Infected Blood

Chapter Eight

He was incredibly hot, I never would've recognized him as a childhood friend if it weren't for the previous realization. I remember him as a short, scrawny twig, long hair and nasty clothes.

But now...

He's just taller, more muscular, and he finally clipped his hair! It's not buzzed but it's perfect curly length. I know I shouldn't think these things out of respect for my best friend but holy s**t- he's so hot.

"Did you want to change?" He snapped me out of my trance, I blinked and noticed he has bagged clothes in the place he changed. They were female clothes and my heart dropped... Liliana...

I swallowed the lump in the throat and went behind the curtain, shutting it and shifting back- changing then coming out and he just stared at me.

"You're-" he stopped himself, looking at the floor then back at me and changing the topic, "so tell me... what was your experience like? Tell me how you managed to leave your brother there without remorse. I've got to say Kate, that's cold. They don't call us cold blooded for nothing," he laughed lightly, my face dropped yet I sighed.

"We're serpents, we don't mourn- we accept and move on. We were both taken but Tiago wasn't going to hurt me, he hasn't once, so he used my brother and kept him shackled to the floor. He tried to torture him right in front of me! What kind of sick bastard does that? So I kissed his beta to stop it but Tiago grew furious at me from that, he wasn't-"

"You're playing with fire," he yelped out, interrupting my story, "poisoning his beta like that, how did he not kill you?"

That's when I was stumped, thinking back at the moment we kissed and remembering Marco being perfectly fine- besides Tiago hurting him.

"His beta didn't die, Draco... nothing happened except the wrath of the Alpha," I said slowly, watching as he almost bugged out from his sitting position once more.

"Kate!" He flipped out, shaking me back and forth, "that's just not possible! Wolves don't survive that, literally no creature can!"

I shook my head in agreement, "so he's not a wolf... that's what you're saying?"

"Yes! Either your venom wasn't harmful when you were dying or the Alpha's little pet seems to be hiding something from him..." He trailed off, a train of thought ran through his mind and I gasped, we shared eye contact.

"Unless Marco is a serpent living among the wolves," I said, Draco smirked at me and we jumped up.

"There's only one way to find out," he replied, the both of us sharing a look and I smirked- beating him to the answer.

"Chlorine."

With that, we rushed out of the cave and raced each other to the outside of the woods. Shoving each other back and forth, we continued to run when we reached a sidewalk and made it downtown.

We laughed the whole way, but mine died the minute I realized where we were.

My house was right in front of us, my heart was in pain at the sight of it- it looks so abandoned without a soul inside. Draco noticed because he followed my line of sight and frowned, taking my hand and pulling me to it.

Inside, we looked around and everything was just the way I left it. It was awful because I couldn't stop thinking of Joey... then I saw a letter on the table.

I walked over to it, grabbing and reading it aloud so Draco could hear.

"Kate... I don't know where you are yet, but I'm coming to find you. I have a suspicion that it is that damn Alpha again, I knew we should've left and I never should've left you here alone. He's insane, mated wolves go insane. Crazy how you might never see this yet I'm still writing it- with hope maybe you just ran to the store or something! You're stupid enough to do that... you never listen. I'm hoping it's not that f*****g Tiago Fleur! There's something you should know in case I never find you, if I die trying that is," I read, my heart dropped and Draco looked as if he realized something bad, "it says I have to turn it over-"

He ripped it from my hands just as I turned over the paper and finished my sentence, panic was clear on his features, "don't," he said, swallowing hard and my worry only shot up.

What were they hiding?

"Come on, Draco, he left me that note so I could read it! He wants me to know," I said, trying to take the paper but he raised it above my head and I couldn't reach it from his height, "this isn't a game anymore, I have to know what he said! Give me the damn paper!"

My frustration and anger were growing as he hid the truth from me.

What are they not telling me?

The answer to my questions are on the back of that paper and Draco won't give it to me!

"I'm just not sure it's a good idea that you know," Draco said, it only fueled my anger more, "you're not stable enough right now so how about we just go get some chlorine like we were and-"

I finally snatched the paper from his grip, quickly reading it and he took the paper but it was too late. I had already read what he was trying to hide and my whole world went frozen. It felt like I wasn't in my own body, my chest felt like someone took an axe to it and I felt so lied to- so betrayed...

I breathed in shakily, my feelings caught up to me and I was overwhelmed with frustration and guilt- tears flooded my face and I couldn't stop thinking about the words on the paper.

We attacked first.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I screamed, pushing Draco into the lamp and he stumbled in silence, "I can't believe you guys kept this from me! This is huge! I've been on the wrong side this whole time! My whole life I believed they turned on us- not us turning on them! We started this war! This is our fault! Tiago's not the bad guy you've led me to believe- I am, we are!"

He gulped, looking upset with me, "Kate, Joey thought it was best because if you knew the truth they would've killed you for trying to reason. You were too young at the time. Besides, you're one of us, that changes nothing! They see you the same as the rest of us, a cold killer!"

I punched him in the jaw, breathing heavy as tears flowed down my face, "I need the whole truth! Now!"

He recovered from my punch and pinned my hands back before I threw another, staring me down intensely, "as long as you keep your hands to yourself."

