FicWad

Frank grinned with dark satisfaction as the dead animal's body fell from his grasp, crunching on the leaves littering the forest floor. He licked his lips, lapping up the last of the blood. His eyes narrowed slightly. It was a mountain lion; normally his favorite, but not nearly as satisfying as human blood would be. He missed the taste immensely.

'One more should do it,' he thought as his teeth began to retract. 'Then I won't have to eat for another two weeks.' He backed up a few steps and ran forward, scaling the tree before him with hands and feet, much like the cat he had just killed. He climbed to a thick branch near the top and studied the rest of the forest with narrowed eyes.

Is she hurt?

The thought leapt into his mind, speaking in a voice other than his own. 'Mikey?' he asked himself, hearing no response. 'He must be nearby...but I thought he went hunting last night...' He jumped down from the tree and took off running, following his friend's thoughts. He would have to be especially silent since Mikey's hearing was so potent.

He began to slow down as the words became clearer, eventually stopping completely as a powerful scent filled his nostrils. His fangs fought their way out of his gums and venom gushed into his mouth. His lips parted, allowing the black liquid to spill over and snake down to his chin, collecting in a single drop that fell to the ground and dissolved the grass away. Allowing his eyes to refocus as they took their catlike shape, he saw that he was near a cave. He realized he could hear Mikey's voice by now.

You need to kill her. Slit her throat. Drink her blood. Now.

The thought was not his own, but the minute it entered his mind he agreed wholeheartedly. The only thing that kept him from leaping out of his hiding place was the fact that Mikey was right there.

'Human blood or not, Mikey was here first,' Frank thought sourly. 'And I need to respect that. I have my standards, and stealing a kill from someone - especially my best friend - is beneath me. It's already happened to him once because of those wolves. He doesn't need it from me, too.' He buried his nose in the grass to help mask the girl's scent for as long as possible. The fresh, moist air cleared his mind, if only for a few moments.

"Because we are not human. We are monsters."

"That's not possible," came the soft reply. Frank caught his breath at the sound of her voice. It sounded warm, full.../alive./ "You don't look anything like the monsters I've heard about. You don't have claws."

'You don't need claws to be a monster,' he thought with an open-mouthed smirk, baring all of his teeth as another drop of venom fell from his chin. His muscles began to tense, telling him to pounce on his prey. He struggled not to.

"What else have you heard?" asked Mikey.

"You're supposed to be shape shifters...able to turn into things like bats and wolves."

"Bats? That's a myth." Frank's smile widened at this. They were much more dangerous than any winged creature. "But there are creatures who can become wolves. They must be the ones you're talking about."

'Werewolves, actually,' Frank corrected in his mind. But still he did not speak.

"Do you drink blood?" the girl asked, pausing. "Then you are one of them."

"You are wrong. We are different." Frank crouched low to the ground in anticipation.

"Then what are you?" she asked in slight frustration.

'I'd rather show you than tell you,' thought Frank as another bead of venom ate through the blades of grass like acid. He hoped it would be the third and final one.

"Your kind would call me a vampire."

'And I would call you dinner.' Frank crawled closer to the edge of the cave, now able to see Mikey and the girl. If he did get the chance to taste human blood, he wanted to be ready.

"But you don't have fangs," Alicia said, frowning once again. Mikey smiled, this time showing his teeth. She recoiled in shock at the sight.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Mikey said in a voice as calming as he could muster. "I only eat animals." Frank's thoughts were different entirely. He hoped he would not have to be a 'vegetarian' for much longer. It was becoming very clear to him that Mikey didn't plan on drinking the girl's blood. Hopefully his chance would come soon.

"I - I'm sorry," Alicia said quickly, standing up. Mikey was on his feet in half a second, startling her. "I need to go. I'm not even supposed to be out here."

"Wait," Mikey said suddenly. He reached for her, but his hand stopped halfway. Frank tilted his head sideways at this. Why? Was Mikey afraid he would injure the girl?

"What?"

"...Can I see you again?" Mikey asked softly.

I can't believe this...he's not going to kill me?

Frank held back a growl as the girl's thoughts began to pass through his mind as well.

'He might not. But as soon as he is gone, I will,' he thought with determination.

"Maybe I can come outside during the day," said Alicia, smiling. "I've never seen the sun -"

"No!" Mikey cried suddenly.

"Why? Can't come out in the sun?" Alicia asked him with a smirk. He shook his head.

"The sun thing is a myth. The wolves hunt during the day, and we hunt at night; that's how it's always been so there are no conflicts," Mikey explained to her. "If they were to find you, they would tear you apart like the black-hearted dogs they are."

'You won't have to worry about that, my friend,' thought Frank, 'for soon her blood will belong to me. I promise her death will be quick. The wolves will never get their chance.'

"Tomorrow night, then?" she asked tentatively, seeming to be unfazed by Mikey's imagery. He nodded and smiled.

"I will be there." Alicia suddenly embraced him, and he delicately returned it, careful not to crush her. It would be so easy. Frank nearly bit his tongue in half trying to hold back a growl. He watched as the girl pulled away from Mikey and retreated into the cave. Soon after he heard a stone being rolled out of its place, then returned to it just as quickly.

Frank took off at a full sprint, running faster than he ever had. Gerard had to know about this. No doubt he would be displeased...and more likely to watch his words in the future. Frank leapt off the ground and onto a tree trunk, pushing off of it just as quickly to land on another, and another. This method of travel was much quicker as the trees grew denser, and a lot more fun for him. He continued this for a mile or so until the forest thinned out, and landed on the ground once again.

As soon as his foot hit the forest floor, he felt himself falling forward. Frank was soon spitting dirt out of his mouth, nearly being crushed by the weight on his back.

"What was that for, Mikey?" he asked angrily. Mikey allowed him to stand, but quickly forced him against the nearest tree.

"What did you hear?" he asked in a low growl. Frank stared into his eyes. They were golden and angry, still in predator form.

"I heard enough," he responded quietly, never blinking. Mikey glared at him.

What specifically? he thought, knowing Frank would hear it.

"You've befriended the human," Frank replied.

"You can't tell Gerard," said Mikey, stepping about a foot away from him.

"He must know. It's for your own good." As soon as the words left his mouth, Mikey shoved him against the tree once again.

"I'll hurt you, Frank," he said through gritted teeth, locking eyes with him. Frank's eyes had returned to their normal disc-shaped irises, liquid topaz in color. His teeth had retracted into his gums, and the venom had long since left his mouth. He was no longer the hunter, but the hunted.

"I will say nothing if you answer me one question," he said carefully. "Why are you being so protective of her?"

Mikey immediately backed away from him, thoughts rushing through his mind at light speed before he could stop them. It was beginning to give Frank a headache.

Why am I being so protective of her? Because she might be the last of her kind. Because if she's not, I can't hurt the people that care about her.

Because I like her.

This last sentence echoed ominously in Frank's mind. He tried to study Mikey's face to see if the younger Way brother knew he had heard, but when he looked up he was alone once again.