A young woman walked into the room. Long and flat she reminded me of one of the women you see on an exercise magazine. Her light brown hair was to her shoulder in tiny ringlets. Her eyes were a stunning dark brown that resembled black beads. She sat on the desk at the front of the classroom.

“I’m Ms. Lenning and I’m your biology teacher.”

“This woman looks like a total nut.” Noah whispered.

I grabbed my biology book and read the first three chapters as instructed. The words were confusing but I managed to finish all three by the time class was up. I was the first out of the room walking to my new locker that wasn’t across the hall from Kai’s like last year. A girl with shocking dark red hair with light red highlights walked to the locker on my right. She had a pink blouse and pink shoes. A light blue jean skirt with matching pink belt. Her eyes were blue and the color I wished I had. Her hair was one third down the way down her back. She turned to me with a large smile.

“I’m Valentine like as in the holiday.”

“I’m Claire.”

“That’s a gorgeous name.”

“Thank you.”

“Who is your next class with?”

“Mr. Leonardo.”

“That’s my next class too!”

“See you there.”

“Ok.”

I walked down the bleak hall passing James on the way but not stopping to talk. Mr. Leonardo or Mr. Leo, as he told us to call him, was my literature teacher. He wasn’t that nice but I got to sit by Valentine in the front of the class so it wasn’t that bad.

I walked back down the hall knowing my next class was history with Kai and Paige. Kai was at a table waiting for me and Paige was at the table on the opposite side of the room sitting with some boy.

“Hey, Kai.”

“Claire.” He smiled.

I sat next to him and he took my bag placing it gently on top of his.

He kissed me gently on the cheek just as the teacher walked in. She was one of those fake E! girls. Young, fake blondes who have had way to much plastic surgery over the years. Bright red lipstick and sparkling blue eye shadow just added to the look. She looked at Kai and smiled, sitting on the desk and folding one of her legs over the other trying to look cute.

“Who knew that life-sized Barbies were so annoying.” He whispered in my ear.

“Especially the talking ones.” I laughed quietly.

“I’m Ms. Hancock and all this week we will be talking about family’s that have disappeared. A mystery week you could call it.” Her voice was a squeal. Who knew women could be so fake! “Take out your text books and read the first chapter please.” She continued.

She put on more lipstick and painted her nails watching Kai as he flipped through the book and read the chapter quickly. The bell rang and we were both on our feet and out the door before anyone else. But I couldn’t help but notice that the boy next to Paige had left and was already in the hallway. We walked to the cafeteria together in silence, sitting with Kai’s family. Clide had supposedly gone off to college though I knew he was at home watching NFL.

Logan sat next to her new husband Pete while everyone else sat with their pair. Maria and Paige sat together since Clide wasn’t here and I was sitting with Kai. Catherine and Mikayla walked to us and I felt my mouth drop when I looked at them. Mikayla’s cheeks weren’t as chubby as they once were but still chubby enough to be cute. Her hair had gotten longer and was now in small curls. She was shorter for an unexplainable reason but her eyes now had a certain glimmer to them that made her gorgeous. Catherine was still the same girl I always knew her as but because she was with Mikayla she seemed abnormally gorgeous herself.

“You look shorter, Mikayla.” I remarked.

“It’s some disease that runs in the family…or so I’m told.”

“She’s fun size.” Catherine added.

James looked at the door. “Senior boys to the left.” He said but mainly to Catherine.

She left right away leaving Mikayla in front of us. The Pattinsons like Mikayla and treat her as one of the family but none of them can stand Catherine. When I ask them why they just say it’s ‘just a feeling’.

“Happy birthday, Mikayla.” Kai notified her.

He held out a small velvet box and she swiftly took it. They both let out a small gasp when there fingers touched. Mikayla grabbed the box with her other hand while she bit the finger that touched him. She opened the small box and took out the diamond ring, slipping it carefully on her finger.

“I love it.” She hugged Kai and they both froze but Kai especially. “Too close?” She asked

“Way to close.”

“Sorry.”

He laughed. “Why don’t you spend the night at my house? You’ll have to come over sooner or later to pick up your other present.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Kai, a birthday is just another way to say I’m getting old.”

“Be glad that you are getting old. You may hate it now but you will love it in the long run trust me. Being young forever isn’t the path you want to choose.”

“You guys are like my guardian angels from the underworld.” She laughed and hugged him again but quickly released herself. She sat down next to me and Kai across from Will and Cynthia.

“What is with the whole makeover look?” Will questioned.

“Since I’m a senior I thought I could at least look like a senior. See if any boys like the new me.”

“Mmmm hmmm.” Was all he said hiding a small grin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what it is.”

“ ‘Mmmm hmmm’ ,” She quoted. “Doesn’t mean a thing!”

“Don’t get all worked up about it, it was a simple statement.”

“Whatever.” She mumbled and turned to me. “So Claire, how come you didn’t call me all summer? I was beginning to think that Kai did something to you.”

“I was going through a few changes.”

“What, you were pregnant?”

“I was kind of turning into a werewolf.”

“Oh thank god because if you were pregnant I was going to have to smack some sense into you. If you were a vampire though then that would be a whole different problem and I would end up smacking some sense into whatever possessed Kai into doing that to you.”

“I wouldn’t take her soul away.” Kai commented.

“If you were possessed you wouldn’t care.”

All he did was laugh at that comment.

“So what is it like being a werewolf? You got tanner by the way Ms. Kentucky must of enjoyed the California sun.”

“I didn’t get out much because I was literally dying.”

“Well you are sitting here talking to me so obviously you aren’t dead.”

“Oh, Mikayla I missed you so much.”

“Thinking about people that shouldn’t exist did you see Ms. Hancock?”

“Oh my god yes! She has had way too much plastic surgery!”

“I’m surprised she didn’t explode when this one boy walked in! He was absolutely gorgeous and had the cutest eyes I have ever seen! His skin was white but it was so caramel I could bake cookies on him he’s so hot!”

“Are you two hyped-up on laughing gas?” Will asked rudely

“We are teenage girls give us a break.” Mikayla snapped

“I saw the cutest boy in my first class his name was Noah.”

“Maybe you can introduce me to Noah since I’m your best friend who is a senior in high school and doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

“Why don’t you have a boyfriend.”

“My brother Derek keeps me in check.”

“You have a brother?”

“Two but we aren’t really related. My real parents dropped me off at the Reed’s doorstep one night and here I am eighteen years later talking to a werewolf.”

“I did not know that about you.”

“I don’t tell a lot of people about that but you trusted me with your secret so I can trust you with mine.”

“Why is it a secret?”

“I’m less likely to get married if anyone knew that.”

“I’d think you would have more of a chance since everyone hates in-laws.”

She grabbed my cookie but I took it back giving her a stern look.

“Don’t werewolves eat flesh? You don’t need this cookie.”

“I eat human food not flesh.”

“So I’m coming to your house tonight?” She asked swiftly grabbing my cookie back.

“Yes I believe that is the plan.”

“Then let’s go school is over in a few hours but I think we can afford to skip out .”

Everyone got up at the same time walking to out cars in the parking lot. Mikayla followed my car to the house since she still had trouble finding the entrance through the forest. She skipped to the door and I followed her unlocking it for her. She ran in the house and to the kitchen where Kai waited with a blue box. She quickly snatched it out of his hand and threw off the lid. A small white ball jumped out at her and Kai laughed. She pulled it away from her face and smiled, jumping up and down. She was about to hug Kai but she stopped herself.

“What is it?” I asked feeling completely idiotic.

“It’s a teacup Maltese puppy.”

“Have a name?”

“Blitz.”

“Blitz?”

“It sounds like a smoothie name.”

“Like blueberry blitz?”

“Or strawberry blitz.”

“Maybe even mango blitz.”

“Why you two talk about smoothies and dogs I’m going to watch some football. If you need anything talk to Will about it.” Kai interrupted.

“Why Will?” I had to ask.

“He’s nineteen he’ll know the most about…eighteen year old girls.”

“You make it sound like an insult.” Mikayla remarked but he was already out of the room.

I took her up to my bedroom, locking the door behind me. She set Blitz on the bed who walked in circles for a while before jumping onto a pillow.

“Why would he get you a dog of all things?”

“I like dogs.”

“I guess that is explainable.”

“Kai likes football?”

“I guess so.”

“I’m not the one to be a peeper, but do you know what everyone does at night or even at all?”

“I’ve never thought about it. I’m sure they just sit there though.”

“Do you know what Kai does at night?”

“Listens to his IPod.”

“What happened with you and Kai earlier when he passed you the ring?”

“This really weird shock went through my whole body and I was paralyzed for a minute. Then It felt like something sawed at my finger so I bit it to get rid of the feeling.”

“Oh.” That’s not what I thought happened.

Blitz jumped in her arms and she hugged him to her face.

“What is Will’s problem with me? Every time I see him he seems to have to pick a fight with me.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Yes it is.”

“Well Kai has been trying to talk to me about college. When I was in the hospital he told me that he would have to leave when I went to college and that he would never come back.”

“He’s just going to ditch you?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying but he doesn’t understand. Then he has been keeping this big secret from me.”

“What’s the big secret?”

“I was getting to that. He said that if I was dying he would do something to keep me alive but he won’t tell me what he just changes the subject back to college.”

“Why haven’t you looked it up? It probably has to do with something in his nature that he doesn’t want you to know. I’m sure there are plenty of vampire websites on the internet. I mean he probably doesn’t want you to see him hunt but you could look it up on the internet and see how it works.”

She grabbed my laptop and set in in my lap, moved herself to sit next to me, then adjusted Blitz.

“What do I put in the search bar.” I sounded like an idiot.

“Type in ‘vampires’ ”

A list came down and I clicked the first one on the list.

“Now what?”

“Click on the ‘venom’ section.”

I did as she said and clicked on a paragraph reading it out loud for Mikayla.

“Vampire venom is a combination of acids that burn through the skin of human beings. It paralyzes the pray and keeps them from moving while sending painful shocks through the body. Another use for the venom is that it can evaporate the venom of another vampire in result to this is a fast healing process. If bitten the vampire venom will spread, changing the victim into a newborn vampire. This can be used on any person but results may be fatal if used on werewolf.”

“I think I know how he will save you.”

“By changing me into a vampire.”

“No need to state the obvious.”

“Do you think he should know that I know?”

“Yes, this does involve him and his family.”


“But I wasn’t supposed to know this information.”

“For all we know we might be dead wrong, after all it’s just the internet.”

“I guess your right.”

“Search up hunting.”

“There isn’t a section for that.”


“Maybe there is a reason.”


A knock on the door interrupted my next sentence and the door was swinging open. Pete was on the bed, door closed, and staring at us with crimson eyes.

“What do you need?”

“Logan said that if Kai figures out that you know he is going to kill you.”

“I don’t get the big problem?”


“He’s supposedly scared that he’ll kill you if he ever tried.”

“There is always a chance I won’t die.”

“He doesn’t want to risk the chance, after all vampire venom is lethal to werewolves.”

“It is?”

“You didn’t know that?”

“Not at all.”

“Also Kai said that he is going hunting so if you need anything talk to Will.”

“Why not you.”

“The reason he is going hunting is so that he can show me.”


“How is it like being a big bad vampire?”

“I’m not sure? I don’t have any venom, my eyes don’t change yet, I don’t have fangs yet or drink blood. I’m just me in a stronger, faster body.”

“Don’t forget that you are automatically ten times hotter than the original you.”


“Get chased down the street by girls how great.”

“When someone asks you when you were changed you can say 2010 instead of 1523.”

“That’s when Kai was a changed. He’s the oldest out of all of us.”


“That was a good guess then.”

“A very good one indeed.” He laughed.

“So when are you going to get the taste for blood?”

“In like two weeks, Kai is going to ship me to Europe with Logan and James.”

I rethought something for a moment.

“Kai is four hundred eighty three years old?”

“Pretty old for a someone who is twenty one. He has more experience than Dakota. This is basically his coven and when she moves out-which she will- he’ll lead the coven.”

“So what you are saying is that Dakota is useless to the family and that Kai has all the power?”

“Basically. He raised all of them and trained them while Dakota took the credit. He was her puppet and knew it. He didn’t know how to start a coven though so he just took over hers.”

