I WAS STILL HAVING A hard time believing my luck.

I was still having a hard time believing Zayn.

I just couldn't believe what the impulsive vampire had told me four days ago - that he was willing to let me live longer if I agreed to let him mess around with me. Now, I knew that I would not enjoy the things that Zayn wanted to do to me, especially as the first thing he had mentioned was feeding from me. The mere thought of someone biting into my skin and sucking my blood was repulsive.

But, I was still alive, and it was quarter past five in the evening on Friday. The day had went perfectly normal so far - well, as normal as my day could have gone with a crazy vampire watching my every move - and nothing had happened to me through the entire day.

Yet, whispered a voice in the back of my head. I frowned as I realized what would happen to me after I came back from walking Jet - I'd be making my way over to Zayn's only to have him sink his teeth into me. I shuddered at the thought, remembering that there was also going to be another vampire present.

"You ready?" I asked Jet who was sitting beside me, wagging his tail in excitement. He always got excited at the mention of going out for a walk. I clipped the lead onto his collar and left the house, pulling my mobile from my pocket as I did. I quickly shouted over my shoulder before I shut the door.

"Mum, I'm going over to see Zayn when I bring Jet back!" I called. Not a second later, and she was replying from somewhere up the stairs.

"Alright, Laura. Have fun!" she said. I scoffed. Have fun? She didn't even know half of what would happen over at Zayn's later that night.

To: Zayn
I'll be over as soon as I walk the dog.

I hesitated, debating whether or not to send the message to Zayn. He knew I wouldn't miss today like I had Monday. He had agreed not to kill me, and I wasn't going to jeopardize that and possibly have him change his mind at the last minute.

I shook my head and pressed the send button before I slipped my phone into my pocket and I turned left, towards the woods. I no longer cared if Zayn wanted to follow me in there; there was no stopping him. If a vampire wanted to follow it's prey around, the victim was helpless against the predator. There was no way to escape one.

I let out a sigh when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I groaned as I pulled it out, my eyes scanning over Zayn's text:

From: Zayn
Fine. Don't be late.

I rolled my eyes at his bluntness. Then again, I never bothered to try and sound friendly towards him either. I tucked my phone away and glanced over my shoulder at Zayn's house. I couldn't help but notice a figure standing at the bedroom window, and I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly. Was he spying on me from his house again? I slowly raised my hand and waved at him, trying to show that I was keeping in mind my part of the deal - that I had to go over to his house as soon as I got back with the dog.

Zayn slowly nodded down to me before he turned and left, letting the curtains fall back in front of the window, blocking my view. I let out a sigh and pulled Jet along, into the woods.

It was just as peaceful as any other time I went there; birds singing softly, and the crunching of Autumn leaves beneath my feet being the only sounds I could hear. I carefully pulled my phone from my pocket once again and scrolled through my music, searching for a song to listen to. After deciding, I pressed play and let the music fill the air around me.

I reached down and unclasped Jet from the lead, letting him have his freedom as we walked further into the woods. I was partially thankful for the woods being empty - I liked the silence and a little time on my own, but at the same time, I couldn't hide the fact that I was scared, especially with Zayn around. There was no stopping him from attacking me at any time, he could easily change his mind.

"Go get the rabbits." I said to Jet as he came bounding over to me, tail wagging enthusiastically. His ears stood up at the mention of the small creatures, and he took off, sniffing in the undergrowth for something to chase. I shook my head when he dragged a large stick over to me. I threw it for him and watched as he ran after it happily.

That's when I stopped where I was. The song playing had a blush rushing to my cheeks as the memory of the Halloween disco came to mind. The well known Pitbull track continued to sound through my ear phones and I soon found myself singing along, harmonizing with Ne-yo.

However, I soon shuddered as the events after Zayn and I's slightly heated disco kiss flooded my head, and the horrible scene replayed over and over again: Megan, Zayn, fangs, blood.

Eventually, I came to the centre of the woods, the twisted tree sitting proudly in front of me. I whistled to Jet who was traipsing behind me, tail still wagging in the air. He came bounding towards me, tongue out and eyes wide as he ran ahead, past the tree and deeper into the woods. I however, sat down at the trunk of the tree and began to shuffle through my phone, reading my old text messages and scrolling though my photos. 

I couldn't help but feel sad when landing on multiple group photos of the girls, Niall, Liam and I all together, when we had travelled down to the beach. We all looked so happy, like friends should be when they spent time together. It hurt knowing that Zayn had easily managed to split us all up with Kate by a single look in the eye.

I let out a deep sigh - it was a frustrated sigh. Zayn was behind it all, the one who had flipped my life upside down, and not in a good way, but in the worst possible way imaginable. I soon found myself praying that he would find someone else to target, and get the hell out of my life. Part of me prayed that he didn't even exist.

I gasped when a loud crack could be heard not too far in front of me, in the direction I had just come. I looked forward, squinting my eyes in hope of catching movement of some sort. When I saw nothing, I frowned to myself and continued to scroll through my phone gallery.

Probably just Jet chasing a rabbit, I thought to myself, hoping to God that Zayn hadn't actually followed me once again into the woods - that was the last thing I needed. I turned the music down ever so slightly, so that I could hear my surroundings a little better.

I shrieked when I felt something crawling over my hand, and I jumped when I saw what it was: a small butterfly beating its wings ever so slowly. I gazed at it for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was different about it. There was something a little . . . odd about it.

It was white. Not black, but white. That meant it wasn't Zayn that was watching me but someone else. Another vampire. But what were the chances of me meeting another evil being in such a short space of time? I let out a sigh as I inspected the creature, my eyes scanning every detail of it's wings.

That's when I heard a bark and growling coming from behind me. I turned to look at Jet who was looking up at the trees, his eyes darting from branch to branch. Jet had barked the first time he had seen Zayn, so could he possibly have sensed another immortal being in the woods with us? A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of a vampire staring down at me from the tree tops, ready to strike at any moment.

"Jet, come on. We're leaving." I said as I coaxed the dog towards me, patting him gently on the head as he came to a stop beside me, eyes still alert. Once I had clipped him onto the lead, I switched my music off and turned to leave, walking away from the knotted tree, blowing the butterfly from my hand as I did. It didn't fly away though, it flew beside me, it's wings close by my ear. I tried to shoo it away, but nothing would make it leave my side.

Definitely a vampire, I thought to myself as I scanned the trees. There was no sign of anyone or anything, so what could possibly happen? I held my breath as I speed walked, further away from the centre of the woods, as far as I could get from where the butterfly had first landed on me.

