Sleep has once again alluded me. My mind won't stop thinking about leaving the walls. With each birthday I have felt more and more drawn to the lush greenery just on the other side of our protective barrier. I have ached for the freedom to explore. Just knowing there is a big world out there that I am not allowed to see is torture.

The sounds from the street below begin to get louder so I glance at the clock to see if it's time to start yet another mundane day.  

Sure enough it's 6:44 and my alarm is seconds from going off.  

I groan as I turn over and position my hand over the off button. When the blasted machine erupts my hand drops like a weight and Nathan groans like I did moments ago.  

"Morning," I mumble and he rolls over to wrap his arms around my naked body.  

"Morning," he replies groggily and I grin despite the mood I'm in.  

 At least Nathan get it. He understands my dislike for the city and the routine we call life, but most importantly he agrees. Ever since we were kids going to school he has had my back and agreed with my philosophies. When I argued with the teacher about getting to leave city limits he backed me up. When everyone else said this is the best place in the world for us and we should be thankful to the beasts that protect us he sided with me against them. He knows that I want more. He knows that the world beyond these walls calls to me. He knows I yearn to see the wild lurking right outside our pristine world.  

 "Are we staying in bed again today," Nathan asks before nibbling at my earlobe and I giggle before wiggling away.  

"I wish, but we both have to work," I reply as my feet hit the floor.  

He grumbles under his breath about not moving from his spot but I hear the bed move as he shifts his weight to follow me.  

Every Monday is the same for me. I take a shower while Nathan makes us breakfast. We walk to work past all the other people doing the same thing and we survive. We stay hidden away from the animals that want to suck us dry. 

We live in a city that has only a few rules, but there is one big one, never leave. Because if you do leave the protection of the city the blood drinkers will get you. The beasts have agreed to protect the city, but any human that volunteerly leaves is assumed to be suicidal. They don't offer their protection to individuals... not since the city was built anyway.  

 "See you at home, Hon," Nathan says before he kisses my lips quickly.  

     I smile and nod before continuing on the path behind the other people heading to work. As I approach the street that I turn on I let my eyes wonder toward the gate like I do every morning and I pause when I see one of the beasts standing next to our city official. I quickly realize he must be here for the numbers and keep moving.

Every six months they stop to ask about our population.  They never come far in, normally a few feet, and they never stay longer than a few minutes. They never have clothes on and their skin is typically dirty. They seem to dislike civilization, but checking the population is too important to stay away. 

I shiver as I remember the last time we stopped regulating the birthrate in the city.  

The Bloodsuckers are attracted to the scent of blood. The higher the concentration of blood the more they try to get to it. 

When I was around five years old, there was a breach. The leaders shut the city down fast, starting with the kids, but it was still a massacre. Nathan's parents and my parents died that day, along with seventy others, before the beasts could drive them from the city. I still remember the Bloodsucker's chalky white skin and red eyes. I remember hearing their screeches and hisses as they hunted down people. So now we make sure to keep the population between 10,000 and 20,000.  

  The farther into the city's center you live, the better, but only the higher class live there. Unfortunately for my family, we aren't high profile. We were and always will be workers.  

  "Taylor, you're late again," Ruth practically sings as I walk in. 

  I roll my eyes and look at the clock. It's exactly 8:01. The stop I took to look at the beast cost me the few seconds I needed to get here right at 8:00. 

"That's an hour off your pay," she says, and I nod before walking past her. 

  She thrives off of backtalk, and I will not feed her need for power. She will never achieve more than she has right now. Docking my pay gives her small life the thrill it needs to be satisfied. 

  "Morning, Taylor," Diane says as I pass her station, and I smile before falling into my chair. 

I look at my sewing machine and sigh. Yesterday I was a few off my quota, so my pay was affected, and now I have lost another full hour. I really need to work fast today. I can't let my mind wander. I have to focus on the material in my hands and not the trees outside. 

I sigh as I get to work

****

  "Have a good day," Nathan calls out as I close the door. 

  "Not really. It was just another day," I reply loudly and I hear him chuckle. 

  "Something smells delicious," I say as I walk into the kitchen, and he turns around to examine my face. 

  "You forgot, didn't you," he says, and I freeze. 

  Guesses on what today might be zoom through my head. 

