3. Walk

Having called off work, Warden headed over to the pet store first thing in the morning. It was closed since it was only eight, but he wasn't there at that moment to go inside. He walked past the building and moved down the small alley beside it.

Ah ha.

The emergency exit sign flickered above a steel door that clearly opened from the store. With a slight grin, he turned on his heels and walked back out, then down the street to a small diner. Drake was already seated and scarfing down a plate of artery-clogging bacon, sausage, ham, and eggs. Needless to say, the portion alone, even while half-eaten, was more than most humans would be able to intake during a full day. Let alone the heart problems that might occur afterward if they somehow managed to.

Shaking his head, Warden slid into the booth, ordering an orange juice and the pancake breakfast special when a waitress walked over. When his food came out minutes later and he'd taken a few bites, he set his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Alright. I found one emergency exit in the alley on the side of the building."

Drake nodded after finishing the last few bites of egg on his place, then focused his attention on the remaining bacon. Warden took a bite of his pancake, then a sip of his drink before continuing.

"The store should be open in about thirty minutes or so. I want to get this over with quickly. Let's get him in the break room after checking inside that there are no cameras. If he refuses to leave, we just snap his neck and leave the dust."

For some reason, his stomach twisted slightly at the idea, unsettling the food he'd already eaten and making him push his plate toward Drake. The lycan didn't seem to catch his discomfort, however, because he hurriedly dug into the remaining pancakes with vigor.

He's just a young vampire. Don't get emotional because of his interesting looks.

"You ready, War?" Drake said, snapping him out of his thoughts. The food he'd pushed in front of the lycan was already gone, the plate licked clean.

I don't know where he puts it. Warden mused to himself as he stood, tossing a twenty and a ten on the table before following Drake out. It was a nice overcast day and the temperature felt like it was hovering somewhere around seventy, perhaps even a bit lower.

"Here we are. You ready?" Drake asked.

Warden gave a slight nod before they stepped inside. Only one other shopper seemed to be visible as they headed for the back area. At first they didn't see more than one employee, a girl getting the rabbits ready and in their little pen, but then Drake froze near a small door in the back corner by the restrooms. His head tilted back slightly and he sniffed, then smirked.

The break room then. He thought as Drake pressed an ear to the door. When he leaned back up and nodded, Warden grabbed the handle and shoved the door open. They stepped inside quickly, then shut and locked the door before turning. Cerat stood behind a small circular table, a large container of spinach sitting in front of him. He had a fistful of it in his hand, which he promptly let drop to the floor when he saw them.

After a brief glance around, Drake nodded to Warden. There were no cameras.

"Hello again, Cerat." Warden said, stepping forward nonchalantly.

Cerat didn't bother moving, Warden figured it was mainly because Drake was approaching from the other side. There was no getting away.

When they stopped in front of him, Drake grabbed his arms and forced them behind his back, holding him still. Warden waited until he was restrained completely, then leaned over and carefully slid his finger between Cerat's slightly shivering lips. Pressing down on his lower teeth, he forced Cerat to open his mouth. He reached in with his other hand once there was enough space, he gently massaged one of Cerat's upper incisors, watching with a grin as it began to slowly lengthen to a sharp point.

He heard the young man whimper, but he had a job to do. Licking his lower lip as he focused, Warden pressed his thumb against the fang, waiting until he felt it puncture his skin. Then he watched. He knew the reaction a vampire had to blood like the back of his hand, so when Cerat's eyes began to dilate and a low growl sounded from his throat, he grinned. He removed his hands, allowing Cerat to close his mouth as Warden licked his bloody finger, eyes narrowed on the guy.

"You have two choices. Leave this city now, or die. We don't accept your kind." Warden said as Drake tightened his hold, hoping to add a little incentive. It definitely scared the guy, who hadn't gotten the chance to slip on the hoodie draped over the back of a chair to his left yet, leaving his ghostly features completely exposed. That easily allowed them to read his expressions.

"But I don't drink blood!" He tried to shout, but ended up sounding more like a mouse trying to stand up to a lion. Warden just lifted his pricked finger and raised an eyebrow.

"You shoved your finger in my mouth. I don't want blood." Cerat tried, sounding desperate as he struggled against Drake, but it was futile. He was easily strong enough to hold him.

"What? You think spinach will sustain you? You are a vampire, not a rabbit, Cerat." Warden replied with a glare at the container of spinach. That at least answered why they hadn't smelled blood on him, but spinach? It could not keep him healthy forever.

Wait. Realization hit him like a truck as he stared openly at the young man.

His hair and his eyes. And his extremely cold skin and overall pale complexion...

"You're already dying." Warden whispered, drawing a surprised look from Drake. When Cerat just pursed his lips and looked down, Warden knew that he was right.