I froze when a tall figure suddenly stepped out from behind a tree trunk in front of me. It was a young man, maybe my age or a little older with dark narrowed eyes. He stared at me for a few moments, only moving when I decided to clear my throat. I took a small step back, preparing to run if I had to, but the man held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he said. His voice was deep and raspy, a set of pearly whites showing as he spoke. A smile crept onto his lips as he continued to watch me and I narrowed my eyes at him - I didn't believe him.

"Get out of my way." I snapped at him, keeping my gaze low. The last thing I needed was for him to be the vampire with the white butterflies, and to Persuade me into something. I was taking no chances what so ever.

"There's no need to be rude, you know?" The man said before he ran a hand through his curly hair. Almost as if disobediently, his hair bounced back to where it had been previously lying. I watched his face as he took a small step towards me.

"Please get out of my way." I said through my teeth, trying my best to sound polite. I didn't want this guy to try and start a fight. There was no doubt that he would be the victor if it was so. I continued to watch as a small smirk latched itself onto his face, and he slowly stepped to the side, his arm outstretched as a gesture for me to pass by.

Step by step, I inched closer to him, tugging Jet along behind me, my eyes never leaving his. As soon as Jet growled up at the young man, I knew that I had been right - he was a vampire, and he was the only person in the woods with me. 

I didn't break eye contact with the curly haired man until I had to strain myneck to look over my shoulder at him. When I was sure he wasn't going to follow me any longer, I turned around and gripped Jet's lead tightly in one hand, the other balled into a fist in preparation - he could easily attack me while I was faced the opposite way from him.

For a few seconds more, I walked quietly, Jet padding along beside me, but as soon as I heard footsteps approaching, and gradually getting closer, I ran. I tugged Jet along with me, my eyes scanning the path ahead to try and see the exit. All I could see were trees.

Where the hell am I? I thought in a panic. I never got lost in the woods. I pushed my legs harder, breathing deeper as I bolted through the trees. Maybe if I got close enough, Zayn would be able to hear me scream for help? But then again, he was going to kill me anyway. Maybe another vampire getting there first wouldn't bother him that much?

"Arrgh!" I shrieked as I was suddenly jerked forwards. Before I knew it, the ground was shooting towards my face. I let go of the lead so I could brace myself as I fell towards the ground, and I watched as Jet continued to run on, away towards home.

At least the dog's safe, I thought meekly.

I gasped when a pair of hands gripped my shoulders and spun me around so that I was lying on my back. I scrunched my eyes shut as my head connected with the ground beneath me. Ow, I thought as the back of my head throbbed. Not a second later, I was pressed firmly against the forest floor by another body.

I opened my eyes and glared up at the vampire, struggling as my wrists were suddenly pinned beside my head.

"You're a fast one." said the vampire as he smiled down at me, flashing his fangs at me. "I never did like fast food." he finished, chuckling at his own joke. I gritted my teeth together as I pushed upwards, trying to push him off of me. Maybe some vampires were weaker than others?

"Get off of me!" I spat at him, my eyes wide as he slowly leaned closer, his nostrils flaring.

"You smell so fucking amazing." he almost moaned as he closed his eyes and inhaled. He was sniffing my blood, I could tell by the way his fangs lengthened over his bottom lip.

"Please don't hurt me." I said quietly, my voice lowering to an almost whisper as he nuzzled the crook of my neck. Were all vampires so mysterious and seductive? 

The vampire chuckled quietly, a low sound that made shivers rush down my spine. "Sorry, love, but I've travelled an awfully long way over the past few days, and I'm kind of hungry." he murmured before he pulled back and winked at me. "And you look like a mighty fine snack."

I started to struggle once again as he leaned down towards my throat, his lips parted, eyes dark and predatory. I panted with the effort of trying to throw him off of me,  but it was no use. It seemed that every vampire was incredibly strong and fast.

Before the curly haired vampire could dive for my throat once again, I gulped in a lungful of air before I shouted for the only person who I knew could help me.

"Zayn!"

All of a sudden, the male froze above me, and he pulled away from my neck so that he could look at me. I was about to call out again, but he covered my mouth with a large hand.

"Zayn?" he asked, an eye brow raised. "You know him?"

I nodded slowly, choosing my actions carefully. Maybe if he knew Zayn and I were acquainted, he wouldn't hurt me? Slowly, he removed his hand and let his eyes dart all over my face, as if inspecting me.

"You don't look familiar to me. Are you new?" he asked and I frowned. New to what? What the heck was he on about?

"New?" I asked. His expression changed from confused to impassive. What was he thinking now?

"How do you know Zayn, girl?" he asked as he placed his palms on both sides of my head so that he was hovering above me. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with another vampire on top of me - it never ended well when it was Zayn, so what difference was there to another vampire?

"We go to school together." I said, receiving another smile to form on his lips. "He's . . . " I stopped myself before I said anymore. How could I say that he was a demanding, selfish prick to an equally dangerous being who knew him also? Would he hurt me for speaking badly of Zayn?

"He's what?" asked the vampire, his head tilted to the side as he studied me closely.

I didn't answer him. I continued to lie beneath him, silently praying that Zayn had heard me and was coming to save me. 

"Wait, what's your name?" he asked. I frowned in confusion. Why did he want to know my name? What importance was it to him anyway? Maybe he was a sick bastard who wrote down the names of all his victims before killing them in the miserable end.

"Laura." I answered. Suddenly, his eyes widened and a friendly sparkle appeared in his eyes.

"Oh!" he gasped. He quickly stood up and pulled me with him, brushing the leaves and moss from my back. "You're the girl that Zayn is always talking about!"

 "He speaks about me?" was the first thing that slipped out of my mouth.

"Yeah, quite a lot actually. We have long conversations in the middle of the night at times, so I'm pretty up to date on all the happenings between the pair of you." the vampire said.

"Oh." was all I managed to say. So Zayn had only been sharing what our deal was, and what I was to him; nothing but a food supply.

"I'm Harry." he said all of a sudden as a silence started to fall between us. I looked up to meet his dark jade eyes, and I smiled politely up at him. I couldn't get over how different he was to Zayn, but then again, it could just be an act like the one Zayn had been playing with me from the start.

"You can stop pretending to be nice." I said quietly. "I'm not falling for that one again."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Zayn was the same when we first met; mysterious and kind with severe mood swings. Then he turned out to be an arse hole vampire who was only using me as a game piece." I said, no longer caring if Harry was going to rip my throat out. I'd rather it be him than Zayn.

