C H A P T E R S I X

{Like a drug...or something much, much worse}

Cassius hummed to himself, bored as he lay  sprawled on the bed, playing with his hair.

He'd been sitting there for twenty minutes, trying to find things to do to entertain himself. He'd read some books, listened to the latest shitty pop songs he despised from Cyndi Lauper and Bonnie Tyler on the radio and even sorted his sister's clothes for her. He glanced out the window and saw the sun had already set.

They were wasting precious time.

Reaching the end of his tolerance to her beauty regime, he grumbled in the direction of the bathroom.

"Will you please hurry up?! I feel like I'm gonna die from fucking boredom!" He yelled, groaning for added exaggeration, hauling himself off the bed. "Why are you so concerned with what you look like anyway, little miss vain?" He exclaimed as he came to a stop outside the bathroom door.

It was quiet for a moment, and then he heard a loud bang and footsteps approach the door. It was yanked open, harsh light flooding out, and all he could do was stare in shock.

His sister stood there with an insecure yet asinine frown etched on her face, shifting from foot to foot as he looked her over.

She wore a dark emerald v-neck silk dress that had draped sleeves falling down to her elbows. The ends of the sleeves and skirt had a dark, barely noticeable lace design of flowers. The bottom of the dress was loosely pleated and fell to a few inches above her knees. The colour really brought out her eyes and hair, and showed off her pale skin. She wore light makeup and only had her eyes lined with a smokey black that made them almost glow.

She had styled her hair into a slightly messy low hanging bun, strands falling into and framing her face, her cheekbones already razor sharp now cutting.

Annoyed, she moved further into the room, sitting on the bed and pulling on a pair of black knee length boots.

"Why are you staring at me like that, brother?" She mumbled, distracted as she laced up her shoes.

He could hear the nervousness shake her voice ever so slightly. It was shocking, that she was acting this way. She was only ever confident and sure of herself.

They really needed to sort this mess out.

"Because dear sister, I've never seen you dress this well before." As she lobbed a pillow at his head he ducked so it struck the wall, an easy grin on his lightly stubbled face when she huffed angrily. "Seriously though, what's got you so worried?"

"I don't know...I just feel really on edge, I can't explain." Dazed—the way she had been since last night, she stared down at the floor for a moment, glazed with worry.

Shaking her head she forced herself to look up at him with a small smile, trying to dispel the foreboding atmosphere of the room. It didn't reach her eyes and he silently fretted to himself about her out of character behavior. It was like a part of her had gone missing, he couldn't explain it even to himself.

"Anyway, it was your plan for me to dress up! I don't see how this is gonna help us at all." She was snide with her reply, storming toward the closet and pulling out her leather jacket.

"Buttercup, you really can be dense when you want to be." He sighed, ignoring the insulted scowl she sent his way as she shrugged the large jacket on."Didn't you see the way they were staring at you? They were very clearly interested! That's why you're dressed like this. We're going to lure them in." He simpered like a stereotypical movie villain, conniving, scheming—as if it was the best plan in the world.

"Well I'm sorry, but I was a bit preoccupied trying not to have a fucking panic attack to notice them eyeing me like the hottest babe they've ever seen. Honestly, I thought my heart was gonna burst out of my chest." Angrily ranting at him she dropped to her knees, harsh when she  yanked her bag out from under the bed.

Inhaling the warm air in the room, her fury receded and her shoulders sagged. She dropped her head to stare at the floor in shame.

The room was thick with stunned silence before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Cas, I don't know what's wrong with me. I just don't..." She sniffed, blinking the tears away, "I don't feel right tonight. I'm worried something awful is going to happen." Her lip quivered for a moment, and her worrying it between her teeth didn't stop her from bursting into noiseless sobs, feeble tears tracking slowly down her face.

"Shit!" Cassius cursed, rushing to her side, dropping down next to her, shushing her as she struggled to control her tears.

"Hey, look at me." He pulled her face up to meet his stare and spoke sternly to her, "I promised before and I'm promising you now. Nothing is going to happen to you or me. I will always protect you. It's true I'm out of my depth, I don't know what we're dealing with here. But think sister, do they?" A dark smirk stretched across his face.

Though it would scare others, she was only reassured by it. Smiling back at him she hugged him tightly, comforted by his malicious promise.

