Ryane tried her best to keep her complicated emotions at a slight simmer for fear that if she let them boil over, her undead lover would relapse into despair. Now is not the time to deal with them, she thought to herself.
Luckily, she had worked through a lot of it on her own. However, even with her trying her best not to be swept up in her resentment, Ryane still knew a little bit of it may have escaped her heart by the way Quinn twinged defensively, glancing at her. She took a deep breath. I have to be here for Quinn, we can talk about everything later, she thought to herself as her anger melted away and was replaced with great concern for him.
Lucas checked his watch. He began quietly packing Quinn's things
Quinn looked up. “Are we ready to go?” he asked, with a cold edge to his tone.
Lucas took a cautious step back. “Yeah. But I can figure something out, you two can go alone."
"No," Ryane protested. She looked nervously from Quinn to Lucas and then back to Quinn. "He didn't hurt me. You know he would never…"
Quinn glared at Lucas, who looked away, guilty. "I didn't hurt her the way I said," he explained.
"He didn't hurt me at all!" she enunciated.
Quinn took a moment to think things through. The blood helped his mind to clear. He tried to picture Lucas actually holding Ryane down to drink from her, but it felt so outlandish it almost made Quinn chuckle. Lucas didn't even hurt her when he thought she was a threat. Of course, he wouldn't hurt her. Utterly absurd! Of course, he's lying! I'll figure it out later. His expression softened, and he nodded understandingly. He helped Ryane to her feet.
She wrapped her arms around his middle and held him tight. "I love you so much," she said, burying her face in his dirt-caked shirt.
"I love you too," he replied, gently pushing her off.
She looked up at him. Dirt streaked on her face. He bent down and gently pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Alright," Lucas said, turning to walk away.
Quinn's head snapped up. "Lucas hold on," he said, lifting Ryane onto his back. He easily caught up with him. "We're going together, right?"
Ryane felt a wave of exhaustion crash over her. She wanted to be in her bed, asleep, but no. She was here because Quinn killed her cousin and then tried to kill himself! This is all Quinn’s fault. I hate everything!
Quinn felt her resentment and gently lowered her to the ground. “I’ll go on my own,” he said.
"Like hell you will!" Lucas snapped.
Quinn spun around to face him. "Yes I will! The soul bind has been restored which means I can't kill myself without taking her with me!" he snapped, gesturing to Ryane.
Without another word he turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Ryane shoved her hands in her pockets and kept walking.
“I’m sorry I had to scare you like that,” Lucas said as they walked.
“It’s okay. I understand why you had to,” she mumbled.
Lucas swallowed a lump in his throat. “I…I wasn’t completely lying, though…”
“I would make you comfortable and do everything I could to make you happy, but… god forbid, something did happen to Quinn…” he trailed off. "But you will not leave me." His expression darkened.
"Stop trying to scare me like that! I would stay with you because I care about you a lot...but I refuse to have my freedom taken away from me. I understand you are afraid of being abandoned but you can't make people you love do things they don't wanna do, or force them to stay. Taking their choice away like that...makes them a prisoner. You wouldn't do that to me, right?"
"Is that what you would want? Me as a prisoner?"
"I can't lose you again."
"I'm not losing my family again! You're all I have left of them! You're not leaving me, or Quinn!" he snapped venomously.
Behind his angry glare, she could see a deep hurt. This wasn't going to be resolved tonight. There was clearly way too much to unpack.
"Okay," Ryane said calmly. "I hear you."
His expression softened. "It's not even going to come to that, so we don't need to think about it." Lucas hugged her. “It’s just weird because you’re a human.”
“Why does that matter?” she asked, pulling away.
Lucas grabbed her wrist and held his thumb on her pulse. “This. Your pulse, your heartbeat, means food. Humans are nothing but food to us.” He paused and looked down, thinking of old times. A sad smile formed on his lips. “Quinn taught me how to not care. So I had to unlearn that with you. It helps that you look like them.” He let go. “It used to be really hard to kill, but then I saw that most humans were not like my family. They proved to me they deserve to die.”
“And how did they do that?” Ryane asked.
“Quinn and I used to do these…games with humans. When they were put in desperate situations, or money was involved, they always turned on one another. A few turned on their own family. And then Quinn found you. I could crush your skull so easily. I could seriously hurt you. But…I can’t. And not just because Quinn has your soul. I can’t hurt you because I care, and I feel…”
“Powerless,” she finished for him.
“Yeah, I can’t relate, constantly being around literal monsters that are a thousand times stronger than me. Nope. No idea what that’s like,” she said sarcastically.
“Alright. Point taken," Lucas chuckled.
The cousin's laughter fell into an awkward silence. Lucas shifted uncomfortably, changing the subject.
"When you get mad at him, do what you have to do, but you also have to reassure him that you will come back. Let him know you still love him," Lucas explained.