"Oh, that." he said. "He's like that with every girl he targets, but I can assure you that I'm nothing like him." Harry finished before he slung an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. To be honest, he seemed to be a little too friendly for my liking.

"You're not the friend he was talking about that falls in love with anyone, are you?" I asked all of a sudden. It seemed obvious that it would be Harry, but then again I could have been wrong. I was wrong about Zayn and look where that got me.

"Is that seriously how he described me? He didn't even throw in words like 'charming' or 'cheeky'?" Harry asked and when I shook my head he laughed loudly. "Same old Zayn then."

"He's mentioned you a few times over the past week." I mumbled, my thoughts becoming muddled. I was worried about what Zayn and Harry were going to do to me later in the night, but I was also worried about my family. What would they think when they found out I had been killed? 

"Has he? Well, at least he's decent enough to go that far." Harry said before he pulled a phone from his jeans pocket. He unlocked the screen and glanced at the time in the right hand corner before placing it back where it had been.

"Zayn wasn't going to be expecting me for another hour or so. This should be a pleasant surprise for him." Harry said as he guided me along the path, towards my house. When we reached the edge of the woods, I was delighted to find Jet waiting by the trees, his tail wagging at the sight of me coming out safely. 

"So how long have you know Zayn?" I asked Harry as he stretched his hand out towards Jet slowly. The dog sniffed it carefully before allowing the vampire to stroke him behind his ears.

"Oh, a long time." Harry said. 

"Two hundred years?" I guessed, remembering what Zayn had told me that day in the school about him being quite an old vampire.

"About that, yeah. Maybe a little longer than that. I knew him when he was a human too." Harry said and my head snapped up. Harry had been around a lot longer than Zayn? I wondered just how old he was.

"You weren't the one who turned him were you?" I asked, knowing that I was going into the deep end - I knew Zayn didn't like to talk about his turning, he had made that quite clear the last time I had asked him about it. He'd given me a short one sentence answer, and left it at that.

"No, I could never do that to someone." Harry said. "I don't have it in me to take away someone's life."

"So you don't kill when you need . . ." I trailed off, not wanting to remind myself any more of the red substance that vampires needed to stay alive.

"When I need to feed? No, but I've come close to it a few times and it scared me to death. Well, it would have if I weren't already dead." he chuckled to himself before he stood up and handed the lead to me. "You'd better take him."

"Thanks." I muttered, managing to send him a small smile in return. "What do you do then, if you don't kill?"

"I just Persuade - you do know what Persuasion is, right?" Harry asked, continuing when I nodded. "Well, I Persuade whoever it is that I'm feeding from and take some blood, then heal them before making them forget what all happened."

"Why doesn't Zayn do that? Instead of killing innocent people?" I asked, rather annoyed that he had chosen a completely different way of feeding.

"He's always been like that, Laura. I suppose it was because of how he was treated, in a way." Harry said, almost to himself. I was suddenly curious as to what he meant. Had Zayn been treated the same way somehow? Was that the way he had eventually been turned into a vampire?

"What do you mean?" I asked. Harry's eyes widened all of a sudden and he cleared his throat before turning to look over at Jet.

"I shouldn't have said that. Never mind, OK? It's not up to me to share other's secrets."

"I'm sorry." I muttered as I walked forwards, pulling Jet with me over to my house. I turned to look at Harry over my shoulder, "Can you wait there?" He nodded and leaned up against the pillar beside him. I climbed the steps up to the front door and entered the house. I could hear my parents chatting from the kitchen and Ian was nowhere to be seen. He was probably hiding in his room again.

"Laura, is that you back?" I heard my mother call from the next room. I placed the lead on the small table by the door and cleared my throat before calling back.

"Yeah, I'm just dropping Jet off." I said, taking a deep breath before managing to finish. "I'm going to see Zayn."

"You're not going to have tea first?" she asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"Um, no. I think he's planning on making dinner for us." I said, feeling sick as I said the words. More like he was going to have dinner. Me being the dinner.

"Aw, that's sweet. Tell him I said hello." she said, smiling at me. I nodded to her and gave her a small wave before turning and leaving the house once again. Harry was in the exact same spot as before, his hands buried in his pockets.

"So when do I get an invitation in?" he asked, and I frowned at him. Even though he seemed pretty nice, I still couldn't trust him, Zayn had made sure that my trust wasn't given out as easily.

"I'm joking." Harry said as I remained silent. "C'mon, we better get over to Zayn's before he kills us both. If he finds out that I was keeping you back, he won't be too chuffed."

"Fine." I muttered as I jogged down the steps towards the curly haired vampire. He grinned at me, a dimple popping up in his cheeks.

"So why are you going to see Zayn?" Harry asked me as we walked towards twenty-four, the red door making a shiver run down my spine. It was quite appropriate, the red being the same colour of blood, I thought absently.

"I was supposed to die today." I started, and Harry's eyes widened as he looked down at me. "But Zayn made a deal with me: I let him have his way with me and I live longer. He wants to feed . . ." I trailed off, not wanting to talk about the moment where my skin would be ripped open and my blood feasted on.

"He's going to drink from you?" Harry asked. When I nodded, he copied my action and took my hand. I was tempted to pull it out of his grasp, but I thought I'd better not. "You'll be fine."

"Sure." I muttered. Thanks for the reassurance, I thought to myself. 

"Can't you stop him?" I asked quietly. "Something you could do to make him change his mind?"

"Laura, if you've already agreed to his arrangement, then I'm afraid there's nothing that I can do." Harry said and I nodded, half expecting him to say something along those lines. It looked like there was absolutely nothing at all that I could do.

"So where are you from?" I asked as we crossed he road, over to the side of the street where Zayn's house stood.

"Cheshire." Harry said. "But I travel a lot, and I flew from America to get here."

"Wow, you must get around a lot." I said.

"I do. I've been to a lot of places, almost all over the world to be honest." Harry said with a small shrug, as if it were nothing. I knew a few people in my class that would die to have been to the places Harry had been.

"What do you think of France?" I asked, assuming he had been there. "My family and I go there a lot in the Summer holidays."

"I love France. The food is great there, but I'm not too keen on the snails. The views, the people and the drink." he finished smiling.

"By drink you mean real drinks, right?" I asked carefully, gazing up at his face.

