"Where are you taking me?"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAgza5Wmk1
He looked over his shoulder past me, as if to make sure nobody was following. Then he looked back front and continued to run while his hand gripped mine tightly, dragging me along with him, not stopping even if I stumbled every now and then. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWPL9nITwe
"Somewhere safe." 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCUjtm0646
I frowned at his response. Was someone really chasing us? I attempted to look around my surroundings, but only to see the blurry fast-moving images of trees passing by. I pried my eyes off them and stared at our entwined hands instead, furrowing my eyebrows more.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjCKG5rjSa
His hand was always cold. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU1uZ8YBnf
Suddenly, he stopped, and I bumped onto his back, glory to my clumsiness. "Sorry," I squeaked. I grimaced inwardly. That sounded pathetic.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeUxg3ElUQ
But he turned around with a slight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, and his hand around mine starting to get clammy. We didn't let go, though.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEzAoa7BJp
"It's okay...My fault there," he said between pants, his chest heaving for air, and his face looked paler—if that was even possible. It was then I realized I wasn't panting as hard as him; we didn't run that far. So why did he look like his lungs were squeezed out of air?755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnPxGJZbm8
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around as he did too. We were in a small clearing where tall trees with big green leaves shaded the place. Only a little sunlight passed through the gaps; otherwise, it was dark, but not in the scary way—in the comforting way, where you could relax your body and be at ease. The atmosphere of the place felt harmless, and calm wind blew—unlike the hot weather in the academy.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU66voS5FrC
"So," I started to say, as his strong, yet seeming torpid, hand dragged me under a tree and let go when he sat down, the chilliness fading from my skin, "why are we here again?" Sliding down the tree to the soft grassy ground, I copied his posture—stretching my legs out and leaning my head against the trunk—feeling the breeze blew while leaves swayed from it.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxapCrxCNc
I heard him breathe out a sigh and try to calm his breathing. I glanced at him then, seeing his eyes closed while his chest kept on heaving, his hair flowing with the breeze. He opened his faint-red eyes and saw me, before sighing again.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEGaong3JM
"I guess it's time for you to know the truth." He sat up straight, running his hand through his soft black hair and looking away from me. I looked at him with a blank stare.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtxe0Ymm1Y
I spoke. "Like why your hands are always cold? Why you always act weird against the sun? Why your skin is paler than normal? Why you have a pair of odd red eyes? If you are referring to those, I think I've figured it out, although it's kind of...unbelievable. Fictional."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1PuhwFM82
When I finished, his red eyes immediately fixed on me for a long time, studying me. I bit my bottom lip. Did I speak too much?755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1VFUrX29Q
Then, he sighed for the third time today, tearing his gaze away from me. I noticed his breathing had gone calmer. "You know, then."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ1CoN521L
I said nothing. Awkward silence filled the air between us for a moment before I spoke again. "Say it." He looked at me befuddle. I repeated. "Say it. Say what you are."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDG1HNQ0c7
"But you—"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNDr2Cscdk
"I know. I want to hear it from you, so it will be more...believable."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BdedwZS19
He studied me again, before huffing through his nose and muttering, "I'm a vampire."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtiqj2KQTH
"Yeah? I can't really hear you," I teased.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjVQA2qmQb
Groaning, louder he said, "I'm a vampire, you fart knocker." He crossed his arms and glared at me playfully.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvncSyl1QyQ
I laughed. "My name is Valerie, thank you very much." He rolled his eyes at my response. I asked again, "What exactly is the reason you brought me here?" 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DE2Nsl8am
As though reminded, his body went stiff for a moment and he looked to where we just came from.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKihBS1UVEx
"I'm being chased" was his short reply.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0Ut0Txfb8
"Chased from—?"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4d0zQcXlW
I stopped myself as I felt my ear tickle suddenly, my breathing hitched. An unfamiliar, deep yet smexy voice whispered, "Me." I opened my mouth to scream; but before I could, a cold hand—but not as cold as Kevin's—clamped my mouth shut—probably belonging to that voice. Beside me, I felt Kevin stiffened and tension building up. "Don't shout," the voice whispered softly against my ear before freeing my mouth, leaving me breathing again and my heart pounding. I didn't notice I was holding my breath.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXr4rhAvvP
A figure moved out of the shadows. Kevin immediately jumped up, standing in a defending posture, though sweat slid down his forehead. The mysterious man stood dangerously close to me. I could see his glowing red eyes scanning me up and down, his sandy brown hair disheveled. He wore a thin white shirt that showed off his lean body and he wore a pair of old dark jeans. He was barefooted. Nevertheless, I admitted he was good-looking.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEWyhyZwXd
When I looked back up to his face, he had a smirk played on his lips. "Already charmed by me, eh?"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT0XTTttpy
I felt my cheeks heat up and I scoffed. "As if. You're ugly as tarnation."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCQlrsrJCY
He chuckled, and my body, for some reason, shivered hearing it. "Are you seriously censoring yourself?" He started to bend over to me, but stopped when Kevin stood between us. Feeling that this wouldn't end good—and just realizing that he was the one who Kevin was running from—I scrambled to my feet.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul9YArkUP9
"Zakron, I suggest you leave now." Kevin's glower on the man intensified the already tense atmosphere between them, his voice low and threatening.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFTGCaZXdL
