Forbidden Findings -- Vampire One on One

Lurk

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Total Votes:			[ 19 ]

[Korrye]

This is a one on one roleplay between Korrye and [Bang Bang].
Please do not post here, steal ideas or rip off our writing. <3

Settings
Ames Lake, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Kearney, Nebraska
Ely, Minnesota
New Orleans, Louisiana


Dahlia Verra & Lucas Rowle

Dahlia Image Refs
Model: Samantha Robertson
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lucas Image Refs:
Model: Tyson Ballou
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Supplementary Characters:

Humans

The Wilson Girls - Twins, teenaged girls killed in Ames Lake by vampires. dead
Colin Fuller - Ex and former high school friend of Dahlia's. dead
Lexi Verra - Dahlia's Mother
Thomas Verra - Dahlia's Father
Pacha - Police tech
Alaric - Police tech
Lionel Hawke - Dahlia's Neighbor in Tacoma
Mrs. Pau - Dahlia's Neighbor in Tacoma
Will Francis - Detective in Duvall
Greg Sewell - Coronor in Belleville
David Branksy - Kidney transplant recipient, killed in Duvall. dead
Dennis Wu - General doctor at Ames Lake clinic
John Patterson - Commissioner in Tacoma
Drew - Owner of the house in Ely
Female Store Clerk - Hep D+, poisoned Lucas unknowingly.
Drunk Driver - Ran Dahlia over, fled the scene and left her for dead. dead
Male Hunter - mercilessly killed wildlife, shot at Dahlia. dead
Male Aristocrat - Demi's human victim. dead
Teen Aristocrat - Demi's peacekeeping 'gift' to Lucas. dead
Female Bartender - Lucas & Demi's prey in Minnesota.
Ethel - The Oracle in New Orleans Young Older

Vampires

Female Vampire - Attacked Dahlia and & Lucas enroute to Belleville dead
Male Vampire - Attacked Dahlia and & Lucas enroute to Belleville dead
Fallon - Young vampire, Guardian. dead
Matilda 'The Blonde' - Lured/Glamored Collin
The Brute - Forced his own blood into Dahlia when fighting Lucas&Fallon
The Legend - physically 42
The Legends Coven - 25 fledglings all under 5 years all very young, none older than 21.
Demetria 'Demi' Lambros - Lucas' "sister" physically 24 1 2 3
Fey physically 29 - Leader of the New Orleans Court
Petrick physically 56 - Guardside in NO
Emma physically 17 - Guardside in NO
Samuel physically 36 - Guardside in NO

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The The drive from Tacoma to Ames Lake was a long one. The small community of just one thousand five hundred and thirty-three people was tucked away an hour from where Detective Dahlia Verra had received the urgent call from a former high school friend. Sitting tall in the driver’s seat of a Toyota Rav4 she disturbed the air with a very tense disposition. Clenching the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, Dahlia kept her eyes on the road. The regular rain that came given the area that she lived splashed against the windshield in heavy hard drops only to be shoved away by persistent windshield wipers. There were many things on her mind, too many things one might say. Ames Lake had been her home town until she had turned eighteen and left. The people there saw it as a sort of betrayal given the lineage of her family and how long they had lived there. Small town life was not for Dahlia.

It seemed funny to her that a lead had popped up in her most recent case in that town. Gravity pulled her back there, no matter how hard she fought. The link was undeniable though and it pained her deeply to admit it. Colin Fuller had been in a full frenzy when he’d called, something she had never known him to do. The man, a year older than her, was hyperventilating and crying. Shouting things to people amidst sirens and yet another rainstorm he’d immediately caught her with his dreadful tone of voice.

“Dahlia! Dahlia, thank-god! Dahlia, they’re dead! I---I can’t…”
“Colin? Colin, what, what?”
“Dahlia! Please, please come. Please, just hurry.”
“Colin just hold on a second. Who’s dead?” For a moment she envisioned her parents in a heap. Her stomach plummeted.
“Three girls from the summer camp a kilometer out. You know, that…what? Yes, cheer camp. Luke---“
“Colin, what does this have to do with me?”
“It’s so horrific! God, please. They were just kids…Dahlia. Please, Lexi told me about your case. It fits.....pattern.”
But the line had cut out after that. Though she’d tried to call back many times he had never once picked up. That was two hours ago at four in the morning.

Reluctant to get into her car it had taken a call down to the chief at the station as well as one to her mother before she’d decided that this was too important to ignore. Dressing herself she’d grabbed her rain coat and service weapon, called the neighbor to tell them to pick up her paper and tore off. Driving obnoxiously fast given the inclement weather Dahlia found herself entering the sleepy town of Ames Lake just after six. The population seemed to have doubled since she’d last been there, throngs of reporters had stationed themselves close to the local restaurant and grocery conveniently located adjacent to the police station. Parking behind the building Dahlia sat in her seat for a moment, her hands still gripping the wheel while her heart pounded in her throat. The last time she’d been here was for a high school reunion, the ten year anniversary last year. She’d been hit on and pressed for stories of mobs and riots that didn’t exist. An ex-boyfriend had madly kissed her and dragged her out into the rainstorm for something like a spider man kiss. She’d slapped him only to be pushed to the concrete by the drunk. The man had stumbled off before anything else had happened but it was obvious that she wasn’t welcome. Exhaling deeply she pulled her rain hood over her thick brown hair. The humidity had caused its regular curliness to become full Goldilocks. The jacket, black, combined with her hair gave her skin a flushed pale appearance but she didn’t care. Dahlia knew she wasn’t there to look pretty; she was there to do her job.

Jumping out of her truck she slammed the car door and ran for cover. The reporters, however, suddenly came up on her like a mob. They’d realized who she was and jumped on the idea of getting a word from the lead detective on the Tacoma Killings. Shoving her arms out around her she swatted them away.

“No Comment. Get. Out. Of. My. Way,” she shouted, making a point of walking around to the front of the building. What surprised her, however, was Colin who held the front door open to her.
“You look like hell,” she smiled weakly.
“Likewise,” he responded with a shrug.

