Capture

Some dude stepped on my glasses and broken the frame. 

Chapter 15: Introduced

The definition of close apparently differed between me and Manu. He described it like those old ads for hotels in Florida, "close to the beach" and all. My version was around the next mile. So we traveled for a few more hours by a moonlit road to Manu's way. We left the fields behind and found ourselves surrounded by a dense forest. The road made a winding path that caused me to worry that we were going to wrap around a tree.

"Wait!" Manu cried out, swiveling his head about.

I slammed on the break sure I was going to see a deer in the middle of the road. My fingers were white from gripping the wheel. There was nothing there. I mustered the most peeved glare I could at him but Manu's attention was off to the left. 

"I was sure...," he mumbled to himself.

"Can you back up? I think I saw..." He said this to me.

Not sure what was up with him, I shifted the truck into reverse, there wasn't any room on the road to attempt a U-turn. One hand on the wheel and another on the passenger headrest, I channeled my dad.

"Yes, here. You need to turn down here." Manu told me, pointing to a path of animal tracks off the road.

"There's nothing there but trees, not even anything to drive on!" I was sure this was some sort of trick of his to fake me out.

"Just follow the deer trail." He pressed.

I sighed a turned the truck. I was sure that a foot-wide deer trail wasn't enough to drive on. Once the front tires left the road, I had the truck doing a slow crawl. We passed the first birch and suddenly there was a dirt path, large enough for me to drive a 18 wheeler down. Okay, that had so not been there a second ago.

I continued, giving the truck more gas. I glanced to Manu from the corner of my eye. His entire face was alight with happiness. I was being suspect that he wasn't telling me the full truth about his coven. Really, magically appearing roads?

The same event happened multiple times. The dirt trail would end suddenly and Manu would direct me towards a grove of trees for us to only discover another hidden path. Each time I swore I hadn't seen anything. 

"Decrease the speed," He told me suddenly.

"What-" was all I was able to get out when the truck can to an instant stop.My foot was not on the brake and I knew that I hadn't see anything to hit.

My head snapped forward against the steering column and then back into my seat. Thank goodness I was too rule abiding to not wear a seat belt, otherwise I was sure my injury would have been worse. Manu hadn't faired the same, thought he hadn't been wearing one, he was a supernatural creature. He had put his hands out, imbedding them in the plastic of the dashboard to stop himself from going through the window or being thrown back. The truck's windshield had cracked around the edges. I peered out. It seemed that the hood had crinkled and wrapped around a form.

Manu cursed under his breath and disentangled himself from the dash. Two large holes were left behind as he jumped out of the cabin and went about the front. I leaned back a bit dazed. I would most likely develop a goose egg and a bad headache. But that was for later. I took a deep lungful of air before joining him outside. The night held a chill in the air.

Manu was arguing lowly with a man. I could see the imprint of his body where it had wedged into the truck. Did he let himself get hit? Both of them flashed their fangs at one another before the man, another vampire, saw me. His expression was hard to read but I knew one of the many looks that flashed upon his face. It was one I was used to seeing towards me, one of someone a little too interested, one that Emilee and I received from Naturals during and after school. Then it went livid.

Manu flashed in front of me, blocking me from sight. His arms snaked behind and around me, bring me to be touching his back. The need to let him protect me was the feeling that was wining in my mind. Manu attempted to walk us backwards in the direction of our original path. 

"Manu, you have done this?" he asked.

He stalked us. Manu always keeping his front to the other vampire. What was wrong that this vampire wouldn't let us pass to the safety of the coven and human colony? 

"Step down, Cephas, the coven swore protection of humans from the Night beasts. She, no different, is included." Manu said chastely, turning us again when he came closer to my side.

"Do not attempt to fool me. I can feel the binding between you! A human? A human clearly involved with those Night Beast!" He roared, exasperated. Clearly he had picked up on my appearance or did I smell of them, him?

Binding? Oh, if this was how vampires mated I am so going to kick some bloodsucking ass. That is if I could figure out how to hurt him. My fingers had a strong grip on the fabric of his shirt and I gave him a tug.

"Emergency situation." Manu explained to the both of us. It did not faze the vampire. "You are reacting irrationally! Hélène and-" The vampire gave Manu a sharp look and made another dash at me. "I will reveal after I meet with-"

Cephas gave a roar and charged. In one fluid motion, I was in Manu's arms and he was running again. When he stopped, we were inside a building. There were human all around. They gave start at Manu's sudden appearance but the shock quickly dissipated. Odd, at least for me. 

"Please inform Guido that I have returned and that I am in need of him. Now," Manu told a young athletically dressed woman, clearly human and fine with him being so close. She nodded and took off running down the hall, her hair raced behind her. 

Manu set me on my feet and turned. It appeared that Manu was faster than the other vampire, but our stopping had allowed him to catch him up. 

"Manu!" Cephas shouted. 

The humans scurried away. Clearly, they were fine with Manu but not Cephas. Or at least an angry Cephas. The vampire was huffing but I doubt it was from exertion. I peeked through the gap of space between Manu's arms. His eyes were wild. His expression violently turned to the sound of purposeful footsteps behind me. 

"What is the matter now?" A deep voice asked behind me.

Manu neither flinched nor tensed but relaxed with the presence of the new comer.