"Fuck." He spat as he turned and stalked out of the room suddenly. After a minute he heard Drake running after him, but didn't stop until he was outside.

"War! What the hell, man? We can't just leave him in there." Drake said, panting quietly as they started walking down the street at a fast pace. When Warden didn't respond Drake grabbed his arm and yanked him into an alley near the end of the block.

"Dude! Pull yourself together! So he's killing himself, that doesn't change our job!" Drake growled, obviously frustrated.

Warden shook his head, stalking in a circle before he turned back to his friend.

"I know! Dammit. What the hell kind of vampire chooses a slow, likely painful death, over drinking blood?" He grumbled, unable to understand it. He hardly ever had trouble understanding something, yet here was a vampire that went against the basic rule of all vampires. They drank blood. They were dangerous. They didn't eat a container of fucking spinach for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

"While it's interesting to see your in-control self frustrated for once instead of me, you need to get a grip. If you can't kill him, I will. Or we can call the higher-ups and they can take care of him."

The thought of getting someone else involved, someone that would have no qualms about removing Cerat, made Warden's stomach protest.

"No. No, let's just... let's go back. He'll leave. I know he'll leave if we tell him to." He stated, nodding as if it would make what he said automatically come true. Shrugging, Drake followed him as Warden walked back to the store. They both were surprised to see that Cerat hadn't left the break room to  try and get away from them before they returned. But then again, Warden wasn't even sure the guy was healthy enough to run much.

Cerat was sitting at the table and a good portion of the spinach that had been remaining before they'd left was now gone. He was chewing a good mouthful of it as they walked in, too. His faded ice-grey eyes met Warden's and all he could see in them was worry.

"Get up, Cerat. You're leaving this city." He said, grabbing the young man's sweatshirt and tugging it over his head. Cerat got his arms into the sleeves but left the hood up to cover some of his face.

"We're going to walk out of here, and a couple of minutes later, you're going to do the exact same thing. I don't care what excuse you give, but if we don't see you outside in five minutes, we'll kill you in here."

Without another word Warden turned and walked out, Drake following him. He could tell by the man's quiet grumbles that he was mad at him, but he couldn't help what he'd done. They waited near the alley by the store, Drake's eyes flicking to his watch every couple of seconds. Time ticked by slowly and all Warden could think about was how Cerat needed to step out of the shop doors, for his own sake, and leave town. The young man's five minutes were almost up when he hesitantly walked out of the building and turned toward them. His head hung as he walked over, stopping only a foot or so from them.

Warden felt a knot in his stomach relax slightly as he settled a hand on Cerat's shoulder and guided him over to his car. Once he was in the back, Warden and Drake got in and Warden got it started. He pulled out into traffic and they headed for the outskirts, only a few blocks away to the west. The entire ride Cerat remained quiet, fiddling with his fingers in his lap, even though they were covered by the overextended cuffs of his too-big hoodie.

When the car finally stopped near a large forest in an empty cul-de-sac, Warden and Drake got out. Cerat took a few moments longer before he appeared from the back and looked around warily. His eyes had a light sheen to them, but Warden refused to pay it any mind as he pointed to the woods.

"Go. If you come back, you will be killed."

They stood, watching as Cerat slowly backed away from them toward the forest. He didn't look like he was afraid of Warden's threat, but more of leaving the city behind.

"There is another town fifty miles to the west. They may let you stay there." Warden offered, though he wasn't sure if he was right or not. Last he checked they allowed a few vampires in, but their rules could have changed.

Instead of turning and walking into the forest like the other vampires that they'd evicted had done, Cerat just frowned and sat down near the line of trees.

What the hell are you doing? Warden though as he looked sideways at Drake. The man wore a similarly confused expression as he eyed the guy, then looked at Warden. Without voicing a word to each other, they walked over to Cerat. The young man's eyes widened and he shrank back against the tree behind him.

Just get him to move out of our sight, then we can leave. Warden told himself as he knelt down, intent on telling Cerat to do just that. Drake, however, spoke first, cutting off Warden's thoughts and making him refocus on what his best friend was saying.

"Why aren't you heading toward the other city?"

It was a simple question, and likely one he should have asked if he wasn't stressing out so badly about getting the guy out of sight. Cerat hugged his legs, which he'd drawn up in front of him. His forehead also dropped to rest on top of his knees, leaving them to stare at the hood of his sweatshirt.

"I can't walk for very long. I pass out." He said just loud enough for them to hear.

Drake's jaw fell slightly, and Warden's wasn't far behind. A vampire who couldn't walk? Shaking his head, Drake leaned forward, slipping a hand beneath the hood of Cerat's sweatshirt to rest against his cheek.

