"Don't hurt her!" the newcomer pleaded and Raven interpreted the child-like voice. She took in his appearance and was surprised when she saw how young he was. What was he doing with these people?
"The boss wanted Raven, so it doesn't matter if I hurt this one or not!" the man with the snake bite hissed at the boy.
"Don't," the boy pleaded.
Raven was still trying to wrap her head around it all. What did the man say? Their boss wanted her? She looked up at her carrier. "What do you want with me?"
"It's not us that want to see you," the man with Elaise chuckled. "You see, we're only messengers-"
"Snake, shut up!" Raven's man snarled, making the blonde jump and almost drop Rover. "The boss can tell her everything."
"Gee, you're so touchy tonight," Snake jeered. "Don't like full moons anymore?"
"Not just that," the man snorted. "This bitch reeks of Jason!"
"What have you got against Jason?" Raven demanded, feeling snuggled up in Jason's gray shirt. "He told me he used to work with you lot."
"Yep," she looked down at the young boy. "And he was a lot nicer than the grumpy man." The comment was shot up to the man carrying the blonde. "Jason used to let me pet him."
"Pet him?" Raven blinked up at Elaise, seeing the same look of confusion on her face.
"We're almost there," the man up ahead spoke and Raven saw a giant building appear from the cover of the trees. The men slowed their pace and the boy rushed to open the doors when they reached the building. Raven glanced back at Elaise as they were carried inside. Raven felt a shiver run down her spine and she looked around at the white walls, a dead aura all around her.
"Speed, go get the boss," Snake said to the young boy.
"Only if you get me my sugars!" Speed tried bargaining and Raven wondered why a kid was living in such an environment.
"Fine, now go," Snake rolled his eyes and Raven saw Speed race away with lightning speed. She had to rub her eyes to interpret what she had just seen but she wasn't given a chance to think it over when the man carrying her convulsed again.
"Are you okay?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Why do you care?" he growled.
"I don't," she snorted, trying to keep her bravery levels up. "I just don't fancy being dropped."
They moved on to another room where a staircase was located, leading up then breaking apart to reach either side of the next level. Raven yelped when she was dumped on the floor and her ribs sent shooting pains through her body. She locked her jaw and wrapped her arms around herself in a means to keep her ribs together.
With a loud thud, Elaise was dumped beside her. The brunette grumbled up at Snake and turned to Raven. "You alright?" Raven nodded slowly and Elaise glared up at the man who had carried the blonde. "Her ribs are fractured, you fuck head! She doesn't need to be tossed around like that!"
"I'm sorry, your majesty," the man bowed his head modestly and Elaise snorted at him.
Raven looked up at the last man who gently placed Sally on the ground with the girls. He glanced at Raven with something shining in his eyes and straightened up, taking a step back. Sally twitched and her eyes slowly flickered open. It took her a few seconds before she suddenly screamed and jumped to her feet to try and run. Elaise shot up and grabbed her, holding the ginger girl in place before the men could seize her and throw her back down.
Raven breathed slowly but blinked when Speed appeared again, holding his hand out for her as a gesture to help her up. She pressed her lips together and reached her hand up, gasping when she felt how cold his skin was. She was surprised when he pulled her to her feet with the strength of a wrestler and he was only a head shorter than her, probably fifteen or sixteen years of age.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"You're welcome," Speed smiled and sniffed. "Wow! You really do smell like Jason!"
Raven didn't know whether that was a compliment or not but she looked up at Elaise trying to keep Sally calm and they looked around at the three men blocking their exits. What was going to happen now?
She looked at the man who had carried her and saw his body twitching again, his blue eyes making him look furious as his black hair hung in his face. Raven frowned. "You look just like him," the man glanced up. "Jason; you look like him."
The man snorted again. "That little fuck up isn't even worth having a name!" Raven fought the urge to defend the green-eyed boy, but another voice stopped her.
"Boulder, that's no way to talk about our guest's friend," Raven looked over her shoulder to see a black-haired man slowly descending the stairs, a large black cloak trailing behind him. His face was pale white and his eyes were narrowed with interest. He walked with his hands intertwined and he flashed a smile at Raven.
Her heart almost broke out of its cage and she whipped back around to face the man who had carried her. "Boulder? You're Jason's brother?!"
The man slowly let a grin appear on his face. "So he told you about me too. Interesting."
Raven couldn't believe it as she stared at this man. This was Jason's brother! This was the one Jason never wanted her to meet. But what was he doing here? Was this Jason's adopted family?
"Which one of you goes by the name of Raven?" the blonde turned around to face the man from the stairs and she noticed more people following him down, their faces all pale and eyes wide. Females were among them, wearing revealing clothing with perfect skin and neatly cropped hair.
"This one," Speed stood beside Raven and smiled up at her. "She is really pretty. Can we keep her?"
"I have to admit, he's actually a little cutie," Elaise spoke up, her voice getting stronger.
