The Wanted Royal

Chapter Four

Livia takes the train to upstate New York and after a cab drive and a short hike she finds her self in the middle of the woods in an area unclaimed by any packs, she found it as soon as she moved to New York. She pulls off her tight tank top and shorts required by her job and folds them neatly on the ground. Then she slips off her bra and panties before giving in to her werewolf side and shifting. Every birthday she comes to these woods and runs under her birthday moon, reveling in the ancient werewolf custom. The only time she feels truly free is when the wind is whipping through her fur and she can splash in the creek that run through the woods. Livia continues until she is exhausted then hiked back to the nearest town and calls a cab to the train. Her arms and legs feel heavier than usual but she just figures it's from running so much after working almost off the night. She sees the beautiful sun begin to rise and realizes she was gone all night. By the time she is walking into her apartment building the sun is blazing and it's uncomfortable on her skin, although it doesn't burn her like full vampires. Livia locks her apartment behind her and goes straight to the bed and closes her eyes hoping for a dreamless sleep.

Hours later she wakes up in agony. Her throat feels like she swallowed fire and her veins feel like sandpaper rubbing together. She was starving but in too much pain to move, her limbs wouldn't listen to her anyways. Then it dawns on her, she hasn't had blood in months and then she shifted which is taxing on her body. She curses herself for being so stupid. She looks over at her phone on the table wishing she could will herself to reach out and grab it but she was frozen in pain. Tears ran out of her eyes and she urges herself to think of something else. Max, think of Max Liv, she thinks and tries to imagine their first encounter.

..................

Liv had only been out of her pack for two months and was walking through downtown Chicago, completely overwhelmed by all the noise which invaded her newly evolved vampire hearing. She could smell the blood running through people's veins and felt her fangs elongate poking her bottom lip. Her eyes started to tear up not wanting to feed again but having no control. She hears a gunshot in an alley next to her and goes that way. She sees a body on the ground and smells the blood instantly. She sees the men standing above the body before they see her. With her new speed she grabs the guy with the gun and buries her face in his neck. His heart quickly stops and she turns to the others who stand shocked as the young girl stares at them hungrily with the blood of their friend dripping off her chin. She grabs two of them and throws them agains the wall knocking them out and buries her head in the thirds neck until there was no more blood in him. The bloodlust completely taking her over until she didn't have any control over herself. She stalks towards the other two unconscious bodies filled with delicious blood. Suddenly she is pushed backwards and hit the wall hard. She hisses and faces whatever pushed her. She sees a beautiful man but the fangs poking out of his frown showing that he is not a man at all.
"Ah you were not hard to find young halfling. Not with the trail of bodies you have been leaving," he tells her. She freezes when she realizes he knows what she is. She launches at him and manage to get her nails into the side of his neck but he soon has her laying on her back with him holding her throat roughly and his knee on her chest.
"You may be a halfling but I am much older and much better trained then you. I will let you up if you are calmed down," he warns her, the golden in his green eyes eyes flashing. She nods but as soon as he lets her up she heads for the other unconscious bodies.
"Stop Livia," the vampire warns. "The hunger is new to you. But you have to control it or it will destroy you. You don't need the blood, you've had your fill," but she doesn't listen and bends down ready to bite when a pain inside her head explodes and she falls into darkness.

She wakes up in a strange apartment and looks around the room. She grabs a lamp as a weapon and heads out. She finds the vampire sitting on the couch and he smiles at her.
"Hello halfling," he says with a grin.
"Where the hell am I? And what did you do to me?" She asks still holding the lamp.
"Knocked your head against the wall, and this is my humble abode. I'm Max by the way. And the covens sent me to find you and bring you back," he says with a grimace. She grips the lamp so tight that it snaps in half.