He stroked her head, fingers light and careful not to mess up her hair. She wouldn't be happy if her hard work was ruined.

Squeezing her one last time, he released her and helped her carefully to her feet, her bag now on his shoulder.

"Feel better now?" He questioned in a soft pitch, the darkness that once coated his tone long gone.

Wiping under her eyes to get rid of the tears she was happy to see her makeup wasn't ruined. She looked up at his question and nodded, a gentle move of her head so as not to make her headache worse, struggling once again to muster a smile.

He was fine with her silence, and patted her on the head before moving toward the door, pulling it open and looking back at her.

"Well come on then Stevie Nicks, time for some answers." A laugh exploded from his chest at her expression and he yelped as she dove for him, running for his life while she chased him out the door.

On the other side of town, fury was stirring.

David stormed angrily out of video Max and was immediate when lighting a cigarette, relaxing as the smoke filled his lungs. The others trailed slowly behind him and din't look too happy either. They were silent as they walked to their bikes, each of them lost in thought.

"Well that was useless." Marko huffed the obvious as they finally reached their bikes, mounting them but making no move to leave.

They'd gone to see their sire as soon as the sun had set. Upon arriving, though, they'd discovered from Maria that the old bastard had neglected to tell them he would be travelling out of town for a few days on business.

David growled his displeasure under his breath, agreeing with Marko but too infuriated to talk.

This was a shock to the others, because David normally tried not to show emotion arround them, but all of their emotions were heightened at the moment.

It was sort of nice get a read on his feelings for once like he so easily did to them.

"You're telling me. We could have been searching for her this whole fuckin' time!" Paul's angry snarl surprised even himself. It was unlike him to ever be anything other then happy, fun, the undead life and soul of the party.

He was self aware enough to admit this whole mate thing was throwing his emotions out of whack. He was angry, moody, snappy, and worst of all pining over some chick he hadn't even met.

He couldn't get her out of his head, couldn't forget the light in her eyes, couldn't forget the soft touch of her scent that had stayed imprinted in his mind.

Don't get him wrong he was happy to have found her. Such things were a rarity for a vampire to find. A precious jewel to be kept and held dear.

It was just... he didn't like this feeling of having no control of himself.

Max had explained mates to them and it sounded like a deal too good to be true to him. One girl destined and made to be with him forever? That did sound fucking amazing. Despite his love for noncommittal sex and one night stands, Paul was a romantic at heart. He wanted an unconditional, epic love more than anyone else. His appetite, while waiting, had been insatiable and he had a regular fucking Calendar of girls and guys who would need to end up on the cutting room floor now.

Being out of his element like this made him immensely uncomfortable, though. He was a vampire, indestructable. A killing machine made to cause pain and suffering. Yet he found himself consumed with thoughts of protecting this woman, longing to just be in her prescence and to care for her.

How fucking pathetic.

For decades, the only people he cared about were his pack, his brothers: but he cared for her just as much. It was foreign to him and to the other three.

They'd all shared the same sentiments the previous night. They were happy to have found her, they never thought it would happen, but they had all underestimated the seriousness that came with finding their mate and now they were not prepared at all.

As Paul pondered this, David thought of something much more concerning. There was the matter of the 'man' that was with her. They knew from his smell that he wasn't human but they had no idea what he was.

Now that pissed David off.

He didn't like not being the one with the advantage, the upperhand. The thought of some rogue supernatural being around their very human and very breakable mate made his instincts go mad. He stuggled to remain in control and was thankful to be broken from his thoughts as his dark haired brother spoke.

"I don't think she's even been in this part of the boardwalk, I can't smell her." He mumbeled quietly, dejected at the idea of not seeing her, preoccupied with scanning all the faces in the crowd that passed them.

Like his brothers he was riddled with insecurity, this was knew for all of them. But he'd admit, out of all of them, he was the one who'd wanted this the most. Longed for this the most and and because of that, he had done his research.

He felt the most prepared for what was to come, but still, he often found himself losing control when he thought of her. It was safe to say he would be the most protective. The only thing that he was not prepared for was her annoying little companion. They were gonna have to do something about that one.

"Maybe we should wait her out. She's bound to come here at some point. She may be a human, but she'll still feel the bond. You saw last night how it affected her." Marko suggested, frowning as her pained expression popped into his head.

Now he was struggling a lot.

