A Stranger in the Night
Chapter 18

"Lay still Jess! We need to stop the bleeding!". Jess continued to scream in pain. Her scream was blood curdling. "Draven! You need to do something now!". Shiloh was doing all she could to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't working. "I can't! She's already had my blood, any more and she would turn! Can not do that without Father or Mothers permission!". Draven's voice wreaked of fear as she continued cried out his name. He was scared of losing Jess but didn't want the wrath that would be brought down on him if he accidentally turned her. "So you rather her die! Some partner you turned out to be!". Shiloh letting her angry get the better of her. "We need to slow down the blood, what can we do?". Draven you need to heal her! Now! You can't let her die!" I shouted at him. I was not losing her tonight and I knew he didn't want to lose her either. Draven walked back over to Jess and let open his wrist again, the blood trickling into Jess' mouth. Her screams were beginning to subside but I didn't know if it was from her healing or if it was from her dying. "Drink it!" Draven demanded, bringing his wrist closer to her mouth. She grabbed his wrist and began sucking fiercely on it. Draven's eyes changed to a firey red colour with gold flecks through them. It almost seemed like he was glowing all over as she drank his blood. Then the room began to shudder, also as if the walls were moving. "Stop it Draven! If you let that shit loose, the whole building will collapse with us in it too! Cut it out!". Lucas shoved him in the back. Draven dropped concentration and refocused on Jess who released her mouth from his wrist. She fell back and laid on the floor, motionless and only the slightest breath in her chest visible. "Is she ok? What's going on?" I screamed. No one answered. We all just stared, watching and waiting to see what happened. Draven lent over to inspect her.

He looked over the deep wounds, which were now appearing to heal. The small cuts and lacerations on her arms and legs were gone and the bruising on her face was slowly dissipating. "What's happening?". I asked again, trying to hold up some of my own weight from Lucas, who was currently holding me up. Draven looked at me before returning his attention to Jess. "I'm not 100% sure. She's almost healed thank God. However, she's not a vampire....but she's not dead". Although, when he opened her mouth, there they were. Two small fangs, sparkling in the light. Lucas began to shriek at him, "Did you just turn her into a bloody Halfling!" Before growling at him and getting ready to shift again. Draven shook his head profusely. "No! She's not a vampire yet. Her body is in transition. But I don't think its safe to let her transition here.". Lucas stopped dead in his tracks at Draven's statement, realising what he said was true. "So what do we need to do? We should leave soon, just incase any more come. We are vulnerable with the 2 girls like this.". I began to hobble towards Jess, I leant down to view my friend, I didn't want her to be a vampire, but I didn't want her to die. "What happens in transition?" I queried Draven, worried about what was instore for my friend. He looked over her, gently rubbing her arm and using his other hand to gently push the hair away from her face. "It's not easy. Her body will change, the parts of her that are still healing will set in place. Her blood will change too. I'm not 100% sure what else. I was only young when I saw it happen for Nerine. Shit! That's what I'll do. I'll take her to Nerine and hide her at the House till she has fully transitioned.". Lucas looked weary of Draven's plan. "Alex isn't going to like this Draven.". Draven knew that was Lucas said was right. Alex would have been pissed for Draven not following protocol. But I'm pretty sure Draven was willing to take that risk. "I don't care what he thinks. I'm not leaving her to do it on her own and risk dying.". Lucas nodded. "OK. So what do we do with Luna. You very well know she can't go to the House at the moment.". Draven nodded back at him. Lucas looked at me concerned and sighed. "I know that when he finds out, he's gonna come for me, but I will take Luna back with us.". Shiloh and Carter immediately nodded. "She is safer with the pack anyways!". Shiloh insisted. Draven looking apprehensive, began to interject, "Whilst that may very well be true, I don't think Alex would approve. He would want her at the House too. Surely we could hide her somewhere or pretend she's a bloodbag for Jess after she's turned...even though that could be pretty dangerous.".

The two bickered back and forth about where I was to be going, before I screamed out, "Can I say something? Surely I have a decision in where I am going!". The two men just stood there looking at me, before both began trying to talk over one another, trying to argue which one was better than the other. I noticed the pooling of water around the apartment, coming from the broken pipes in the kitchen after Vincent broken the kitchen island. I got a silly thought in my head and I wanted to try it. I had to try it, to get their attention. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I began to focus all my energy on the pools of water. I felt the anxiety and anger in me rising as I became more and more frustrated with their bickering. I closed my eyes and shot my hands out towards the pools of water on the floor on either side of me. Both pools shot up towards the roof, forming sharp points of ice that looked like daggers pointing towards the sky. "Would you two shut up!". Draven and Lucas look like they just about died when they saw the ice. "What the hell!" Lucas ran back to my side and caught me as I began to stumble. Draven rushed over just behind him, "Luna! What the hell are you doing? Wait! How did you even do that?". I felt weak after releasing that energy. "I don't know....it happened earlier tonight....with the Halflings....". Carter looked at the Halfling on the floor in the kitchen and the one encased in ice by the kitchen island, "ahhh so that explains the popsicle Halflings in the kitchen ahey?" And began to chuckle. Lucas just looked me up and down, trying to take it all in.

I was going to get my point across whether they liked it or not. "I don't want to go to the House. I want to go with Lucas and the pack. But you need to keep in touch about Jess. You can't let her die!". Draven, accepting defeat in the matter nodded his head. "It's decided then. Luna will come with us. You will take Jess back to the House. Once the pack has finished interrogating the Halfling Leader, I will report back with information. In the mean time, I will send other pack members over to deal with this mess". Lucas picked me up in his arms and stood proud and tall. I laid my head on his chest and enjoyed the relaxing feeling of the rise and fall of his chest. Draven walked over to me and lent towards my ear. "If anytime you need to leave the pack and come to the House, call me. I will make the arrangements for you to be there. I know Alex will be upset with this and probably come looking for you.". I snapped quickly out of my daze and stared directly at him. "I could not care about that man right now. He hasn't helped me or cared about me in anyway since I left the house. Even you have cared more than him. You can take his jacket back to him and the other gifts he has given me. He broke the promise he made... I am done with him.". Draven nodded but didn't say a word. The disheartened look on Draven's face hurt. I didn't want to upset him but at the same time, why should I be bothered about the man who said he would always be there for me and has done anything but that since. As I spoke, I couldn't help but hear the soft, low and deep growl that emanated from Lucas' chest. Almost as if he was proud and happy that I had spoken the words I did. I felt him pull me a bit closer to him as he turned to walk out the door.

I took one last look at Jess, who Draven was picking up and cradling in his arms. She seemed so peaceful right now and it scared me to think that something could possibly go wrong with her transition. Draven smiled at me, in an effort to reassure me. "I promise you Luna. I will take care of her and I will be checking in on you with the pack once it is all done with.". I smiled at Draven. I was grateful for his kindness but more so for his love and care for Jess. Lucas looked at Draven sternly, "I guess we will be seeing you soon." Before nodding at him and leaving the building. Shiloh and Carter as well as the other pack members there had transformed back to wolves whilst Lucas stayed human, to ensure he could carry me. As we got outside, a black van pulled up beside us. The door swung open and a teenage boy gestured us all in. Shiloh and Carter entered first, followed by Lucas and I, then lastly the other pack members. Once we were all in, the van took off. Lucas laid me on the chair beside him, rubbing my arm and trying to comfort me. "Don't worry Luna. Everything will be ok".

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