Lycan Blood

Page 4

 Inside, people sat on stools, drinking, whilst others huddled in groups. She noticed many people perk up in her presence, eyeing her down. While it made her feel slightly uncomfortable, she was also angry, although she hid it well. They could at least stop staring, Raven thought to herself. Eventually, those facing her did, but she could still feel stares scorch her back as she walked towards the bar. Sitting down on a stool, the bartender standing in front of her, she gestured to a bottle of bourbon on the shelf. Nodding once, he turned around and poured it in a small glass full of ice and slid it to her. After swiftly chugging the glass down, she set it back on the bar, those sitting near her eyeing her down. Across the room, behind a closed door, she heard two men arguing. She listened in for a second, identifying a familiar voice. Before she could react, she was startled by someone behind her, clearing their throat. She swung around to see a handsome man with wavy, short brown hair standing close, looking into her eyes.

"Looks like you needed that drink." He glanced at her empty cup. Raven maintained eye contact.

"What's it to you?" She rebuked. His expression stayed neutral as he took a seat next to her and signaled for the bartender.

"2 more of what the lady had." The bartender, once again, nodded, prepared the drinks, and slid them over. The man glanced over at Raven once more before taking a sip of his drink. "My treat." Before Raven could grab the glass, Theo and another man, dressed professionally in a black suit, appeared. The suited man gazed at her, his hazel eyes cold.

"Uh- Raven, we need to go." Theo looked dark, clearly unhappy about something. Without question, Raven gulped down her drink and rose out of her seat, following behind Theo.

Once the three were outside, they halted. "Theo-" Raven began, but was quickly interrupted by the well-dressed man.

"What's your name?" He interrogated, his voice deep and smooth.

"R-Raven." She stuttered nervously. Something about this man- whether it be his appearance, voice, or the attitude he portrayed- made Raven's heart beat quick.

"Why are you here?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Why are you here?" He repeated in a more hostile tone.

"I have nowhere else to go..." Raven admitted, her voice low. The man thought for a couple of moments.

"Very well." The hostility in his voice disappeared. "I have a place for you to stay. Until I think you can be trusted." His words came out as a command, not an invitation. He was tall, towering over Raven, who was only 5'4''. His dark, black hair was long and wavy on the top, but the sides were faded. Before she had a chance to reply, the man turned around and began walking. "Let's go." She quickly glanced at Theo, who nodded, his head hanging down. Against her better judgment, Raven trailed behind the man, who led her away from the main parts of the town. As soon as she saw the heavily wooded forest, her stomach dropped. I'm gonna die, she thought to herself, tears welling up in her eyes. She stopped in her tracks and her heart began racing. Just as she stopped, the man in front of her turned around, glaring at her. He noticed her eyes watering and rolled his eyes. "Really? Now?" He muttered, annoyed. He stepped closer to her and sternly grasped her wrist, pulling her along. Raven resisted his pull, but the man was too strong for her. Still, she attempted to pull her arm away repeatedly until the man had enough. He pushed her against a tree, pinning her wrists back, and glared at her face. He analyzed her for a couple of seconds, hearing her heart beat rapidly, tears streaming down her eyes. Raven gulped at his cold stare. "Are you afraid of me?" Of course I am! Raven thought. Maybe you're overreacting this- he wouldn't kill you in a suit, right? It looks expensive. It wouldn't look good stained with blood! Snapped out of her thoughts by the man's face inching closer to hers, she heard his smooth voice again. "Well?"

"Y-yes." She hesitated, voice weak. Surprisingly, the man let go of her and backed away. Raven wanted to run- to get away- but for some reason, she didn't.

"I won't hurt you. Let's just get to the house." He backed away and started back on the

walk. Oddly enough, this gave Raven some relief. She couldn't figure out why, though. Any normal person would have taken this opportunity to run- to escape-, but she didn't. Instead, she followed him deeper into the woods.