Where are you babe?
Who: Zania and Lance Where: Zania’s house When: middle of night
When Lance got the blank text message he was moving. Grabbing his jacket and his shoes, pulling on unlaced boots before leaving the house and heading next door. He hoped she was home and not somewhere else, because he might never find her. Hurrying he made his way up her steps, frowning when he found the door ajar. Pushing through it he looked around, smelling blood right when he came through the door. “Zan!”
Zania was right where Jericho left her, on the living room floor, choking on her blood. If she’d been human, she would have died over an hour ago. Instead, her body continued to try to heal itself, too weak to do so properly, even if she wouldn’t die from her injuries. There was blood on her face and in her hair, soaking her shirt and pooling on the floor. She moaned and coughed as Lance called her name, one hand attempting to point towards the kitchen.
Lance found her, but wasn’t thinking about the fact that she was pointing somewhere. He just saw her there, bloody, and he panicked. “Holy shit,” he yelled, stomach turning over at the sight, but he was already tossing his jacket aside, away from the blood and pulling off his shirt, trying to find somewhere to press it. “What’s happened? What can I do?”
She was torn between reaching for him and pushing him away, wanting his blood and knowing that if she got a good hold on him she might not let him go. Zania coughed again, trying to get the blood out of her lungs and failing, but managing to make a mess in the process. She shook her head, banged one fist on the ground, and pointed again at the kitchen, specifically the refrigerator.
Jesus this was not good. When she coughed, she splattered blood on the tank top he was wearing and he only barely got that she was pointing somewhere. Kitchen, right, but where? He got up, heading that way and looking around, confused, then he realized where she was pointing. Opening the door to the refrigerator and looking around until he found the blood bag. He started back to her. “I really hope this is what you’re looking for,” he told her, kneeling with her again and handing it over.
It hurt to move, to breathe, to do anything at all, as if the blood that remained in her body was so low that her limbs were heavy. It took everything she had to nod when she saw the bag in his hand and could barely lift her one hand to hold the blood bag to her mouth. She didn’t even bother with opening it properly. Instead, she just sank in her fangs and drank, eyes closing as she gulped down the blood. She’d been so good about monitoring her intake, but this time she drank it all in one go, still hungry when the bag was empty, but feeling strong enough to take a nice, long breath. “Thank you,” she said, looking up at him with a little smile.
Lance watched her drink, trying not to feel a little sickened by it, but there was so much blood. So much blood. He tried to smile back, but it was a little weak. “What happened?”
“We got attacked,” she said, cringing as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. “This guy came in and unleashed a wild werewolf on us. I killed it, but then he shot me and took Clementine.” In fact, if he looked on the other side of the couch, he’d probably find the werewolf’s body.
Reaching out to help her sit up, Lance frowned, looking her over for gunshot wounds or whatever. “Clementine? What would they want with her?” He didn’t have time for a werewolf, not when Zania looked liked she did. “Are you still hurt?”
“I don’t know. He knocked her out and just took her.” It was distressing to say the least. She’d spent a bit of time crying over it after it happened and before Lance got there, but now she was just angry. And aching. “I’m just weak. I lost so much blood I couldn’t heal properly. I was afraid if you got too close, I’d take it from you.” But right now she was appreciating how close he was, that he was there for her. “I think I may be digesting a bullet.”
“That seems...weird.” Too weird. Lance sat back on his heels, wondering for the first time where Kenzie was. Work probably, but he hadn’t seen any sign of her when he rushed out the door. Work. She’s at work. He looked back at Zania, nodding. “Whatever you need, okay?” Then he made a face. “That’s a little too gross though.”
She laughed a little, leaning into him and shutting her eyes. “I’m not really. Or I don’t think so. I just know one got me here,” she said, placing her hand over her stomach. “The one to my shoulder hurt like a bitch, but it was probably the one to my neck that took me out.” She’d lost a lot of blood fast, too fast to heal quickly after the fight she’d just been in. “I need to rest a little, so I can heal, and then I want to hunt down the fucker who took Clementine and rip his head off. You with me?”
Lance rested his hand on hers, hating that he felt so worried about her. Like this sinking sense of panic about her, that something might have happened to her and he couldn’t have that. “Is he the same one that shot you?” Lance clarified, because that was the guy whose head he wanted to rip off, not the one that took her roommate. Yes, getting her roommate back would be good, but he was more interested in shooting the guy that shot his girl. And the second he thought of her as his, he almost panicked again, over something else entirely, but managed to stave it off for the moment. It was because she almost died. Nothing else.
