Hounds in the Night

It had been two days since Raine had come down from the top of the building, one day since River had changed back into her human form, and two hours since Riley and Andy went out to hunt for the night.

"Now explain that to me one more time." River glared over at Pete. He was trying to describe for her what he was planning.

"Basically River, he wants to attack everybody in the square and watch as William turns to dust." Patrick stated looking up from his book.

"Vamp boy, you are getting ridiculous!" River said rolling her eyes. She tapped Joe on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Want to go play?"

"Play?"

"Yes play; I'm restless just sitting here. I want to go out." River whined.

"Then all of us should go out."

"I don't think so Vamp boy, one of us have to stay here."

"And who is that someone?"

"I vote for me, I just want to go sleep." Joe said looking up at her.

"Fine, though I wanted to go play with you. I'll do it with Raine instead, so that Vamp boy can go out with Patrick and leave my senses alone." River smiled at Raine and went to load up one stake and a few other favorite throwing weapons.

"You're crazy sometimes leopard breath."

"So are you asshat!" With that said she opened the door and walked out into the night air. Her first instinct was to find the moon, which was high in the sky; her second was to toss Raine over her shoulder and run farther downtown.

"River I think we're far enough away from Pete that you can let me go now." Raine stated rolling her eyes. River gave a soft laugh and set her friend on her feet.

They looked around them slowly taking in their surroundings before opening up their shields and searching for what they wanted to find. But with opening her shields River found more than she wanted to.

"We're not alone." The bones in her hands popped and shifted, making them into their other self. Claws flowed and became making her hands her biggest weapon. She was afraid of what was to come. The air around them became thick, and hard to breath.

"Of course you're not alone sweetheart, I've been walking around all night looking for you."

"On you're request or the one who controls you Urie?" River glared at him as he moved closer to her and Raine.

"Why, the location was all William's idea; but my looking for you gorgeous was all mine." He winked at her, as she made a move to run her claws down his chest. Wanting to rip his heart out, yet knowing that now wasn't the time to get rid of someone who may be needed here soon.

"Brendon, looking for River is a sure way of getting your genitals ripped off." Raine laughed as Brendon's face lost is color. She couldn't help but wonder who he had fed off of that night.

"William wishes to speak with you Raine. That's his message to me, for you. As of now; he says: Kill your vampires, and begin to hide. He'll find you tomorrow night, or in your dreams." Brendon smiled at River one last time and vanished into the night.

"I really hate him, you know that right?" River asked looking back at Raine before moving on into the night.

"Sure you do. You just don't want to admit that you'd pomme for him and him alone. Does you're body call to him so?"

"I am drawn to him. Does he know he has a beast to call? Better yet. Does William know he has one?"

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Darkness was everywhere with no hint of light. The smell of death and graveyard dirt had risen in the air. Vampires freshly risen where around and hunting. River could smell them around her. At least four of them had come closer to Raine and her as they were walking. She knew that Raine had sensed them to the drawl of their magic pulling on her.

"Close, but not here yet. They're waiting, but for what?" Raine asked looking at River as she had stopped moving.

"Pete is here too. I can smell him as well. He has Patrick with him. It's mainly Patrick that I can smell. They know that Pete's here. That's why they've stopped." Raine moved closer to where she knew Pete and Patrick were standing, moving closer still until she knew that Pete would know she's there.

"There are four of them leopard breath; one for each." Pete's whisper hit her ears and she smiled. She let her clawed hands close and open as much as they could and moved into the closest vampire.

His fangs bared as she ran at him, snapping at her. He was hungry, and she knew it. She ran her own claws down her neck to make him come for her. As soon as her blood boiled to the top of the open slit. He moved forward, slow for vampire standards, but still fast.

River smiled that secret smile that she held every time that she did this to a newly risen. The scent and look of the blood drove them to act insane. She had all four of them rushing at her; Pete and Raine where at her side before Patrick. She took the first Vampire down just by shoving her clawed hands into his chest and ripping him in half the second one was stopped by Pete. River shook her head. She had killed his first, and quickly. And now it was either interfere with the other three's kills, or to stand back and watch.