“Wow.”

“Well I’ve got to leave have fun with your slumber party.”

And on that note he was gone and out the door.

“We should go to bed.” Mikayla noted.

I laid across the top of the bed while she laid on the bottom. I drifted off to sleep and woke up with Mikayla hovering over me. I checked the clock: six in the morning.

“I’m getting in the shower.” She informed me.

“Are you taking Blitz with you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be eating breakfast.”

“Meet you there.”

She walked off towards the bathroom and I headed for the door and down the steps. I could smell food coming from the kitchen as Maria flipped another pancake. Kai was sitting on the counter in a crouch. Hands between his legs gripping the edge for support.

“Are you hungry?” Maria asked, setting a plate of pancakes in front of me.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be messing with the weather If you need me.”

“Ok.”

She walked off and I started to devour the pancakes.

“Good morning.” Kai’s velvet voice filled the room.

“Morning.”

“How was your night?”

“How was your night?”

“Pete has the attention span of a squirrel.”

“What did you expect? You made a vampire out of the average teenage skater boy.”

“I should have known better.” He laughed.

“Four hundred eighty three years of it and I would think that you would know.”

“How do you know how old I am?”

“Pete told me.”

He shrugged and their was a shrill bark before Blitz ran in the room with something in his mouth. He jumped up at Kai on the counter who quickly caught him in his hand. Kai set Blitz next to him and grabbed what was in his mouth. He held it out to me. They were Mikayla’s clothes. Blitz wagged his tail as if wanting praised for his robbery. Mikayla ran down the steps in her underwear right after I recognized the fabrics.

“Blitz!” She yelled.

Kai stared at her as she walked to him, grabbing her clothes and an excited Blitz.

“Will you please stop staring at me?” She asked him sweetly.

He looked away quickly and a bruised color came to his cheeks. Was he blushing from embarrassment? She slipped on the clothes and grabbed a pancake putting it on a plate and sitting next to me, setting Blitz on the table.

“Did you cut your hair?” I asked her.

“Yes it bothers me when it’s long.”

“I thought it looked nice.”

“Thank you.”

Blitz ran off the table and jumped back up to Kai. He held him gently and glanced quickly at Mikayla. She smiled gently and continued eating.

“These pancakes are good.” She commented.

“Maria made them.”

“She’s a good cook.”

“I know.”

“I’m sure heaven is made of these blueberry pancakes.”

“I’m sure you are right.”

“You two need to get to school.” Kai said

We both walked out the door and he followed. School went the same but I talked to Noah some more and the same with Valentine. When I went into the Ms. Hancock’s classroom Kai was in his place staring at Paige. The boy next to her was gone today so she had her things in his seat. Ms. Hancock sat on her desk again and winked at Kai. Paige grinded her teeth together and clutched her hand into fist.

“Today we are going to talk about a family that most people haven’t heard of: the Owen family.”

When she said this Paige’s eyes grew wide and she shot an SOS glance at Kai.

“The Owen family was an extremely wealthy family who lived in New Jersey in 1765. One day the family disappeared and only their youngest daughter Paige was left. She lived with the family dog, Treasure, a Great Dane. Paige swore the family was attacked by ‘bloodsucking monsters’ one day and at the age of five was thrown into a psychiatric hospital. In 1846 scientist researched the families death and found the bodies of Phoebe and Charles Owen but the body of their oldest daughter, Chasidy was missing. They unburied Paige’s body for clues but found the grave empty. There was a search for the girl’s body until 1853 when they couldn’t find the body and decided to say that the body was burned.”

The bell rang and everyone sighed in relief since her voice gave everyone a major headache. Kai and Paige were already up and out of the room before I was out of my seat. I looked in the hallway spying him kissing her. He let go of her and they walked to the cafeteria together, his arm around her waist. At lunch we all sat together but Paige looked away and Kai still had his hand on her waist.

“Hey, Paige, what is your maiden name?”

She didn’t answer.

“Did you hear me?”

“Leave her alone, Claire.” Kai warned.

“Paige what is you maiden name?”

“Leave her alone.” He warned again.

“Paige what is your maiden name.” I asked again but before I could flick her in the head Kai had my hand.

“I said leave her alone.” His irises were a dark purple behind brown contacts.

Mikayla walked up to the table.

“Do you want to come to my house, Claire? You can help me with some task for college.”

“That sounds delightful.” I said quickly, getting up and following her.

“I thought you could use some help to get out of that mess.”

“You are an angel.”

“I know I am.”

“So why are we going to you house?”

“To help with some college applications.”

“Sounds good.”

“You’ll get to meet my brothers also.”

“Then let’s go.”

I followed her truck out to a two story white house. I got out my car and walked to the doorstep with her. She knocked and the door swung opened. On the other side was a boy my age with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was extremely tan and gorgeous. He kissed Mikayla on the cheek and she walked in. The interior of the house was cozy with a small piano, large rug under the wooden table, a blue La-Z-Boy recliner, and two tan couches. There was a small dog kennel and a fireplace. The boy spotted me for the first time.

“Are you one of KK’s friends?”

“Yes?”

Mikayla laughed. “I’m KK Claire, and that’s my brother Derek.”

“Oh, then where is your other brother?”

“Bryce is in the backyard with one of his new girly friends.” Derek explained.
Mikayla led me up the five wooden steps that lead to the second story.

“This is my room” She said opening the door.

She had a fairly large room. A bunk bed with Blitz laying on the bottom bunk. There was a shelf with a basket on it and a large TV. The walls were painted a light blue with a wall covered in quotes from books and movies. There were pictures on the wall of her and Derek from when they were little to now.

“You have an awesome room.”

“It’s average.”

“So the college applications?”

“On the bottom bunk.”

I laid down and held Blitz in one hand while shuffling at the applications. One of them caught my eye.

“You got accepted to Harvard law school?”

“Yes but I’m not sure if I want to go. I also got accepted to the University of Hawaii but it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal? You got accepted to the university of Hawaii! Hawaii!”

“I’m not much for the sun. I like the shade a lot. Plus if I got to go to Harvard I’d feel like Elle Woods.”

“Legally Blonde?”

“Yes.”

“You aren’t blonde though.”

“But I’m from California.”

“You are?”

“Well I’m from Brooklyn.”

“Someone carried you in a basket all the way from Brooklyn to California?”

“They must have been desperate.”

“Obviously.”

We looked through the applications some more.

“Did you see Kai blush? It looked like someone had hit him in the face.” She asked.

“I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed that.”

“The way he was staring at me was weird.”

“I didn’t notice that.”

“I guess I was just imagining it.”

“Probably.”

“I can’t believe I actually had to mention to his face that he was staring at me.”

“He stopped though.”

“Yah I haven’t mentioned it to Derek yet because he’s very protective of me. I think it’s something else but I’m not for sure yet.”

I looked at the clock: eight p.m.

“Do I need to leave?”

She glanced at the clock. “Derek will probably be in here in a few minutes so yes.”

“Bye then.”

“Good night.”

I drove back to the still house in the woods thinking over the school day and how protective Kai had gotten of Paige in just a few seconds. I walked into the still house and into the kitchen for a snack. I flipped on the lights and Paige was on the counter like Kai was this morning. Five bottles of champagne were empty and broken around her. I backed up a few steps but the door slammed behind me and Paige was in my face smiling wickedly.

“You can’t run, Claire.”

“What do you want.”

“Everything that I can’t have.”


“I can’t help you with that.”

“Yes you can.”

I glanced at her eyes surprised when they weren’t black but the dark red that had no emotions. She was hiding them from me.

“You are drunk, Paige you don’t know what you are doing.”


“Alcohol doesn’t get me that way, Claire, nothing can break through me I’m invincible.”

I growled a warning and she laughed.

“What do you want?”

“Your life.”

“My what?”

“Stay still and it won’t hurt.”

She pulled out a knife and I ran but she was right there, slamming me onto the ground. She plunged the knife into my heart and everything went black. Then I was drifting peacefully on water. The clouds where snow white and the sky was the brightest blue. I saw a small boat nearby and people were arguing on it. A storm started and the boat was rowing away quickly. Something dragged me into the water and I screamed and kicked trying to get to the surface. The water turned red and black as I screamed more.

Then I was awake.

Everyone was staring at me. James had the knife in one hand and the other hand was on my heart healing it over. Paige looked at me and disappeared. I remembered what had happened and shook the memory away.

“Why aren’t I dead? She stabbed me in my heart I should be dead.”

“But you aren’t.” James remarked.

“I should be.”

“Do you know what happened?”


“I walked into the kitchen Paige was drunk and she killed me.”

“Just give her the drugs already.” Kai said stubbornly.

There was a prick in my arm and I faded to the blackness again. When I woke up I was in my own room and it was night. I checked my calendar to see that I had slept for two straight days. I heard a door slam and I ran downstairs in a robe. I hid on the staircase so that they couldn’t see me. Paige had a black suitcase in her hands but Kai had his hand on the door blocking her. He led her to the couch and sat her down.

“Why are you leaving?” He asked.

“Because of Claire.”

“Don’t let Claire run you out of your house. You were drunk and you didn’t know what you were doing.”

“That’s not the issue it’s just that every time I look at Claire it reminds me of her. Then I think of my family and Christopher. I think of how I couldn’t find Chasidy and how they probably dragged her out to be a savage like they were. It makes me think of everything this life has taken away from me and how I’ll never get those things back. How they thought I was lying and locked me up in that mental home because I wasn’t ‘safe enough to be around other kids my age’ ” She was crying at this point. “I can’t take it anymore and I just want to get away from here.”

“I’m sorry Paige, I shouldn’t of done this to you. You weren’t ready for this life and everything that you would have to sacrifice. I was wrong for stealing you to this life.”

She hugged him crying and he pulled her away to kiss her for a while. I had to cover my own mouth to keep from yelling at her. She buried her face in his chest ad curled into a ball. I crawled back to my bedroom and laid on the bed cursing Paige under my breath for kissing Kai. The next morning I heard everyone talking downstairs. I dressed quickly and ran down the steps to the kitchen.

“What is it?” I asked Kyoko.

“Kai and Paige are gone.”

“Where did they go?”

“We don’t know.”

“They just vanished?”


“Yes, and Dakota left this morning and Kai has a coven to lead now and he isn’t here.”


“Get someone else to do it.”

“We can’t it has to be Kai he is the next in line to lead.”

“How could he just vanish?”

“I don’t know!”

The rest of the day went like that but we couldn’t find them. It has been thirteen days since their disappearance. I was worried about Kai but Paige can get mauled by a bear for all I care. It was ten at night and the whole family was gathered around the couch by time the door opened and Kai and Paige were in the doorway. Everyone was staring at them and Paige disappeared only to be at the top of the staircase waving for Kai to follow her. He jumped on the arm of the couch quickly before jumping to the next object of furniture and ending on the end of the staircase missing the arms that tried to grab him effortlessly. He wrapped his arm around Paige’s waist and turned his head around, growling as they walked up the steps.

“I’ve seen this happen before when Paige got really depressed over Christopher. They will be back to normal tomorrow morning.” Logan explained.

I slept on the couch that night and woke up to the smell of something burning. I ran into the kitchen and saw Paige laughing. She saw me and walked over to me squeezing me in a tight hug.

“Morning, Claire!” At least her voice didn’t change with the attitude.

“Good morning, Paige.”

“Sorry if the burning smell woke you up but I was trying to cook. I guess Kai was right when he said that cooking wasn’t a talent of mine.” She giggled slightly.

“Do you feel ok?”


“Why would you ask that?”

“Well you are just…extremely happy.”

“This how I always am.”

“No your some type of serial killer chic who wears black all the time.”

“Black is my favorite color.”

Kai walked in the room and I left to get dressed. Taking a shower and dressing quickly then running downstairs where Kai and Paige were.

“Good morning, Claire.”

“Good morning, Kai.”

He was messing with something black on a plate.

“What is that?” I asked concerned that he might actually eat it.

“Paige thinks that you cook Jell-O in the oven.”

“Why is it black?”

“I have no idea.”

“Why is Paige happy?”

“I bet her my gold watch that she couldn’t be nice to you for five minutes. She proved me wrong though and now I don’t have a watch.”

