike with Castin he didn’t know anyone involved, and skipping that information wouldn’t be lying. It would also help with the strange friendship I was starting to form with him. Having Shane as a friend would be helpful in more ways than one. “I have a boyfriend,” I admitted, the sound of my own voice meeting my ears, “and he’s the reason I’m part of a world I’m not entirely sure I belong in.”
The news didn’t seem to surprise Shane, and he nodded his head slowly. “And what world is that?”
“My boyfriend is a vampire.”
Shane’s shining eyes raked over my face, taking in every detail. They came to land on my hazel eyes. “Where were you tonight?” he asked instead, looking down at my dress for a moment. “Were you with him?”
I shook my head, unsure whether he believed me or not. “Remember how I said I was part of his world?” I asked, looking away, unable to bear the energy in his gaze. “Well that fact was made perfectly clear tonight.”
For a long while Shane was quiet. I could feel his eyes on me, watching intently. “Will you tell me about it?” he finally asked.
My eyes flickered back to his. “You believe me?”
“Well,” he paused, looking confused, “I know you’re not lying. It’s still a little unbelievable.”
Deep in my veins my blood boiled, and a growl seemed to pass through my bones. My fingers flexed on their own, a surprising amount of power seeming to rush through me. “I could show you something,” I offered, the words not my own. Something was inside, controlling my actions. But I didn’t fight against it, I was as curious as Shane was as he nodded. My feet carried me across the floor towards his bed, stopping near the end of it. I looked down at the plush blue quilt, before grabbing onto the bed’s wooden frame. I could feel my muscles flex and my blood humming in my veins as I did something impossible. I lifted his bed into the air as though it weighed nothing.
Staring there, at my fingers digging into the wood of his frame, a surreal sensation washed over my body as though I was being returned to it. I could feel the bed in my grasp. I could see it there, a few feet above the ground. Even my muscles were tensing slightly as I held it afloat. Yet I couldn’t feel the weight I should have. All I could feel was the blood in my veins and a fire burning in my chest as though finally satisfied.
I turned to look back at Shane, setting the bed back down on the ground a little harder than I should have. The moment I’d gone to ease it to the ground it was as though the weight had suddenly started to return. I set it down seconds before I surly would have dropped it. Though his eyes were wide, he didn’t look frightened. Rather, he looked intrigued as he asked, “How can you do that?”
“I drank vampire blood,” I answered, feeling the answer to be true. It hadn’t been my power, but from one of the vampires I’d drunk from earlier. Whether it be Matthew’s, Francis’ or Claudette’s I wasn’t certain.
“What happened to you tonight Isadora?” he breathed, sounding astonished.
“I was caught alone by one of them,” I answered, sitting on the edge of his bed as I looked down at my hands. I could barely believe I was telling him even as the words left my mouth. “It’s like I attract them, because another one showed up. It was one I’d met once or twice before.” I played with the edge of the black dress, the clothes that Shane had given me sitting on the bed beside me. I didn’t even remember putting them there.
When I looked up it was only to see him watching me, waiting for more. So I gave it to him. “He helped me, so I felt I owed it to him to help back. I agreed to go to one of their-“ I faltered, trying to decide just how much truth I could share with Shane. For his benefit I softened the facts without lying. “One of their events. That’s why I’m dressed like this, and why I showed up at your door.” I looked into his hazel eyes. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“What about your boyfriend’s?”
“They can’t know I’m with him,” I whispered, feeling it to be true but not sure why. “It could get us both into a lot of trouble, especially now.”
After a moment of staring at me he nodded. “You should slip into those clothes,” he informed me, stepping towards the door, “they’ll be more comfortable.” Before I could worry if I scared him, he gave me a smile. “When you’re done come join us for pizza?”
I nodded as he closed the door behind him, leaving me sitting all alone in Shane Kelson’s bedroom. I wasn’t sure if he believed me or not. All I did know was this night only got more bizarre by the second. I pulled off the sheer dress I wore, and slipped into his clothes. They already smelled like him, and I found myself missing Collin more than ever. I had to find some way to reach him. We’d gone longer without contact, but I had a feeling that he knew something bad had happened. Maybe that was what Matthew meant by a bond?
As if confirming this, I felt another warning of worry. Matthew had seemed upset when we’d parted, and I had a feeling he was far from content with just letting me leave. He’d promised I’d be safe at his side and he felt like he’d failed. Clear as day the emotions greeted me. But they weren’t my own, they were far and distant. It was only as I focused on them could I feel them now. Was this the bond, I wondered, or the blood? If I focused on one of the others would I be able to feel them as well?
But I didn’t want to try. Instead I found myself trying to feel as calm and at ease as possible. Shane’s clothes felt like Aiden’s, which reminded me of home. It made me feel safe, and I hugged myself through the fabric of the cotton shirt. Focusing my good feeling I thought towards Matthew’s thoughts. They occupied the same space in my mind, overpowering them and soon a relieved sensation greeted me.
