Cravingz [Editing]

Ch.37 (hexed)

Jessica's POV

I dialed Chadwayne's number, eager to catch up. It had been a while since we hung out, and I needed a change of scenery. Jacob had left town for some father-son business, and Stefan was preoccupied trying to work things out with Lyonna.

When Chad finally answered, his voice was slightly muffled, as if he were busy with something. We chatted for a bit, but I soon got distracted by the sound of another call coming in.

I glanced at my phone, frowning at the unknown number flashing on the screen. My curiosity piqued, I hesitated before putting Chad on hold.

"Hey, can I call you back? I have another call," I said, as I was waiting for his response before switching over.

"Hello?" I answered, trying to mask my intrigue.

"Stefan" lit up on my phone screen as the call continued to ring. Chadwayne, then start whispering something, while I was trying to ignore it. A few minutes later, a flurry of texts from Stefan flooded my phone.

Stefan: It's important, please. Ash is unconscious.

Stefan: Jessica, damn it, please!

For some reason, I didn't feel inclined to respond. The urgency in his messages didn't register with me. I shrugged it off and continued my conversation with Chadwayne, pushing Stefan's frantic pleas to the back of my mind.

___

Stefan's POV

"Damn it, Jessica!" I cursed under my breath, desperately trying to reverse the damage. But Ash remained unconscious in my arms, and I felt my strength waning. My magic wasn't as potent as it used to be—my diet of blood bags and the occasional deer wasn't cutting it.

I rushed Ash out of the house, feeling as if I were carrying a lifeless body. I placed her gently in my car and sped off to Jessica's mom's place.

I knocked loudly on the door, and it swung open to reveal Jessica's mom, her brow furrowed in concern as she spotted Ash's unconscious body.

"Come in and place her on the island. Quickly!" she instructed, hurrying into the kitchen to gather herbs and other supplies.

I cradled Ash's hand in mine, kissing her knuckles gently, trying to soothe both her and myself. My phone buzzed with incoming messages, but I ignored them, focusing on Karen as she moved around Ash's body. She flipped through the old pages of her grimoire, scanning each one intently. Closing her eyes, she began chanting over a paste she had created. After a moment, she glanced at me and Ash, her expression shifting from concern to something I couldn't quite place. Then she asked for some privacy.

Stepping outside, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through the messages, all from unknown numbers.

Unknown: Meet me for lunch at The Hut @ 12.

Unknown: And if I were you, I'd come unless you want your little human girlfriend to go through worse..

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I looked down at the phone, my frustration boiling over. With a growl, I ran my hands through my hair and hurled the device into a nearby tree, watching it shatter against the bark.

"Mr. Tate." Karen called from behind me, her voice pulling me back from the edge. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before turning to face her.

She rested a hand on my back, rubbing it soothingly. I tensed at the touch; it wasn't Ash's warmth that I craved, but I gradually relaxed under her care.