They all want me dead!

Chapter 1

"I GOT THE DRINKS!!!"

I heard Iris scream trying to surpass the loud sound of the music's uproar that was hell bent on blowing out my eardrums tonight at the club.

"About time! Why did you take so long!" I tried my best to scream right back at her, taking one of the red plastic cups from her hands. The cups contained mixed cocktails, which I would prefer not to know its ingredients.

It was my first night here at Tropical Thunder, the biggest and busiest nightclub in the whole of Bournville. Everyone from our college went here including a bunch of hormonal high school teens with fake IDs who just wanted to prove to their peers that they were bad enough. What complete idiots they were, wasting their time trying to prove their self-worth to other people who couldn't even care less. Trying to live up to others' standards just sounded dumb to me, like why don't you be you? But anyway, enough of my opinion, Iris began saying.

"I met a guy," Iris giggled, bobbing her head side to side, dancing to the rhythm of the music that played.

A guy she said? This was just typical of Iris. She changed guys every single week, but what could I do with her? She was my best friend and the only one that I had.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those pathetic and shy types of girls who find it hard to make new friends or don't know how to have a good time. No, that wasn't the case here. I think I'm quite fun to hang with, and I bet anyone would love to be friends with me, but the real reason I didn't have any friends was just because no one could stick around to understand my already fucked up life except Iris.

She always stuck around no matter what happened. She was more than a friend to me, we had a sisterly bond that couldn't be daunted. To me, she was family and the only one I had left.

Iris and I practically grew up together at the same orphanage home when we were kids; well, that was until she got adopted by a loving, rich, and wealthy human family, and I got adopted by a disgusting drunkard and abuser. But oh well, that is just my typical luck. It was crappy, very crappy if I may add. Like the type of luck, where lightning would strike at the same place twice-kind of crappy.

"Who is the new guy that got you smiling like this?" I asked as we both started to dance to the beat that played in the background. It was Pizzaboys; they made the best music.

"Remember Landon Brettman? From literature class?" She asked as she turned around while I ran my hands all over her body as we danced rocking our bodies together.

But wait, she got to be fucking kidding me?

Do I remember Landon Brettman?! Of course, I remember Landon Brettman; it would be impossible to forget someone as annoying and lousy as Landon Brettman, or like I usually refer to as Landon Jerkman.

Landon was a spoiled, proud, egoistical show-off and a big man whore, among many other things like a showoff, brat, proud, annoying, lousy, overly confident, and the list could go on and on.

And out of all the numerous courses I had applied for, sadly, I was unlucky enough to share one with him--literature.

Landon looked more like one of those stereotypical 90s jocks if I'm being blatantly honest. Simply put, a guy like Landon was a total waste to humanity. Facts!

"Ew. I bet he wouldn't even last a day with you. It's either you dump his sorry ass or he cheats again." I chortled, expressing my disgust about the thought of her and Landon together. I hoped this wasn't going to be a long-term thing.

"Maybe? Honestly, I think so too, but I'm going to be the one dumping him first." we both laughed "But you know that they all just serve as a fun distraction for me until I find my one true mate," Iris said dreamily. She was excited about the thought of meeting her mate, destined for her by the Moon goddess.

Yes, you guessed right! Iris is a werewolf and I am a witch. And yes, all those stories you were probably told in the dark or around silly campfires by older kids just to scare the living shit out of you are true. Magic is real. Creatures, monsters, and things you would never believe were even possible were also very much real, and as a matter of fact, they all wanted me dead.

I don't know what sin I must have committed in my past life but every single creature on this already fucked up planet wanted me dead.

Well speaking of monsters that want me dead, I have caught the eyes of the lady sitting by the bar counter staring at us multiple times. Was she also one of them? Was she part of the Red Circle? No, the red circle couldn't have possibly tracked me down to Bournville. I had made sure those witches could never, and whoever did deserve a medal or something, and I'm not kidding. But I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this strange woman. I couldn't tell what she was, but I was sure she wanted me to.

"Iris" I slid my hands to her waist, turning her around as we danced. "Don't freak out or anything, but- I think the woman by the bar is spying on us," I whispered into her ears so as not to draw any attention from our watcher.

"WHERE?!!" Iris blurted, frantically stirring her head around in search of the woman I spoke about, while I instantly regretted that I had even mentioned anything to her. Oh goddess, leave it all up to Iris to remain calm in potentially dangerous situations.

