Chapter Eleven: Electrified

After we’d packed our meager possessions into some old backpacks that Dr. Kingston had had, we said our goodbyes to him. They weren’t all that emotional, of course; the doctor simply gave us a few awkward pats on the back, waved, and we were gone. Still, I felt as if I was leaving somewhere that’d been a home to me, however short a time we’d stayed there.

We walked for a while, then went to sleep. (I'm writing this later. So there.)

I was awoken by a sharp crackling of twigs, and my eyes flew open when a dark shadow fell over me, seconds later. All I could see were two bluish-hazel eyes and a few strands of sandy blonde hair, but I knew who I was looking at. He was the man who I’d seen a few nights before. “Why are you here, um…?” I asked, my quiet voice coming out raspy from fear and disuse.

“It’s Zane,” he whispered, the sound as quiet as the wind around us, “and…no reason. I just wanted to perform a little…experiment.” Then he did something that completely and utterly shocked me: he leaned down a little and kissed me.

The moment his lips touched mine, I was frozen. The world, even time itself, stopped cold for a few moments, as did my heart. I closed my eyes tightly, a little uneasy of his eyes, which were boring into mine.

The gesture started as a simple kiss, an uncomplicated touching of one pair of lips to another, and yet it electrified me like I’d never been electrified before, my heart thumping so wildly against my ribcage that I was sure he could hear.

“Stop!” I moaned, but the protest was muffled by Zane’s lips as he pressed them more firmly onto mine, his hand reaching up to tangle in my hair. His other hand was wrapped firmly around my waist, forcing my hips against his.

I felt his smile against my mouth as he answered my outcry with a simple, “No,” his breath mingling with my own in a way that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. He pulled me closer and closer to him, until my entire body was touching his, warming it.

Then he held me tightly in the one-sided embrace, his lips moving gently against mine; quietly commanding, as if he was reminding me that he was in control here, was stronger than me. He didn’t open my lips, though, and for that I was glad; at least he knew enough not to go that far.

The kiss was extremely uncomfortable, even a little frightening—he was supposed to be evil, after all—and my mind and heart were racing…but it wasn’t all from fear. Why am I almost enjoying this? I asked myself, then answered my own question. He’s an excellent kisser, I noted, making up for my…inexperience…also, from the few limited glances that I’ve caught, he’s really cute…but still. I shouldn’t like this, I should hate it. He’s the bad guy; get a hold of yourself…

Suddenly I felt something pressing into my stomach, pulling me away from Zane, and soon air, cool to me although quite warm in reality, rushed into the place where Zane’s extremely warm body had been. Between Zane and I stood a very angry-looking Skylar; his hackles were raised, and his fangs were glinting whitely in the moonlight as he growled.

Don’t touch her, he commanded Zane, who looked amused and surprised at the same time. Then he turned to me, looking fatherly although wolfy, and asked, Are you alright? You didn’t start that, did you? Ugh, I hope you didn’t…

I shook my head firmly. “Absolutely not,” I said. “It was terrible, but I’m physically fine, if a little mentally scarred…but no worries.”

There was no response besides a strained smile and a relieved nod as Skylar turned back around to look at Zane…or that was the purpose, anyway; Zane was nowhere to be seen, which made Skylar growl again.

“It’ll be okay, Skylar, don’t worry,” I assured him. “I’m sure he just ran off…I won’t let him do that again, I swear.”

Skylar sighed. Why didn’t you call for help? he asked me, then realization dawned on his face as he added, You couldn’t, could you?

“Nope. He jumped me in my sleep, and when I tried to yell he just—just smothered it with his mouth, I guess.” I paused, then continued. “I kind of wonder why he did it. Maybe he was just trying to throw me off, confuse me; make me second-guess my judgment that he’s the ‘bad guy,’ but maybe…maybe he really likes me.”

Don’t get your hopes up, Skylar responded with a smirk; I could tell that he thought I was joking. Anyway, you’d better get some rest, m’dear…you obviously haven’t gotten much so far tonight.

I blinked. What had he just called me? “Um, okay, Skylar; I’ll get some sleep…but first of all, why’d you call me ‘m’dear’? I…”

There was a glint of white as my comrade flashed a wide smile, then silently turned around and went back to his sleeping bag, on which he curled up. Then, before I could say another word, his breathing slowed and became even; he was asleep.

“I’ve always wondered how people do that,” I muttered to myself, climbing into my own sleeping bag and lying down. “I mean, the average person is supposed to fall asleep in 7 minutes, but some can just close their eyes, and—bang—they’re out cold.”

Then I sighed deeply and shut my eyes, hoping that I could do as Skylar did and fall back asleep in seconds.

Sadly, my wish came true.

“Well, m’dear, I guess this is goodbye.”

I’m startled awake by a wolf that looks—and sounds—startlingly like Skylar…but it can’t be him, because Skylar would never take that pose in front of me. He’s standing in a way very similar to the way that he stood in front of Zane earlier, a threatening stance that sends chills down my spine.

“Felix is already dead, and soon you will be, too. Don’t worry, I’ll make it swift.”

Even worse than these words is the sound of the endearment that he said.

Then, suddenly, he pounces, pinning me to the ground, one paw on my stomach as he leans in, jaws open. I feel his breath on my face, and I know that he’s planning to kill me, for whatever reason he may have. This really is goodbye.

There’s a movement, and unexpectedly his weight is off my stomach and Zane is standing in front of me, a gun pointed at Skylar, who now looks afraid and small. I sit up and watch, as if in slow motion, Zane pull the trigger on the gun.

Without thinking I throw myself in the way of the bullet.

I feel an intense pain wrack my body, but I can pinpoint the most painful area: my chest. Blood is pouring from a gaping hole there, where the bullet intended for Skylar has pierced me. The end really is coming, just not at the hand of Skylar.

Instead, it’s at the hand of my almost-savior, Zane.

“Thank you for everything,” I whisper to…to who? Is it to Skylar or Zane, or maybe both or neither? Perhaps I’ll never know.

Perhaps I’ll never see either of them again.

To my intense surprise, my eyes opened to a glorious morning, the sun streaming down from the heavens as if to welcome me back from the dead. “She’s awake!” chimed a voice from my right; it sounded like Kaliyan. Where was she when I died? I wondered.

I pulled myself to a seated position, then blinked at what I saw. Skylar and Felix were peacefully eating their breakfast of crackers and jam, and Felix was jabbering aimlessly on about a dream he’d had the night before about finding a stray dog.

A dream, I thought, mentally slapping myself. Of course it was a dream. Skylar wouldn’t kill me. I shook my head at my idiocy, then pulled myself over to where the crackers were, slathering some mashed-up strawberries onto it and taking a bite. “So how did you all sleep?” I asked.

“Great!” Felix answered. “I had this amazing dream about finding this dog, and when I brought it home, my dad let me keep it. Usually he would’ve just yelled at me and thrown it out on the street, but this time, since it was a dream and all, he smiled and said it was real cute. He even made up Teresa’s room for it, and made Teresa move in with Peter forever, so…”

I let him jabber on, mentally going over the scene from last night. Why had Zane kissed me? Why was he following us? Why did he tell me his name? Why on Earth did he have to be so cute, and such a good kisser, when I know that he’s on the so-called ‘dark side’?

There were so many questions, and so little time to get them answered.