“So she’s still evil?”

“Yes.”

“Thank God I can’t stand her being all nice.”

“We need to get to school.”

He drove me there like always and all the classes went by in a fast blur. When I got to lunch everyone was there. Mikayla ran to our table crying. She was the only person I have ever seen actually cry beautifully.

“You just got rejected.” Will teased.

“You know what vampire boy I’m sick of you making fun of me so leave me alone before I rip your head off!”

“You just got rejected.” He mocked again

“Will.” Kai warned. He know longer had to wear contacts since his eyes were a honey-gold hue but I saw them quickly flash then go back to gold. He had to keep his emotions under control if he wasn’t going to wear them.

“Yes sir.” Will murmured.

“Can we go swimming?” Paige pleaded him.

“Sure.”

Logan closed her eyes and opened them winking at Kai.

“What’s wrong, Mikayla?” I said ignoring their conversation to help my crying friend.

“Well this guy said that he really like me so then he took me out on a date. Then when we were in his car he tried to kiss me and I pulled away. Then this morning he hits me and tells me that he doesn’t love me anymore.”

“Well the world isn’t a fairytale.”

“It is for you! You have the boys, the hair, the eyes, the face, the body. Everything!”

“What are you saying?”

“That you are perfect! I don’t think you can get more perfect than you.”

The bell rang to indicate that lunch was over and I hugged her before walking out the door with my other friends. Kai drove straight to the beach, not bothering to go to the house and get bathing suits. We walked up a tall cliff were the rest of his family was. They were tearing their clothes off and jumping into the water from the height off the cliff. I took a quick glance becoming nauseated when I saw how high up we were and the jagged rocks straight below.

“Kai, I think I’ll just sit on the beach and watch you.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m afraid.”

I didn’t notice he was walking towards me until I was up against a tree. His palms were face down on the tree and blocking me from getting away.

“What are you afraid of?” He blew a breath of intoxicating air into my face and I was sure I would faint if not that then hyperventilate.

“Of heights, jumping, sharks, being pierced to death by those rocks.”

“Do you think that a shark will hurt you?”

“Yes.”

“A shark won’t hurt you.”

“Yes it will I’m going to get bit then start bleeding.”

“What are you more afraid of: bleeding or the sharks?”

“Bleeding.”

“Is that all that you are scared of?”

“Yes.”

“The height, the jumping, the rocks. They don’t scare you anymore?”

“The jumping and bleeding.”

“Is anything else bothering you?”

“Mikayla.”

“Those are the only three things?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you afraid of jumping?”

“Because I’m afraid of bleeding and then you will loose control.”

“I won’t loose control.”

“You don’t know that.”

He blew into my face again and I forced myself not to look in his eyes but an icy finger lifted my chin up.

“You won’t loose control.” It was like he had hypnotized me.

He kissed me softly and smiled. I undressed myself and he held my hand as we jumped. My hair was sticking straight up and I could hear my ears ringing as I screamed. We plunged into the water and I kicked my way to the surface. Kai was in front of me smiling.

“That wasn’t so bad was it?”

“I guess not.”

“You have a loud scream by the way.” He laughed.

“Well that was a long drop.”

I looked over at Will and called him over to where I was. He came at a faster speed than his usual fast speed.

“What do you need.”

“What do guys see in girls?”

“What do you mean?”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“Then what do you like in girls?”

“Looks, personality, things like that.”

“Then why don’t guys like Mikayla?”

“You can’t be a matchmaker for everyone in your life.”

“Why don’t guys like her?”

“She’s cute but not in a way that makes every guy in school chase after her.”

“What can I do to make guys like her?”

“Fix her up some. When she came to school all fixed up on the first day of school she was pretty hot.”

“You are useless.”

“Glad to be of service.”

He disappeared under the water and something grabbed my leg sharply. I screamed but was dragged under the water before it even got out. I looked down to see a shark on me. I screamed more and the water quickly filled my lungs. Something dragged me up and I was clinging to Kai’s marble chest. He was laughing at me and Clide was behind me doing the same.

“What is wrong with you two?” I coughed. “I just got bit by a shark.”

“That wasn’t a shark.” Kai explained between booms of laughter. “It was Clide it wouldn’t of hurt you. Clide ended up being able to make mirages so I though it would be funny to play a prank on you.”


“I about drowned.” I remarked flatly.

He smiled apologetically and kissed my forehead. I kicked his gut in response and he dropped me into the water harshly.

“I love you.” He reminded me.

“Yah yah.” I growled.

“You are mad at me aren’t you.”

“You don’t think.”

He flipped on his back, grabbing me and setting me on his stomach. I laid down and set my head on my elbows, digging them into his skin on purpose. He looked up at the night sky and I crawled off his stomach as we both swam back to shore. No one bothered to get there clothes but Kai gave James a look and tossed him a lighter. When We both got in the car I switched on the heat and leaned back on the seat.

“What was James doing?”

“Burning our clothes.”

“Why?”

“Remember how I said not everyone likes the idea of us being together?”

“Yes.”

“Well it’s just a precaution.”

“Why can’t your kind just understand why we like each other?”

“Your kind doesn’t understand either.”

“How will we know if they are coming after us?”

“My eyes will turn blue.”

“What’s for dinner?”

“How am I supposed to know? Go and cook something yourself.”

“But you cook for me.”

“I’m not supposed to treat you like a kid anymore.”

“Can Maria cook for me?”

“Maria has to go to work.”

“Ugh.” I moaned.

“You have gotten spoiled since you came to live with me.”

“That’s because you and you’re family baby me.”

“But we stopped.”

We sat in silence for a moment as I carefully picked my next sentence carefully.

“When I was dying, Kai, why didn’t you…bite me?”

The car swerved to a stop and he was staring at me. His eyes were still gold but I was sure he would get mad at me in a minute.

“How do you know that?”

“Mikayla told me.” I instantly thought about Mikayla’s safety and finished the sentence quickly. “She told me to look it up on the internet and I did but I didn’t think I would actually find it.”

He started the car again so I assume the worst is over.

“I didn’t bite you for a reason.”

“A reason that you aren’t going to tell me.”

“Yes.”

He drove up to the house and opened my door for me. He opened the door and I went straight to the kitchen. I pulled out an assortment of vegetables and a frying pan. Heating the stove, putting the frying pan on it, and grabbing a knife to slice of the vegetables. The only food I was good at making was stir-fry. Anything else I tried to cook on a stove ended up being fed to the neighbor’s dog. I threw the knife in the sink, retrieving a spatula from the drawer. The sink ran and something sprayed on me from behind. I forgot I was still in my underwear until the cool water hit my bareback. I turned and Kai was holding a faucet connected to a cord. One of those kinds that allowed you to stretch all around the sink. Scowling, I went back to the stir-fry but was sprayed again.

“Kai, stop.”

Of course he ignored me and sprayed the water continuously.

“I’ll tell my mom.”

“Go ahead.”

“Leave me alone so I can finish cooking.”

He dropped the faucet and walked towards me.

“You can cook?”

“Your surprised?”

“Yes, actually, I am.”

He hugged my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I finished the food but didn’t eat it yet. We hadn’t moved an inch in the past five minutes. He turned his head to kiss me and I kissed him back and something was in the doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt the moment but I need to talk to you, Kai.” It was Will, I could tell from the voice.

He turned slightly then turned back to me. A yellow line crossed his eyes and they turned a gorgeous royal blue. Will left and Kai hugged my waist again. He wasn’t going to let go anytime soon so I ate the food out of the pan with the spatula.

“Let go of me I need to take a shower.” I commanded with a mouth full of food.

“You don’t need to take a shower.”

“I have to take a shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, and go to bed.”

“Fine.”

He let go and I skipped up the steps. I closed the door quietly and got n the shower, washing the saltwater out of my hair. The door opened and I sighed.

“What do you want?”

“I’m going to be protective over you and your friends for a while.”

“Why?”

“Vampires are coming into town and I want to make sure nothing happens.”

“Who are they?”

“A coven from New York.”

“Why would they travel all the way to California?”

“That is what we are worried about.”

“Well they can’t be trying to hunt us down.”

“Cecile is from New York and she is part of Thanos’s coven.”

“So you think that she drifted away from him, got her own coven, but is still taking orders from him?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you going to be protective of my friends though?”

“Who knows what Catherine will tell a hot guy in exchange for a date.”

“I guess your right but Mikayla Is smarter than that.”

“But she’s still small and weak plus she has a tendency to snap at people when she’s mad.”

“How do you know that?”

“I have looked at her past a few times.”

“What else do you know about her?”

“She’s tiny and aggressive.”

I switched off the water and grabbed a towel off the rack. Going to the fogged up mirror I grabbed a comb and brush then sat in Kai’s lap.

“How close are the vampires from here?”

“I’m not sure but they must be close.”

“Oh.”

That was the rest we talked on that subject. I went to bed shortly after and woke up well-rested. Know one talked at breakfast except for a few low murmurs from Cynthia. Everyone’s eyes were blue except Logan’s and it bothered me. Kai had to repeatedly tell me that nothing was going to happen to me. In Ms. Lenning’s class I talked more to Noah and more to Valentine in Mr. Leo’s class. Ms. Hancock’s class went by the slowest since I was with Kai but it was still boring. In the cafeteria Mikayla approached the table with a sly smile staring straight a Kai. Her smile turned into a straight line and she stood straight in a formal way.

“I was thinking that I want to be like you.”

I watched as Kai’s expression turned confused.

“I know everything I would be getting myself into but I’m fine with that. I already thought about what to tell my family if you considered and I’ve been in orphanages before so I’m fine with moving to different places. I’m young enough to be a junior in high school and at least get through my first year of college before we would have to move again. I know how to fight so that wouldn’t really be a problem and I’m fine with all the people that I know having to die it wouldn’t bother me that much.”

“You have thought this out haven’t you.”

“Yes a great deal.”

“What are you going to tell your parents?”

“Well they are thinking that I’m going to the University of Hawaii so I’ll be so far away that they won’t need to check in on me until I have to go and visit them. The red eyes can be covered up with contacts and I can come up with a good excuse for the pale skin I’ve always been an excellent liar.”

“When is your deadline?” Will asked her.

“Next month.”

“Who do you wan to change you?”

“Anyone that is willing to.”

“I say yes.”

Kai gave him a look of anger and growled under his breath.

“She has planned this out perfectly and if you don’t want to change her I don’t have a problem with it. We already treat her like a part of the family it will just be that she’s living with us. One more person to protect Claire from everyone that wants to kill her. She’s young and hot so we can stay in one place longer. The fact that she is cute will make it easier to hunt. She has aggressive outburst at moments and she can fight. I think it would be a good idea.”

“You are not about to ruin her life for eternity.”

“If she wants it then it’s not ruining her life.”

“She’ll regret the decision once it’s made.”

“How come if we ever end up bringing this up you find some excuse to not change her? She would make an awesome vampire!”

“I have a reason for not wanting her changed.”

“What? The same one that you have for Claire?”

He growled and Will shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess that’s a no for my question?” Mikayla budged in.

Catherine skipped over before anyone could give her a sarcastic answer.

“Hey Catherine.” I haven’t talked to her in months.

“Hillbilly.” She barked.

“You know she was dying while you were relaxing in your rich daddy’s hot tub the least you could do is say one nice word to her. Or maybe you are just some ignorant, rich girl who has no friends and needs to get a life.” Mikayla snapped. Now I know what Kai was talking about when he said sudden outburst.

“I’m the only friend you have orphan so I advise you don’t talk to me like that.”

Mikayla grabbed Catherine’s arm and had her hand at her face ready to hit her. Catherine gasped and I could see how hard the Pattinsons were holding back their hysteria. Mikayla dropped her arm and Catherine grabbed her back and walked off angrily.

“Imagine how that would of went if she was a vampire.” Kai said under his breath.

Mikayla sat down and buried her head in her hands. Two hands were on her shoulder and she gasped loudly, looking at Kai with wide eyes. She stood and faced the man. He was pale with blue eyes and tussled bronze hair. He smiled at her kindly and she grabbed my arm, squeezing it tightly.

“Hello.” Her voice was shaking.

