tongue twister • paul lahote

xvi

T H E N I G H T W A S still as Paul watched out the window from his messy bed. Santana laid cocooned within blankets and her eyes were closed in deep slumber. He loved when she slept. Her peacefulness was calming to him. He was tired, but his mind would not allow him to sleep over protecting her small, frail body. Protection triumphed rest. He took in the small parts of everything, Santana's guitar in the corner of the room that looked well used. When the wind knocked against the outdoors, the strings vibrated with such a slight sound he would be the only one that could hear it. Clothes scattered the floors, the few holes in the walls from bad days. On the dresser, his small personal objects mixed with some of Santana's. she was there enough to hold her own spots for her things. Her perfume, which smelled of alcohol to him but to a normal person, it smelled like vanilla. Lotions, hair elastics, and a box of tampons he bought in an emergency. That made him laugh when he thought of it.

He watched her chest fall and rise with her breathing. Her dark eyelashes casted shadows on her cheeks in the moonlight. Her pink lips, round and slightly parted. She was beautiful to him in every way. He tried to piece her together like a puzzle, but she was one with the strange cut edges. It wasn't easy. She was sensitive, and seemed like she needed protection. In reality, she was stronger than a rock and could fight or herself or anyone around her. She was soft, and gentle but could turn to thorns if she had to. She was full of love, but it was repressed by hurt. She was guarded.

Out of the corner of Paul's eyes, a flash of red appeared. In the window, stalking. His head snapped and his skin boiled. The sickly sweet smell made his stomach turn. Instantly, a reply in his head. They could hear him, the feelings he felt, his brothers felt too. He agilely slid out of bed and a flash of red eyes in the window caught his. A gutty growl escaped his throat. He slid the window open and locked it as it shut. He transformed mid air as he jumped from the sill. His claws dug deep in the damp soil, his back legs wound up in a leap, and he was running. Breaking through the trees, the smell of green and moss filled his snout.

He was running fast enough that his surroundings were a blur. He had one focus in mind, the redhead dancing around the shrubs and the tree trunks in front of him. He was too focused to realize that his brothers had joined him in the chase, their paws hitting the ground in sync as they ran. The snarls and snapping of their mouths would be enough to scare anyone, but she was fearless. A demon in a human body. They ran until they couldn't anymore.

****

Santana woke up with a startle. It was early enough the sun was just beginning to rise. The ceiling fan was unsteady, wobbling with every turn. But that wasn't what left the hole in her chest; she had woken up alone. Her heart raced with uncertainty, and the quietness of his house was unnerving. His father must have been gone again, but so was Paul. It was unusual that he left her alone, especially at his house. She stood, planting her feet firmly on the cool hardwood floors. His small bedroom was too much to take in alone. She grabbed some clothes, and went to the bathroom. Her unnerve drove her to lock the door behind her. The click made her feel safer, which she knew wouldn't do much. She pulled the curtain back on the shower and turned the tap on. The warm water instantly steamed the edges of the glass mirror. She stepped in and the water on her pale skin brought clarity.

She washed, and she stepped out to dry herself off. She threw on a black sweater, and some torn up old jeans. In the corner of her eye, she imagined she saw a head of red hair in the corner of the window. She shook off the feeling, convincing herself it was but her imagination tricking her while she was alone. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, taking a deep breath. Her black painted nails tapped on the porcelain counter, and she got the nerve to leave the locked bathroom.
The halls echoed with her footsteps. She peeked around, making sure she was alone, and walked back to his bedroom. When she opened the door, she jumped in fright.
Someone was laying in the bed. It wasn't Paul.

Her heartbeat could be heard from outside. A girl with bright orange hair and pale skin sat in the bed. When she stood, it was so fast Santana couldn't recognize it until it happened. In two large glides, she was in front of her. She was so beautiful Santana could barely behold it. She was serious, and then her lips turned into a grin.

"Why are you so fearful? Have I given you a reason?"

Santana swallowed hard. "I'm not afraid, just curious as to who you are and why you're here?" Santana managed to come on strong. This impressed the girl in front of her. She shifted her weight onto one leg uncomfortably as the red head stared her down. She inches closer to the cowering girl and inhaled deeply.
"Where's the dog? It's not like him to leave you on your own." She stated. Santana's eyes darted to the floor.

"I.... I don't know." She stammered. The unknown girl laughed. It revealed a sight unnerving. Sharp teeth, pearly white. Santana frowned. She thought, this is the day I die.

But that's not exactly true. Though originally, that was the plan. The vampire had wanted to kill her. The sight of her made her angry. Though she didn't know why. All the red head knew, was that she was close with Jacob. The wolf who protected Bella. Because of this, she wanted to hurt him and hurt him dearly. She figured, this was the way she could do it. But she wouldn't kill her, no. There were much worse things she could do. Besides, the girls power, her fear that she masked well to other humans, proved strength to her. She wanted to keep her around. She figured she could use this Santana girl.
She would make her one of them. This was, it would hurt worse, and prove a gain to her. It would destroy the family she had built with the little pathetic pack of wolves. Decidedly, she knew her course of action now. The closer she became with her, the more information she could gather about these wolves. She opened her mouth and moved closer. She did not bite. She rested her lips on the human flesh of her neck. She scratched gently at the skin, leaving marks but released no venom. She wanted them to know what she was doing. She wanted them to suffer before and after. Her true love was dead and everybody else deserved to suffer. Everybody associated with the reason he was gone.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs and with an evil smile, the strange girl disappeared out the window into the tree line. Paul busted through the door, forgetting there was a door knob. His panicked look worded when he saw his loves pale face. He embraced her strong, not yet noticing the marks on her neck.