RAMI

***

I ran and ran until my lungs gave out. Screams and cries echoed throughout the field, but only two stood out to me. I heard them and my blood turned cold. The first one, I debated whether I was only imagining it or not. The second made my heart stop. That distinct cry rang and everyone in the field heard it. I wanted to run towards it, the agonizing scream, but I didn't have anymore energy left in me. Not only does the heat of the desert made it hell for any movement, but it also kills with dehydration. Lightheaded and out of breath, I was lucky enough not to pass out. Though, I could not move. Any soldier who found me, I shot with the tranquilizer gun until I ran out of dart bullets. But my luck extended as no more soldier appeared. After that heartbreaking scream, no soldiers were left in the field. I didn't even hear the loud, terrifying growl of the werewolf, either. I don't know what went down after the three of us split up. I don't know what happened to Idris. I don't know what happened with Drew. I don't know what happened with Lysander. Half of me doesn't want to find out, because I already had an idea, but I have to see.

Once I felt better, I began to walk. I followed trails of bloods that led me to fallen soldiers whose bodies are bitten or ripped open, torn to pieces. It was like the scattered bodies in Redwoods. Only this time, it wasn't done by a vampire, but the werewolf who I called my friend. Lysander would never do this. Or would he? I don't know. But this result just reminded me how dangerous he can be. Whatever those people did to him, it turned him in to something dark.

So far, no one is alive, making me feel more anxious.

I strolled faster until I see another body on the hot desert ground. The body was smoking. Literally, smoking. I felt my breathing stop as I got closer to it. My legs weakened, not wanting to see what I think I'm going to be seeing. I forced myself. A pool of blood surrounded him, and some dried blood on his dark suit that has a hole at its center. A hole, along with a wooden, sharp branch from a tree. A wooden stake pierced though his heart.

"No. No, no no. Not you. Especially not you." My voice cracked, tears pooling on my eyes. "You out of everyone! You can't. You stupid, reckless mosquito. You can't fucking go like this!" I touched his cold cheek that is slowly starting to flake off, little by little. He is getting burned by the sunlight but his skin is cold.

I drew my hand back and ran both of them over my face. How could this happen? We lost so much. We never got the werewolf back. I can't find Drew and Idris is dead. I didn't do my best. Maybe if I kept moving, I would have at least done one thing right. "Fuck!"

"Language, hobbit."

I shook my head vigorously. I'm going crazy. I'm hearing things. My glasses are smeared with tears, I can't see properly. The blurry blob of black is moving.

"Would you be a kind human and stand in front of me to block the sun? It's starting to feel like hell in here. I've been there and I don't want to go back yet." The blob is talking.

What the fuck.

I removed my glasses and stood in front of him, blinking the water from my eyes to get a clearer view. The vampire's eyes are open and they're pink. He is breathing. He's breathing heavily, but he's fucking alive. "What the fuck." My throat dried up but I suddenly felt lighter. I let out a sigh of relief before glaring at the smiling vampire looking up at me. "You fucking bastard! I thought you died!"

This smile only turned into that smirk that makes me want to whack him. "Nice to know you care."

"Ugh. You're so annoying." I grunted, putting a hand over my aching chest.

"It's been a while since I fought a werewolf. I was a bit rusty." He sighs quietly, lifting his head from the ground to look at the wood planted through his heart. "Look at that."

"I'm fucking looking at it." I clenched my teeth. "And you're not dead. How."

"The wolf's got a lousy aim. Missed by an inch, maybe less." His eyes widened as he cringed. "By the way, the wolf couldn't stab me with his wolf paws so he shifted to his human form and let me tell you how awkward that was. I mean, I can't say I was disappointed at what I saw but werewolves aren't really my type." I raised a brow at him, biting my lips to hide any amusement. "Anyway. I need you to pull this out for me."

"Would it hurt?"

He nodded. "Quite a lot."

I stood over him and gripped on the wooden stake and pulled it out without hesitation. He breathed sharply before sitting up. "Thank you." He went straight to fix his black hair and tie. "Tell me I looked good while almost dying."

"Fuck you."

All I could hear was his laughter before I was picked up and hot wind blew against me. My hands gripped on the vampire's arm and shoulder tighter. "Next time, a warning would be nice." I retorted as he ran. It wasn't long until we returned to the viper car near the base. I picked up a bottle of water from my backpack and chugged the entire thing. Idris held onto the bottle with the pink cure that Drew made, but did not drink it.

"What?" I asked worriedly.

"I am in need of blood." The vampire choked up. "I can't drink this if I don't have enough blood in my system. I lost quite a lot of them out there." Yes, I've noticed. "If I don't drink soon, I will be in bloodlust and you're going to have to run away from me for a little while. Andromeda is with the werewolf. I saw them, so she should be fine. The werewolf, no matter the case, will recognize their mate. He would keep her alive. As long as the soldiers do not get to them first, we should be able to get them. Andromeda mustn't let him out of her sight."

"You saw them, like you saw Lysander and Drew leave together in the field, or you saw them, in the creepy, psychic vampire way?"

"The second." Idris grinned. "It only lasted for a second, but I saw the two on a desert alone, walking together." I sat back on the leather seat, slightly relaxed. Drew is alive. Idris is alive. Lysander is alive. That's all that matters right now. "But in my current condition, I won't be able to do anything if I don't get blood. Like I said, bloodlust. I won't be me."