Ten minutes later she was seated across from a desk that Dahlia had once desired as her own, Colin close behind her. On the other end was Ames Lake’s new police chief, a man Dahlia hadn’t met though he’d been working under the title for the past four years. Chief Fields looked at her with a weary face, drawn eyes and crow’s feet that Dahlia felt she could sink into. Though toned and somewhat muscular his age was now taking over his body. To Dahlia he looked sixty, ten years older than actuality. Colin passed her a mug of hot tea, knowing how she liked it. Careful to avoid touch she took the mug with a small smile and held it in one hand, balancing it on her knee. The conversation that followed was simple. The bodies of three girls had turned up the forest, ravaged and torn apart like dolls. There hadn’t been a drop of blood in the corpses and missing person’s notices traced them back to a summer camp a kilometre away. The state in which they had been found matched the several murders Dahlia had been investigating. Colin had found the bodies on a hike with his son when they went looking for their missing dog. Dahlia sat and listened, licking her lips often and nodding and responding diligently before finally standing after twenty minutes of debriefing.

“If you don’t mind I’d like to see where they were found,” she said solemnly. Though on sight work wasn’t exactly in her job description she felt the need to do so. Later on, when the bodies found their way to the Belleville morgue (the nearest town with one) she would consult during the autopsies. There was no joy in her work. Colin sighed, explained that he should be getting home and was given his leave. The chief explained on a map where they’d cordoned off the woods but that it would be difficult to find anything given the rainstorm that had just passed through. He explained where she was to go and it wasn’t until she was leaving his office that Dahlia realized she was on her own.

The frustration she felt over the idea of being abandoned by the very people who had brought her in seethed. Setting the full mug of tea on a filing cabinet she exited the station, yanked her hood over her hair and pulled out the directions, ones she’d scrawled on a scrap of paper. Getting back into her truck was no hassle as the chief came out behind her to give a press conference. God she was glad that she had escaped that. Instead she was able to slink off to the back of the building and jump back into her truck, pulling it out through the back end of the parking lot and onto the highway.

The road marker came up just outside of the residential area of town, beyond the largest set of townhouses that existed in Ames. Parking off to the side of the road she locked up before heading out into the brush. Heading straight from the marker she headed west and sure enough a minute later the bright yellow tape came into view. Ducking underneath it she stood amongst several massive trees covered in moss, the underbrush a mix of detritus, dead leaves, grass and dirt. The earth was soft and she sank into it more than she would have liked. Wearing standard hiking boots weren’t going to save her socks from getting wet. Taking a few steps into the scene she saw three genuine imprints in the ground, the places where the bodies had been sprawled. Kneeling down beside them she took a pen out from her coat pocket and poked around in the dirt hoping to find something that might help her.

The rustling happened then. Turning her head over her shoulder she saw several lanky leaves on a bush wavering as if someone had just run past them. Watching them for a moment she replacing the pen in her pocket and stood, the rain still coming down just lightly now.

“Who’s there!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the brush. Stupid chief, stupid Colin, leaving her to go out and investigate on her own. The twenty-seven year old spun around on her heel, as if whatever was out there now stood on the other side of her. Killers lingered, she'd learned that before. Whatever was responsible may very well be in the area.

[[Bang Bang]]

If there was one thing he learned over time, it was that some things would never change. It was because of this reasoning that Lucas existed. His life, if you could call it that, depended on the consistency of certain aspects in the world. One being the ignorance of an entire race. Human beings didn't choose to be so blissfully unaware (for the most part). There were just other forces out there which kept their knowledge in a cage. In Luke's opinion, it was a good thing. Their fragile lives could barely manage existence with one another, let alone a separate species. So long as they thought they were on the top of the food chain, they could sleep easy. Another never-ending cycle is crime. In the human world, it plays an enormous role on society. Humans murder humans, death tolls grow, and morality adjusts itself a little to get comfortable with the idea. That's why no one takes notice when someone turns up dead every now and again. Even more so, the mystery of their death dies down within weeks. This is where the line between humans and the unknown becomes sketchy. Once in a while, a human will get too close to stumbling upon information they need not know. Information that has been kept from them for thousands of years. The only way a human could ever cross the line would be with the help of the ones already over it. Vampires. Said to be an urban legend for hundreds of years when in reality, they've been living alongside humans all along. Lucas not only found the line, but also found himself on the opposite side soon after. Unlike most vampires, he was given a life long job. This being to keep hidden the knowledge that vampires exist.

An easy task, really. How hard could it be? After all, vampires were more enhanced than humans in every way. To stop a human would be easier then breathing (which was unnecessary for vampires). These were the thoughts Lucas had when he first began. Little did he realize his job entitled much more effort. It wasn't the humans that caused a threat. It was the vampires which got out of control by making the humans notice odd occurrences. When people turned up dismembered or skinned or half eaten, it rose suspicion and generally their authority system set about trying to find the truth. This caused trouble for their race and it was Luke's responsibility to stop the criminals while leading the humans to different conclusions.
That was why he was here. He had been running for two days, stopping only once to feed and then resuming his chase. The suspicion began in the southern part of Oregon. People started to die in weird manners through a trend that progressed upward. Because no one knew what to look for, no one could tell that the murderer(s) was traveling. After the seventh occurrence, Lucas couldn't deny the problem anymore and set off to stop it. Three hours ago, he had been at the scene he suspected as the work of a vampire near a city in Oregon called Stanfield. Thanks to the horrible weather of both states, all scents he could track were wiped clean with every rainfall. He'd have to hunt through other means -- something that worked his nerves quickly. Lucas was never the kind to enjoy feeling powerless with all the amazing gifts immortality granted. The only lead he received came from the morning paper he had to resort to. It reported the death of three girls who had yet to be identified due to the horrible condition their bodies were in. However, all the evidence pointed to some girls who had gone missing a mile away from where the bodies had been found. Now, Lucas was about half a kilometer away from the scene of the crime, searching for some trace of where the perpetrator(s) could be.

As Lucas bent down to examine a broken twig, he heard the deep rumble of an engine. From the sound, he took the vehicle to be none other then a truck. He was quick to pull his attention away from the vehicle, assuming it would continue to pass by. That is, until the engine cut off entirely, very close to the crime scene. Lucas knew the windows and doors to the truck had been sealed tight as it drove because seconds after the human had stepped out, the smell of blood hit his nostrils. Immediately, his attentiveness spiked, as if ready to hunt. The human made it's way towards the crime scene alone, making Lucas question what business they had with the investigation. Their blood teased Luke's senses, making him have to struggle to keep focused. Just then, his ears picked up on a small movement about a mile away. It wouldn't have caught his attention had it not been joined with a small growl. He was not the only one who could smell the human. Since he was closer, he had noticed her first. Now, something else picked up on her position. Something which had a weaker willpower then Luke.

