Sitting within the white gazebo on the lake, she idly toyed with the pendant, her gaze fixed on the gentle cascade of raindrops.
Her mind kept wandering to her mom, did she wonder why Willow hadn't written or texted? Would they be able to handle it when eventually they where told she was dead?
A surge of emotion made her fingers clench around the crystal pendant as she drew her knees closer to her chest.
Would she be able to handle them thinking she was dead?
"Willow," she looked up by the sound of her name, seeing Jack stand there with a small box. Taking a seat beside her on the bench, he placed the box on the vintage steel table, revealing gauze and wet wipes within. "Let me see your wound." Offering her hand, she watched as he focused on the task, his brows furrowing slightly as he tended to her injury. His question pierced the air, laden with curiosity and concern "What are you doing out here?" He focused on the job at hand.
"Thinking."
"About your family?" His eyes briefly met hers, then returned to his work. Another question lingered in his tone, gentle yet heavy "Do you regret it?" He whispered.
"What?"
He was quiet for a moment before he breathed.
"Everything?"
"No," she said with confidence. "I would do anything for those I love, even becoming someone's pet apparently." She saw the little smile in the corner of his lips as he held her hand in his for a second before letting go. They sat there for a second, looking at the rain before she got the courage to ask him. "Do you regret it?"
"I would rather have had you live a normal life," he shrugged, before eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. "But no."
Willow looked up at him, she couldn't for the life of her figure him out. Seeing him sit there without the snark, she almost felt at ease with him, thinking that maybe she could handle being with him for the rest of her life.
She leaned in when she got the whiff of him, wondering when he began smelling like peppermint. The peculiar tingling sensation at the back of her mind seemed to intensify. When he drew away, she focused on his face, finally getting a clear view.
"Your eyes, has they always been this dark?"
She would have sworn they were baby blue but as he looked at her they was clearly darker. His eyes widened, and he mumbled something underneath his breath about being hungry and vanished.
"Okay," she drawled, looking at her hand. "Good talk." She chuckled, as the rain started to let up.
"Willow!" She turned her gaze towards the mansion and spotted Fahima standing there, waving excitedly. Swiftly, she rose from her seat and trotted down the dock to join Fahima "There you are! We been looking for you! Me and Aina is working on a puzzle, do you wanna join?" She smiled as they headed inside. Aina was huddled in a corner by one of the large tables, fully engrossed in something on the surface.
"Sure," Willow smiled following Fahima. She noticed that they had already assembled most of the corners of the puzzle. The box beside them depicted a thousand-piece puzzle featuring a serene lakeside scene with a bridge and a couple.
"So heard you saw your first angel yesterday," Fahima said, roaming through the pieces.
"Yeah, a Fallen."
"I can't believe you saw a angel this fast, it took Marek months before he allowed me to see one." Aina said with a small pout, before triumphantly put a piece in its spot.
Her fingers absentmindedly sorted through scattered pieces.
"Is all angels that beautiful?" She looked around for a piece while the other two giggles.
"Frustratingly yes, it's such a waste." Fahima mumbled, pushing a piece towards Aina. She leaned in and whispered. " though I heard Lucifer is the prettiest angels ever created."
Willow thought back at the garden that had been in the castle of Hell, wondering if she was ever going to see him. She had never in a million years expected to find out the devil himself like to garden, and was surprisingly good at it too.
"He's to hung up on those rebirths though."
"Rebirths?"
"Apparently one soul the last thousands of years keep coming back of his first love or something," Fahima shrugged, taking a sip of her tea. "You can read up about it in the chronicle of rebirths if you like."
I really need to get my hands on these book she thought taking a cup from the tea set and pouring herself a cup of what smelled like lavender tea.
"So it is true that like, supernaturals exist like witches and such?" She took a sip, pleasantly surprised.
"Yep! Werewolves, shapeshifters, mermaids, all kinds of supernaturals," Fahima smiled, putting a piece down. "The first job I was on with Lina was a cave elf in Enzaya. He had been killed by Goblins. Trust me, not a pretty sight." She shivered slightly by the memory.