"Yeah, you'll be like Lysander and be evil." I sighed, sliding to the driver's seat. "Alright. Whatever. Let's get you your blood, Dracula."

The vampire suddenly jumped to the seat beside me. "I'll have you know, Dracula is a historical - "

"Do you hear that?" I asked, listening to nothing but silence. "That's the sound of me not caring."

"You're very lovely, hobbit." He replied with sarcasm. The vampire removed his black blazer and unbuttoned his black buttoned up shirt, which both have holes from where he was stabbed. Dried blood spread on his pale chest. The opened wound from minutes ago is now healed like he wasn't just stabbed. He then lifted his gaze from his chest to face me with raised eyebrows.

I looked away immediately, ignoring the heat radiating from my face. I turned on the engine of the viper car and used the air conditioners to cool off. It's so hot, all of a sudden? Deserts are horrible. Vampires are horrible.

***

Drew is right. This car makes me feel a hundred times cooler. I had to drive for about an hour and a half to find a good place for animal hunting. Foxtail Gardens. Past the desert, has a lot more green but still a little dry. Idris ditched his blazer but kept his black buttoned up shirt, despite the hole from the stake.

While I enjoy an unfinished sandwich I bought from the gasoline station, I accompany the vampire as he catches his food for the day. We're walking around the park until we encounter something.

"Do you ever use straws to drink blood?" I queried, walking over a log. "Maybe I'll give you a swirly straw for your birthday."

"You know, that actually sounds brilliant." The vampire chimed happily. "I'll be looking forward to it."

I rolled my eyes at him. It's not fun when he takes it seriously. "I can't believe they pulled a Winter Soldier on Lysander." I mumbled with mouth full of sandwich. Wherever he and Drew are, I hope they're safe from the soldiers. I hope Drew is safe from Lysander. Idris said he won't hurt his mate, but what if he's wrong? What if the military fucked up Lysander too much that he can't even control his own thoughts and actions? Or what if they brainwashed him so he doesn't recognize his friends? The werewolf already stabbed Idris and tried to kill him, so what's stopping him from doing the same to Drew?

"You two. What are you doing here?" Idris and I froze as a cop came across our path.

This park is open for the public. I don't see a reason why we can't be here.

"Just taking a walk in the park with my date. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" The vampire answered before I could.

I choked on my snack and coughed. The cop watched me worriedly while Idris looked as if he's trying not to laugh. The cop shook his head before facing Idris once again. "No, I guess not. But you two are aware that there is a killer on the loose, right? You did receive the warning on your phones, TV, and radio, right?"

They must have sent one of those Amber alert warnings. I wouldn't know. My phone died during the hunt for Lysander.

"Yes we have." Idris nodded. "But, it's only a killer. I can take him."

The cop eyed him up and down before cackling. "You?" Idris nodded again, making the cop laugh even more. "Go home boy. Maybe if you work out, you'll have time to at least run." He left us after that comment. The vampire crossed his arms, looking offended.

"Humans are so irksome."

I nodded. "Yeah. So are vampires."

We continued our walk and found a small brown rabbit. Idris caught it with ease, but it wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger. And so, we carried on, walking deeper in the park.

"So, have you gotten visions about me?" I questioned, leaning against a tree as he stops, sensing another prey.

"Perhaps."

This posh vampire. "Either yes or no, mosquito."

He smiled widely, showing off his sharp fangs. "Yes I have."

I jumped excitedly as I skipped after him. "Sick. What did you see? Do I look good in the future?!"

Before he could answer, a brown large deer came in the view. Red pupils dilated as he positioned himself, ready to pounce. But then, something else appeared on the other side of the dear, across from us. Another pale, red eyed predator with short blonde hair, is fixated on the deer. Or maybe he was coming for me, who is also food for him.

Idris hissed viciously at the same time the other vampire licked his lips. The deer immediately ran away at the noise, but neither ran after it. Instead, the two vampires struck each other. I wasn't expecting another vampire. If I had, I would have brought a stake with me. Idris is still weak from earlier, and so he lost easily against the other vampire, who looked even younger than him. A teenage vampire.

After pining down Idris, the vampire turned to me. "I knew you would get in the way. I just knew that bitch was lying." His voice is familiar. Where have I heard it? And what the fuck is he talking about? "You must be Rami. We've never met. I'm Uriel."

Uriel. That voice. That name. "You're that asshole who works with the hunters!" My fist hit him so hard, blood was drawn from his lips. This was the asshole vampire who started everything. The vampire threw me against a tree next to Idris and put hands around my neck.

I kicked him in the stomach before Idris got back up and fought him again. While the two vampires faced each other, I frantically searched the area for anything that I could use to help. I wasn't strong enough to take a part of a tree and sharpen it to a stake, but I could make a fire like Drew. I have lenses and a water bottle. It might work.

However, before I could do anything, a vampire fell to the ground right after a firing sound of a gun.

"Uriel, we have to go now." A man a few feet away held a gun while the said vampire was left standing over Idris, who was shot in his shoulder.

"I will kill you next time." Uriel spat before running off.

I ran towards Idris. He was shot by a normal bullet, but the impact was enough to make him bleed from his left shoulder. I ran a hand through my hair and knelt down to the vampire, who's smiling innocently. Right after he gets stabbed by a werewolf, he gets shot by a hunter. "God damn it, Idris."