Blood Bound

Black boots clicked against the sidewalk at a quick, precise pace. Jovie was aware of the pressure along the inside of her right boot as she walked alone in the fresh and chilly night air, starts twinkling mysteriously above her head. The hidden blade wasn't uncomfortable. It made her feel sure and strong. There were many dangers that she needed to keep aware. Even though Jovie loved this time of night, she couldn't let her guard down. The meat-eaters also prowled this area at midnight, with their animal-like ways and their monstrous attacks that took place quite frequently in the cover of darkness. Yes, she had to be careful. Her life depended on it.

Quickening her pace, Jovie rounded the run-down Thriftway. She hurriedly ducked under near-by pine trees and foliage. Her breath came in quick shallow gasps. She didn't need to be a werewolf to be able to know her enemies were near by. She knew they were there just as well as they could smell her. That is, if they weren't drunk and brain-dead for the next few hours. That's how their kind was; always partying, forever drunk, and worthless as far as Jovie could tell.

Knowing that she was safely out of sight from anyone's field of vision, she cautiously let her guard down. It's time, she thought to herself as she slowly rose from her crouching position and gazed at the full moon through the branches of the scarce pine tree. Her mouth started aching at the thought of blood. Her full lips gently parted as she felt the heaviness of the two growing bicuspids in her mouth. I must find something quickly. I won't be able to handle The Thirst for much longer.

She backed up into a more secluded area and followed the street at a distance so no one would notice her form in the pale moonlight. While passing the side of a photography store and about ready to head in another direction, she noticed it. Out of the corner of her eye in the dark alleyway, something caught her attention. There was only a dull shimmer that reflected the light from the lamp post near-by, but it was there, along with a person's silhouette.

Cautiously, she crossed the street to her left, watching for the first sign of danger. She paused for a moment on the sidewalk, letting her eyes re-adjust, and then she sighed with relief. He was asleep. Good. It was a poor beggar no doubt, with dirty clothing and a beer bottle in his filthy hand. It was the glare on the bottle that had captured her attention, giving away the man's presence. Didn't he know he could get killed wandering these streets at night? He probably didn't care.

The Thirst washed over Jovie once again with pain so unbearable she almost collapsed to her knees. Her whole mouth ached, calling to her, begging her to give into temptation. She looked at the man before her with disgust. His future didn't look any better than his appearance.

The pain shot up into her gums, her teeth throbbing. She fell to her hands and knees, trying desperately to swallow the saliva that had gathered in her mouth. Panting, she glanced across at the man, far too close for comfort, and came face to face with the slightly gray stubble on his chin. His blood will taste horrible with all that alcohol in it. She wrinkled her nose at the scent and lightly reached to place two fingers at his pulse. He throbbed with life, and once their skin met she knew The Thirst would take her so strongly that she wouldn't be able to refuse. Not on a night like this, with the full moon.

At least he's asleep. That's a plus. The other side of her mind contradicted, the only plus! She tilted his head to the side ever-so-gently; her eyes slowly glazing over, going in and out of focus. She parted her lips and brought them to his neck, then let instinct take over.

She bit him slowly and carefully, easing her mind to meld with his, calming him if he was about to wake up. He fell easily into her trance, and then all she could think about was the fluid that penetrated her senses and cleared her own mind. Right as the blood touched her tongue the aching stopped. The sweet, wonderfully rich blood flowed down her throat with ease as she went under in a sweep of hunger and pleasure from her nightly rendezvous. The alcohol, instead of making her want to turn away, fueled her desire for more.

No! She couldn't lose control! If she did…she didn't want to think of the outcome. She knew that she had to be the boss, the master. Her hunger couldn't run her, it was too risky. There had been other vampires before that lost control and wound up killing their victims. Others did it for sport, reveling in the control they held over mere mortals, discarding the empty husk whichever way they pleased. Not her. Not Jovie Moore. She wasn't going to be like those werewolves either; those meat-eaters! She could stop whenever she wanted to!

But…she didn't want to. It had been so long since she last had human blood running through her. It was as if she was alive again! She could take on the world with one fang! But did she think that was right? No. Even excessive mind control was wrong. How could this be any different?

She ripped herself away from the stranger, gasping as if she had been under water for a long period of time and was finally allowed air. She did it. She didn't go under. She didn't lose control. She held the power, not her hunger. Not this time.

Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her head lowered as she subconsciously wiped the edge of her mouth on the sleeve of her pewter sweat-shirt, tendrils of her straight auburn hair tumbling past her shoulder. When she raised her head, her pupils shimmered with an eerie golden light. She ambled out of the dark alleyway with her belly full, leaving the sleeping man to his rest, grateful she hadn't killed the human. The only sign that showed she had been there at all were the two thin red marks located at the side of his neck.

Everything was going well on her walk home—until she let her guard down.

   She was walking around the side of Old Man Darr's Bar when two muscular men walked out of the side exit, laughing drunkenly when one of them smashed a glass bottle against the side of the dumpster that rested along the wall close by. Their feral grins should have told her right away not to mess with them, but her mind was jumbled and her instincts were run down from the booze-blood she just drank. That and vampires were often slow in mind and body once their stomachs were full.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here? Look Lenny, a defenseless gal is wanderin' around at night with no escort. Why don' we show her th' ropes around here?"

His companion laughed crazily. "Fer what reason? Do ya wan' her to have a good time? Or…" he flashed a toothy grin and licked his lips, his coal black eyes boring into her amber-brown ones as his hands fisted, "should we…" he finished with a deep growl.

For some reason, Jovie's mind didn't go to full alert. She glared at them. "Who do think you are?! Get away from here before you both regret it!"

When their cocky smirks turned into frowns she knew she was in trouble. The affects of the blood were starting to fade, thankfully because of the cool air, and she realized what she had just said. Then when she remembered what they had suggested her eyes went wide.

"Oh crap!" She cursed herself quietly. Not werewolves!

"You think you can tell us what ter—" he was silenced by his buddy, Lenny. He sniffed the air, and then both started smelling for an odor they were both familiar with. Jovie gulped and closed the fraction of her mouth that had been parted only moments before. She dreaded what would be said next. Werewolves couldn't decipher vampires from regular human beings by the smell of their skin…it was the blood from their breath that gave away their inheritance; her inheritance in this case.

"I smell blood," Lenny stated, looking accusingly in her direction. "From you."

"What? Having fun without us?" the other taunted. His hand lashed out and before she could react or even scream, she was in his arms. He lifted her right arm and brought it to his nose.

The blood stain, Jovie thought, mentally kicking herself. She had been careless. How could I be so stupid? I'd contact every werewolf within miles of here because of that stupid blood spot, depending on the werewolf's sense of smell. She closed her eyes regrettably and pressed her lips together. She only hoped that things wouldn't get any worse.

Opening her eyes, she gasped as she watched the werewolf quickly lick the bloodstain from her pewter sweatshirt. He closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. "Still warm, it's fresh. And the human's a drunk, even better."

She was whipped away from the one guy and turned sharply around to come face to face with Lenny. "Where'd you find the human?" He growled menacingly. "Tell us! We can share. It's all about prey now, isn't it?" She shuddered at the thought, and then had the strength to look him in the eye. Disgust was written all over her features, defiance in her sharp eyes. He shook her, not liking that look one bit. "Tell me! You didn't kill 'em off now did you? You blood-sucking leech! Tell us where you found it, and Rev and I will let you go free of charge. If not…we'll have to settle for you." That caught her attention! "Tell me," he said in a deep purr. "Does Vampire blood taste good?"

Jovie wrenched herself away and took a retreating step backwards. A shadowy silhouette caught her attention. Her eyes flicked over Lenny's shoulder and she caught a glimpse of a feminine figure silently jump off the dumpster that was against the side of the building they were standing next to. The person had familiar long blonde hair and skin as pale as the moonlight. She landed behind Rev with experienced ease and before the man knew she was there, sank two pearly white incisors into his neck.

He gasped, but his buddy wasn't paying attention. The victim's eyes went in and out of focus until he fell into a trance. He was hypnotized; sleeping with his eyes open, balanced while standing only because of the two gentle hands holding him up. Jovie grinned, but quickly hid it incase Lenny saw. Lowry had come to save the day again, just like in the old times when they had been new in this part of town.

Jovie looked slyly into coal black eyes. She was right, he was watching her intently. "I wouldn't help you kill a human if my life depended on it." She said it lightly, but it had the affect of slapping him across the face.