"Enzaya?"
"One of the other realms beside Earth, pretty cool place, most supernaturals species resides there," Aina chimed in. Willow did remember Jack saying worlds, but it was still weird for her how nonchalant the girls talked about all of this. But she guessed at some point all this would just feel like her normal too.
They spend the evening answering Willow's questions and after dinner they invited Willow to a movie night as most of the boys apparently spent most Monday nights gaming and the others did something else.
Wrapped in a cozy blanket, Willow settled onto a couch, a bowl of gummy bears and a bar of minty chocolate in her lap. The chosen entertainment for the night was an old horror film titled 'It,' handpicked by Aina. A month ago Willow would have been slightly terrified due to the topic as she wasn't the biggest fan of horror movies if she didn't have her friend Iris the fanatic horror movie fan shoulder to hide against. Though considering what she knew now and had seen, the creepy sewer clown didn't really face her as much.
The whole day had Jack just avoided her after seeing her in the gazebo, even when she had went to his room was he gone. It had allowed her to hang out with Fahima and Aina all day, doing nail arts on one another. It hadn't surprised Willow she sucked at it, considering she wasn't the most artsy type. She had always just been playing outside instead of doing arts and craft in school.
Glancing down at her fancy nail art Aina had made she wondered how long it was before she accidentally ruined them, before looking over at Fahima who didn't seem to care about her bad excuse of a nail flower art.
She stuffed a handful of gummy bears in her mouth, wondering how much she had to eat before that nagging hunger would disappear. She had ate a big dinner earlier which hadn't helped at all on it, making her start to wonder if this was a side effect of being a pet.
"You're not at all following the plot," Fahima whispered with a chuckle not to disturb Aina who was completely absorbed. "What're you thinking about?"
"My whole new life to be honest, the effects it has on my life and the realization that atheism wasn't the right choice after all," Willow sighed, still in awe than in less than three days since meeting Jack she had met not only a demon and been to Hell, but she seen a angel. "I really should have went to church some more."
Fahima chuckled softly, nestling into the blanket in the armchair.
"My family is Christian and to realize reapers and such was real was quite a shock for me too, until I got explained how it all works," Aina said, pulling her gaze from the tv. " I gotta admit I wasn't, but to learn God is apparently real was mind boggling. If my grandma knew that she would crap a foal." She giggled.
"I even once met Gabriel under a reaping. He didn't know of course I was there, but Willow he was so gorgeous with his messy copper hair and eyes." Fahima got a dreamy expression for a second before she pulled herself out of it.
"He sound pretty," Willow smiled, knowing she probably looked just like that when she met the Fallen.
The hunger grew stronger and she took herself to the head with a grimace as the sensation intensified, prompting Willow to clutch her head with a groan. Concerned, Fahima rose from her seat and approached Willow's couch.
"Are you alright?" Crouched at her feet. "I seen you take yourself to the head all day, do you have a headache?"
Shaking her head, Willow struggled to articulate the unfamiliar feeling.
"No, it's this... I don't know how to explain it but it's like, hunger tingling in the back of my head, no matter what I eat it doesn't seem to go away. I know it sound crazy, but it doesn't even feel like my own, it's like it'd gnawing at something, trying to get my attention."
Fahima let out a sigh of relief and stood up from her crouching position by Willows feet.
"I know what it is, does Jack smell pleasant? A scent of something you really like?" she looked over at Aina. Willow nodded confused, he had smelled of peppermint all day, one of her favorite candies. "Jacks eyes did look darker today than normal."
"What does Jack have to do with this? Other than the fact it's probably his fault cause I'm his pet." Willow frowned.
"It has everything to do with him, he's hungry." Aina said matter of fact.
"Come again, hungry?"
"Jack is hungry, why he sends out pheromones of something you like and why you have that tingling in the back of your head. It's to make you know it's time for a feeding for your reaper. And probably why he's avoided you almost all day" Fahima giggled and was joined by Aina.
