by Sia Wales
“Jason, you’re not ready yet,” Aaron replied in a voice loaded with regret.
“How do you know?” he asked him tensely, his eyes narrowing in anger.
“Were you able to get close to her without having to muster every ounce of your strength to stop yourself from biting her?” he asked Jason, a serious look in his eyes.
“Aaron, she needs me, she begged me not to leave her!” Jason exclaimed impatiently, refusing to listen to anything but his heart.
“I know what it means to lose someone so important, Jason, all I’m asking is that you hold off right now. If you stay with her, you might do something terrible that you’ll regret for all eternity and, as you know, that’s a pretty long time for us,” Aaron concluded emphatically, turning his thoughts to Charleen as he rested his hands on Stella protectively.
During this time, the security guard had detained both Vuk and Nathan at Warren Towers and was interrogating them. Vuk’s patience had worn very thin.
“It was nothing… a private matter between friends, just a stupid argument,” said Nathan, trying to hide his nervousness with a scathing tone and a tight smile.
“If you’re not a student, what were you doing on campus?” the guard asked.
“Just visiting a friend, you know, until someone butted in that is…” he responded, directing a menacing glare at Vuk.
“So a girl’s the cause of it all… I should’ve known, but it’s still not a good enough reason, and, as you know, every action has its consequences. Vuk, give me your personal details, I’m afraid you’ll have to foot the bill for the damage in the cafeteria,” said the sympathetic guard sternly.
“Okay, sure, then can I go?” Vuk replied impatiently, reaching for his wallet to get his driver’s license.
“Sure,” the guard said as he typed in his details on the computer. “Now you, Nathan, stay away from here. I’m good at faces so there’ll be big trouble if I see you here again, unless you’re looking to enroll that is,” the guard added sarcastically, his tone resolute as he returned Vuk’s ID.
“Yessir,” Nathan said, seething inside.
In fact, no sooner were the two werewolves out of the guard’s office than they resumed their bickering.
“Keep out of it, Vuk, the girl’s not your business.”
“She certainly is my business” Vuk said, his nose wrinkling in contempt as he turned aggressive.
“Know something, Vuk, I can really relate to your interest in Stella, but what I don’t get is why you left her on her own with a couple of vampires?”
“What? There’s two of them? But I only saw one.”
“Well, dude, that means you missed the second one. But he was there, standing right next to you. I saw him trying to hide, but he couldn’t fool me. At first I thought he was hiding from you, but then I saw that he moved when she moved… so it didn’t take me long to figure that it wasn’t you he was trying to hide from, but the girl…”
“I need to find her fast.” Vuk mumbled to himself, his unease growing by the second.
“Yeah, good idea. Doesn’t seem safe to leave her in the hands of a couple of bloodsuckers for too long. Much better in our hands, right?”
“Better in my hands,” Vuk spat back at him, already pressing the speed dial on his cell phone and heading for COM. He heard someone answer it but then only silence.
“Hey, Stella, where are you?”
“She’s with me.”
“Who is this?”
“My name is J.”
“You’re not the vampire I entrusted her to before, are you?”
“No, not exactly, but Stella’s fine, she’s here safe with me.”
“Safe? Somehow, your canines make me think otherwise…”
“Oh, and I suppose yours are far less dangerous. You should watch your mouth when the full moon’s waxing… I sincerely hope you’re not thinking of keeping her with you tomorrow night.”
“Well I’m not about to leave her on her own, and for sure not with you seeing how nightfall inspires your type…”
“Could say the same about you, Vuk.”
“I might not know who you are yet, J., but I intend to find out very soon.”
“Well, let me assist you there, Vuk… I’m at COM and I’ll send Aaron to the main entrance to wait for you.”
Jason ended the call, his eyes staring into space, thinking he’d soon have to leave Stella again. Aaron noticed that he was becoming more and more instable.
“Jason, let me take her now.” Aaron broke into his thoughts, placing his arms around the girl, who reacted by trying to cling weakly to Jason’s shirt.
