Her New Moon

27

"Left!"

Snarls and growls erupted the forest. Driana and the pack tirelessly chased Victoria. The girl counted that it's been two weeks since they tracked the nomadic vampire. Tonight continues to be one of their agitating hunts.

"Jared, do you see her?"

Jared, known to be the pack's best eyesight, barked, changing direction in his path. The wolves and Driana followed him, getting a glimpse of bright red-orange hair. Using her powers, Driana created an image of Victoria. However, the vision was blurred. An irritated alarm triggered in her head.

"I am not letting her get away!" Driana roared angrily.

Sprinting past Jared, she focused on Victoria. Even if Driana had handled being a vampire, Billy Black continued his concerns. The longing to be human again clouded her thoughts. She resented Victoria with passion. If it weren't for that vampire, Driana would have stayed mortal. It gave her motivation to capture and kill for revenge.

Ignoring the pack who bark-howled for her, she chased Victoria alone. The woods stayed quiet, aware of the two blood-sucking predators that roamed. Light on her feet, she jumped to the tree's highest point, relying on her abilities to lead her to Victoria. Scanning continuously, a flash of bright red-orange went up the slope. Driana lept from tree to tree before jumping down. Thrown backward, she rolled on the ground.

"Victoria!" Driana hissed, surveying her surroundings as she stood up. "Hiding, are we?" She used her powers, seeing a blurred vision of Victoria watching her. "That's cheating, isn't it?" Victoria moved to a different location every second. "Is this how you fight? Constantly running away?" The vampire watched her from a tree. "You had chances to have your way with me. Yet, you allowed Laurent to do your dirty work. That's a shame. Such a pity." Victoria jumped from the tree, landing a few yards behind the girl. "James would've done it in a heartbeat."

Driana smirked, knowing his name had set Victoria off. The nomadic vampire lunged at Driana. The girl stayed in Victoria's vision, catching the vampire off-guard as she turned around. Driana grabbed Victoria, aiming her at the rock that crumbled under the vampire's hardened skin. Victoria growled, clasping a hand on Driana's throat and slamming her on the ground. Russet fur knocked Victoria off Driana, and the vampire escaped again.

"No!" Driana shouted. She got up before being blocked by Jacob. "Jake, move!"

Jacob nudged her to head back.

"She's escaping!" Driana reasoned, frustratingly pointing in Victoria's direction.

Jacob huffed, pushing her. Driana sighed, angrily giving up. She and Jacob ran to where they'd meet the pack at Thunder Lake. They began shifting back into their human forms once Driana arrived. Sam shook his head back and forth, trying to control his anger. Paul grabbed Driana's arm, pulling her away from Sam.

"Step aside, Paul," Sam ordered a hesitant Paul, who unwillingly moved. Sam forced himself to be calm. However, annoyance was evident in his voice. "Driana! Don't you ever run without us!"

"Why?" Driana pressed. "Because it's dangerous? I grabbed hold of her, Sam!"

"Last we checked, she had you!" Sam recalled. "You were alone, about to die!"

"Perhaps I lack in skill compared to her old ass," Driana scoffed. "But I can still take her! She was surprised when I found her."

"And what if she finds you?" Sam countered. "Imagine we weren't around. If one of us were, it wouldn't be enough to protect you."

"I got better at taking care of myself," Driana seethed. "I'm still a new vampire, I understand. But would it kill you to quit harboring me every single day? The only privacy I get is when you sleep. Sam, let's face it. The protection was never for me, but those around me."

Sam closed his mouth, speechless. Not even the pack could form words. Driana took their silence as a confirmation. She chuckled bitterly, crossing her arms. Sam facepalmed, rubbing his temples with his index and thumb.

"Is that what you believe?"

"Yes," Driana replied flatly. "Billy's voice is in your head, constantly reminding you of what I am. It bothers me. As soon as I was no longer a human part of the protection plan, I became what the humans need protection from. I mean so little to the people I thought would be there for me."

"We never left," Jacob told her.

"You will one day," Driana spoke low. "I'm forever the enemy of your kind. I won't be surprised you'll all turn your backs on me."

Sam grabbed her in a bone-crushing hug, and the rest of the pack joined. Driana couldn't speak. Non-existent tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried budging her way out, but the pack's strength didn't allow her.

"Do you not see how important you are to us?" Jared asked.

"If not letting you go doesn't prove it," Sam spoke. "We don't know what else does."

"The first time I shifted, you said I wouldn't go through it alone," Embry remembered. "This is us showing you that you aren't going through your transformation by yourself."

"Forget what my dad says," Jacob told her. "We'll prove to his face that you're no danger."

"Who knows? You'll be the first in our history to have walked our lands without harming a human," Paul encouraged. "Maybe the treaty will lift for you, allow you back onto the rez."

"Do you guys think so?" Driana asked, voice wavering. "That one day I'll be back on the rez?"

Sam bit the inside of his cheek, giving the girl space. He thought for a moment, his expression unreadable. The pack gave each other looks. Driana cradled herself, negatively thinking the hopes were too good to be true. Paul wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"It's time we visit the council," He told her.

"All of us," Sam confirmed, nodding at Driana.

Jacob smiled, rubbing his hands together. "I can't wait to see the look on my dad's face."