1 Stopping Heartbeat

I was about to walk away from Jaxon because I really felt too numb and drained to even talk to him when suddenly, he was next to me, eyes were alert and blazing gold.

"What are you doing?" I asked, I suddenly felt nervous because the way Jaxon stood before me in a defensive stance gave me idea that there was some sort of enemy approaching.

"Someone is coming," he said, voice was cold and somehow strained.

"Who?"

Before he could answer, I heard a loud noise at the back as if something fell from the trees. I turned as Jaxon did. My lips fell apart when I saw a woman with crimson eyes. Her long black hair flowed down her waist and she was wearing a black overcoat. She looked bold and strong, and the way she looked at me resembled that of a woman who was only living for the sole purpose of vengeance.

I could not move from where I was standing while Jaxon stood one step ahead of me in a defensive stance as though he was ready to defend me with all he got.

"Give me the girl, hybrid," the woman demanded coldly.

The girl.

She was referring to me.

But why? I do not know her. She is not the least bit familiar, so why has she come for me? Is this related to Carter? But our relationship is already over, so what is happening? Why did someone from his kind just appear out of the blue and seemed like she was craving for my death?

"Fucking bloodsucker. Have you not known whose territory you are into?" Jaxon asked firmly, I could see the muscles in his forearm flexing and I was afraid that he would just burst out and fight the vampire woman then end up getting hurt because of me later on.

"I know very much. Your pack's territory, am I right?" the woman said, one corner of her lips turning upward, seemed like she had done that out of mockery.

"Then you better leave while I can still hold myself or else you would not have the chance to see the moon later this night," Jaxon warned with so much intensity in his velvety voice.

"I am not afraid of you nor anyone. I do not fear even my own death. So you better step aside because I ought to deal with that mortal."

"This mortal is my person. I will not give you any right to touch her," Jaxon said.

"Why are you even protecting her? She is just a pathetic useless human. I bet she is not even your mate, so why bother? Just give her to me so I can leave without us having to fight," the woman negotiated in a wicked tone.

"Why? Are you afraid that I might end up pulling your head out of your body, bloodsucking monster?" Jaxon smirked with the same wicked look as the one the woman had given to him.

The woman laughed hysterically. "Me? Afraid of you? My apologies, but I think you are under such a pretty illusion, dear. You are not the one who has the upper hand here. If you are thinking that I came here alone, then think twice."

I gasped. Jaxon looked around at once as if he wanted to sense something. After a few seconds, his eyes were locked in front again.

"You can't deceive me. I only smell your scent here in the woods, so you must be alone," Jaxon said.

The woman's lips painted with blood red curved slowly into a dark smile.

"Did I say they are here? I did not, right?"

I was confused at first. I did not understand what the woman meant. But when I heard Jaxon's loud curses, realization dawned on me that made my eyes widened in horror.

"I wonder how your pack would face a battalion of matured vampires without their Alpha?"

No.

"Now, would you give her to me or not?" The woman asked again.

Though before I could blink, I heard a loud animalistic growl and the sound of ripping. I was pushed by a force and the next thing I knew, I was thrown to the tree yards away. I felt dizzy and my back slightly hurt. Deeply worried, I opened my eyes the moment I recovered and my lips fell open when I saw a huge brown werewolf in front of the vampire human. I did not have to think who it was. There was no doubt that the werewolf in front was Jaxon. Even he had already shifted, I am so sure it was him because of his eyes and the way he stand as if he is the highest of them all. Now I understand why he has that Alpha blood in him.

The woman smirked and advanced, moving so fast that I could barely see how she moved in the air. The fact that vampires are incredibly fast in nature made me nervous. I was not worried for myself but for Jaxon and his pack that were not suffering because of me.

Jaxon had grown to become my best friend and having him hurt while protecting me was the least thing I wanted to happen. I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me, even Jaxon's pack and friends.

"Be careful, Jax…" I said under my breath but when he glanced at me for the shortest fraction of second, I knew he heard me.

