Night Shade | The Lost Boys

Chapter Seventeen

It should terrify her how easy this was. How easy it was to slip into another skin. To be someone else. But was she being someone else? Or was she embracing a part of herself that she had never even known had existed in the first place?

"Blood?"

She smiled at Laddie. The look on his face was one that she often saw on Sam's when he did not understand a conversation between his siblings. She knew the expression well which meant that she also knew how to deal with said expression. She reached out and placed her hand over his own, "It will all be okay, Laddie. I promise."

Without looking away from Laddie, she called out, "Need some muscle down -"

She did not even get to finish her sentence before she was cut off by "Lil' Bit, you called for a handsome piece of muscle. I have delivered."

"Didn't say the handsome part but whatever makes you feel better."

"I call outrage."

"And I call bull."

She let go of Laddie and turned toward Paul and Marko who stood behind her. They both appeared to be amped up and ready to invade the party happening behind them. One look over their shoulder found that Dwayne and David were walking around the outside of the bonfire, talking to one another. As though he could feel her eyes on him, David met her gaze over the roaring flames, his own sheltering a form of chaos that she wished to unearth. She pulled her eyes from his and back to the present.

"Make it hurt."

Marko and Paul both looked at her and then to the boy that was behind her, a question in both of their eyes. She shook her head at them as if to say Not now but later. Bell turned her head back to Laddie, "I need you to stay right here and close your eyes okay."

He looked up at her with brown eyes that reminded her of Michael's, "Why do I need to close my eyes?"

She leaned forward and put her hand over his eyes as she said, "Keep them closed and, whatever you do, don't look. Everything will be okay."

He nodded from underneath her hand and she removed it slowly, watching to see if he opened his eyes to look at her. Don't open your eyes Laddie. I can't protect you if you open your eyes. A silence followed as she watched him before heaving herself up with a sigh. It was time.

"This is pure instinct, poison. We're here with you."

"Your family is here with you, Lil' Bit."

Bell let those words wash over her. She could do this. There was so much on the line. This was not a simple decision. This was her future. This was fate. Who was she to deny fate her request?

Her eyes were locked on the young couple not far ahead of her. The ones that were laughing and having the time of their lives after shattering the heart of the kid behind her. The kid that her heart thought looked so much like Sam. It only made sense that this would be it for her first. Her first kill. A deep breath consumed her lungs as she began to step toward them. They were so wrapped up in one another that they did not even notice her slow approach. Just one more step. Right behind them now, she could hear the girl speaking, "Can you believe that kid thought I wanted to go on a date with him?"

The guy laughed, "Who would want a freak like that?"

She watched as the girl turned to head toward the fire, leaving her 'boyfriend' alone by the water. This was it. Her hand rose up to brush across his shoulder, "Hello."

The way the boy jumped would have made her laugh under normal circumstances. In another life, it would have endeared him to her. But when she looked at him, all she could think about was David. The warm spice that wrapped around her when he was near. His near constant presence in her mind. How could anything else or anyone compare when she had that waiting for her? She painted a soft smile on her face as the young man stared down at her, "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm a bit lost and was wondering if you could help me?"

She made sure that her top was just a little too low as she asked. Her lips had been painted red before they made it to the fire and she made sure to catch her bottom one in her teeth. Bell could see the exact moment he was hers, "Yeah, I mean. Where are you trying to go?"

"I dropped my car off on Old Dell Road and wanted to take a walk along the beach. But I think that I got turned around and I don't know the way back. Can you show me?"

The entire time she was speaking, she was leaning closer to him. Bell watched as he began to lean into her, his head bending down so he could hear her better. Music from the boom box close to the fire drifted to them near the water. Another noise began to take over her mind. Thump. A solid beat. Thump. His heartbeat was quickly becoming all she could focus on. With him leaned over her as he was, it placed his neck not far from her face.

His face was turned away from her when he said, "I know the way. I can show you the right way to go."

Bell turned his head to her own, looking him in the eye, "Thank you."

He smiled at her, "It's no problem. I don-"

She tightened the grip she had on his face, "Truly thank you."

Bell felt her face change, her vision becoming sharper and her mouth suddenly feeling too small. His expression went from mindless to terrified in an instant. She pulled him closer as he began to fight her. Thump thump. The noise was becoming louder. Thump. She never knew she possessed this kind of strength. Thump. Her gaze was focused on the location of that pounding that was quickly filling her head. She could not look away. It was calling to her.

"How does it feel?"

She didn't even recognize her own voice. It was dark and melodic. There was a rich quality to it that she knew she lacked before David and the others had ambushed her life. The boy's response was a shaky, "What?"

She leaned closer to him, only stopping when her lips brushed her ear, "How does it feel to be overpowered by a freak?"

Bell gave him no time to respond. She reared back and struck. Thump. That glorious sound was all she could hear. Thump thump thump. It was beating louder. Her teeth pierced the skin of his thick neck and immediately she was drinking him down. He didn't taste like David. She didn't think there was anyone that could. David was hers. His blood was hers. Just like her own was his to keep. The blood filling her now did not have his note of spice but it was richer than water. It poured through her like gasoline. Lighting her body afire. She could distantly hear the cries of the others around the fire. The laughter of Paul and Marko echoed with the pounding of her prey's heart. Thump. It was weaker now. The fight was leaving him. Still she continued to drink. And drink. And drink some more. He began to collapse to the ground and she followed him down, clutching at him. Thump. It was silent now.

A hand landed on her shoulder causing her to rise up to strike out at whoever was coming between her and what was hers. The hand on her shoulder was quick to wrap around her throat, a warm body flat against her own. The body on the ground behind her lay forgotten with the prize that was placed in front of her.

David.

You did so good, flower. His face was covered in the evidence of this evening, the distant firelight highlighting the grim crimson stains. His eyes were bright sapphires as they stared down into her own. Her own hands that had lifted up to strike whoever had touched her were not gripping onto his chest. The hand that was at her throat tightened briefly and she let out a weak whimper at the sensation. Like lighting, he pulled her flush against him. His head bent down toward her own and Bell lifted hers to meet him. Instead of the kiss that she thought awaited her, he licked the base of her chin before following it with small kisses around her mouth. Is he cleaning the blood? A rumbling erupted from his chest, a noise that was soon echoed by one that came out of her own. He drew back from her face and his free hand rose up to run down the bridge of her nose, his touch softer than she would expect at this moment. His voice was quiet, "So beautiful like this, Belladonna."

She felt the harsh features that had overtaken her melt away to her softer appearance at his words. Her hands that had been pinned between their two bodies reached up to yank his face back down to hers. The taste of copper and spice was immediately on her tongue as her mouth opened to his. The hand that was on her throat remained as his other hand buried itself into her curls.

"Let the good times roll, Lil' Bit."

A night for the ages and one to remember for years to come. She had one last thought before losing herself completely in David's embrace.

What do we do with Laddie?