"Well, both if I'm being honest. French  maidens do taste amazing, you know." Harry said with a chuckle. I could feel the colour slowly drain from my face at his words. He spoke so confidently and easily about his vampirism, and yet I didn't see him as much of a threat as Zayn was. But why? All vampire were dangerous, killers who drank the blood to live. If there were something more evil roaming the earth than that, then maybe I wouldn't have been so disgusted by them.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and glanced down at the time to see that it was just after six o'clock. I let out a sigh. Soon enough, I'd be used as a blood bag for no doubt, both of the vampires that I was acquainted with.

Harry knocked twice on the door and we waited in silence for Zayn to show up. A few seconds later, and the door swung open, and Zayn stepped forwards. He looked slightly confused at the sight of both Harry and I standing together, with me trying my best to hide behind the friendly vampire.

"Well, hello there." Zayn said, smiling at us both. "Harry! Long time no see." he said before Harry stepped forward and slung his arm over Zayn's shoulder, ruffling his hair as he did.

"Too long, mate. I've just had the privilege of meeting the lovely Laura, here." Harry said, holding out his free hand for me to take. I glanced up at Zayn once, detecting a hint of anger in his eyes. Would he kill me if I took Harry's hand? I slowly shook my head at Harry and he rolled his eyes at me.

"What have you done to her, Zayn?" Harry asked as they entered the house, laughing at something that my ears couldn't' pick up.

"Nothing too nasty." I heard Zayn say from down the corridor. I scoffed and entered the house, closing the door behind me. I took a quick glance over at my home, watching as Ian closed his bedroom curtains, the flashing lights of the television shining through the material.

I turned to face the inside of Zayn's home, no longer able to hear the two vampire chatting. I only heard silence form within the household, so I took the opportunity to have a good look around. The previous times I had been in Zayn's house, was when I had been running from him, never able to actually appreciate the interior of house twenty-four. I glanced up at the old fashioned paintings that hung on the halls of the stairway and above the front door. They much reminded me of the ones in the living room.

"Laura?" I looked over my shoulder to see Zayn's head poking out through the door. "Come in here, would you?"

I nodded quickly and made my way towards him, my head hung as I heard him close the door behind us. Not a second later, I was being guided over to the couch, Zayn's hand resting on my lower back. I noticed that Harry had taken the large arm chair by the fireplace, and was looking around the room with a smile on his face.

"I see you kept many of the old portraits." he said, looking over at Zayn as he sat down on the couch, pulling me down with him so that I was sat upon his lap. I cleared my throat and looked down as I felt both of the vampires' eyes on me.

"So how was your trip?" Zayn asked all of a sudden, shifting so that I was slumped against him. His hands instantly went to restrain me as I tried to pull myself up.

"Pretty good actually, I just had to run like hell through a few countries and then catch the last plane to London." Harry said which a chuckle. I looked over at him, curious as to hear of his travels, to hear about all the places he had visited over the world.

"At least you got on a flight. I don't think swimming the channel would have been that great." Zayn said. I could feel the vibrations of his chest as he spoke against me and I shivered, wondering just how close he would have to be when it was time for him to feed from me.

"Mate, I wouldn't even try to swim that. I can run fast, but swimming? No way." Harry said, before quickly changing the subject. "I met up with some of the old ones in New York too."

"Really?" said Zayn, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Like who?"

"Well, Will and Jane for example?" Harry said. "And also . . . you know who." 

I felt Zayn freeze behind me  and I curiously looked over my shoulder to catch his expressionless features. If I had to take a guess, he almost looked frightened, but why would he? What in the world could make Zayn Malik afraid?

"Who are Will and Jane?" I asked quietly. Harry smiled over at me before he opened his mouth to answer.

"Just some old friends of ours." he said before his eyes met Zayn's once again. "But moving on! I did come across a rather lovely little maid in Germany. Gorgeous, and so kind. Not to mention very delicious." 

"Sounds enticing." Zayn hummed in appreciation, his grin on me tightening ever so slightly. I winced as his finger nails bit into my skin and Harry looked over at me with a frown.

"Zayn, leave the poor thing alone." he said, gesturing to me. I couldn't help but shake when I heard an almost, growl like sound come from Zayn's throat. He pulled me down, so that I was sitting right against his side on the couch, one of his arms slung around my shoulders to keep me from struggling away from him.

"Didn't you bring bags?" Zayn asked, changing the subject, his voice low. Harry only rolled his eyes at his actions. I wriggled around so that I was able to face the opposite way, so my back was up against Zayn's side. I didn't want to watch him as he and Harry spoke like I wasn't there.

"They're in a hotel in town." Harry said. "There's only about three or four though."

"Only three or four? What the hell have you got with you?" Zayn asked.

"Clothes, drinks, some personal belongings." Harry said with a shrug. 

"You're very welcome to stay here, Harry. There is more than one bedroom in this house." Zayn said, gesturing around the room with one hand. Harry smiled and looked around the room, his eyes stopping at a piece of paper that had been stuck to the wall. It was another sketch of me. When Harry's eyes met mine, I couldn't help but blush and look down at my fingers.

Ignore him, I thought to myself. Ignore them both as best you can.

"That would be lovely. Thank you." Harry said before he stood from where he sat. "I'll just go get my things then." he finished, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. My eyes darted around the room searching for him, but when I heard the front door close, I realized he had left the house.

Great, I was stuck with Zayn. Slowly, I turned myself further away from the vampire, wriggling his arm off of me, before I shuffled to the other side of the couch completely. Zayn didn't stop me. Instead, he looked over at me and gave me a small smile. What did he want? My first thought was that it was about time for him to jump me and sink his fangs in. But he never did. Feeling slightly awkward, I looked away from his grinning face and down at my finger tips once again.

"So," he said after a few moments of silence. I glanced sideways at him, catching him shifting ever so slightly to face me. "What do you think of Harry?"

I cleared my throat before answering. "He seems nice enough. Very talkative. Completely different from you."

"I told you he was different. A lot more different than me, but remember that he is still a vampire, Laura. An old one too."

"How old?" I questioned.

"Older than me by a few hundred years." Zayn said, laughing quietly to himself at my reaction. Harry was four hundred years old? I would never have thought he was that old.

"How old was he when he was changed?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Nineteen, I think. I don't ask him very much. Some vampires don't like to talk about how they were changed." he answered, clearly trying to get the point across that he meant himself included.

"Why?"

"Because it's hard for some of them to talk about. Sometimes they were forced into it, they didn't want to become immortal."

"Oh." was all I said. Was that why Zayn didn't like to talk about it? Was he forced into it?

"Surely you can understand? If there's something that's happened to you in the past that wasn't particularly pleasant, you wouldn't like to talk about it either, would you?"