“She wants me!” exclaimed Jason, on the verge of losing his last shred of self-control, his strength ebbing, his confusion and nervousness growing.
“Calm down, J. She’s unconscious. It was just an instinctive reflex,” Aaron said, his feelings for the girl making him stiffen and hold her close as he felt Jason tighten his grip on her too.
“Hey, guys, hate to spoil the party but what’s going on?” Vuk asked, suddenly materializing in the corridor, his face registering alarm when he saw the two vampires both holding an unconscious Stella.
“Nothing, Vuk,” replied Aaron quickly, easing Stella gently but firmly out of Jason’s arms, trying to put a bit of distance between them.
“Your friend get a sudden frenzy of bloodlust, did he?” mocked Vuk, his eyes burning a fiery yellow as he saw Aaron gather Stella in his arms and walk toward him.
“Don’t toy with me, Vuk. Didn’t I tell you to wait at the main entrance for Aaron?” said Jason threateningly, standing up to lean back against the wall, his expression dark and dangerous.
“Yeah, but as he wasn’t there I thought I’d better come inside. Seems I was right, too.” He turned to look at Stella protectively as the vampire’s arms brought her closer to him with each step.
“So how’d you find us?” Jason asked darkly, pushing himself off the wall but pacing himself slowly as he approached Vuk.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re not the only ones with a good sense of smell,” Vuk said wryly as Aaron carefully propped Stella in his arms.
“Here, Vuk. Now hold her tight and don’t let her out of your sight again.” Aaron gently stroked her hair, letting his fingers brush her face before finally parting from her.
“What happened to her?” Vuk asked, shocked and distressed, his hands clutching her tightly, his face filling with sadness as he saw her limp and lifeless body, the curtain of hair that fell around her face, the way her head hung loosely down.
“She was chloroformed but she’ll be okay, she’ll come to shortly,” Aaron explained, seeing a melancholy Jason stop next to Vuk, a flash of desire appearing in his dull, spent eyes as he gazed longingly at Stella.
“What do you want from her, J.?” asked Vuk, narrowing his eyes.
“The same thing as you, Vuk… to protect her,” Jason replied, and Vuk’s eyes widened as he realized J. must be none other than Jason Rees. Jason saw Vuk’s face, and so continued, “Look, if she says she saw me, just deny it, will you? Lie if you have to, I’d appreciate it.”
Vuk acquiesced, and Aaron and J. moved off down the corridor.
Stella opened her eyes in his arms a moment later.
“Vuk, he was here,” she croaked, her lips softly brushing his ear.
“Who, Stella? What are you talking about?” He looked at her sweetly, exhaling softly to mingle his breath with hers as he wrapped her reassuringly in his arms and feigned ignorance.
“Jason… He had his arms round me, just like you do now.” Her fingers trailed lightly over his chest, moving up his shirt to hug his neck and rest her face on his cheek, their mouths almost touching.
“No, Stella, impossible. You must’ve been dreaming,” he said firmly, staring stonily ahead, his eyes growing despondent as he saw doubt flood her face.
Stella was sure Jason had been there and refused to accept that it was just a beautiful illusion. She knew Vuk
was lying, felt it deep inside even though the chloroform had blurred and confused the images and memory of the boy who had held her in his arms. Then, looking up, she saw the backs of two figures striding away at the end of the corridor.
“Jason!” she cried out in anguish, her heart clamoring as she saw him pause, turn slightly as if to come back to her, then reluctantly drag himself away to finally disappear down the stairs. Stella, practically out of her mind now, struggled to escape Vuk’s enveloping arms and chase after him, feeling her body rock as she keened after him only to be tormented by the sound of his name echoing back emptily off the walls of the corridor. Vuk understood that it could only be Jason, and jealousy burned through his veins like molten lava.
“Don’t, Stella, it’s just two guys on their way to class,” Vuk soothed, trying not to crush her as he clasped her tightly to his body. He spoke softly, caressing her face to calm her down, then helped her to stand up, steadying her as she found her feet on wobbly legs. Vuk held her close and they went to class to join Jamie. As the lecture drew to a close, Vuk felt his phone vibrate with a text: “Meet me in 20 minutes at the parking lot in front of CVS Pharmacy, 210 Border Street. Drake.”
