The Chase

The Chase Ch. 10

 Ginger's P.O.V

Leaving all my embarrassment at the door, I breathed in deeply and signaled for us to move out. The screaming had begun. We’d stayed much too long. If only Thad hadn’t… I shook my head fiercely. This was no time to fantasize. Moving silent in the night, we half walked, half ran back to the safe house. It was surprising that I wasn’t scared. I glanced over at Thad who happened to already be staring at me. I quickly looked away.

“We’re almost there,” I informed everyone. “Half a mile at best.”

                Donovan and Luke nodded urgently, eyes scanning for the slightest movement in the shadows. Thad could’ve easily ran faster than us but he kept pace. He only wants to be near me, I thought. My pace was slowing noticeably.

“Are you alright?” asked Luke.

“Yeah I’m fine. I’m just daydreaming,” I said, picking up the pace.

                A bloodcurdling scream shredded across the sky and I had to cover my ears.

“That sounded like…” Donovan began.

“Sadie!” Luke finished.

                We sprinted towards the safe house. My lungs were on fire but I pushed myself forward. Donovan noticed I was struggling to keep up and stopped.

“Get on,” he said, turning his back to me.

This was no time to be Wonder Woman so I got on. “Thanks.”

                I felt like I was flying. Donovan ran pretty fast even if he was carrying someone as heavy as me and our four guns. For some reason, I felt as if I should look to my left. Thad was staring Donovan down, not even watching where he was running.

                Luke made it to the safe house before anyone else. He secretly had a crush on Sadie and I promised never to tell. It was so obvious though. The boy was hopeless. Luke shoved the door open and ran inside. Donovan, Thad, and I followed shortly after.

                Sadie was rolling on the floor, screaming in pain. Emma looked paralyzed with fear.

“What happened?” I shouted, hopping off Donovan’s back.

‘I don’t know,” Emma stammered. “She just started screaming.”

                I felt for the vial in my pocket, wondering if we were too late.

“Hold her down,” I ordered.

                Luke and Donovan pinned her thrashing limbs while I retrieved the vial. Using the syringe, I punctured the little bottle and filled the needle to capacity.

“This is going to sting,” I warned Sadie just as Enoch had done for me.

                Since we didn’t have any tourniquets handy, I couldn’t find a vein. Thad shoved me aside.

“Move,” he said, taking the needle from me.

                In less than a second he found a vein and injected Sadie. Her screaming ceased only to begin anew.

“I’m going to throw up,” Sadie said.

                Thad was upstairs and back down in a flash. Handing the bucket to Sadie, he took a step back. Donovan and Luke retreated as well. Nobody likes puke. I held Sadie’s hair back as she vomited. I heard an animal-like sniff from behind me and then a growl. I glanced in the bucket and noticed Sadie’s “vomit” was blood.

“Thad don’t!” I screamed, jumping between him and Sadie.

                Too late. He’d already lunged forward. Slamming into me, he growled ferociously.

“Stop it,” I said, holding him back with every ounce of energy I had.

                Before Luke and Donovan could step in, Thad seemed to deflate. He stepped away and instead ran upstairs.

Cocking his gun, Donovan said, “Looks like someone needs to learn a lesson.”

Luke, surprisingly, agreed. “I want to help.”

                I ran to the staircase and stood in front of it.

“I’ll take care of him,” I said. “You guys stay with Sadie and keep me updated on her condition.”

                The guys unwillingly agreed and I hurried up the stairs. I searched every room but couldn’t find Thad. My room was the last one left. I opened the door and stepped in.

“I’m sorry,” came a voice from behind me.

                I jumped and instinctively drew my gun. Realizing it was just Thad, I lowered my weapon.

“What the hell man?” I said.

“I told you. I can’t control myself yet.”

“Well you better learn and fast because that little stunt you just pulled almost cost you your life. I swear if I didn’t let you drink my blood I would’ve let Donovan and Luke come up here and pump you full of bullets.”

“I’m sorry,” Thad repeated in a whisper.

                He crossed over to me and pulled me towards him. His lips brushed the skin of my collarbone and the hollow of my neck. Looking at me with desire, he gently tugged on my bottom lip.

“You know,” he began. “It’s about dinnertime for me and I’m starving.”

“Yeah me too,” I said, attempting to twist out of his grasp. He held on tight however. “There’s food downstairs,” I stammered, nodding towards the door.

“No. My meal is right here,” he growled.

                He bared his fangs and scraped the side of my neck.

“Thad, don’t,” I whispered.

                Part of me wanted to hit him but another part of me was screaming for him to bite me. I felt conflicted.

“You don’t want to feel it again?” Thad asked, playing with my hair. “Huh Ginger?”

                The way he said my name made me want to just let him have his way. Defeated, I stopped struggling.

“This is the last time.”

                Clearly excited, Thad pulled me closer. He let his hands trail down my back and stop at my waist. He gripped it tightly and bit down on my neck. It felt sensational. A slight moan escaped my lips. Thad gripped me tighter and suddenly we were against the wall. He lifted me off the floor and wrapped my legs around him. I could hear him gulping down my blood. He detached his fangs from my neck and looked into my eyes.

“I’m done,” he said, searching my eyes.

“Ok,” I breathed.

                His eyes drifted to the still bleeding wound on my neck. He sealed it and lapped up the blood that had dripped onto my collar. We went back to staring at each other. My breathing was heavy as I stared into his seemingly bottomless eyes. I kissed him but instead of kissing back, he let me down.

“We should go downstairs,” he said. He wiped all traces of blood from his mouth and took my hand. “Let’s go.”