He felt lucky -- almost too lucky -- to have caught the vampire close to the scene of the crime. But there was a fine line between luck and intention. Surely the vampire wouldn't be stupid enough to hang around for too long. Unless the vampire(s) was becoming cocky, there couldn't be much else of an explanation. Now, Lucas' skill wasn't in running and he had no idea of his target's speed so charging on the spot could lead to mistakes. And there was no way of telling whether or not his target already knew about his position. While Lucas dawdled in his decisions, his target sprang. He could easily hear the sound of footsteps rushing towards the human as well as a distinct smell of death which humans were immune to sensing. Without giving it anymore thought, he too took off in the same direction, hoping to arrive first. If he made it in time, he might have a chance of catching the vampire off guard and killing him on the spot. If the human saw too much, they'd need to be taken care of as well. Human life wasn't of much value to Lucas anymore. As Luke ran, he noticed his speeds weren't nearly as quick as the other vampire's. Even though he was closer, his target had a better chance of arriving first. With a little irritation, he quickened his pace and tried to avoid the dire temptation of thinking about blood. Especially as it started to flood his senses.

Both creatures were closing in within seconds. Lucas predicted he'd arrive almost immediately after the vampire had lunged at the human. In a way, the human was now bait. It wasn't how Luke planned it to be but since he wasn't fast enough, there was no chance in saving them. But before Luke had time to blink, the vampire was shooting off in a different direction, covering twice as much ground as before. The vampire had been just meters away from it's prey, and yet it disappeared in seconds. Lucas immediately slowed and lept upwards onto a nearby tree branch.

“Who’s there!” The human called. Female. She must have heard the other vampire's movements as it reversed directions. Still, her assumptions that it was a ' who ' that created the noise and not a ' what ' was intriguing. After all, in a thick brush forest such as this one, it was more likely that a doe or a wild dog be about instead of another human being. Lucas took in a deep breath of air. The unbearable scent of healthy blood made his mouth water. This one was one of the rare ones. Certain humans were born carrying blood that wasn't like all the others. They didn't choose to be like that and most weren't even aware of it. To vampires, everything about their blood tasted better, making them more sought after. It explained why Luke's target returned. However, now that he had gotten a whiff of it, he wasn't sure if he himself could turn down a good meal.

The human spun around on her heal too face the opposite direction of where she had been standing. She now had her back turned to him. He could swoop down and kill her in moments. All of his instincts told him to do so. Very carefully, Lucas dropped down from the branch and took two steps forward. While speed may not have been his strong point, he had unparalleled senses and was capable of making absolutely no sound, even to a vampire. Hunting humans was a joke. But he wasn't interested in hunting - not now.

“Are you scared?” Lucas asked in a low tone while listening to her heart beat.. His accent, originating from early America, was thick with every word. His nearly fluorescent light gray eyes stayed attached to the one he was addressing. He couldn't make any assumptions from her appearance -- her clothes were too standard and his skill at reading humans had died as he seperated himself from society. Thus, why his question was asked. He was curious to know at least one fact about her. As for himself, he stood barefooted with mud reaching just a little past his ankles. The ends of his jean pants were soggy and also covered with mud. He wore a plain red t-shirt that stole all too easily one night, after his previous got soaked in blood. Over his shirt, he also wore a light jacket that he picked up while on his search. It was colder up north. Walking around with just a t-shirt would cause suspicion. Even with it on, it wasn't nearly enough to warm the average human. But Lucas wasn't about to go on a shopping spree just to fit the criteria. He took once step closer and sank his foot once again in the wet soil. He preferred running barefoot. It helped identify the terrain. He tried to keep his silver gleaming eyes from staring too long at her pulse but the closer he got, the harder it became. His legs must have developed a mind of their own because if it were up to him, he would have stayed back for both of their safety.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
It coursed through her, tore it’s way through her heart and down her spine before finally rolling her stomach into knots. Though she’d always claimed to have some sort of intuition before bad things happened now was not the time that she wanted herself proven. Yet she was. Because after she had turned came that voice, so lulling and beautiful. Yet it ripped at her core.

“Are you scared?”

Gasping in for a breath she felt like something or that someone behind her had sucked the breathe out of her. Whirling around her hair swirled into her face. Scrambling to clear her eyes of the obstruction Dahlia pushed her fingers through her hair only to find them shaking. Even though she was a detective, even though she had a gun on her person for some wild reason she looked at this man as if he were a monster. Despite his beauty he looked like a mere boy. And the only thing that she could think was that he was the being behind the gruesome killings of at least those girls. Maybe he was a copycat?

Yet he was not covered in blood. Menacing, yes. But he showed no signs of having drained three women dry. Cupping her hands over her mouth she wanted to scream. But her lungs wouldn’t let her. She was truly paralyzed in his presence.

But then something else happened. A sound rippled through the brush and a nearby oak swayed dangerously. Dahlia’s eyes widened and her hands whipped to her sides. There was more than one person here. Choking on her own breath she felt something suddenly. A cold puff of air sidled across her shoulder. Then came the hands, so cold, grabbing tightly at her forearms. Like a vice they held her while this other thing was behind her emitting feral noises that resembled growls of desire. Madness!

It was then that she chose to scream. The creature didn’t let her, not even for a second. One of its hand slapped across her mouth and nose. Cupped her face she brought her hands up to scratch and pry at his fingers her frantic eyes searching for something, anything.

“Lovely thing, just my kind of reward. Like killing two birds with one stone,” it muttered, sliding the side of its face against her cheek and hair. “Detective Verra,” he finished, whispering the words into her ear like they were a curse. At the mention of her name she tried to start a frenzy, kicking her legs up in an attempt to thrust her way out of his grip. But the monster was so strong that she fought against a steel wall. What was he? How the hell did he know her name? Why were there two of them there? He tears came out of her eyes surprisingly easily. The monster however brought his tongue across her cheek, licking up the salt water while still keeping one hand on her right arm and the other cupping her mouth.