“OK,” he messaged his brother back, then leaned over to Stella. “Got to go meet Drake,” he whispered in her ear, hearing her gasp.
“No, Vuk, don’t be an idiot. I won’t let you. It’s far too dangerous!” she argued, tense and upset, almost choking with fright.
“Stella, I’m not asking permission, I’m going and that’s it,” he pronounced.
He kissed her lovingly on the cheek and quickly left the room. Climbing into his pickup, he pointed it toward the CVS parking lot.
Stella thought that she’d explode if she didn’t get rid of the tension that had built up inside her so, ignoring the dull throb of the pain in her side, she decided she’d go for a run and waited impatiently for the lesson to end. Saying goodbye to Jamie, she messaged Vuk to tell him where she was going, her reeling head smothering the bells that were trying to warn her of the danger she’d be putting herself in, then got her car and drove off, unaware that Jason and Aaron were waiting to follow her.
Pausing to turn out the parking lot, she saw two guys at the side of the road straddling their bikes, engines purring, and tried to make out their features through the tinted visors of their helmets, foiled by the bright rays of sun that pierced the thunderclouds to dazzle her. Jason quickly averted his head, while Aaron kept his mesmerizing eyes firmly on Stella as she headed for Bennington and the Green Mountain National Forest, Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams playing on her radio.
But it wasn’t only the two bikers who were following her, there was a whole entourage, including Drake on his bike and Ian in his car, all of them keeping well back, blending into the other cars that streamed solidly along the road.
Green Mountain National Forest
After she’d parked her car in the usual, somewhat isolated place, Stella turned off the engine, the music coming to a sudden halt, and reached into the well of the passenger seat for the bag with her sweats, quickly beginning to strip off her clothes.
Jason and Aaron saw her stop in the small clearing at the side of the road, their eyes registering disbelief as they approached from behind, slowing down as they saw her pull on a tee-shirt over bare shoulders through the rear windscreen and then slide down her already unbuttoned, slightly lowered jeans as they rode leisurely past the car. Astonished at the sight of her undressing, they almost lost control of their bikes but somehow managed to continue driving past. Stopping further down to hide their bikes in the trees, they watched her get out of the car, now dressed in her sweats, hair gathered into a high ponytail, iPod in hand, ear buds plugged in.
Stella did a few stretches and then began to jog down the side of the road, soon leaving her car far behind. Letting her thoughts run wild, she admired the faint rays of light dancing through the trees, which were slowly shedding the patina of raindrops the storm had coated them with, watching the soft, comforting drops as they fell slowly to the ground. The words of Naïve by The Kooks rolled over her, and then, as the songs followed one another on Shuffle, she moved her lips to sing along to Slide, by Goo Goo Dolls.
Meanwhile, Drake, Ian and Nathan had spotted Stella’s car and pulled over too. Thinking she was alone and that they finally had the perfect opportunity to seize her, the three agile wolves stealthily tracked her from the cover of the woods, advancing quickly through the undergrowth to surround her, but were thwarted as two cars cruised slowly down the road past her. Resuming their vigil, they waited for a new opportunity to present itself while Jason and Aaron monitored the situation from their vantage point, ready to strike like lightning if the three wolves closed in on her again.
Stella felt her cell phone vibrate and, seeing Vuk’s caller ID on the screen, answered quickly, slowing to a walk but still moving further and further away from her only hope of salvation: her car. She paused How You Remind Me by Nickelback, took out her iPod ear buds spoke into the phone.
“Great timing, Vuk!” cried Stella, her mouth curving into a smile. She could hear rock music resounding in the background. Vuk hit the mute button.
“You’re in the forest already, aren’t you?” Vuk exhaled, hearing the background noise of the wind through the trees.
“I’m here for my run.”
“I hope you didn’t go home to change…” Vuk said, his tone a mix of seriousness and reproach.