Ryane nodded. "I can do that."
"He's still got a ways to go. I can tell he's not completely himself. So try to be gentle with him."
"I didn't think he would…try to kill himself," she sniffled. She choked on a sob as tears spilled over.
"Come here," Lucas said, pulling her into his arms.
She buried her face in his shirt. "I don't want to lose him, Lucas."
"Fuck," she choked. "Is he going to be okay?"
"He's going to be fine. We'll make sure of it," Lucas reassured.
Quinn pulled up in his car and got out.
Ryane stumbled into the back seat and pulled the door closed. She curled up and fell asleep.
Lucas put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky.
"Lucas," Quinn said gently.
Lucas winced again and stepped back. "I'm sorry," he uttered.
"No, Lucas, I'm sorry. I really wasn't thinking clearly. I was stupid to think you would ever do such awful things to her."
A slight smile twitched on the corner of Lucas's lips. "I know. That's how I knew I could pull it off. You went into what I like to call Quinn's idiot protector mode."
"Sometimes, you get stupid and paranoid. I don't know why but it's easy to manipulate you when you get like that. Just give you something to focus on and protect and you usually come back to your old self."
Quinn pulled Lucas in for a hug. Lucas stiffened but slowly relaxed. He was safe. Quinn was back to his old self. He carefully hugged Quinn back. "Don't scare us like that again."
"I won't." He pulled away and checked his dusty watch. "We should get moving."
"Quinn, wait," Lucas said urgently.
"What is it?" Quinn asked.
"Um…you should know that I…um…I did actually drink from Ryane…."
Quinn's expression darkened as the words hit his ears. "You what?" he asked in a low tone.
A fresh wave of tears spilled down Lucas's face "I'm so sorry! I really tried to be gentle, and there was no one around, and she insisted."
"Why couldn't you drink from someone else?" Quinn asked evenly.
"We were in the smaller jet, and I finished everything in my flask and got so focused on trying to find you, then we were in the air, and apparently Alan is a zombie, and she offered and…I'm so sorry."
Quinn's expression softened. "It's alright."
"Huh?" Lucas asked, his glassy eyes meeting Quinn's.
"It was a weird situation. I understand."
"You told me it was like sleeping with your wife…." Lucas wiped his eyes.
"Yes, and if, in another life, I had a wife, and she wasn't related to you, and if, somehow, you would starve unless you slept with her…I would let you if she was okay with it."
A wide smile broke out across Lucas's face. "Really?"
"Sure. What are friends for?"
Lucas laughed. "You're the best, Quinn."
"Also…I feel like I don't have much room to be upset. If I hadn't been breaking the bond, you wouldn't have had to."
"True." Lucas said, nodding.
"Hey, if the roles were reversed and it was a life and death situation, would you let me sleep with your wife?" Quinn immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. "Actually, I don't really…"
"HMM…" Lucas said loudly, cutting him off and looking up thoughtfully.
"Oh no…" Quinn groaned, resting his head in his hand.
"Yes, but I would want to be part of it."
"Why?" Quinn demanded. "Why? That's so weird!"
"If I ever get a wife we’d do everything and everyone together, and that would include you if it came to it."
The two laughed as they pulled the car doors opened and slipped inside. She drifted in and out of conciousness.
"You doing okay, Ryane?" Lucas asked, twisting around to look at her.
Ryane was barely able to keep her eyes open as they spoke to her.
"Y-yeah," she slurred. Her head spun, and her vision was blurry. Quinn could see she was in desperate need of food and sleep.
“We'll stop at a gas station and get you something,” Quinn said. He glanced at Lucas. “Perhaps get you something too, Lucas.”
“On it,” he said, opening the sleazy dating app on his phone.
As they arrived at the gas station, the trio noticed a diner with its lights still on. There we a gas station attached to it. It didn't look very clean, but it would have to work.
“You two go inside. I’ll get gas and meet Mr. Pedo,” Lucas said, getting out.
“Thank you,” Quinn said politely.
A wide grin took over Lucas's face as he read the words "I'm here" on his dating messenger app.
"Show time," Lucas laughed quietly to himself as he typed a reply.
The creep wasted no time at all making their way behind the building, hoping to see their prey. Lucas was a step ahead and held his axe high in anticipation. Before the man could scream, Lucas had already split his scalp in two. The left side of the man's face flopped over, and blood splashed the outside walls of the gas station.
Lucas wiped down his axe with the man's grey t-shirt and began draining the corpse.
Quinn and Ryane made their way inside the outdated diner. A dingy, powerful smell of grease and hamburger meat filled the air. Ryane and Quinn noticed a sign on the front desk that said, 'Please seat yourself.’ The couple trudged over to one of the less dirty tables and took a seat. Ryane sat down slowly, gripping the ledge of the table for support.