"Fuck it, Iris! I said don't freak out or she would notice. You are freaking out." I whispered, looking at the woman wearing a leathered black outfit with braided red hair. She had a smug grin on her face as she sipped from her glass unknowingly. She was unto us now. I need to be careful about whatever I do next.

"Isabelle--" Iris said in a whispery shaky voice "She doesn't smell... Human." I saw the fear evident in my best friend's eyes. I felt bad for her, she shouldn't be going through any of this mess that I have been dragging her into for the past fifteen years. The monsters weren't after her; as a matter of fact, every monster we had encountered had admitted to being after me, not her. But she always remained in constant danger all because of me.

But how in hell did this monster find me? I mean, for the past three years, it was really hard to maintain a low profile, but I did my best. I did a cloaking spell to make tracking Iris next to impossible. I even went as far as putting on a charm bracelet given to me by my mother to bind my witch powers, and so far, it worked; I managed to keep off the Red Circle's radar at the very least.

The Red Circle is a coven of very highly trained mercenary witches. They were assassins and had been after me for a lot of personal reasons, and luckily, I hadn't run into them in a long while. One important reason the Red Circle was after me is that their leader is my aunt, the one responsible for my parents' death. I could feel my stomach twist into a knot just thinking about it.

"Don't worry so much, I could just be imagining the whole thing. I'll go out through the back and see if she is going to follow. Don't worry it's going to be okay." I faked a smile. I knew I wasn't imagining the whole thing. I was about ninety-nine percent sure that the lady across the bar wanted me dead but I didn't want to worry Iris even more. She's been through enough already.

"Do you need backup?" Iris questioned holding my wrist back as I was about to leave.

"No, It's okay. I got this." I winked at her, quickly navigated my way out through the dancing wave of bodies, and then I went out of the club through its back door, which led to a quiet and dark alley.

Everywhere was completely dark, the only source of light was the beautiful moon above. It gave light and shone on everything below.

Where the hell is she now? I asked myself, looking around for our stalker monster; I could feel the cold of the night air sting at me as I pulled out my silver dagger from my boot, holding tight to the helm. I carried it everywhere I went; it belonged to my mom, and whenever I held it, I could feel like she was still here with me, watching over me. I quickly brushed off those sentimental thoughts out of my mind. I needed to focus on the danger on the ground.

"Are you looking for me, darling?" I was startled by the old British voice that came from behind me. I clutched tighter to my dagger shielding it behind me.

"Oh fuck--" I snapped, looking at the lady from the bar up close; she seemed like she was in her late twenties or early thirties; she wore dark makeup and had lots of tattoos and piercings. Her outfit was full-on black and I had to admit she looked badass. And her hair was Auburn red, long and plaited.

"What do you want?" I asked a question I already knew the answer to. She wanted one word. Me! And me alone. Just like every other monster, she wanted me for my blood.

"Isn't it obvious darling, I just want you." Of course, she wanted me to, just like I thought. They all wanted me just like my mom warned me fifteen years ago before she was murdered. I winced a bit at that painful memory that has been haunting my dreams ever since I was a child.

I never really understood why they were all after me, all I knew was I needed to survive and keep running for as long as I had to, oh well that's until I met the man with the butterfly tattoo, wherever rock he had been hiding in, my mom also mentioned that he could be of some assistance to me and my destiny. But this wasn't like in the fairy tales where the prince charming suddenly swoops in to save the poor damsel in distress, and they ride into the sunset on a magical rainbow unicorn; those stories sound so damn ridiculous to me. I was no damsel and I didn't have the luxuries of a prince charming. It's not like I needed one anyway. I have been taking perfectly good care of myself for the past fifteen years, and I'll continue to do so.

'Focus Isabella!' I urged myself mentally. I shouldn't be carried away by these memories.

"Why?" I asked sizing my opponent up she worked out a lot because she was a lot bigger than me, well every monster I ever came across was bigger than me. Compared to them I was little and it always gave me a fair advantage because they always underestimated me and each time didn't live long enough to regret it.

"I think you already know the answer to that one" she smiled wickedly. But um, no I don't. I don't know the answer to that. Yes, I knew they badly wanted me dead and it had to do with my blood but why did they badly want my blood for crying out loud? Okay, let's change the subject.

"How did you find me?" I inquired, dying to know where I had gone wrong in keeping them away.

"In case you haven't noticed by now, you have a kind of scent to you, it's different and just simply hard to resist. I'm wondering how your blood would taste.'' she spoke in a thick English accent as she inched closer to me. I moved further back of course.

