Scarlet Craving

Chapter 16: Scent

Before I could ask Taehyung what was happening he had scooped me up in his arms and strapped me inside the car. He put the car into drive and sped wildly across the road, his expression was hard and panicked as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands. His eyes looked black as they looked at the road, he breathed heavily and gritted his teeth together.

"Taehyung, what is going on?" I asked, slightly scared by his behaviour. I had never seen him this erratic before. He didn't respond to me as he continued to drive down the long stretch of road, just where were we going?

We pulled up to a house I didn't recognise, the shape of it seemed familiar to me somehow though. It was three stories high and almost completely covered in vines and ferns, giving it an almost camouflaged against the trees. The only things that weren't green were a large rounded dark oak door and several french style windows. It looked like something out of a fairytale story.

Taehyung appeared by my side as he shut the car off, lifting me back into the security of his arms as he took me inside. As he set me back down onto my feet I realised where we were, this was his house. I had never seen the outside in the daylight before, that's why I didn't recognise it.

I hadn't even taken a breath before Jimin and Jungkook appeared in front of us, they too looked as unsettled as Taehyung did. Their eyes were red and their teeth were bared, a slight hissing noise was emulating from them. I shrunk slightly behind Taehyung from the intensity of them. "What happened?" Jimin asked, concerned.

"I don't know but it's them," Taehyung answered. Them?

"Did you see them?" Jungkook asked, his hands were balled up tightly into fists at his sides.

"No."

"Taehyung, what is happening?" I asked as I squeezed his arm.

"Then how?" Jimin said, confused.

"They marked Piper." Marked me? What?

"Taehyung, seriously wha-" I began to say but I was cut off by Jimin.

"Do they know we're here?" Jimin asked in a low voice.

Taehyung shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's been so long since we last crossed paths, why now? It doesn't make sense."

"Ah, seriously the smell is making me want to be sick," Jungkook said in a disgusted tone as he held his arm over his nose.

Taehyung held my arm as he led me towards the living room, he removed my coat and threw it into the already lit fire. "HEY!" I said in protest, that was expensive!

"I'll buy you a new one," Taehyung said, not meeting my gaze as he watched my coat disintegrate into the flames.

"Why go through the trouble of marking Piper though?" Jungkook queried. I turned to look at him and Jimin, their eyes were not red anymore and their teeth were hidden but they still had hardened expressions across their faces.

"To mess with us. Piper smells of Taehyung so they would know that that would get back to us eventually." Jimin rubbed his chin as he spoke. Taehyung's scent is on me?

"Hang on a minute, who marked me and how?" I was so confused, no one was explaining anything to me.

"Did you talk to anyone other than Ava today?" Taehyung questioned me from his position by the fire.

I thought back through my day before seeing Taehyung. "I bumped into this guy on my way to seeing you and dropped my bag..."

"Did he do anything else?"

"He grabbed my shoulder.." I placed my hand on my side as I remembered. "And whispered in my ear 'Be sure to be careful next time.' " I shivered slightly as the encounter flashed through my head.

Taehyung clenched his hands into tight fists. "It's definitely them."

"What does this mean then, a fight?" Jungkook looked enthralled by the idea.

"I'm not sure but we should be ready for anything," Taehyung said in a firm voice.

Jimin flashed to Taehyung's side, grabbing his shoulder. "You need to hunt, you're too weak on animal blood."

"What is going on!?" I bellowed. Why was no one explaining what the hell was happening!?

Taehyung turned his head to look at me, his eyes were hard. "Another coven is here." More vampires?

"Yes, and they don't particularly like us." Jimin glared at me as if this was my fault.

"But why?" I asked, confused. Taehyung didn't seem like the type of person to have beef with anyone.

"We don't have to explain anything to a human," Jimin said in a repulsive tone as he took a step toward me. Typically I'd shrink away from his intense glare but I was sick of him treating me like I was some sort of infection. I kept my ground as I locked eyes with him, for a second he looked impressed by my bravery.

Taehyung turned around to face everyone. "Piper will have to stay here for the time being."

"What!?" Both me and Jimin said in unison. Jungkook appeared unbothered by this decision.

"It's too dangerous for her to be anywhere else and they will have memorised her scent, not to mention they've seen her face."

"Who says I'm staying here?" I have my own life I need to get back to.

"Piper, I can't let you wander alone without protection," Taehyung said strongly.

"What about uni? I can't miss classes, I've got assignments coming up!"

"This is bigger than that!" Taehyung began raising his voice.

"You can't keep me here like some prisoner!" I was getting upset. Why would this coven care what I do or don't do? I stomped over towards the door but of course, Taehyung beat me to it.

"Piper, please think about this for a moment."

"Get out of my way!" I tried to move past him but of course, he was like a statue in his position in front of the door, stupid bloody vampires!

He held my arms in place. "Piper I am doing this for you." He tried to say calmly but I could see that his patience was wearing thin, as was mine.

"No! You're doing this for you, not for me! This isn't fair Taehyung." I could feel tears beginning to prick my eyes in frustration at what was happening.

Taehyung sighed deeply before speaking again. "You don't understand...these vampires aren't like us."

"Then explain it to me. You drag me here with no explanation and now you just expect me to just dump everything and stay here?" I was beginning to see red.

"They will kill you!" Taehyung said loudly, his teeth gritted together in anger.

I bit my lip in an effort to not let the tears in my eyes spill out onto my cheeks. I felt like a child having everything decided for me without my consent. A few moments passed and no one spoke. I looked to the ground. "I want to go upstairs," I said in a voice that wouldn't have been audible to human ears.

Taehyung removed his grip from my arms as he stepped away from the door. I walked past him without even looking at him as I bounded my way up the stairs in the direction of his bedroom. Once there I slammed the door shut, my breathing heavy as I looked around the room. I wanted to scream but I knew that wouldn't do me any good, instead, I let myself slide down the door until I reached the floor and cried into my hands.

A/N: Who is this other coven? Why don't they get along with Taehyung? Let me know your theories in the comments!