"How cute, he is probably afraid of scaring Willow." Aina grinned, making Willow scared herself. She knew it was a part of the deal, but the thought still mortified her. "Let me find Darlia so she can get his ass to eat before it becomes unbearable for you Willow or he simply gets too hungry and attack you." Aina said before running out of the room.
"Attack me?!" Willow whelped slumping into the couch with a defeated expression.
"Don't worry, a reaper usually really need to starve to do such a thing. But don't go around bleeding all over, the scent of a companion is like putting a child in a candy store for reapers and not expect them to want a taste," Fahima said the last with a serious tone. "It is against the rules to touch another reapers companion without permission, but still we don't need to tempt faith." She said reassuringly, though at this point it didn't help. What Fahima was saying was that Willow now basically was a walking candy store surrounded by kids that may or may not keep their fingers to themselves, depending on the fact if they respect the rules and Jack.
I'm gonna get killed before my seventeen birthday Willow thought when Aina entered the room with Darlia who held Jack in a tight grasp around his forearm.
"How dare you put Willow through this Jack, you should know better than this," Darlia hissed, pushing him down into a couch beside Willow. He looked anywhere but Willow, but it was clear from where she sat his eyes was extremely darker than when she had met him, meaning it hasn't been all in her head. The peppermint scent emanating from him was nearly suffocating, and the gnawing hunger was stronger as he shifted in the couch under everyone's stare. Not to mention the something that made her shiver, and not of fear when he glanced at her. "You need to feed, Jack, and when I am done with my papers, we will get it done so I can supervise. Until then Willow, I think you should go to your room and wait on us. Rest of you just go on with your night." She said with a softer tone when she addressed Willow who just nodded.
When Willow walked past Jack she saw a frantic look in his eyes before it went back to a blank expression.
As she entered the hallway with her room she saw Jack leaning against his door, clearly waiting for her.
"Let's get this over with, I can't wait on Darlia to finish,"
Using his back, he pushed the door open, signaling for her to enter. Feeling uncertain, she stepped into his room as he closed the door behind them. He moved towards his bed, his tension even more palpable than hers. As she glanced around, she took a hesitant step forward, her focus returning to Jack, whose posture seemed even more rigid than her own.
"Shouldn't we wait for Darlia? She said we should, I think we should." Willow babbled.
"I waited all day, trying to find a way to ease you into the idea. Which was stupid cause now I'm beyond hungry." He sat down and looked at her.
Willow knew it would come, he had been blunt about him needing blood. But she still felt scared and nervous, she had listened a lot of books about vampires. Even though he was a reaper she imagined it happened kind of the same way, when it came to feeding. Meaning excruciating pain for her.
"I'm sure if we ask Jane she will be willing to loan you some blood." she said nervously, tucking at her hair while her eyes darted around the room not able to look at him.
"I'm sure she will, but she's not my pet. And I can't drink from anybody else than my pet, that's kind of the deal with having a pet and the soul bond. Your blood will be stronger and better. But like I said, I won't be able to drink from anybody but you, so Jane won't work" he said patting the unmade bed.
" is it possible we can not do it on the bed? Feel like I'm part of a bad horror movie trying to be romantic" she clutched the pendant, forcing her hand away from her hair and let it fall shivering to her side.
"Whatever rocks your boat, was just trying to make it easier for you" Jack nonchalantly shrugged, though his strain was evident. He was clearly pushing his limits, attempting not to alarm her with his careful movements as he neared her. Stepping closer, he came up behind her, delicately brushing her hair aside with gentle fingers. "Don't worry, I've done this plenty of times. Nobody has died from it yet," his lips brushed against her skin as he spoke, his movements causing the velvet ribbon to shift. The words were meant to be reassuring, and as his lips traced over the tender flesh of her neck and he nibbled hesitantly, she shivered. Willow's body tensed, bracing for the pain she expected as his teeth sank into her skin. However, when the bite came, it brought forth a different sensation, one that filled Willow's mind with a surprising feeling.
