“What’s wrong with him ” Lia asked Asher when she couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“Venom” Asher answered curtly and turned Dan to his side. He had tore off the guy’s shirt and discovered the veins were all heading to his heart while Dan kept writhing in pain.

“I did this, didn’t I? ” Lia asked starring at the talons that refused to go away.

Asher didn’t give her a reply, in as much as it was the girl’s fault, she didn’t do it knowingly.

“If you don’t want to make yourself useful, get out ” Asher replied “Or you can go to the left side of my desk, open the second drawer and get me a cutter knife .

He saw a trace of confusion in the girl’s eyes, she didn’t expect that from him, probably thought he was heap a truckload of blame on her.

Moisture touched Lia’s eyes but she blinked the tears away and headed to Asher’s desk. Guilt gnawing at her, she ripped the drawer open and found the utility knife as he described.

She handed it to him and knelt beside him wondering what he was about to do.

Asher took the folding utility knife and placed the tip of the extended blade under the skin on the thumb side of Dan’s wrist, and was about to cut in when the girl grabbed his hand.

“What are you doing? ” Lia asked grimly, eyes flashing with suspicion.

“Saving his life ” Asher replied and jerked her hand but her grip was strong. He frowned, since when did she become this protective of Dan? She was eyeing him seriously just like a mother hen watching over her chicks.

“If I don’t let him bleed out, this werewolf venom will destroy him inside out ” Asher explained and sighed when he saw the shocked expression on her face, he didn’t want to tell her yet but she forced his hands.

As if to prove his point, Dan let out a pained scream stunning the girl. Gradually her grip loosened, but she made no attempt to move but the little space mercifully granted to him was enough to do what he wanted.

“Hold him tight , keep him from moving ” He commanded Lia when Dan started contorting and trashing around in pain .

Asher understood how dangerous werewolf venom were to vampires, just as theirs were dangerous to werewolves too.

The feeling was akin to one being thrown into a burning molten lava. One feels excruciating pain of fire, an agonizing burning sensation that covers and gnaw at every bit of cell in your body .

The werewolf venom, will spread through the bloodstream painfully. After that the vampire will begin to cough up blood and hallucinate , eventually dieing rabid and paranoid.

Locating his ulnar artery, the knife sliced into Dan’s skin making a long and deep gash while Lia tried her best to hold him down especially now he was getting physical.

Asher expertly located major arteries in his body and began to slash at them, and in no time Dan has bled almost two liters of blood.

Lia let him go when he became still, she lay flat on her back breathing heavily. She felt as if she just fought for a world heavy weight championship, the guy was insanely strong.

It was a huge torture keeping her monstrous talons away from him and restricting him at same time.

Asher stared down at his hands, it was soaked with blood, black blood, not to talk of his office floor . He’ll have to do an intensive cleaning later.

Dan was eventually calm, he had bled out most of the venom and thus the tormenting episode was over. The little remaining will be flushed out when he feeds.

Talk of feeding.

Asher had to get him out of here and get him to feed soon. Dan had lost half of his blood and would be thirsty to the point of madness for blood.

And being in a school full of humans wasn’t a wise choice either, so he had to get him out of here as soon as possible.

“Lia, help me get….. ” Asher trailed off when he realized the girl was no longer around.

He looked around, she was nowhere to be found, but he caught a strong whiff of her scent meaning it hasn’t being a while she left.

He was about to focus his attention on Dan when something clicked in his head and his eyes widened at once.

God! he groaned and went after the stupid girl.

Lia looked down, she knew she wouldn’t die if she jumped off the ledge, She had tried that with Dan already.

Speaking of Dan.

The guy was just trying to help her yet she repaid him with evil, he almost lost his life because of her.

She snorted mirthlessly staring down at her talons that refused to disappear. What was she exactly ? If she wasn’t a human, vampire, ….w-werewolf ? What was she then? A monster?

Lia tossed her head back, of course a monster. Maybe she did deserve to live, else she would keep hurting her loved ones just like she did to Dan. Maybe, death was better.

If a fall from a great height wouldn’t kill her, perhaps a stake to the heart then? Classic vampire killing style but unfortunately , a wooden stake wasn’t available and it would a while for her to get one.

Then her black talons got her attention. She stared at it curiously, if this only could poison Dan to the point of almost losing his life, what would happen if she used it to rip her heart out?

Tempted and determined, she closed her eyes tightly and positioned her talons to her chest, she was about to carry out her plan when she felt something knock her to the ground.

Not something but someone

Asher traced the girl using her scent only to discover her on the school’s rooftop ledge about to commit suicide.

He knocked her down , trapping her with his body and roared at her

“What do you think you’re doing! ”

She struggled with him, clawing blinding with her talons “Let me go ! just let me end this pathetic life of mine !”

” With whose permission?!” He spat in rage barely dodging his face from being clawed at.

He continued.

“Fine, let’s say I let you die? what about your family? Have you thought about the pain and agony your death would put them through? Have you thought about the loss the school would suffer when the news of a new student committing suicide surfaces? Have you thought about me who has been risking his life and clan trying to help you ? ”

Lia was stunned, the intensity of his words hitting her hard. She didn’t know how to answer his questions, it was touching and weird.

She wonder whom thinks about the loss a schools encounters when committing suicide on school grounds?

Slowly she showed him her talons, she choked “I can’t make them go away”

Asher could’ve breathed in relieve if he still had a beating heart nevertheless, he smiled instead and got off her.

“Easy, it’s retractable ” he said when she got to her feet “Just imagine your nails being back to normal ”

Lia gave him a stupid look “Really? ”

“Just try it ” He persuaded her as she reluctantly closed her eyes. He watched her breathing and frowned, she wasn’t trying hard enough.

“This is stupid ” Lia complained, throwing her hands up in disappointment when nothing happened after a while.

” Concentrate Lia ” he commanded ” Here, Let my voice guide you ” he said and placed both of his hands on her ears.

Lia had to admit, she liked the way his cold hand felt on her skin and his voice, it was warm and sultry, vibrating just at the right pitch.

“Get rid of every distraction ” his voice continued.

His voice was a distraction already, she mused inwardly but knew she had to concentrate before Asher becomes Mr grumpy pants again.

Lia followed his direction and began to picture her fingers, she felt something stir inside when she imagined her talons shifting back to her nails.

“Good ” Asher complimented as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked down and gasped realizing her nails were back to normal.

“With constant practice, you will be able to willfully….”

The rest of his words were forever lost when she suddenly jumped and wrapped her arms around him out of excitement.

“Oh my God! I did it! ” She screamed, still jumping up and down enthusiastically, rubbing her body against Asher unknowingly in places that would cause one to blush red.

Asher swallowed deeply, the girl was dangerously tugging at his self control and the funny part , was that she wasn’t even aware of it.

He gripped her waist tightly trying to steady her but the girl apparently was a lost cause , until his nail dug into her skin as he fought for control.

Lia froze when she realized how close their bodies were pressed together, what the hell had she being doing?! She screamed mentally.

She swallowed nervously when she saw Asher’s green orbs had turned a darker shade, she knew that look.

She wanted to push away from him but when he began to lean in, the ability to make a rational decision pulverized at once.

She was sure he would have kissed her senseless if he hadn’t stiffened at once. Next she knew, he ran out and she followed suit.

Lessons were going on so there was probably nobody in the hallways but Asher headed to his office speedily . There was a nagging feeling in his belly and it was confirmed the moment he stepped into his office.

Dan was gone.