And then suddenly the world was a blur. The create sneered before lifting her off the ground with ease. The trees of the forest went by so fast that Dahlia had no idea what was happening. But then she was thrown from his arms. Smart enough to bring her hands over her head she crashed into a bed of roots and dirt, sliding feet first down the side of a ravine. Screaming she thrust her hands out for anything that she could grab. A thick tree root made it's way into her grasp and she clung to it for what she felt was her life.

[[Bang Bang]]

Her reaction was predictable. Lucas was used to seeing fear. The way her throat swelled up, right when it was time for her to speak. How despite the fact that she was armed, as Luke was now noticing, she never once reached for her gun. And he might not have been a mind reader but it wasn't hard to guess that her brain was dead frozen and at the same time, working faster then ever before. It was always the same -- wide eyes, gaping mouth, and of course, the increased heart beat. The sound was inviting. Lucas felt like ripping the organ right from her chest. If he had sweat glands, he'd be pouring buckets due to the anxiety her blood was creating in him. Yet he remained perfectly still. Statue - esque, in a way. Any tiny movement would make her heart quicken even more and he could hardly handle the speed it was at, already.

There they stood. Her, fearful and him, curious. He had only ever come across a human with such provoking blood two other times in his life time. The first time, he lost control and killed the human immediately. His blood was the sweetest thing he had every tasted. It was so potent that his strength, speed, and senses all enhanced for nearly three weeks. The second time he came across the smell was mere hours after he had already fed. He knew the smell was tempting but his craving wasn't strong enough to send him over the edge. Now, it was different. He knew his willpower was strong but never attempted putting it to the test. It was a win win situation for him. If he succeeded in restraining himself, he'd feel in control of his hunger. If he didn't, he'd still be rewarded.

But before Lucas had another moment to himself, his gaze shot to his left where the movement was coming from. He had lost his guard to a mere human. Her scent blocked all of his senses, making him just as useless at the one with a heartbeat. Lucas depicted the blur even as it sped for them, but he had no time to react. His eyes followed the other figure until it stopped right behind the woman. It was remarkable how quickly vampires crowded around rare blood. Centuries ago, those humans were probably more common unlike now, where they were hunted until only a small handful existed. Once the creature stopped, their eyes met and Lucas instinctively let out a loud snarl. An inhuman noise roared from his lips. It sounded as if a tiger or a lion had just bellowed out a growl. He crouched down slightly, ready to lunge if need be. A strange sense of selfishness flooded over him. He didn't want anyone else to have the woman but himself. He knew first hand what her blood was capable of, making him all the more addicted. The girl, whose heart was pounding against her chest, attempted a scream, only to be silenced by the vampire's hand. Lucas could only imagine what the warmth of her blood made her skin feel like. His jealousy fueled his eagerness to attack.

“Lovely thing, just my kind of reward. Like killing to birds with one stone,” The creature cooed. His voice was fluent and tempting, just like every other vampire's. However, his accent was American, meaning he was young. Luke's silver eyes glanced once into the human's who was paralyzed with shock before burning back into the vampires, who in turn, stared back. It was as if he were teasing Lucas with the human in front of him. In between two killers, he had already adjusted to the fact that she wasn't going to live. However, it was the cause of her death which he cared most about and right now, it wasn't in his favor.

“Detective Verra,” He whispered, although Lucas' superb hearing picked each word out. So the human had a name. The fact that this vampire knew it created a lot of questions. What the vampire had said sent the human into overdrive. She began to kick and wail in a futile attempt to make her attacker budge. To them, a human's strongest attack was like a leaf against a brick wall. The more she fought, the more powerful the scent of salt water became until Lucas noticed tears streaming down the girl's face. The vampire beside her leaned inwards and ran his tongue up her skin, enjoying every second of her panic. That was where Luke lost his self control. He growled out another roar then charged for the two of them. As he sprung, so did his enemy. The two of them both raced through the forest at incredible speeds. Within seconds they were miles away from the crime scene.

Lucas knew at this point that he was chasing a different vampire from earlier. The first one was incredibly fast. If he had captured the human, there would be no way that he'd every be able to keep up. This one only moved at decent speeds so while time passed, Lucas began to gain on him. As he closed in, the vampire tossed the human aside and lunged at Lucas. Luke was already prepared for the attack though, and took the vampire head on. The two of them crashed to the floor thankfully missing a tree (it would have been more work to have to get rid of the evidence) and caused dirt to go flying into the air. Several snarls and growls were heard as they both attacked one another, never able to pull out of each others grasp. Lucas finally ripped out one of the vampires arms and used the weak point to pry off his head. It wasn't long before his body went limp. As he rose back up to his feet, he picked up the smell of death once more. There had been other vampires in the area. The one he had just killed might have been trying to lead Lucas to where ever they were all hiding at. Another scent caught his attention -- this one more inviting. Lucas wasn't sure what to do about the human but he knew it was his responsibility to take action.

As he got closer, the temptation grew once more. This time, he was highly alert, ready to kill anyone who attempted stealing the girl again. Just at that moment, he realized she could actually be of use to him. He didn't have to kill her just yet. For some reason, it was almost a relieving thought. He couldn't imagine why. Lucas swallowed back his salivating venom and started to tread loudly but carefully so that she'd hear him walking - not charging or sneaking - towards her. Once she came into view, he immediately stopped, so she'd have as much distance as she'd need from him. Her heart was still wild, making her scent stronger and Lucas' restraint thinner.

“Are you scared?” He found himself asking once more, while disregarding his strong English accent. There were very little ways he knew to connect to a human. “You need not be scared any longer.” He wasn't sure how true this statement was but he figured if he could fool her, he could fool himself in turn. His silver eyes waited with attempted patience for the girl's reaction. All the while praying she didn't have any wounds from the fall.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Struggling to hold on Dahlia kicked her legs out helplessly. Cutting through the air she swayed and twice came close to losing her grip. When the footsteps resonated through the air she was gulping for air, panicking and slipping down the end of the tree root. Looking down she saw that she would slide—what she estimated to be—at least fifty feet, if not more. Sweat dripped down her forehead and into her eyes which were oozing tears on their own. She was going to die, she felt it in her heart. These people. No. These things wanted her. And for what? Just another victim to add to the massacre? It scared her to think that her mutilated body would be found by the very people she hated. And though she could end her death on her own accord simply by letting go of the root something within her was telling her not to. The steps approached and she expected it to be either one of the two monsters. Choking back air she grunted with the idea.

