https://youtu.be/QLZkf6HvO2Q

I was in some form of Heaven. I had been plucked from the cement floor of a small town and was now in the arms of Oliver with Jax following close behind. They moved slower than they would have without me, but the speed was still breathtaking. I wondered for only a moment if I should struggle or try to preserve my life by other means, but something about being in Oliver's grip felt right. My instinct was to accept my fate, if only it meant having that warm sunglow embracing me whenever possible. I was already addicted beyond saving.

My wounds had stopped bleeding altogether and Oliver had been kind enough to remove the glass shard before taking me away. I knew I could heal at a faster rate, due to what I was. Jax had mentioned the word witch. It struck a nerve inside me, like catching a drifting scent of a favorite flower. This label, it also felt right, but not quite perfect. There was something within my existence that kept me together; something that I wasn't allowed to know of in the list of random information within my subconscious mind.

The men who were now in my company were something else, not witches. Whenever I tried to think about it, multiple words appeared jumbled in my thoughts behind images of fangs and blood. Strigoi, upir, baital, nosferatu, vrykolakas... it was all the same, despite the various myths. They were vampires. My thoughts felt incoherent when I tried to recall anything of importance about these beings beyond what my instincts decided to initially inform me. All I could come up with was that they used to be witches.

Besides, I couldn't think properly while enveloped in this warmth. I felt sedated and blissful despite the confusion of my situation. I had curled almost entirely too welcomingly against Oliver's chest and closed my eyes contently. My level of perceived informality and safety went so far as to allow myself to trail my own hands under his shirt as if he was a kindling meant to keep my fingers from becoming frostbitten. Occasionally, when I shifted in his grip to get more comfortable, he would chuckle most amusingly. I could feel it ripple through his flesh and against my fingers.

We abruptly slowed our pace until Oliver stopped altogether. Jax halted smoothly next to us. I didn't want to look around me, knowing this warmth was going to be taken away from me soon. For a moment, nobody moved or said a word and it was as though I might be allowed to stay like this, forever snuggled comfortably and oh-so cozy.

"It's hard to let her go," Oliver stated, his voice purring inside that addicting glow. "It feels like feeding, except without the blood."

"I felt the same," Jax responded beside him, his tone more cautious and uncertain. Oliver moved me in his arms, lowering my legs so that I could stand in front of him. I leaned forward almost immediately, lightly pressing my face against his chest. He chuckled once again, but I couldn't find it in myself to feel any embarrassment towards my actions.

Oliver gripped my chin, lifting me away from him. I opened my eyes slowly, startled by how close his face was to mine. I could see the glow on my skin under his touch reflecting in his onyx eyes. He inched closer, his breath on my lips.

"How does your foot feel?" He asked me, smiling mischievously. I cast my eyes down towards my right foot uncertainly, almost completely having forgotten about the injury in the first place.

"Better," I determined after a moment's assessment. He moved away from me suddenly, turning to address Jax.

"I can't frighten her. I couldn't even make her nervous. I must be losing my touch," He announced dramatically. With him no longer touching me, I could feel the glow of my skin dissolving at a slow but determined pace. The wind blew around me, reminding me of the chill in the night. I moved my hands over my arm, hugging myself uncertainly.

"Stop messing around. You know how difficult this is gonna be to pass by Seb," Jax answered, moving past Oliver and consequently me. He hesitated a moment, turning back partially. I glanced from my arms to him carefully. He only watched me temporarily before suddenly holding out his hand to me. I immediately began to accept it, but hesitated momentarily when remembering his previous angry attack.

Still, Oliver had taken away his warmth and now Jax was offering his own. It was something my being craved entirely too much. I found myself stepping forward and my hand was in Jax's easily. He didn't wait to see my reaction, if I held fear or relief in my features. I was suddenly being led across the land and towards a massive building isolated within the forest. I could have been more curious, but my focus was on my hand in Jax's.

I was pulled up a small flight of steps and through double doors. I glanced around as we entered, only mildly interested by the spacious entrance of what was probably something close to a mansion. There was an obnoxious chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, a carpeted semi-circled stairway, and alternating areas along the room where settee benches were placed for comfort. It was on one of those benches that Jax directed me to.

When I was seated, I looked up at Jax and Oliver, who stood next to him. The lighting in the room was almost blinding compared to the darkness I had been subjected to since I had first opened my eyes. But I could see them more clearly than I had yet been able to. They were almost nothing alike besides their matching black eyes. Oliver's dark red hair was styled messy and long enough to have grown into wavy curls. His skin was a pale ivory, flawless. The clothes he wore seemed effortless, with only some of the buttons on his shirt even put together.