“You are Mikayla Reed if am I correct.” His voice was smooth but not velvet like Kai’s.

“Yes.”

“I’m Justin and I heard that we would have homeroom together and-”

“Listen to me ‘Justin’ or whatever your real name is. I know what you want and you aren’t getting it so I advice you leave me alone.”

He gripped her hand and she scratched at mine.

“Where is she?”

“I’m not telling you.”

She gripped my hand and pulled.

“Where is Claire Lamone.”

“I’m not telling you.”

“Tell me or I’ll kill you.

“You wouldn’t dare.” She threatened.

“Try me.” He growled.

“Kill me if you want but you won’t lay a hand on Claire.”

He dropped her hand and stormed out the door she turned to me and I looked at her violet wrist and the tears running down her cheeck. I touched it and she let out a small scream.

“He broke it.”

“It may be sprained but not broken.”

“I heard the snap, Claire.”

“Why did you have to go and start the agument anyways?”

“Sometimes I don’t control what I say and I panicked when I saw the black irisis behind the blue contacts.”

“Oh great.”

“Claire, take Mikayla to the reserve and go with her.”

“Yes, Kai.”

“What about my snapped wrist?” She asked.

“Someone will fix it at the reserve.”

“Why aren’t you coming?”

“It’s wolf land we can’t go.” He explained.

I walked out the cafeteria with her and drove to the wolf reservation. I was surprised when I saw the boy that sat beside Paige in Ms. Hancock’s class taling to Noah and Valentine. They saw us and waved for me to join them.

“Hi Claire.” Valentine jumped up to hug me.

“Hey Valentine.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same.”

“Well if you didn’t know I’m a…werewolf.”

“So am I!”

“Oh and if you didn’t know this is Noah and Aaron.”

I waved and turned my attention back to Valentine.

“How did you turn into a werewolf?”

“Some vampires from New York were visiting and it just hit all three of us.”

“You don’t eat humans do you?”

“Not at all we only eat mortal food.”

“That’s a relief.”

I turned to Mikayla. “You will be ok here won’t you? I have to get back home.”

“I’ll be fine.”

On my way home I couldn’t help help but worry about how Mikayla was doing. I stopped the car and got out just to lean up against the hood. Something grabbed my waist and a cold hand slapped over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. Next thing I know I was in a dark room and Justin was in front of me. I was tied down and he was smiling to himself.

“So you are Claire Lamone? I thought you would be older than this.”

“What do you want?”

“You dead.”

“Well some guy named Taboo beat you to it like a year ago.”

“Ace? He’s long gone Thanos disposed of him very well though. Never knew what hit him.”

“He’s dead?”

“Like you will be soon enough.”

“You mean you aren’t going to kill me?”

“We are going to send Pattinson a message before disposing of you.”

He undid my hands and feet and I ran for the door.
He grabbed me though, slamming me down and breaking the table I was sitting on. There was a crack as he stepped on my stomach. I screamed and he moved his mouth around my stomach. I could feel his fangs slicing the skin but I didn’t feel the burn of venom. He bit down on my leg but as before the burning effect didn’t come. I screamed more and a door opened.

“Let her go.” A soprano voice ordered.

“What do you want?”

“Let her go, Justin.”

The woman walked over and in the light from the doorway I saw that she had blonde hair with pink highlights. A short jean skirt, a pink T-shirt with a rhinestone heart in the middle, fishnet stockings, and black boots.

“Cecile.” He whined.

So that was the Cecile that Cole was talking about? I imagined her to look different than this.

“Tie her back up and take her to the Pattinson house. Leave her on the doorstep and leave before they find you.”

“Cecile.” He whined again.

“You wouldn’t want to dissapoint me would you?” She cooed.

“Of course not.”

“That’s what I thought.”

She kissed the side of his jaw and left the room but kicked me in the ribs on her way out. I screamed in pain again but her tied me up and duct taped my mouth over. He ran in the pouring rain-how melodramatic- and threw me on the doorstep of Kai’s house. The door opened with Logan staring down at me. She screamed bloody murder and untied me slowly. Carrying me to the kitchen and setting me on the table she screamd again at how I looked in the light. James ran down the steps but paused wide-eyed at me. He covered his mouth quickly and Logan was pulling him to me.

“Fix her.” She growled.

He put a hand on me and I felt the aching turn numb as my body was healing over. Kai walked down the steps and ran to me muttering something unintelligent under his breath.

“What happened?’

“She was on the doorstep bleeding to death.” Logan explained.

“What happened, Claire?”

“Justin, Cecile, Thanos.” I was shaking uncontrollably.

“I think she is going into shock.” James said with a smile.

“What happened, Claire?” Kai continued.

“I was on my way home when I was grabbed. Justin started hitting me. Then Cecile came and she told him to throw me on the doorstep to give you a warning of what is going to happen. Oh, and Ace is dead, Thanos killed Ace.”

Kai’s expressions went dead. “Thanos killed Ace?”

“Yes.”

“Mikayla is safe right? No one knows where she is?”

“Yes.” Why did he want to know that?

“Catherine is at her house?” I could tell he could care less about her.

“I think.”

“You think?”

“You told me to take Mikayla to the reserve and that was all. I didn’t know I was to watch out for Catherine also.”

He sighed and the door flew open Mikayla and Catherine running threw it. Mikayla was bloody while Catherine only had minor scratches.

“What happened to you two?” I asked.

“We got jumped!” They yelled in unison.

“By who?”

“I don’t know but it was a pack of guys and then anoter pack of guys came but they had a girl with them. Then the first set of guys just grabbed us and ran back to the reserve then questioned us. I didn’t say a thing so they beat me black and blue but they didn’t hit Catherine. Am I cursed? I mean only God knows what would of happened if I didn’t choke that guy.”

“You did what?”

“I have to keep in mind sometimes that you don‘t know my violent side.”

“What happened to you, Catherine?”

“I fell down in a bush when we were running.”

“Now you are at my house?”

“Correct.”

She walked over and kissed James on the cheek but he pushed her away not so gently.

“Then when we were running Justin came out of nowhere and held me at gunpoint while some blonde girl with pink streaks in her hair looked me over. I don’t see why everything happens to me and not Catherine.” Mikayla screamed.

She walked over to the table and sat down, sobbing into her hands. Will ran down the steps to replace James, who was leaving at the moment. Mikayla hugged his legs and he rested a hand on her head. Giving me a brief look of confusion he stroked her hair and she looked up at him. Will backed up but gave Kai a stern look before going back upstairs.

“What was that about?” I asked in my mind so my friends couldn’t hear.

“Tommorow you should take your friends to the mall.”

“Why?”

“My family and I need to talk about something…important.”

“Can you tell me?”

“No but most likely you won’t need to know at all.”

“Kai!” I begged.

“Claire, just go to bed this isn’t any of your business anyways.” He snapped.

“That’s not fair.” I was ready to put up a fight.

“Claire, I am serious.”

“Since when did you start treating me like a little girl?”

“Just because I don’t give you everything you want doesn’t mean that I treat you like a child.”

“Why can’t I know?” I screamed out loud.

Grabbing my friends I stomped up the steps and to my bedroom. A small bark stopped me from bashing down a wall in frustration.

“What was that?” I asked.

Mikayla laughed “It’s just Blitz; I keep him in my backpack.”

She opened the bag and he jumped out to lick her face. We didn’t talk much the rest of the night but watched movies and pet Blitz. We all passed out on the couch but the chatter of someone’s voice woke me.

“What would make them think that I would put her through that?”

It was Kai thinking to himself in his bedroom. The door opened and I quickly curled up in a ball, deucking my head under the pillow. I had a gut feeling that he peeped on me every night that I wasn’t sleeping in his room. This should worry me but a part of me found it romantic in some dark, twisted way. The door closed and the voice continued in my head.

“They honestly think I will cave in to that? I’m not going to do that to her. Oh great, Maria.” That was a sudden twist of thought.

“Kai, you need to do it.”

I pressed my ear to the wall to hear the conversation better.

“I’m not so get it out of your mind.”

“It’s for her safety.”

“I don’t see how knowing that it is going to kill her.”

“It’s a fifty fifty chance.”

“A chance I don’t want to take.”

“You have to leave the girl eventually so why not just try it? If it kills her than it kills her, so what? You only have a few months left with her before you say goodbye forever. Plus if it does kill her it will be so fast she won’t even notice.”

“Maria I said no.”

“I don’t care what you said Kai Pattinson now you are going to do it and if you don’t I can find someone else that’s willing to.”

“Go ahead at least then I won’t be responsible for her death.”

“You are in way over yourself with her.”

“Maybe I am maybe I’m not but either way I’m not doing it.”

“If you don’t do it someone else will.”

“She won’t let you.”

“She won’t even know what is going on.”

“Give me three days to think about it, Maria, just until then don’t touch her.”

“Fine by me.”

I scrambled out the bed and next door to his room. I gently opened the door to mimic the effect of just waking up. Maria threw me a glance before leaving the room and slamming the door shut. I glanced out the glass wall to see the sun just rising. Kai’s eyes changed from dark purple to gold in a fast blur. I jumped om his bed and he kissed me quickly before throwing into his stone lap.

“Claire, if anyone other than me ask you if you want to be a vampire please say no.”

“Ok.”

He smiled a faint smile and kissed me again.

“What is Maria planning to do?”

He sighed knowing that I had listened to his entire conversation.

“Maria wants to have you marked for protection reasons.”

“Who else wants that?”

“Everyone other than Logan.”

I rethought about what he had told me about marking. Panic flooded me and I gripped his shirt tightly in my fist.

“You have three days.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

“Three days.” I repeated in a daze.

He pressed me closer to his chest and fell back onto the bed. I watched his white shirt spot as meaningless tears streamed down my face. He propped himself up on one elbow and unlatched my tight grip to pull me beside him. I turned to face him and he pressed his lips against mine.

I smiled . “What is with all the kissing?”


“Well if I’m going to have to suck half the life out of you I might as well do something to make you less made at me afterwards.”

“I won’t be mad at you.”

“You should be.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and laughed quietly to myself for no good reason.

“Are Catherine and Mikayla still asleep?” He asked.

“Yes they are.”

I messed with the back of his hair and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

“About college?” He mused.

“I haven’t thought about it lately actually.” I admitted.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and sighed.

“Why haven’t you thought of this yet?”

“It’s senior year I still have a while and I’ve been busy with my friends and school. Trying to keep a human life.”

“A human life, eh?”

“It would be nice to be like my friends again.”

“Yet you didn’t want to be anywhere near them when you were human.”

I kissed him and pulled back.

“How did we get here?”

“What do you mean?”

“How did we end up getting where we are now?”

“Catherine dragged you into a bar.”

“To think that if I never went in that bar with her I would of never met you.”

“You would see me at school eventually and the contacts store don’t forget.”

“You called me cute and adorable.”

“You are cute and adorable.”

“And then I started blushing and Paige sabotaged the moment.”

I kissed him and gripped his hair tightly. Some more meaningless tears fell before I let go of him.

“I love you.” I reminded him.

“I know.”

He rolled on his back and I sat on top of him, leaning over his face and barely touching him to wear he couldn’t feel my weight. He tucked a loose strand of hair back in it’s place and smiled gently. The door opened and Catherine was in the doorway shocked.

“Maria said for you to get downstairs and ready for school.” She was speaking only to Kai but I nodded in response. She lingeried in the doorway for a minute before she staggered off.

“Now that we gave Catherine a heart attack I think we should go downstairs before Maria murders me.”

Getting up at once I skipped down the steps and bumped into Paige. I pulled back quickly but noticed that she was looking down at her feet instead of my face.

“Good morning, Claire.”

“Did you bet with Kai again.”

“I don’t hate you it’s just you look exactly like…never mind that just make sure Maria sees your downstairs.”

“Sure thing.” It was more of a question than actual statement.

“See you later.”

She rushed out the door and Catherine replaced her. The sour look on her face made me expect questioning.

“What is it Catherine?”

“You know what.”

If you are going to get upset about it then get out of my face. Cynthia skipped over and perched herself on the railing of the staircase.

“You need to go to school before you are late.” Her accent was thick and the words came out in a blur so it was hard to understand her. “You and Kai have been upstairs all morning get a move on.”

