C6 Six

He looked at me with a visage that held a depth I couldn't quite grasp. He paused briefly before speaking, his voice noticeably filled with regret. "I'm Adrian. Adrian DuMont."

Adrian DuMont. The name struck a chord with me, evoking a flash of reminiscence. It was a name with weight, one that triggered something deep within my memories. But I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before.

He responded the question before I could think more about the mystery surrounding his name. "What about you? Can you tell me your name?"

I paused for a moment, unsure whether to reveal my true identity. But there was something about him, something in the way he looked at me, that made me want to believe his every word. "Lily, Lily McGregor."

Adrian's face lit up with surprise, as if my name meant something. His eyes widened slightly as a flash of recognition passed through them. "Lily McGregor," he said quietly again, as if testing the name on his tongue. "The daughter of the renowned pack hunter, Henry McGregor?"

I nodded, shocked that he recognized my father. "That's my father. How do you...?"

Adrian's eyes looked away, and he seemed sad and lost in old memories. "Your dad and I... we knew each other a long time ago," he said sadly.

I became curious and moved closer, wanting to know more about the things he was hesitating to tell me. If someone knew my father before the pack hunter leader he was now, I'd like to hear the many experiences from his point of view. "What kind of history do you have? What exactly does that mean?" I asked eagerly.

His look pierced through me as his eyes met mine. "There was a time your father and I were allies fighting against a common enemy. However, circumstances changed and our paths diverged. I'm sure he won't be able to recognise me again. Now, I'm also being pursued by people I used to fight beside. They want me dead." He chuckled in a bitter way.

I was confused and had lots of different questions and feelings. My dad had never mentioned anything about being connected to vampires or ever working with them. I wondered if Adrian was telling the truth. And if he was, what could have made them split up?

Adrian's words made me feel uncomfortable. The idea that his own people would turn against him made me really surprised and concerned. Growing up in the grove, we were taught to stick together and always have eachother's back. The thought of chasing after our own like a fugitive was almost impossible to even think about. I get there can be estranged rogues but years have passed, and there's been relative peace and tranquility in our world.

I couldn't understand why his people would do that to him, especially when he seemed less intimidating with me. Maybe that was the reason - they chose him to pick on him. But why? He didn't look all innocent but neither did he look like a criminal or a bad person, so why were they after him? I didn't understand anything.

"Why are they after you? What could you possibly have done to deserve death?" My voice was filled with apprehension as I asked.

Adrian's face was pained, and his eyes were filled with sorrow. "Lily, it's a really long and difficult story to explain. It goes back a long, long time and involves battles and dishonest people. Basically, what I did messed up how things usually are, and the community I belong to sees me as a threat now..."

A knock interrupted our conversation just as Adrian was about to finish. Jaxon waited outside the door, his tall body creating a shadow in the poorly lit room. I quickly proceeded to answer the door, not too grateful for the timely interruption.

"Hey, Lily," Jaxon said as he stepped inside. His gaze scanned the room, pausing on the curtain that shrouded Adrian. "Am I interrupting something?"

I shook my head, trying to hide my anxiety. "No, not at all. Come on in."

Jaxon's worried expression landed on me. "Are you okay? I noticed you were angry when you left the dining area."

I felt like the recent events were making me feel very stressed again, and I sighed. It's not like I could avoid talking about it any longer. "Tyler," I mentioned breathlessly, almost on the brink of tears.

"He…I never thought he would betray me like that."

Jaxon's face stiffened and his eyes narrowed. "Lily, what exactly did he do?"

"He cheated on me," I admitted, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. "I found out he was having an affair behind my back. That day I bumped into you at his party…I saw him with Audrey when I went to give him his…" I looked away and Jaxon cursed under his breath.

I bit my lip, trying my best not to break down in front of him, "It shattered everything we had built. All these freaking years, it was only him for me. I can't even..." I walked back, hinting that I couldn't talk anymore. I didn't want to remember that image.

Jaxon held out his hand, softly caressing my shoulder in an attempt to provide comfort. It was an unusual thing for him to do, and I could sense his discomfort. Nonetheless, I appreciated the attempt.

"I'm sorry, Lily. You deserve better than that," he continued, his voice softly concerned.

I nodded, my eyes welling up with tears. "I know, and I'll move on. But it feels like my world has turned upside down right now."

Jaxon's gaze moved toward the curtain while we started talking more about how I felt. His brow wrinkled and interest piqued. "What's that?"

I followed his eyes, my heart skipping a beat as I realized what he was referring to. Adrian remained hidden behind the curtain, vulnerable to the risk of being caught.

"Uh, it's nothing," I stuttered, trying to deflect his attention. "Just some clothes I was going to put away."

Jaxon narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "Are you sure? It looked like there was someone behind."

Panic gripped me as I realized Jaxon was getting suspicious. I couldn't let him find Adrian; it would put him in danger and my parents would literally kill me.

I took a deep breath, collected all of my acting talents, and put on a brave face. "Jaxon, you're hallucinating. There is no one there."