Jax was a dark contrast. His hair was cut short and sharp. He appeared most professional, without a wrinkle in his attire despite only wearing a fitted t-shirt and black jeans. His skin was just as flawless, a lighter shade of ebony as compared to his obsidian eyes. He stood a few inches taller than Oliver and both appeared significantly fit.

"Stay here," Jax commanded simply, a threatening undertone included. I frowned.

"If someone asks, tell them you belong to Oliver," Oliver added, a demented smirk crossing his features. Jax turned to him, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Oliver shrugged, sighing dramatically. "And Jax." They proceeded to abandon me, disappearing up the stairs while muttering unheard words to one another.

Without them being so close, I could feel new discomforts rising throughout me. There was an ache in my gut. I was hungry. I wasn't sure how I knew, but I did. I was exhausted. My muscles ached from the sudden overuse. The wounds on my foot and shoulder were still a dull throb, despite my accelerated healing.

I gripped the edge of the bench, trying to find comfort in the cushion in exchange for dimming the rising discomforts. I felt shaky, weaker than before. And the despair within me was still there, feeding on my confusion and fears. As I thought about the weight beginning to pin me down in my lungs, tears began to flood my eyes once more. I felt so alone and helpless. I felt pointless and empty.

I lifted a hand to wipe away the tears falling onto my cheeks and caught movement in my peripheral. An unknown man was walking towards the stairs while observing an opened book in his grip. He had short, spiked blonde hair. It was more golden than the silver blonde shade of my own hair. He was shorter than Oliver by only a few inches, and was lankier. As I watched him, I had an image of a feline... maybe an orange tom cat, graceful and slow.

He passed by me without slowing. He only took a few more steps before suddenly pausing with a frown. Then he turned his head only so slightly in my direction, his raven eyes targeting my form. He was more of a lion than a tom cat; more dangerous.

He abruptly shut the book in his hand, turning towards me gracefully while simultaneously placing the book behind his back. I shifted in my seat, feeling quite like an intruder suddenly.

"Are you a guest? Or are you food?" The question was asked by someone sitting directly beside me. I gasped, turning my gaze from the strange man to a second man who had at some point snuck a seat next to me. His features startled me. I looked from him to the man with the book, confirming that I was indeed looking at two men rather than one who could be in two places at once. They were identical.

"Miles, that's rude." The man with the book stated sharply. "Obviously, she didn't just wander in here by herself. Treat her with more respect." He stepped closer to me while Miles tilted his head curiously.

"She was crying. Maybe Theo decided to schedule a family dinner early. I want first dibs; you guys always kill them before I can get a proper meal," The man, Miles, mused as if this discussion was typical. He began to reach for me.

"I belong to Oliver," I gasped, remembering his words and hoping this would mean my protection, "... and Jax." I added quickly. This seemed to have intrigued them rather than frighten them off.

"Oliver and Jax," the first man exclaimed, impressed. "Oliver I can believe, but Jax is far more difficult to entertain." He suddenly was sitting on the other side of me, caging me between him and Miles.

"He's so moody. Do you think she's lying, Levi?" Miles asked with a small smile playing on his lips. I looked from him to the other, Levi. I meant to feel fear or something that would help me think of anything to explain my situation properly, but something about their proximity had silenced my mind. I didn't seem to want to scare them away anymore.

"Don't accuse her of lying. Where are your manners?" Levi smiled charmingly, leaning towards me without touching me. "He is right, though. Jax is moody. Wouldn't you prefer someone more fun?" I was caught in his eyes, breathless and trapped.

"Yeah, someone like me," Miles interrupted swiftly. I was able to turn my gaze to him, feeling the intoxicating allure of their nearness on either side.

"Everyone knows I'm the handsome one," Levi argued over me to what had to be his twin. "Weren't you on your way to your room so you could, I don't know, play with yourself?"

"Maybe you should do that more often so you won't be as much of a quick shooter," Miles retorted sharply. I erupted into laughter when spotting the look that crossed Levi's face. It was like watching a person argue with their reflection in the mirror. "See? She likes me better already."

Levi glowered at him, narrowing his eyes in irritation. I giggled again, reaching to touch his face as if I could wipe away the bad thoughts that had darkened his features. Before I could, a familiar grip snatched me by my wrist, introducing that addicting warmth throughout me. Oliver was suddenly standing over me dominatingly, glaring at Levi as if he had been the one reaching for me.