When his voice cut through the air Dahlia felt somewhat relaxed. There was no reason for her to do so. Yet when his voice washed over her it rolled across her cheeks where the demon had licked her. Where he had touched her still felt cold. And the feeling of despair washed over her with that thought. Where was the beast? Why had she been thrown? What the ******** was going on?

How had that monster known her name?

“You need not be scared any longer.”

When he spoke it was as if he was from another time. That accent of his, Dahlia couldn’t place it. The way he dressed didn’t make sense. It was as if he had collected whatever he could find and wore it simply because he had to, not because he took any joy in it. Her own clothing was soaked through, her white t-shirt clinging to her hourglass frame while her jeans sat heavy on her hips and knees. The rain washed through her hair and down her face. Occasionally she sputtered water from her lips. Her heart still raced. The detective had every reason to be afraid.
There was no desire within her to ask for his help. As her hands slid down the root she felt the warmth of her own blood as it seeped through split blisters. And as she noticed this she began to slip farther down the root, lingering close to end of what she was beginning to believe as a metaphor for her life. And there was no way on earth that she was going to let that thing take her. And yes, she was starting to think that about this man. He was not a person and most certainly a monster.

[[Bang Bang]]

Keeping his distance was harder then he thought. Why this time was more difficult then the first, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was because he knew how precious her blood was and how quick he had almost lost it. She was once more on the verge of death but to him, it wasn't serious what so ever. If she fell, he could easily save her with time to spare before she hit the ground. Her muffled grunts that made her struggle obvious reached his ears as if she were inches away from him. The girl chose not to say a single word even though it was clear she was not doing so well. He lent her a full three minutes to herself, waiting for permission to save her. When it didn't come, he chose to act on his own accord. She couldn't hold in much longer without him. While moving in perfect silence, he closed in the gap between them. It was instinct by now to move with such grace all the while not breaking a single twig. Once he was standing beside her weakening hands, he reached down and lifted her up. He could have used two fingers to do the same job but in attempt to look human, he lifted her with both hands. Lucas breathed in through his nose out of habit and immediately regretted it. The scent of her blood was more then just overwhelming. With as much effort as he could put forth, he brought the girl, still bound in his grasp, to a level patch of ground and released her. Luke looked as if he was either going to vomit or pass out. His senses boosted higher then he could remember and his k-9 teeth started to extend. Luke's pupils shrank into slits like that of a cat. His repressed instincts began to take hold of his control. Using what little power he had left over himself, he took off into the forest and didn't once think about turning back around.


• ● •


For someone who had nearly died by creatures that shouldn't exist, she sure slept peacefully. Then again, she was probably too out of energy to have nightmares. Feeding would have been the smarter choice after Lucas took off but for some reason he resisted. The idea of tasting anything but this detective's blood was only second best now. Instead, he chose to wait until she was far enough for him to find the remains of the vampire he killed and clean up his mess. Before the girl could reach the nearest pay phone, everything was wiped clean of their presence. If she tried to share what she supposedly saw, it'd only make her look like she was losing her mind. It wouldn't be the first time Lucas had done it to a human. But it was better then death. After he cleaned up, he followed the woman's smell back to civilization and continued to follow her for hours. Now, he stared at her through a window, more curious then ever. Her bandages provided a good amount of smuggling when it came to scent. Her blood mixed with sterilizer and bacteria protection made it less difficult for him. She'd need a careful watch, this one. There were more vampires out there and now that they had a whiff of her blood, she was bound to be hunted. So long as Lucas was near her, he was bound to come across his targets, sooner or later.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Struggling The moment he came up underneath her, taking Dahlia into his arms with what she sensed was ease, she muffled a cry. Leaning in his shoulder she felt the cold of his body seep into her already freezing skin. This…thing didn’t hold onto her for too long. It seemed like hours to her, however, for the fear of him crept through her. Would he take her? Would he hold a knife to her throat and bid her do his will? No. Instead when they finally met sacred ground she was set down and like it had begun she was alone.

Dahlia Verra knew that her family had no history of insanity. Though surely what she had just experienced was a hallucination. There was no way that a person could move so fluidly through a forest without a sound. There was no way that someone could have run that fast. Surely the killer had no interest in a rising detective. Maybe he had known her name simply because it was her own imagination inventing these monsters. And for a long while she stayed where he had set her, her legs underneath her bent together, her hands covering her face while she cried. In reality her life was catching up with her.

When she finally had the nerve to stand dawn was breaking and the rain continued to fall. Wandering through the trees she made her way east following the sounds of a nearby road. When she finally made it there she found that she was nowhere near town but instead closer to the outskirts of Belleville than anywhere else. How on earth had she travelled so far? Fortunately there was gas station less than a kilometer away, a distance she walked with her arms folded tightly across her chest while she froze in drenched clothes.

It was maybe six am by the time she got there, the morning attendant pulling in with his car. Pulling herself into the outside payphone she dialed a number she had committed to memory. It rang twice before it was answered.

“This is Thomas Verra, how may I help you?”
“Dad, it’s…me,” she sighed, running her free hand through her hair while the other cradled the receiver.
“Dahlia! Where are you? The chief, he tried—” she cut him off.
“Daddy I need you to pick me up. I’m at the gas station, Maxim’s garage,” she checked over her shoulder to reassure herself of the place. “It’s maybe five clicks outside of Belleville. Bring towels and coffee, please.”
“Dahlia, honey. What happened?”
“I don’t know,” she croaked before hanging up and cupping her face in her hands once more.

The drive back was in silence, broken only the chirps of her father’s cassette player. Wrapped in a warm blanket with a mug of her mother’s famous coffee in her lap Dahlia leaned her head up against the window of the car, closed her eyes and drifted in-between sleep and consciousness. Her shredded palms were dealt with by her mother, bandaged and anointed with gauze and polysporin. Before eight she had made her way to her former bedroom, stripped herself of her wet clothing and dressed herself in an oversized t-shirt and clean underwear. Collapsing into her bed Dahlia was thankful that sleep came over her quickly.

Exhaustion usually does not allow for one to dream. Yet Dahlia found herself stuck in the vice grip of the monster listening to the endless repetition of the other’s words. “Are you scared?”

It was later that afternoon when she awoke with a start. Slapped broadly across the face she sat bolt upright to the shocked faces of her parents, Colin and the chief.

