Realm of the Rogues

Chapter XXV

So here I am. In a city that I don't know. On a dark road in the middle of fucking nowhere. My heart beating so fast that I feel like I'm about to pass out.

I don't even know what I'm running from, but I feel like I can't stop unless I want to die. But at the same time, I know I will die if I don't stop.

I try to hop over a piece of pavement sticking up due to a root growing underneath it. The problem is that I spot it too late from the lack of lighting, and my legs can't physically lift themselves that high anymore. Result; I fall to the ground and scratch my palms bloody. 

I want to get up, but my body is so heavy as if someone had put big flour bags all over it. At this point, I just give up. I begin crying but I am so drenched in sweat, that I don't feel anything as my cheeks and neck get the additional liquid.

I don't get to lie in my misery for long, however, before I am effortlessly lifted to my feet by a pair of strong arms. The person is standing behind me and I just let my head fall back onto their shoulder from exhaustion with a struggling sigh leaving my lips.

"Pull yourself together". I expect Kai's voice, but instead, it is a deeper more raspy voice. A slight jolt goes through my body from the surprise. As I am on my feet I turn around to face the man.

It's him. The vampire. But I'm not surprised.

"Who are you?" I ask, my voice just barely making its way out of my dry throat.

"Dom," he answers me. He looks at me with a hint of curiosity in his dark red, almost black eyes. I just stare back, not quite sure what to say.

"What are you?" He asks me, breaking the silence. I am quite shocked by this question. Mostly because I don't even know how to answer it.

"Werewolf. I think... And you are a vampire," I state. He nods.

"You don't smell like a werewolf." He lifts his hand to my neck, moving my hair aside, and looks at the bite mark on my shoulder. "And you don't taste like one." 

I breathe superficially, scared of what he might do next.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't want to taste you again." He says, leaving his mouth slightly open. I just stare at him with wide scared eyes. He looks up from my wound and wink at me, causing him to smile a bit and show a fang.

I blink a couple of times and swallow, trying to water my throat. He sees me struggling.

"Need some extra saliva?" He almost laughs at me. I can't help but feel a bit unsettled.

"Uhm-," I begin but get cut off by the sound of Hera howling. I look back over my shoulder and spot her silhouette approaching from down an alleyway. Kai is jogging behind her. I must have outrun them when I turned a street.

I look back at Dom, but he is gone. I look around and spot him on a roof giving me a small wave and playfully blowing me a kiss. Then, he is off.

"Wait on us another time, will ya?" Kai shouts at me as they are approaching. I just drop my head down. I'm so exhausted. I want to tell them about my encounter with Dom, but first off, it seems too time- and energy-consuming to retell it. And secondly, as I go the meeting through in my head again, I realize how stupid I must have looked, and honestly, I feel ashamed. 

The very first time I meet Dom, the vampire who has been stalking us for days, and I just stand there like an idiot. He had complete control over me. I'm helpless.

As Kai and Hera now stand only a couple of feet away, I let myself fall to the ground. I let out a deep sigh of frustration. "Please help me," I almost whisper. Hera trots over to me and falls down beside me with her head in my lap. She looks up at me with eyes filled with compassion. 

Kai is still standing at a respectful distance from us. I can't decipher the look on his face. At first glance, he looks thoughtful, but a certain furrow in his brow gives his face a hint of guilt. He notices that I'm looking at him, which prompts him to approach us with hasty steps. He scoops an arm around me and lifts me to my feet with ease.

"Come on, we need to move." As he is about to walk, he stops and locks eyes with Hera. After a second or two, he lightly nods, before lifting me and placing me on Hera's back. I look confused at Kai, and then down at Hera, who just bows her head in approval.

"Respectfully, it's so you don't slow us down," Kai throws at me. Wow, thanks. Way to beat me when I'm already on the ground. Hera glances up at me with a look that says 'Sorry about that'. I just roll my eyes, before leaning forward into Hera. I place my arms down Hera's shoulders and grab onto the fur on her chest, just before she sprints off right behind Kai, who has now shifted as well.

With lightning speed, we run down the street, and not long after, we are back into the woods. I throw a glance back over my shoulder into the city. I spot Dom kneeling on a rooftop. He lifts his left hand in a reserved wave. I can't help but feel drawn to him. Definitely only out of morbid curiosity, I try to convince myself.

I turn my head to look forward again. Under me, I feel Hera's warmth flow to me, which gives a weird contrast to the cold air blowing in my face. I put my head down on her. The motion of her smooth running mixed with her powerful heartbeat soon makes me drift off.