A friendly waitress came and placed two glasses of ice water on the table and took Ryane’s order.
She looked as miserable as she felt. Her hair was a tangled mess, pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. Her eyes had deep bags under them, and she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking.
Quinn's heart broke. Beneath her muddled, confusing emotions, he felt that deep undercurrent of love she had for him. I can't put her through this again, he thought to himself.
He leaned forward and nudged the glass of ice water toward her. "You need your fluids," he said.
She bent over and sucked a mouthful of water down. It brought a bit of mental clarity.
The waitress set down Ryane's order on the table. "Thank you," Ryane strained to say as she gave the waitress a weak smile.
The waitress smiled back and made herself scarce.
Ryane dug into her chocolate chip pancakes. They tasted better than they looked.
"Ryane…did he actually drink from you, like he said he did?" Quinn asked as she ate.
She shook her head. "No. He did drink from me, but it wasn't anything like he said."
"I offered. He kept trying to turn me down, but there wasn't anyone else around to drink from because we were on a private plane, and the pilot was a zombie."
Quinn took a calming breath. "Okay. Tell me more about what happened when he drank from you."
"Not much more to tell. I offered my wrist, he drank from me, and then he cried."
Quinn snickered. "He cried?"
"Yeah. We were both pretty emotional."
He looked down, guilty. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Good," Ryane said, finishing off her pancakes. "You put both of us through hell."
Quinn sighed. "Good to see you getting your strength back."
"You had both of us worried sick! What the hell were you thinking?"
"That you weren't coming back!" He snapped. "And that you didn't love me. And that I had fucked up way too much for you to…" He paused, gathering his thoughts. “Why are you even here? Why did you come after me?”
“Because I love you,” she said. She paused as a horrifying thought dawned on her. “Did…did you not want me to come?”
Quinn clenched his jaw and looked away.
“You don’t want me?” she asked, panic rising in her. Her muddled thoughts began to spiral. Was she going to be stuck with someone who didn’t want her?
A hurricane of self-doubt and insecurity flooded and whirled in Ryane. Her appetite vanished as her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. Life began to feel strange, like a nightmare, as her body numbed and felt not her own. It was as if a spell had been cast over her legs, telling them to run. She found herself being pulled from the table.
Quinn felt the anxiety within her. The overwhelming fear of losing him was the same feeling he experienced. He got up and grabbed her arm. “Of course I want you!” he snapped. “How could you even entertain such a thought?”
“I don’t know,” she whimpered.
He pulled her in for a tight hug. “You are exhausted and definitely not thinking clearly.”
“You really want me?” she asked, peeking up at him.
“Ryane…I wanted to die,” he admitted. “I thought you were never coming back and would be better off without me. I mean, is it really that outlandish to think, after everything I’ve put you through? Including today?”
She remained quiet and looked down. "I probably should have reassured you a little."
A bald man with huge bags under his eyes got up from his table and made his way to the emotional couple across from him. He looked Quinn up and down, glanced at Ryane, and studied her face. They looked disheveled and dirty. "Is everything okay here? You alright, hun?" he said sincerely to Ryane. The situation looked sketchy, to say the least, in his eyes.
She nodded and inched closer to Quinn.
Quinn wrapped his arm around Ryane's middle. "We're fine, thank you. Now kindly leave us alone." Quinn pushed a Judas kiss onto the man, and he nodded with a polite smile as if hypnotized and walked back to his table.
"We should go," Quinn said, taking out his wallet and fishing out a twenty and a ten and placing them on the table.
Lucas walked through the door with a spring in his step. "Another worthless piece of human trash has been taken care of," he announced triumphantly.
Ryane could see his blood-stained teeth.
"What did he do?" Quinn asked.
“Not much. I wanted to make it quick so I just chopped him open and drank.”
Ryane laughed nervously. "Wow…"
"Oh, hang on!" Lucas said, walking across the diner to the side with the gas station snacks. He returned momentarily with a 2 liter of coke and handed it to Ryane.
She giggled as the happy memories from their soda fight came back. “Thank you,” she said giving him a hug.
"Let's get back on the road!" Lucas announced.
They went back to the car and got in.
Ryane laid down in the backseat, clutching the bottle of Coke and pulling Quinn's hoodie tight around her, breathing in its scent. She was safe. Quinn was safe. Everything is fine, she reminded herself.
Exhaustion slowly dragged her into a deep sleep.
Quinn looked in the rearview mirror to see Ryane fast asleep in the back, cuddling the bottle of coke.
"Lucas," Quinn said quietly, gesturing to the back seat.
Lucas twisted around to look. He smiled. "Oh my god." He chuckled. He took his phone out and snapped a quick picture of her, and turned back around. "Dude, she's perfect for you."