"Poor sweet child, I have been around this foul earth for almost a millennium and not once have I come across someone with a scent as powerful as yours, you are incredibly special and rare. It's a real pity you are still too young but don't be scared little one, I give you my word, it will be a quick and painless death. You won't even feel a thing I promise. Just like snapping a dried-up twig, quick and effortless." she laughed out like an evil maniac.

"You know you have lived so long I actually feel a little bad to have to kill you but then again I really doubt anyone is going to miss you that much.'' I countered with a smirk.

"Foolish child!" She spat, laughing at my words then looked back at me. Her eyes were enveloped with darkness, they were pitch black as dark criss-crossed veins ran up her neck aimlessly, shooting down her arms. And extremely long canines shot out from her mouth.

"What in the bloody hell are you?" I asked as I felt my heart rate rise up the charts. I really needed to know what I was going up against if I wanted to win.

A memory of one of the very few lessons my dad taught me struck my thoughts. He told me The battle is half-won when you realize what your opponent's strengths and weaknesses are.

'Be one step ahead Isabella dear...' he always used to say.

"Oh, child. Have you never come across a wendigo before?" She continued cackling "Scared? You should be'' I heard her bones snapping and slowly she turned into this huge creature looming over me. She snarled, as she charged and attacked me with her claws but I easily slid out of harm's way. She growled in anger, as I attacked with my dagger in hand, barely piercing her skin.

We had been at it, fighting for what felt like an eternity but it was only about ten minutes, guess it's true what they say about time flying fast when you are having fun and it not flying fast when you aren't having fun. It also seems like time doesn't fly fast when you're battling for your own fucking life.

Every single attack I made against her was futile, she just brushed them off with ease, I knew I was losing and I was losing fast. I was violently shoved to the floor with my dagger thrown only the goddess knows where.

The huge wendigo growled standing in front of me, her breathing ragged like a wounded beast she was.

"Hey! Get away from my best friend, you extremely terrifying giant monster." I turned my head to the familiar voice to see Iris as she started to shift into her white wolf.

"No Iris please get away." I say with a groan. I would never be able to forgive myself if she got hurt because of me. I couldn't live with that guilt on my conscience. Enough people have died to protect me already, it is enough. No more had to die.

Iris lunged at the wendigo, battling and slashing it with her sharp claws but in no time was roughly blown away, I could hear her whimper a bit as she crashed against a wall. But Iris bought me enough time to grab my silver dagger and with the element of surprise I stealthily struck the wendigo right in the heart as it let out a loud shriek while its heart melted like ice. Not kidding or whatever, the heart melted into some kind of blue liquid.

According to all the books and lores I read, although they all differed in one way or the other but majority agreed that wendigos were once humans with a huge carnivorous appetite for human flesh, well actually monsters weren't ever born- they were created. Long story short they messed up with a very powerful witch so the witch cursed them to be monsters with the insatiable thirst for human flesh. Now the folklore also mentioned in its contexts that the only thing that could kill a wendigo is a silver blade to the heart. Guess it was true after all.

Looking at the ground laid its body. "Is it dead?" Iris questioned me, wearing an oversized brown coat, I wonder where she got it from.

"Yeah," I responded, trying to catch my breath, packing a handful of my blonde hair from my face.

"Are you okay? She shoved you pretty hard." I placed my hand on her shoulder, inspecting her closely.

"Nah, I'm good. I have tough skin and I heal quicker than you." she smiled, making me worry less. She needed to stop risking her life for me, I would have scolded her but I knew Iris too well, she wouldn't listen. She never does.

"Good. Quick, let's take it to the woods and bury it before someone sees us." I suggested taking the lead by dragging the dead creature by the horn.

"Sure," Iris said, joining me to drag the Wendigo's lifeless body. After reaching the woods, we buried it six feet deep into the ground. Iris and I went straight to the apartment where we both lived. It was closer to the state campus. I found it difficult to even close my eyes and fall asleep.

Today another monster found me and I had a surefire feeling it won't be the last I'm going to have to face. More were going to follow as it was only a matter of time.

But I am going to be ready for all of them.

*****Author Note*****

Hey guys, well that's the first chapter, so what did you think of it? Was it good? If you were to rate it on a scale of 1-10, what would it be?

I love to hear from my lovely readers so don't forget to comment below. And drop a review!!

First chapter soundtrack: Escapism by Raye (because it's badass;) see you in the next chapter)