She took his moment of shock as a weakness and kneed him in the gut before bringing her palm up and smashing it into his nose. He doubled over in pain, both hands held protectively over his bloodied nose as a fierce snarl raked his form. Jovie then brought her arm up and back down, using her calloused knuckles to send a powerful blow to his spine. A popping sound was heard before he dropped to the ground. She smiled despite the fluttery feeling that traveled from her heart to her stomach.

Jovie looked over at the newcomer and smirked. The other vampire let go of her capture and he easily slid to the earth in a deep sleep. She looked up from her prey with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes while licking her lips.

"Constantly getting into trouble now aren't you, Jo?" She laughed her loud, slightly scratchy laugh, her smile reaching all the way up to her cornflower blue eyes. "I thought we were over this by the age of twelve!"

"Yeah, me too," Jovie said wryly, receiving another short laugh from her life-long friend.

"Don't get too excited," A deep voice growled from somewhere below their line of vision. "You won't get the best of me."

Both girls watched in a stupor as the werewolf picked himself up off the ground, his pupils a dangerous blood red. He eyed Jovie menacingly, and then turned to glare at the blonde. His eyes flicked to his buddy whom was lying on the ground, to the two red cuts at his throat, and then accusingly at the girl who did the horrible deed.

She smirked when he glared. "Don't worry, he's just asleep. He didn't taste that good anyway."

Jovie blanched. Was she trying to get them into even more trouble? If she was… it was working a little too well.

"Lowry!" She whispered in a warning tone. She sent a glare that clearly meant shut up and stay that way. It was paid no heed.

"It was a mistake to come out here tonight, blood-suckers," he spat the name the werewolves had called them for centuries. "Even if your thirst runs strongly tonight…" he gazed up at the moon, as if mesmerized. Then the trance was broken and he curled his fingers, growing long, deathly sharp claws. "We are strongest during the full moon. It isn't a weakness; it is a power we hold over all you life-sucking vamps and measly worthless humans alike. The change comes more swiftly. The need and want to change washes over my kind in a way you couldn't even begin to comprehend. I could kill you by tooth or claw, your marks on my buddy's neck enough reason for me to rip you apart!"

Lowry smiled, or tried to. Jovie could tell it was forced. She flicked a long wavy strand of her golden hair carelessly over her shoulder. "You alone? I thought wolves hunted in packs. Are you sure you can handle a Vampire all by yourself?"

He snarled, his muscles tightening in an urge to hold back the change so he wouldn't lose shape for speech. "I'll kill you now!" he roared. He lurched toward her and away from his original prey, leaving her wide-eyed and dumbfounded. What is she doing? Does she want to be eaten alive? How am I supposed to get us out of this now? Oh merciful moon, guide me.

Lowry had somehow managed to do a series of twists and flips to keep out of his grasp. Jovie stared as the chaos unfolded. She reached down to her black boot and slipped her fingers along the inside part of her shin, pulling out her jewel encrusted dagger. She didn't want to have to do anything drastic, but if her best friend was in danger, she wouldn't hesitate.

She slowly righted herself into a standing position. "Stop." It came out as a strangled whisper.

Lenny finally captured his prize and slammed her against the wall. She winced and Jovie's grip on the dagger tightened. He held Lowry's throat in a vise grip, giving a feral grin that revealed an eye-full of pointy teeth. His hair had gone shaggy, his eyes pure red. Experimentally, he ran a razor-sharp claw across the flesh at her neck. Lowry gasped and he smirked, liking the way her weak flesh started to puff out in his nail's wake. A thin line of blood appeared in tiny pinpricks from the wound where he had cut a little too deeply. His grip never loosened.

"Stop it right now!" Jovie yelled, louder this time, rage taking over. She lifted the dagger, the masterpiece, and it glinted from the lamppost across the street. It wasn't the voice that froze Lenny's actions, but the glitter of silver out of the corner of his eye.

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An: Well, I have been trying to work on this for quite some time, but I've mainly only been editing. I want to actually write more and see what you guys think. I'm hoping that if you guys really like this, and review a lot, I'll keep it up and I'll try to up-date as soon as possible and finish the story. *wink* What do you think?

By the way… I'm making my first old chapter into two now, because it was really long. The third chapter will be ALL new stuff! I did change quite a bit though, so it might do you good to re-read the first chapter at least. My characterization was all wrong in the next chapter, so who knows? I might re-write even more there. I'll definitely up-date it today though. Please keep looking for this story! It'd mean a lot to me! Criticism is always helpful! Try to urge me on! ^________^ Thanks for all of your support!

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