-X-

I snorted awkwardly as I jolted awake, the bitter taste of dry spit in my mouth. I really hated waking up to that. Cain was still asleep beside me, as was Isaak. I think Liam had knocked him out cold.

“You’re awake.” Speak of the devil. I looked around the barn, my eyes settling on a figure curled against a wooden beam across from us.

“Yes, and now you’re witnessing the rare event of the creature formally known as Devon in her just awaked state…” Liam laughed softly. “Are you cold or something?” I noticed with my amazing vision skills that he had tucked his arms into his shirt. “Do you want Cain’s jacket? I don’t think he’d mind.” He chuckled again.

“I rather like having my limbs attached, thank you.” His stomach growled and I arched an eyebrow.

“Hungry?” He looked up from his stomach and grinned, his canines glinting.

“Starving.”

“There’s a town near here. We could sneak some food out for you.”

“We? And I know, I can smell it.”

“Well, you and I, we.” His stomach gave another growl and I stood, quickly and quietly disengaging myself from Cain and the jacket sleeve I was entangled in. I stood and stretched, my sore arm giving a lurch of protest. The wound had healed quickly, leaving only a faint pink scar that nearly blended with my skin.

“How’s the arm?”

“It’s healed. How’s yours?”

“Same.” He looked around before his eyes darted to mine. “Do you have anything to change into? If someone sees us they may be a little freaked out that your sleeve is covered in blood…”

“Yeah, Cain brought extra clothes.” I looked around, spotting the plastic bag near my feet. I dug through, my hands knocking a packet of blood vials and a pair of socks, pulling out a gray sweater with a hood. “Will this suit your majesty’s company?” Liam smiled.

“The prince approves.”

“Good, now I can breathe again…” I slipped the hoodie over my head, pulling my hair out of the collar. I reached into the bag, pulling out a black jacket, enough to keep someone relatively warm, and tossed it to Liam.

“Thanks…” He slipped it on and I couldn’t help but notice he was in really good shape. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

-X-

I sighed, tucking my arms into my pockets. My senses were at their heightened state. The crisp morning air was foggy, the dew from the grass soaking into my shoes. I could smell meat cooking, bread being baked and the blood from open cuts on a few of the villagers, all of which were at least a half mile away. Dead leaves and twigs snapped under our feet as we crossed the open field, smoke from the village ahead visible over a few hills.

“So… nice weather today…” I said airily, the words floating out before I could stop them. Is that all I could come up with for a conversation?

“Is that how you sweet talk all the ladies?”

“No, but that’s a good way to seduce them. Start with the weather, then bam! They wake up next to me.” She laughed.

“So I take it you’re quite the ladies man then.”

“Not at all. I don’t go outside too often; I mostly stay in the library.”

“Ah, you’re a book nerd.”

“Yes, and a hell of a lot smarter than most of the pack because of it. Do you read?”

“No, I’m completely illiterate… Well, I like vampire novels.” She caught my gaze then looked away. I could tell she was a little embarrassed.

“You don’t know how weird that just sounded.” I was still staring at her, her eyes darted to mine before settling on her shoes again. This was intense. Like getting a grade-deciding test back, intense. Like being at the top of a rollercoaster about to go down, intense.

“Well, I enjoy seeing how far off the humans are.” I looked at her, confused. “Like… they all think we sleep in coffins, seduce and feed off the innocent, travel by night and have this insane bloodthirst.”

“And…you…don’t?” She shot me a look.

“No. I sleep in a bed, I have never, nor do I intend to, seduce and feed off the innocent, as you can see right now I have no problems in the daylight, and I don’t even have the urge to tackle you and suck you dry of your blood… yet.” She flashed her fangs mischievously.

“Well it’s a good thing you don’t seduce the innocent because I really don’t think that you could do it.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“It could be.”

“So you’re saying I couldn’t do it?”

“I don’t think you have the heart for it.” I caught her affronted expression. “Not that that’s a bad thing! In fact, I’d rather you didn’t do it, even if you could.”

“Why?” Her head tilted to the side a centimeter as a breeze came in and I caught the sweet smell of her shampoo, combined with hay and dirt from last night.