"I suppose not." I answered before looking over at the fire, listening to the crackling flames. 

"But Harry's a pretty open book. He doesn't hide that much, only things about others - things that aren't his to tell." Zayn said and I remembered Harry saying something along those lines while we had walked over to Zayn's.

"He seems like a proper gentleman." I said slowly, glancing over at Zayn to see how he would react. He looked down for a second before his eyes also landed upon the fire before us. For a good few minutes, we said nothing, occasionally glancing over in each other's directions. I couldn't deny that it was painfully awkward sitting alone with him. He seemed to enjoy making the situation uncomfortable.

I let out a sigh of relief when I heard the door open and close. Harry stepped through the living room door, multiple suitcases in his hands. He easily dropped them  before nodding over at Zayn. In a second, both of them had vanished, and so had the suitcases. I could hear the floor boards creaking from above as Zayn showed Harry around. I slowly stood up, and wandered towards the door at the back of the room. Zayn had showed me the kitchen only once before, and I recalled it to be the most modern thing in the entire house. 

I switched the light on and looked around the room. The kitchen was exactly the same as it had been the first time I had seen it, clean and tidy. Curiously, I made my way over to the fridge. Did vampires keep human food in their homes or did they not bother and go out for a drink? I pulled open the door to find an empty space inside. Guess they didn't need to keep food after all.

"Hungry?" a voice asked from behind me. I jumped and turned to face Zayn, closing the fridge as quickly as I could.

"No." I mumbled, my eyes lowering to my shoes.

"You sure? I could order something for you, if you'd like?" he asked, reaching out and gently taking my hand in his. I was desperate to pull away from him, but I didn't want to anger him, especially not that night.

"No, thank you." I said, before I was tugged forward and into Zayn's arms.

"Let's go then." he mumbled into my hair. I slowly nodded and let the vampire pull me back through to the living room, where Harry was sitting, humming quietly to himself. Zayn nodded to him as he gently pushed me back, into the couch. He sat down beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"So how have you been, anyways?" Harry asked Zayn all of a sudden, turning to face his vampire acquaintance. Zayn scoffed and started to play with the material of my sleeve.

"Just fine. Busy, but fine." he answered before turning to smile down at me. Harry followed his gaze and gave me a small smile.

"How 'busy'?" Harry questioned.

"A few trips to Liverpool and Manchester for a snack not so long ago." Zayn said with a shrug. I gulped, earning a chuckle from both vampires.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Harry asked, his eyes darting between Zayn and I.

"Not that long. Maybe two months? Maybe a little more?" Zayn said, speaking mostly to himself than Harry or I.

"And she already knows?" Harry asked, laughing quietly to himself. "You're not too good at keeping secrets, mate."

"She's smart. A little too smart, I'd say." Zayn answered before he started to play with my hair once again. "She knew there was something a little different about me."

"Just how smart are you then, Laura?" Harry asked, looking at me intently.

I cleared my throat before I answered. "Not very, to be honest. I'm usually just-"

"She's incredibly smart, Harold. Top marks in all classes." Zayn said, cutting me off before I could get the chance to finish. I scowled down at the ground, annoyed at his rudeness. Did he honestly have to show off in front of his friends as well?

"What do you study in school, Laura?" Harry asked me, his attention once again focused on myself.

Once I told him about all of my classes, my favourites and not so great ones, he went on to ask me what I loved best about Art.

"I just love to paint and draw. Being creative is something I like to be." I answered after giving the answer some thought. Truthfully, I loved being able to express myself through Art - that way I was able to be who I truly wanted to be and not be ashamed about it, even if I had to endure every lesson with Zayn watching me intently.

"I remember when I used to go to school. Those were fun days." Harry muttered, mostly to himself. The thought of hearing about Harry' past intrigued me greatly, but I knew best. Zayn would probably turn and snap at me for asking him.

"So how long are you planning to stay?" Zayn asked all of a sudden, coming out of his quiet zone  and back into the conversation.

"No idea. However long I'm allowed to stay." Harry said with a shrug.

"As long as you like." Zayn, said smiling widely at his ancient friend. I couldn't help but wonder about all of the things Harry must have seen through the years. He would have lived through the wars, seen the first telephones, been to the furthest cities.

"Lovely, because I have no where else to go at the moment." Harry said, chuckling to himself.

"What happened? Weren't you staying with-"

"He got mad at me." Harry said, cutting Zayn off. "You know just how dangerous he can be when he's angry and trust me, I'd like to keep myself alive for the time being. But no, I decided to leave. I was honestly scared, he was sick of me refusing to kill when feeding, and I couldn't take it any longer. I can easily drink from someone but killing them? No." Harry finished, shuddering at his own words.

"Who's 'he'?" I asked before I could stop myself, the curiosity getting the better of me once again. I saw Zayn go rigid out of the corner of my eyes and I noticed Harry shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"Just an old friend of ours." Harry said.

"You're lucky you made it out in one piece." Zayn noted, gesturing to Harry.

"I know, but I could tell he followed me for the first few years after I'd left. He'd be standing there looking all intimidating in his stupid black coat and narrowed eyes and shit."

The mention of a black coat made me freeze. Surely they couldn't be on about the same man I had seen numerous times around Bradford? It was probably a coincidence, nothing more nothing less. But then again, Harry had mentioned his eyes, and my mind travelled back to the time I had seen a man in a black coat with Jet, and his eyes . . . 

"He doesn't happen to have tousled brown hair, does he?" I asked, keeping my eyes away from the vampires. Both of them turned to look at me, confusion written in their eyes.

"You told her?" Harry asked Zayn, confirming my thoughts.

"No." he answered, shaking his head. "I didn't, actually."

"How did you know that, Laura?" Harry asked.

"I . . . I've seen a man a few times in the city, with a black coat on, and just when you mentioned it, he was the first one to come to mind. He had tousled hair and strange eyes too." I said quietly. Zayn and Harry exchanged a look.

"He didn't follow you did he?" Zayn asked Harry.

Harry's eyes widened. "What? No! I haven't seen him for years now. You sure it wasn't you that he was following?"

Zayn frowned. "Surely not. I told him a long time ago I was done. I was my own person, and I wanted nothing more to do with him. You know that - you were there."

"Can you please tell me who you are on about? I'm so confused!" I blurted out as the pair continued to talk. Both eyes turned on me once again.

"You might as well, Zayn. She'll find out eventually." Harry said before he settled further back into the arm chair, making himself quite at home. Zayn slowly looked down at me, biting his lip as he did so and I gulped. Having his eyes on me so intently was still unnerving.

