Chained

Chapter 1

 “Maya!” A voice hissed. “What’re you doing?!”

My head turned around quickly.

“What?!” I snapped.

Damien stared at me with surprise, seeing I was in no mood to be dealing with stupid questions. We sat atop city rooftops, watching people and cars go by on the roads below. It amazed me how people had no idea of our existence. That in one split moment our entire race could be exposed from one silly mistake…

“Maya, Drake told me to take you back—”

“—back to where?!” I growled, “To that dump?! We deserve better than that! We shouldn’t have to live in some scum-bag shelter.”

He sighed and looked away. I knew Damien was just trying to follow orders, but I didn’t want to go back. I wanted freedom. “We are lycans!” I roared, startling a flock of birds a few roofs away.

“You speak with such power in your words,” He smiled, “Your father would be very proud knowing it is you who is taking on the role of leader.”

Silently I turned away from him. Speaking of my father always brought back that painful day – even if his intensions were good.

Damien’s hand rested on my arm. “Come on Maya, its not safe here. Especially for you.”

A thick lump in my throat formed.

“And why should I have to hide?” I grumbled, “To be forced to a chained prison in the darkness because of who or what I am?! Because of my parents!”

Damien stepped closer to me. His sympathy wasn’t hard to sense.

“I know, it’s not fair…but it’s so easy to tell who you are.”

“Because I’m not like the others.” I muttered sadly. He nodded. My companion glanced around nervously.

“Let’s go.” He responded sternly.

“Fine.”

We retreated back to the hide out. On the way I couldn’t help but think he was right. My physical appearance was different. It was like I was a werewolf born in a vampire’s body. I had the cold skin and fangs, but still would shape shift to wolf when I needed too. But my body gave me away. All vampires had fangs a centimeter longer than the other teeth in their rotten heads, while my own sharp teeth were a full inch.

I thought about my mom and dad all the time. Whenever I needed to see their faces for comfort, I’d look at the locket my dad gave to me as a baby. It was hundreds of years old, seeing how I age one immortal year every fifty human years until I’m eighteen. It was only like this for vampires or lycans that were born, not immortal from being bitten. My mom was human, but an experiment. My father always told me about this story; he loved to share it – to make sure I’d never forget.

We were working with half-bloods, he’d say. You’re mother was one of them. Injecting dying humans with lycan and vampire blood are some of the things we tried. There were no specific goals in mind; we just wanted to see results. Many of the subjects died within days of exposure to the new blood.

Their mortal bodies couldn’t take it. Some, on the other hand, were different. A few began to adapt and change. Your mom was one of the most successful. She had lime-disease, and wasn’t going to make it until we got her.

I smiled at the thought of him telling me this. He always did.

But my memory was shattered by Damien shaking my arm.

“Come on,” He urged, “We need to get going.”

Man, he could get annoying. Damien was always so paranoid when I wasn’t in the hideout. When I wasn’t ‘safe’.

“Can’t you let me have some fun?” I groaned. Easily my keen sight caught him rolling his eyes.

“No, it’s not safe out here!”

Something was muttered under my breath but Damien ignored me.

We continued to walk along the rooftops of the city apartment buildings. I poked and prodded at the fangs in my head with my tongue. The enamel felt smooth to the touch, and the tip–

“Ow.”

Sharp. A tiny bit of my blood leaked from the muscle. And, of course, Damien panicked.

“Why do I smell your blood?” He questioned, “What happened? Are you hurt?”

“Damien chill out!” I snapped. He was seriously beginning to get on my last nerve. “I cut my tongue, no big deal.” 

He muttered something but I chose to ignore it.

“Let’s just hurry. I want to get you home.”

“Why,” A devilish grin grew onto my face, making Damien look at me wearily. “When we can have some fun?”

His eyes widened. But before he could react, I was already gone. In a full dash I rushed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

“Maya! Maya!” He called, attempting to catch up to me. But I ignored him. I wanted to be alone. To explore the city for once. To be my own person. To be free.

 A blowing sound was behind me. Damien was running after me, using his own lycan power to keep up. He was fast, I gave him that.

But I was so much faster.