Last thing I remember was the sun coming up I couldn’t believe it was seven fifty already.

“Also you need to do a whole day of school because we won’t be home and Maria doesn’t want Kai doing anything stupid.”

“Got it.”

I ran out the door in a rush just to run into Kai. He had a tan jacket in his arm and that’s when the arctic breeze hit me. He smiled and grabbed my hand to pull me to his car. I got in the passenger’s seat and he didn’t stop me for once. I watched the street fly by in the tinted windows when something cold ran down my spine. I screamed and shot my head around to see what it was. Kai was laughing and I grimaced.

“That wasn’t funny.”

“You didn’t see your face.”

“It wasn’t funny now stop laughing.”

“It was to funny.”

Putting my legs in the seat I wrapped my arms around my legs and stared out the window again. I turned to focus on his outfit and not his face. Jeans, T-shirt, tan jacket, he might of looked like a normal kid if the clothes weren’t designer. I looked at my clothes then back at his. Jeans, T-shirt, jean jacket that stopped halfway, all of it designer. I felt sad for my formal self that hated everything about herself. I traced designs in the car and flipped my body to wher I was facing Kai.

“We have to do a whole day of school today.”

“Who said?”

“Maria.”

“Maria is getting on my nerves.”

“Well you can’t just disobey her.”

“Do you want to get out of Gym?”

He used the full force of his eyes and smile to lure me into the decision.

“Fine but only Gym I haven’t had a full day of school all year.”

“Only Gym then.” He agreed with a sly smile.

“I’m serious.” I warned him in the fiercest tone I could manage but it wasn’t that great.

“I know your serious.”

He parked the car and I opened the door- almost falling out because I forgot I was leaning on it-and staggered out of it unevenly. I heard a faint chuckle and internally cursed whoever it was. Kai was already walking to the door, tan jacket slung over one shoulder as if preparing for a photoshot. I slammed the door in frustration and stomped to the door of the school. Ms. Lenning wasn’t in the clssroom by the time I got in. A girl with one green streak in her dark brown hair looked at me with a small smile. Black makeup covered her face and gothic styled clothing completed the look. She walked to me and held out a hand.

“I’m Jade.”

“I’m Claire.”

“My friend Valentine wanted me to ask you if she could join your pack and I wanted to know if I could too. Maybe you could be the first to break the rule of an all female pack.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“Of course we would need some more girls.”

“Of course.”

“See you at lunch?”

“Sure.”

She sat behind me and Noah replaced her. The scowl on his face was directed at me and he shot it at Jade for a moment. By now Ms. Lenning was already in the class and teaching.

“What would possess you to make an all female pack?”

“It’s a great idea and it may become a new trend.”

“You are a female you can’t be an alpha male.”

“Fe-male if you take away the ‘Fe’ it’s basically the same.”

“You are a stubborn little girl.”

“And you are a stubborn little boy.”

The bell rang and I hopped up but Noah was in front of me already.

“When you decide to make your ‘pack’ me and my boys will be waiting.”

“It’s a fight then.”

“Yes indeed.”

He moved and I waited for Jade to get her bags. We walked together to Mr. Leo’s class to tell Valentine the good news. I told them the bad and Jade eventually had to go to her next class. While Mr. Leo went on and on about a subject I could care less about Valentine and I talked about Noah’s pack.

“What will we do?” The panic in her eyes was lost with the fear in her voice.

“We fight them.”

“I don’t like the idea.”

“We are going to take this to a whole new level, we will go down in history.”

“I guess your right but he has more than we do-we are out numbered.”

“I can scrounge up a few more werewolves.”

The bell rang and we both stood.

“I’ll see you and Jade at lunch then?”

“Yes.”

Going down the hall to Ms. Hancock’s class and girl stopped me. The long, shiny silver hair freaked me out and the royal blue eyes were a scare too but her friendly smile warmed the hall.

“I’m Palatena and I heard about your idea of an all female pack and I wanted to know if I could join.”

“Absouloutly.”

“Seriously? I thought it would be harder than this.”

“No, we could use more people.”

“I’ll see you at lunch then?”

“See you then.”

Every werewolf in school seemed to be coming to me like a magnet. Kai was frowning when I sat next to him. Most likely stressed that the clock was ticking on marking me or he had heard my idea’s through someone’s thoughts…

“What would make you think of an all female pack?”

“It’s a good idea.”

“No it isn’t.”

“I don’t care what you think I have a fight and I need a pack.”

“So you wake up this morning and just decide to be an alpha?”

“Yes I did.”

The class went by in a blur and I let him make what he could out of the long silence. I ran to the luchroom and picked up my new friends on the way. We sat at a circular table and watched Noah and company.

“What will we do? They have more experience than us and we are smaller then them.” Valentine’s face creased in worry.

“We will be fine when they told women that they couldn’t work we proved them wrong. This is exactly the same just that we are werewolves.” I reassured her.

“You are right.”

“I know I am.”

“So what are we supposed to do with the vampires?” Jade smiled at the thought of ripping them to shreds.

“We leave them alone. They take care of me and are going through a lot right now to make sure that I’m safe.”

“We do get to kill some vampires right?”

“Yes, but we leave the Pattinson coven alone.”

“I can work with that.”

The bell rang and I was up and off to my next class. Kai was already next to me with one arm around my waist. He walked me to my next class which happened to be Biology. I sat and waited for the teacher to come into the room. He was the average guy but appeared pretty young. Blonde hair, green eyes, fair skin, he had jeans and a T-shirt on and could of passed as a student.

“I’m Mr. Jones now everyone take there seats.”

Everyone obeyed as he walked around the room. I looked at the girl next to me. African American with short hair and extremely long earrings on. She was gorgeous to a high degree but not as gorgeous as Mikayla.

“I am Nala.”

“I’m Claire.”

“You are friends with Palatena aren’t you?”

“Yes I am.”

“You are werewolf?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to join my pack?”

“That sounds nice.”

That was more complicated than the rest but now we are closer to having as many people as Noah does. Valentine, Jade, Palatena, me, now Nala, I only need a few more until my pack is complete.

“Ms. Lamone pay attention!” Mr. Jones yelled at me in a strict voice.

I nodded in respose to that and he nodded as well. I watched the clock for the rest of class as my mind focused on French class. Who knows what werewolves I would find in that class? The bell rang and Nala was already leaving with her bag over her shoulder. I noticed she was wearing a necklace with a shark tooth on it around her ankle. I walked out the room and to Ms. Ramachandran’s class. She was Indian and supposedly grew up in the part where almost everyone spoke French. I looked around the room for any werewolves that may be hoping to come to me. A girl walked straight passed me and I felt a surge of heat come off of her skin as she passed silently. She sat and I sat next to her giving the girl my best smile. She looked down and took her books out of her checkered bag.

“Hi I’m Claire.

“I’m Lotus.”

I looked at her pink and was just now aware of the odd shade of pink it was. Tied back with a green head band it was down to her thighs. Her eyes were emerald and she smiled politely.

“You’re a werewolf?”

“Yes.”

“Would you want to join my pack?”

“Only if my twin gets to also.”

“Sure um…who is your twin?”

“Luna. She looks a lot like me but with different colored hair.”

“What color is her hair?”

“Purple. She’ll be easy to spot.”

“Did you all die your hair that color?”

“Yes, just for awhile but then we really liked the colors. It makes us stand out and we are very artistic.”

“When will I meet your sister?”

“Her next class is Gym.”

“Then I will see her in Gym.”

“Thank you for the invite to your pack.”

I nodded and left just as the bell rang. My pack will be complete right as I meet Luna. I walked into the grey room and picked up a racket just as Coach Thompson instructed. A petite girl ran over to me her hair an odd purple. This must be Luna. Her eyes were the same emerald as Lotus’s were but the headband she wore was black.

“I’m Luna.” She huffed

“Claire.”

“My sister told me I would meet you soon.”

“Really?”

“So I’m going to be in your pack?”

“Yes.”

“You are very brave I don’t think I would be able to do what you are.”

“Thank you.”

“Want to be on my team?”

“Sure thing.”

The racketball game went quick with Luna and I winning all four games. We pranced to the girl’s locker room in a hurry and ran out the double doors. I skidded to a stop when I saw Kai waiting for me. Luna growled softly and I held up my hand for her to stop.

“Did you get your ‘pack’ yet?”

“Yes. Valentine, Jade, Palatena, Nala, Lotus, Luna, and I.”

“You did that in one day? Pretty inpressive.”

“I’m quick to do things.”

“I was waiting for you to ditch already.”

“Oh I got caught up in the game.”

“At least I got out of Spanish class.” He chuckled.

“I’m coming to your house right?”

He stroked a hand across my face and his mouth turned up in a smile.

“You should probably eat first.”

“I’ll go to your house.”

“That’s not the food I meant.”

“You want me to hunt?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No.”

“Take your pack with you.”

He stroked the side of my neck and walked off leaving me alone with Luna. She eyed me suspiciously but the look passed. I walked off and noticed how my pack just naturally walked together as we went to the door. We raced each other to the woods and when we were sure no one would see, changed. I looked at their colors and tried to recognize the girls. Jade was the black wolf, Luna and Lotus both a sandy shade with spots of tan. Nala was a dark brown while Palatena was silver with a dark grey patch around her left eye and behind her ear. Valentine was a rust color that almost resembled the red of her hair but not so…stunning. We were all petite and seemed to all fit together in some way. We ran off deeper into the woods and stopped when some deer ran past. All of us pounced at the same time and landed on a deer, crushing it to death. I tore the skin and quickly ate the meat feeling sick to my stomach that Kai asked me to do this. He must have wanted me away for something but I couldn’t think of what.

I wasn’t that hungry and only ate one deer as the rest of them did. We played in a pool of water nearby still in wolf form before trotting off in different directions. I ran home to Kai and he was casually leaning against the door frame waiting for me to return. I changed just as I got to the door and he moved out the way. I looked at the black, starless sky and sighed when I saw the others were home. My cellphone rang and I was quick to answer.

“Hello?” I breathed

“Claire? It’s Aunt Linda.”

“How did you get my cellphone number?”

“Your mother gave it to me. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come live with me in Kentucky. You must hate the heat of California.”

“Actually I like it here.”

“What is it like?”

I glanced out the back door and saw Kai sitting down. I ignored him for a minute to look at the surrondings. “No stars out tonight and it’s raining pretty hard.”

“Raining in California hmmm? Your mom said you didn’t live with her anymore but she didn’t tell me who you lived with she just told me that I would have tot alk to you about it.”

“I live with my boyfriend.”


“Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend?”

“Yes, I am eighteen and most eighteen year old girls have boyfriends.”

“I remember when you were five and thought that boys were icky.”

“Well I’m not five anymore and I don’t think that boys are icky.”

“Your cousin wants to talk to you.”

I sighed as the phone switched to my cousin.

“Hey, Claire it’s me Adrien.”

Hi, Adrien how is school.”

“Eight grade is a nightmare- have any tips for a rookie?”

“Don’t fall for the pretty boys they have the biggest secrets.”

“So what is your boyfriend like? What is his name? What does he look like?”

“Kai is mature for his age but really sweet he’s Asian but I don’t think that has anything to do with what we are talking about.”

“Oh, well I’ve got to go mom just found the chocolate syrup I spilt.”

“Good luck with that one.”

“Good luck with high school.”

I hung up my phone and walked in to the pelting rain to sit next to Kai. I got a strong whiff of blood when I sat next to him and remembered what the rain does to his skin. His hair wasn’t in spikes anymore but in a messy array and dripping with water. I ran my hand through his silk hair and he turned to me.

“You smell like blood.” I teased.

“You smell like jasmine- or vanilla I can’t tell which.”

“What are you doing out here anyway?”

“Thinking about some things.”

“It’s pouring out here.”

“Maria is upset with me.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t like the thougth of expanding the deadline. She wants it done and over with.”

“And you don’t I’m guessing.”

“Exactly.”

“They put too much pressure on you.”

“I know. Sometimes I honestly believe that they expect me to work miracles. That’s why I ran away you know.” He informed me matter-of-factly.

“You ran away? I thought you just left or that Paige was dragging you off into the woods.”