“No, I had my sweats with me so I changed in the car,” said Stella, warmed to hear his concern for her.
“So you really went all the way to Vermont just to run?” he asked, giving his phone an incredulous look.
“Yeah,” she replied, now feeling a little uncomfortable.
“You’re even crazier than me!” He shook his head slowly, an amused smile crossing his face before disappearing in his worry for her safety.
“Probably… but I so needed to let off steam, you know, put a few miles between me and Boston,” she said in a rush to her friend.
“Stella, you know that road is far too isolated. For God’s sake get back in the car and get the hell out of there!” Vuk was no longer able to hide his distress.
“Vuk, I’m already half way, what’s up?”
“When I got to 210 Border Street, there was no sign of Drake. He didn’t show.” Vuk said, alarmed.
“Don’t tell me it was a ruse to get you away from me?” Stella was in a panic.
“Have you noticed anything strange, seen anyone suspicious near you?” he asked immediately, his eyes blazing as he pressed his foot hard on the accelerator of his pickup.
“The trees are so dense, Vuk. I can hardly see anything,” Stella replied, her heart sinking at the thought of Drake close to her.
“Look closer, Stella, you need to focus on the tree trunks.” Vuk paused with bated breath for her response.
“I don’t think there’s anyone there, at least not that I can see…” she said cautiously, hearing Vuk let out a tiny sigh of relief, despite his growing concern.
“Have you heard any funny noises?” he asked, the thought of being so far from her in her moment of need driving him insane.
“I had my music on.”
“Then you’ll just have made it easier for them.”
“I don’t get it, Vuk, what do they want from me? They know my name, where I go to school, even where I live!”
“And, probably, even where you go to run,” sighed Vuk morosely.
“You’re scaring me, Vuk!” she cried anxiously, stopping abruptly in the middle of the road.
“I didn’t mean to, really… Now listen carefully, Stella. Run back to the car as fast as you can but don’t let on you’re scared, or that you think they’re out there. They’ll know if you do because they’ll hear your breathing accelerate, your heart pound faster and the blood surge in your veins. So just do what I tell you and you’ll be fine.” He tried to reassure her, making his voice deep and warm.
“Have I told you how much I adore it when you talk to me like that?”
“Yeah, a couple of times maybe… Remember, even though you can’t see anyone it doesn’t mean they’re not there… Don’t let them see how tense you are, try to relax, act normal. They’re probably watching you. I’m on my way, I’ll be there soon.”
“If they’ve been following me from the start and know I’m alone, why haven’t they shown themselves yet?” asked Stella, turning round to retrace her steps.
“They’ll wait till you’re more vulnerable, further from the car… They’ve probably sensed that I’ve warned you, too, so expect them to move very soon. They’re toying with you, treating you like prey because they’ve got you isolated… Up to now you’ve made it difficult for them since you’ve always had someone close by to protect you…”
An icy silence descended and a spike of pure adrenaline ripped through the tension gripping their bodies. Then Stella suddenly gasped in terror.
“What was that?” she exclaimed, stiffening with fear.
“Did you hear something?” Vuk asked in alarm, driving like crazy to eat up the last stretch of the I-91 and get to her as soon as possible.
“Twigs snapping in the woods,” she whispered tensely.
“The hunt is on… Stella. You’re easy prey for them, they’d already have taken you by now if they’d wanted to, they’re just trying to scare you.”
“Well, they’re succeeding!”
“Stella, don’t make the hunt more exciting for them!”
Stella suddenly whirled round toward a group of trees.
“Vuk, I think I heard another noise, this time closer.” Frozen with terror in the middle of the road, her breath ragged, she peered with dismay into the impenetrable forest.
“Stella, don’t stop! Keep going! If you stop, it’s over!” Vuk cried as he swerved round the cars ahead of him.
“I can’t, I’m paralyzed with fear. The trees are making strange noises,” she replied, unable to move, panting hard.
“Look, Stella, don’t stop or they’ll show themselves and ambush you. You have to act like you’re the hunter, not the prey!”