An awkward silence hung in the air. Lucas broke himself from his own thoughts and looked to his best friend to speak, choosing his words carefully. "So…why would you give this up?" he asked, tone becoming serious.
"I just wanted it to stop hurting. I wanted her to be happy. And I couldn't picture her being happy with the person who killed Chase."
Lucas sighed, letting his shoulders relax. “I know you can’t help it. I know you’re still not back to your old self, but please….just think about how happy you make her.”
“What about how happy Chase made her?”
“And yet, she still loves you," Lucas replied. "She's still yours. She still wants to be with you. You're more than just his killer to her. So stop being an idiot."
Quinn swallowed a lump in his throat and looked at the clock. 3:40 AM. “Let’s get a hotel for the day,” he said, changing the topic.
“Alright,” Lucas mumbled, taking out his phone.
“Find someplace nice,” Quinn instructed.
Lucas set the GPS for the Ritz Carlton.
“Really?” Quinn said, scrunching his nose. “A bit on the cheap side, isn’t it?”
“It’s the closest nice place.”
Quinn rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
Quinn pulled into the parking lot and got out. He froze, seeing his father’s reflection in the car window. He blinked. It wasn’t his father. It was him. He hated the man staring back at him. Everything was his fault. The girl behind the glass stirred. She's too perfect, and now she’s stuck with me.
Lucas got out, noticing Quinn's rigid posture. “Quinn?” Lucas asked.
Quinn gasped but couldn’t get in a full breath. His chest ached as he tried to breathe. Quinn collapsed on the ground in gut-wrenching sobs. He buried his head in his hands, and dry heaved.
"Look at me! Look at me, Quinn! Open your eyes! You are okay. You are safe. Quinn. Just snap out of it, dude!" Lucas spun him around and shook him by the shoulders, pleading.
Quinn was trapped in a loop. "She’s better off without me!"
"No, she's not! You aren't thinking clearly right now. You need to look at me, Quinn! I'm serious!"
This isn't working, Lucas thought to himself as he gripped the delirious vayer tightly and embraced him. “You’re safe,” he said. He kept hugging Quinn and reminding him he was safe until Quinn's body stopped trembling, and his words became muted. The hyperventilating ceased as Quinn's breathing settled. Lucas pulled away and examined Quinn's face.
His blood-red eyes opened up slowly to meet Lucas's. "There you are," Lucas said softly.
Lucas pointed to Ryane sleeping in the car. “I’m pretty sure she would die for you! After everything she’s been through for you just in the past twenty-four hours, don’t throw that away!”
"That sounds like a you problem. She wants to be with you!" Lucas snapped swiftly.
"That's the issue! Why in god's name would she still want to be with me after this shit show? There is something seriously wrong with her. She isn't well in the head!" Quinn said coldly.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at Quinn, anger burning in his chest. "How can you say something like that when you were going to kill yourself? You are the one who is unwell. Do you realize what you have done?"
“I killed Chase?" Quinn said flatly.
"No, worse! You hurt her and have now forced her to take care of you! She’s the one who was wronged, and now she's worried about you. She's comforting you! How is that fair?" Lucas ranted, pinning Quinn with a glare.
Quinn paused and looked down, taking a moment to realize what his best friend had said. "I-I didn't want her to find out what I was planning; I didn't want her to know."
"I know you weren't trying to manipulate her on purpose, and you genuinely feel guilty, but you need to get your shit together and knock this whole woe-is-me shtick off. You wronged her. And if you truly love her, you will make this right and focus on her."
Quinn took in a deep breath and sighed. "Fair enough, but she's too good for me. She deserves so much more."
“Come on! You’re the midnight wolf slayer! You brought the high alpha, Travis, to his knees! You saved my ass more times than I can count on one hand! You rescued Ryane from a shit life and an abusive family! You are the one she loves! She chose you!”
“I killed…” Quinn started.
Lucas cut him off. “I know you killed Chase! Boo hoo! Quinn killed someone who was special to Ryane! And yet, she still wants you! This is a win! How do you not see that?”
“Because I love her. Because I want her to be with someone who actually deserves her!”
“Do you think someone who ‘deserves’ her could protect her like you can? Do you think they could give her a life of luxury? Do you think they would help her get vengeance on the people who hurt her?”
Quinn took a shaky breath. “No.”
“So are you going to stop acting stupid now?!?” Lucas asked.
Lucas relaxed his grip. “Take it one step at a time. Alright?”
“I’m going to check in. I’ll get two of the nicest rooms available. Alright?”
Lucas went inside to check in. Quinn took a moment to gather his thoughts. Lucas was right. She wanted to be with them. Who would I be to deny her what she wants? Besides…no one could measure up and be truly deserving of someone so precious. She's mine. That's that.