Raven ignored her friend and couldn't turn her gaze from the man who approached her, arms outstretched. He stopped in front of her and smiled. "Welcome, my dear. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you."
"How do you know who I am?" Raven asked, unable to move. Elaise was hugging Sally as the ginger looked like she wanted to panic again and the blonde girl had to remember how to breathe.
"Boulder has been watching you for a long time," the man explained. "Since you started at the school, actually. He overheard Jason say your name."
"Okay," Raven nodded slowly, letting it soak in. "What do you want with me? I know Jason worked for you, but he left. Are you going to kill us?"
"No," the man chuckled. "We're not going to kill you. I'm not making promises for your friends however." Raven looked over at Elaise and Sally who had turned pale in the face, their eyes wide with fear.
"Why not me?" Raven felt the need to ask.
"Because you belong to Jason," the man answered smoothly. "Since Jason left us, we have been… less successful than we once were. He was our best hunter and he definitely knew how to keep his brother in order."
"That pup had no control over me!" Boulder snarled from behind Raven and the blonde half turned to look at him, seeing him trying not to double over from whatever pain he was in. "He ran with his tail between his legs when his stomach couldn't handle the killings!"
"But Jason was a good puppy," Speed piped up. "He used to let me scratch his ears! And he was really cute."
"Puppy?" Raven echoed, looking around and expecting an explanation. Why were they calling Jason a puppy? Was that some kind of nickname for him when he was here?
The man sighed. "That's something he never told you about. You see, my dear," he gently put a hand on Raven's shoulder and she felt the cold creeping through her body. "Jason is not human; he never was."
What was this nutcase going on about? Raven thought with confusion and glanced at her friends again. Jason was human! How could he not be? He definitely looked the part.
"Then what is he?" Raven challenged. "He looks pretty human to me so I'm convinced you're not lying very well."
"My dear, you maybe not think he is anything but what he appears," the man grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Her skin crawled when she looked up at him and felt that she couldn't look away. "He's been lying to you this
whole time."
"What do you mean?" she whispered, her heart racing as she held Rover.
"Jason's a werewolf," he replied.
Raven rolled her eyes and blinked at him. Was this some kind of joke? "Really? A werewolf? What do you take me for? There's no such thing! I'm sure I would know if Jason was a werewolf." Though she had to admit to herself that it was a bit nerving to be told the same thing that Elaise had tried to tell her. Were these people superstitious too? Was it all just a game to them?
"They are real, child," the man smiled. "They're just a lot smarter than you give them credit for."
"Prove it," Raven said before she could stop herself. "If they're real, then prove it."
"Thank you!" she heard Boulder groan and the man spun her around, resting on her shoulders and still holding her chin, forcing her to look at Boulder as he doubled over. She bit back a yelp as a loud snap echoed around the room and Boulder's back split open. She watched with the blood draining from her face as she watched his body starting to grow bigger; too big for his own skin. His jaws parted and a loud roar escaped his lips, making goose bumps rise on Raven's skin. She wanted to run away but she wasn't able to move as the man held her in place. She heard her two friends whimpering but she turned her attention back to Jason's brother.
Boulder's skin was suddenly sucked into his body as a giant puff of fur appeared, covering every layer of skin. His shirt became too small for him and it tore off, falling to the floor in tattered pieces. Raven bit her lip when he grew taller, reaching up to almost seven feet tall! His face grew and ears sprouted on the top of his head as a snout reached out to take shape.
When Boulder's transformation was complete, he stood tall, towering over everyone in the room. He glared down at Raven with vile golden eyes and drew his lips back in a snarl, revealing his razor sharp canine teeth. He snorted and fell onto all four human-like paw and crept closer to her. She heard the man behind her laugh as Boulder stood in front of her, his large black nose almost touching her. She was on the verge of hyperventilating when she stared at the giant monster in front of her. It was true. It was all true. This was the creature that had almost taken her that night. This was the creature that had stopped Kyle from raping her on his first attempt. This creature took Stephanie. This creature in front of her was a werewolf!
This creature was Jason's brother.
"I don't believe it," Raven whispered, unwanted tears welling up in her eyes. "Jason. Der. Eliza… Even Jake?"
"They're all werewolves," Elaise said grimly. "I was right."
"How does it feel to know that you've had intimate affairs with a supernatural being?" the man chuckled and Boulder looked amused, stepping back and sitting down. "But I detect a faint smell of… Well, not of Jason. You've had affairs with two!"
"Even Kyle was one of them?" Raven finally understood. "It was like two dogs fighting over a bone…" the man released her and she turned to face him.
"Has Jason claimed you, my dear?" the man asked.
Raven fought to breathe and she glanced over to Elaise with Sally huddling up to her. "Yes."
"Good," the man appeared more pleased and he glanced around at his companions. "Jason has claimed her! We will be very successful in our task." Everyone in the room started to smile and whisper to each other and Raven frowned.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Who are you?"