She chose to stand back and watch until Patrick showed any signs that he needed help. Pete was the next one to kill his component. Slowly all four where nothing but dust, and the four where standing staring at one another.

"I say we take the advice and go. Riley and Andy should be doing the same right now, especially if her instincts are the same." Raine said looking at River.

"Agreed, let's head back." River looked at Pete for any objections, upon getting none. They nodded at each other. River picked up Raine, and Pete lifted Patrick, both running toward the warehouse.

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"What happened to you?" Riley asked as she noticed that River and Pete were carrying Raine and Patrick.

"Well you know the feeling that something is near, really near; that something that we don't want to be near right now?" River asked as she sat Raine down on her feet.

"It was watching you tonight wasn't it? I got the same feeling." Riley shook her head. "Go get some sleep kiddies, we'll try and figure this all out soon." With that said she wondered off to go take her shower to get all the vamp dust off of her, and then to bed.

"I'm a bit worried." Raine spoke up.

"Sleep, William will meet you in your dreams as Urie said." River said looking at her friend. "I'm just hoping the bastard that is Urie won't invade my dreams. That'd be creepy for him."

"Why is that?" Pete asked looking at her.

"I love to kill things in my sleep. Then again, my past haunts me there as well." She shivered and looked into Pete's eyes. "The sun will be up soon Suckhead, go get some sleep. Tomorrow I might be kind to you."

"What the hell did she mean by that?" He yelled out as River walked into her room and shut the door.

"You're getting weak; she can feel it as well as you. It was her way of offering her blood to you as a one time only thing." Raine shrugged her shoulders and left Pete to fume over what was discussed.

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River tossed and turned in her bed. She needed to sleep, but she didn't want to go to sleep. She didn't want to remember. Yet as she turned to look at the red blinking lights of the alarm next to her, she finally drifted into sleep.

Trees surrounded her; the cool air on her face was just a memory that went with the snow on the ground. Riley and Raine had talked her into going on a trip to the mountains to get away from her life that and tied her down. She was a seventeen almost eighteen year old girl already headed into an unbreakable marriage.

Parents are a cruel thing when they come with high money. River hated them with all of her being. She hated who they wanted her to marry. She hated the friends that they wished she had.

River looked back into those trees. She'd been taught how to Ski since she was eight, at thirteen she final rebelled and picked up a snowboard. The cracking of a twig sounded next to her as she was bent over strapping the snowboard to her feet. Looking over she spotted the friend that she had made as Riley and Raine went off to do god knows what at night.

"Hey River," He said smiling at her softly. His hair was a dirty blonde, hanging down to his shoulders, in soft waves; his eyes where the color of the winter sky above her head, his lips a light pink with a small pout to them.

"Hello James, I wasn't expecting to see you here. I was just about to go boarding, care to join me?" River smiled at him.

"I'd love to." He smiled back. He went to get a board and met her back at the hill.

Over the past week that she had been here, she'd only spent a good three full days with Riley and Raine. The rest of it was spent with the man next to her. They'd become more than just friends in the last day. Kissing and hand holding was the main thing. But River knew that she was falling for him. His smiles, humor, and the little things that he does to make her happy when her friends where gone.

"Meet you at the bottom!" River called out taking off down the hill. The wind rushed into her face as she took off. She was happily enjoying the fact that he was racing her, though she was still ahead of him by a good three feet.

"Beat you" She called to him as she made it to the bottom and looked at him slowly coming to a stop next to her.

"Only by default, I want a rematch." He took the board off his feet and stood to face her. "Default my ass James, I won fair and square and you know it!" She stated proudly grinning at him.

"What ever you say Miss."

"Please don't do that, I've told you how that makes me feel."

"Like you're back at home constantly being watched," he nodded his head. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not, but anyway. Riley and Raine are planning on being gone all afternoon; care to join me for lunch?" She asked looking up at him as he came closer to her.

