I woke up feeling confused and a little out of place. Had last night really happened? Had I really become involved with that strange man?
There was a knock on my door. "Delano, how'er you feeling?" my mother asked as she slowly opened my door.
"Well enough to go to school," I decided.
After finally convincing her that I really would be okay to spend the day outside of the house I got ready for a day of school. I looked in the mirror quickly fixing my bed head and pulled up the bottom of my shirt to look at the mark. And grimaced. It looked bad. I'd have to get Geo to look at it. Bet now that he wasn't afraid of me rejecting him he'd be able to do something about it.
Normally I drove to school… Senior year and all, it was just easier and I didn't have to wake up early to catch the disgusting yellow bus. But for some reason, three guesses what it could be, my mom didn't want me driving yet. So I rode the bus. It was better than another day at home.
When I arrived at my locker Blake was there waiting for me. "So, how's it going?" she asked casually.
"Can't complain," I answered just as laid back.
I opened my locker and started piling my books up while listening to the grand adventures Blake had planned for our group.
All of a sudden I felt the world spin before my eyes. I was somehow on the floor with a throbbing headache. Probably hit the locker door on the way down. "Oh my God, De! De, are you alright?" Blake yelled, clearly alarmed... wonder why.
"I'm…I'm…" nope not gonna work. I rescind my earlier statement, I definitely can complain. Overcome with nausea, I puked right there in the hallway. I can complain big time.
I crawled away from the foul substance and leaned against some other poor sod's locker.
I heard Blake frantically say, "De, I'm getting the nurse. Don't move."
Where the hell would I even go? It hurt just sitting here no way did I want to move.
A couple of seconds later Blake was racing back to me practically dragging the nurse behind her. They helped me up from my comfortable spot on the ground and forced, I mean, helped me walk to the nurses office where I was placed on one of those smelly plastic beds while the nurse called my mother. Who naturally took the passing out of her recently sick son rather well, as in I could hear her screaming into the phone well. She wasn't angry at the nurse just scared.
Then she was at the school and I was ushered home. And sent to bed again. I was forbidden from going to school for the rest of the week. Which was great, it's not like I was trying to graduate this year or anything, and yes, that was sarcasm.
My mom stayed with me all that night there to offer me feeble attempts at relief whenever I doubled over in pain. My stomach had never hurt like this before. It felt like something was trying to claw its way out of me.
It had to be early in the morning when my mom left for the office. She had set some food next to me before she left. A nice gesture, but I knew there was no way I could keep food down in my current state. I felt like I was going to die. I wanted to die, the pain wouldn't stop.
At some point I fell asleep. It was night when I awoke.
Somehow, I got it in my head that if I could just find Geo, my pain would stop. He would fix me. I jumped out of bed and skulked my way out of the house, occasionally doubling over in pain. I don't know how, but I knew where to go. Knew where the vampire would be. I arrived at the edge of the forest on the east edge of town and slowly went in.
As I made my way further in I could hear voices all around me. Shouts of "Look at that beauty." Growls of "A human in our forest!"
And then I heard the footsteps. Of course something would be following me. Why not? Well I'd show them, I decided to completely ignore them. Which apparently was not a smart move. A steely grip was on my arm and it definitely had no intention of letting me go. I looked toward the person. Couldn't he see I was in pain? My stomach pain was nearly crippling.
"Where you going so all alone so late at night, precious?" the person hissed into my ear.
He licked the shell of my ear with his slimy tongue just as a gut wrenching bout of pain made me drop to my knees. He never let go of my arm and forced me quickly to my feet. It took all of my strength to keep my knees from buckling. More creatures were surrounding us. Probably wanted a free show. Sickos. I made a grimace, I wanted to vomit.
"Don't worry sweetie, we won't kill you. You're too beautiful," the being whispered comfortingly.
I wheezed out, "Aw… if you… if you keep spouting poetry… like that… you'll make me… make me blush."
He ran his cold finger from my chin to chest. "Feisty. I like that."
I was pushed roughly into the hands of another and they began to poke and prod me. Everyone seemed to be having a grand old time. I felt like I was going to die. Ripped clean in half from the inside out. I couldn't stop them, could barely lift my arms up, the pain was too much. I felt strangely helpless, but knew at the same time these guys wouldn't really do anything to me.
