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"Let me down!" I yelled, suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed being carried in Carson's rather strong arms.

"No." His monotone voice shocked me as I continued to slightly swing back and forth.

Even though I was afraid to look him the eye, I forced my chin upward. He was walking into the rough wind head-on, making his blonde hair blow backward. My gaze was locked onto his stoic features and that's when his words registered in my brain.

My numb hands tried to push him away. "No? What do you mean no?"

The small movement of his jaw clenching caught my attention. His silence began to infuriate me. How dare he carry me away from the Hallow's Eve Carnival with no warning and without my permission? Did he think he was being a gentleman?

"Stop squirming." Carson's voice turned harsh and sounded a bit annoyed, which only made me struggle more in his hold.

I pushed on his chest, which was rather difficult when I was being carried bridal style. I tried all the tricks: pinching, pulling, pounding and I was even tempted to bite his arm but I couldn't reach my mouth that far. Plus that would have been kind of gross.

"Put me down!" I yelled once more, this time kicking my feet in desperation.

My left heel came flying off my foot and I groaned in frustration. I watched as my pitiful heel landed on the payment with a small thud, beginning to grow smaller with each step Carson took forward. The cold air instantly nipped at my bare toes and I feared I would somehow get frostbite.

"Fine." Carson suddenly said and I looked at him with a curious expression.

Did he just agree to put me down? I watched with confusion as he stopped walking. If I stretched my head to see past his arm, I could catch sight of the school gym still looking lively. It appeared to be a lot smaller, meaning that Carson had carried me a good distance away from the carnival.

In a swift movement, he lowered me toward the ground. As gentle as a vampire could be, he let my feet touch the ground. I sighed in relief, happy to finally be standing on my own.

I glanced at Carson and he only raised his brow at me. Guilt struck my heart and I suddenly remembered I had left Rowan and Zaylee behind.

"Thanks." I mumbled, knowing that my face had probably turned the color of a tomato.

Eyeing my abandoned shoe behind Carson, I began to hop toward it. The pavement was so cold from the winter weather that it hurt to put my bare foot on it. I lost my balance and began to tumble over, swinging my arms widely trying not to fall.

Large hands gripped my waist and steadied me before I hit the ground. I whipped my head around, only to find myself nose-to-nose with Carson. My lips parted and I couldn't find the right words to say.

His brown eyes stared into mine and I felt my heart racing a million miles an hour. I slowly blinked and despite the cold, a warm feeling began to grow inside my stomach.

"What are you doing?" Carson blinked and I noticed how unfairly long his eyelashes were.

I opened my mouth wider but I began to choke on my words. "I...um...shoe?"

My voice was pitchy and I couldn't help but cringe at how silly I sounded. It was only when Carson removed his large hands from my waist that I remembered they had been resting there.

I watched as he stepped around me and walked toward my shoe. I let out a long and hard exhale, this warm feeling inside me refusing to leave.

Carson picked it up and I noticed how small it in looked in the palms of his hands. Taking a quick glance down at my feet, I concluded that they were that small. Average, maybe. Carson looked up at me with an inquisitive expression and I gave him a slight nod.

I was about to reach for my shoe, but he suddenly got down on one knee. "Let me."

My eyes widened and I knew I instantly blushed as he gently lifted my slender foot out from under my dress. "Tha-thanks."

He slipped the heel on my bare foot with ease and I retracted it as soon as he finished. I can't believe he just did that, I thought. Slowly he stood up, towering over me. Who was this person? Surely he couldn't be Carson.

With both of my shoes on my feet, I walked around Carson with one destination in mind. The loud pop music could be heard from the parking lot and I was beginning to question if vampires really had super hearing or not.

"Where do you think you're going?" The familiar harsh voice suddenly said from behind me.

Oh, there's the Carson I knew.

Abruptly stopping, I turned to glance over my shoulder. "Back to the carnival, of course. Where else?"