He opened the door and grabbed a water bottle near Ryane in the back, sliding it out carefully, so he didn’t wake her. He poured it on a handkerchief and wiped his face. He grabbed her brush out of her bag and ran it through his hair. He checked his reflection in the mirror. He looked mostly presentable. He opened the back door and gently shook Ryane awake. “Hey.”
Ryane groaned and sleepily opened her eyes. “What?” she slurred.
“It’s almost sunrise. We’re getting a hotel room,” Quinn said.
“Okay,” she murmured as her eyes fluttered closed.
A hint of a smile twitched in the corners of his lips. She was so cute, sleeping. He reached in and grabbed her wrist, dragging her out of the car, and lifted her into his arms. He kicked the door closed and carried her inside.
She rested her head against his chest.
They walked into a lavish lobby with white marble floors and crystal chandeliers. Ryane winced as they walked under the bright lights, and looked around. “What’s going on?”
“We’re getting a room for the day,” Quinn explained.
Lucas appeared next to them, holding two key cards. “I got two executive suits,” he said, sliding one of the key cards in Quinn's left pocket.
The three of them made their way to their 2 bedroom suite. Quinn took the key card out and swiped it. Lucas pushed the door open for Ryane as she trudged in. She quickly made her way to the windows. She took in the sunrise briefly before closing the curtains for the guys. Quinn and Lucas walked in, once the room was safe.
She groaned as she drank down one of the water bottles on the counter.
“Okay, I’m going to take a shower,” she said, closing the door.
“I’m going back to my room to shower too. Please, for the love of god, don’t make me come after you again,” Lucas said, glaring at Quinn.
“Thank you,” Lucas said, leaving and shutting the door behind him.
After her shower Ryane came out in her bathrobe and sat on the bed next to Quinn. She held her hands out to him and pulled him in for a hug.
"Can we talk?" she said, keeping her tone light.
Quinn nodded his head and waited for her to speak.
"You don't have to keep punishing yourself," she said gently.
“I took someone very important from you.” he paused. "Someone who could have helped you."
“Yeah. You did a really bad thing, but I still love you. What does that say about what we have?”
“That it’s probably very unhealthy,” he responded bluntly.
Ryane groaned. “What about killing Anderson? Does that mean nothing, now? Or taking me away from my abusive family? That doesn’t count either, I suppose,” she said sarcastically.
Quinn looked down quietly.
“We’re going to work through this, Quinn. I think we’re worth it.” She paused. “Do you?”
Ryane put her arms around his midsection and hugged him tightly. “I love you, Quinn. I'm choosing to love you, regardless of what you did."
“I love you too,” he said, closing his arms around her.
They embraced, both feeling lighter afterward. Ryane gave Quinn a loving smile before curling up on her side of the bed. Quinn turned around abruptly, hearing the door creak open. Lucas poked his head in to check in on them.
"You guys good in here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, we're fine," Ryane said.
"Good, good," Lucas said with a smile.
Quinn walked to Lucas, talking in a light whisper. "Thank you for the pep talk earlier; I needed it." He switched his voice back to a louder tone and grabbed the door with his hand. "I think we are going to call it a day and just relax for a bit now," Quinn said, rolling his shoulders.
"You're going to bed already? Wow, okay."
"She needs sleep," Quinn hissed.
"Whatever, I'm going to talk to Natalie for a bit. She gets home tomorrow." Lucas said.
"Okay, you do that," Quinn said.
Lucas looked at Ryane, snuggled up in bed, and back to Quinn.
He turned to leave, and Quinn closed the door. He slipped his pants and hoodie off before slipping into bed behind Ryane. He held her close to him, feeling her heartbeat as she slept.
He watched her sleeping peacefully in his arms for hours. He felt awestruck at her resilience. There was nothing, nothing he could do in all eternity to be deserving of such a remarkable person. But he had her. She was his. The bad guy gets the girl.
It felt wrong. Quinn closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander. He looked around at the darkened, lavish room. He smiled slightly. At least I can give her a luxurious eternity with me. She will never be denied material comfort.
It didn't feel like enough, though. He wanted to fix all her broken pieces. He wanted to see her smile again and hear her laugh. He wanted her carefree and happy. He tapped into her emotions. Exhaustion, sadness, and worry all drifted along beneath the current of sleep. But there was also relief…that he was safe.
Tears spilled down Quinn's face, and he buried his face in her hair. He didn't deserve it. His chest clenched, feeling unworthy and hating himself.
Ryane stirred and looked up. "Quinn? What's wrong?" she asked sleepily.
Quinn couldn't talk around his sobs.
Ryane sat up and embraced him, guiding his head to her shoulder, letting him cry. She felt his weight as he slumped against her. He was limp; every ounce of strength was gone.
She gently rubbed his back. "It's okay, Quinn. They're just feelings. They're going to pass. It always does," she said soothingly.