"Julius," I heard a familiar voice growl.
"Yes?" the man holding me asked innocently.
"Drop him."
The hands holding me up let go and my knees buckled. I landed in a heap on the ground clutching my stomach as it gave another spasm of pain. There was a gentle hand on my back and I was gathered into strong arms. A soft kiss was placed on my forehead as light as a butterfly's touch.
I heard a cough from behind us. "It appears you know this human," Julius said awkwardly.
This guy was a regular Sherlock Holmes. I rolled my eyes.
"I plan on making him my pet." Geo said. Wait, pet. I did not agree to that.
"You already marked him?"
"Yes I did."
"Your father won't be happy with this," ever feel like a third wheel in a conversation? Yep that's exactly how I feel now.
"I am aware of this," Geo said sternly. He picked me up fully and carried me toward a small cabin.
We went inside. There stood the fiery red head from my dreams with her… pet? He was clearly not human, or maybe just into cosplay. There were silver ears perched on the top of his head, cat or maybe even dog ears, that perfectly matched his strange hair.
The girl proceeded to drawl out a message that had clearly been rehearsed many times, "Brother, father says he's happy you found a pet, but is disgusted it's a human. Nevertheless, he wishes to speak to the pet intended." She said gazing right into my eyes.
Saying what she had to she left with her pet quick on her heels.
Geo looked at me, worry in his eyes. "I know you're in pain, but we can't keep my father waiting. I'll give you something to temporarily alleviate the pain. When you get back from my old man I'll make it so it doesn't hurt anymore." I felt immense relief and gratitude toward this man.
He rummaged around in a cabinet and produced a pill bottle. He produced two pills and handed them to me. I swallowed them dry. Ten minutes later and I could already feel the pain ebbing away thanks to the wonder-drug Geo had given me.
"Can you walk on your own now?" I nodded.
He led me to a large house. Why were all these houses out in the middle of nowhere and how did nobody know they were here? The woods aren't that big. Geo brought me inside and to a huge set of ornately decorated ebony doors. "Knock twice and enter. Wait for him to tell you to sit down. Don't speak unless he does first." I nodded feeling sick for an entirely different reason. "You'll do fine," he said with a reassuring smile on his face. "Come back to my cabin when you're through."
I did as instructed and entered the study. A man was there and with one glance I recognized him as that pompous doctor.
Geo had his eyes. That's why they had looked so familiar.
"Come, sit down, Delano," the man said motioning to a seat in front of his desk and looking like every cheesy mob movie's boss.
"So you're the human Giovanni has been sneaking out to see. I must say it is a bit of a disappointment to see that this is what he has chosen. I knew when I got that house call that Geo had done something rash. But why were you sick? That's not a normal reaction.
"I had hoped that my son would pick something non-human as his pet. Something strong, a harpy, djin, hell I even would have been happy with a troll. Instead he picked you." Gee I felt the love. "But I must admit," he leered at me looking me up and down, "My son does have good taste in men, at least when it comes to their appearance."
What a dirty bastard. If Geo hadn't told me to behave… actually I don't know why I'm behaving because honestly I don't care that Geo told me to behave… I'm going to pretend it's because my stomach's still a bit queasy. Yeah, that's it. I decided to silently glare at him in retaliation.
"And with this mark, you are his," his hand reached out and touched the part of my clothing covering the mark. I jerked back out of his reach, and hissed. Apparently it still hurts when people touch it. He looked at me bewildered, "still hissing, I see. You have my permission to become my son's pet, if you are willing to become a werewolf. You may leave."
Wait… Don't I get a say in this? I was ushered to the door by some guy in a suit. Yeah totally a mob movie.
I made my way back to Geo's little cabin. We needed to have a talk about this pet business.
~FoM~
Darius sat at his desk raking his hands through his hair. That child was not normal. There was something so wrong about him it almost frightened the vampire. He had felt it the first day he saw the boy sick in bed and now felt it again; power. There was immense power in that lithe form. And he had a feeling this power was growing. The kid was definitely more powerful than the last time they met. Almost as powerful as Darius himself.
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