"She's mine," Oliver claimed immediately, his voice low and threatening, "Don't touch her." The only thing that gave away Levi's surprise was a slight rise of his eyebrows. He looked from Oliver's towering form to his grip on my wrist, where a burst of gold had appeared along my flesh. And then his features set into that of someone accepting a challenge.

"You know the rules about bringing food home," Levi stated hazardously, inciting Miles' sudden expression of realization. Jax appeared in the room with his arms crossed. I was unexpectedly lifted from the seat and pulled behind Oliver. I hesitated among my confusion for a moment having been released from the touch I craved. I considered stepping forward to embrace Oliver now that he was so close, but his body was tense and I instinctively knew he meant for me to stay back.

"It's bad enough that I have to share with Jax. I won't share with you lot, too," Oliver snapped in irritation. Miles stood, advancing only slightly towards Oliver in a clear threat before pausing. It was enough to make Oliver take a step back in preparation for an attack.

"You know the rules," Miles echoed his twin, only with much more malicious intent. Before Oliver could retort with his building rage, another voice came from the stairs.

"If you bring food home, you have to share with everyone." I turned around, finding my gaze locked with cold, empty black eyes. Of all the vampires I had met so far, this one was the most unwelcoming. I felt no allure to him and I somehow knew if he touched me, no warmth would be found. His raven hair was thick and shaggy, hiding much of his features on his face. Where I felt a measure of inexplicable safety being near the others, he leaked danger without so much as a threatening word.

"We intend to ask Seb for permission to keep her," Jax interjected, sounding less invested than Oliver appeared to be in this mission.

"He won't allow a pet unless we all agree to share," the dangerous man replied simply. He stepped further down the stairway, causing me to tense further. "You remember what happened last time. You know this."

Oliver tisked, clearly agitated. "Fine. I'll share, but only with conditions."

"I have my own conditions as well," Levi added lazily, catching another glare from Oliver.

"I found her," Oliver snapped, glancing at Jax almost immediately, "... and Jax, I guess."

"I want her first," Miles stated.

"I'm getting her first," Oliver nearly yelled, "What part of 'I found her' didn't you understand?"

"I think you're all forgetting the fact that we all have to agree to share," the man on the stairs once again interrupted the conversation. All the men looked up at him expectantly. He took the last few steps, his form graceful and commandeering despite the fact that he was the smallest of all the vampires in the room. "I don't want her here at all."

"Theo!" There was a collective ensemble of irritated noises.

"Can't you just say you want her here for the sake of the group?" Miles suggested, frowning in disapproval. The man stalked towards me carefully, his eyes set dangerously. I felt like I was being hunted with nowhere to hide.

"I don't see what's so special about her. Is she intellectually advanced?" He looked at each of the vampires, utterly unconvinced and just as unimpressed. "If you had let me get the family dinner, it would have been someone big enough to actually last."

"She's a witch," Jax offered halfheartedly, as if witches weren't that impressive either. The man, Theo, looked at Jax for a moment before turning his cold gaze on me once again. He appeared to inspect me, once again not finding anything worthwhile, before speaking once again.

"What coven are you from? What level is your casting? It can't be high if you haven't tried to wipe us out yet..." I thought about his questions; my mind jumbled when I tried to think of an answer. Coven. If I was a witch, I would have a coven. Most witches have covens, even if they are the last of said coven. If they are cast from the coven, they're usually vampires. I wasn't a vampire, but I was a witch. I must come from one. And I must know how to cast magic. I had changed the channel on a television without touching it, but that had to be basic. I must have existed before tonight, right?

"Okay, let's try something easier," Theo said dryly, "What's your name?"

My mind was blank.

"Like I said, nothing special if not special needs," Theo finally stated, pointing at me, "I'm not walking around here having to listen to that dull human stumble about like a moron."

"Harsh, Theo," Levi laughed, "Surely there's some sort of compromise we can agree on. Look at how crushed Oliver is. He had so much hope!" I looked at Oliver, who didn't look crushed at all. He only fumed angrily, glaring at Theo. His red hair nearly fell over his eyes, so that they both were hiding their dangerous intentions. And then Theo sighed lightly, almost anti-dramatically.

"Fine," Theo said simply, "She can stay, if she can survive a family dinner."

------------------------------

Music: I Am by Awolnation

Sorry if the characters are a bit to get used to. I'll be posting character portraits to help out using the cast list I made, but remember you can use your own mind as to what you imagine the characters to be!

I posted a dual pic of Oliver and Jax (gasp, Marcel from The Originals) up there, so feel free to take a look. ^^