Luciano

Chapter 29

Axel and I walked down the path with many others surrounded around us. We walked past numerous small stores and I couldn't help but glance up at Axel. 

He walked with his hands tucked into his pockets and a small smile on his face. I could see the excitement in him as he walked with a slight bounce, the idea of finding vampires clearly something he looked forward to. 

"Where are we going?" I asked as I only followed him aimlessly. 

He glanced down at me and gave me a grin. 

"Just follow me," he purred in a hush. 

I felt a small feeling of nervousness sitting in the pit of my stomach. My mind kept wondering off to Luciano and I couldn't help but think about how he'd feel or react if he were to return and see that I wasn't anywhere to be found.

I guess this was a bad habit of mine. I felt strange doing something Luciano said not to do.

Perhaps guilt. 

However I knew that I should also be feeling unsafe. I knew that every second I was beside Axel, everything would be unpredictable. But even though I gave a lot of thought to it, my mind and bodies natural response did not feel fright with him. 

The further we walked, the more isolated the stores became. There were evidently less people who shopped or walked around this part but there were still a couple of people walking in and out as inevitably, the people who lived on this side were closest to these stores. 

As we neared a dead end side street that led behind a concrete wall to a store, Axel linked his arm in mine and proceeded to take a left. 

He started to casually whistle and abruptly halted while gasping. 

"Oh my," he said, sounding shocked, "-what is going on here?" 

Ahead, was two young men crouched over what seemed to be a female body. One held the woman up by her head, buried into her neck, while the other sat opposite with her wrist to his mouth. 

Upon Axel and I's intrusion, the one with his head buried into her neck, flung his head back and fangs out, letting out a deep breath. 

He had black hair, with a buzzed hair cut and narrowed his eyes as he looked between Axel and I. The other one only raised his eyes to look at us, as he continued to suck on the woman's wrist. 

They seemed to know that Axel was one of them. They didn't seem shocked or surprised but rather, greedy and protective of their meal. 

I couldn't help but blankly and openly stare at the body they were crouched by. The woman looked completely lifeless and pale, and didn't show any signs of life. 

I felt my stomach twirl with disgust. 

"Tsk tsk," Axel said, sounding disappointed, "-How very and utterly disgusting. Is that anyway to treat a lady?" 

He was not one to talk. 

The man with the buzz cut grunted.

"Move it or lose it." He said in a lowly raspy voice. 

"Hm?" Axel hummed in response, his grin widening, eyes sparkling, "-I'll play if you'll play," he purred. 

The man dropped the woman's head he was holding and slowly stood up. His eyes suddenly cut to mine and I watched as he looked me up and down. 

"Nah," he said, eyes still on me as he licked his lips, "-but I'll take your meal off your hands."

I felt Axel's arm suddenly unlink from mine and felt his arm roughly wrap around my waist as he harshly pulled me into him, making me take a sharp unexpected breath.