"Alright then." he said stiffly, his voice full of, what I presumed was hatred. Hatred for the man in the black coat or for being told by his friend to share his story? "I've already told you that I've been immortal for two hundred years and Harry, four hundred. Before I was turned, I'd met Harry on my way home from a friend's. He had asked me why I was out alone and such, and eventually we got talking. We became pretty good mates, always talking about girls and such, but I didn't know he still lived with his maker."

"The person who turned you?" I asked, looking over at Harry. He nodded.

"Well, one night Harry was followed and eventually his maker found myself and Harry chatting in an old barn by the river. I'd always went there for some time to myself, so we made it our little . . . hide out, if you like? But then I was knocked out. No idea how, I just went down."

"Why did Harry do that to you?" I asked, confused. Both of the vampires laughed.

"It wasn't Harry. His maker done it, and I went through a similar thing that you're going through at the moment. Forced to do things and act a certain way for him, before he eventually decided to turn me. I hated him with a passion - I couldn't stand the bloke, not after what he'd done to me for weeks on end."

"What did he do to you?" I whispered, not entirely sure if I wanted to know.

"He tortured me, and he made Harry watch. You see, a vampire is linked to their maker, and they can't easily disobey their orders if they are told to do something. For example, if Harry and I's maker told us to do something, we'd have a hard time trying not to."

"So you both have the same maker?" I asked. Zayn and Harry both nodded at the same time. "And you're both linked to him in a way?"

Zayn nodded. "Yes. So when I woke up, I was forced to feed on a human and become immortal. For a few years, the three of us were a clan, moving places and experiencing things, but I grew tired. I was forced to kill the way I was told to, pretty much forced to do everything I didn't want to do. I wasn't allowed to kill when feeding, as it drew too much attention to us. I craved more. Excitement and freedom, so I left. I made it clear that I didn't want anything else to do with him, so I abandoned Harry and my maker, and began to live my life how I wanted to." Zayn said, his eyes staring off into the distance.

"I thought he wanted you to kill when feeding?" I asked, looking over at Harry. He shrugged and ran a hand through his curly hair.

"He's changed over the years." he answered with a smile.

I looked back over at Zayn before I continued to ask more questions "And your maker never told you that you weren't allowed to leave?"

"No. He knew I was lonely, that I was bored, so he said I could go if I wanted to. But he did ask me to stay at first, he said he needed me to help make the clan stronger. I disagreed and fled before he could say more."

"But the pair of us saw each other in-between, didn't we, Zayn?" Harry said from the couch.

"Oh yeah. Harry and I kept in touch. We were friends for a while before I was turned, so the friendship was never threatened. Though we did have fall outs a few times."

"So, you just left? All alone, and came back to Bradford?" I asked Zayn, who nodded.

"Yep. The three of us travelled the world together, seeing different things and places. But I always came back home now and again. I miss home to be honest." Zayn said with a small shrug.

"And it's the same for me - I always go back to Cheshire once in a while. But so much has changed since back in the day." Harry said, smiling downwards at his shoes.

"So, this maker guy? Why did he not let you do what you wanted?"

"Because he was a prissy little shit, Laura. You hate being forced around, don't you? That's what it was like for me, and Harry on some occasions. I couldn't take any more to be honest."

"So if you hated it, why do it to others?"

My question must have stumped him, because he looked shocked for a second before his face became hard and his lips were set into a firm line.

"It's what I like to do. In a way, I can understand why he liked to do it to me, but being the victim is a bitch. Maybe I wanted a shot at being the more dominant one?"

"Yep, and it's turned you into a right arse." Harry said, earning a small smile from Zayn. I couldn't help but smile too, agreeing in my head.

"What about you, Harry, why did you leave?"

"I've told you. He scared me, and he could easily kill me if he wanted to. Vampire cannot beat their makers - they are much faster, and a hell of a lot stronger."

"Like an Elder?" I asked, remembering the time Zayn had told me about the first vampires allowed to walk on the earth.

"You have been told quite a lot, haven't you?" Harry said, smirking. "Zayn usually keeps all his secrets to himself."

"Kind of. Elders were the first vampires, remember? A maker doesn't have to be an Elder, but each and every maker will have originated from an Elder. As an Elder created a new vampire, the vampire race spread. If I were to turn someone, I would be a maker and able to make them do things. Just because they were no longer human, doesn't necessarily mean Persuasion won't still work on them. They have to obey their maker's wishes."

"Have you ever turned someone?" I asked Zayn quietly.

"No. I'd never turn someone like you into a powerful immortal." Zayn said, screwing his nose up in disgust.

"Mate, that's a bit harsh." Harry said, shaking his head at Zayn's words. "Remember that each of us were once mortal, much like Laura is."

"True, but even so, Harry. Humans are weak, vulnerable creatures. If I had to thank my maker for one thing, it would be for making me more powerful. More immune."

"Do you hate your maker, Harry?" I asked him.

"No, I've never hated him. We're good mates. But I can remember hating him for one night only. It was the night I thought I'd lost my best mate forever."

"Why? What happened?" I asked.

"It was the night he was turned. But also the night he decided to turn me. One night, there was a fight  with a couple of drunk men, and he was in that fight. He was beaten to death, and I was in tears for nights on end but little did I know that he had ingested vampire blood before his heart stopped beating. Then he appeared at my window that night, and I was so happy to see him that I climbed out and asked how he was alive. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in transition."

"And you don't hate him for that? For suddenly changing you?" I asked, shocked.

"Not really. I was a dead man anyway. I was broke you see, no money, no family, no job. I didn't have much to live for, but when being turned, I no longer needed those things." Harry said. "And we've remained good friends every since."

 "So shouldn't you be there, helping as a friend at the moment?" I asked.

Harry scoffed. "Nah. He's a grown man, he can take care of himself for a few months. Maybe even years?" Harry said, smiling over at Zayn.

"So you see, we don't particularly like to talk about being turned, especially since most of us were forced into it." Zayn said through his teeth, his eyes narrowed and focused on the fire. I could tell that he was angry, but also hurt.

"You didn't have to tell me, Za-"

"Forget it." he said, before he stood up and stormed away into the kitchen. I looked over at Harry with wide eyes.

"Is he always like this?" I asked him.

Harry shrugged. "Pretty much."

Not a second later, and Zayn was in the room once again, his head turned towards Harry.

