My big family spoke amongst themselves as they had this time of year, every year, for as long as I could remember. Tyler's family had long since been invited, making the reunion that much larger, which I guess is why Anthony had decided it was his chance to escape. It was so busy, I had barely noticed him jogging to the neighbors screen door.

It seemed nobody else noticed, either.

The neighbors were bad news. They always gave me the creeps, though Anthony was always fascinated wit them. Our parents would leave me with him and he would go and talk with them. Eventually, I would notice his disappearance. They seemed nice to him, but when I came to bring him home, they'd give me looks. Like I was doing something wrong. 

Needless to say, I wasn't about to let Anthony get abducted today.

"Ty, Anthony is leaving. We should go get him," I told Tyler through the bond we shared. The first time we met, when we were about seven or eight, it had appeared. We were surprised at first and hadn't mentioned it to each other until years later, that was when we realized we could communicate through it.

"Let him, the worst that could happen is a restraining order," he joked through the bond. "Besides, they need a friend outside of their family." I could tell he didn't sense my eagerness to keep Anthony away from the them, that is, until a few minutes later. The bond was always easier for me to navigate; when it came to feeling each others emotions, I had been faster and more efficient.

Unfortunately, he'd caught on too late. Realization had struck him only a second before I'd started talking again.

"I'm serious, he can't go over there," I told him. Letting go of his hand, I started to follow in Anthony's footsteps. He was ever curious, and I should have known he would act on his words. He'd always asked me about them, and my warnings had always made him more willing to try and visit.

"Wait," Tyler said aloud, I hadn't waited. He decided then he was to come along, following me as if he were on a leash. He had only somewhat believed something was up with the neighbors. I had a small feeling he only agreed because he sensed how serious I was about it. He was at my side in a matter of seconds and I walked faster. We were a little too slow because Anthony had already made it inside. "I don't get what's the huge issue," Tyler whispered when he was once again at my side.

I hadn't wanted the neighbors to hear us yet, so I used the bond to say, "they're dangerous." We got closer and found a glass door on a very old, but rather normal looking, white house. As of then, the glass was slid open; leaving the screen part shut.

"They could be dangerous," he corrected me through the bond. We were close enough to hear conversation inside. They were talking to Anthony, all of them sitting at a large dinner table. I could see his shaggy wheat brown hair just above his dark blue hood.

The room was dimly lit, but we were still able to see everyone else in it. It looked as if the others hadn't been out into the sun in years. Compared to them, Anthony looked darker than he usually would. "Are those your guests, Anthony?" asked a guy from inside. He stood up and Anthony followed.

"Yeah, it's my sister and her boyfriend," Anthony replied. Anthony and the guy he'd been talking to walked to the door. I couldn't help but noticing the striking similarities between them. The only big differences being the guy looked older, matured, and had a lighter shade of hair. "Tyler, Merci, meet Shane."

"It's nice to meet you," said Shane as he stuck his hand out, expecting us to shake it. I looked to Anthony, and he just nodded in Shane's direction. Whatever had happened to stranger danger? I thought as I pondered what I wanted to do.

I'd had a few options. I could grab Anthony right now and leave, or I could go with him and be polite.

Being polite had won over, we both shook his hand, as we touched a shiver was sent through my spine. I brushed it off, blaming the cool autumn weather. "Shane's family was just about to have dinner, why don't you join us?" Anthony asked. It felt as if he were accusing me of being impolite, I stood still for a few more seconds, still considering the 'just run away' option.

"C'mon, they seem like decent people," Tyler said through the bond. Shane looked at both of us knowingly and I slowly made my way forwards. Tyler had followed, and eased up some of my nerves.

As we were seated at the end of the large dinner table, I started to wonder what they did for a living. Seeming how they're only spotted scarcely at night, it was odd to think they might have regular jobs. The room looked rather expensive and fragile. An old lady smiled at us, then sat next to Anthony. He talked to her as if they'd known each other for years. He hadn't seemed to care that she never replied verbally, there was the occasional smile or nod but never words.

A young lady that appeared to be Shane's age came into the room with a large amount of food. She sat it all on the table and everyone had started grabbing their servings. All the while, Shane continued to make pleasant conversation with Anthony and Tyler. They tried to include me, but I was short of words.

Tyler asked to be excused, claiming he'd had to use the bathroom. I personally thought he wanted to make me freak out, because as soon as he'd left, all the earlier tension came back to me. A quick check on his emotions assured me that wasn't his plan, and he truly needed to use the bathroom.