“No,” He laughed. “there was too much pressure and Paige was already planning to leave so I just followed her back to New Jersey.”

“Wow.” Was all I could manage to get out of my mouth as I rethought all of the pain I went through wondering where he was. “Then what?”

“We came back knowing we would have to eventually. But first I visited Samantha.”

“Then…” I encouraged.

“I came home, got screamed at by Maria, I hated knowing that I had upset her but some things are just necessary. I told Maria to lead the coven but she couldn’t. She agrees that I’m too young for this and that it’s to big of a responsibility. She’s afraid that everything that I’ve been through has made me too mature for my age.”

“You are mature for your age I sometimes forget that you are twenty one.”

He raised one eyebrow at me in honest confusion.

“I mean you drink, smoke, swear, gamble, you use guns and drugs. I mean that’s not things the average kid does when they are straight out of college.”

“Well I’m not your average kid.” He smiled

“I guess your right.”

There was some thunder and lightning as the silence dragged on.

“I think we should go inside now.” He suggested as the rain soaked my shirt and hair even more.

We walked into the house and James was leaning against the counter. He and Kai exchanged a look and Kai wrapped his arm around my waist. He kissed my head and I could hear him whispering to me.

“Go to your room, shut the door, and listen to your IPod.”

I walked away but paused and turned around.

“I’ll see you tomorrow right?”

He didn’t answer me but just stared at James.

“I will see you tomorrow, right?” The question was directed towards James now.

“No promises.” He growled and I staggered away, frightened and worried for Kai.

I did as he said. Closing the door and changing my clothes to an Aeropostale white cami with small green polka dots and some small shorts. I put my IPod in and curled into a ball under the heavy blankets. Though the volume was blasting I could still hear everyone yelling downstairs.

“Why don’t you just leave him alone? If he doesn’t want to do it he doesn’t want to do it. You shouldn’t fore him to do it after all she is his girlfriend.” Logan begged.

“This doesn’t concern you.” Paige snapped.

“Yes, it does and don’t act like you don’t care about her because you do It’s just that she looks like you parents murderer.”

There was a growl and then another one that dimmed down as I rolled over on my stomach to burry my head in the pillows.

“You are asking me to kill her and I can’t put her through that pain.” Kai growled

“She’s a werewolf you should want to kill her anyway.” It was Maria and I gasped at how she could hate my guts that bad.

“It doesn’t matter to me that she’s a werewolf because I love her and I am not going to hurt her like that.”

“You will have to leave her eventually so why not just kill her off and make it easier for everyone.”

There was a sudden growl but it wasn’t like the ones that I heard. There were a few crashes and snarls with a few noises I couldn’t describe. I eventually fell asleep though and when I woke Kai was in front of me with hot pink eyes. My fingers were clinging to his shirt and he had his arms around me. My eyes were sore and dry but I could see confusion on his face clearly. I undid my tight fingers and stretched them.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why would you ask.”

“You were crying and screaming for me last night and when I sat next to you, you instantly clung to me and haven’t let go since.”

“Oh.”

“I know you heard everything that happened last night.”

“What happened?”

“We had a small argument.”

“I have never heard you growl like that before.”

His eyes changed quickly while his jaw tightened and his fingers gripped my shirt fiercely.

“Did I do something wrong?” I worried.

“No.”

“Why don’t they like me?”

“They don’t understand how I can be connected to you. They find it…unnatural because you are…different from me…from us. It didn’t bother them much when you were human because it has happened to them all at least once if not more.”

“So it is because I am different.”

“Yes.”

I rolled on my back and he climbed on top of me but careful not to put any weight on me.

“We are… different and they don’t like that?” I restated.

“We are not supposed to love each other because we aren’t the same…species. I still have the need to kill you but it’s covered up by other, stronger needs.” He was whispering now and his eyes were burning into mine. He leaned closer to me and my head spun as he tilted his head slowly and hesitated as his lips touched mine. My fingers reached up to twine in his hair but he grabbed them and slid one to his cheek and the other to his chest. I pulled away but he kissed me again. His hands wrapped around my face then into my hair as he pulled himself closer. I tried to be good as the smell, the taste of him drove me mad.

I parted my lips to sample the taste and he rolled on his side pulling me to his chest. I pulled back a second time but as before he pulled me into another deadly kiss as the intoxicating fumes filled my mind again and made me high with the smell of honey and mint.

“Kai,” I murmered against his lips. “Kai stop.” He ignored me though. “Kai, I’m serious stop.”

I pushed him away and he stared at me upset.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, that’s the thing you are driving me insane!”

He laughed softly and I felt his hand slide around my cheek and down to my arm.

“Stop.”

He put his lips up to my throat and I froze as he moved them to my jaw and inhaled. He quickly sat up and had put my hands around him. He moved his nose around my ear and nipped at it. I flinched and he chuckled softly.

I stared at his sad eyes and frowned.

“What is wrong?”

“I’m afraid of tomorrow.”

“Tommorow? I thought you still had another day left.”

“Maria cut the deadline.”

“Why!?”

“More covens are coming down.”

“So that’s the only reason? Because some stupid vampires are coming to take my life? Why doesn’t she just let them if she hates me that much?”

He stroked my hair and frowned.

“That’s not the only thing I’m upset about though.”

“What else are you upset about?”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself once I taste your blood.”

“You’ve been able to stop before.”

“But then you were human and now you aren’t. Your blood taste ten times better now since-like I said before-I still have that need to kill you.”

“And if you don’t stop?”

“Then you die.”

“That simple?”

“It’s not exactly painless.”

“What is it like? To be changed I mean.”

“It…it feels like you are being burned from the inside out. You can’t move you can’t scream. Everything blurs and you are frozen in a trance. The whole time they are just staring at you and you wonder why thay aren’t doing anything to stop the pain. The whole time you would be wishing for death and wondering what sin you had commited that would make you deserve this.”

I could hear the rememberance in his voice as his own memories clogged his mind.

“I…I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault I’m like this.”

We sat for a few silent moments before he smiled.

“I guess I should tell you congratulations for being accepted to the University of Hawaii.”

“The University of Hawaii? I never applied to any colleges.”

“That does not mean I didn’t apply for you.”

“This is the University Mikayla is going to.”

“Well you didn’t exactly get excepted but Logan took matters into her own hands.”

“Like you did.”

“Be happy.”

I glanced at the clock to occupy my eyes from his stare and gasped.

“We are going to be late for school.”

I got up but he grabbed me and pulled me under the covers. He held me in a protective grasp and growled playfully.

“Today you are all mine.”

“You have to share me with your coven if I’m staying here.”

“Actually they gave us some privacy and left for the day. Logan Pete and James are in Europe. Maria and Clide went to Africa. Cynthia and Will are in Germany while Paige is horseback riding on her private island. Sunee and Kyoko went to Japan.”

“So we are alone until tomorrow?”

“Yep, what do you want today?”

I turned on the radio and snuggled closer to Kai singing along with California Gurls as it played on the radio. Kai took a quick glance at my tight clothes and raised an eyebrow.

“Is that even comfortable?”

“Yes, it is very comfortable actually.”

I listened as the song drifted to an end and a slower song came on.

“Doesn’t look like it.”

I grabbed a peach Jolly Rancher and ignored his remark on my clothing.

“Sorry to offend.” He murmered.

I laid across his stomach and sighed heavely. Kai fumbled with a lock of my hair before putting his hands behind his head; the picture of ease. His eyelids shut and he turned into stone figure on my bed. I smiled and traced designs on his stomach. I watched the statue come back to life as he grabbed a book off of my bedtable.

“Greek Mythology?” He read

“Yes.”

“Since when were you interested in Greek mythology?”

“Since I met Palatena.”

He smiled and flipped to the page with my bookmark in it.

“We have a test on this tomorrow.”

“But that’s the day that you-” I didn’t finsish the sentence.

“Of course I’m going to get you out of school for that.”

“But I already did all of my studying.” I complained

“Too bad.” He set down the book and laid next to me smiling. Again I checked the clock but time seemed to be going slower than usual. He fumbled with my cell phone then with another lock of my hair.

“Who were you talking to last night?”

“My Aunt and cousin.”

“They asked you to move back to Kentucky.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

“What did you say?”

I checked his eyes but turned away before it became noticeable.

“No. I told then that I was happy here living with you.”

“Your father’s side of the family doesn’t know about what you are.”

“That’s one reason I didn’t say yes. Besides I would be putting them all in danger because I’m wanted.”

“That is something to take caution about.”

“I wish everyone knew so we wouldn’t have to hide, to pretend we are human.”

“If everyone knew then we would be dead just like before.”

“I guess your right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

I let that one passed and stared into his eyes for a while trying to pick out my next sentence carefully.

“About marking…,”

“Yes?”

“Is it the same as you biting me? Will it make me like you?”

“Even if I did bite you it wouldn’t make you like me, you would just be immortal. But marking isn’t the same thing as biting because I take the venom out of you as soon as it spreads.”

“Oh…”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I’m not.” I lied casually.

“Are you hungry?”

Nodding once I jumped out of bed and pranced to the door. He was there waiting for me already but I didn’t take note of that. I ran down the steps in a blur but again he had beat me. I hate how vampires are faster than werewolves. He was sitting in his usual chair by the time I got down to the kitchen. I grabbed a bowl, milk, Lucky Charms, ans plopped next to him smiling. I fixed the food and started eating as I watched him stare at me.

“Is that even good?”

“Why not try some?”

He took my spoonful of cereal and stuck it in his mouth. I stared at him in shock as he chewed and swallowed it.

“I thought vampires couldn’t eat human food.”

“We can but it does no good; we can’t taste it.”

“So you have to drink blood to stay healthy but you can eat human food?”

“Yes, but half the time human food makes us sick.”

“Then why dd you eat it?”

“To see your face.”

“That’s not funny.” I glowered at him for a second as I watched his face take in my emotions. I devoured my food quickly then jumped up and ran to the couch in the living room. Kai was already beside me-with one arm around my waist-smiling. I flipped on the large telivision noticing how it was brand new.

“Did you break the TV last night?”

“Yes… but look on the bright side, now we have a brand new one.”

“Tommorow is going to come quickly.”

“I know it will.” He sighed

“I don’t want it to.”

“Neither do I.”

“Why did Maria have to shorten the deadline anyway? We would have been perfectly fine with one more day! Nothing bad happens in one tiny day!”

“You would be surprised really. Besides more vampires are coming in and she just wants you safe.”

“If it is going to kill me than it isn’t safe.”

He flinched at that sentence and let out another small sigh.

“There is a small possibility that you may not die but then again It could make you ill.”

“Oh great so I can die from being bit by a vampire or I can die by getting sick from a vampire bite. Either way I’m probably going to die.”

“You have thought that a million times but you came out fine.”

“Yes, but watch this be the one time that I don’t come out fine. That this will be the one time everything isn’t picture-perfect, that something goes wrong. What if you loose control of your need and end up killing me? Anything could go wrong, with just the slightest mistake my life could end forever.”

He was suddenly in my face with melting green eyes that locked me in place.

“I won’t-no I promise that I won’t loose control with you. I’ll be on my best behavior tomorrow.”

He kissed me and his words had the seal of a promise on them.

“Anything could happen.” I murmured but low enough so that he couldn’t hear me.

He stroked my hair and I laid my head across his lap sitting there in silence and watching the sun go down-watching the sand in the hourglass run out. That night we slept on the couch but when I woke up I was laying in my bed and I could hear yelling downstairs. Was all of that just a dream? Did I just imagine the day before with Kai? I walked down the steps to see everyone around the couches. Kai was sitting on the floor leaning against one while Logan was in front of him. They were talking in low whispers now but they all had a vexed expression on their faces.

“What is going on?” I asked though I was sure that I knew already

Logan jumped up though and was at my side in a heartbeat.

“You have to get marked today.” She groaned.

She grabbed my hand and I closed my eys as pictures went through my mind. Fire, a black hole, and a bottle with a skull and crossbone on it. That had to be bad. She sat me in Kai’s lap and he instantly had a secure grip on me. Logan had my hands in hers and was more likely frightened more than I was. I tried to read Kai’s thoughts but he had blocked them somehow.