Arousal.
she gasped slightly as she automatically leaned back against him. Jack held her shivering body close as a moan escaped her lips, while the sensation ran through every nerve in her body like lightning.
" holy death you taste more delicious than I imagined," he growled against her neck, as his fangs graced the soft skin. "Such a delicate little neck, I almost feel like I'm gonna break it if I'm not careful." He whispered with a slurred voice. But Willow didn't hear his voice, she was too caught up with the feeling rushing through her body, while her fingers clutched his shirt behind her, holding him in place.
His teeth dug into her neck once more leaving her moaning his name softly. She didn't know what came over her, and she didn't know how to make it stop. If she even wanted it too, she had never felt anything like this, pure desire to be embraced, devoured. It terrified her and excited her at the same time.
She caught their reflection in the window and saw blood smeared around his mouth, but the blood red eyes is what pulled her out of the trance-like state she was in. Pulling away she spun around abruptly to look at him with wide eyes, pressing against the wound on her neck.
He smiled at her, and Willow saw she had painted Jack's straight white teeth's with her blood as he moved closer with his eyes still red.
"Get-get away from me!" She cried out, scrambling back into the window. He stopped up and put his hands up as he took a step back.
"Willow relax. My eyes turn red when I feed because of the blood getting into my system, and the aphrodisiacs effect you're feeling is from my spit. It helps in making the humans more willing to let us drink from them." His pupils was completely dilated, and kept falling back on her neck. " I get something you get something kind of deal, I just get more out of it as I also feel what you feel because of our link, and with the blood kick. Blood is like getting high on the good stuff." he chuckled hoarsely, scratching his neck with a raspy voice. His breath came out whooshed ragingly as his body slowly leveled out as if he remembered the feeling of her arousal mixing with his own from the blood.
So he could feel my arousal like he felt my fear Willow thought, her cheeks flushing red as she tried to get her fast beating heart under control.
"Why do you even need blood? It doesn't make any sense!" She winched feeling no pain from the wound, but another feeling still lingered in her body as she felt the cold glass help on the heat blazing in her body.
"I'm dead, but my heart still beats. Slower but still, I need blood for my heart to keep beating. But since I can't create more blood myself and I do get hurt and loose blood at times I need blood from others, or I will drain out and become a withering corpse in a corner you can use for Halloween decoration" he grinned licking his lips as if he's trying to taste her as his fangs vanished. "And blood is our food source, I can eat normal food but it doesn't do anything for me like sleeping doesn't."
She felt herself shiver, remembering his touch against her skin. Willow had never felt anything like it. Jack eyes landed on her neck again, but his eyes turned back to normal with a few blinks, before he spun around and walked into the bathroom. She stood there, shivering, unsure what to do when he came back. He walked towards her and she sent him a 'don't you dare' look and he froze. Opening his hand he revealed a bandage and her shoulders eased up and she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.
Reaching towards her she laid her trembling hand in his and he carefully led her over to the bed. Her knees buckled underneath her the second he guided her to sit down and she looked up at him, feeling that burning sensation from where his hands had been seconds ago.
"That feeling... Will it be like that every time?" She whispered, rubbing her arm where she could still feel the now simmering heat his touch had left.
"Yeah, sorry" He said, wiping the blood of her neck, softly, before placing the bandage. " I'm sorry for putting you in this situation." He mumbled underneath his breath, so softly she hardly caught it.
What have I gotten myself into she wondered nervously, looking at him. Blinking rapidly to keep the tears from spilling she felt herself wish her mom was here, she would know what to do and help her understand why she was feeling what she did.
His eyes followed her every move, like he was afraid of her reaction.
"Jane!" He hollered, making Willow wince of surprise. Jane came rushing in and bowed shortly, like if she had waited right outside the door while her cold eyes laid on Willow the whole time. "Get Fahima" he said not taking his eyes of Willow.