Chapter 8

The more Liz watched Will, the more she realized that she was just being paranoid. He'd done nothing to hurt her or done anything that lead her to believe that her suspicions had any truth to them. Actually, she liked him. Her stupid obsession seemed, well, stupid.

She started making friends in her classes and kept her 'special needs' under wraps. She was invited to parties and study groups and all her fears that first day faded away. She really started to like college and everything was normal for a change. No crazy curses, witch drama or founding vampire sightings at all.

Every week or so, she’d get an email from Gabby with updates on her European travels. Since it was coming up to Halloween, she said she was in London, preparing to go to a big costume party in some old haunted picture theatre. She was so jealous, but Sam just laughed at her and promised to take her once she’d graduated.

Alex was languishing without them, but promised to come visit the moment he could get time off work. His business was growing steadily and he didn’t seem to want to leave it anybody else’s hands but his. That was the thing Liz admired most about her friend. He was hard working and dedicated beyond belief.

Sitting on the sofa in her and Sam’s apartment, she balanced a Psych textbook on her knee, while trying to type one handed on her laptop. It was probably one of the hardest classes she had and there was a ton of assignments to work through. It only made her dread the final more than she probably ought to.

Her cell dinged, breaking her concentration from her assignment. Picking it up, she smiled when she saw it was Will.

Pre-Halloween party. You in?

Smiling, she texted back, Halloween’s not until next week.

Her cell pinged almost immediately. UCLA tradition. The pre-party sets the tone for the real thing.

She doubted it was a tradition, but it was a party and she’d been studying pretty hard lately. Why not?

“Sam,” she called out.

“Yeah?”

“Will said there’s this pre-Halloween party tonight. Wanna go?”

Sam stuck his head out of the kitchen and grimaced. He’d never seemed to get over his territorial jealousy whenever she mentioned him.

“We all know how much you like the guy,” she said rolling her eyes. “He’s seeing that Gloria girl. You know that.”

“I still don't like the look of him.”

“He's given me no reason to believe that he's anything but my friend, Sam.”

“He’s into you.”

“Seriously?” she cried. “Not a chance.”

“I still don't like him. There's something off.”

“I thought so, too but-”

“You thought so?” Sam was on the verge of a full-blown rage and she flinched. She'd never seen him so angry at anyone but his brother. “How long has this been going on?”

“Since the first day of classes. But Sam-”

“And you never thought to tell me? After all the shit we went through with Aya and Arturius and Regulus? Shit, Liz.”

“He's a friend, Sam,” she spat. “A friend. Nothing more. Is that what you're so angry about? That I'm going to run off with him and leave you all alone?” Sam's expression fell and her heart twisted. She'd hit him right where it hurt and she felt a wave of regret crash into her. No, she wouldn't back down. Will had done nothing wrong. ”I'd expect this crap from Zac, but not from you.”

“Low blow.”

Snapping her laptop shut and tossing her textbook aside, she got to her feet and stalked into the bedroom. Wrenching open the closet, she pulled out the nicest top she had and changed into it, not stopping to acknowledge Sam, who was standing in the doorway watching her. Shoving past him, she went into the bathroom and fixed her makeup.

“So, you’re going?” he asked, thinly.

“Yeah, Captain Obvious.” She rolled her eyes and put on her favorite shade of red lipstick.

“Liz, seriously. C’mon. I’m just looking out for you.”

“You’re looking out for yourself,” she hissed. “I’m not your property.”

His jaw started trembling like he was trying to hold himself together. Whatever he had to say, she wasn’t listening. She wanted to go to a party with her friend. She loved him, but he couldn’t control her. He had to let go once in a while.

“I’m coming back, Sam. After all the shit we’ve been through, you can’t trust me?”

“I trust you,” he said. “I don’t trust him.”

Grabbing her cell, she shoved it into the pocket of her jeans. “I can look after myself.”

“Don’t go out like this,” Sam said.

“Go out like what?”

“Angry.”

“Yeah, well, that one’s on you,” she bit out at him and before he could retort, she slammed the front door in his face.

Still fuming from their stupid argument, Liz strode down the sidewalk, determined to prove Sam wrong. His jealousy was cute at first, but now it was really starting to piss her off. How many times did she have to say it? Nothing was going on between her and Will. Nothing. What did she have to do? She’d made a mistake that one time with Zac, was she going to pay for it forever? Shit, she really did have forever.

