Kidnapped

Chapter XVII

I'm baaaaack!
Enjoy the chapters for as long as you can, because soon, it'll all be over, guys!

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“Ouch!”
“Sorry. I’ll just cut a little bit deeper, alright?”
“No, it’s not alright! It hurts!”
“James, the small ones healed. We have to progress.”
“Fine, just…take it slow.”
When we rescued James from the Centre, he had wounds and scars all over his body. Although before we even realized, they were completely gone. Everything that James experienced, such as: incredible speed, fast healing, abnormal flexibility, acute senses, etc., were now tested on me.
“Don’t worry, Adam. I’m fine for now, cut free.”
“I guess that will make it. Now we wait…”
It was unbelievably shocking. The wound closed itself right in front of our eyes. It tickled a little bit, then, the edges of my skins started slowly, slowly to approach while the blood turned to an unusual dark colour and the wound just sealed.
“Ok, done with this stupidity.”
I was rather flattered than annoyed when I saw James caring so desperately about me.
“Healing checked. Now it’s the best time to test the flexibility. Who’s bad at knife throwing?”
“Are you out of your mind?!”
“James, enough! Adam you can do it.”
“Okay, ready?”
James let go of his cigarette on the floor and I could see the change of colour in his eyes while he was shifting.
In the moment when he reached for Adam’s throat, I was already breaking his arm, crashing him into the cupboards and smashing everything in his way. James grabbed my wrist when I wanted to block his face with my elbow and put him down to sleep, turned it around my back making me unable of moving. And he whispered in my ear:
“Nice reflexes.”
He kissed my cheek.
I could never help feeling guilty each time I was with Adam and James. My feelings for Adam were pure, while the ones for James were powerful. It was the only way I could explain it. The thing was that I accepted James more because he was daring, because we were now the same and I had completely no chance with Adam. That chance died when I left with James at the ball.
“Um, no more knives I guess…”
James let go of me when I started to shift back to normal but it made no difference when I tried to approach Adam and my features had already reappeared.
“I think that’s enough. We’re done.”
With the same ironic expression that was never replaced on his face, James took the lit cigarette off the ashtray and left the room to pack our stuff.
“Andrea, can I talk to you about something?”
I wanted to avoid this little chat because I knew it had no good side or ending, but I missed Adam so much that I wished to just have one moment between four eyes, a moment which I couldn’t afford lately.
“If it’s about James, he…”
“No it’s not. It’s about this change, if I can put it like that.”
I took a few steps back, all the way to the other corner of the room and sat on a counter.
“I know it sounds crazy but, beside everything that’s happened I think you could call it part of the routine. Do you think there’s any way you could turn me?”
“Don’t bring this out.”
“Think about it, alright? I won’t be forced to stay away from you all the time, I may even be more skilled to save you if something bad happens.”
“I think I can take care of myself.”
“I won’t insist on doing it right now, just think about it. For me, okay?”
“I need to call Patrick…”
“Andrea.”
He ran to me and squeezed my hand, catching me off guard right before I was leaving the room. I knew it was hell dangerous to be so close to him and so I closed my eyes tight and turned my head back away from his smell. I felt really sick from the concentrated amount of smoke but the smell of aftershave, his warm and wet hand pressed to mine, really awakened some memories back from when I first met him. Beside the fact that my eyes were itchy and blood red, those memories also brought tears to my eyes. When I felt how I was turning colder, everything in my mind fell apart, knocking me back to reality, in where I was a mortal monster who had no chance in keeping anything human close to them. I wasn’t even able to cry properly because my feelings were messed up. Those changes took over myself so I panicked and struggled to let go of Adam’s hand to avoid killing the only human thing that I had left in my life.
“Think about it.”
I snatched out from Adam’s grip and with the speed of light I ran upstairs to call Patrick.

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I kept questioning if it was a good idea for me to call him. I couldn’t form my words coherently out of so much emotion and anxiety. How was I supposed to tell him what happened to me and James? Will he think that I’m mental and decide not to help me anymore? He took forever to answer and I was really close to hanging up the phone right before he picked it up. I was so disturbed that I didn’t even realize I had scratched the paint off the wall with my nails.
“Hello? Patrick Graham, here.”
“It’s me, Andi. Don’t panic this time, alright? I am…fine, I guess. But I need your help as soon as possible.”
“When was your birthday, Andrea?”
My birthday…
“It was almost 1 month ago, why?”
“Have you noticed anything uncommon that happened to your body?”
“Uncommon is an understatement. I’ve changed, Patrick, completely.”
There was no need to say that he knew something about this. And I was holding on to this thought. I was impatient and I wanted all the answers now. I should’ve called him way sooner before meeting Adam. I should’ve stayed away from him and just handle everything myself. I felt miserable when I looked around and saw the disaster that I caused by simply sharing a chat with a guy. And James, he didn’t even want to be part of this and now he’s as much as he could be into it. I felt the most responsible for everything so I decided that I will get both of them out of this.
“I need to get out of town immediately, out of state in fact. If you could just lend me a car or some money I’d be gone for good.”
“And let you risk your existence like that? Oh no, dear. I’ll send one of my boys to pick you up. They will wait for you at the outskirt of your town, alright? You can bring Adam too.”
“How do you know about Adam?”
“He’s a really skilled protector, you know. Your father chose the best of them. Me and your father, we’re closer than you imagine. I guess that’s one good reason to put your trust in me and only me, sweetheart. And now I guess that also Adam because I reckon he knows enough things about you.”
“He told me things that even I didn’t know about myself. Anyway, I don’t really know if it’s a problem but something happened. It’s kind of a long story which I don’t have time to tell. I wanted to ask you if it’s ok to bring somebody with us.”
“If you think he’s trustful then sure. Does he know about you?”
“I don’t think there’s anybody who knows better than him…There’s something more I need to ask you, it’s more like a piece of advice. How do I keep a human closer if I am not fed and I am dying of thirst? I already tried covering the smell of blood with smoke but travelling between states choking on it will be the death of all of us.”
“Make him eat garlic or lemons and also keep some in his pockets. You won’t smell a breeze.”
“Thank you, Patrick. When should I be ready?”
“Tonight’s okay for you?”
“Who should I be looking for?”
“Noam. He’s a blond and huge fella, impossible to miss. Look for an old, green Dodge truck… and, be safe, Andrea.”
“I’ll try. Goodbye.”

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Don't forget to choose one of the boys!
Team Adam or Team James?
<3