Turned

Chapter Seventy Five

I stayed with Leo to let Matt get some sleep, or at least, that's what I told him. In truth, I wanted him out the way in case Leo tried anything. He looked so clueless, helpless and I genuinely felt sorry for him, but I remembered everything, the painful hunger, the need to feed, to kill and I wasn't going to risk it, Matt wasn't going to get hurt because of Leo or me, I was determined to do what I could, to help him, no matter what would happen to me, as long as Matt was safe.

If Matt knew what I was up to, he'd tell me to stop trying to protect him, he'd tell me to push on, to help Leo get out of the mess he made but I didn't want to risk Matt's life, I couldn't risk his life.

Whoever made Leo, knew what they were doing, there were clear signs of it but oddly, Leo hadn't started healing yet, since I didn't remember what happened to me when I was made, it was murky and had handfuls of uncertainty, I couldn't be sure it wasn't natural. 

He'd been bitten once; the teeth had gone straight into the vein for a quick and easy kill. Apparently, the skill it took to turn someone was beyond most vampire's abilities, something I admittedly believed. It took a lot of patience, control, too much in fact, for the likes of me, who would try and probably end up killing the poor person, missing the vein and making it slow and painful, before finally drinking enough to begin the turn, if they didn't die from blood loss, thanks to my lack of experience.

"My head" Leo groaned as he sat up. "What... what happened?"

"You got drunk... again, don't you remember anything else?"

"What's there to remember? I drank... spoke to some... some woman and I... I don't remember"

"What woman?" I asked.

"You expect me to remember? No point... she left with her boyfriend... where am I?"

"Matt's flat"

"Matt... why is Matt here? I'm confused"

"He lives here?" I replied in my own state of confusion, fighting back frustration.

He just sat there in confusion. It was as if he didn't even know where he was. I was worried, confused but I kept quiet, I had to. How was I going to tell him? Who was going to tell him that he was a vampire now, that instead of alcohol, he'd want blood, lots of it too... I couldn't. I couldn't tell him anything, it was all just wrong, all of it.

Matt snored loudly as I tried to work out what to say to Leo. He covered his ears in anger and confusion as he asked, "can he be any louder?"

I didn't know what to say, I shrugged my shoulders, pretending I couldn't hear Matt snoring like a bear but I could.

Leo tried to leave but for the safety of others, I couldn't let him go, if he did, he'd wonder off as a monster, hunting and killing. He would be going off into the world, not knowing who or what he was, so, I couldn't let him go, it wouldn't be right to let him go.

"Jack, what's going on?". When I didn't answer, his eyes filled with tears. "Please, tell me, what's going on?!"

I sat him down and told him he had to stay, if I had to, I'd force him to stay, hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't have to. I texted Caleb, hoping he'd answer his phone. I opened the door quickly as he arrived, glaring at me viciously. 

"I told you I don't get involved with baby vampires... you're still one yourself, turn it out and leave it"

"It? He's a person" I snapped.

"He's a vampire, he belongs to someone now, find that someone and make them look after their property"

"He is not property" I snapped again.

"Oh, whatever" Caleb replied with a sigh of defeat as he shuffled around with his large bag, opening it to reveal a large bottle. "Give it to him, hopefully everything will fall into place"

I brought it over to Leo, silently. His instincts took over and I saw the monster desperate for blood, draining it quickly, all while imagining it was a human. I could see him doing that, I could see him killing someone with no way of stopping it.

"You look like you could use a drink" Caleb commented.

"I'll be fine" I snapped.

He shrugged his shoulders and offered me a small bottle. "Come on, do you really think you can fight the newly turned in your current state?". I didn't know how to answer, so I didn't. He just rolled his eyes at my stupidity and handed it to me. "You know you need it" he said.

"But I..." I began.

"Stop fighting what you are, or you'll end up hurting those you claim to love" he warned with a tone of sadness that I rarely heard from someone like him, so dark and cold.

I wanted to go up to him, to ask him why but I stopped myself as he turned and left. The coldness left the room, leaving Leo downing the bottle of blood, me, staring down at my own, wondering how long I could last without it then it became not just about my life but his too, Matt's.

He was vulnerable, especially when asleep, if I wasn't careful, if I wasn't strong enough to resist and to stop Leo, I could join him and kill my own best friend.

"Jack, what is this? This is so good!" Leo exclaimed.

I wanted to tell him but at the same time... I couldn't. I didn't want to hurt him like that, I didn't want to burst his bubble when he realised he'd be like that forever, that no matter what he did or what he wanted, he wouldn't change back, he'd forever be alive, that he'd be drinking blood for the rest of eternity, without ever knowing just how long that would be.