"How long have you been a vampire?" Drake asked as Warden watched the interaction carefully. It looked like Cerat was actually leaning into the touch. Not that Warden could blame him. He had to be several degrees colder than a normal vampire judging from the few times they'd touched, yet he was still walking around. It was honestly amazing, though he clearly craved Drake's above-average lycan temperature.

"Three months," Cerat finally answered, already sounding tired.

Three months? That can't be right.

"You mean three years, right? Newborns aren't let out of their sire's sight until at least three years old. They're uncontrollable." Warden said, sure that Cerat had just made a mistake and meant years instead of months.

"I almost killed someone when he first left me alone... four days after changing me."

Drake flinched, darting a glance sideways at Warden. He had nothing to say to his friend, though. He was just as shocked. Four days. His sire left after four damn days?  It was unfathomable. Cerat should be dead, or at least blood-crazed. He should be a serial killer, unable to control himself.

"Yet you're here... eating iron-rich spinach to try and stay alive." Drake said quietly as he slipped his free hand beneath Cerat's hood to press against his other cheek, warming his chilled skin slightly. The young man immediately sighed with relief, but Drake fidgeted, obvious disturbed by the extreme cold seeping into his palms.

"My friend. I almost killed her that night. I don't know how, but I managed to stop. To get her to a hospital just in time. I waited in the area for several days until I saw her being wheeled out in a chair. It hurt to see her looking so weak. It hurt so much. And to think that I had done it..."

He paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath. It caught Warden's attention, but considering Cerat didn't drink blood and therefore didn't get oxygen from it, he obviously would have to breathe at some point.

"I couldn't stomach blood after that. I knew that I needed it. I wasn't stupid. I knew what I'd become. But each time I fed on something like a stray cat or deer, I'd lose myself and accidentally kill it, then throw up everything I'd drank."

His arms tightened around his knees and his shoulders drooped.

"I honestly didn't think I would live on spinach for long, and I've been feeling worse and worse. I lost my hair color and my eyes are almost completely grey. No longer as blue as the sky... as dad used to say."

When neither of them replied, Cerat lifted his head, allowing them to finally see his fading eyes and pale complexion.

"Can you make it stop? Please?" He begged, tears slowly trickling down to leave wet paths against his pale skin.

His eyes showed so much pain. He had somehow managed to hide it beforehand, but not any longer. It was all Warden could see in them. There was no more excitement about adopted bunnies and interesting lizards.

"Yes." Warden finally whispered, sitting himself down on the grass before he opened his arms to Cerat. The young man didn't hesitate to fall into his embrace, clearly eager for some kind of relief. Even if it ended his life.

"I've got you." Warden whispered as soothingly as he could manage as he gently pushed Cerat's hood back, revealing his chalk-white hair and thin, pale neck. Drake appeared behind Cerat a moment later, his strong hands gently settling against either side of the young man's neck.

"We'll take away the pain." He said quietly.

While Warden knew that Drake meant to break Cerat's neck, or, in all honesty, completely decapitate him so that he couldn't heal from the injury and would dissolve into dust, he couldn't stop himself from thinking of his own way to end Cerat's pain... in a non-fatal fashion. Unfortunately, it wasn't something he should do, yet his hand refused to stop on its route to his own neck. His nails slowly sharpened enough so that the small scratch he gave himself a moment later drew blood.

Immediately Drake snarled and Cerat stilled. Warden quickly wrapped his arms back around the young man just in time to keep him from being able to retreat.

"I can't!" Cerat half-cried as he struggled uselessly in Warden's arms.

You aren't even as strong as a human right now.

"We can control you." He said, instead of what he was thinking.

Lifting one hand, Warden gently slid his fingers into Cerat's soft hair and pressed against the back of his head until it began to lower toward the slight injury.

"It will help you with your pain, and I promise you that you will not cause me any harm." Warden said calmly, trying to ease Cerat's clear hesitance.

"I-I'll throw up. I can't drink blood." He said, but Warden refused to listen.

"Try. Just once. If you can't stomach it, then I'll let Drake take your life the most painless way possible."

He had no idea what he was honestly doing trying to goad a vampire into biting him, let alone a newborn three month old one, yet he didn't relax his pressure on the back of Cerat's head until he felt the young man's fangs awkwardly puncture his skin. It hurt, which was to be expected considering Cerat hadn't been given any kind of help from his sire in learning how to control the numbing agent in his saliva that normally came with practice, but what made Warden far more nervous than the little bit of throbbing pain as Cerat began to drink, was the look of frustration and anger that was clear as day on Drake's face. There was also another emotion mixed between the two, but Warden was too focused on making sure that Cerat was comfortable, and rubbing his back in slow soothing circles, to bother trying to decipher it.