I reluctantly agreed and we made our way to the couch, taking a seat and he tried to place his hand on mine to calm me but I swatted him away each time.

After realizing I wasn't giving in, he sighed.

"Your parents craved the power and respect Tiago's parents had, so we turned on them. Tiago's parents had no issue with our ruthless ways, there was peace until Joey and your father killed them- the two wolves who were the most feared and powerful at the time. Their pack was laughed at for awhile, a year before they went unheard, as we were the top for that time. Everyone thought their pack broke without a leader. That's when we destroyed any peace the wolves and serpents had but no serpent cared... we loved it too much, your parents loved it. Little did they know, they should've killed that little boy... cause he got older, stronger, smarter..." he paused, looking dead at me, "that boy kept a low profile until he was sixteen- four years later, he struck back at us- unexpectedly taking his revenge."

"By killing us all," I breathed, Draco nodded slowly and I felt my stomach churn.

He was just defending himself... he was only twelve, the amount of anger and depression he must've went through because of his parents death, it had to be unbearable. What else was he supposed to do? He didn't have much of a choice... he was just a lonely kid.

"Tiago himself took out your parents, no help at all, that sixteen year old boy took their life without any remorse or hesitation. That child was broken in ways beyond repair after that day. I seen him look them down with a blank stare as the life drained from their eyes, then your brother was brave enough to go after him- they fought and the only hit your brother ever managed to throw on him was a singular scratch... that's the only reason Joey escaped. Your parents were too hungry for power, that costed the ones who survived to live in constant fear. Just like us."

"His eye- Tiago's scar, that was Joey! It looked so painful..." I frowned, thinking of how nasty it looked but then I remembered how Tiago had Joey in shackles currently.

No wonder they seemed like they had strange tension... they knew each other this whole time but must've just recently recognized it! Well, Joey had to have known from the start judging by his behavior when we first encountered the wolves. Who could forget that awful scar? I'm sure Joey noticed it immediately... but it seems to have taken Tiago awhile to realize, he probably did right after I told him what we were though.

There's no way he's still alive now that Tiago knows who we are and remembers what Joey did that day, all hope drained from my body at the realization. I thought he did this out of the cruelty of his heart... not for revenge.

My brothers dead.

He watched me grimace but continued, "Tiago thought we all died. Nobody dared mess with that pack ever again and everyone who ever laughed at him was killed, he wiped out every pack who mocked his parents death in the blink of an eye. Then when you told me he refused to hurt you, even after figuring out what you are, I now have slight hope you can restore the peace. Change his mind about us, allow us to recreate our population! Make new history..."

I frowned, the sick feeling in my stomach made me almost throw up, "how are you going to recreate the serpent population without a girl? It's only me and yo-"

I cut myself off, looking at him when I came to the point he was trying to ask.

"No. Draco, no! Tiago won't accept that- hell, I'm not carrying your children! I don't care how desperate you are to bring back our species, neither of us would agree to that!" I said, he almost frowned at my words.

"Either way, you need to convince him... he won't kill you, he has a soft spot for you whether you'd like to admit it or not. He always has... use it to your advantage, Kate, and take him down if he doesn't agree," he said, taking my hand in his and every muscle in my body wanted to pull away but I just couldn't.

"No, he doesn't deserve that... I think he's dealt with enough. He doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of and used, no matter what he did in retaliation... it was defense! He was just a kid, I'm not doing that," I mumbled, pulling my hand away and standing up- Draco doing the same, "but what do you mean he always has?"

"There's one thing I left out," he said, pulling me into a hug and I breathed calmly to contain anger, "when he attacked, he went looking for your parents but found you in your room..."

He didn't have to continue, the memory came back to me after so long- I never could've remembered it but it all came back to me so suddenly that his words fell upon deaf ears.

"Lilly! It's your turn!" I giggled, she was frowning at me and a bang was heard. It startled the both of us.

"Hide- now! I'm going to find Draco!" She said, fear was written all over her features but she put me in the closet. Lilliana was only a year older but she was always so brave... at fifteen, I inspired to be like her. For a fifteen year old, she was incredibly strong and fearless.

I heard her exit the room but it wasn't long until a blood curdling scream crossed my ears and I broke down into sobs. The scream was silenced and my cries were the only noise, even when the door opened I couldn't stop.

My best friend was just murdered...

The closet door whipped open, my presence was revealed and the guy pulled me out kicking and screaming- choking on my tears, "n-no, please, don't!"

I was laying on my back, he was standing over me like he was about to hurt me but stopped and squatted down then pulled me into a sitting position- our faces were so close and his aqua eyes seemed to stop my tears.

The guy didn't speak, he just stared at me.

His hand held my face, his fingers running along my jaw and his other hand wiped the remaining tears. That's when he decided to speak, "leave and never come back, I'll only tell you once. If I see you again don't be so confident I'll let you go, but I'd run if I were you..."

My fear slowly subsided, he released me and stood up- walking away without another word.

I don't know how long I was laying here but Joey ran into my room, picking me up and taking me away from the house.

"We can't stay here, this isn't our house anymore. The wolves turned on us..." he said, his words went through my mind as I watched my home grow farther and farther.

Little did I know that was the beginning of the end of my life.