Traveling Backwards

Why did my father have a book about vampires? But he had never mentioned vampires before, not even hinted at the subject.
“Isn’t this one of the books we use in school?” Ryder asked, snatching it from my hands and examining the pages. One of them detached and fell into the grass.
“Careful!” I scolded, picking up the paper and setting it back in its place. We were sitting in a picnic area near a lake, not far from the cluster of townhomes.
I took the book back from Ryder and tucked it under my arm.
“We should go somewhere more private and study that thing. Maybe it will help us with Kaige and Jayleen,” I offered.
“That lady at the diner was nice, maybe we should go back there,” Ryder said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. I smiled and nudged him in the side.
“I’m serious, we should—” I was interrupted by footsteps approaching behind me. I turned to find Kaige and Jayleen staring down at us.
“Well well well, look at this, Jayleen,” Kaige laughed, “There are only two vampires here, neither of them threatening. I think we’ll be able to get a good supply of blood tonight.”
Lurk stood up. He had a few inches on Kaige.
“Ooh, look at this. The silent guy thinks he’s tough. That’s cute.”
“I can talk. I just choose not to. You’re pathetic, Kaige. Pathetic. You constantly give in to your desire for human blood. That’s weak. You’re weak. That’s all you’ll ever be.”
Kaige’s nostrils flared and his breathing started to get heavy. He stepped back and spat in Lurk’s face.
Lurk pounced on him, his fangs visible.
“Guys! Not in public, are you insane?!” I screamed, running to pull Lurk off of Kaige. Instead, he pushed me to the ground with one hand, then pinned Kaige to a picnic table and punched him. Hard. Blood started oozing from his mouth and ran down his chin, red droplets settling in the green grass.
Lurk took a step back in shock of the damage he had caused. He normally wasn’t one to fight. He didn’t get angry very often. He noticed me out of the corner of his eye and rushed to help me up.
“I’m so sorry, Jaydee. I didn’t mean…I don’t know what…I just...”
I shrugged him off and got up myself. Ryder walked over and held me as he gave Lurk a ‘wtf dude?’ look.
Kaige was holding the collar of his shirt to his mouth, trying to slow the bleeding.
He gets beaten up quite a lot, doesn’t he?
I glanced around for Jayleen. There was no sign of her.
But I did see someone else: Wolf.
---XXX---

“What are you doing here?!” I exclaimed as I made my way towards my boyfriend.
…He’s still technically my boyfriend, right?
“I was worried. And for good reason obviously,” he made a gesture towards Kaige and Lurk, “And I brought Micah and Dimitri too, by the way…”
So basically everyone is here now… Wonderful…
“Yeah I know you were worried,” I stated, lightly slapping him on the side I knew his scars were on.
He cringed in pain and so did I.
“Well that was smart,” he laughed.
“Shut-up.”
“So can we talk somewhere? You know, alone?”
“Um… Yeah, I guess,” I muttered, avoiding eye contact with him, “There’s a gazebo by the lake over there.”
Wolf took my hand and started walking towards the water.
“What are you— Wait! My book! Where did my book go?” I cried as I started to panic. I ran back to the picnic table, searching each inch of the ground, waiting for my eyes to pick up on the right shade of brown.
“I got it, Jaydee,” Lurk said, waving it in his hand, “Just go, we can look at it later.”
---XXX---

Wolf took a spot on the bench next to me.
“So what was going on back there?” he asked.
“Kaige and Jayleen followed us to Earth. They’re going to replenish their supply of human blood. Don’t ask me about Lurk— that was a surprise to me too.” I explained.
“So what are we going to do about them? It’s not like we can let them murder a bunch of people. And knowing those two, they’ll get caught, or leave a clue or something. And everyone will start suspecting vampires. We won’t be safe anymore.”
I hadn’t thought about that.
“I don’t know what to do, but there are six of us now— six against two. The odds are in our favor.” (woo Hunger Games reference~)
There was a pause in our conversation as both of us began devising a plan.
I broke the silence: “My father owned a book about vampires.”
“What?”
“My father had a book. History of Vampires: Volume I. The same one we use in school. He must have known that vampires actually exist. Or at least had a theory, an interest, something.”
“Huh. I didn’t know humans could get that book here on Earth. I thought it only existed in hell.”
“Maybe my uncle brought it for him. I don’t know...” I sighed.
“I’m sorry about your uncle, Jaydee. And your parents. I wish I could help you.”
“Maybe you can,” I said. The feeling of loneliness was overtaking me. I didn’t know the rest of my family on Earth. My parents said they were protecting me. They said they weren’t worth knowing. I didn’t have anyone left. I didn’t have anyone to share a last name with.
“How could I possibly help you? I’m pitiful. I can’t give you anything worth having,” Wolf stated, his frustration clear in his voice.
“Yes you can,” I began, “Marry me.”