Anti-Hero || Leah Clearwater

13 - Something I wait for

"'Cause I, I
I don't know how to feel
But I wanna try
I don't know how to feel
But someday, I might
Someday, I might"

What Was I Made For? - Billie Eilish

Even though Leah had only been in Volterra for a few days, she was starting to recognized the streets and their shops.

Despite the familiarity she now had with those ancient buildings and narrow streets, she tried to remain as careful as possible, since she knew well that it was easy to run into a vampire on those streets.

The sun was high and, even if it was February, the temperature wasn't too cold. She could get used to that sun that often peeked out, even after hours of grey sky.

Leah reached the city park, which also had archaeological ruins, and decided to sit on one of the benches. There were several children around with their parents, so it must have been Saturday or Sunday. By now she had completely lost track of time. She had become so fixated on what was happening to her, at the moment, that she didn't even have the slightest idea how all that time had passed so quickly.

She grabbed her phone and looked at it. She had turned it off two days ago and had not yet found the courage to turn it back on. Would she find calls from her mother? From Seth? From Jacob? They had probably already seen the tapes and knew who she had run away with. She wondered absently if any of them had understood the truth by now, that no one had forced her to leave... or rather, that she no longer had any will in front of her imprinting.

She wondered if the other members of the pack also felt so subjugated at times, as if they had been robbed of any possibility of choice. Her mind, her thoughts, were always the same, but in the background there was always only one thought: him.

Leah sighed loudly. She had to find the courage to go back to the apartment, try to talk to Felix and maintain a minimum of civility at least until they came to a conclusion, which Leah feared would be only one: to separate and continue each with their own life, as if nothing had happened.

A gust of wind blew her way and Leah immediately sensed the presence of a vampire approaching. She didn't recognize his scent, so she knew she had never met him before.

The park was crowded with people, so she doubted that anyone there was looking for her. And even if they were, she didn't think they would try to attack her in broad daylight.

She looked around. It shouldn't be difficult to spot the only creature there whose skin was glistening in the sun.

She remained seated on the bench, watching the people around her. A short time later, she spotted a man walking towards her. He was not very tall, and his eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses and a baseball hat. His hands were in his pockets, hiding the little bit of skin that was left uncovered.

He stopped in front of her, his back to the sun, to cover himself and to shadow Leah's face.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice falsely polite. Could she have at least an hour of peace? Was that too much to ask?

The vampire took off his sunglasses and Leah saw something that surprised her: his eyes were not dark red, but amber.

"No, but I think I can help you."

§

The second vampire she had taken a road trip with in less than two months. For a shape-shifter, it was clear that her survival instinct wasn't the best.