Going out to a party with the guy wasn’t really the answer, but she don’t like being told what to do. She was a big girl. She was a vampire for heavens sake, she had more than enough strength to help herself.

Will was waiting for her down the street from the party just as he said he would. He was alone, which surprised her, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his leather jacket.

“Hey,” she called out.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Where’s Gloria?” she asked as she gave him a hug.

“Well, we’re going through a bit of a rough patch…”

They began walking down the sidewalk toward the sound of music in the distance. “What? Seriously? I thought you guys were solid.”

“Um, no. There’s kinda someone else…” He trailed off and she frowned, hoping Sam was wrong.

There was a shriek up ahead as they rounded a corner. The party was in full swing, music blared and students were all over the front lawn and the house was ablaze with light and movement. Shit. The party was in a frat house which probably meant there was that annoying barrier she couldn't cross. One, embarrassing. Two, it would expose her to a ton of students unless she could wrangle herself an invite. Stupidly, that part hadn’t crossed her mind.

“C’mon,” she said, changing the subject. “Let’s have a few drinks, dance, mingle. It'll distract you from your Gloria problems for one night at least.”

The front garden was decked out in Halloween decorations, though nobody was dressed up in costume. There were fake spider webs, pumpkins and all kinds of creepy things stuck in the lawn.

A handsome looking guy stopped in front of them and waved a plastic pumpkin shaped bucket of candy at them.

“Candy for the pretty lady?” he asked, holding out the bucket.

Laughing, Liz took a few pieces and tossed some to Will.

“See?” she said, elbowing him. “It’s gunna be great.”

Walking across the lawn, she saw the front door was propped open and she glanced inside, trying to be easy about it since Will was right behind her. Thankfully, a girl was standing just across the threshold who she recognized from one of her literature classes.

Catching her eye, she called out, “Hey, Francie.”

“Hey Liz, c'mon in.”

With a bright smile, she stepped through the threshold. Problem solved.

“Uh, Liz?”

She turned to see Will standing sheepishly outside where she left him. He kicked his foot at the threshold and it connected with thin air. Instantly, her face fell when she realized all her insecurities about him were completely true. He couldn't come inside because he hadn't been invited.

“I know you know what this is,” he said like he was taking a chance.

Spinning on her heel, she stalked back outside and jabbed a finger at his chest. “I defended you to my boyfriend,” she hissed, “and all this time you were keeping this from me when you knew what I was?”

He squared his jaw before answering. “You kept it from me, too.”

“I didn't know, Will. I. Didn't. Know.”

“I had to be sure,” he went on. “I couldn’t just say it.”

“Yeah, you could.”

“No, if I was right about you and you freaked… I can’t compel you. Anyway, if you were human and freaked…” He shrugged. “I don’t think I could’ve handled that.”

She started at him and realized he was into her. Of course she knew, he’d practically told her a million times, but she didn’t want to hear it. Sam was right. Shit, that pissed her off even more.

“Will,” she said gently. “I’m with Sam.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I know.”

“Shit,” she hissed, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, Liz. We can still be friends, right? We can have a good time.” He opened his jacket slightly and she saw he had a blood bag pinned to the lining.

“What's that?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“What does it look like?”

“Why do you need that?”

“These things tend to get pretty wild if you haven't noticed,” he said nodding through the door and toward the kitchen where seven kegs were stacked, waiting to be drunk by hormone crazed college kids. “It's a just in case, you know?”

Narrowing her eyes, she grasped the arm of a passing student. “Invite him in,” she snapped.

The student blinked and shook her head. Glancing at Will, she giggled. “Come on in. Enjoy the party.”

Will cocked his head to the side and she shrugged. “You heard the human.”

Stepping inside, she made a beeline straight for the kitchen and snatched up a red plastic cup. Filling it to the brim from the open keg, she handed it to Will and got one for herself. She downed it all in one go and the group of guys standing around the island clapped and cheered, wolf whistling their appreciation.

“I’d tell you to slow down, but you know,” Will said, laughing.

“I’d say you only live once, but you know.”

First pouring herself a refill, she tugged Will into the sitting room where some fast, popular, dance song was playing. She’d fought with Sam, Will was a vampire and all she wanted to do was forget and have some fun for a few hours. Let fucking loose.