"I'm terribly sorry, Harry. I do believe I forgot to offer you a drink?" Zayn said, before he turned to look at me, a malicious grin on his face. My eyes widened when I saw his fangs extend over his bottom lip. He began to stroll towards me, his dark eyes focused on my face. I winced when he grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

"Zayn, leave her alone mate. We can go out and feed." Harry said, kicking his feet up, onto the coffee table. Zayn ignored him. He  pulled me in front of him so that my back was pressed to his front, and his arms slid around my waist, not allowing me to struggle free.

Keep calm, I thought to myself as my breathing increased drastically, Keep calm, it'll all be over and done with soon.

Yeah, just like your life, said a voice in the back of my head.

"Oh, don't be so soft, Harry. You must be quenched after your long journey here, and it would be such a shame to not let you have a taste . . . her blood does smell delightful, does it not?" Zayn asked before he pulled my pony tail to the side, over my other shoulder and replaced it with his lips. I avoided Harry's eyes as Zayn continued to work his mouth against me. I gasped out loud when he harshly sucked on my skin and I tried to wriggle free.

"Zayn, stop being a dick." Harry said before he stood up and walked over to us, trying to pry Zayn's arm from my waist. I jumped when I heard a predatory like sound escape from the back of Zayn's throat. Harry seemed unfazed by it all, and simply rolled his eyes. It must have been a common vampire thing then.

"Live a little Harry. Have a drink with your old mate, eh?" Zayn said slowly, almost seductively as he rested his chin on my shoulder, right on the sore patch of skin he had been working on. I remained where I was, trying to decrease my rapid breathing. I didn't want him to bite me, I didn't want to be his play thing and let him do what he wanted with me. But then again, I had no choice. I'd already agreed to his offer.

"I have lived. I've lived four lifetimes, Zayn. I've seen all there is to see, and tasted all there is to taste. Leave the poor girl alone and let's go hunt, yeah?" Harry said, resting a hand on Zayn's shoulder.

I saw Zayn narrow his eyes at Harry ever so slightly. "You refuse?" he questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"I never said that." Harry mumbled, looking at his hands.

"Exactly!" Zayn said, smiling at him. "Laura doesn't mind, do you, love?" he asked, his grip tightening around my waist.

"N-no." I stammered, shaking my head as I did. Harry chuckled.

"Zayn, she's shaking like a leaf. She clearly does mind." Harry said and I bit my lip as a silence fell between the two vampires. It was almost like they were conversing with their eyes.

"Harry." Zayn said sternly. "I insist." he finished before he let his hand slide down my arm and grasp my wrist. He lifted my arm so that my wrist was right in front of Harry's face. His eyes were glued to my skin, the blue veins visible to him. Slowly, I watched as his fangs extended and he lifted his hands up to my arm, one holding my own hand and the other grasping my lower arm, just above my wrist.

"May I?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse. My eyes were wide as I slowly nodded.

But before his lips could even touch my skin, there was an excruciating sting occurring at my neck and I screamed out. Zayn tightened his grip around my waist and let his other hand follow as his lips secured themselves over the wound. Harry gently continued to grip my arm before he leaned forward and embedded his two sharp canines into my skin. I gasped uncomfortably. I could feel both of the vampires as they started to suck my blood from my body and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to pass over. It didn't take long - the pain soon vanished and all that could be felt was their lips on my skin and a slightly dizziness taking over me.

Zayn held me tighter as I began to wobble and lose my balance. My free hand landed over Zayn's that was wrapped around my waist and I dug my nails into his skin as my eyes began to droop with tiredness.

So, this is what it feels like, I thought. This is what a vampire feeding from you feels like. I let out a relieved gasp when Harry pulled back, his green eyes hooded and his lips red with my blood. He licked his lips and then began to lick the blood around the wound on my skin. He gently let my arm fall back against my side.

"Zayn, I think you should stop now." Harry said. Zayn only sucked harder and I gasped. He seemed to be unaffected by my nails biting into his skin. "Zayn." Harry said again, more forcefully.

Slowly, his work became less painful, and he detached his mouth from my neck. I could feel liquid running down my neck and I shivered. It was my blood. Zayn's tongue lapped up the excess blood around the wound he had created, and his hands slowly let go of me. I instantly stumbled backwards, my dizzy head making my vision blurry.

Strong arms caught me before I fell, and I looked up to see Zayn grinning down at me, his lips covered in my blood.

"I knew you'd taste amazing." he said, winking at me before he lifted me up into his arms . "I'll take her up stairs and get her to bed. Make yourself at home." Zayn said before he turned and started for the living room door.

"Nope, I'll help you." Harry said before he sped forwards and opened the door for Zayn to pass through. As he walked up the stairs, my head hung back, over his arm. My neck wasn't able to support it any more. I winced and then lifted my hand up to cover over the would on my neck, my eyes catching the two little puncture wounds on my wrist as I did.

Christ, that hurt like a bitch, I thought. Zayn carried me into his bedroom, Harry rushing to peel back the sheets for him. I was gently laid down, my neck rolling to the side, the wound facing upwards.

"I'll be back soon." Zayn said, and then I heard a door slam. Why had he left the house?

"W-where's he going?" I asked, panicking, and trying to sit up straight, but only managing to flop uselessly back on to the mattress. Harry sat down on the bed in front of me, his fingers reaching out towards my face. With the little energy I had left, I couldn't even attempt to slap his hand away. He carefully tucked a stray bit of hair out of my face and behind my ear.

"Thank you. I honestly feel terrible for doing that to you. You know that right?" he said, his finger tips gently caressing my cheek.

"Yes." I managed to say. "You told me about not being the keenest about it all."

"Indeed." he agreed, smiling down at me carefully. "I don't think I've apologized yet?"

I frowned. "For what?"

"For trying to kill you out in the woods. I probably wouldn't have, but I would have fed from you at least . . . if you hadn't stopped me." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"It's fine." I muttered, letting my eyes fall down to the wound on my wrist.

"I don't think I've thanked you for trying to stop Zayn." I said. "Thank you, Harry."

"No biggie. I failed though, so I owe you another apology."

"Please don't, you tried at least." I said, giving him a small, appreciative smile.

"I suppose so." he muttered before he ran his hands through his curls.

"What's his name?" I asked, earning a confused look from Harry.

"Who?"

"You and Zayn's maker." Harry frowned and then looked down at his hands before he answered.

"Louis." he said. "I don't think Zayn will have mentioned his name to you. He doesn't particularly get on well with the guy, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get it." I said.