His expression darkened and I gulped. Maybe I shouldn't try and provoke him, but I hate how he was beginning to control everything I did. The way he tried to threaten me into not coming tonight had royally pissed me off.

"You're not going back." Carson narrowed his eyes at, daring to take a step toward me.

Turning my body to face him completely, I began to feel anger boil inside me. "Yes, I am. You don't control what I do."

Carson hissed lowly and suddenly all the motivation I had begun to disappear. I feared his fangs and I really regretted angering him. Now that he knew I was a human, I became much more aware of the fact that I was very vulnerable.

"I can do whatever the hell I want. You, on the other hand, are not going to run straight into danger again." He strides toward me and I considered trying to make a run for it.

"Danger? Danger?" I snapped at him, all the frustration beginning to leak out. "The only thing here dangerous to me is you."

My ice cold words stunned him. His eyes widened and his hand that had reached for my face stopped a few inches away from my cheek. I stood, defiant and upset at the way he was treating me. Pain struck me as he drew his hand away from me and kept it clenched by his side.

"Fine. Go get yourself killed, I'm not going to stop you anymore." Carson's voice no longer sounded harsh, but extremely bitter.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to turn away from him. "I won't get killed any time soon."

Walking forward, I felt tears prick at my eyes. I cursed myself for being so emotional around him. He just made me feel so confused and extremely happy at the same time. Then he would suddenly snap at me and I would feel the uncontrollable anger begin to gnaw at my insides.

I readjusted the mask on my face, letting a traitor tear slip through. My heels clicked against the parking lot payment as I made my way back toward the gymnasium. What did I hope to accomplish in returning to the carnival? I wanted to find Rowan or Zaylee so that one of them could give me a ride home.

Even though Carson had said he was going to take me home, how could I trust him? He was keeping secrets from me and appearing out of nowhere to suddenly save me. Deep down in my gut, I wanted to trust him, but my mind was telling me to do the opposite.

My gaze shifted to the double gray doors that was the entrance of the gym. I can't believe I actually walked all the way back here. A cold wind blew and I instinctively wrapped my arms around my torso. Shivering, I took a timid glance behind me one last time.

"Stupid Carson," I muttered to myself. He was no longer where I had left him standing, almost like he vanished into thin air.

Desperate for warm air and to find my ride home, I pushed the gray doors open. I stepped inside, remembering the familiar lights and the wild dancing crowd. I scanned the nearby area, trying to make sure I wouldn't have a run-in with Reece or Nolan.

With neither one of them in sight, I pursued my plan to find Rowan or Zaylee. Sticking close to the walls of the gym, I only had to push by a few people out of my way. They were too busy dancing and not paying attention to a masked girl walking through.

An unfamiliar pop song was loudly blasting throughout the gym and strobe lights were rapidly flickering. I winced every time one of the lights would hit me directly in my eyes. Maneuvering my way through groups of friends and couples, I figured I wasn't going to find them as soon as I hoped I would.

"H-hey. Y-you lost?" A slurred voice said and a hand gripped my shoulder immediately after.

I whipped my head toward the stranger and I stared at them with confusion. Their grip on my shoulder felt toxic and I pulled away from the foreign touch immediately. The boy had on a pirate costume, which looked really messed up.

"I'm looking for a witch and a huntress. Seen anybody like that?" I slowly said, hoping that the boy could somehow point me in the right direction.

The boy raised his eyebrow me and I wasn't sure if my words had processed through his small brain. He wobbled a bit and he almost looked drunk. Could vampires even get drunk? I shook off the odd question and waited patiently for the boy to answer me.

"A wi-witch?" He rubbed his chin and looked up thoughtfully.

My fingers twitched in anticipation. He only continued to stand there, looking completely clueless. I sighed, I should've known that a random stranger would be of no use to me. I don't even think he knows where he's at. Turning to leave, I began to scan the crowd once more.