Holding her cup in the air she danced around to the music, bumping against other people, against Will. She forgot about all her problems for one second and just enjoyed herself. For that one small slice of time, she could forget she was trying to hide the truth about who she was, forget about her stupid fight with Sam, and forget Will’s deception. That was until a group of football jocks decided to have a fight in the middle of the room.

There was a crash as a broad shouldered guy fell against the coffee table, cracking his head against the corner. There was a few cries of annoyance from the crowd as they jostled them to get out of the way.

Liz stopped abruptly, staring at the blood that was now gushing from the guy’s head.

“Liz,” Will said, grabbing her arm. “You okay?”

She shook her head to clear it, the stench of blood thick on the air. “Yeah, I…” She trailed off as she felt her throat constrict.

Will’s eyes narrowed and he pulled her toward the back door. “Let’s get some air, huh?”

She had no choice but to let him drag her out of the house and into the rear garden. Shit, she’d let her control slip for one second and it was almost a disaster. What if she’d changed and gone on a rampage in the middle of a room crammed full of college students?

Cool air hit her skin and the scent began to die away until all she could smell was the earthy tones of the garden that had been churned up by dozens and dozens of feet.

“I told you these things get crazy,” Will said, guiding her down the garden path.

Sitting on a bricked edge of a flowerbed she said, “I thought I had a handle on it.”

He sat next to her. “How old are you?”

“Two years give or take.” Two years sounded like a lot of time now, but in two hundred? Shit, her throat still hurt.

“That’s all?”

“Why? How old are you?”

Will grimaced in the darkness. “Old.”

“Spill.”

“A hundred and fourteen.”

“Shit.”

He started to laugh. “Well, I can’t say I’ve gotten that reaction before.”

Swallowing, she tried to get rid of the metallic taste in her mouth, but it wouldn’t go away. It was driving her mad. “You got that blood bag?”

Will opened his jacket. “You need some?”

She nodded. “Just a little. My throat is killing me.”

Unfastening the safety pin, he handed it to her. “You on the human stuff?”

“No, but I can take it.”

Will glanced back to the house uneasily. “Liz, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. If you don’t-”

“Just give it here.” She snatched the bag from him and ripped the top off. “Just a little, okay?”

She’d survived on a combination of human and animal blood in her first six months before weaning off it completely. A mouthful wouldn’t hurt and she knew she could handle it. It wasn’t like being an alcoholic. One taste wouldn’t send her off the rails because she hadn’t been hooked on it in the first place.

The bag hit her lips and the tang of blood hit her tongue and everything came alive. Every nerve ending in her body sung with intense clarity and as it ran down her throat she felt an overwhelming need. She wanted more. She drew another mouthful and felt Will’s hand on her arm.

“I think that’s enough, Liz.”

She shook his hand away and continued to suck the bag dry.

“Liz.”

“No,” she hissed, rising to her feet. Where was impulse control now? One drop of human blood spoke to all the things that had been dulled inside of her. Her hearing was sharper, her sight was crisper…and she felt stronger than she’d ever had - and the sensation was only growing as the blood began to circulate through her system.

“Liz?”

Her head snapped up at the sound of Francie’s voice. They’d been paired together for an assignment in one of her classes a few weeks back and had instantly liked her. She was tall, slim, pretty with a wild head of curly hair and constantly had a string of guys following her around. But Liz wasn’t seeing any of that. All her brain could process were two things. Human and food. She was so hungry.

“What’s up, girl? Some party, huh?”

She felt Will’s hand on her arm, but nothing could’ve stopped her. She was high on human blood and beyond reasoning.

Launching herself onto Francie, she went straight for her neck, biting into flesh. Blood burst into her mouth and she groaned at the sweet taste, hardly hearing the screams splitting the night air. Her hand clamped down on her friend’s mouth as she held her in place, drinking like there was no end in sight.

Hands pulled at her from someplace far away. “Liz, stop. Let her go, you’re killing her.”

She didn’t listen.

“Liz, stop.” Suddenly, she was torn away and a wail came from her throat, but it was the split second she needed to realize what she’d done.

Dropping Francie, she stumbled back and almost fell into the opposite garden bed. Francie began to sob, curling into a ball like it’d protect her from the monster that had just attacked her. Her heartbeat was slowing, her skin color was fading and her eyes...

