"Where are you taking me?"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3xbaDn8sF
He looked over his shoulder past me, as if to make sure nobody was following. Then he looked back front and continued to run while his hand gripped mine tightly, dragging me along with him, not stopping even if I stumbled every now and then. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OuuJDZ0Bw
"Somewhere safe." 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vy8aNssMb
I frowned at his response. Was someone really chasing us? I attempted to look around my surroundings, but only to see the blurry fast-moving images of trees passing by. I pried my eyes off them and stared at our entwined hands instead, furrowing my eyebrows more.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzht5qpaYJ
His hand was always cold. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCxITR32ga
Suddenly, he stopped, and I bumped onto his back, glory to my clumsiness. "Sorry," I squeaked. I grimaced inwardly. That sounded pathetic.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2roAx64TTh
But he turned around with a slight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, and his hand around mine starting to get clammy. We didn't let go, though.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1XLh5pOyx
"It's okay...My fault there," he said between pants, his chest heaving for air, and his face looked paler—if that was even possible. It was then I realized I wasn't panting as hard as him; we didn't run that far. So why did he look like his lungs were squeezed out of air?967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OTqNm7GFI
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around as he did too. We were in a small clearing where tall trees with big green leaves shaded the place. Only a little sunlight passed through the gaps; otherwise, it was dark, but not in the scary way—in the comforting way, where you could relax your body and be at ease. The atmosphere of the place felt harmless, and calm wind blew—unlike the hot weather in the academy.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhrylwq5KO
"So," I started to say, as his strong, yet seeming torpid, hand dragged me under a tree and let go when he sat down, the chilliness fading from my skin, "why are we here again?" Sliding down the tree to the soft grassy ground, I copied his posture—stretching my legs out and leaning my head against the trunk—feeling the breeze blew while leaves swayed from it.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GRwLaHl1z
I heard him breathe out a sigh and try to calm his breathing. I glanced at him then, seeing his eyes closed while his chest kept on heaving, his hair flowing with the breeze. He opened his faint-red eyes and saw me, before sighing again.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmknPCdyo1
"I guess it's time for you to know the truth." He sat up straight, running his hand through his soft black hair and looking away from me. I looked at him with a blank stare.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4izv3egvK
I spoke. "Like why your hands are always cold? Why you always act weird against the sun? Why your skin is paler than normal? Why you have a pair of odd red eyes? If you are referring to those, I think I've figured it out, although it's kind of...unbelievable. Fictional."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEZ7eOtY7I
When I finished, his red eyes immediately fixed on me for a long time, studying me. I bit my bottom lip. Did I speak too much?967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlntb5qe7b
Then, he sighed for the third time today, tearing his gaze away from me. I noticed his breathing had gone calmer. "You know, then."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6LnvpBlzL
I said nothing. Awkward silence filled the air between us for a moment before I spoke again. "Say it." He looked at me befuddle. I repeated. "Say it. Say what you are."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoO7ZITQUO
"But you—"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gXIH9u5gU
"I know. I want to hear it from you, so it will be more...believable."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYwHbrehRr
He studied me again, before huffing through his nose and muttering, "I'm a vampire."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQXTUT7tlz
"Yeah? I can't really hear you," I teased.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuVD2VdAJP
Groaning, louder he said, "I'm a vampire, you fart knocker." He crossed his arms and glared at me playfully.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dnnamMyL5
I laughed. "My name is Valerie, thank you very much." He rolled his eyes at my response. I asked again, "What exactly is the reason you brought me here?" 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2HlPWvNvk
As though reminded, his body went stiff for a moment and he looked to where we just came from.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtOXksttc2
"I'm being chased" was his short reply.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHOV2Ugh5d
"Chased from—?"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPmV4o3TF4
I stopped myself as I felt my ear tickle suddenly, my breathing hitched. An unfamiliar, deep yet smexy voice whispered, "Me." I opened my mouth to scream; but before I could, a cold hand—but not as cold as Kevin's—clamped my mouth shut—probably belonging to that voice. Beside me, I felt Kevin stiffened and tension building up. "Don't shout," the voice whispered softly against my ear before freeing my mouth, leaving me breathing again and my heart pounding. I didn't notice I was holding my breath.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHklacUehhy
A figure moved out of the shadows. Kevin immediately jumped up, standing in a defending posture, though sweat slid down his forehead. The mysterious man stood dangerously close to me. I could see his glowing red eyes scanning me up and down, his sandy brown hair disheveled. He wore a thin white shirt that showed off his lean body and he wore a pair of old dark jeans. He was barefooted. Nevertheless, I admitted he was good-looking.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nu2sGRd0B
When I looked back up to his face, he had a smirk played on his lips. "Already charmed by me, eh?"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZ4vUmBcS6
I felt my cheeks heat up and I scoffed. "As if. You're ugly as tarnation."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhXt4ZKqkm
He chuckled, and my body, for some reason, shivered hearing it. "Are you seriously censoring yourself?" He started to bend over to me, but stopped when Kevin stood between us. Feeling that this wouldn't end good—and just realizing that he was the one who Kevin was running from—I scrambled to my feet.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86nvvmLJvh
"Zakron, I suggest you leave now." Kevin's glower on the man intensified the already tense atmosphere between them, his voice low and threatening.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZEETyeyUy
"Or, what?" Zakron stayed relaxed, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, still wearing that gorgeous smirk of his. I'll slam my head on a brick wall multiple times if I survive this. "I know you've not been drinking these past weeks, Anders. I'm surprised you're still able to stand on your feet now." His gaze flicked to me. "And I see now the reason why."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUDPvV98yX
"Don't lay a finger on her, Wilde, I'm warning you," Kevin growled. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEqcppoDs1
Oh, so his last name is Wilde? Like Nick Wilde from Zootopia? Ah, a—Get yourself focus here, Val. He's not Good. He's Evil. Curse that gorgeous face.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pMf8SJUzk
Over Kevin's shoulders, the man called Zakron had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and in a flash, he was next to me, gripping me by the arm tightly and his face close to my neck, showing off his fangs. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR15PFAmUkg
It happened so fast I couldn't react in time when he was pushed away from me and sent flying through the trees behind me, leaving them tumbling to the ground with groans, and a gust of wind passed by me from the impact.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzRoXR4RFs
My whole body went cold and my heart pounded vigorously in my chest. Kevin swished to Zakron's direction. Even if I 'd read a lot of vampire books, I never thought their speed would be this fast.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJOvIApMyk
I forced myself to look back and saw Kevin pinning Zakron by his neck, choking his air out of him. They weren't that far as I'd thought they would be—and at ear's shot.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL3rW3dGZB
"What I've been waiting for," I heard Zakron utter, but his voice didn't sound strained at all. In a quick motion, he had his foot on Kevin's chest, sending him flying back through the fallen trees and onto the tree I just leaned on, the wind whooshed beside me once again. He slammed hard and tumbled to the ground just beside me with a thud. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzL9yMbeQE
Oh, gosh. I'm really putting myself in the middle of a nonsensical battle.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPlSM1EvoW
Zakron started to get up from his position as Kevin coughed up...nothing—but seemingly supposed to be blood. I crouched down, placing a hand on his shoulder as panic fleeted through me.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQx3iz7Zzn
"Are you okay?" Worry dripped in my voice. And just as soon as I asked that, Kevin started coughing harder and wheezed. Then I really panicked. I realized my hand on his shoulder was shaking.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTsk0PZWwp
Was the hit too strong for him to take? Or had he really gone weak as what that Zakron man said, because he hadn't been drinking human's blood for a long time? 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfau1NVTftW
As soon as I felt a presence directly behind me, my heartbeat quickened and my mind went blank.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOuatUoBXf
"See? You've gone weak. Very weak. You can't even damage me in one hit like you used to, and your speed has gone way slower. Why don't you drink that girl's blood and fight fairly, Anders? Look at you now, already injured just by a push. Drink, Kevin Anders. And fight me."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfEh7Ptaye
"Shut...up." Kevin managed to look up feebly as he gasped for air. "Like Hell am I going to."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntVdNQX72s
Zakron shoved me away hard enough to make me move away from Kevin's side, and he landed a strike on Kevin's chest once more. His breathing started to get ragged. Zakron grabbed full of his shirt, lifting him above ground. I felt useless. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfofmTzcFg1
"Drink, Anders," Zakron said. If I disregarded the fact that he was Evil, I would've thought there was concern in his voice.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbYCfbtU1Y
Kevin chuckled dryly, though it sounded more of a wheeze. "Make me." 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kaeh1AS1c
Zakron slammed him against the tree, and as he was about to hit him in the chest again, and as I couldn't bear seeing my best friend getting hurt again, with all my strength I shouted, "Stop!" And surprisingly, the said man did, but eyes still glowering at Kevin. I looked at my best friend. "Kev, I give you the permission."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJhUWg7gBL
Clearly knowing what I meant, he managed, "No. Valerie...no. I won't." But I was already sauntering to them, stopping just near Zakron. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdV42SJCNv
"If you don't, he will," I said casually. Panic gleamed in his eyes, so I walked up to Kevin and gave him a small smile. "It's okay, Kev. I'm sure this won't hurt as badly as I see you getting beat up." When Zakron's grip on him released, I inclined my head, gesturing for him.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk2BwnRc92
"Val..."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEjKoIxxeV
By then my patience exploded. "Just do it, Kevin! You know once I make a decision, nothing stops me from breaking it. So do it while I'm at it!"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS7P0ZJrpq
Kevin hesitated for a moment. Zakron remained silent and unmoving. After a while, Kevin held my shoulders and pulled me closer, engulfing me in a hug. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EsUuKv7T6
"Are you sure?" he murmured against my hair, his voice shaky. "You might not be able to...hold it. I might not be able to stop."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eQlLxGAyk
I nodded. "I'm fine as long as you don't get hurt too much. Plus, you haven't filled your hunger since the day I met you, have you? And it's all my fault."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnrSqGDMyR
"This is nothing, Val..."967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgQfAjtPHI
"Liar. You can't even run for five minutes. Just do it now, you fart knocker." I felt him smile a bit at that. Surprisingly, Zakron still remained silent.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAy16TVF4R
Kevin pulled away then and leaned toward me. I closed my eyes, preparing for the pain to come. But instead of feeling his teeth digging in my flesh, his soft lips pressed against mine, before trailing down to my neck. 967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m30qN8paS
"Kev—?"967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4ragJYlBG
His teeth sunk in my flesh, and the last thing I heard was his voice murmuring, "I love, you, Valerie Starks," before everything went black.967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ97VQVX8Sj
[Apologies 'tis crappiness once more...]967Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmG169ACesE
and then Add to home screen.