Lola was gasping for air. Even though the room was massive, the windows were open, and nothing was lodged in her throat, she still couldn't seem to catch a breath. It was as though an invisible hand was wrapped around her throat, squeezing it tighter until black dots formed in her vision.
"Lola!"
She saw through her blurry vision how Ash stumbled back. Someone came up in front of her. He held her shoulders and slowly sat down on the floor with her.
"Breathe!" He dragged his fingers through her hair, pinning her head back as he tried to see her face.
Her face was turning red from lack of oxygen.
"For fuck's sake, Lola, you need to breathe!"
"Should I not have told her? Whoops!" Ash laughed, walking to the table.
"Look at me. You're okay. You're not dying. You can breathe. Feel the air, Lola." He moved her hair away and lifted her face. "Feel the air going in your nose, down your windpipe, and feel your lungs expanding. Don't think about anything other than the next step of the next breath."
A tear was falling from her eye. Jax pressed his thumb against her cheek, wiping it away.
"One breath," he said.
Jax watched as Lola breathed in shakily through her nose. The panic hadn't settled. Her eyes squeezed shut.
"No, no, look at me. Open your eyes." He nodded and breathed with her. "One breath," he repeated.
Lola breathed in. She felt her lungs expanding, and then she breathed out through her mouth.
The air fanned Jax's cheek. He closed his eyes for a second. The feeling touched his nerves, engulfing his senses and bringing him closer to the moment.
"Good. One more," he said and shook off the feelings that started to spread in his heart.
Lola took one more breath. And then another. With each breath, it got easier, and soon, the shaking stopped.
"I want to go home," she whispered.
Jax's jaw clicked as he pressed his teeth together. This hadn't been his plan. He never wanted her to hurt like this.
He looked past Lola and saw his parents sitting with their food in front of them. They were eating, talking like nothing had happened.
"Come on," he said and helped her up on her feet. "I'll take you home." Jax's promise caught their attention, and his mother stood from her chair.
"Jax," she said sternly.
He turned with Lola on his arm. Their eyes locked in a fierce battle for dominance. Jax pulled Lola closer and started walking out.
"Think about her safety," Mrs. Blackwood called out.
Jax stopped. His head slowly turned, and he looked down at Lola. She shook her head.
"No, please take me home," she breathed.
Jax was conflicted. He didn't want to hurt or scare her, but he also needed her to be safe.
They knew they had a problem in town, but they didn't know the source of it.
"The vampires were after her. They will try again, and we need to know why," his father said.
"Jax, please," Lola begged.
He licked his lips and turned to face her.
"Tell me why they were after you," he said.
Lola pulled her shoulders up to her ears, her hands twitched, and she looked around the room.
"I don't know," she said defeatedly. " I have no clue why they were after me. I don't know why they bit Melissa. I don't know anything, but please, please let me go." She saw the answer in his eyes. Her feet moved her back, but even though she could run or hide in this big house, she knew she couldn't escape them. She couldn't escape him. Jax wasn't going to let her go. Not until he got what he wanted. Maybe if she helped him find that, she would be released.
"They're right. It's safer if you stay." He stepped back, raised his head, and crossed his arms over his chest. "But I won't force you to. You're free to leave if you'd like. I could drive you home, and fix your door," he said and glared at Ash. "And leave you there. But you need to know the dangers of that choice. If they come back, I won't be there. You'll be on your own, or even worse, you'll be with Melissa. Neither of you stand a chance against vampires."
Lola narrowed her eyes. "And you do?" she asked.
Ash chuckled from the other room.
They were listening to the conversation as though waiting for a good moment to drop an even bigger bomb. Lola waited. The ticking noise in her head quickened.
"How do you stand a chance against vampires and I don't?" she asked again.
Her head fell to the side in question. Her eyes flickered to the floor as memories played in her mind. "You asked me about that night as though you already knew what had happened. Because you did know. How?" she asked.
The questions were piling up. Jax was standing stiff as a statue, not one emotion visible on his stoic face.
"Jax, how did you know about that night?" She stepped closer. The rage was returning, shutting out the fear and the worry.
"Because I was there," he said.
"Someone saved us. That was you?"
He nodded.
"And you were able to fight the vampires because..." She gulped. "Because you are one?"
They all laughed in the other room. Mrs. Blackwood snarled, clearly offended by the insinuation.
"Vampires are nasty creatures, bloodsucking monsters with no redeeming qualities," she said.
"Take away bloodsucking monsters, and I'd think you were describing the upper class." Lola snarled.
Mrs. Blackwood wasn't amused even if her son forced back a laugh.
"I'm guessing you're not vampires then?"
Jax shook his head.
"Words would be much more effective than a head shake," she seethed.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Jax asked.
Lola didn't answer. She had to think about it. Did she really want to know? Either she lived oblivious to knowing the truth, going along with what he said, hoping he'd let her go. Or she'd wake up and face reality.
"I do," she said.
"We're fast. We hunt. Our kind is one with nature. We're werewolves, Lola."
People could only handle so much before they felt like they were losing their minds. This was the last straw for Lola.
She backed away as far back as she could before she hit a wall. Her hands felt what was behind her, and she jumped around. Ash smirked as he stood in front of her.
"Don't freak out," he said calmly.
Lola turned, Jax was standing there, only inches away on her other side. She was trapped between them.
"Let the vampires take me, take me home. I don't care," she said and ran for the door.
Just as she reached out to grab the handle, someone took hold of her wrist.
"Jax?" she breathed and looked into the room she had left him in. "Not possible," she whispered.
She remembered his speed in her apartment. The loud noises that came from him, the growling. The strength, speed, the door flying off its hinges.
"No," she breathed and felt the walls start to spin.