As I think he watches me closely, and I see the sadness build within his brown eyes with each passing second. I feel terrible, but my brain won't pinpoint the date. I have no idea what day it is. All I know is it is Monday. 

  "I'm sorry," I whisper, and he nods. 

  He gives me a sad grin as he places the spatula next to the stove and crosses his arms. 

  "It's our anniversary, Taylor. I wanted it to be special. I want to talk about our future and when we might submit the application to have a child. We have been living together for two years...I am ready for the next steps, are you," he asks me, and my ears begin to burn as the rest of my body panics. 

  Our gazes hold, and my body begins to overheat. I don't want to lose Nathan, but once we become parents, this is our life. We won't have any adventures. We won't explore the forest together like we talked about as kids. 

  "Nathan, I...," I start, but he stops me by raising his hand. 

  "This is it, Taylor. I want a life with you. You can either agree, or we can move on. Which is it going to be," he asks, and my heart rips as my mouth flaps like a fish. 

  "I...I...What about leaving the walls," I whisper, and his eyes widen. 

  "Leave the walls? Taylor, even if we do, we have to come back. This is where humans live. This is where we are safe. We can grow and be with the ones we love here...Can you see the beauty out there and still come back? If we have our adventure and risk our lives so you can see what's out there, will you be able to settle down then," Nathan demands, and I swallow before nodding. 

  "Yes. That's all I want. I want to see it. After that, I will be able to live happily. I won't have these burning questions anymore...And I will get to tell our child about our adventure," I whisper, and he smiles. 

   "Okay. We will do it. Tomorrow at noon. That's the safest time. We already have the UV flashlights. We will stay out there for a few hours and then come back," Nathan says, and I smile as excitement replaces my fear. 

    I run and jump into his arms eagerly. He laughs before placing his warm lips on mine. 

  This is all I ever wanted-a life with Nathan and an adventure past the walls.

"Good night, sleep tight...," Nathan whisper sings, and the guard twitches. 

"Shhh," I hiss aggressively, and Nathan holds his hands up in surrender. 

  He smiles at me, and I roll my eyes at his silly nature. 

  I look back at the gate and watch the guard closely. He has been drifting in and out of sleep for the past five minutes, but he hasn't truly konked out enough for us to slip through the only gate not hooked up to the alarm system. 

  A few more minutes pass, and my legs scream out in protest. We can't stay crouched here anymore. Someone is going to see us soon. It's now or never, and I refuse to let it be never. 

  "Ready," I whisper as I look back at Nathan again. 

  He nods, and we slowly creep forward. The guard doesn't move as we slip past him and lift the thick steel locking arm. Nathan pushes the door forward, and I squeeze past eagerly. He follows after a second, and the door clicks closed. 

  "Did you place the stone," I ask, and Nathan nods. 

  "Yeah. The arm won't fully secure," Nathan whispers, and a sigh leaves my lips before I turn my attention to the thick forest all around us. 

    I'm free! We did it. We left the walls. The forest is right in front of us. 

  "Even with the sun directly overhead, I can't see in there," Nathan whispers, and I pull my flashlight from my belt. 

  "We'll use mine to go in and yours to come back. I brought extra batteries too. We shouldn't have a problem," I whisper back, and he nods as his eyes linger on the trees. 

   "Are you sure about this? We could turn around now. We have come farther than everyone we know. We have seen the trees up close," he says, and I shake my head.

  "I have to explore. I need to get this out of my system. I don't want to regret never going," I say, and he smiles before giving me a small kiss. 

  "Just in case things go wrong, I want you to know I don't regret coming. I know this was your idea, but I wanted this too. I love you. I have always loved you. This was our dream as kids, and I am glad you didn't let me chicken out," Nathan whispers as he leans his forehead to mine. 

   I sigh, and my eyes close briefly before I peck his lips. 

  "I love you too. I wouldn't want to explore with anyone else," I whisper, and he smiles before we both turn our attention to the trees again. 

  Nathan links his fingers with mine, and we both step forward simultaneously. I click on the high-powered light as soon as we get about three feet into the underbrush, and my eyes scramble to absorb every detail. 

  I look over the lines of the trees and the lush green leaves almost hungrily. I let my fingers graze the tall grass and fill my lungs with the crisp air. But the yearning in my chest hasn't eased. I don't feel any relief. I am experiencing my dream, and it isn't enough. In fact, it seems to be growing stronger the deeper we get. 

  "Nathan, I don't feel any different," I whisper, and Nathan looks at me, confused. 

  I open my mouth to explain, but a familiar screech kills the words building in my throat. Nathan instantly grabs his flashlight and flicks it on. 

  "Back to back. We haven't come far. We can make it out. We have to walk in circles with our backs pressed together. Keep your flashlight straight. Don't let it slip," Nathan says, and I nod. 

  We were both taught these rules early in life, but I don't mind him restating them. I know he is talking out loud to keep himself calm. He has always been someone who talks when he is nervous. I am the opposite...thats why we are perfect for one another. 

  "Ready," Nathan asks, and I lick my lips nervously. 

  "Yes," I reply. 

  "Clockwise, go," Nathan says, and we both move. 

   The second my light shifts, it hits white skin mere feet away from us. The bloodsucker screeches as my weapon burns its skin, and it disappears. Nathan's flashlight earns some screeches too, and I realize we are surrounded.  

  "Oh God," I whisper as I begin to panic. 

  "It's okay! Keep moving. The sun has a clear path along the wall. The flashlights will keep them back," Nathan says, and I nod vigorously. 

  He's right. We are okay. We were prepared for this. We have their weakness in our hands. They won't risk getting burned. They are simple creatures who live by simple rules. Feed and live. 

  We walk and turn. Walk and turn for about fifty feet. We catch a couple of bloodsuckers in the rays of our flashlights, but they disappear before they can be burned too badly. The hisses and screeches grow around us, but the farther we go, the more at ease I feel. They don't seem to want anything to do with our lights. 

  "We are almost there, Baby," Nathan says, and I smile as we turn, and I see the light coming from the tree line. 

  "Thank goodness," I reply quietly. 

   I am so happy we stayed calm and implemented our disaster training. 

  "Look out," Nathan screams, and a bloodsucker drops from above us. 

   Nathan shoves me toward the tree line just before a set of filthy fangs sink into his throat. My flashlight drops, and I scream as the love of my life loses his jugular.

   Blood squirts from his wound, and his eyes stare into my soul almost pleadingly. Three more white demons appear behind him, and before I can blink, they are feeding from him too.  

  His beautiful brown eyes roll to the back of his head, and my screams get louder. I can feel the danger coming up behind me too, but I can't bring myself to defend my own neck. I can't even pick up my weapon. My best friend and life partner is gone. I watched the man I wanted to bring life into this world with, die. 

  Suddenly growls richer in sound fill the air. Howls and snarls cut through the air all around me. The bloodsuckers immediately tense. Nathan's body falls to the ground, forgotten, and I sink to my knees so my eyes can stay on him. 

   Beasts in their true form attack the screeching bloodsuckers, but I can't focus on my saviors. My screams have finally faded, but in their place are tears. Hot thick rivers of grief bathing my face in sorrow. Snot begins to drip from my nose, but I don't care. 

   "Nathan," I cry as I force my body to crawl forward. 

  His skin is as pale as theirs, so I know they sucked him dry, but I still have to check. If there is any way he is still alive, I have to try...I get inches from him, but just as my fingers reach for him, I am yanked up into a set of thick furry arms. 

   "Stupid humans," a deep, gravely voice growls, and before I can even respond, the beast takes off. 

  His long paws pummel the ground, and the forest zips past me. Motion sickness mixed with my grief turns my stomach, and I vomit instantly. He snarls as my puke hits his pelt, but he doesn't slow down. 

  "Close eyes," he orders, and I quickly obey. 

   My world goes dark, and my brain zeros in on my pain again. Nathan. My Love is gone. The forest I dreamed of seeing took him, and I wasn't allowed to follow. Sobbing once again becomes my sole focus, and the beast carrying me doesn't say anything else. His arm does tighten, though, and my face buries into his fur. His hand holding me goes from an aggressive grip to a firm hold. It's as if he understands my pain. 

  He sprints at high speed for several more minutes, and I know I am miles from the city I have lived my entire life in. Miles from my house. But I don't feel scared about that... in fact, I never want to step foot in my home again. It isn't a home if he isn't in it. 

   Warmth hits my face as the shade outside my eyelids vanishes, and I know we are in the sun. His pace slows down drastically, and I hear movement all around us. 

  "Human," someone asks, and the beast carrying me grunts. 

   "You smell foul, Alpha," someone else says, and the beast holding me snarls. 

   Fear passes over my skin for a second as I realize I puked on their leader.

  "Clean her. Feed her. Lock her up," he growls after a few more steps, and my swollen eyes finally open. 

   I see his long muzzle and thick neck as I look up, but his eyes aren't visible to me from this angle. 

  "Si Capo," a female says, and my head turns just in time to see a lighter brown beast in true form reach for me. 

  I curl into the one holding me on instinct, and he seems to freeze. I don't want to go with her. I feel safe with him. Even though he just told them to lock me up. He didn't kill me when I puked on him.

  "Go human," he growls after a few seconds, and I look up to find two large green eyes burning into my skull. 

  The female uses my distraction to her advantage and takes me from him instantly. When she does, a wave of sadness travels over my body. Her arms aren't as strong as his. She isn't holding me protectively. She is just holding me. His chest was solid and firm...while hers....her hairy breasts are right there.

She carries me away from my savior swiftly and directly into a cave. I don't see much of the landscape around me before everything goes dark, but there isn't one tree in sight, just flat earth. 

I guess they are aware of the dangers from above, unlike we were. 

"Simple rules. You will never learn," she grumbles to herself as she walks in the dark. 

I tense up as I feel her annoyance being transferred through her grip. She is angry about my actions, just like he was. But we didn't ask for them to save us. We knew the rules...I knew them. Nathan wasn't saved, but he knew what could happen. They chose to save me. I didn't force them or even ask to be saved. They could have let me die with him. My heart wouldn't be shattered right now if they had. This crippling pain and grief wouldn't be twisting my stomach. 

"I knew what going outside meant. Your people didn't need to save me," I snap suddenly, and before I can react, she drops me on the floor. 

I cry out as my butt-bone rams the compacted earth. It's pitch black, so I can't see a thing, but I would bet money she is smirking right now. 

"Ow," I yell, and she growls. 

"Silence. Your voice is too loud. Our ears are sensitive," she snarls viciously, and I freeze. 

My rescue could quickly turn into a murder if I don't control myself. She is a beast. Her physical strengths are quadruple to mine, and any damage I manage to inflict would heal in a few hours. 

"Fine," I mumble softly before a flame a few feet away flickers to life. 

I gasp as I realize I am in a room with a crowd of beasts all in true form. I am in the center of what looks to be their main living area, and they are all looking at me. 

"Alpha chose to save you. We did not plan to," she replies before throwing me a rabbit that has been cooked rotisserie style. 

The other beasts all glare at me as I stare at them in terror. I can't even bring myself to pick up the meat in front of me. 

They look so hostile and uninviting in their beast's forms-nothing like when I see them in human form. 

"Eat. Then we get you clean. Then you go to the hole. Alpha must make decisions," she says brokenly before she grabs a rabbit hanging on a cord surrounded by about ten others. 

Unlike mine, her's looks freshly killed. It is still covered in fur and definitely not cooked. I watch in horror as she eats it practically whole. Bones crunch as her jaw chomps down on the tiny creature, and blood oozes from the corners of her mouth. Her eyes are half closed, and I can tell she is enjoying her gruesome meal. When the final crunch sounds and she swallows down the last remnants, her long tongue licks her muzzle clean. 

"I will force you. Alpha ordered. You must eat," she says as she sees I'm not eating the food she gave me. 

I fight back a gag as I look at my cooked bunny. Any chance of eating went out the window when I saw the raw insides of her meal dripping from her fangs. All the blood reminded me of the bloodsuckers and how Nathan looked in his last moments. 

"I still feel sick," I mumble, and she steps toward me aggressively before freezing. 

Her eyes don't even blink as she stares down at me. I instantly get even more nervous. The hairs on my arm rise as I realize someone is behind me. The air in the room gradually gets thick, and the beasts go from aggressive stances to submissive poses. Their pointy ears flatten against their skulls, and their eyes glue themselves to the floor. 

"I gave you specific orders. None of them included threats, Giulia," a deep rich voice states from behind me, and a rush of satisfaction skates over my skin. 

