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Description
8) Discovery

In the shadows, Vicktor blinked in surprise before a perfect smile stretched across his lips.

“You remember,” He spoke in his grand gentleman’s voice, the sound of it carrying out in the space between us.  It held the smoothness of velvet, but the masculinity in it came out in a gentle bass.  The sound coming out of his mouth rekindled the memory of that rainy day, where we first met in that coffee shop.   This voice sounded like the most perfectly composed music a normal person could ever experience.

Nothing like a hungry-eyed monster.

I stared at him before fighting for an answer to give back to him.  “O…of course I do,” I called out, my voice seemingly frail and lackluster compared to his.  Something inside of me immediately scolded me for giving him that answer.

“Really now?”  A pleasant expression crossed his archangel’s face as he tilted his head to the side, his smoky silver hair falling gently over his eyes.  He stepped forward as he surveyed me, his eyes raking over me so fast I didn’t even know that he was examining me.  The cordial smile was still on his pale face, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

The voice inside my head chimed out a warning to leave.

I slowly slid off the boulder and inched towards the small tree that was about three inches away, and I flashed Vicktor a convincing smile.  “I’m happy to see you again.” I spoke, trying to place some casualty in my quaking voice. “I never thought I would, but here you are.”

“Yes,” Vicktor replied, flashing me his pearly white teeth that glinted in the shadows.  He stopped just at the mouth of the clearing, and I could see his eyes sparkling in the dim light.  “I too am grateful to be graced by your presence yet again.  Only people who are smiled upon by the glorious lady of fate can not only be encountered by beauty once, but can be crossed by it again.  Seeing you now, again, I must feel like I am one of them.”  He laughed lowly, and it sounded like the beautiful bells from a cathedral.

I took in a breath as it rang in my ears and slightly shook my head to focus.  I had to get out of there-now. My stomach was doing strange flips.

“I’m glad,” I replied, trying to speak evenly, “I really am, but I’m afraid that I have to get going- it’s getting late,” I mentally kicked myself as I quickly glared up at the dimly lit afternoon sun.

Vicktor chuckled again.  “Well now.  One that is not only of beauty, but also of wit.”  He took another step towards me.  “Come now darling, certainly you could spare a little time with someone deprived as me.” He reached a snow white hand out towards me, being exposed in the sunlight.

I looked down at it and gasped in surprise.

Diamonds seemed to be embedded into his white skin as his hand glittered, sending rainbow-colored shards in the leaves above us.  My eyes took in the parade of light, and it almost hurt them out of the brightness, but it was so mesmerizing, so beautiful, that I slowly took a step towards where the man stood under the trees.

“That’s right, love, come,” Vicktor breathed.

I took another involuntary step towards him.

No, Amber! A deep voice suddenly growled in my head, snapping me out of my trance.  I shook my head before looking down at the beckoning hand before me, and I shuddered while hastily stepping back.

Surprise flitted across Vicktor’s face as he watched me stagger back.  It slowly changed from disbelief into the most darkened anger I had ever seen.  Even though the emotion crossed his face, he still looked beautiful.

But, the drastic change on his face changed from a perfect gentleman to a starved man in an instant.

“Dammit,” He breathed.  He gracefully swaggered sideways before grasping the large branch from the tree that was above him.  He inhaled sharply, his smoky hair falling over his eyes. “Dammit!” he hissed again.

I stood right back at the boulder, my hands shaking as they rested against the mossy rock.  I tried to breathe in and out through the tremors that convulsed my body.

A light breeze blew my hair in the direction where Vicktor stood, and I watched him take in a big sniff greedily, closing his eyes.  He held his breath for moment, and then he unleashed his heavy, glaring gaze upon me.

“Why?” Vicktor whispered, his voice becoming a low brass chime.  He glared up at me through his hair, and the intensity of it terrified me.  “Why is it that every time I have a chance…every chance, you are out of my reach?  Why,” his voice dropped morbidly, his voice becoming deeper, “do you make this so difficult?” The branch that was gripped tightly in his white hand creaked as he clenched it harder.

“WHY do you SMELL so goddamn good?!?!” He suddenly roared, his face contorted and looking as if he had caught on fire.  A loud, deafening crack bit the air as the branch was snapped off the tree, and he flung it towards the small tree that was by me.  The branch penetrated the trunk of the tree, breaking it in half with another loud crack before it fell backwards down where the waterfall fell with a low groan.  I stared down at it in utter shock before turning my gaze back at him, my eyes wide.

Vicktor had straightened now, but his eyes held a deadly stare at me-the stare a predator gave to its prey.  He slowly walked out from the shadows, the sun reflecting more glitters from his pale white skin.  Here, in the now bright sunlight, he looked like a statue carved out of the most luminous pearl.  He continued to stare at me, the expression on his face dangerous and beautiful.

“I am utterly tired of playing this game, child,” He spoke with menacing malice in his voice.  “This is far enough for us.  I’m ending this here and now- I do not care how much you beg, your blood shall be mine.  I do believe that it would taste absolutely delicious,” His mouth twisted into a deadly and beautiful smile.

The memory of Jacob telling me of the cold ones…I took in a shuddering breath as it played in my head.

My voice in my head suddenly screamed for help, and adrenaline pumped through me.

Vicktor placed himself into an animalistic crouch, a growl erupting from his perfect teeth, the smile still on his face.  In that same moment, my hand reached for the long, broken piece of wood from the remnants of the tree.

Vicktor lunged towards me, becoming a white blur, as I put all my strength in my arm that slung the long piece of wood through the air and a crack was heard as it broke in half by Vicktor’s shoulder.  I hurled myself down the hill, not looking back, but focusing on getting off the mossy hill in one piece, my heart pounding wildly.

A white flash came in front of me, and a strong cold hand grasped my neck, choking me.  Vicktor tilted his head as he watched my face for a moment in the most twisted enjoyment before hurling me down towards the pond.  I quickly sucked in a deep breath before my body hit the cold water.  My back roughly made contact with the underwater ground, a ringing starting to escalate in my ears that mingled with the roar of the rushing water.  My body floated up to the surface while I struggled to gain consciousness.

This man was strong.  Too strong.  My head broke out of the water as I weakly used my limbs to drag myself out of the pond, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I slowly stood on my feet and turned, seeing Vicktor standing a few feet behind me, his teeth bared in a morbid grin.  A sinking feeling came into my chest as a realization came over me.

This was the beginning of the end…

My end.

I shut my eyes tightly.

A sudden whoosh came from behind me and a low growl cut through the air.  At first I thought it was Vicktor, but when I took a glance, his face held a mask of disbelief.  I shook my head and scrutinized him- was this another one of his tricks?

Another growl rumbled behind me, and as I turned, my eyes widened.

Standing behind me, his four long legs splayed in a hunting stance, the hair on his shoulders standing straight up, was the huge, russet colored wolf that I had seen over a week ago.  Instead of the gentle, tamed look I remembered, this time, his lips curled back over a row of long, sharp daggers as he glared at the silver haired vampire across the distance.

“Impossible…” I heard Vicktor breathe, and I turned to see him take a step back, fear in his eyes.

I slowly looked back at the giant wolf, and seeing his black eyes, understanding cleared away my crippling fear.  I slowly looked back at Vicktor full in the face as I cautiously walked backwards until I was safely by the wolf’s flank.

Out of the corner of my eye as I walked I kept seeing his black eyes shift between me and Vicktor, and once I was safely near him, he turned his enormous head towards the vampire again, baring his teeth as he growled.

Vicktor hissed as he crouched low, preparing to sprint himself at the wolf.  I gasped.

“N-!” I tried to cry out, but the wolf already launched himself at Vicktor, a snarl ripping out of his throat.  He opened his mouth wide enough to grasp his pale torso in his teeth and started to shake him like a chew toy.  Vicktor screeched in rage as he tried to pry himself out, but he was held tightly by his teeth.  He freed one arm and repeatedly started beating his muzzle with his fist.  The wolf dropped him with a painful yelp.

Vicktor landed on his feet, his eyes falling onto me, flickering with hunger.  With a smile he sprinted towards me in a flash, his eyes never leaving my face.  I was too frightened to scream.

I was suddenly knocked over by the wolf’s huge head as he butted me out of the way, and I rolled over the ground, my breath almost knocked out of me.  I propped my elbows up to support myself, my head slightly spinning as my eyes took in what was going on ahead of me.

The wolf and vampire circled each other in an inhumanly fast pace, becoming dancing blurs of red and white.

“Move along, beast, she’s mine!” Vicktor’s velvet voice rang out with hysteria as he tried to dodge around the wolf.  The wolf bared his teeth and gave out an answering growl.

Watching the wolf block Vicktor, the image of Jacob came into my mind and I softly gasped.

It was lost in the air as the wolf sharply bit down on Vicktor’s arm, and, with a sickening noise that sounded metallic, wrenched it from his torso.  My breath caught in horror as the pale arm flew in the air in seemingly slow motion.

“AUGH!” Vicktor let out a strangled cry as he clutched his hand over the hole where his arm had been.  His eyes widened as his fingers felt inside the hole, and my stomach lurched.  “Augh, dammit!” He exclaimed, his face full of fear.

The wolf slightly lowered his head, a chuckle coming out of his throat as his eyes narrowed on the vampire, and my heart fluttered at the sound.

Vicktor glanced quickly from the wolf, to me and back before darting into the forest.  The wolf chuckled again before collecting the arm into his mouth and flying into the forest.

I was left alone, lying on the ground soaking wet, my heart thudding in my chest.

A high, metallic shriek erupted across the tops of the trees, sending a shock of fear racing through me.  With a shuddering gasp, I staggered to my feet, stumbling at first, but then running, tripping over the roots embedded in the ground.  Stray braches snagged at my clothes, but I didn’t care.  As the clearing finally appeared in my field of vision, a morbid scream shattered the silence in the forest.

I stopped, leaning against the roof of my car as I struggled to catch my breath, my throat feeling incredibly dry.  My head started spinning as the scream echoed through my mind, imagining the pain Vicktor must have went through back in the forest, and the memory of his arm soaring through the air came into my vision with the thought.

My fingers gripped the car’s hood as I leaned over, gagging dryly, my stomach heaving but not pushing up anything.

I stood there for some minutes before I finally gathered up the strength to drag myself into my car and even more energy to drive myself home, careful to keep myself focused on driving.  At last, I made it home in one piece, although my hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel.

I parked the car in the empty driveway and ran into the house, imaginary monsters nipping at my heels.

I locked the door behind me before I crumpled to the floor, sobbing out into the quiet air.  I curled in on myself, crying out in both fear and relief, but also with uncertainty.  This day just left me with questions and confusion.

When I was done, I slowly got to my feet and headed towards the bathroom.  Right now, I didn’t give a care if I took a shower two times in one day.

I stood in the shower, washing myself to get the pond water off my body and out of my hair and then letting the water run over me until it ran cold.  After that, I walked to my room clad only in my towel, beads of water dripping down my skin.  The steamy air from the bathroom started to dull my senses.

I fell facedown on my bed, sleep consuming me instantly.  No dreams came to me- I slept in a black void

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When I finally opened my eyes, it was daytime.

Vaguely grateful that it was the weekend, I slowly sat up on my bed with a groan, stretching my arms out and hearing my bones crack.  I then reached down to grope for my pjs on the floor and slipped them on while sitting on my bed.

I sighed, staring out the window as I lost myself in my thoughts, which felt as if they were jumbled and needed to be straightened in organized piles.  I took a deep breath, grateful for the deep sleep.  Strangely, all the fear was out of my system now.

Jacob was right about the ‘cold ones’.  That should’ve been obvious with my encounter with Vicktor.  The only reason he’d ever want to actually see me because he wanted my blood…I shivered as I spoke the blunt words in my mind.

Well, one of these mysteries was solved…but so many were waiting for me.

I flipped open my sketchbook and idly sketched as I contemplated over my thoughts and went over what happened in the last twenty four hours. For one, my rescuer happened to be a wolf…that was twice the size of a normal horse and sounded as if it was able to cut through metal with his teeth…I took in a deep breath as I reviewed my next thought.

Jacob revealed to me in his story that there were vampires-that piece of evidence was already revealed true to me.  The only thing left to solve was the other part to the myth.

Who were the protectors?

My pencil suddenly stopped as I gave out a quiet gasp.

I looked down to see the partially shaded wolf on the page, the exact giant wolf that saved me from the bloodthirsty vampire.  My heart started thudding as I slowly put two and two together.

“You really should stay away from me, Amber,”

With a small lump in my throat, I ripped the page out of my sketchbook and flipped the other pages until Jake’s portrait appeared.  My shaking hand held the wolf by the drawing, and my heart thumped unevenly as their eyes matched.  Black on black.

I set down my notebook, a resolution forming in my head.  I needed to talk to Jake.  His warning for me to stay away from him seemed pointless now.  Besides, there was no absolution that I would give him up that easily-not after how my heart felt after that first day.

I turned my head towards the window, where the occasional rain rumbled in the distance.

Description
8) Discovery

In the shadows, Vicktor blinked in surprise before a perfect smile stretched across his lips.

“You remember,” He spoke in his grand gentleman’s voice, the sound of it carrying out in the space between us.  It held the smoothness of velvet, but the masculinity in it came out in a gentle bass.  The sound coming out of his mouth rekindled the memory of that rainy day, where we first met in that coffee shop.   This voice sounded like the most perfectly composed music a normal person could ever experience.

Nothing like a hungry-eyed monster.

I stared at him before fighting for an answer to give back to him.  “O…of course I do,” I called out, my voice seemingly frail and lackluster compared to his.  Something inside of me immediately scolded me for giving him that answer.

“Really now?”  A pleasant expression crossed his archangel’s face as he tilted his head to the side, his smoky silver hair falling gently over his eyes.  He stepped forward as he surveyed me, his eyes raking over me so fast I didn’t even know that he was examining me.  The cordial smile was still on his pale face, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

The voice inside my head chimed out a warning to leave.

I slowly slid off the boulder and inched towards the small tree that was about three inches away, and I flashed Vicktor a convincing smile.  “I’m happy to see you again.” I spoke, trying to place some casualty in my quaking voice. “I never thought I would, but here you are.”

“Yes,” Vicktor replied, flashing me his pearly white teeth that glinted in the shadows.  He stopped just at the mouth of the clearing, and I could see his eyes sparkling in the dim light.  “I too am grateful to be graced by your presence yet again.  Only people who are smiled upon by the glorious lady of fate can not only be encountered by beauty once, but can be crossed by it again.  Seeing you now, again, I must feel like I am one of them.”  He laughed lowly, and it sounded like the beautiful bells from a cathedral.

I took in a breath as it rang in my ears and slightly shook my head to focus.  I had to get out of there-now. My stomach was doing strange flips.

“I’m glad,” I replied, trying to speak evenly, “I really am, but I’m afraid that I have to get going- it’s getting late,” I mentally kicked myself as I quickly glared up at the dimly lit afternoon sun.

Vicktor chuckled again.  “Well now.  One that is not only of beauty, but also of wit.”  He took another step towards me.  “Come now darling, certainly you could spare a little time with someone deprived as me.” He reached a snow white hand out towards me, being exposed in the sunlight.

I looked down at it and gasped in surprise.

Diamonds seemed to be embedded into his white skin as his hand glittered, sending rainbow-colored shards in the leaves above us.  My eyes took in the parade of light, and it almost hurt them out of the brightness, but it was so mesmerizing, so beautiful, that I slowly took a step towards where the man stood under the trees.

“That’s right, love, come,” Vicktor breathed.

I took another involuntary step towards him.

No, Amber! A deep voice suddenly growled in my head, snapping me out of my trance.  I shook my head before looking down at the beckoning hand before me, and I shuddered while hastily stepping back.

Surprise flitted across Vicktor’s face as he watched me stagger back.  It slowly changed from disbelief into the most darkened anger I had ever seen.  Even though the emotion crossed his face, he still looked beautiful.

But, the drastic change on his face changed from a perfect gentleman to a starved man in an instant.

“Dammit,” He breathed.  He gracefully swaggered sideways before grasping the large branch from the tree that was above him.  He inhaled sharply, his smoky hair falling over his eyes. “Dammit!” he hissed again.

I stood right back at the boulder, my hands shaking as they rested against the mossy rock.  I tried to breathe in and out through the tremors that convulsed my body.

A light breeze blew my hair in the direction where Vicktor stood, and I watched him take in a big sniff greedily, closing his eyes.  He held his breath for moment, and then he unleashed his heavy, glaring gaze upon me.

“Why?” Vicktor whispered, his voice becoming a low brass chime.  He glared up at me through his hair, and the intensity of it terrified me.  “Why is it that every time I have a chance…every chance, you are out of my reach?  Why,” his voice dropped morbidly, his voice becoming deeper, “do you make this so difficult?” The branch that was gripped tightly in his white hand creaked as he clenched it harder.

“WHY do you SMELL so goddamn good?!?!” He suddenly roared, his face contorted and looking as if he had caught on fire.  A loud, deafening crack bit the air as the branch was snapped off the tree, and he flung it towards the small tree that was by me.  The branch penetrated the trunk of the tree, breaking it in half with another loud crack before it fell backwards down where the waterfall fell with a low groan.  I stared down at it in utter shock before turning my gaze back at him, my eyes wide.

Vicktor had straightened now, but his eyes held a deadly stare at me-the stare a predator gave to its prey.  He slowly walked out from the shadows, the sun reflecting more glitters from his pale white skin.  Here, in the now bright sunlight, he looked like a statue carved out of the most luminous pearl.  He continued to stare at me, the expression on his face dangerous and beautiful.

“I am utterly tired of playing this game, child,” He spoke with menacing malice in his voice.  “This is far enough for us.  I’m ending this here and now- I do not care how much you beg, your blood shall be mine.  I do believe that it would taste absolutely delicious,” His mouth twisted into a deadly and beautiful smile.

The memory of Jacob telling me of the cold ones…I took in a shuddering breath as it played in my head.

My voice in my head suddenly screamed for help, and adrenaline pumped through me.

Vicktor placed himself into an animalistic crouch, a growl erupting from his perfect teeth, the smile still on his face.  In that same moment, my hand reached for the long, broken piece of wood from the remnants of the tree.

Vicktor lunged towards me, becoming a white blur, as I put all my strength in my arm that slung the long piece of wood through the air and a crack was heard as it broke in half by Vicktor’s shoulder.  I hurled myself down the hill, not looking back, but focusing on getting off the mossy hill in one piece, my heart pounding wildly.

A white flash came in front of me, and a strong cold hand grasped my neck, choking me.  Vicktor tilted his head as he watched my face for a moment in the most twisted enjoyment before hurling me down towards the pond.  I quickly sucked in a deep breath before my body hit the cold water.  My back roughly made contact with the underwater ground, a ringing starting to escalate in my ears that mingled with the roar of the rushing water.  My body floated up to the surface while I struggled to gain consciousness.

This man was strong.  Too strong.  My head broke out of the water as I weakly used my limbs to drag myself out of the pond, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

I slowly stood on my feet and turned, seeing Vicktor standing a few feet behind me, his teeth bared in a morbid grin.  A sinking feeling came into my chest as a realization came over me.

This was the beginning of the end…

My end.

I shut my eyes tightly.

A sudden whoosh came from behind me and a low growl cut through the air.  At first I thought it was Vicktor, but when I took a glance, his face held a mask of disbelief.  I shook my head and scrutinized him- was this another one of his tricks?

Another growl rumbled behind me, and as I turned, my eyes widened.

Standing behind me, his four long legs splayed in a hunting stance, the hair on his shoulders standing straight up, was the huge, russet colored wolf that I had seen over a week ago.  Instead of the gentle, tamed look I remembered, this time, his lips curled back over a row of long, sharp daggers as he glared at the silver haired vampire across the distance.

“Impossible…” I heard Vicktor breathe, and I turned to see him take a step back, fear in his eyes.

I slowly looked back at the giant wolf, and seeing his black eyes, understanding cleared away my crippling fear.  I slowly looked back at Vicktor full in the face as I cautiously walked backwards until I was safely by the wolf’s flank.

Out of the corner of my eye as I walked I kept seeing his black eyes shift between me and Vicktor, and once I was safely near him, he turned his enormous head towards the vampire again, baring his teeth as he growled.

Vicktor hissed as he crouched low, preparing to sprint himself at the wolf.  I gasped.

“N-!” I tried to cry out, but the wolf already launched himself at Vicktor, a snarl ripping out of his throat.  He opened his mouth wide enough to grasp his pale torso in his teeth and started to shake him like a chew toy.  Vicktor screeched in rage as he tried to pry himself out, but he was held tightly by his teeth.  He freed one arm and repeatedly started beating his muzzle with his fist.  The wolf dropped him with a painful yelp.

Vicktor landed on his feet, his eyes falling onto me, flickering with hunger.  With a smile he sprinted towards me in a flash, his eyes never leaving my face.  I was too frightened to scream.

I was suddenly knocked over by the wolf’s huge head as he butted me out of the way, and I rolled over the ground, my breath almost knocked out of me.  I propped my elbows up to support myself, my head slightly spinning as my eyes took in what was going on ahead of me.

The wolf and vampire circled each other in an inhumanly fast pace, becoming dancing blurs of red and white.

“Move along, beast, she’s mine!” Vicktor’s velvet voice rang out with hysteria as he tried to dodge around the wolf.  The wolf bared his teeth and gave out an answering growl.

Watching the wolf block Vicktor, the image of Jacob came into my mind and I softly gasped.

It was lost in the air as the wolf sharply bit down on Vicktor’s arm, and, with a sickening noise that sounded metallic, wrenched it from his torso.  My breath caught in horror as the pale arm flew in the air in seemingly slow motion.

“AUGH!” Vicktor let out a strangled cry as he clutched his hand over the hole where his arm had been.  His eyes widened as his fingers felt inside the hole, and my stomach lurched.  “Augh, dammit!” He exclaimed, his face full of fear.

The wolf slightly lowered his head, a chuckle coming out of his throat as his eyes narrowed on the vampire, and my heart fluttered at the sound.

Vicktor glanced quickly from the wolf, to me and back before darting into the forest.  The wolf chuckled again before collecting the arm into his mouth and flying into the forest.

I was left alone, lying on the ground soaking wet, my heart thudding in my chest.

A high, metallic shriek erupted across the tops of the trees, sending a shock of fear racing through me.  With a shuddering gasp, I staggered to my feet, stumbling at first, but then running, tripping over the roots embedded in the ground.  Stray braches snagged at my clothes, but I didn’t care.  As the clearing finally appeared in my field of vision, a morbid scream shattered the silence in the forest.

I stopped, leaning against the roof of my car as I struggled to catch my breath, my throat feeling incredibly dry.  My head started spinning as the scream echoed through my mind, imagining the pain Vicktor must have went through back in the forest, and the memory of his arm soaring through the air came into my vision with the thought.

My fingers gripped the car’s hood as I leaned over, gagging dryly, my stomach heaving but not pushing up anything.

I stood there for some minutes before I finally gathered up the strength to drag myself into my car and even more energy to drive myself home, careful to keep myself focused on driving.  At last, I made it home in one piece, although my hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel.

I parked the car in the empty driveway and ran into the house, imaginary monsters nipping at my heels.

I locked the door behind me before I crumpled to the floor, sobbing out into the quiet air.  I curled in on myself, crying out in both fear and relief, but also with uncertainty.  This day just left me with questions and confusion.

When I was done, I slowly got to my feet and headed towards the bathroom.  Right now, I didn’t give a care if I took a shower two times in one day.

I stood in the shower, washing myself to get the pond water off my body and out of my hair and then letting the water run over me until it ran cold.  After that, I walked to my room clad only in my towel, beads of water dripping down my skin.  The steamy air from the bathroom started to dull my senses.

I fell facedown on my bed, sleep consuming me instantly.  No dreams came to me- I slept in a black void

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When I finally opened my eyes, it was daytime.

Vaguely grateful that it was the weekend, I slowly sat up on my bed with a groan, stretching my arms out and hearing my bones crack.  I then reached down to grope for my pjs on the floor and slipped them on while sitting on my bed.

I sighed, staring out the window as I lost myself in my thoughts, which felt as if they were jumbled and needed to be straightened in organized piles.  I took a deep breath, grateful for the deep sleep.  Strangely, all the fear was out of my system now.

Jacob was right about the ‘cold ones’.  That should’ve been obvious with my encounter with Vicktor.  The only reason he’d ever want to actually see me because he wanted my blood…I shivered as I spoke the blunt words in my mind.

Well, one of these mysteries was solved…but so many were waiting for me.

I flipped open my sketchbook and idly sketched as I contemplated over my thoughts and went over what happened in the last twenty four hours. For one, my rescuer happened to be a wolf…that was twice the size of a normal horse and sounded as if it was able to cut through metal with his teeth…I took in a deep breath as I reviewed my next thought.

Jacob revealed to me in his story that there were vampires-that piece of evidence was already revealed true to me.  The only thing left to solve was the other part to the myth.

Who were the protectors?

My pencil suddenly stopped as I gave out a quiet gasp.

I looked down to see the partially shaded wolf on the page, the exact giant wolf that saved me from the bloodthirsty vampire.  My heart started thudding as I slowly put two and two together.

“You really should stay away from me, Amber,”

With a small lump in my throat, I ripped the page out of my sketchbook and flipped the other pages until Jake’s portrait appeared.  My shaking hand held the wolf by the drawing, and my heart thumped unevenly as their eyes matched.  Black on black.

I set down my notebook, a resolution forming in my head.  I needed to talk to Jake.  His warning for me to stay away from him seemed pointless now.  Besides, there was no absolution that I would give him up that easily-not after how my heart felt after that first day.

I turned my head towards the window, where the occasional rain rumbled in the distance.