“Well for one thing, it’s not right. There’s a reason they’re called ‘innocents’. They shouldn’t be mixed up with either of us. We could hurt them without meaning to.”

“You have some odd morals for someone who’s immortal.”

“I’m sure you do too.”

“Not really… other than the fact that you don’t seem as bad as the other wolves.”

“We’re not as evil as you think we are.”

“Same to you.”

“I don’t think you’re evil.” We caught each other’s gaze for a moment before I looked away, the smell of the village growing stronger. I could see the gates in the near distance. We said nothing until we reached the wooden fence, cottages crammed together not five feet from the gate, a small pathway separating them.

“What’s the plan?” I turned to her.

“Well… I was thinking we just… go in and grab it.” She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“What? Are you crazy? Someone will see us!” She snorted.

“Are you kidding?”

“No, I’m not. Do you honestly think–” She had disappeared. “Devon? Devon!” I entered the village, following the trail of her scent as I walked.

“What? I’m not deaf you know.” She had appeared again, on the other side of the gate, a plastic bag full of what smelled like lamb in her hand.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“Getting you food. Like we planned.”

“We didn’t plan, you did!”

“Look, I got the food, do you want it or not?” The raw bloody smell wafted through my nose and saliva filled my mouth as my stomach howled. Yes, I did want it.

Fifteen minutes later we were sitting underneath a giant willow tree atop a hill, the barn visible through the trees. The grassy natural taste of lamb filled my mouth as I ate. Devon had taken the plastic bag, blood pooling in the bottom, and tipped the liquid down her throat.

“You’ve got blood on your chin.” I remarked as I dropped the lamb bone onto the dirt.

“As do you.” I looked up and noticed she was staring at my mouth. I reached up and wiped it off, her gaze lingering as her breathing hitched.

“You alright?” I leaned forward, staring into her violet gaze as she jumped back.

“I’m f-fine.”

“You’ve still got blood on your chin. Here, let me–” I reached a hand up and grazed the blood drop with my fingers. I followed the trail to the corner of her lips, both of us staring at each other with bated breath. I leaned closer, the smell of blood drifting from her parted mouth. The smell, mixed with the scent of her shampoo, was intoxicating, sweet and tangy. I breathed it in through my mouth, our lips centimeters apart.

“Oi! Devon!” I pulled back quickly, willing the red from my face to go away. Cain was stalking up the hill, looking disgruntled and tired. “Where the hell where you? And why are you with him?” Devon stood, her eyes defensive.

“Chill Cain, we were just getting food!” He looked skeptic, and I could only assume he had seen what was going to happen, and he didn’t like it. Not. One. Bit.

“Isaak’s up. We’re getting ready to leave.” I stood, following Devon as she walked down the hill.

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t know. The clan won’t be taking us back, not when there’s a werewolf with us. Of course, we can always remedy that.”

“Cain! Why can’t you just shut up and–”

“I’m not a werewolf.” I said quietly. They stopped and turned to me.

“What?”

“I’m not a werewolf. I can’t change. My wolf form was sealed away by my grandfather. I can’t access it.”

“Why?” Cain addressed me again, his tone blunt.

“I’m not sure. He said I’d be able to when the time was right.”

“Then why are you even in the pack?”

“I’m the Alpha’s grandson. It’s kind of similar to royalty in the pack. No matter what, I’m part of the pack and they have to accept me, wolf form or not.”

“Bet they won’t now that you’ve helped us. Pack or not, neither of us take back traitors.” He shot an accusing glance at me.

“I didn’t ask for you to rescue me, okay?! You can go back and pretend you fled the raid, pretend like you never met me!”

“You think I’d abandon my friends like that? Like I’d go back, pretending that I was a coward? You fight or die! There’s no other choice!”

“Then stop complaining about me! You live with me, or you don’t, it’s simple!” We glared at each other, both taking a predatory stance.

“Uh, guys? Hate to stop this bonding, but we need to be going.” Isaak said, appearing in front of us as he dropped the plastic bag of clothes on the ground. Cain and I both grudgingly turned away from each other, the four of us walking down the road towards our next destination.

-X-

Thanks to ‘A Little Pain’, ‘writers block anon’ and ‘Gabryell-P-’ for reviewing last chapter!