Bloodlust-Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Not A Dream Anymore
Fully fed and not caring if the others followed her, she took off running. Cat didn't care about the direction she was going, but it looked like, through her perfect eyesight, she was heading back to the Vega house. She wasn't alone for long. Within seconds, she smelled Jade's scent and scensed her beside her, but she didn't look. About thirty seconds after that, Cat smelled Beck and Robbie close behind.

Cat was only a few yards away from the house when she heard the sound of a door closing, followed by another. She stopped running abruptly, and listened, as still as a statue.

And then she smelled it-one...two thudding hearts.

Her throat exploded with the burning. After taking a step forward, Robbie's arms constricted around her chest tightly. She immediately began to growl and scratch at him. She writhed. She bit. She snarled as her instincts took over. Beck was in front of Cat and gripped her by the legs while Robbie had her torso. Jade was the only one who spoke-her voice calm and cold.

"Cat, listen to me." Jade said, cautiously, at Beck's side. "Remember-those are Tori's parents. They can't afford to loose their lives. Not now."

"Since when do you care?" Cat shrieked through gritted teeth.

"I don't. I'm just telling you they're not worth it. No one is." Jade then added, then thought abruptly of Tori,"Not yet, anyway."

Beck and Robbie gripped Cat even harder until it really started to hurt.

"Beck and Robbie aren't going to let go of you until you're under control." Jade told her, slightly smirking.

Tori, who was miles away, heard the commotion, and ran over. She was there in ten seconds, her eyed full of alert.

"Cat-" She started.

"Just get your parents out of her smelling range until further notice." Jade snapped at her.

Tori gritted her teeth, a low snarl escaped her lips, but took off running towards the house.

"Lemme...!" Cat gasped. "Lemme go!"

"We can't." Said Beck.

"Not until we get you away from here." Said Robbie.

Cat quit kicking and inhaled and exhaled heavily through her nose. Trying to calm down, she closed her eyes and tried to think blankly-but the burn got worse the longer she stood their. She needed to get away-somewhere far away so she won't be tempted to hurt anyone...

Beck had finally released her to listen to the conversation in the Vega household.

"It's working." He told Jade. "Tori came up with a good distraction."

"Took long enough." Said Jade.

"When Cat's calm enough, we'll run her up north. I was thinking somewhere in Washington maybe. Or somewhere down south with a lot of wildlife-Brazil maybe..."

"No. Brazil's too far. Her parents would want to know what's up. We have to think of something better..."

"Maybe a field trip?" Said Robbie, his grip finally softening on Cat, letting her go. "We could say Sikowitz is taking us to New York for an exhibition."

"That's possible..." Jade nodded. "Beck?"

"I don't see why not. But we have to talk to Tori and Andre about it too. What do you think Cat?"

Beck and Jade looked in her direction.

But Cat wasn't there.

''"Shit!" ''Jade yelled as she and Beck took off with Robbie not far from behind him.

"Her scent is still fresh, we'll find her." Beck reassured her, taking the lead. "Robbie, you check east just to be safe. Jade, you stay with me."

Robbie nodded and darted off the opposite direction.

Beck and Jade rushed through the parks, behind buildings and trees. Cat's scent went strong at certain places, but very weak in others. No matter if they thought they were going in circles, they kept on searching. Eventually, her scent lead across California and into Nevada. There was no sign of stress, or blood that was spilt-which was good.

"What would she be doing in Nevada?" Jade asked.

"I don't know." Said Beck. "Let's keep looking. Her scent's getting stronger."

Indeed it was.

After the longest ten minutes of their existance, Beck and Jade followed Cat's scent into the Owyhee Desert. Sand was everywhere and rocks and bolders were molded there in layers as high as the Grand Canyon-well, not that high. There wasn't any sign of wildlife from a mile way. No sign of accidents at all.

"There she is." Said Jade as she and Beck started climbing and jumping the Owyhee River Canyon. "I can smell her easily now."

Beck reached the top first. Though he knew she didn't need any help, he held out his hand. Jade took it, and with one shove, she was at his side. Turning around, they both saw Cat sitting a mile away, her back facing them. They walked towards her at inhuman speed, but kept their distance when they approached.

The wind blew as Cat spoke.

"I'm a monster." She said. "Any minute now, I'll burn to ash from the sun."

"How long have you been sitting there?" Beck asked carefully and cautious.

"A few minutes, I don't know." She stared at her pink skin. "I want to die."

"Technically you're already dead." Said Jade. She walked over and sat down next to her. "But you're not going to die. Not again." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden necklace with a ruby C hanging from it. "Here-put this on. I made it for you the day before you turned, just in case."

Cat took it and put it around her neck. Immediately, her skin turned pale-as white as snow-again. "Why? You knew that I wouldn't be able to be in control. All of you knew. I thought you guys were my friends."

"We are your friends." Jade said calmly. "And we did expect you to be like this. All of us were in your position once before. That's what every vampire has to go through."

"That's the problem, Jade." If Cat could cry, she would've been soaked in tears by now. "I don't want this. I never did. I've always wanted my life to be like a dream-a world where I'm the princess trapped until my prince comes and saves me and we fall in love. But now it's too late-my life's a nightmare and I'm the monster."

"I should be saying that." Jade murmured, so quiet yet Cat and Beck could hear her.

"You've always wanted to be a pretty princess?" Cat asked.

"No." Said Jade. "But my life was a dream too-when I met Beck, that is. He turned me-just to let you know that."

Cat nodded.

"Cat, I want you to understand everything I'm about to tell you-no interruptions, no overreactions, nothing." Jade continued. "And I want you to understand that I understand because I've been in your place more likely than any of us, though we differ by a lot."