"Wa-wait! I think I saw o-one go into the haunted ho-house." He called out to me and I suddenly perked up.

Quickly rotating my body to face him, I was shocked when I no longer saw the pirate boy standing there. Confusion took over my features, I looked around trying to find him. When I could locate him, I decided I better hurry up and go search the haunted house.

I tripped over my own feet as I made my way toward the doors that led to the hallway where I believe the haunted house was set up. I hadn't gotten a chance to see it after they finished making it. Curiosity clouded my mind as I reached the doors that led into the hallway. Looking behind me, I still saw no signs of Nolan or Reece.

The hallway was dark and it was very difficult to see. Spooky lights flickered from a nearby classroom door and little pumpkins hung from the ceiling. A fog was creeping out from the open door and I was surprised that there were so few people hanging around here.

Inching toward the door, I peeked inside and let out a small gasp. "Whoa."

The inside of the classroom had been completely transformed. Dark curtains hung from the ceiling, almost creating a maze you had to walk through. Small decorations and creepy signs were plastered along the walls. I gulped, almost afraid to go inside.

Taking a step forward, I glanced from right-to-left. I stayed close the walls, hoping that I would find Rowan or Zaylee inside. The students who worked on this did a really good job, from the start I got the jitters. Blinking, I feared that something scary would pop out any second.

"Oh my god!" I let out a scream as instant karma hit me in the face.

A giant fake spider fell from the ceiling and hung right in front of my face. I exhaled and put a hand to my chest. My heart was pounding against my rib cage so hard I thought it was going to explode. I glared at the spider, cautiously moving around it. Slowly treading through the dark maze, I can upon a circular area.

Candles were lit and it almost looked like someone was trying to summon a demon. Paint was smeared on the floor and it glowed right before my eyes. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I was about to move on through the rest of the maze when I felt a chill go down my spine.

"Well, well. Look who returned for some fun." Arms wrapped around me and I was pulled backwards away from the exit.

Already aware of who it was, fear began to settle in the pit of my stomach. Slowly turning my head, I glanced over my shoulder to meet the stormy gray eyes of Nolan. He smirked at me, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

Wolf ears sat upon his head and they somehow made me less scared of him. He looked kind of cute with wolf ears, which was highly ironic.

"Let me go," I said a bit annoyed for having been taken hostage for the second time tonight. "I'm not in the mood."

And just like that, Nolan's amusement disappeared instantly. He scowled at me and I really needed to consider not talking back to moody vampires. His grip on me tightened and I winced at the intense pressure. I struggled to get free, but alas it was no use.

"You best not anger me." He whispered and his hot breath tickled my ear. "I figured out your secret."

My eyes widened in horror as I stared at him. His smirk turned into an evil grin and I couldn't help but believe what he had said. It could be true. There was no way that he could have figured out that I was human. Maybe he was talking about something else, but what?

"My se-secret?" I choked out, silently hoping that the one person who has bullied me from day one didn't know my most vulnerable secret.

He hugged me closer to him and I could feel the slight touch of his lips upon my ear. "You didn't think you could hide it from me for very long, did you?"

The air inside my lungs was trapped and I was completely speechless. I could only stare at him, studying his stormy eyes and raven black hair that tickled his pale forehead. My neck was beginning to ache from craning to look at Nolan's face.

"What?" I asked in a quiet voice, afraid of the answer he would give.

His grinned widened more, if that was even possible, as he said the words I dreaded to hear. "You're a human."

I pushed away from, desperately trying to escape his hold. He loosened his grip on me and I took that as my chance to take a few steps away. My arms came up defensively, and I wasn't sure what he was going to do next. He only watched me, probably enjoying my horrified expression.

"H-how did you—" I was stunned, unsure of how to deny his statement.

Though, the way he looked at me and the way he said it had me believing that he truly knew that I was indeed a human. Surely Carson wouldn't tell him, he hadn't even told his closest friends my secret. What gave it away?

