Into the Woods

Chapter Six

Nose to the ground, he roamed the forest floor in search of the three men. "Liam, I'm fine... just come back please." I pleaded as Niall continued to wrap the wound.

"Why on earth would you do that? You have no clue what other vampires are capable of, and you just gave them an open invitation to your bloodstream!" He scolded me.

"I was just trying to get past them. I didn't think it would end up like that."

"You have to consult with Liam and I first, darling. There is a whole knew world you don't know anything about, and you'll get hurt if you aren't more careful. Okay?"

"Okay."

Liam suddenly padded over and rubbed his nose on my cheek. He let out a swift gust of air onto my face, signaling his disappointment of my actions. "Sorry, Li." Niall scooped me up in his arms and began carrying me. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you. I saw how faint you got back there, and now you've lost blood too."

"I want to walk."

"No, just let me carry you this time."

"Who were they, anyway? Why wouldn't they let us pass without blood?"

"It's hard for vampires to get blood this day and age. If they drain someone or go for a blood bank, they risk getting caught way more than they did a hundred years ago. I drain animals, so I don't have to worry about that sort of stuff, but that still takes years and years of practice, and it still doesn't totally subside the cravings sometimes. Most vampires don't have the patience for that, so it's easier to take over a patch of land and then charge hikers blood to pass."

"Where did you know them from?"

"I used to run with that group a few years ago, but then they started doing that kind of stuff and I left."

"How long have you been a vampire?"

"A very, very long time, darling." I leaned farther into his chest, trying to get warm from the cool breeze and setting sun. It didn't help that Niall's skin is always ice cold. "Are you cold?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"We'll be there soon, but you can go to sleep if you want."

"No, I'm fine, but I want to see Liam before I fall asleep. I want more proof that he's actually a werewolf." Niall chuckled and continued walking. "Where are we walking, again?"

"A safe house. It's a temporary thing, but until we can get you in a safe place and in online school  we're staying there."

"I still don't understand why we have to leave."

"Because Liam's pack has to be notified that you're his mate, and I have to tell the counsel about you as well."

"The counsel?"

"You know in Twilight about the volturi? It's like that but not as strict."

"Why does Liam have to tell his pack?"

"I don't know, it's some weird dog thing - they tell each other everything. It's ridiculous to be honest." Liam growled after the words left Niall' s lips. "I only have to tell the council because you being a human complicates things. Normally they don't care." I hummed in response. It grew harder to stay awake with the setting sun. "Go to sleep, darling. I'll be with you when you wake up." His hearty voice was the last thing I heard before I promptly drifted off to sleep.