I'm Half-Doomed and You're Semi-Sweet

The warehouse was silent.

Patrick, Andy, and Joe were out for supplies, and Hanna and Brendon were just out in general, nothing unusual.

Meanwhile, Pete was stuck with Kira.

It was barely past eight pm and being holed up here with the tension between himself and Kira was enough to drive him insane.

“I’m going out,” he announced to her. She barely looked up at him and went back to whatever she was reading. He turned to leave, but was stopped by her reply.

“Where?”

“Just…out.”

“Me too,” she suddenly said, shifting from her previous position onto her feet.

“No. you can’t leave,” he said simply.

“I’m sorry, when did I become a prisoner?” she snapped, quickly turning hostile.

“When you forfeited your trust to me,” he hissed back. “When you betrayed us.” She felt the corners of her eyes begin to tear up from frustration, even though his accusations were true.

“I hate you,” she spat bitterly, even though she meant and felt the opposite.

She closed the door in his face before he could, feeling a tiny sense of accomplishment, but hardly any at the same time. She waited until she heard him leave the warehouse and then collapsed onto the bed, exhausted for whatever reason.

She didn’t know what her problem was.

She didn’t know why she was attracted to Pete, especially when he only ever acted like a wounded, self-absorbed asshole.

Speaking of which, she wasn’t sure what it had been about Alex that attracted her back then, but it somehow led to all this.

Her, a thousand miles away from home, and of all things, both living with and hiding from vampires.

It didn’t really matter. No one was waiting for her back in Maryland.

Her family had probably gone back to their lives by now, Kira just a distant memory that no longer had any effect on their lives. They wouldn’t even remember her when and if she ever chose to return.

Her only family now was Jack, assuming he still cared at all.

But she hadn’t spoken to him in a long time.

So maybe she really didn’t have anyone left.

She fell asleep with that thought plaguing her mind.

Hard crashes interrupted her sleep, followed by rustling at the door.

“Pete?” she called out sleepily, forgetting that she was supposed to be irritated at him for keeping her holed up in the warehouse, among other things.

“He’s not here, sweetheart,” a smooth voice replied. Hands shaking, she reached over to turn on the lamp on the bed stand, although she already knew who was here.

She gasped anyway as he stepped from the shadows of the darkness into the light.

Gaskarth.

She scrambled to get out of bed, clutching the covers around her body as if they’d serve as some form of protection from the dangerous vampire in front of her.

Her eyes scanned the room for something to defend herself with.

She wouldn’t go down without a fight, if she could help it.

Unfortunately, all the equipment was either in the storage or practice room, and she found herself unprotected as Gaskarth approached her at a slow pace, his lips spread wide in a sickening grin that exposed his razor-sharp canines.

She backed away, her back hitting the wall as he advanced; the grin turning into an amused smirk. She pressed her back harder into the wall; he was now only inches away.

She closed her eyes tightly, feeling his cool breath against her neck, bracing herself for the worst.

He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of her fresh blood that he’d always wanted to taste.

By now, she was all but shaking with anticipation. He would surely bite her this time; she was long overdue for this punishment.

He laughed, and she flinched at the sudden sound, daring to open her eyes.

“Don’t be afraid,” he cooed tauntingly, running a pale finger down the pulse of her neck. “I hear it can be quite pleasurable done the right way.” She shivered at the thought.

His finger was now stroking her cheek, and she attempted to glare at him, to which he only let out another harsh laugh. She began to panic as his lips grazed her neck, frantically using her fists to pound at his iron-like chest.

"You’ll only tire yourself out,” he laughed, grabbing her wrists to stop her useless attempts at fighting back. He was right; she was no match for the strength of a vampire.

She used his pause as an opportunity to spit in his face. He growled angrily, suddenly pinning her roughly to the wall with his vice-like grip on her wrists, her head slamming into the plaster hard enough to see stars.

She was dizzy, rendering herself even more defenseless, if possible. He forcefully kissed her, making her gasp in pain when he bit down hard on her lower lip. She briefly felt his tongue graze her lip for a taste of her blood when he suddenly let go. She raised her hand to her mouth, tasting blood where his fangs had just pierced her lip.

“You will no longer disrespect me in any way,” he hissed, watching her wince in pain as she felt for what had to be a bruise forming on the back of her head. “Or the consequences will be far worse than you can imagine,” he added, lip curled up in a snarl.

“I don’t…work for you…anymore,” she panted. He replied by pinning her back to the wall by the throat. She began to feel lightheaded as she clawed at his hand that was surely bruising her neck beyond belief.

“You work for me as long as I say you do,” he stated, narrowing his eyes coldly at her helpless face. “And when I decide you don’t, I’ll be the one to take care of it.”

She struggled to hang onto her consciousness, but she felt her body go limp and herself slipping into darkness at his hands.

Literally.