Immortals

The First Feed

Selena:

"What can I shapeshift into?" I ask, the words tumbling from my mouth before I can stop them. I'm pissed as hell that we were drugged, even more angry that it was an accident in a professional pub that I may have otherwise come to like. She shrugged. "I don't know. It's different for everyone, as are the triggers that cause transformation. The triggers are always strong emotions, though, like grief, rage, hatred, and envy. It all depends on your personality as to what you are and what your trigger is. You'll find out soon enough, I suppose," she says thoughtfully. I almost snarl. She's treating this so casually; and I'm not even a human anymore. Everything that I was was just ripped away from me, and all because she fucked up. Phil starts to hesitantly rub my lower back soothingly, and I force myself to calm down. "Is there anything else I should know about shapeshifting?" I ask, after a moment to compose myself.

"After the first time, you'll be able to change at will. Only the one animal, though," she says, sounding faintly disappointed. I open my mouth to speak, but if she's really a witch like she says, whatever will come out isn't good. "Okay," I say, after a moment, then turn and walk away, Phil coming with me. I duck into the alley, moving away from the street, leaning against the wall and breathing heavy. I glance up at Phil, who's standing next to me, looking concerned. "You're taking this well," I remark. He shrugs. "I could read her mind. She was telling the truth. It'll take some getting used to, but...I don't know. Maybe part me of expects all this to be some crazy dream." I think immediately about telling Lola about what's happening, only to look up and see Phil halfway to the street, pausing to look back at me. "Come on!" he says. "Mind-reading?" I asked, a faint smile on my face, as a bounded up to him. He grins at me. "Of course. You want to tell Lola, so let's go visit her and Dan," he says, throwing an arm around my shoulder. I smile up at him. All right, let's go tell my best friend them I'm a shapeshifter and my other (possibly more than) friend is a mind-reader.

Lola:

I wake up on the floor, in Dan's arms. Both of us are completely covered in blood. I flash back, remember the attack. The blood can't be mine, though, because I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I'm more than fine. Our flat's a mess, the carpet is stained with my lifeblood. I was bleeding to death. I remember. But I'm not dead. I'm very much alive. What's left of the werewolf is in the corner, up against the bookshelf. I feel sick, but in a way, I'm glad he's dead. This way he can't hurt anyone else. I know there are others like them, but maybe they'll learn from this one and won't attack humans. Groaning slightly, I turn my head to look at Dan. He's sitting perfectly still, holding me to him, looking terrified. "How did you know biting me would save me?" I ask, half-expecting my voice to be raspy. Instead, it's smooth.

His eyes focus in on mine, and he looks like my words surprised him. It registers then that maybe he's not surprised about the question I asked, but about the fact that I'm still alive. I know I am. "I-I didn't know," he says softly. "But I had to try. God, did I have to try," he murmurs, sounding lost. I stare up at him in wonder. He saved my life, in more ways than one. He's strong. He can't be human, and as much as that thought scares me, I have to face it. His teeth tell me that he's a vampire.

I was always taught that they were just stories told to frighten children into staying out of the dark. But here I am, in the arms of one such creature. He's not changed, he's still Dan. "Are you a vampire?" I ask, struggling to sit up. Surprisingly, it's really easy to do so. "I think I am," he says, glancing down at a spot on the floor next to me, like he's ashamed of it. "Dan, look at me," I say, and I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to say until it's coming out of my mouth. He turns to look at me, and I meet his eyes, locking gazes with him. "You're still you," I say softly. "It doesn't matter what you are. I love you, and that means I'll stand beside you through thick and thin. We're a team; nothing's gonna change that." His eyes brighten and he pulls me to him in a hug, then kisses me softly on the forehead. "I love you too, Lola," he murmurs. His grip on me is tight, and I feel safe, even though I can't breathe. "Dan, this is touching, but you're suffocating me," I say. He lets go immediately, and we both laugh, and it feels good.