“I killed her,” Liz sobbed, her hands clawing into her hair. “I killed her.”

“Shit, Liz. Calm down,” Will pleaded with her, but she was too amped up.

She’d killed a vampire before, but never a human. Never. She was covered in blood. It was all over her hands, clothes, her face, in her hair…and it burned. Is this what Zac felt like? Is this what he had to deal with every single day? She thought she’d understood, but turned out she didn’t even have an inkling.

Sam hovered at the front door of the frat house, unable to get inside. The party was at rager status and everyone was too drunk to notice him, let alone give him an invite. Scanning the crowd, he couldn’t spot Liz, so he rounded the house to try the yard at the back.

He’d called her cell nonstop since she’d left and she hadn’t picked up once. He had a bad feeling and when he got bad feelings, he was usually right about them. He didn’t trust Will for good reason. The guy was secretive and cocky and moving in on his girl. Time to end this stupid pissing match once and for all.

He hated fighting with Liz. He hated that she’d left angry and upset with him. He hated that he was so jealous of Will, but he couldn’t let it go. Liz...

As he rounded the corner of the house, he smelt it immediately. Blood. Human blood and lots of it.

When his gaze laid on the most horrific sight he’d ever seen, he almost lost it. He stared in shock at Liz, who was standing over the inert body of one of her classmates, her eyes black and blood dripping from her mouth onto her blouse. Oh, fuck...

“Oh shit, I didn’t mean for her to loose it. I didn’t mean-”

“Will?” Sam exclaimed, staring straight at him. He knew it. The guy was a fucking vampire. A very fucking stupid one.

“I didn’t know. She said she was okay…”

“She doesn’t drink human blood,” he roared, stalking forward.

“It wasn’t meant to get out of control. I told her to only take a little at a time.”

Sam thrust his fists into the front of Will’s shirt. “What kind of idiot are you? She could’ve killed her.” Shoving the vampire aside, he was in front of Liz in a flash, no longer concerned about hiding what he was. The human girl was hardly conscious and Will? Well, he’d deal with him later.

Cupping her face, he started into her black eyes. “Come back to me, Liz.”

Her entire body was shaking from the high she was buzzing off, tears streaming down her cheeks, smearing the blood she’d tried to wipe away.

“I-I-I killed her,” she choked out.

He shook his head, holding her close. “No, she’s going to be okay. I’ve got to help her, Liz.” he guided her to sit on the edge of the flowerbed, hardly aware that Will had disappeared. The asshole had fled at the first sign of trouble like a coward.

“Stay there,” he murmured. “Don’t move, okay?”

Liz nodded slowly, her eyes filling with more tears.

Turning back to the human girl, who was shivering uncontrollably against the garden wall, he grasped both her shoulders. She started to struggle and cry out, but he held her firm, even as she sobbed.

“What’s your name?”

“F-Francie.”

“Francie, you’re going to stay calm, okay?”

She nodded as his compulsion took hold. Taking his wrist, he bit into his flesh, drawing blood. Wetting his fingers, he began rubbing it into Francie’s torn neck and her face contorted in pain, but as commanded, she didn’t make any sound. Soothing her skin, it began to heal, knitting back together. Once it was pink and new again, he drew back and placed his hands on her shoulders again.

“Now, you’re better okay?” he said.

She nodded again. “It’s stopped hurting.”

“Good. Now, you’re going to go home and get cleaned up. You’re going to go to bed and get some sleep. The moment I let go of you, you’re going to forget everything that happened here. You’re going to remember having fun at the party, but you had to go home early because you were feeling sick.”

“Okay,” Francie said, her gaze locked onto Sam’s.

Pulling his hands away, she shook her head once and stared at him for a moment before saying, “Oh, hey. I’m just going home. Have fun at the party, okay?”

Smiling, he replied, “Will do.”

She stumbled to her feet and started walking off like nothing had happened and a moment later, she rounded the corner of the house and was gone. He had to get Liz back to the apartment and get this blood off of her. Francie would be okay, she’d go back to wherever she lived on campus and be none the wiser. He’d go and check on her later.

Holding his hand out to Liz, she stared at it for the longest time before taking it in her own.

“C'mon,” he said. “I'm taking you home.”