I gripped on my sweater as I followed their fast movements as if they were not fighting with themselves but with the air and speed. The woman was really fast, but thankfully, Jaxon was able to equal her. I relaxed a bit but the worry and fear were still there. I badly wanted to do something to help him, but what were I supposed to do with this weak and fragile human body? If I come any closer, I would just be more likely to become a burden to Jaxon, so I could do nothing but watch until it ends and hope that he will be all right.

It was cold but I went sweating like bullets when I saw how good the woman's fighting skills were. I could not track their every move but whenever I could, it was hard to notice how smooth and graceful her moves were as if she was only dancing rather than fighting.

Though, I could not say that Jaxon was at disadvantage. He was as fast and obviously stronger. It was evident on how the woman was thrown every time he hit her. But the woman recovered so fast from the attacks as if it never happened.

I never witnessed a real fight between supernatural beings before, this was the first and I admit it was nerve-racking. I wished Carter was the one there to protect me and explain what was happening, but I could not express how grateful I was to Jaxon for standing by my side at a critical moment where I could have died.

When Carter left, I would lie if I would say that I had never thought of just dying. I know it was stupid, but I felt like I lost the most important part of myself when I lost Carter. But right that moment when Jaxon stood for me against my oppressor, it gave me a little wisdom. Why would I waste my life for someone who just dropped me like I was a waste meant to be eradicated? What would happen to the people supporting me if I let go of myself?

Right that moment when I saw how Jaxon struggled to keep me alive, I knew I had taken my life for granted. It was wrong to depend my happiness on someone. It was wrong to fall deeply. I was weak and the mortal heart I had wasn't strong enough to resist such kind of attraction. It was my fault. I was the one who brought it all to myself.

I was about to stand to see clearly how the fight was going on when someone suddenly grabbed me from the back.

"Got you," said by the baritone voice as I felt a strong arm around my shoulders, holding me captive.

I froze in fear. A man. A vampire man. He must be with the long haired woman!

Jaxon was suddenly looking my way, while the woman was in front of him, crossing her arms proudly with a venomous smile plastered on her face. My heart pounded so fast. It got me terrified.

"What now, hybrid? The human is in my hands already. At this point, I think you can do nothing."

Jaxon growled and he was on the verge of tearing the woman's head when she spoke so calmly yet so dangerously that it sent shivers down my spine.

"Go on. One wrong move and you will see the head of the girl falling to the ground."

That stopped Jaxon. It got me more terrified. I was not afraid that I would get hurt, or worse, die in the hands of this unknown vampire, but I was more afraid that the woman might use me to stop Jaxon from fighting. In that case, Jaxon would surely choose to stop resisting and would end up being beaten up by the woman, or worse, end up being killed. And that can't happen. I already lost Carter. I can't lose Jaxon or anyone close to me.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to ask even though my voice was trembling.

"I want you dead," the woman simply answered, earning an angry growl from Jaxon. If only I could understand his werewolf language, I'm sure I would be hearing an alluvion of curses.

"Why do you want me dead? I did nothing to you. I don't even know you, so why?"

The woman looked at me with so much resentment that I could not understand. Where was her anger coming from?

"You don't know? It's because you are stupid. You are a stupid pathetic mortal trying to blend in to our kind. That is the root of the problem."

Did she know about my relationship with Carter? But… I still couldn't understand why that became the cause of this problem, especially now that Carter already left me.

"You being alive will only bring chaos to our kind. You should be killed," the woman said ruthlessly.

Jaxon tensed in so much anger and I knew that moment, his patience was stretched beyond tolerance. He could not hold himself anymore and he moved so fast to attack the woman. I was surprised that she did not move an inch that I was almost sure that Jaxon would shred her small body to pieces. But I gasped in shock and horror when Jaxon shrieked all of a sudden and was already on the ground as though he was feeling so much pain.