"Laura, change into these, would you?" Zayn asked, suddenly appearing in the door way. I looked down at his hands, and he was holding a small carrier bag. I frowned at the bag, wondering what could be in there.

"I'll just leave you to it." Harry said before he stood up and left. "Night Laura." he called over his shoulder.

"Night." I quietly said to him before he disappeared from sight. My eyes instantly moved to Zayn who was looking through the bag. I watched as he pulled out some of my pyjamas and threw them over to me for me to change into. He placed the bag on the floor and then reached forward, grabbing my ankle and pulled me towards the end of the bed.

"No, please don't, Zayn." I said quietly, yawning straight after.

"I'm only taking your shoes off." he said before he started to untie my laces. He pulled both of my shoes off and my socks soon followed. Quickly, he picked up the duvet and threw it over my body to cover me up. "I spoke with your mum again, and she's agreed to let you stay the night again."

"Let me guess - you Persuaded her again?" I asked, glaring at him ever so slightly. I didn't want to anger him any more.

"Actually, I didn't." he argued back, his tone strict. "She was pretty understanding and she knows that you're not far from your home."

I remained still as Zayn looked down at me, standing at the bottom of the bed. I winced as the wounds on my skin began to sting ever so slightly. Zayn noticed because he was instantly at my side, and sliding up the sleeve of his T-shirt. I caught a glimpse of his many tattoos once again.

"Does Harry have as many tattoos as you do?" I asked him. He glanced over at me, his expression unreadable.

"Probably. Maybe a little less than me." he answered as he neatly tucked the sleeve up, just above his elbow.

"Where is the butterfly tattoo on him?" I asked.

"So you already figured out what his sign was?" Zayn asked.

"I saw a white butterfly when I was walking Jet, and I knew it had to be a vampire." I answered, my voice cracking at the end of my sentence.

"Here, you need to drink from me, Laura." he said, a frown on his face as he brought his lips to his wrist. I jumped when I saw him bite down, into his skin. I watched in horror as he held his bleeding wrist out to me, his eyes on my face.

"What will it do to me?" I questioned as I eyes the wound.

"Heal you. Make you feel stronger." he said before he gently encouraged me closer. Reluctantly, I parted my lips and let him push his wrist into my mouth. I was a little surprised to find that a vampire's blood tasted different to human blood. There wasn't that horrible coppery, metallic taste, but something different. It was almost sweet, in a way. I soon found myself, holding his wrist to my mouth, my hands gently clasping his hand to me.

Instantly, with each swallow, I felt stronger, and the skin on my neck and wrist stopped stinging. Would they heal properly or would it take a little bit of time before the wound was completely healed? I wondered how long it had taken Kate's wound to heal.

"That's it, good girl." I heard Zayn say quietly before he pulled his wrist away and detached my mouth from him. "You'll feel better in the morning."

"Thanks." I mumbled, licking my lips to collect escaped drops of his blood. I could feel a warmth inside of me that hadn't been there before, and I suddenly felt much stronger, and more awake than I had been earlier. I carefully looked down at my wrist and my eyes widened when I saw that Harry's bite mark was gone. I gently touched the side of my neck and discovered that the wound there was also gone.

"Wow. That works fast." I muttered, my eyes meeting Zayn's. He smiled at me before he held up the pyjamas once again. I took them from him, and began to change under the covers. I knew that there would be no way of getting him to leave me in peace to change, so why start an argument? I folded my clothes and put them in a neat pile at the bottom of my bed before I turned back to look at the vampire.

"It's incredible how a monster can actually help in some ways." Zayn said, giving me a sarcastic grin. It vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. I frowned and started to play with my fingers.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you. It must have been horrible for you to go through." I said, avoiding his gaze.

"It's in the past, just leave it alone, Laura." Zayn said, his eyes flickering over to the window.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's none of your bloody business, alright?!" he growled at me. I gulped before I nodded and turned over, looking away from him.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry. You didn't have to yell at me." I said.

"I don't need your sympathy. I should be the one that's sorry for you." he said.

"How come?" I asked.

"You're human." he answered instantly, his voice tight.

"Have you ever considered that I might like being human? I might think that humans are better than vampires."

"Why would you think that? It's absurd." he said.

"We don't kill for pleasure as much as you do."

"There are plenty of you out there who will, Laura. I can assure you of that."

I groaned. Why did he always have to argue with me? Couldn't he just accept the fact that every one has their own opinions on different subjects?

"Why must you always be so cruel?" I asked. "Just because Louis was, doesn't mean you have to be."

Zayn didn't say a word. I felt the bed move beside me and I glanced over my shoulder so see him lying beside me, his head turned towards the window, looking out at the night sky, at the millions of stars above our heads.

"Harry told you that, didn't he? His name."

"Yes, and I don't see why you didn't, even when you were telling me of how you were turned." I answered back before I turned over and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry if I angered you, but you need to understand that I don't like sharing my story. It was a hard time for me to go through, and telling people about it it like reliving it all over again."

"I'm sorry I asked you all those times then." I said, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. "I was just curious. And sometimes it helps to share your story with others. And after all your years of living on this earth don't you think that keeping it trapped inside will hurt you more?" I asked.

He turned around and looked at me over his shoulder. "You know, sometimes I actually think you care."

"Maybe I do in some ways." I snapped back at him, earning a small smile to settle on his lips. "Sometimes, it even seems like you care."

"About you?" he asked. I nodded and he scoffed.

"Oh, please stop being a baby. You follow me around all the time and keep me close to your side. It may seem like a possessive act, but it could also be seen as a protective one."

"Well, in all honestly, Laura I think you do need some protecting going on around you."

"Why? I'm perfectly fine as I am, and I know who killed all those families now. You, Zayn. I don't need to be so afraid anymore." I answered back.

"Oh, but you do. Especially if what you said is true about . . . Louis."

"What would he want with me, of all people?" I asked, turning to look at him again.

"He's a crafty bastard, Laura. Neither Harry or I know what he wants but if he is in Bradford, then he's up to something, and he'll already know that you're mine. That could be a problem, if he's going to take action."

"I'm yours?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you're my human. My companion, you could say. He could use you to get to me. Vampires get protective over their property, Laura, and if he plans on using you, then you're in deep shit."

"Then keep me safe from him." I said, shivers running down my spine as I pictured him standing there watching me in his black coat. Why else would he be watching me, of all people, unless he did in fact know about Zayn and I being interactive with one another?

"I will to the best of my ability. I promise" Zayn said, nodding his head, and securing the promise by taking my hand and squeezing it gently.