I want to turn around so I can see his eyes again, but I am too afraid. My curiosity has caused enough disasters for today. 

The female, obviously named Giulia, whines a little as she backs away from me. She keeps her eyes down the entire time she moves, and I almost feel sorry for her. She looks absolutely terrified of her leader. 

"I want everyone in human form when they are around the human. The humans already refer to us as beasts. We will not encourage her to use the title," he states with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice, and the room fills with the sounds of bones being broken. 

I flinch and squeeze my eyes closed, but that does nothing to save my ears from the horrific sound. 

"Forgive me, Alpha. I was only trying to ensure your orders were fulfilled," Giulia answers sounding proper and well-spoken right in front of me.

Her gravelly voice is long gone and now that I think about it, so is his. I guess when they are in their other form, words are harder for them to say. 

"She is still in shock. She witnessed her mate's death. Humans are delicate...as we know. Get her clean, and then lock her up," he says, and I can't help but notice the way the word delicate rolls off his tongue. 

He said it as if the word made him sick. As if being delicate was a curse. He most certainly loathes the fact that humans are weak. 

I feel his presence drift away, and the room's tension leaves with him. 

"Come human," Giulia says, and I allow my eyes to flutter open. 

As soon as I see her naked form, I gasp, and my eyes snap closed again. 

"We do not have clothes, human. The material is pointless to us. We do not suffer from temperature changes unless they are extreme, and in the case of that happening, we have our fur. Now come. My body is female, and it should not offend you," Giulia says sternly, and I shake my head. 

"It's not just about temperature changes...It's about modesty. Your privates are showing...only...umm...only your mate is supposed to see those parts," I reply as I use the Alpha's terminology. 

She chuckles, and I peek up at her through my lashes. My curiosity once again gets the better of me as I let my eyes look her over. 

She is a beautiful beast with long muscular limbs, small breasts, and wild brown hair that goes to her waist. Her eyes are brown, and her lips are full. She sees me looking at her, and she shakes her head at me. 

"Humans are silly creatures. The body is a natural thing," she says, and I shake my head. 

"It's about only sharing your body with someone special... You probably find males attractive, right? And they find you attractive...Well, the privates are to be shared with that special someone you have a mutual attraction with. Otherwise, how is anything you do with them actually special? Males who find you attractive, but aren't in a relationship with you, can ogle and see what you give your mate. I am uncomfortable with seeing parts of you meant for that special someone," I explain nervously, and she looks at me curiously. 

"Interesting concept," she replies after a second, and I nod. 

She looks toward the males in the room that I am avoiding looking at, and then she looks back at me. 

"I will carry you. Keep your eyes closed. When we get to the bathing room, I will leave so that you may have privacy. I am aware that your mate has died, so you have no one to share your "privates" with, but I will respect your custom. While you clean your skin, I will ask Alpha if we can send someone to retrieve more clothing for you," she says calmly, and I smile even though my heart pinches at the mention of Nathan. 

"Thank you," I whisper, and her eyes widen a little bit before she gives me a single head nod. 

I close my eyes again as her arms wrap around me. She lifts me quickly, and I can't help but notice the change in her grip. When she carried me the first time, she wasn't careful with the placement of her hands or arms. This time she is more aware of her grip. 

As she walks, my mind drifts back to Nathan, and my heart begins to ache. 

"Where is his body," I ask softly, hoping she will know. 

"Where he died. We killed as many of them as we could, but the area around the city is thick with the thirsty ones. Lingering there is too dangerous even for a pack our size. The humans' numbers within the city are getting high, and the scent of rich blood is too alluring. Alpha plans to ask for reinforcements soon," she says, and I shiver as faint memories of the last breach play in my mind. 

"There are more of you in other areas," I question to distract myself. 

"Yes. Each pack is now in charge of protecting one human city. It has been this way for hundreds of years. Too many of us were dying when your brethren roamed free on this Earth, so for your protection and our survival, the current system was put into place," she says, and my brain explodes. 

"There are other cities," I whisper yell as my eyes fly open. 

She halts in her tracks and nods. 

"Yes, of course. This world is big. Your city is small in comparison. If you were the last humans, the thirsty ones wouldn't be controllable. They would be desperate to get inside your walls," she says, and I just look at her. 

Anger toward our leaders begins to glow through my veins. They lied to us.