"I'd like that," He leaned into her and delivered a soft kiss on her lips.

"Mmhm I could get used to those. I think I'll stay here forever with you." She winked as she reached down to take the board off of her feet.

"I don't think that would be a smart move." He whispered so softly that she let it go, she didn't want to know. Not right now anyway.

The dream shifted and changed like it had always done, skipping from casual friends to finally being in a short relationship with one another.

"James," River asked looking at him from across the table. Raine and Riley were already gone for the night, so she was having dinner with him once again.

"River?" He asked looking into her eyes. It'd been almost a week since the snowboarding race. An entire week of spending time with her friends; the only time she got with James was when they were gone at their awkward times.

"I don't want to go home next week." She said looking at the napkin she had placed in her lap.

"It's expected of you. Your parents would be looking for you otherwise." He said reaching to lift her chin face him.

"Aye that they would, I turn eighteen the day after I arrive home." She mumbled to her self.

"Then we'll celebrate together the night before you leave." He smiled over at her.

'No more' was running through her mind as the dream changed once again. She didn't want to remember him anymore. She didn't want to remember any of it anymore. But her other-self must have wanted to keep it fresh in her mind, for she would always dream of the same thing.

"Hey River, we leave tomorrow. Raine and I have already packed up our clothes and things. We've got to run into town again tonight to do some things."

"Why can't I ever go with the two of you Riley?"

"You wouldn't want to be bored. Go have fun with this James guy you've been with."

"He did promise to treat it as if it was my birthday."

"Well there you go honey, go have fun" Riley smiled at her as she left the room to go get Raine to leave.

"See you later guys, be safe will you." River said as she watched her friends leave from the couch. James was going to come to her room for the night. Movies and cuddling was on the list.

There was a knock on the door after River had done gotten her things packed. She excitedly opened the door to let in the man behind it. She smiled at him as soon as he kissed her hello.

"James, I've got a choice of three movies for the night." River smiled at him as she led him toward the couch.

She couldn't help but notice the small things with him that night. The way he smelled lightly of lavender and fresh snow. Strange mix, but it was how he smelled.

"I don't want to leave tomorrow," River whined as the first movie ended.

"It's what happens, when you're just vacationing."

"I know, but I'm leaving you, too."

"That's what happens to."

"You make it sound like I'm just a fling." She stated standing up, and walking toward her room.

"Wait River," He reached to grab her hand. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't, that's why it came out of your mouth." She glared at the hand that was on her arm. "I suggest that you let me go James."

"Please River, I really didn't mean it that way. I've fallen in love with you." River's face softened and she moved closer to him.

"As have I, fallen in love with you." She leaned down to him and placed her lips onto his. Her hands found the hem of his shirt and she ran them up and under it.

As soon as her skin touched his she knew that this is what she wanted. His heat to combine with hers, to be as one, and have him take the part of her that she would have otherwise been made to give someone else.

They moved into what was her bedroom, connected at the mouth. His tongue battling her own in a fight that neither one of them wanted to give up.

He led her backwards to the bed until the backs of her knees hit it and forced her to sit on it. He leaned over her still feeding at her mouth. Clothes where shed and a moment's breath was wasted in looking for that one condom that would seal her fate.

"Please be careful." She looked into his eyes as he entered her for the first time, her first time.

His flesh changed as he was on top of her moving in and out of her. His face became that of and animal, then the rest of him went.

River screamed out of pain and fear. His claws tore into her body ripping at the flesh. The sounds where wet, as if someone were ripping at wet drapery.

He pumped his body in and out of her as he was ripping her apart. And all she could do was scream her agony out into the empty resort room. No-one was here for her. Her neighbors had left the day before. Riley and Raine were gone for the night.

The only thought that had run through her mind was 'why'.

The dream shifted once more, and this wasn't her normal, this was different. Something was going on with her and she was lost in it all. Wanting to wake up screaming from remembering and the feel the pain that had came with it.