My eyes snapped open, my mind jolted awake by the surprise. I hadn’t even realized they’d closed. But I knew one thing; Matthew had felt me and responded. I wasn’t sure if I’d made him understand I was okay, or if he’d gone looking at the right moment. Either way it meant something that suddenly scared me to the core. Matthew was inside me. He could feel me.
My skin goosebumped, and I looked down at my arms hugging myself. How I’d known how to communicate with him I wasn’t sure. My body had done it on his own. Once more I was confused in my own skin. And I hated it! I needed to find answers. That was clear now.
I also needed to stop making rash decisions just because I was letting the beast inside control me. No more starting fights. I couldn’t just go and do something because the animal in my stomach was telling me to. I had to control it. Focus it for when I needed it.
My body knew what to do all on its own. I just had to work with it, not against it.
Overcoming the sudden epiphany I’d just had, my nose caught the scent of pizza air and my stomach twisted. I was rather hungry now that I thought about it. A little smile slid across my face as I got to my feet and left Shane’s room. I could just relax with my new friend, and in the morning I’d give Collin a call. I could meet him somewhere. Or, maybe he could just whisk me away like Claudette had somehow done. I really didn’t know the extent of his powers.
My eyes met Luther’s as I stepped into the living room, and suddenly I found the animal in my stomach purr a little. Speaking of powers, it seemed as though the blood egged on my inner predator. Luther’s tight firm body and cocky aura had made me want some part of him. I found my eyes flicker to Shane, and I mellowed out a little. Inside I was still myself, that was all I had to remember. Right then I was grateful to be spending some pressure free time with Shane, and that beat out playing with Luther.
I took my seat a short distance from Shane, accepting the blanket from him. “We were going to throw in a movie, any preferences?”
I shook my head, watching as Luther smirked devilishly towards me. For the first time I noticed a little stubble on his chin, the same light brown as the hair on his head. Other than that he looked like an older version of Shane almost perfectly. That and his blue eyes, which were gleaming as he pulled a bong from behind the couch. “An appetizer before your pizza?”
I stared at the bong, realizing I recognized it. Quite a number of times I’d cleaned Aiden’s room to find the very same one. My eyes flickered to Shane and I realized that it must have been his. The animal in my stomach purred again, and I looked back towards the bong, a little devilish smile of my own creeping onto my face. “Go ahead, pack it up.”
After dealing with a crazy groping vampire psycho, being dressed up like someone’s doll and attending the freaking death games, I figured a little green wouldn’t kill me. Looking a mix of relieved and surprised Shane smiled at me. “I didn’t know you smoked.”
Luther interrupted the moment by moving to sit in the space between Shane and I. “First hit?” he offered, moving the piece towards me. Our eyes met, and when I looked down again, instead of handing it to me he only tipped the mouth. I lowered my lips to the bong as he lit the bowl and I started to suck in. The entire thing baffled me. I’d never actually smoked before, but I’d seen Aiden do it plenty of times. The weird part was I had wished I wouldn’t have to ask how to handle the bowl, and Luther was doing all of that for me.
He pulled it out and this time when I breathed in the smoke followed. I sat back up, tucking my hair back behind my ear before slowly blowing out the smoke. “Like a pro,” he laughed, smirking widely. In a fluid movement he repeated the process for himself before handing the bong to his brother. His eyes lingered on mine as he passed the lighter. I watched as Luther let out the smoke, never pulling his eyes from mine.
The sound of Shane coughing broke the moment and I looked to him, once more calming down my senses. Luther was such a tease, being as easy of prey as he was. “Want something to drink?” I asked, my eyes flickering over to Luther for a second.
“I’ll go grab us something,” he offered, leaving the bong with his brother as he left for the kitchen.
Shane handed it towards me, and I smiled innocently. “I don’t know how to do it myself,” I admitted, not embarrassed since it was only him.
He gave me one of his perfectly Shane Kelson smiles, the kind that could melt your heart. “Here, I’ll show you.” I scooted to his side, following the same procedure I had with his brother. “Just wait until this is filled,” he grabbed my hand and guided it to the bowl, “and now pull it away.”
I followed his instruction, sitting back up as I looked at him with an interested gaze. I’d never have guessed Shane to be a pothead. He always seemed to be such a golden boy. Then again, he was Aiden’s only other real friend. I should have known he had a little something special about him. “Is the reason you’re so accepting because you were high?” I asked, blowing the smoke out with my words.
A boyish grin came to his face. “A little. But you pulling a superman did factor in with believing you.” I laughed, astounded by his reaction to it all. Who would have thought The Shane Kelson could be so cool? He glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchen. “Are you doing it?”
“What?”
“My brother’s never this relaxed with girls,” he looked back to me, seeming almost relieved, “usually he’s doing everything he can to play with them.”
It was my turn to grin a little bit as I looked away. “It’s kind of my fault,” I admitted. “I think I’m doing it.”
“You really are, aren’t you?” he whispered, sounding amazed. I looked back to see he looked to be almost glowing. “You’re a lot different than I’d imagined you’d be,” he admitted. “No wonder you’re friends with Aiden.”
Taking it as a compliment I smiled, the affects of the weed making me feel slightly giddy. Like everything was lighter. “You’re not what I expected either.”