He promised me. I thought to myself since it was safe now.

Logan pulled my hair to the side and nodded to Kai. I heard the snap before I felt the pain but when I did it wasn’t good. Logan squeezed my hand tighter as I screamed and thrashed but Kai’s hands held me in place. The burning was unbearable and I scratched at the hands that held me as soon as Logan dropped my hands. Kai bit down harder and I screamed again as my vision blurred and tears dripped down my face. I saw Logan flinch each time I did since she could feel the pain also but it didn’t seem to hurt her as much as it did me. He was bleeding by the time I gave up on detaching his arms from my waist. I knew when the venom was near my heart when my breathing was off key. I could feel the venom going back to my neck and his tongue quickly sweep against my bleeding neck.

Everything went by in a blur.

His grip on my neck and waist got tighter and I could feel the blood going out through the back of my neck and into his mouth. My eyelids got heavy as more blood was coming out of me and the voices that were telling him to let go of me were slurred together. Everything went black after that and I knew I was dead. But I woke in light and I could see the familiar room so I knew that somehow I had made it out alive. I was in Kyoko’s lap with Sunee and Logan next to me. Kai was leaning against the wall staring at me but left as soon as Sunee turned to see what I was staring at.

“Congratulations your alive.” Kyoko smiled

I sat up and my head spun. Logan gently pushed me back down and stoked my hair.

“What happened?” I mumbled

“My brother lost control and you almost died.” Sunee explained simply.

“Kai is extremely upset about what happened.” Logan said

I sat up again and this time no one stopped me. I had trouble going up the steps but I made it without falling. I walked to Kai’s room only to find that the door was locked. I knocked politely before using my key to open it. He was on the bed staring at a show on TV. I closed the door quietly before sitting next to him.

“That’s done and over with.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not dead.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“You should be.”

“Well I’m not! That is completely natural for you! You are a vampire you are supposed to drink blood! That is what vampires do! When we first met I don‘t know how many times I about died and it didn‘t matter but now all of a sudden it does?”

He laid back on the pillows as I calmed myself down. I ignored the throbbing pain in my head and the burning in the back of my neck and focused on his expression. He was good at using a poker face even hiding the color of his eyes that may reveal his emotions to me. I laid against him and he flinched quickly almost making it a phantom.
We laid there for a minute before he got up and went to the couch leaving me alone on the bed. I growled softly-annoyed-and followed him to the couch. We rose at the same time and walked out the door then going down to the couch. Kyoko, Sunee, and Logan were no longer on the couch but I could tell they were somewhere nearby. Kai sat on the large sofa and as before I laid up against him. My neck was scorching and it was getting harder to ignore.

There was something cold against it then and the pain went away for a moment but returned a minute after. The coolness went by again extinguishing the heat. I turned quickly but Kai was just staring at me. I turned again and the ice slid by my scorching neck once again. As before I turned but he was still staring at me. I turned and right as I felt the ice go by again whipped around towards him. He had his tongue on my neck and I backed away from him.

“You’re licking me?”

“Let me finish.”

“Eww gross.”

“Let me finish or I’ll have to start all over again.”

“No.”

“It’ll make your neck stop hurting.”

The pain was returning to me so I sat back in his lap- pouting and crossing my arms in displeasure-to let him finish.

“This is so disgusting,” I complained “I’m not a puppy.”

“Kai,” Logan screamed while jumping in front of me. She ignored what he was doing like it was natural but smiled when seeing my expression. “my sisters are dead-all of them-Thanos killed them.”

“So the vampires are getting closer?” I asked

“Yes, but Thanos is no where to be found I think he is in the spirit world since he got hold of my sisters. Cynthia has been tracking Cecile and Justin and it appears that Cecile has went missing also but Justin is hunting Mikayla.”

“Why would he want to hunt her?”

She glanced up at Kai and he shook his head no; I hadn’t noticed that he had finished my neck.

“Cecile has gotten contact with Cole recently on trying to get to you.”

Cynthia jumped down from the ceiling and behind Logan. Nobody moved as if it was just natural for her to be jumping out of nowhere.

“Thanos and Cecile are together they are in New York and-”

“Catherine and Mikayla are alright aren’t they?” Kai quickly asked

It took Cynthia a moment to read his expression but when she understood she nodded once.

“Mikayla didn’t go to school today and Catherine is at her house.”

“What were you saying about New York?” I asked

“It is not that important.” She said too quickly

Cynthia leaped off the couch and landed on all fours on the table. She nodded to Kai before going out the door with Logan. I turned to him-annoyed again-and frowned.

“What are you hiding from me?”

“Nothing it’s just not that important.”

“What was Thanos doing in the spirit world?”

“I’m not sure but if it gives us more time than let him do what he wants.”

“Why is Justin tracking my friends?”

“Cecile’s orders.”

“Is there something I’m not getting?”

“Thanos gives orders to Cecile and Cecile gives orders to Justin that’s all there is to it.”

“Who does Justin give commands to?”

“No one he is at the end of the list.”

“So before it was Ace that gave Thanos orders and then he gave Cecile orders, she gave Cole orders and Cole was at the bottom of the list. But Cole left Thanos and Cecile’s coven and Thanos killed Ace leaving him in control.”

“You catch on quickly.”

“I tend to do that every now and again.” I smiled “What would happen if Ace wasn’t dead?”

“Then there would be a problem and Logan’s father would have to step in.”

“So Logan’s father is like a king and Ace is his follower?”

“Exactly.”

“Well if he had Ace then why did he need sixteen daughters?”

“Sixteen keys to the spirit world but now there is only one.”

“What happened to their guardians?”

“They died along with them.”

“So if Logan died then James would perish also?”

“Yes.”

“That is sad.”

“It’s life.”

“Is there any warning before Logan’s dad comes or is it just a splur of the moment incident?”

“I’m not sure I’ve only met the man once.”

“Oh…”

“It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Why do you think I’m worried?”

“Your face is white as a ghost.”

I slept on the couch again and the same three pictures as before showed up. I woke up with a major headache and tight muscles, my neck burning as before. I was lying across his lap as before and he had one hand on my waist and the other messing with my hair. I sat up and moaned as the blood went down from my head. I was hotter than my usual tempature of one hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. I unbuttoned Kai’s shirt and laid up against his negative sixty degrees Fahrenheit chest. I coughed a few times while my head throbbed and gave me another headache. I curled into a ball against him and wrapped my hair around my face. My neck scorched worse while my muscles tightened and relaxed in an uncomfortable pattern.

“I don’t feel good, Kai.”

“Your probably getting sick from the venom.”

“I think I have a fever.”

I shivered as the coolness of his skin finally took effect on mine.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

He licked my neck again and this time around I didn’t stop him from doing so. I buried my face in the inside of his shirt and inhaled his fragrance. I heard light foot steps then a soft growl in return. I ignored it though and focused on breathing evenly. I felt myself being lifted as he swung my legs around him gently and walked me up the steps. A door opened and I was on a cool bed. I pulled my face away from his shirt to take in my surrondings. I was in my own bedroom-I could tell from the green, blue, and orange ringed polka dots on every piece of furniture-and laying on top of the covers next to Kai. Burrying my face back in his shirt I felt his arms curve gently around me and pull me towards him slightly. I tried to match my breathing to his but gave up as soon as I noticed he wasn’t breathing at all.

The smell of his body cleared my mind and erased the headache and the back of my neck no longer ached. I focused on relaxing individual parts of my body and controlling the small shivers that went down my spine. The coughs didn’t last long as the silence went on. I heard the door open a few times but instantly close shut as they took in the tight atmosphere. I eventually got up to walk down to the kitchen to grab some ice.

James was there, leaning against the counter as he was a few nights ago. Instinct told me to growl and my muscles tightened in respnse but illness flooded me and I ignored him. I grabbed the ice and tried to lunge the heavy bag back up the whirlwind staircase. This will be harder than I thought. I didn’t even make it up two steps before I felt like collapsing. The ice got lighter and I turned to find James at my side not even struggling with the ice. I got to my senses before I did anything idiotic. He deserved that much didn’t he? After all what I did to his neck could have…

I walked next to James sensing that he wanted something out of me but I couldn’t tell what. He didn’t look displeased but he wasn’t happy either, maybe he was only being thoughtful. I glanced at him again but his eyes had a warning in them, something that I should take caution of but all I could do for now was store it in the back of my mind and hope that Kai wouldn’t-couldn’t- reach it. For we were at the door to my bedroom and James was giving me the warning signal again. A meaning that I yearned to know but it would have to be forgotten-but not forever.

“Be careful.” He murmered it softly enough that I had to strain to hear what he was saying.

I didn’t nod just in case I wasn’t supposed to hear that but the two words hit me with unintended force as I thought hardly of what I wasn’t supposed to be thinking of. It had something to do with Kai no doubt. Maybe he was keeping something from me that James thought I should know or maybe it was something that he was afraid would frighten me. Maybe it was about him marking me…

I prolonged the moment of twisting the door handle and pushing open the door with little force. I left the ice outside the door and went to sat with him and think of every possible thing that James’s look could have meant. Maybe it was something that Kai saw in my future or what he say in his- though I doubt ours were much different since we were alyways together.

Could it of been that Kai ordered him not to tell me afraid that it would hurt me in more ways than imaginable. Was it that his family was planning to move away sooner than expected and he wanted to make it a clean break for me by not bidding me farewell? Every thought tormented me as I could no longer feel the pain or heat of my fever I only felt the pain of what James’s glance had meant. I examined Kai’s face every now and again to make sure he wasn’t picketing thoughts and images out of my head.

What if he was and he just had an abnormally good poker face? Five hundred years of walking among humans could do that to someone I suppose. Or was he trying to wait until I fell asleep and hope that I dreamed about whatever bothered me. Surely it was easy to read on my face though I was never an open book but merely one of those people who would always be in the back of the crowd and try not to be noticed, and if I was I would become defensive to prove to their opponent that they were wrong.

Or was he merely just respecting my privacy and giving me some room to breathe. Worry crossed his face as he met my glance and his eyes burned through mine. If I ever felt uncomfortable in his presence it was now. I tried to turn my head away but I couldn’t, his beauty locking me there like he was the cobra and I was the poor animal that was about to be devoured. His eyes flickered to something behind me and I was freed for the split second before his eyes wandered back to me. I concentrated on James and all of his secret meanings but not much in fear that Kai would find out.

What did it mather though? What if it wasn’t anything horrible? What if he was just watching out for his now sister figure? Maybe he just wanted me to take care of myself knowing how it would hurt his little brother if anything bad had come to me. All of these were reseanable answers but none of them seemed that likely.

For all I knew James could hate Kai and Kai could hate James causing a fight and I wound up in the middle being the pawn of that chessboard-somewhere I did not feel like being at the moment. But even if they did hate each other I highly doubt that James would try to manipulate me in any way possible. I couldn’t see him doing that but then again how well did I know him? How well did I know Kai? If they did have a fight someone would surely stop it though wouldn’t they? Maria or Clide perhaps even Logan. Or would they just take sides and make the fight larger- a cold war with their special abilities? I did not like imagining how that would go. It wouldn’t last long though-it couldn’t last long-with Logan’s ability to change events to fit her need she could kill them just by curling her hands into fist. Kai would be able to know their each and every move but would that be enough to keep him alive?

I tried not to worry over petty things and focused on the still blackness outside: it was exactly the stroke of midnight. I wondered if Kai was going to hold me out of school tomorrow if that would be the reason for James two word warning. Or was he simply talking to someone I had not noticed was there. I was sure we were alone next to the door of my bedroom. He could of just been saying something to himself but I doubt he would warn himself to be careful. Again my imagination got the best of me and I was flooded with horror thoughts. Who knew how much trouble two words could bring!

The ceiling eventually faded into the glass wall as my eyelids closed and I dreamed of the possible outcome of “Be careful”. Waking to Kai’s confused expression wasn’t exactly what I wanted at the moment but it was better than waking alone or to another argument, ugh! I sat up-relieved when I could feel the one day fever had passed-and stared him in the face. He stroked my hair once before getting up, swiftly walking out the room. I followed a safe distance behind him going through my morning task at an inhuman accelerate. I rode Kai’s silver motorcycle to school as soon as I realized all of them were frozen and fixed on something I couldn’t see. There were a few glanes in each other’s direction before I gave up all together and went to the garage.