Despite his angelic appearance and small stature, Marko was known to be the most vicious of his brothers. He was brutal when it came to being a vampire, and he loved it. The screams of his victims, the chase, the pain and terror he gave them and the begging they all did when they realized that this was it. Humans were pathetic and he revelled in being their end.

Now, he grimaced as her scared face popped into his head. He never wanted to see her in pain again, and that thought angered him. He lived for pain and fear, he was built to inflict it but when it came to her he couldn't bear the thought of it.  He was uncomfrotable with being the one who was scared for once and...a minuscule part of him wanted nothing to do with this whole mate thing. The rational side, however, knew that there was no getting out of this.

This was the real deal. Even if he tried, he'd never stop thinking of her. The more he pondered it, he didn't really want to stop the constant flood of thoughts about her. He knew he'd be a fool to let this opportunity go just because he was 'scared'.

"Good idea Marko."

"Don't sound so shocked," The pissy man grumped, "It's been known to happen."

Dwayne carried on talking as if a Marko hadn't interrupted, Paul sniggering at his friends offended leer. "We'll go where she was yesterday. Better chance of seeing her."

Finishing his cigarette David scowled at the video shop one last time before he revved his bike and took off, the others following.

It got later and later, the moon rising in the sky making their skin crawl with anxiety as the boys sat waiting, each one festering with more frustration each minute that she hadn't turned up.

Dwayne was sat on the railings behind their bikes, giving himself a bit more height to be able to see above the crowd. Waiting her out had been a good idea, but with their irritation growing their thirst grew rapidly as well.

Another ten minutes passed, and Paul was ready to lose it. As the youngest, he struggled with controlling his emotions—it was the reason as to  why he was never able to sit still for very long, always shifting his feet and dancing or tapping his hands. He was a ball of energy similar to the Sun, waiting to explode, and he couldn't hold on much longer. Energy like this equalled bad things, and if he didn't get it together he'd soon need to find an unwilling neck to tear into.

The others sensed this and were beginning to be effected as well and soon, David grew tired of his brothers anxiety that was making him feel no better than an uncontrollable fledgling, deciding they would just have to look for her the next night.

He'd just begun to give the okay to leave when he finally smelt it.

They all froze and inhaled deeply and as her scent washed over them, their turbulent emotions calmed instantly.

Dwaynes eyes flicked wildly through the crowd until they landed on a small figure at the doughnut stand, and he alerted his brothers. They were relieved to see that she appeared to be by herself, the man seemingly no where in sight. They watched intently as she thanked the man and took a cinnamon sugar doughnut from his hands, biting into it softly.

They were hypnotized by her every move again, watching as her hair blew in the breeze, as she pushed it out of her face before licking her lips to rid them of the sugar coating them.

As stated earlier, Paul had very little self control, so when she did this he couldn't help but groan as he pictured dirty scenarios in his mind, accidently broadcasting the images to his brothers.

Paul, you fucking cretin! Cut that out. Now. David snarked in their heads as he felt them all loosing control.

The sound of their leaders voice snapped them out of it and Marko smacked Paul around the back of the head without ever taking his eyes off her.

Ow! Pauls whine was like a foghorn in their heads, a squeal catching in his throat for real. I can't help it!

She came to a staggering halt, apprehensive, switching her eyes all around her.

Unanticipated, she turned her head in their direction, meeting eyes with David first. Embarrassing for his ego, he nearly gasped as he felt a shudder go through him, the bond between them pushing him.

Get closer...closer.

The intense pull, the tug in the centre of his chest was like a rope connecting their hearts.

She looked at Marko next, then Dwayne and lastly Paul and they all felt the undeniable need to be around her, the feeling nearly yanking them to their knees it was that potent.

So when she only allowed herself to peruse them all thoughtfully for a short moment longer and then turned, starting to walk quickly away...they panicked—it hurt like a stake to the heart to think she was that desperate not to be around them but they couldn't blame her. They weren't exactly approachable.

They felt uncontrollable rage fill them, though, at the thought of her disappearing again and with clouded judgement they dismounted their bikes, urgent to catch up to her. The crowd parted like the red sea for them, only making it easier to reach her.

She had nearly escaped around a corner before David was in arms reach and not thinking, he snagged her wrist with delicate firmness in his gloved hand, careful not to hurt her.

She gasped loudly and spun around, her heart beating unnaturally fast.

"Hello, princess."