Mine, Bitten

Chapter Thirty-Eight

    Lily 

      Jackson straightened against the opposing wall and raised an arm above his brow to block the abrupt fluorescent lighting.

            As Lily uttered his name weakly she noticed beneath the blooming light, that his face was shadowed in black and blue. Someone had done a number on him and the smell of blood had reached her keen senses at an alarming rate.

            His eyes widened on where she lay, wearied and unmoving against the wall, "Lily-" alarmed, he reached for her and she drew sharply out of his reach.

            Frowning, he pulled back, shaking his head guiltily, "I'm not going to hurt you-"

            She exhaled a heavy breath and closed her eyes against the onslaught of lighting fused madly with a rising, uncontrollable thirst. "I know."

            Jackson's eyes moved over her worriedly, "What did they do to you?"

            She opened her eyes and peered warily at the lighting, "It's what they're doing."

            He followed her gaze and frowned-then realization dawned. As this newly obtained knowledge barely settled he eyed her skeptically and felt a knot entangle itself in his throat. He shook his head in disbelief.

            "Are you-who?" his swollen face furrowed with profound bewilderment. "How?" he peered at her anew in a wide and wary regard.

            She closed her eyes, feeling every muscle and joint twist in agony at her resistance. "I can smell your blood."

            When she reopened her eyes Jackson had flattened his back against the wall. He peered heatedly at the barricading door. "Bastard." He hissed beneath his breath. He averted his eyes from the door to Lily, "I'll get you out of here-" he paused and said with an attempt at humor, "-try and not bite me, k?"
            She smiled feebly.

Ward

            Ward paced the confines of his lab. He was growing impatient and now seven hours into his strategy with everything as a no-go, he was growing increasingly angry.

            He turned and surveyed the flickering computer screen where a camera had been positioned in the confinement room.

            His daughter was far stronger then he gave her credit for. Her resistance to feed was quite impressive and equally disappointing.

            "Plan not going accordingly?"

            Ward straightened and peered shrewdly at Ravensport leaning casually against the wall, "I'm not paying you to talk, hunter, just to catch me a vampire."

            Ravensport pushed away from the wall and stepped up to the computer screen, eying the two on the other side. "Word to the wise scientist, I kill all and any vampires, including pretty blondes recently turned."

            The warning hovered subtly between the two before a creaking noise alerted them to someone entering the room.

            Ravensport stepped aside and Ward peered intriguingly at the man making entry and felt a satisfying grin pull at his mouth, "Dr. Hughes, how particularly coincidental of you to show."

            The man was of fairly height, white-haired with a corresponding beard and prior to everything, Ward's superior.

            Dr. Hughes eyed the unusual amount of vials and equipment set out amongst the room, "What in blazes is happening here, McDermott?"
            Ward smirked, "The beginnings of a phenomenon."