Chapter 3

The boy ran to me; fearing he would hit me, I ran under the bed.

“Lyra, I was just joking! Come out, I am sorry I scared you!” I could see the boy feeling around. I am debating on biting him. He scared me. It is only fair if I get him back. My father said biting would always show a person's true nature. I ran towards his hand, and bit him as hard as I could. 

“Ahhhhh!” He screamed. I let go as he raised his hand in pain. He looked in my direction, and began to cry. He actually had tears going down his face, but they were red… like blood. 

“I’m sorry Lyra… I won’t be mean again… I promise.” I could not understand him. I walked towards him, slowly, watching for any signs he was going to hurt me. He looks me in the eye. 

‘I am sorry Lyra. I was just playing.’ The fur on my back starts to go down. It was not a funny joke. I growled at him as a warning. 

“Don’t scare me like that again!” I howled at him. His hand began to heal. I was surprised. I walked up to his hand… So it didn’t hurt long. Too bad. He looks me in the eye. 

‘Vampires can heal almost any wound…. The downside is it makes us hungry.’ I looked at him. So does that mean we are about to eat? 

“I’m hungry!” I howled in delight. Kilian smiled at me. 

‘Let’s go! I am sure daddy will make us something to eat.’ He opened the door, and ran out. I followed him down the grand staircase, and through the hallways. I was excited to finally eat something good. 

“Dad! We need food!” Kilian sat at a table, and I hopped up beside him. His father goes to the fridge, and grabs a bottle of something red, and a piece of meat. I did not care about the bottle, I wanted food. He started cooking. Kilian whistles for my attention.

‘Is there anything you would like to know while we wait?’ I blinked. Something I wanted to know. 

“Where are we? “ I howled silently.  

‘A city called Trayling. It has a lot of humans. We live on the outskirts of the city.’ I had never heard of Trayling before. 

“Where is the nearest forest?” I do not know what my home forest is called. ‘There are no forests near here.’ I was saddened by this. It meant I was far from home. “What is your fathers name?” He laughed. 

‘Dragan’ 

“So I am to live with you and Dragan?” I frowned. 

‘Do you not want to?’ The boy’s voice was sad too. 

‘I can release you if you want…’Again he is sad. I thought about the offer. Even if he did let me leave, I did not know where to go. I have nowhere to go, but here now. Besides, my family was all dead. My pack was killed by humans. They were all hunted down and murdered. I am the only one left. I begin to tear up at my thoughts.

“Here you go!” Dragan laid a bowl in front of Kilian, and a plate in front of me. Kilian had some type of soup, while I had a cooked piece of beef. I normally hunted my food, so it was new for me not to need to chase something to eat. 

“What is this?” I howled. 

“Dad, she wants to know what she is eating.” Kilian spoke before picking up the bowl, and drinking the hot red liquid. Dragan looks me in the eyes. 

‘This is a blood soup. We vampires only drink blood, but I have learned different ways to cook it, so that it has a different taste to it. Yours is a hamburger steak.’ So he was drinking blood soup. The thought makes me giggle. That doesn’t sound very appealing. I look down at the food. It smells amazing. I started to eat, while Kilian finished his soup. Kilian waited for me to finish my food. Despite earlier, he seems to be really kind. But I am not ready to trust him yet. I barely know anything about the people I am to live with, nor do they know me. The hamburger steak was actually really good. It was juicy; with flavors that pop. There seems to be a kick to it that helps the flavors show. If this was what cooking could do, I would learn to cook for myself. I do not want to depend on these vampires to survive. I decided that I would watch Dragan cook, and try it myself at night while they sleep. 

“I am finished. This food was sooo amazing! I have never eaten cooked food before… I like it!” I chorusly howled in delight. Dragan looked confused. 

“What is she saying son?” He was asking Kilian a question. I was sure of it, because of Dragan’s tone. Kilian smiled at me. 

‘I am going to mess with dad, and tell him you said his food was bad. Watch his reaction.’ He giggles a little as he walks to his father. I do not like the idea of him making me sound rude. My mother always told me to be polite to others. However, I am interested to see what he was talking about. Kilian gets right beside Dragan, and grabs his fathers hand. He looks him in the face; with a sorrowful look in his face. 

“Father… I am so sorry…” Dragan’s face changes from excitement to horror. “No! Don’t say it! It can not be!” He held one hand over his chest, and the other in the air. “She does not like it.’As if the words hit him in the chest, Dragan fell to the ground. 

“No! Oh, what a cruel world! I leave you, son… I hope you will find someone who can cook better than me…” He let out a sigh, and completely stilled. If you did not know he was joking, you would really think he was dead. 

“I am joking dad! I know cooking is your whole world!” Kilian helps him up as he looks in my direction. 

‘I am telling him the truth now.’As Dragan stands up, Kilian tells him something. 

“Truth is she has never eaten cooked food before. I think she finds it interesting, because she loved it.” Whatever Kilian told him made his fangs show. He walked over to me. 

‘I know you can not cook for yourself, but you are more than welcome to watch me cook… That would make my world even brighter!” 

“So dramatic! HAHAHA!” I fell off my chair as I laughed at him. He was over doing everything. As I hit the floor, they both run to me to see if I am okay. The chair was higher than I am used to, so when I hit the floor, I landed on my tail.

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” I stood slowly as I whined in pain. 

“That really hurts!” Kilian picks me up by my chest. 

‘Are you okay?’ He looked at me with his pink eyes. It distracted me from my pain. 

“Why are your eyes pink, and Dragan’s red?” I am curious to find out if the pink eyes meant anything. Kilian held me to his chest. I could not hear a heartbeat. Instead, I heard the flow of blood through his body. It was like wind going through holes in the trees. A whistling sound. 

‘I am blind…”