"Please, please hate me," he begged looking up at her. He grabbed her wrists. "Please hate me! You'll never leave me! I won't let you go! Ever! But please, please just hate me so this can all make sense!"
"I killed Chase!" Quinn stammered. His body trembled as a fresh wave of tears spilled over.
"Yeah. And Anderson, and Jacob, and a lot of other really bad people. You also got me away from my abusive relatives."
He slumped back against her.
"I hate what you did, though."
"Huh?" He looked up at her again.
"I hate what you did to Chase. I hate what you did to so many innocent people. I hate all of that."
"So then, why not hate me?"
"Because there's so much more to you. There is so much to love about you."
"How can you see anything good in me?"
"Because there is good in you," she stated simply.
He was dumbstruck by her casual, simplistic tone. As if it was obvious. Was it? He rested his head on her shoulder, taking it all in. His tears had stopped, and he was confused. Was it really that obvious to her? Was she delusional? Could she be right?
He leaned back against the headboard. His mind was fuzzy from all the emotion. "I'm sorry, darling. I don't know what came over me."
"It's okay. You had a panic attack. It happens. I know they're really scary."
"You shouldn't be taking care of me like this," he muttered bitterly.
She chuckled. "I'm happy to do it, Quinn. Remember how this is a real relationship? This is what goes into all that."
A slight smile twitched on his lips but quickly faded.
"How about we get some lunch for me?"
"To get out of this hotel room. Some fresh air?"
"You don't like the room?"
"I love the room. It's gorgeous! But I kind of want to be around people. Like, in public. Sunlight would be nice."
"Ah," he said, pulling his hood up.
"We could go to The Gilded Spoon'. I hear they have excellent escargot and cheeses."
Ryane's eyes lit up hearing the word "cheeses". Both of them got ready and arrived outside of a tall, romantic building with a large glowing sign above the entryway that said "The Gilded Spoon" in rose-gold cursive font. Hanging baskets with beautiful red and pink roses hung along the walls of the building on black baroque hooks. As they made their way in to be seated, a waitress quickly jogged over to them, her heels clicking behind her. "Um, excuse me! Yes, excuse me, you can't be in here."
Ryane and Quinn looked at each other and back to the snooty woman wearing a black turtleneck top and matching pencil skirt. "Pardon me?" Quinn said, keeping his tone polite. "What do you mean we can't be in here? Your sign says this restaurant is open, and this is a place for people to come and eat, yes?"
"You are correct, people do in fact, eat here, and we are currently open. However, this restaurant holds a high standard, and we try to maintain a certain ambiance, including whom we allow in. I suggest taking your-" the woman looked at Ryane and studied her look up and down for a moment. "Your uh, 'date' to the SnackNShake down the road, or perhaps a drive-through."
Ryane's mouth dropped open. She could not believe the audacity of the woman. Quinn's fists balled up as he tried desperately not to lose his temper in a public place.
"We have hosted celebrities, and even a duke, here. I have seen people from the top one percent. I know what to look for. They have a style to them. This," she gestured to them. "Is not the style of someone who can afford to eat here," she continued.
"He does have style! It's called grunge, you stuck-up poser bitch!" Ryane fired back angrily.
"Well, we don't serve, ‘grunge’ here," she replied flippantly.
Quinn took her firmly by the arm and dragged her out. "When we get home, I'm buying this place out of sheer spite, and that woman is going to personally serve you a hot meal."
Quinn slammed the car door in frustration, grunting angrily. "How dare she speak to us that way! Especially to you. Ugh! She's lucky I didn't eat her for dinner!" Quinn seethed as he started the car, taking one last glaring look at the restaurant sign.
"If it helps, I wouldn't mind something more laid back. I honestly was just excited for something cheesy. I don't care where.”
"When I was younger, my mom would take us all to these fancy restaurants all the time. They’re nice now and again, but not too often. My mom took us to these places a lot and always acted embarrassed of me. I would have to sit a certain way, act a certain way, and eat what they told me to. Most times, she would signal for me to go to the bathroom with her so she could pull me aside and scold me. It was, more often than not, a stressful time. Architecture-wise, it was visually nice to be there, though. I usually prefer places more relaxed.”
"How the hell am I supposed to spoil you?" Quinn sputtered.
"Crafting shit, high-quality comfy clothes, and video games. Also, I wouldn't mind a nice jacuzzi tub in the bathroom!"
Quinn blinked. "Alright. I can do that."
"But it will be nice to see the look on that woman's face when she has to play waitress to me."
As they drove, Ryane spotted a bar that had BBQ ribs, steak, brisket, and drinks advertised. "Oooo!" Ryane said excitedly. “Can we stop there? It sounds awesome!"
"Of course, darling! I'm just going to call Lucas, and then I'll be in." Quinn set the car in park and sat back in his seat, pulling out his phone.