"Oh, Saige." Nolan's cold fingers suddenly lifted my chin upward, making me look him straight in the eye. "Be careful who you tell your secrets to, not everyone is looking out for you."

With those chilling words, he let go of my chin. He smirked at me once more before turning his back to me. I could only stay frozen, watching his figure retreat from my sight. The tears came before I could stop them and I let out a strangled sob.

Forcing my numb legs to move, I blindly made my way out of the haunted house and into the almost empty hallway. Tears trailed down my cheeks like a river and I did nothing to stop them. I shouldn't of come back. I should've listened to Carson.

Stumbling forward, I headed for the gym. The music and laughter of many people became background noise. I only had one destination in mind and that was the leave this place as soon as possible. I wiped my hand across my cheek in an attempt to make the tears disappear.

I pushed through some people, not really paying attention to where I was going. My mind was clouded with thousands of thoughts. Letting out another sob, I ran straight smack into a solid wall. Looking up I was completely surprised to see familiar brown eyes looking down at me.

Digging my head into his chest, I clutched onto the fabric of his shirt. "Please take me home."

"Hey— are you alright?" Carson's voice was softer and it made the tears flow even more.

Gentle hands lifted my head up and I sniffled to try and keep the snot inside my nose. I stared into his eyes, seeing double vision. His thumbs wiped the tears from my cheeks and it felt nice. For the first time this night, I felt safe being near him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered and buried my head back into his chest, not wanting him to see me break down.

A hand patted me on the head. "Come on, I'll take you home."

An arm wrapped around my shoulder and I leaned into Carson, trying to hide my face from the rest of the world. He was once again my knight in shining armor and I felt like such a terrible person. What was he doing to me? My heart was pounding erratically.

As I was led through the gym, one dreadful thought crossed my mind for the millionth time in the past few minutes.

Nolan knew I was human. And I had no idea what he was going to do with that information.

Oscar stayed behind me, growling lowly. I shushed him for the tenth time and he gave me a small whimper. I almost felt bad since I had left him alone for the past few hours and returned home with a complete stranger.

I peeked out from around the corner wall, glancing around the living room for Carson. Somehow it was decided that he needed to stay with me until I calmed down enough to not make any irrational decisions. I watched with immense curiosity as Carson lounged on our ancient couch.

I stepped out from behind the corner, in my comfy sweatpants and hoodie. My dark hair was still wet, sticking to the back of my neck from my recent shower. It was nearly midnight when I made it back to my house with Carson.

"Feeling any better?" The sudden question brought me out of dazed reality.

I gave a small smile, moving closer to the couch. "Yes, thank you."

Carson's lips tugged upward and he wore a welcoming expression. Timidly, I made my way to the couch and sat down next to him. I still felt awkward, especially breaking down in front of him after we argued. The television was glowing with light and I didn't particularly care what show was on.

"Why did you come back to the carnival?" I asked, the question stuck in my brain the moment I got home.

Carson looked at me, his smile starting to grow bigger. "I had a feeling you would attract trouble."

"Well, I'm glad I'm so predictable." I laughed, feeling at ease.

His blonde hair was messy and he had changed out of his Prince uniform. Apparently, it pays to wear an extra shirt and shorts underneath a heavy costume. Because there was no way I had any clothes that would fit his masculine body.

With the television noise in the background, my eyes began to feel extremely tired. It was most certainly an eventful night, some parts I wish I could forget. I suddenly felt like I wasn't in control of my body and I began to lean toward a comfy looking pillow.

My head rested on Carson's shoulder and I no longer had the energy to lift my head up. After a couple of seconds, my breathing began to slow down to a calm pace. My eyes gently closed shut and I just embraced the darkness surrounding me.

There was a soothing whisper right before I faded away from reality. "Goodnight, Saige."

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★ @within_days

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★ : @within_days