He looked shocked. "Oh dear, I completely lost my manners. Introductions! My name is Evan. You've already met Boulder. Then we have Snake, Slayer and Speed who escorted you ladies here." Raven glanced around at the men who had brought them here and she gulped. "There is also many others but you can learn their names at a later date. Who are your friends?"
"Elaise and Sally," Raven told him automatically. "Are you also werewolves?" She heard Boulder growl behind her.
"No, dear," Evan chuckled and raised his hand, tracing a finger across Raven's face. It felt wrong to her, and his touch was so cold. "The rest of us are vampires." Raven didn't get the chance to ask for proof as she spotted Evan's deadly fangs, looking as sharp as Boulder's teeth.
"Any other questions you would like answered?" Speed asked, looking up at her.
The blonde wasn't sure she had a voice left as her heart fluttered like a trapped bird in a cage. "The girls you kidnapped. The ones you kill… It's because you have to…"
"Ten points for the blonde!" Snake piped up.
"But vampires and werewolves are enemies!" Elaise scowled. "How can you have one as a pet?" Boulder snarled at her and she shrank back with Sally.
"We had two pets, but one wanted a better life," Evan told her. "It's not by choice; it's also because we have to."
"Why?" Raven blinked.
"Because we can't go out in the sun," Speed told her. "Boulder and Jason used to scope out the school during the day and do the snatching at night. Jason had a great way of doing it! He used to turn human and introduce himself to girls and convince them to come out at night to see him again. That was when he and Boulder would snatch them up and bring them back here."
"Without Jason it's not as easy as it once was," Evan sighed. "Boulder doesn't have the same charm as Jason did, so he can only grab the occasional female breaking curfew."
"Like Stephanie," Raven curled her hands into tight balls around Rover's body. "You killed her too."
"We almost had you," Evan reminded her. "But that was before we knew that you belonged to Jason."
"What makes the difference now?"
"Why don't we go somewhere more comfortable and discuss this?" Evan insisted and turned to Snake and Slayer. "Lock up the other two. We'll deal with them later."
Raven frowned when she saw Elaise and Sally snatched up by the two vampires. Sally screamed at the top of her lung and Elaise tried to put up as much of a struggle as she could, kicking Snake in the crotch but it did nothing to hurt him. Raven tried to move forward to run to her friends, but Evan put an arm out in front of her. She looked up at him and he flashed his teeth. She knew what that mean: "Don't move or you'll die."
Raven took a deep breath and watched her two friends being dragged away. She heard them screaming but they faded as they were taken away. The blonde looked back up at Evan, waiting for him to speak again.
"Boulder, Speed, Bullet, Angelica, Marcus and Derrick," the man spoke up. "Come with us. Everyone else, go make yourselves useful."
Everyone except those who were named moved off into other rooms to go about their business. Speed crossed his arms and Evan asked if he was okay. "I was promised sugars," the boy muttered.
Boulder growled at the boy but stalked off, waving his tail as he went. Evan rolled his eyes and tossed a small bag of white powder over to Speed. The child laughed like a happy baby and held it in his hands, looking at it as though it was a miracle powder. Raven recognized it as cocaine, a drug that her father used to take. But Speed was a child! She had to remind herself he was a vampire, but surely that made no different to his age!
"Let us go to another room," Evan said to Raven and led her in the direction Boulder had taken. She jumped when something cold touched her hand and she looked down, seeing Speed's hand holding hers. She tried to calm herself and knew that if Jason found out where she was… She paused for a moment. What would Jason do if he knew where she was? Would he rampage the place to get her back? Or would he even bother, telling himself she was already dead?
The other vampires followed and they entered a new room where Boulder was already laying down in a corner, resting his head on his paws. Evan held a chair out for Raven and she slowly sat down. She was sitting at an oak table with beautiful designs and the chair had comfortable cushions to sit on. Speed sat beside her and the other vampires made themselves comfortable. Raven became aware of the female vampire watching her with hungry eyes. She was a brunette woman and was wearing a very revealing dress with straps that crisscrossed over her breasts, barely covering them, with the skirt section ending just above mid-thigh.
Spee
d made quick work of pulling the cocaine from the little bag and professionally lined it up in strips, pulling out a straw from his pocket. Was he really going to take drugs?!
"Don't mind him," Evan told her, sitting down at the table on the opposite side of her, facing her directly. "When we found him, he was already an addict."
Raven glanced down and watched as Speed snorted the cocaine, not even choking. He became aware of the blonde watching him and he smiled up at her, holding the straw out. "Would you like some?" he asked cutely.
"I'll pass," Raven declined and Speed shrugged, turning back to his 'sugars'.
"You're taking this better than most humans would," she looked up at Evan, clearly the leader of the… What was the word? She thought to herself. Cover? That's the one! Leader of the coven.
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