Chapter 6

I followed Chase back to my room as I shut my door behind me. We continue on with the equation, then I look at him and our eyes meet. I quickly look back at my note then he breaks the silence. "So are you still going to go out with me tomorrow?"

I look up and smile at him. "I knew you didn't come here for the homework."

He smiles. "Oops, you got me."

"I have never been on a date before," I say as I drop my pen.

"Then say yes. We will have a great time."

"I don't know about that. My parents won't let me, and besides, I'm different and not like you."

"Different, how?" he asks as he gives a small smile.

I jammed my lips together. "I don't do parties. My life is boring. I'm not even on social media."

"It's just a movie. I like you, Inez. I know it sounds stupid, but I do like you, and it started the first time I saw you standing in the middle of the hall, in the crowd. I know you also felt it." He says.

I want to touch him at that moment and tell him what I really am, but he will run away and expose my secret. He is human after all. He won't even think about the time he said he liked me. He will expose me and my family. He is not to be trusted. Humans are not to be trusted. I sigh as I shake my head. I also remind myself that getting too close to this boy will put our lives in more danger.

"I can't go. I'm sorry."

"Okay." He stands up and walks to the window. "It's cool; I just hope you are happy with your boring life." He says as he leaves through the window. I watched him as he passed through the woods, and he went out of sight. I remind myself that turning him down is a good thing. One part of me wants him here with me and the other part of me is not sure of what it wants, but it is cool. He is gone now. Everyone is saved.

~~~

"We saw the news, Mrs. Sivan, Inez will be fine." The head of the council assured.

"But what type of monster was that? No supernatural being can break the barrier." Arden says.

"Only witches can, and I think someone is using spells to weaken it, and I don't think that barrier can stay long enough." The head council says as he opens a big book and points at an image. "I think what Inez saw was the wendigo."

"The wendigo is described as a monster with some characteristics of a human or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them monstrous. Its influence is said to invoke acts of murder, insatiable greed, cannibalism, and the cultural taboo against such behaviors." Arden reads aloud from the book that the head of the council shows him.

"So the wendigo is still out there and there is also a witch trying to break the barrier in order to come into the human world and take the chosen one and use her for their purpose." Mrs. Sivan said, terrified.

"Witches." The head is correct. "But I assure you, Inez is safe here. We are here to protect her." He adds.

"What are you going to do about her fangs forcing their way out whenever she sees blood or smells them?" Mr. Sivan asks. "What is going to happen to her if we keep her away from feeding on blood?"

"All I know is, if Inez gets attached to drinking blood all the time, then she will be tempted to feed on a bloodsucker and she will become one of them and even more powerful. We won't be able to tame her, but if she doesn't feed, then..."

"Then? What happens?" Mr. Sivan cuts in.

"She will die if she doesn't get fed within the next month. Her fangs will find their way out by force and it will kill her unless she can avoid blood, which is impossible, so now Inez has to feed to prevent death and try not to get attached to blood but normal food."

"Why didn't you tell us this?" Mrs. Sivan asks.

"16 is the right age to have the first feed, but we all knew that Inez couldn't survive it at that age, but now she is strong. She is a strong girl and she will find ways to save lives, so don't be scared, she will live through death and save the world from disaster." The head walks back to his seat. "We will find more information on the wendigo. You all can go home now. Inez will be fine. It's her fate to save us all." The head adds.

~~~

My parents come back home before midnight, and I tell them about the police that came looking for them. Mom and dad didn't tell me what the council told them so they walked to their room immediately after my news. I look at Arden and give him a quick smile.

"I know that look." He says as he sits down on the kitchen stool.

"What look?" I ask as I pour cereal into a bowl.

"The look you give when you want me to tell you stuff."

"So, tell me, what happened there?" I asked as I sat next to him.

"They said I shouldn't tell you anything, but you have to feed on blood in the next month or you die." Arden spill.

"Is that what the council said? I thought you all went there for the animal information."

"We did and the beast you saw is called the wendigo. I think they are controlling it and the head also said that witches are trying to break the barrier and the barrier isn't strong anymore. You are the only one that can save us, so you can't die."

"I'm not dying," I say as I look at him. He brings out a bag of blood as I sit there in shock. "Do they know you have that?" I ask as he begins to feed.

"They don't, but I need it to survive. I can't survive with human food, so you also have to drink this." He says as he throws a bag of blood at me.

"I can't do this, Arden, I can't."

"Yes Inez, you can...you need to live and I know you like that boy because I sensed he was here."

I ignored him. My fangs started coming out, but the thought of Chase made me throw the blood on the floor, and I ran to my room immediately.