The Feeder

Bond Blooms

Bond Blooms

As I sat in a forest-like area, I suddenly sniffed the air to discover a scent I've only smelled once before; the scent of dog sweat. Not only did I smell it, I saw it. And the dog I thought I had smelled was really a human a teenage boy. He wasn't going to hurt me because I trusted him to much to run. A bond was made.

***************************************

I have traveled for over 3 hours without stopping. I'm sweaty, dehydrated, and lonely. I said to myself. I need to stop for a few minutes...

I entered a heavily woody area, almost like the forest I lived in my whole life, and walked amongst the story high trees, searching for a tree that had enough shade to cover me while having no leaves layered against the moldy brown forest floor.

I found a decent looking tree that suit my expectations and had almost no leaves around it for a 4 foot radius. Gently, I sat down against the bark of the tree. Placing my suit case and backpack on my lap, I listened to my surroundings.

At first, all I could hear was the gentle, soft breeze of the leaves swaying down from the canopy of brownish treetops above me along with the soft calls of evening owls. After a few seconds, I heard a strangely quick rustle in the leaves coming from about 100 feet away.

I wanted to ask, "Who's there?" but the words couldn't come out of my mouth. Frantically, I cradled up against the tree I was sitting against and managed to take a deep breath in without allowing whoever was nearby to hear me.

Out of nowhere, a foul stench filled my nostrils. I tried not to take in whatever the scent was since it smelt pretty rotten. The stench quickly began to become more and more concentrated. It was becoming stronger and stronger every time I took in a whiff of the unknown smell.

As quickly as I had smelled the stench, I began to remember what it smelled like. At first, it reminded me of feces, in other words animal shit. Then, the smell began to remind me of the scent of animal sweat. Quickly, I realized what the scent truly was.

It was the foul odor of dog drool and sweat.

But I didn't hear any dogs barking within the 100 feet of trees. It couldn't be a dog.

From behind a giant oak tree, I saw a shadow move slowly to my left, its right. Whatever it was, it knew that it wasn't the only "thing" here in the forest with it.

Courageously, I stood up from the cradled position I was in and kicked my backpack behind me. If anything, I had to try to make contact with this "thing", so if anything happens, I'll gain it's trust.

"Hello. Umm, are you lost?" I asked.

"No. I know exactly where I am. You?" Said the thing in a deep tone.

I continued making conversation...

"I'm not lost. I am just resting for a few minutes... So why are you hiding from me if I know that you're watching me, as though you're observing me from a distance? I'm not dangerous you know..."

"Well, you smell odd..."

I stiffened a little once the thing said this because it moved out from behind the tree and walked towards me. The thing was really a teenage boy. I could tell that he was werewolf because the scent was coming from him. I could feel heat radating from his body.

He had dark brown espresso colored hair with mocha tan skin. His eyes were blue, the color of a blue jay but a little lighter. He wasn't wearing a shirt so his whole chest was exposed. Muscles rippled his arms and upper body as though he worked out often. He was wearing a pair of torn, old, raggedy jeans with a handkerchief (dirty with what looked to be sweat and dirt rubbed against its once cream colored fabric) hanging out from his left pocket.

He circled me once before he said anything else. I tried to stay as calm as I could without making him feel awkward. Halfbloods aren't supposed to flinch from werewolves. Werewolves, as you know, are potential mates.

"What are you?" He asked as he sniffed me.

"I'm a halfblood."

The expression on his face changed from curious and amazed. A tiny smile flashed across his bronze face.

"There's only a few of your kind in existence..." he said as he stepped a little closer to me. The expression of his face changed back to curious looking as he stared into my eyes. His eyes were so crystal-like that for a few seconds we were in silence looking into each other's eyes.

I broke the silence by asking him a question.

"I'm guessing you're a werewolf, then."

He nodded yes as he continued to stare into my eyes, as though he saw something mesmerizing in them. As he continued looking into my eyes, he asked me a question.

"What is a beautiful halfblood like yourself doing here in a forest, in the evening, all alone?"

I blushed when he said beautiful and turned around to pick up my bags. I answered his question as I tossed my backpack on and grabbed my suitcase.

"Well, I'm looking for him as in my mate... For the past day I've been searching and I'm not even that close to finding him..."

"How do you know that?" he asked quietly as he offered his hand to me in, as though he wanted to carry my luggage for me. I handed it to him. He grabbed it, and with no effort at all, carried it in his arms. It rubbed against his naked chest... I don't know why but it made me tingle.

"Well, I don't know. If you happen to be him, I wouldn't really know unless I felt a..."

At the same time we said, "Bond."

I looked down at the forest's damp, brown, moldy floor, blushing because of the connection. Was he the one? He couldn't be. I didn't know anything about him.

The next thing I knew, he was carrying my backpack and started to walk towards the east or the direction I had heard him walk from before.

Instead of asking him where he was going with my stuff, I followed him because, seemingly, he wanted to guide me.

"So, why was a hunk like yourself in the forest venturing by yourself? Just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you're invincible." I asked jokingly. I heard him chuckle a laugh and then he answered me.

But before he did answer me, he looked at me, then away from me, and paced back and forth for a few seconds. He seemed like he was nervous and was trying to find the appropriate words to explain why. He didn't really look that very nervous just uncertain. Then, he slowly managed to answer me.

"You see, there have been sightings of a... vampire who is feeding off children nearly 25 miles away from the small town I live in. 4 children have been found dead. And, they assigned me to find that vampire and kill it. Obviously you're not that vampire, right? Then, I'd have to kill you."

I stood there shocked.

"No," I answered softly. "I only drink animal blood, as in cow, bird, bear, and deer. I also eat 'normal' food as in bread, pasta, fish, and all the other varieties of food in the food groups. Would you of killed me if I told you I was a vampire and not a halfblood?"

He was silent.

After about half an hour of walking through the forest side-by-side with him, I asked, "I don't think I introduced myself, neither did you. My name is Ella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ella. My name is Javin." I saw him smile. In his eyes I saw twinkling stars shining. I was walking through the night with a werewolf.

A gorgeous, mysterious, amazingly sculpted werewolf named Javin.

*****************************************