"So much pain, and torture."

"Urie, what the fuck are you doing snooping around for?"

"Curious I suppose."

"Curious about what? My Dreams?"

"That, I wanted to know if you dreamed of me!"

"You're crazy. I relive my nightmare every night. I wake up sweating a cold sweat, and wanting to cry. Wanting to go back, relive, and kill him."

"Did he get away then?"

"Yes, he did. The bastard is out there, probably doing the same thing to someone else. And goddess I hope that they don't live through it. I hope that they die instead of going through what I do."

"Have you thought to hunt him down?"

"I have, but both Riley and Raine think it to be useless. We've been looking since it happened."

"And yet, you've stopped."

"Don't sound smart Brendon "

"Brendon? What happened to Urie?"

"You've seen what happened; why not call you Brendon now?"

"True. Why do you intrigue me so?"

With that said he vanished from sight, out of her dream.

She awoke taking a deep breath as if the entire time she'd been sleeping she hadn't taken one. Her body was covered in a sheet of cool sweat. She needed a shower before she could go into the main room and face the rest of the people in her life now.

The last question from Brendon's lips lingering in her mind instead of her past. Why do you intrigue me so? Honestly she could only tell him the only reason she knew. He's animal to call was Leopard, and that part of her pulled him to her, and her to him. All he had to do was discover he had this power and she'd be powerless to his call, his pull for her to join him. She wasn't strong or old enough yet to resist that pull.

River took her shower then joined Andy and Pete in the main room. Pete looked at her questionably.

"What are you looking at Suckhead?"

"You're not well rested, you're pale."

"I could say the same to you, if you had color to lose."

She rolled her eyes and moved to get to the kitchen to fix herself breakfast. She made enough food to feed everyone, but mostly she did it because she was thinking about what Brendon had seen, and why he even wanted to.

"Evening River." Riley said sitting next to her at the table.

"Evening."

"Hey guys" Raine came into the room and sat on the other side of her.

"Did William visit you?"

"No, I was blocking, and also I think he'd rather meet in person."

"Well brownie points on you." River stated not looking up from her plate.

"Are you going to allow Pete to?"

"Yes, and that bugs me. He's going to learn it all as soon as he bites me too. Fucking nightmares." River stood from the table, her food finished, and she moved into the main room and looked at Pete.

"Yes leopard breath?" He asked looking over at her.

"My offer stands, and you're taking it. For today. I doubt I'll let you do it again. You're too weak, and you'll be no good when the sun goes down. No arguing Pete." River looked him dead in the eyes.

"I-"

"Saying no is not an option." River glared at him as she moved closer to him.

"Fine." Pete stood from his spot on the couch and made for River. She just stood there.

"Hold up, I'd rather sit on the couch with you. This drains me, and makes you stronger."

River stated moving forward toward Pete and sitting on the couch. She moved her hair away from her neck and waited for Pete to bite into her flesh.

"Okay," Pete whispered as he moved closer to River. "You're sure I won't kill you?"

"Positive Pete. I'm not human anymore."

Pete nodded his head and moved to tilt her head to the perfect angle. Slowly he moved in and River closed her eyes, her body giving a shudder as his breath hit her neck. He opened his mouth and as soon as his fangs broke the surface of her flesh her blood boiled out of it, and into his mouth.

River gasped, and then moaned into his mouth. Pete drew her body closer to his as he began to suck, and draw out more and more of River's blood into his body. Her memories becoming his. She began to whimper, softly. But not whimpers of fear or pain. She was enjoying the hold that his body had on her. No she didn't let him capture her with his eyes, his bite was just that good.

While he was draining more and more of her, she couldn't help but wonder if he knew what his bite did to his prey.

His mouth let go of her neck and she laid down on the couch with his help.

"Thank you River."

"Don't mention it. Thanks for the orgasm."

"WHAT!?!" He looked at her shocked, eyes blinking, and the blood he just took from her coloring his cheeks a soft pink.