Ryane hopped out and made her way across the wooden floorboards to the bar. The place was covered in western themed posters and props. Cactus plants sat on most of the tables and a lasso hung above the spirits at the bar. She seemed to be the only one there.
She entered the small, empty bar. “Um…hello?” she called hesitantly.
A younger man with short black hair and green eyes came out from the back. “Oh, hey there! What can I get you?”
She climbed on the stool by the counter. “Um…can I just get a water for now?”
“Sure,” he said. He disappeared in the back and came back with a glass of water. He set it in front of her and smiled.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a drink.
He glanced around the empty bar. “So are you here alone?” he asked casually, leaning towards her.
He laughed nervously. “Sorry. I know I can be a bit forward.”
Ryane narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She took a long drink of her water as she thought things through. Something was off about him. “Yeah. I’m here alone,” she said finally.
“Well, can I interest you in a free drink?” he asked with a suggestive smile.
She giggled flirtatiously. “Sure. I'll take a rum and coke."
He went into the back again and came out with her drink, placing it in front of her. She smiled and took a sip.
“So, where are you from?” he asked.
“A small town in Illinois, just outside Chicago,” she responded and took another sip.
He nodded with approval. “Very nice. So what brings you here?”
“Just some personal business,” she replied casually.
“How’s that drink?” he asked.
Her vision began to blur as she swayed in her seat.
He hopped over the bar and caught her around the waist before she fell. “You son of a bitch,” she slurred.
The bell on the door clanged as Quinn entered. He froze, seeing Ryane in this man's arms.
“Oh, hey, man. I’ll be with you in a minute. She had a little too much to drink. I’m just gonna get her settled and call her a cab.”
He started dragging Ryane to the back. Her vision and mind were getting hazy, and she found it harder to stay upright. She leaned on the stranger for support as he dragged her back to the kitchen.
Everything snapped into clear focus for Quinn as a thrill of fury shot through him. He calmly turned and locked the door, flipping the OPEN sign to CLOSED.
The man lowered Ryane to the dirty floor.
She watched as a dark, blurry figure appeared behind the man before her vision faded.
Ryane slowly opened her eyes to see Quinn hunched over a bloody, mutilated corpse. She squeezed her eyes shut as it all came back to her. She slowly opened her eyes again.
Quinn had his teeth sunk into the man's arm, drinking.
A wave of sadness washed over her that it had come to this. She hated that people like this existed. But she was grateful to Quinn. He cared enough to change for her. He was strong enough to change for her.
“Quinn," she mumbled, as a smile spread across her face.
He dropped the man's hand and pulled her in for a tight hug, smearing the man's blood on their hoodie. "Please don't leave. I'm sorry. He…he…"
"Wasn't innocent. It's okay, Quinn. It's okay," she said soothingly.
Quinn buried his face in her hair and wept.
“Hey, Quinn,” she said slowly.
“How about we get Lucas something to drink?”
“Huh?” he asked, pulling back.
“We could do a hunt together,” she suggested.
She nodded. “I think it would be good for us. We have the place to ourselves for a while."
Quinn smiled and nodded. “Alright.”
"We could even have him meet us right here!"
"Okay! Um…I'll call Lucas."
Quinn pulled out his phone and dialed Lucas.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, picking up.
“Yes! More than okay! She…she wants to hunt. She wants to do a kill. She wants to do a kill with me!” he said excitedly.
Lucas was taken aback. "Oh wow. Where are you guys?"
"We are in this little bar on the north end called Big Ed's BBQ and Bar," Quinn said, excitement still hanging on every word he spoke. "Can you arrange for someone to meet us here?"
“Hell, yeah!” he said enthusiastically and hung up.
As soon as the call ended, Lucas got busy texting sleazeballs on his app.
Quinn smiled, giddy, and walked back into the kitchen. Ryane was eating a large cookie.
“It’s all set up,” he said. “He should be here in an hour.”
Ryane stepped forward and threw her arms around him. “Is it weird that I’m excited?” she asked.
“Perhaps for a human, but not for me,” he said, brushing some hair from her face. He tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. “You’re perfect for me.”
“You’re perfect for me, too,” she replied.
His smile faded. “I’m not sure about that.” he paused. “But thank you for the thought.”
The door slowly creaked open, and a pudgy man wearing an orange jacket hesitantly stepped inside. “Hello?” he called out.
“Back here,” Ryane called, doing her best little girl impression.
She had to cover her mouth to keep herself from giggling.
They heard heavy footsteps getting closer.
Quinn tensed, remembering his father's footsteps. Ryane noticed, gently took his hand, and gave it a loving squeeze.
He returned to the present. She was there. She was perfect.
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before standing and stepping out of the kitchen to face the pedophile.