“Dahlia, my god!” her mother cried, wrapping her arms around her.
“What?” she managed, tugging at her mother’s bear hug.
“You’ve been screaming honey. You’ve been running a fever of 103 for about an hour now,” her mother responded. Pulling away she held her daughter by her shoulders before reaching to brush her thick hair out of her face. At twenty-seven her parents still weren’t afraid to dote on her. Though her father stood stiffly in the corner, his buzzed salt and pepper hair standing on end, she saw the genuine concern in his eyes. Then there was Colin, his eyes bloodshot and cloaked by dark shadows, looking as if he were in agony over what he saw. Dahlia could read his mind simply by the way he looked. The man figured that this was all his fault.

“What happened in the forest? We came to check up on you, ask you a few questions but you were like this,” the chief asked her.

Pulling away from her mother’s grip Dahlia yanked at the bedding, pulling it over her bust. A constant chill ran through her, no matter what temperature her mother claimed she had had.

“Nothing happened. I got lost, a nearly fell into the ravine. I wandered out and hitched a ride up the gas station. I didn’t want the person to turn around, they were headed out to Belleville.”
“Really,” the chief questioned her.
“I think that you should shut up and go, get out!” she shouted, immediately cursing herself for doing so. As the loud words resonated in the room her ears began to ring and her head felt like lead.
“Please chief, she’s in no condition to give an interview. Thomas please show them out.”

God she felt as if she were seventeen years old again.

Later in the evening Dahlia dressed herself in an old pair of slacks and a black long sleeve. Grabbing a coat that belonged her mother she snuck out the back door of the kitchen while her parents took a break from keeping her under watch to sneak a peek at the Football game. The air was brisk. For once it wasn’t raining. But finally alone she figured that she could collect her thoughts.

It took her ten minutes to make it down to the local tavern. Though it was owned and maintained by her parents (and had been for four generations) the bartender was unfamiliar. Though many faces greeted her with wide eyes they didn’t speak to her. No one said hello. This she was thankful for, taking a seat on a stool.

“Rum and coke please,” she flagged the tender. Maybe a drink would clear her head which continued to ache. And the alcohol might bring some heat back into her though she continued to run a mild fever.

--------

It took her about a week to earn the true trust of her parents. Her father had driven back to Tacoma to grab a few things for her while her mother demanded that she at least stay a few days. Due to the fact that Dahlia rarely spent any time in Ames Lake with her family she obliged. At night she wrote down what she had experienced, dreamed or remembered. During the day she read it back to herself thought that she was experiencing delusions. By a week later the dream continued to repeat itself in her mind. Desperate to get out of the house (as she was alone, her parents she'd convinced to return to work at the bar) Dahlia pulled a favorite recipe of hers from her's mothers book, copied it down and drove herself to the grocery store to get what she needed.

Even though it was a Saturday her cell phone continued to buzz with messages from the precinct. Her assistants and lower sources continued to try and update her with small things that they thought were actually big breaks. Dressed in a warm beige cardigan sweater, skinny jeans and tight brown boots she entered the busy grocery store, pulling a cart and heading first into the produce aisle. What was considered busy was five people floating between the aisles and maybe four people working in the store total. It was small, her parents had bought it out ages ago, but it was comfortable and had everything that she would need to make a delicious gumbo.


ooc : ||Okay, so this bigass spider just hauled itself across my desk so I'm really freaked. It climbed behind my desk so now I can't kill the damn thing. So here's my response. Sorry it's not fully coded but enjoy!

[[Bang Bang]]

It wasn't hard to see that this woman was well known in the small town. Not that it made a big impact. Being important in a city such as this one was like being the biggest termite. Hanging around an empty street corner three blocks away allowed the girl her privacy but also for Lucas to keep tabs on her. He had chosen to leave her window after he heard footsteps on the other side. The people she stayed with had a lot of concern for her. They checked up on the girl constantly, as if her life was at a risk. They obviously had no clue how of the events just hours ago. Maybe the detective was waiting for the right moment to explain. Guessing human behavior was difficult. When Luke detected more humans were arriving at her house, he eased closer towards the area, so that he could catch every sound -- even the breathing. Two humans entered the room along with the original two that were already there. Luke assumed the first pair were the girl's guardians by the way they spoke of her. The third, he knew was a male by the sound of his voice. The last, however was a mystery because he didn't say a word. What he heard was slightly shocking. When asked about her experience, she didn't say a single word about himself or the other vampire that attacked her. Was she too scared to say what really happened? Or maybe she feared for her sanity if she did. The conversation was short, and the detective soon dismissed everyone from the room.

Patience was something Lucas was good at. Hours, days and weeks, they were all child's play to him. The detective could have stayed in her room for three months and Lucas would have still been waiting with time to spare. The first couple of days, Lucas stayed somewhat nearby in case the vampire(s) from the forest were planning on striking. After the death of the first vampire, it could be likely that they were going to hunt him as well, out of revenge. Once routine started to set in, Luke dismissed himself for a short period. He wanted to find another set of clothing. His shirt was like shredded paper, barely hanging by threads around his chest. His jeans were ripped at the knees and on one pocket and still muddy at the pant legs. He had abandoned his jacket in a dumpster back in Belleville after it was beyond capable of wearing. Lucas wandered down the neighborhood quietly, gaining zero to no attention at all. People were either at work or minding their own business in their homes. Once he was comfortable enough, he sprinted off to find a store of some kind which sold clothing. The nearest clothing department was two miles away. It'd be long stretch and would leave him blinded from the girl but he didn't plan on taking long. Lucas stepped into the department in a rush. He headed for whatever clothes looked decent enough to wear in public. The shirts must have been farther to the back because the first thing that caught his eye were the sweaters. Wasting no time, he grabbed a plain black hoodie and looked it over. His size. Then he gripped at some jeans as well but they were too large to fit. If he wanted to find a decent pair, he'd have to search and that would take time. Deciding to cut his losses, he pulled the hoodie off of it's hanger and disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

More days progressed and the only change that was really made was the fact that the Detective's guardians left the house for five or six hours at a time. The woman seemed cozy staying where she was for the time being, leaving Lucas with a question of just how deep the damage of their exposure had left her. He had thought a lot about why she lied to the people interrogating her. As a detective, her job and life was dedicated to finding the truth. Surely she would have at least attempted to find out if she could prove her story. Yet she hadn't stepped another foot into the forest or outside of her house, for that matter.