My eyes drifted to the woman and saw her blazing red eyes staring at Jaxon intently.

"What are you doing to him?! Stop it!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I remembered Carter had told me that vampires who were born and didn't undergo transition can acquire unique abilities. And what this woman was doing must be her ability.

"Why would I? I am enjoying this," the woman said evilly.

Tears formed in my eyes as I witnessed how Jaxon kept on shrieking in pain.

"Stop! Please, stop! I am the one you want, right? You already have me! You can do whatever you want with me! Just please, spare him!" I pleaded. I saw no other way but to beg for mercy. I was almost sure that this woman was not the forgiving type, but I had to try regardless. I couldn't not just stand and watch someone I had considered as my family get tortured right in front of me.

"Why would I listen to you? I don't care about this useless hybrid, nor do I care about what you feel. In fact, I like watching you suffer. Looking at you like that gives nothing but pure bliss to me."

No… stop, please. Stop.

"Why do you have to do this? What exactly have I done for you to punish me like this?! I did nothing to you!"

"You think I would be wasting my time to a useless human if you have done nothing?"

I don't understand. I really couldn't understand. The way the woman talked was like she was insinuating that I have wronged her. But how I could I do something to her when I haven't even met her before? But it seemed like her anger was real, that she wasn't doing this just because she wanted to play around. The way she stared at me as though I was nothing but a hazardous little shit made me feel that she loathed me for a reason. But for what reason exactly?

"I don't know what wrong have I done, but if it is true that I have wronged you, I am willing to take full responsibility of it. Just don't hurt him or anyone here."

"Her blood smells nice, Vienna. Can you just give her to me instead?" the man holding me asked and my pulse rushed through my veins.

"I will kill her myself, Logan. Don't you dare," the woman said who was called Vienna.

Jaxon continued shrieking and I panicked.

"Just kill me instead! Stop hurting him!"

"What if I don't want to listen to you?" Vienna smiled viciously and then she snapped once. Jaxon growled as if he was hit by something so painful. My tears fell and I shut my eyes close because I could not bear watching him like that. It was all too painful to me I felt like dying right there and then.

"Open your eyes, you, pathetic human!" Vienna demanded but I was too scared to do so. I can't watch Jaxon so helpless in that situation because of me. I was willing to take all the pains for him but I figured that Vienna would not let me do that. Making me suffer will make her happy and she knew exactly where to hit me.

"Make her open her eyes, Logan."

The man shook me harshly, I felt like his grip on my shoulder would left bruises.

"Open your eyes or else I will take them out instead," he said.

But I didn't listen. I would rather be blind or die than watch Jaxon suffering.

"Just kill me."

"You are not the one to decide when you are going to die, bitch," Vienna said.

The next second, I felt a strong hand on my neck, strangling me that I could barely breath. By instinct, I opened my eyes and struggled to breath. I saw Vienna in front of me, her eyes red and I could see the image of evil in it.

Am I going to die this way? On that moment, memories with Carter flashed like a whirlwind. I didn't know how did I managed to even think of him in the brink of death, but I guess for one more time, I hoped that he would come to save me. That even though it was impossible, I still wished that he still has little feelings for me and that he would come back to ensure my safety.

Though despite how badly I wanted to breath, to live and make something valuable in this lifetime even without Carter, the light I could see was slowly fading and I felt my hope crumbling. There was no escape for me. I could do nothing but face death in the most unfortunate circumstance. Without bidding farewell to Mom, to Dad, and to Carter.

I heard an evil laugh and I could feel my mind drifting away from consciousness. I can no longer feel my body. All I could feel was that I couldn't breath and there was no room to escape my death that was about to come.

Right that moment. I wished I was more cautious. I wished I was more careful in dealing with things especially when it came to my feelings. I would have accepted it if it was just me who would suffer, but the fact that Jaxon and his pack were all on this made me guilty because I knew I had no one to blame but myself.

All I knew before my eyes finally closed was that... my heartbeat stopped.