Once Bitten *On Hiatus*

𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖞 𝕾𝖎𝖝

• 𝓜𝓪𝓮 •

I looked up at the sky, squinting against the change of light. After a week of being holed up in the castle, I somehow talked Kite into letting me go outside. He had plenty of stipulations, of course - drink five bags of blood before leaving, wear sleeves, and I had to take someone with me to stop me if I went after a human.

I didn't tell them I stopped myself from killing someone when I woke up. I wasn't sure if that would concern them more.

It wasn't bright, per say. But the natural light was so different from the phosphorescent lights within the castle. The backs of my eyes burned as they adjusted, and I looked up at the thick clouds in surprise.

I'd always loved the sky. When I was young, a part of me wanted to be a pilot. To travel through the air and see the clouds up close. To see a sunset above the clouds, watching as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving stars and darkness in its wake.

But everything was so much clearer. More detailed. I felt like I could see every little divot in the thick, dark clouds. Like I could just reach up and touch it and it would feel like cotton candy against my fingertips.

It had been a while since I was allowed to simply be outside. I knew it was because they had been trying to protect me from Zero, and to make sure I didn't try to run again, but it had been too long.

I lowered my head and glanced at Seraph. He stood next to me, his hands in his pockets as he looked around. People gave him a wide berth, eyeing him, then me, before they began walking quicker.

It was only the older people who did that. The ones who remembered the takeover and what the vampires were capable of. To the younger ones, it was just another day. Vampires were vampires. They were brainwashed into believing vampires protected them.

"You're getting angry," Seraph said.

I sighed, then forced myself forward. "I really don't like vampires."

He hummed. "Me either."

I couldn't help but laugh, any pretense of anger melting away. He didn't like vampires or humans. Didn't matter the race or gender. That's why him liking me, even a little, was almost unbelievable at times.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me in an attempt to brush off the cold. Even with my low body temperature, there was still a chill in the air that not even my jacket could save me from. Each time I took a breath, fog danced from between my lips and vanished in the air in front of me.

I had wanted to take a walk, but I was regretting it not ten minutes in.

"Has it snowed yet," I asked.

"Not yet." Seraph tilted his head to look up at the sky. "It looks like it might soon."

I hoped so. I wasn't a huge fan of the cold, but there was just something about untouched snow.

We walked in silence for a while. I looked around at the people who decided to brave the cold, rushing back to their houses or out in the direction of the shopping plaza.

South District wasn't small, but there was no such thing as vehicles anymore. Everyone had to walk everywhere they went. In the beginning, I felt bad for those who had homes miles away from the shopping center. As time went on though, I waited for one of those homes to open up so that I could live there. I loved walking, and eventually I loved running, once I forced myself out to do it a few times. And then I did it to train for my shitty escape.

Seraph held out his hand and I glanced down at it, seeing a silver dagger. The same one that Zero killed me with.

"If you don't want it back, I understand." His eyes tracked a small girl going into her house. Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold and she held a basket of bread.

I took it from him and slid it into my jacket pocket, watching the door close behind the girl. But there was something about the house. Something wrong. I just couldn't put my finger on what it could be.

I clenched the knife in my hand and turned my attention away from the house. It was probably just my imagination. I hadn't been out since my turn, and everything somehow looked different.

"Zero said this was your mom's," I said. "He said it would be funny to use it to kill me."

He stilled, and I stopped as well, turning and looking up at him, waiting for him to explain.

He stared down at me, his eyes narrowed. But I didn't think he was angry at me. Something about Zero using it to kill me bothered him, yes. But something about what else he said pissed him off.

He reached up and scratched the side of his neck, sighing. "Are you ready to go back?"

He looked uncomfortable. Tense. Like he wanted to be anywhere but right there. I felt a small tinge of awareness tickle the back of my brain as I watched anger dance across his features. It wouldn't be obvious to those around us. Honestly, unless you were staring at him and knew him, you wouldn't have been able to tell.

He wanted to kill something.

"Can I help," I asked, turning back. If he needed to be alone, I'd leave him alone. If he needed some sort of distraction...

He glanced at me. "Not unless you're ready."

I blinked. "Ready?"

His lip curled. "To run."

My stomach tightened and I had to somehow talk my feet into continuing their forward trek, because if I didn't make a mental effort to keep walking, I would have tripped and fell flat on my face. When I offered my help, I hadn't expected that.

He reached out and ruffled my hair. "It's okay if you're not. You were just turned. It takes some time to-"

"Okay," I said.

He tilted his head, studying me. "Okay?"

I nodded. Sure, I was just turned. But what else was I supposed to do? Wallow in self pity between training? I did that enough in my alone time, and I didn't want to anymore. What better way to do that than be hunted down like prey by the residential serial killer?

"Okay," I said again. "I'd prefer it later tonight, though."

"Oh, fuck," he groaned, closing his eyes, stopping again.

A shiver raced down my spine with those two words, uttered so low it was like a growl between his lips. He tilted his head back, his eyes still closed, and breathed out a long exhale.

When he finally opened his eyes, I wished I would have started running. Wished he would have chased me right then and there - screw anyone who could possibly see it.

He lowered his head and looked at me again. "Remember what I said?"

My eyebrows drew together in confusion.

He smirked. "You need to be prepared, little bird. Because I'm not going to be nice to you."

*****
A/N: 🫡 Apologies for the late update - my life's a bad joke sometimes.