"Or, what?" Zakron stayed relaxed, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, still wearing that gorgeous smirk of his. I'll slam my head on a brick wall multiple times if I survive this. "I know you've not been drinking these past weeks, Anders. I'm surprised you're still able to stand on your feet now." His gaze flicked to me. "And I see now the reason why."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSM9xUz1mk
"Don't lay a finger on her, Wilde, I'm warning you," Kevin growled. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvtJlNJ0zh
Oh, so his last name is Wilde? Like Nick Wilde from Zootopia? Ah, a—Get yourself focus here, Val. He's not Good. He's Evil. Curse that gorgeous face.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0eNbQnvKS
Over Kevin's shoulders, the man called Zakron had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and in a flash, he was next to me, gripping me by the arm tightly and his face close to my neck, showing off his fangs. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcySH45ahcu
It happened so fast I couldn't react in time when he was pushed away from me and sent flying through the trees behind me, leaving them tumbling to the ground with groans, and a gust of wind passed by me from the impact.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJmeritBov
My whole body went cold and my heart pounded vigorously in my chest. Kevin swished to Zakron's direction. Even if I 'd read a lot of vampire books, I never thought their speed would be this fast.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bFR8gwEAM
I forced myself to look back and saw Kevin pinning Zakron by his neck, choking his air out of him. They weren't that far as I'd thought they would be—and at ear's shot.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZIelikNLn
"What I've been waiting for," I heard Zakron utter, but his voice didn't sound strained at all. In a quick motion, he had his foot on Kevin's chest, sending him flying back through the fallen trees and onto the tree I just leaned on, the wind whooshed beside me once again. He slammed hard and tumbled to the ground just beside me with a thud. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbE0I7eBdrX
Oh, gosh. I'm really putting myself in the middle of a nonsensical battle.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV7E4iahed
Zakron started to get up from his position as Kevin coughed up...nothing—but seemingly supposed to be blood. I crouched down, placing a hand on his shoulder as panic fleeted through me.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0QaQ1MyJj
"Are you okay?" Worry dripped in my voice. And just as soon as I asked that, Kevin started coughing harder and wheezed. Then I really panicked. I realized my hand on his shoulder was shaking.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxe4yWtSDD
Was the hit too strong for him to take? Or had he really gone weak as what that Zakron man said, because he hadn't been drinking human's blood for a long time? 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRNCp0zB5W
As soon as I felt a presence directly behind me, my heartbeat quickened and my mind went blank.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEwWyWv4ef
"See? You've gone weak. Very weak. You can't even damage me in one hit like you used to, and your speed has gone way slower. Why don't you drink that girl's blood and fight fairly, Anders? Look at you now, already injured just by a push. Drink, Kevin Anders. And fight me."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ4BKmmjDV
"Shut...up." Kevin managed to look up feebly as he gasped for air. "Like Hell am I going to."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ea0uA1vKx
Zakron shoved me away hard enough to make me move away from Kevin's side, and he landed a strike on Kevin's chest once more. His breathing started to get ragged. Zakron grabbed full of his shirt, lifting him above ground. I felt useless. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqdwNK2rmS
"Drink, Anders," Zakron said. If I disregarded the fact that he was Evil, I would've thought there was concern in his voice.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLjBuMIziE
Kevin chuckled dryly, though it sounded more of a wheeze. "Make me." 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHNsaz9XF0
Zakron slammed him against the tree, and as he was about to hit him in the chest again, and as I couldn't bear seeing my best friend getting hurt again, with all my strength I shouted, "Stop!" And surprisingly, the said man did, but eyes still glowering at Kevin. I looked at my best friend. "Kev, I give you the permission."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hrq5AmNbk
Clearly knowing what I meant, he managed, "No. Valerie...no. I won't." But I was already sauntering to them, stopping just near Zakron. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfhlFQKgrB
"If you don't, he will," I said casually. Panic gleamed in his eyes, so I walked up to Kevin and gave him a small smile. "It's okay, Kev. I'm sure this won't hurt as badly as I see you getting beat up." When Zakron's grip on him released, I inclined my head, gesturing for him.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IXuotEPYU
"Val..."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiWbomJVQZ
By then my patience exploded. "Just do it, Kevin! You know once I make a decision, nothing stops me from breaking it. So do it while I'm at it!"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYVYk6QWpQ
Kevin hesitated for a moment. Zakron remained silent and unmoving. After a while, Kevin held my shoulders and pulled me closer, engulfing me in a hug. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs87FS7cRTA
"Are you sure?" he murmured against my hair, his voice shaky. "You might not be able to...hold it. I might not be able to stop."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTg32QOYqZ
I nodded. "I'm fine as long as you don't get hurt too much. Plus, you haven't filled your hunger since the day I met you, have you? And it's all my fault."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTHzDmuAr0
"This is nothing, Val..."755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikAGzxVUmu
"Liar. You can't even run for five minutes. Just do it now, you fart knocker." I felt him smile a bit at that. Surprisingly, Zakron still remained silent.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SI6gcDWCJ
Kevin pulled away then and leaned toward me. I closed my eyes, preparing for the pain to come. But instead of feeling his teeth digging in my flesh, his soft lips pressed against mine, before trailing down to my neck. 755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxNe2KgfqS
"Kev—?"755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHahbSX5du
His teeth sunk in my flesh, and the last thing I heard was his voice murmuring, "I love, you, Valerie Starks," before everything went black.755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9kZb3HD04
[Apologies 'tis crappiness once more...]755Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBxYzZGskQ
