Jeremy's presence next to her was reassuring as she stood there watching Benny, wondering exactly what kind of person this cook actually was. She was over the death of Tommy. She was more shaken by the fact that she had almost died, and Jeremy almost paid the same price. She hadn't come so close to death since the night her previous boyfriend's killer had attacked her. The werewolf. That time she had been able to overcome the supernatural creature before her. This time, she had frozen. She was angry with herself, for in her weakness Jeremy was almost sacrificed. She wasn't sure what had caused her to hesitate. Perhaps the fact that someone she had known turned into a monster before her eyes. It had always been a stranger, someone she wasn't connected to. She vowed silently that she would never make that mistake again. Regardless of the face, she would strike without hesitation.
"You can't be serious?!" Jeremy suddenly cried out, and she turned to him in surprise. In her curiosity about Benny, and worrying about her own skin, she had forgotten that Jeremy had no clue about the supernatural. His brain was most likely having a hard time comprehending what was going on. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, remembering how crazy she had felt when the werewolf transformed before her eyes. "It's true, Jer..." she said softly, squeezing his arm gently for reassurance. "Vampires aren't real-those are just stupid old stories...they-" she couldn't look in his eyes anymore as he spoke. The hurt and shock were plain in his voice. "Sam..." he said softly, and Ariana arched a brow in confusion. Not that her and Jeremy had had many chanced to talk, but he had never mentioned a Sam. And by the tone of his voice, she was someone extremely important.
Before she could speak, Benny asked the question that was running through her mind. Who is this Sam? "My sister. She was my sister." Was. He had said was. She averted her eyes, sadness coursing through her veins. He had lost someone special too. It dawned on her that this just couldn't be a coincidence. Here were three people who had just met, and they all had a similar event in their past that linked them together. Somehow, it was meant to be. And Jeremy, her Jeremy, they had something big in common. Somehow, hopefully, it would help him understand her situation. It could bring them closer together. Hell, he could become a Hunter just like her. However, his next words took that fantasy and threw it out of a window.
"How is it you know about Vampires? That one was trying to-to" Her crystalline eyes met his, and the usual softness had a bit of hardness mixed in. "Kill me." she said simply, not afraid to say the words Jeremy couldn't find. Or rip her face off, tear her throat out, drain her dry. Any of the phrases would have applied to the situation. She had never really been afraid of death until tonight. She had no idea what had changed about her, but something was different. She could feel it inside.
Jeremy's words didn't stop there however. He kept plowing forward. "That he attacked you? Do others know about this? Do they cover it up?" She sighed, not exactly knowing what to say. How do you explain something like the Hunters easily? It was impossible. And honestly, she preferred not to talk about her personal life in front of this stranger. She hated talking about herself period. She would for Jeremy, but only for him. He deserved the right to know. She truly wished he would have waited until they got home. And then, his words went from questioning to accusatory. "Did they cover up my sister's murder? Her throat was torn out, blood drained from her body-they had said it was an animal attack." Why would she know what had happened to his sister? It sounded like a werewolf attack to her, but that would include a whole extra explanation. She was tired of his tone, and even though he kept her next to him, she didn't like the tone of his voice.