As he settled himself onto the branch of a tree less then half a mile away, he found he wouldn't be getting adjusted for too long. The detective was making her way for the exit of her house, and stepping into the same truck that she had driven a week ago. After her windows and doors were shut, Lucas could only smell the scent she left behind mixed with the exhaust that was coming out of her vehicle. Once she was down the road, Lucas followed in suit. She stopped at a grocery store, reminding him that humans needed food. He nearly forgot all about the daily tasks they went through just to keep care of themselves. He was planning on waiting for her near the fast food restaurant across the street. He'd still be able to sense her and not look suspicious but the moment the doors of her truck opened, her scent urged him closer. It had been over a week since he was able to smell her in the open air without walls or windows. Detective Verra stepped into the grocery store and twenty minutes later, Lucas did the same. He was quick to notice the nine other humans that were scattered in the room with him. None of which smelled half as desirable as the tenth. Lucas tried as best as he could to look casual but with bare feet (which had dried and cleaned themselves from the rain) and muddy jeans, it wasn't as easy as it looked. Lucky for him, no one heard him enter.

He could smell her turn into an empty aisle and tried to burry her smell with the scent of packaged chicken, beef, and pork. However, he knew he couldn't curb his appetite no matter what technique he tried. After reaching the same aisle she chose, he turned and faced her, from the opposite direction to avoid sneaking up on her and scaring her. His silver eyes were once more magnetically glued to her. He didn't speak this time, wanting to wait until he knew her reaction. But in his mind, he had many different ideas on how to approach the topic buzzing in his head.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Grabbing a shopping cart, though she didn’t need one, Dahlia guided it with her hands while expertly propping her recipe into view. Pulling through produce she grabbed a variety of vegetables, enough to make the stew and more, before heading through dairy and then finally into the aisles. Having always been efficient in a grocery store it took her little to no time to get through the top portion of her list. There wasn’t a thing extra in the cart—whose contents actually looked meager on the bottom. Pulling into the pasta sauces and spices she halted herself in front of a wide variety of jars and cans. Pulling down two cans of stewed tomatoes Dahlia moved onto the spaghetti sauces, plucking a jar from the shelf and rotating it in her hand to see what was in it.

It was about then that she noticed another person turning into her aisle. Not that she heard him but the black sweater he was wearing stood out sorely against the colorful aisle. Out of habit she smiled thinking that from afar he was just another resident. But as he approached her smile dropped and her eyes widened.

"No," she gasped.

The jar of sauce in her hands slipped from her grasp plummeting towards the floor where it shattered at her feet. Abandoning her car she turned on her heel in the other direction, stuffing the recipe into her pocket and taking off for the door. She was dreaming. That’s all it was. She was just dreaming. He couldn’t have actually been there. No way. Pulling a hand to her forehead she felt her temperature which was normal though her skin was sticky from the humid air. It was about that time that she made it to the front door of the grocery, effectively showing herself out to her car. Just her luck there wasn’t another soul there. The time span had been a week since she'd seen him, a week to drown herself in the miserable concept that she was falling apart at the seams. Where was the accomplished and strong detective? It was this thought that, when she finally reached her car door, made her pause and check her underarm holster for her service weapon.

[[Bang Bang]]

Same reaction as before and Lucas was still not surprised. What would have really made his jaw drop would be if she weren't scared at all. It took her a few moments to fully process what she was looking at which gave Luke time to examine her with every second that passed. Her heart beat immediately quickened and he could almost feel the intake of air she gulped down as her eyes burned holes into his marble flesh. Her grasp on the food in her hand (Luke had no idea what the crimson liquid that was sealed in the glass jar was) loosened as quick as her reflexes could respond, sending the item tumbling to the floor in a very slow fashion. Luke watched it fall with enough time to process several thoughts. The first being that he could have stopped it from falling and stopped what was soon to become a loud noise. It would have been more appropriate then to let it break and possibly create a scene. The girl was on the verge of a heart attack already though and appearing within physical reach of her faster then her eyes could trace might push her overboard. So while her widened eyes glossed over with disbelief, his watched the accident that could have been avoided.

"No." Was all she managed to say.

The sound of glass breaking was loud enough for them to not be the only ones who heard it. Lucas could already hear footsteps coming towards their position. But because of the dead atmosphere, the employee wasn't in any rush. Lucas scrunched his nose up slightly as tomatoes stung the inside of his nostrils. Human food was so unappetizing. He stared at the contents of the jar carefully, picking out the lumps of mush and separating them from the oozing liquid. The detective must not have been as interested as he was. Without another word, she turned on her heel and rushed out of the aisle. Luke watched her leave without moving until she was out of his line of sight. He waited a few seconds longer until he heard her exit the store before he rushed off before anyone else could make their way to the broken jar. He was a blur as he ran out of the store without so much as a turning head. He might not have been the fastest but he was quiet, even while running. Chasing after the girl wasn't going to be the smartest choice while she was scared. Last time, she was taken off guard and had absolutely no time for rational thinking of her own. This time, no one was grabbing her against her will, taking her miles away within seconds, or throwing her into ravines. She was on familiar turf and was capable of reacting.

Lucas stopped running when he was fully out of the store and in view of the detective again. She was running to her car, without so much as turning around. He watched her, while walking at a human's pace behind her. She reached her truck before him but she didn't seem to have herself together enough to take off before he could reach her. He was out in the open now -- it was harder to keep track of everything. So far, he felt like he was doing a good job simply because the area was so bleak and quiet. When he reached the truck, the detective was already inside. In the most casual manner her could muster, he moved to the passenger side and opened the door which to his luck was unlocked. Lucas stepped inside and sat himself down beside the one who had just run away from him. His eyes were aimed forward, out the windshield as he spoke. He listened to the sound of her breathing while his eyes distracted themselves with the empty lot. He didn't want to look her in the eyes while they were in such close proximity. If he focused too hard, he'd end up mesmerizing her.

“Please do not run,” He requested with tranquility. He showed no measures of exhaustion but didn't wish to chase the girl around the town until she finally gave in. Meanwhile, he repressed the habit to breathe to avoid the temptation of her blood. Even so, his tongue picked up on the small flavors looming in the air. “Be calm.” His words, which sounded like a demand, were more of a plea. The quicker her heart moved, the faster her blood pumped through her body. To a vampire, it was considered teasing and made resisting difficult.