"Oh, Shane! You should go show Merci the Balcony, the view's really nice at this time." From the way the two seemed to interact, I'd assume they were siblings. Their appearances were completely different, though, so I wasn't sure.

"Sure, do you want to go see?" Shane asked me. The room's entire focus was shifted to me, and Anthony gave me another one of those looks that screamed, "be polite!" to me.

"Of course," I whispered, sounding much less confident than I'd meant to. Shane stood and gestured with his hand for me to follow. The room was filled with a buzz of conversation as I slowly stood and started to follow him. I found myself at a jog as we went up the stairs in order to catch up with him. On the second floor there was another screen door, Shane started to unlock it as I looked around. The entire space upstairs was empty and seemingly unused.

I stepped outside next to Shane and waited for him to start talking. "Nice view, isn't it?" He'd asked me.

"Yep," I replied, looking out onto the rising moon. The sun was on the side opposite of the balcony, casting a large shadow of the house below us.

"It's a shame you're so difficult," he stated, taking a step closer to me. I instinctively took a step backwards and my hands started to tremble at my sides. "If only you'd let Anthony fulfil his destiny."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked. I'd hit the railing and was starting to dart as I saw something unreal. Smooth shards poked above his lips as he's started to smile. He lurched forward and at the same time the glass door had been pushed open and I was sent flying to the floor.

It had happened so fast, but I remembered every minute clearly. I was sent to the floor as Tyler pushed back Shane. Shane then locked onto Tyler, and he'd dropped to the floor. I felt empty at that moment, the bond was gone. I knew it. I couldn't read anything, from his thoughts to his feelings. I stood and came to him quickly, he didn't move.

"What'd you do?" I asked Shane frantically. Turning Tyler's head had revealed a circle of blood and teeth marks. Appalled, I looked away and stood yet again. I couldn't decide what to do. I grabbed my phone to dial 911 when Shane snatched it from me. "Give it back!" I yelled, trying to grab it from him while keeping my distance.

"So you can call the police for no reason? He's not dead, by the way." He gestured to Tyler laying on the floor. "He has a heart beat, he's breathing." When I realized the truth in his words I felt my shoulders sag in relief.

"Assault. I can charge you for assault." I stated, then thought about what he'd said. "If he's alive then why..." I whispered to myself, only to finish the sentence in my head.

"Why is the bond gone? It's gone because it only works within the same species, when he comes around he won't be human," Shane explained. He crossed his arms, my phone still being held hostage in his tight grasp.

"How'd you know about the bond?" I asked curiously. He rolled his eyes, and for a moment I thought that would be his only reply.

"Only you humans wouldn't know about it. Anything out of the ordinary goes over your heads. You treat it as fiction when some of it is actually true."

His statement had reminded me of another important question, in my boggled state I hadn't seemed to notice. "What do you mean he won't be human? What other species would he be?"

"You wouldn't believe me," he stated confidently. I waited for him to continue and so he did, "vampires. You and Anthony are the only beings in this house that are not vampires."

The memory of smooth shards crossed my mind, along with them only being spotted at night, and the upstairs seeming to be abandoned. Lastly, I looked to the spot Tyler had been bitten. I took another step backwards, seemingly forgetting my phone. "Don't be so afraid, I was originally just going to scare you into agreeing to let your brother do his job. When your, whatever he is, came out I lost control. I'll give you a choice," he said.

I looked at him uneasily, "what choice?" I asked. He looked down to Tyler, as if noticing something I hadn't. He still wasn't awake, and I was anxious at not having the special connection we've always shared.

"You can become one of us, with a good chance of getting your bond back. There's also a good chance you can be human again, depending on how well your brother does his job. Or you can stay human, let your brother come with us and possibly never see your, uh, bondmate again. The only reasons we dealt with you humans tonight was so we could get your brother-" I stopped him from rambling pointlessly.

"Okay, okay. I get it, you need my brother. Let me think," I told him. He put his hands up in surrender, then crossed them as he leaned against a railing. Lose my brother and Tyler for the sake of staying human, or get to keep in contact with them; keeping them safe for the loss of a normal human life. The choice was clear to me, and I might have been a little rash in my decision.

"Alright, make me one of you."

A/N Hey! (Is the exclamation point too much? Oops.) This has been part one of my new work in progress, The Savior of Souls. When I finish this, their conversations through the bond will be italicized. There will be a time, probably in the summer, when I dedicate time to all my Wattpad stories to fix things in the writing. Right now, my goal s to write, write, write. I'm creating content, but later I do plan to fix these up.