“Yeah, he is,” she answered, squeezing his hand. If he hadn’t come over, who knows how long she’d lay there before someone found her. It meant a lot to her that he’d drop everything and come running, even if it was from just next door. Slowly, Zania began to pull herself to her feet, needing Lance’s support to do so. “I need to get this blood off me. They’ll smell me from a mile away like this. And… how good a shot are you?” She didn’t want to put him in danger, but now she was thinking that going out alone was a bad idea. They weren’t just up against wolves. They were up against maniacs with guns.
“Then yes. Let’s rip his head off,” Lance agreed, getting up and helping her to her feet. “I grew up in the boondocks. I knew how to shoot by the time I was ten.” He didn’t use those skills in the dome, but outside of it? Someone had to take care of them. And no one survived where grew up with pansy-ass gay thoughts in his head without learning how to toughen up and stand up for himself.
“Good,” she said, giving him a little smile. She was still woozy, and definitely hungry, but completely healed, which was far better than she’d been a few minutes ago. She was so glad to have him there she could have kissed him, but thought better of it, knowing what a mess she was. “After I get cleaned up, we’re going to hunt us down a werewolf.” And dying would be the least of his worries. Zania had been caught off guard and outnumbered this last time. She wouldn’t let it happen again.
Lance nodded, trying to ignore the blood on his hands. “Yes. Let’s.” He could definitely get behind that. “I need to check on Kenzie too.” He was reaching for his phone, thinking of texting her.
“Yeah, I need to tell people what’s going on,” she said, grabbing hold of the counter as they made it to the bathroom. “If you want to touch base with Kenzie while I shower, I shouldn’t be long. Then we can swing by your place and you can get your gun.” And whatever else they might need for werewolf hunting. Silver would be good. It was too bad Zania didn’t have silver bullets since they would now come in handy.
“Guns,” Lance corrected. “We still lived out there.” And out there, there was a lot more to compete with. He helped her as she got into the bathroom, but punched out a text to Kenzie, hoping for an answer.
“Guns,” she chuckled, peeling off her shirt and dropping it in the sink. “I’m glad to have you with me, then. And tell Kenzie she’s welcome to join us.” She assumed that Kenzie was probably just as capable of taking care of herself and might be up for fight. It was that drive for revenge that was keeping her going and the fear that something might happen to Clementine if they didn’t move fast enough. Taking a shower seemed like a waste of time, but she knew it had to be done, even if they went hunting in the rain. “I’ll be quick,” she told Lance, then hopped in the shower. The faster she could wash her own blood off her hands, the sooner she could get them dirty once more.
“Yeah, I’ll let her know,” Lance said, looking at his phone and not looking at Zania except in passing as she undressed. “Do what you got to do. No sense in walking around looking dead.” He punched out the text, still frowning. Something was itching at him. Was his cousin okay? He hoped so.
“It’s not my looks I’m concerned about. It’s the werewolves,” she said, standing under the spray. “I don’t want them to smell me coming.” Not all of them were a threat, but that one? He was going to die and the last thing she needed was for him to have a proper warning. He hadn’t given them one, so he didn’t deserve one either.
“Right yeah, makes sense.” Sort of. Lance didn’t really get the finer points of the werewolf thing, but he was playing along for now, still staring at his phone waiting for an answer. Maybe she was asleep.
Zania braced one hand against the wall as she looked down at the shower floor, watching the water run red. When it finally began to clear up, she figured that was good enough and climbed out, wrapping a towel around herself. It was so weird to know she’d been shot, to have lost so much blood, yet still be up and walking. “I need to text people,” she said, seeing Lance with his phone. This was the reason they were going to do rounds tonight, though they’d worried about attacks, not kidnapping.
“I need to get my stuff. I’ll do that while you get dressed?” Lance was feeling anxious, still no word from Kenzie. He pushed away from the counter and headed towards the door.
“Okay,” she said, taking a step towards him, worry written across her face. “Be careful out there?” If she could be taken down so easily, she knew Lance could, too, especially while he was unarmed.
He glanced back at her, seeing that face and softening in a way he normally didn’t. Leaning in he pulled her close for a kiss. “I’ll be careful. Just next door, right?” He smiled trying not to think about what he was feeling. He could deal with that later. “Stay here until I get back.”
She loved that he kissed her, that he cared enough to even think of it at the moment. It made her even more nervous to let him go, but she nodded anyways. “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. She wasn’t going anywhere alone, especially not in her condition.
Lance nodded. “Good. Be back soon.” He smiled again, then headed towards the door, grabbing his jacket on the way and dialing Kenzie. Hopefully she’d be able to hear her phone at least.