Chains (Crave: 2) (FINISHED)

8 - He's alive!

Elijah's eyes narrowed at the TV before him, and he tipped his head to the side as it echoed recent crimes from the area.

"This is the twelfth man that's been murdered in Bear Creek this week, and due to this, police urge citizens to stay in their households overnight.

"The police also think that these recent murders have something to do with an animal attack. The victims had bite marks on their necks and seemed to have been drained of blood, though police assume it was blood loss.

"The whereabouts of the animal is unknown, and the animal that has been committing the crimes is also unknown. If you have any information about the attacks, please dial 9-1-1 or call your local precinct."

Elijah silenced the TV and gazed further in the room. "Luna!"

She came trotting down the stairs, hair whipping back and forth when she finally landed on the last step. "Yes, Lijah?"

"You haven't been going out at night, have you?" he said, arching a brow.

She shook her head, smiling sweetly.

He watched her carefully and tipped his head to the side. "Come here."

She waddled over him and stood in front of him. "Straddle?"

He nodded.

So she moved to straddle his lap, exhaling cute little gasps when she finally sat in front of him, and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi, baby," he said, smiling. "You haven't been going out at night?"

She shook her head. "No, no."

"Not even to hunt?" he suggested with a brow raised. "No blood drinking?"

She shook her head again. "No, no."

He smiled slightly and brushed her hair away from her eyes. "Okay, it's probably another vampire then."

She just parted her lips and leaned forward—so her face was inches from his. "What's on Lijah's mind?"

He pushed her back a little, chuckling. "You didn't hear the news? There's an animal roaming the streets at night and killing people." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "They say they bite the neck and drain the blood."

He lightly pocked her neck and teased the skin, and she drew back, giggling.

He just pulled away and she gazed up, smiling. "Vampire?"

He nodded. "Sounds like it."

"Did they leave a mark?" she asked him, tipping her head to the side. "Sometimes, vampires leave marks. Mine is the mess I make." She stuck her tongue out.

He just chuckled. "Nah, these were cleaned up... but it did seem that all the bodies were killed in the streets and dragged to a forest... because the bodies had cement scrapes on them."

Her brows drew together. "Forest?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yeah, forest. Is that the mark?"

She just watched him, eyes growing dark. "What kind of forest?"

Elijah's smile vanished and returned with a concerned look. "Is something wrong?"

"What kind of forest, Lijah?" she urged almost desperately.

His lips parted. "A pine... forest."

Her eyes immediately darkened to black, and she scrambled off his lap, breathing shallowly.

"Hey," he said, standing, "hey, Sweets. What is it?"

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head as she gazed up, "no!"

His brows drew together. "Honey...."

She suddenly ran off to the bookshelf in the living room and tugged out a book, making him step over to her carefully as she flipped through the pages at an instant.

She suddenly flashed the book to him. "This forest?"

He narrowed his eyes to the book, tipping his head to the side when he noticed the familiar oak trees mixed with whitened aspen. "Yes," he said then, "yes, I recognize the odd-looking rock from the news."

She suddenly dropped her head and the book, muttering incoherent curses under her breath.

"Luna, what is it?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

She kept muttering curses.

"Luna," he urged.

She gazed up then, tears in her eyes. "He's alive...."

Elijah blinked, stepping forward. "What?"

"He's alive!" she cried. "The master's alive!"