The man paused. "Oh…am I…am I in the wrong place?" he stammered, trying to keep his tone casual. But Quinn could see the man sweating through his shirt.
"You're in the right place," Quinn said with a friendly smile.
The man took a step back. "I actually…uh…this has been a misunderstanding."
Using his vampiric speed, Quinn appeared before him and grabbed him by the wrist. He jammed his foot into the man's shin, breaking it. The man cried out in pain and burst into terrified sobs.
Ryane stepped out of the kitchen, holding a length of rope. "Um…did you need this?" she asked nervously.
Quinn smiled. "Yes. Bring it here, darling."
She smiled, feeling helpful, and brought the rope to him.
Quinn forced the man to his knees and broke both of his wrists. "We are going to kill you," he said.
"What?" The man sputtered.
Quinn's eyes lit up as he watched the man struggle in his grip. He was in control. He felt whole again. He laughed. "Go on. Keep struggling," he taunted, using the rope to secure the mans hands behind his back.
“Aw, poor baby!” Ryane sneered.
Quinn looked at her and smiled. “Watch this,” he said, squeezing the man's neck until his face turned purple and his eyes nearly bulged out of his face.
Ryane smiled nervously. “Wow. That’s…so….cool,” she said, looking away.
Quinn laughed and released the man's throat. “Sorry,” he said.
"It's all good, I'm still just not used to all of this yet." Ryane admitted.
The man let out an animalistic screetch as he thrasked.
“Darling could you find some napkins?” Quinn asked politely.
“So we can gag him and have an actual conversation without this inconsiderate filth screaming.”
“Oh okay!” Ryane said. She went out to the bar and grabbed an handful of napkins and went back. “Here,” she said, giving them to Quinn.
“Thank you darling,” he said shoving them in the mans mouth, muffling his cries.
Ryane spotted a large kitchen knife and went to grab it.
Quinn felt her mixed emotions as she returned to his side.
"It will get better over time, I promise. We are doing a good thing. Yes, in a bad way, but these pigs don't deserve a nice end. You are protecting god knows how many people from becoming their next victims. I am proud of you for that," Quinn said with a gentle smile.
Ryane took his words to heart and reminded herself of all the trauma and pain her abusers caused her. She plunged a knife into the man's neck and kept stabbing. It soothed her, in a sick way. Quinn stepped back out of her way as she went wild on the man.
"You're actually enjoying this," Quinn commented.
Her smile faded, and her heart sank. "Yeah…I guess I am…"
Quinn held up the screenshots Lucas sent. "This man came here to abuse a child."
She relaxed slightly. "You're right." She looked down at the man. He laid still, breathing slowly.
"Can I finish him off?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course!" He handed her the knife. "You want to make a deep cut right in the neck. He'll drain quickly right into the bucket.
"No! No!" The man begged through the gag.
A thrill of excitement rushed through her as she held the knife over him. Despite his pleading and thrashing, he was helpless. She was in control. He couldn't do anything to stop her.
Ryane smiled, plunged the knife into his neck, and sliced it open.
The blood quickly streamed from the wound. The light left the man's eyes.
The man was dead. I did that. I took someone's life. "Oh my god…" she said breathlessly, dropping the knife. She relaxed, feeling a little less stressed.
She watched his blood pool in the bottom of the bucket.
"How do you feel?" Quinn asked slowly.
Quinn leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.
"You have blood in your mouth. It's gross," she said with an apologetic smile.
"But…how about we go back to the hotel, get another room…then you clean off, and then I clean off, and then we…get dirty again?" she said with a suggestive smirk.
Quinn blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"I'm saying we go home and have sex," she giggled.
"Oh…" he grinned. "Yes. I would like that very much."
Once at the hotel, Ryane and Quinn piled into the steaming hot shower. Ryane stood in front of Quinn feeling the warm water run down her body. Quinn lathered up his hands with shampoo and ran it through his lover's hair, massaging her head. "That feels amazing," she swooned. "My favorite part of getting my hair done is the head scritches and massage when they go to wash the dye out. It's incredible," she said.
"I hope I am doing a good job," Quinn said with a smirk.
"Oh, you are!" Ryane said enthusiastically.
After the two rinsed off, Ryane stepped out onto the soft bath mat and grabbed her robe from the rack that hung beside the shower. She slid herself inside of it and sauntered into the bedroom. She flopped down on the bed, waiting for Quinn. Ryane left one of her breasts exposed slightly, hoping to entice her soul mate.
Ryane grinned. "I'm glad you're feeling better. You had me worried. You were starting to act like a traditional vampiric teen heartthrob."
Quinn gasped, pretending to be offended. "You take that back."
Ryane gave Quinn a cheeky smile and kissed him deeply. She could feel his midnight black locks tickle the side of her face as she leaned into his ear to whisper. "Make me."