Jaxon, on the other hand, was tenacious. He walked closer to the curtain, a determined expression on his face. "Don't lie to me, Lily. I can tell when things are not right. Show me what's behind there."

My thoughts raced as I tried to come up with a solution. I stood between Jaxon and the curtain in desperation, obstructing his view. "Please, Jaxon, it's nothing. Just drop it."

He looked at my face with distrust in his eyes. "I can't just let it slide, Lily. Something is going on, and I'm not going to let it go. Show me."

I had a choice to make. I couldn't put Jaxon in danger or break Adrian's trust. But when Jaxon looked at me, I knew I had to tell the truth. It was scary. I knew I just met Adrian but something in me wanted to protect him at all costs. This, was scarier.

My mouth felt heavy with the secret about to come out of it, and my heart beat really fast. I walked slowly towards the curtain, feeling scared the whole time. Just as I was about to touch it, the door suddenly opened and interrupted the intense moment.

"Jaxon, you're needed at the compound," Don said urgently and commandingly. "There's an emergency situation that requires your immediate attention."

Jaxon let out a tired sigh, his suspicions temporarily forgotten. "OK, I'll be there soon. Thanks for informing me."

Jaxon nodded and followed Don out of the room, a final glance in my direction. As the door closed behind them, a rush of relief washed over me. At least for the time being, the close call had been avoided.

Adrian appeared from behind the curtain, and the sight of him sent a flood of emotions through me. "That was too close," he said.

I nodded, my eyes bright with the residual effects of adrenaline. "I know. I can't keep hiding you in my room like this. I've got to tell my people about you."

Adrian's face darkened as a shadow of fear flickered across it. "If you do that, they'll kill me right away." They're not going to accept me."

My resolve grew stronger, and I spoke firmly. "I understand, Adrian, but I'm not going to allow that happen. We'll find a way to keep you safe. You'll have to disguise yourself as one of us."

Adrian's forehead furrowed as he tried to figure out my plan of action. "How am I supposed to do that?"

As I seized command of the situation, a malicious smile formed across my lips. "Leave that to me. I'll take care of everything."

I was about to step aside when his hand caught my wrist and a tingling sensation flowed through my elbow. I looked at him and he was staring into my eyes.

"Lily, I've been running for a long time. I've only hid and ran for as long as I remember. You letting me enter into your home…it's something I can't even accept talk less of thanking you for. You've done enough for me and I thank you for that, but I should go…" He released his hand from mine and turned from me.

I quickly grabbed the hand he used to hold my wrist and he turned to face me, "No. I don't know how you made it to my room through all those guards but I'm sure you won't be able to make it back out alive." I rebutted.

"I didn't have to go through any guards. I was running in the forest and stumbled. Then I woke up and found myself here." He said almost too calmly for my liking. That was very strange. When do people start teleporting and why wasn't I informed?

"You teleported here?" I asked sheepishly and for the first time, he smiled. Everything about this man was ethereal.

"No. It's happened to me before - twice." I slowly let go of his hand and he placed it on his scar, touching it and speaking to me at the same time. 'Those times, I woke up in our world not yours. Though I'm used to this kind of life, it was kind of shocking…but I still need to survive so I don't show my shock. The same way you were surprised to see me, I was also surprised to see you; a werewolf."

This was a whole lot of new information I was hearing and I was loving it. Adrian wasn't just a vampire, he was something more. I could feel it, and I liked what I felt.

He fell his face then sighed, "I'm tired of running but I have no choice."

"I promise you, Adrian. You won't have to run anymore. " He looked at me, "Just trust me, okay?"

I rummaged through my closet, looking for the proper outfit. I got a set of black overalls and gave it to Adrian, instructing him on how to wear it to conceal his obvious vampire body tattoos. I also handed him a jacket because it was getting cold that evening. I colored his hair a vivid crimson with my nimble fingers and gave him contact lenses to hide the original color of his eyes. I then sprayed him with a popular wolf scented perfume to hide his looming vampire scent and handed him a little container containing the residue.

"If anyone asks about your pale skin, tell them you have a rare skin disease that you've had since birth," I said quietly, a light laugh dancing in my voice.

Adrian chuckled, "You really think of everything, don't you?"

I returned his smile, a mess of emotions racing inside of me. "I do my best. It's now time for you to leave." I looked outside the window, "Jump out the window, and I'll pretend I saw you while roaming around the compound."

Adrian's eyes shone with gratitude as he drew me into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much, Lily. I can't put into words how much this means to me."

I paused first then hugged him back. A flood of emotions welled up inside of me as we both drew back slowly. "Be careful out there, Adrian. Trust that we'll figure everything out."

Adrian made up his mind and went out of the window. It was already dark outside, and he disappeared into the night. I felt hopeful but uncertain as I watched him vanish. I whispered a prayer, hoping that he would find safety within my community even though it was too bizarre to think about.

"I really hope this works out."