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
When she’d finally managed to jam her keys into the lock of the door she felt as if she were being watched. Yanking open the door she slid into the driver’s seat, holding her keys in her tightly clasped hands, fingering the metal in her lap. There was no time for her to relax and take in a deep breath like her mother had always told her to do as a child. The whoosh of air came as the passenger door opened and in sidled the beast.

The thing didn’t even look at her. In fact he stared forward. Breathing rapidly her detective instincts kicked in. Within a few seconds she drew her weapon, cocked the pin and held it to his head.

“Please do not run. Be calm.”

”Jesus Christ, what am I supposed to do?” she blurted. Gulping back a mouthful of saliva she stared at him. And though her gaze was normally quite penetrating she couldn’t help but feel allured. Though visibly younger than her by a few years he was still breathtaking. Holding her gun steady she looked at him, confused and bewildered at the sight of him. Was this her imagination taking flight? She’d had an imaginary friend for years, one that was quite vivid in actuality. Yet that had faded when she’d hit the right age. Was this like Fight Club? Her boredom with life was coming out in the form of a hallucination?

”Who—or rather what—are you?”

Sweat glistened on her forehead. The faint pitter of raindrops started, splashing against the windshield. All of this didn’t stop her from holding the gun close to his temple. Nor did it slow her racing heart.

[[Bang Bang]]

Lucas had time to stop her. He heard as the detective reached for the metal at her side - which he could smell - and listened to it's hollow sound as it was released from it's holster. She wasn't fast enough to stop his hand if he chose to rip it out of her grip. Nor was she strong enough to fight if he restrained her arms from touching the weapon. But her best defense could do no harm to him. If a gun in her hand was what it took for her to feel secure then so be it. It was the sound of her finger cocking the pin which irritated him a little. She was actually ready to kill him if she got the chance. Not that she'd be capable of it but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.

”Jesus Christ, what am I supposed to do?” She asked in a panicked tone. It was as if she didn't just hear what he was telling her. Luke tried to stay interested in the boring view ahead of him. Mostly, he scanned for faces to be sure they weren't being seen at the moment. It'd be a horrible sight for both of them. It was critical that he refrain from making eye contact. He knew how to handle his hypnosis but he would have to constantly fill his mind with thoughts so that he didn't start to vacuum in her own. It would be too much work on top of her scent.

“Your weapon isn't necessary,” He said in the same calming voice as before. His accent made it easier on him. But his comment didn't seem to phase her because the gun still remained.

”Who—or rather what—are you?” She asked in a controlled manner. Lucas' eyebrows wrinkled together slightly. It was as if it pained him to hear her call him a 'what'. He focused on the slow raindrops. Sometimes he could look at each one as they hit the glass but moving his eyes that fast right now might startle the girl.

“I don't understand what you're asking,” He stated fluently, not missing a beat. “What is it you're suggesting?”

[Korrye]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
“I don't understand what you're asking, what is it you're suggesting?”

Rolling her eyes she steadied her hand, pushed the metal into the side of his head. Breathing through her mouth now there was little she could do or think. The entirety of her thought process was broken. It was like this this—thing in front of her she froze. The weight of her 9mm pulled at her forearm. The muscle began to twitch. It had been awhile since she’d held a weapon outstretched without support. Most days she didn’t need to. But she felt safe with it. It was a thing that killed and the weight of the metal, though strenuous, brought her an inner comfort that kept her from falling apart. "No need my a**," she thought mildly.

“You’re too fast, you’re…too quiet,” she started, trying to explain what she felt about him that was odd. Staring at him she noticed that his chest neither rose or fell. “You don’t breathe,” Dahlia added with a note of astonishment.

How could he not breathe? It was against all logic that this thing to her right looked human but did not inhale or exhale. This frightened her, she felt her stomach flip. The audacity of his answer made her agitated. So much so that she knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him. Though her parents briefly came to mind, the pained look her mother got whenever she learned of what her daughter had chosen to do for a living. Yet the academy had trained her to take a life and she was willing. This thing had tormented her thoughts and dreams for a week. It was time he paid.

So,I'm going to ask you once again," she paused and shoved the gun once again into the side of his head. "Who are you?

[[Bang Bang]]

Compared to his skin, the gun was warm. As it touched him, he started to bend his neck accordingly so it looked as if she were pushing his head to the side with her force. Because they were now connected through the weapon, he felt the small twitches her arm gave out. She was either shaking uncontrollably in fear - which would compliment her speeding heart beat nicely - or she was having difficulties with the gun. The second idea didn't seem plausible to him.

“You’re too fast, you’re…too quiet,” She explained. Before he had time to say something else, she added in, “You don’t breathe,” Lucus cursed mentally. He'd have to start breathing now. As if it were about to pain him, he took in a slow breath of air, making his chest stick out slightly then sink an inch. She smelled even better then before. He knew exactly why the vampire he had killed was intoxicated enough to lick the side of her face now. There was nothing more desirable then her blood. While trying to gain back his tongue, he closed his eyes for a short while to restrain himself.

“When I am not wearing shoes, I tend to make no noise,” He explained after reopening his eyes while reminding himself to fit in a contraction every now and then. In his day, he grew up without them. “And I do breathe. Everybody breathes. Surely, you know that.” He started to contort his face to look as if he thought she were going senile. So that you could read, "Are you sure you're okay?" right off of his skin.

"So,I'm going to ask you once again," She said after pushing the barrel into his head deeper, causing him to have to voluntarily lean his head over more. "Who are you?" Now his patience was running thin. He didn't like playing games. If the human would just stop asking questions and realize he was saving her life, he could move on to more pressing matters.

“I do say, it is a lot easier to explain ones self when a gun is not threatening their life. But so be it,” He said lowly, with less kindness to his voice. “I heard you in the woods. When that man took off with you, I ran after him, thinking I could be of some assistance. I-” His voice trailed off as panic took over. Lying was just another talent that took time, like playing a piano, or learning a different language. “-I killed him. I came here today to ask if I was going to go to jail for my deeds.” Lucas inhaled deeply, as if he were scared to know the truth. The sound of her wrist's pulse, beating so close to his ear was pure torment.

“Get your gun out of my face,” He demanded, while running his tongue over the top of his teeth. His K-9s extended ever so slightly and he knew his eyes were going to change into cat - slits any moment.