I Hope They Taste of Me Forever

“Hey,” Joe said, appearing in my doorway with the classic guy’s head nod.

“Hey,” I replied, pulling on my black cons. Really, if you have cons, who needs any other shoes?

He entered my room and sat next to me on my bed, but I didn’t bother to look at him as I tied up my grayish shoelaces. I could feel his eyes on me. He didn’t want me to come. Pfft. Try and stop me.

“Are you sure you want to come with us?”

I looked up and he was biting his lip. Why was he so worried about me? Maybe he’s not. Maybe I’m being too optimistic. I’m probably reading too much into it. But a low rumble of a growl from the other room told me otherwise.

“Yes Joe,” I sighed. “There’s only so much I can do here.”

“Elle, let’s face it. You’re pretty breakable. There’s not much you can do out there either.”

That’s it! He just doesn’t want me to get in the way when they’re fighting. Now it makes sense. Pete growled. GET OUT OF MY THOUGHTS, YOU GODFORSAKEN VAMPIRE!!!

“I can watch,” I answered Joe, as if I hadn’t just been silently screaming at his friend down the hall. “I can analyze, I can figure their reactions. I can be a distraction. I’m great at being a distraction.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Joe said sadly.

“I’m not joking. Matt never let me stay home by myself, who knows his reasoning behind that, so I had to follow him everywhere. I was often the bait, if you will.”

“What kind of brother does that to his sister?!” Joe exclaimed angrily.

“Mine,” I answered, standing up. “Now are we going to go or just replay the already decided argument?”

He sighed. “I guess we better go.”

***

As we walked down the deserted streets, I could feel them all watching me. Really, they’re supposed to be vampire hunting, not babysitting me when I don’t need it. I may not be able to fight, but I’ve been in these situations countless times before. To an extent, I know how to take care of myself. I picked up my pace, walking a bit faster. Why was I in front of them again? I don’t know. I heard their footsteps all quicken behind me, and rolled my eyes when they began to whisper. I knew Pete was listening to everything I thought. It’s quite strange, knowing that someone’s in your head. I mean, it’s not like he can shuffle through my memories and find out everything I’ve ever thought… is it?

“No.”

He appeared at my right shoulder, talking in the usual low voice, but neither of us looked at each other. We focused on the road ahead.

“I can’t,” he continued. “But there are others who can.”

I pursed my lips as we kept walking. It felt good to be out of the warehouse. I’d been locked up in there for two weeks, so the ability to breathe in the city’s… uh, fresh air… was a grateful change. We walked for around half an hour in silence, the others a few feet behind occasionally mumbling something incoherent. I breathed heavily, the tension creeping in, as did Patrick, Joe and Andy. It weirded me out a bit that Pete didn’t draw a single breath. I know, stupid of me, he is a vampire after all, but it still seemed odd. I was always out here to watch those like him perish, and now I was walking beside one. We hated each other, but we were still on the same team here.

When Pete’s footsteps came to a halt, we all followed the pattern. There was a moment of excruciating silence, so overwhelming it didn’t seem real, before Pete breathed out two words.

“He’s here.”

“Hello Peter, Miss Williams.”

I’d recognize that horribly smooth voice anywhere. Beckett. Patrick, Joe and Andy quickly shuffled to our side.

“Oh, Mr Stump, Trohman, and Hurley. How nice of you to join us.”

Pfft. What a bloody pansy.

“Aren’t you going to be late for the Queen’s tea party or something?” I sneered at the shape seated on top of a nearby car. What's with that guy and sitting on cars? He looked a tad shocked, his eyebrows arching upwards, before settling back down in his smirk.

“Well well well, haven’t we made progress since our last encounter.”

I rolled my eyes as he slid off the car roof and landed elegantly on the street. Pete growled, but I couldn’t see him or the others very well, my focus entirely on the bastard in front of me.

“I must thank you, gentlemen,” Beckett continued, speaking this time to my companions. “Last time we met she was awfully quiet. Wouldn’t speak her mind at all. Not much fun, wouldn’t you agree, Peter?”

Pete snarled such a ferocious snarl I felt my skin crawl away from the sound. He’d snarled at me before, but never like that. Pure hatred and malice. I wondered what effect this had on Beckett, but all he did was smirk.

“What do you want, Beckett?” Patrick demanded in a strong voice. He took a second to think about it.

“What do I want… what do I want… I want a lot of things, Mr Stump. I want Peter to join me. I want Elle to call me by my first name. I want to taste her delicious smelling blood, but not just yet…”

I rolled my eyes. Really, even the leader of the Dandies is using the whole ‘you smell good’ thing. I’d hate to know what these guys were like with pick-up lines. Beckett turned back to me briefly.

“Regardless of your cynical thoughts, Elle, you do have quite a mouthwatering scent. All those vampires have said it for a reason.”

“And all those vampires ended up dead,” I answered, eyes narrowed to slits.

'All but one...

He chuckled slightly, maddening me, and turned back to Patrick.

“I want wealth, money, power, but I already have that. I want to go back home to my mate…”

“Oh yeah,” Joe spoke for the first time, leaning against another car in a slightly casual demeanor, fingers still tight around a stake in his belt. “Where is Lena anyway?”

“Bet she’s not happy you didn’t let her join you tonight,” Andy joined in.

I had no idea what they were talking about. Beckett had a mate? No idea how that happened…

“It’s best she doesn’t know about these little get togethers. Not just yet. She wouldn’t be too fond of my fascination with our pretty little Elle here. Spencer is keeping an eye on her for me.”

“I bet he is,” Joe sniggered.

Beckett’s eyes tossed daggers at him, smoldering red for a second before returning to their usual brown shade.

“I’m not here to discuss my personal life… forgive me, afterlife, with mere mortals. And as a final answer to Mr Stump’s question, I want to know why Mr Williams hasn’t come to rescue his baby sister yet.”

I froze. What? Beckett’s supposed to have Matt. I didn’t notice the guys exchange nervous glances, nor did I see Pete look at me. Did he know about this?

“Oh you didn’t tell her?” Beckett’s eyes shined in glee. “This is precious!”

“What didn’t they tell me?” I heard my voice shake as I directed the question at Beckett. He smirked again.

“They didn’t tell you that they managed to free your brother from my mansion the same night that they saved you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. I blocked the thought from my mind. We could discuss it later. The last thing we need is to show cracks in our unity in front of our mutual enemy.

“Go away Beckett. Go mess with someone else’s head for a while. Save your kidnapping me for tomorrow night.”

“Oh I have no intention of kidnapping you again, Elle. Not when you’re expecting it. I just wanted to chat. And what an interesting chat it’s been.”

“Indeed,” I murmured.

“Until next time, Miss Williams.”

He dipped the brown bowler hat that he had just placed on his head, and disappeared with the breeze. I stood where I was, breathing heavily to control my temper. Autumn leaves danced along the Chicago streets in the cold but gentle wind, contrasting with our statue-like figures. It seemed that the other four were all holding their breaths, waiting for me to explode.

Well they can keep holding them.