Riding to school I felt the breeze in my hair and it unclogged all of the thoughts of James’s two word headache. Was it just a distraction to occupy me from something ten times more important? No! I told myself internally without thinking or saying it outloud. I was not about to ruin a perfectly good Friday with the thought of his words. My pack wasn’t there today and a part of me was glad for that. I wanted to talk to my two normal friends today. But as soon as I got to French with Mikayla and Catherine-already in our seats and halfway through the lesson- Kai walked in walking straight to Mrs. Ramachandran’s desk. I couldn’t hear a word he was telling her and I couldn’t use his mind as an excuse since he put it on a mental mute whick ticked me off the slightest bit. I didn’t like it when he ignored me like that.

She nodded a few times at the words that Kai spoke and I could tell that he was dazzlig her with his alluring voice. She looked back at my friends and I then back at Kai as if looking for a resemblance in us. Again I couldn’t hear his answer but she nodded twice more and gestured with her hands for him to proceed. He walked over to my group and I could see in his face how much effort it took for him to walk at a human speed. To try and look normal.

“Get up.” He ordered still using his alluring voice with us but their was a hint of anger that flawed out at the edge of his tone.

We all three obeyed and walked out of the room and trying to keep pace with Kai as he ran too fast down the white hall. He didn’t stop until he had gotten to his car- the black 2010 mustang gt-appearing as a ghost as he seemed to virtualize next to it. He slid in smoothly and watched our staggered expressions as we got in his car and he flew off at a hundred and fifty miles per hour. Catherine shot an expressionless stare at me and turned her attention back to Kai’s ludicrous driving.

We got to the house in a decent amount of time and as before we watched silently as he slid out- as graceful as ever-before staggering after him. He was already at a table with the rest of his coven looking over something. I made sense of James’s warning then. Something was about to happen and he knew about it. He also knew that Kai would never tell me what was wrong so he was simply giving me a farewell and to be careful with what was lying ahead in our path.

Kai had his IPod in and staring at them as they discussed their thoughts in silent. James ripped the device from his ears and stared him in the eyes.

“Listen! You can be so absent-minded sometimes, Kai.”

He mumbled something unintelligent and shot a glance at James. The words were sped through so no one except them could hear. But I did catch the last words that left James mouth:

“Keep the girls safe if no one makes it out alive Claire and Mikayla have to. They need each other and we both already know what lies in their future.”

Kai nodded and I could sense the joking expression on Clides face trying to lighten up the mood as we were almost out the door.

“No drinking,” He called to Kai. “It is already enough that you drive like a maniac but if you tried to wreck into a tree at that speed imagine how many seconds it would take to smell that blood.”

Kai rolled his eyes and smiled back.

“Like that’s going to happen.” And he flashed an array of brilliant white teeth. I noticed how two of them were longer than the rest and had a sharper point. They weren’t much longer though but I was sure that those were his fangs. I shuddered at the thought of them puncturing into my skin and hurried out the door; already being beat to it by Kai.

Again he started driving at an insane high but I got used to it after about five minutes. He had already put his IPod in and I ignored Mikayla when she pulled Blitz out of her backpack. Of course she kept that dog with her every she went. She had her IPod in also which forced me to make small talk with Catherine. For once though she didn’t look like the ignorant snob that I once thought of her as. She was kinder looking now, her eyes filled with worry as she watched the car slide across the black street like a bullet.

“Where is he taking us?” She asked me after about an hour or so on the road and we were sure that he couldn’t hear us and that Mikayla was asleep so it wouldn’t process through her thoughts.

“I am not sure.” It was easy to tell her the truth in the black car all walls between us down now.

“Is he going to hurt us?” Curiosity was burning through her eyes as danger sunk in for the first time. His presence made her feel awkward and she wasn’t used to it.

“He wouldn’t hurt us.”

“He’s hurt you before.”

I shook the memories away of how he had hurt me both physically and mentally.

“There is a reason behind this.”

“I hope so.” She sighed for a moment as she fumbled witht the tinted glass. “What James said before we left is bothering me.” Ah, I knew there was a reason for her innocent curiosity.

“What is it?” I tried to play along.

“He told Kai that you and Mikayla are the only ones that are important, that need to make it out of what catastrophe is lying ahead. It’s like I don’t exist, I don’t see why they would even bother bringing me along. I don’t even know why you bothered telling me their secret. They see you and Mikayla as two adorable, loving souls but they see me as an arrogant girl who only cares about her looks. That’s not me though and they will never know that. I don’t even like them anymore instead I want to murder them all.”

I didn’t have a response for all the words that had just flooded out of her mouth but I knew she felt left out of our tight group. Mikayla stirred restlessly before curling into a ball up against the door. After about an hour Kai took his IPod out and watched us silently. I could hear everyone’s thoughts through the process of Kai’s.

“No Derek! Stop you don’t know what you are doing what if they find out about this? What do you think they will do let us off with a small pat on the back? They can kill us!” Mikayla twitched in her sleep but bundled up tighter and I watched her muscles gradually relax.

“They get all the luck don’t they? Claire gets someone who will love her forever-for eternity. Mikayla has someone who has loved her all of her life and she doesn’t even see it! She doesn’t see how his eyes light up when he looks at her. He even told me he was thinking about transferring schools just to get closer to her. They are both so lucky I have no one to love.” Catherine was sorting through all of her sorrows and misery right when Kai shut her off.

“What time is it, Bryce? Where is Derek? Did he call for me? Did he ask for me at all? Does he know I’m ok, that I am perfectly safe? Walk to his room, sit on his bed, lay there wishing he was next to you laughing as before. But now your life is mixed imbetween your friend’s tragic mythological life. Why did they hate me? Try to get rid of me and give me to another family? If I never showed up here I would still be in Brooklyn with normal friends not vampires and werewolves. Sometimes I just want to-”

Kai cut off what she was about to say and I glanced back over at Catherine’s now sleeping body.

“Can the rest of your family see dreams like you do?” I asked him

“No it’s only me-I can see the pictures in their heads but it’s easier if I’m touching them or extremely close, if not than it’s just a blur and murmurs.”

“What if you were to hear something that you didn’t want to hear?”

“What do you mean by that?” He asked

“What if it was something about you that you weren’t supposed to know but ended up blurting them out to that person?”

“Is there a reason for your questioning?”

“No, I just wanted to know.”

“I did that a few times before. Usually I just try to dazzle them and they will forget all about it but then new pictures come into their mind and the cycle starts all over again.”

“Was it hard for you since your brothers and sisters didn’t have a gift like that?”

“I had already gotten used to it by the time they came around but everynow and again Will would loose control and end up erasing the memory from a room full of people.”

“When we first met was it hard for you to be…close to me?”

“Extremely.”

“Is it still that hard?”

“No as badly but still strong.”

“What about with my friends?”

“I barely smell them-their scent isn’t strong and it makes them vulnerable.”

“You wouldn’t hurt them though, would you?”

“Of course not.”

“If they weren’t my friends would you try?”

“No, like I said before their scent isn’t stong.”

“But as before you also said it makes them vulnerable.”

“I won’t hurt them.”

“You also said you wouldn’t hurt me.”

He growled deeply but took a sharp intake of breath when both the girls woke at the same time. He did not want to scare them I imagined. I looked at the rising sun and watched it go back down as we went down the road. Black on black.

“I’m hungry.” Mikayla complained but he was already pulling into a fancy resturant. He must of known her action before the words came out of her mouth.

We walked out of the car and into the resturant. The woman at the small booth was tiny and had long brown hair that matched her deep eyes.

“How many will it be?” She asked with too much kindness.

“Four.”

She led us to a booth and smiled with too much enthusiasm and curtesy.

“Your server will be right out.”

She left with a red face leaving Kai with a tight jaw and clinched fist. Another woman came out soon after and Kai’s expression quickly changed to a warm and inviting smile, matching hers. She tucked a blonde curl back into the fancy bun she held it in and smiled.

“Can I get you all anything to drink?”

“Coke please.” I asked.

Mikayla was reading Kai’s expression and automatically answered “water” with Catherine ordering the same.

“Red wine.” Kai used the force of his eyes to stun her momentarily and he smiled without showing his teeth. Slick.

“May I see your ID.”

He handed it to her quickly and she passed it back with a shaky hand. She dished away and I shot Kai a look. Catherine gave him the look but with much more force than I could ever given him.

“You aren’t supposed to drink since you are driving. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” She quoted

“Then it will be our little secret now won’t it?” He had his chin cupped in his hand and was using the force of his dazzling blue eyes on her. He really shouldn’t do that to people. The waitress came back now with a new smile on her face. Kai’s face turned into a quick sign of disgust when she set down our drinks and turned to me for my order.

I looked at the menu quickly-something I learned from my dad-and chose the first thing on the menu.

“Cesear salad.” I told her, my friends ordering the same.

“And what would you like?” She was leaning closer to Kai and he seemed to notice.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me if you change your mind.”

She walked off and he rolled his eyes-another sign of disgust.

“What is it?” I asked him as I messed with a part of my jacket.

“Before we met you never thought of me as…”

“Of course not.”

“Oh.”

Our food came out and as before the woman turned to Kai and leaned towards him without realizing it.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

“Yes, thank you.”

She walked away and he turned his attention to something behind me. I stabbed a piece of lettuce with my fork and put it in my mouth.

“Where are you taking us?” Mikayla only dared to whisper the words.

“To Georgia.”

She looked up shocked. “Georgia? Why are we going to Georgia?”

“I have to take you all a few places.”

“Why?”

“I will explain everything later.” He promised

We finished eating and the woman came back. Kai already had a bill in hand.

“Keep the change.” He smiled but it wasn’t dazzling. She passed him two slips of paper and smiled too kindly again. We all stood at the same time and walked back out to the car. It was only about five when Kai parked in a rundown town.There were men smoking everywhere and there was even a streetfight with at least twenty viewers all with money in hand.Kai opened the door then mine as he tensed up suddenly.

“Please stay extremely close to me.” His breath was jagged and uneven but I knew better than to ask. We all three followed close behind him but he pushed us ahead and groaned when he approached the steps of an old stone building. There were two men sitting on the steps smoking and drinking.

“Look who came back to town.” The larger one smiled.

Kai’s muscles tensed and he walked faster.

“Where are you going?” The scrawny one had already blocked the only door.

“Get out of my way.” He growled but in a human way.

“Don’t be rude little boy.” He hissed and spit something out on the side of the steps.

“Get out of my way.” Kai repeated

“You want to fight?” The scrawny man asked.

“Fine by me.”

He walked down to the step Kai was on. He threw a punch and Kai caught his arm before it even hit him. The man looked surprised but didn’t let that stop him. Kai threw a kick and it hit him straight in the face throwing him down on the concrete steps. The blood dripped down as I saw the man shield his face from Kai. He grabbed all of our hands and rushed us into the building, up an elevator and down a long hall. He threw open the door without knocking and the man tensed up. He was bald on top with a brown mustache and brown hair on each side of his head. He was chubby but not obese. He put out the cigerette he was smoking and tensed when he saw who was in the doorway.

“Surprise surprise.” Kai laughed darkly.

“Mr. Shetfield isn’t with you is he?”

“My brother is in Canada along with the rest of my family-I’m here alone.”

“Are these your cousins?”

“Yes.”

“What can I do for you?”

“We need to talk business. James told me you forge and he said that you could help me with a problem.”

“What problem is it?”

“Let’s just say I’m in some legal trouble for some things that are classified.”

“Your brothers…?”

“My brothers haven’t done anything wrong!” Kai snapped suddenly defensive for his family.

“What can I help you with?” The man asked again.

“I need three plain tickets, three IDs, and three passports.”

“Ok.”

Kai walked out where we stood dumbfounded and smiled at us. Catherine backed up some and he laughed to himself.

“Mr.Pattinson your order is ready.”

He walked back in and grabbed the papers out of the man’s hand. He slammed the door behind him and grabbed my hand. When we were out of the building and into the car I shot Kai a quick look.

“How do you know that man?” I asked as he drove off in the other direction.

“Classified.”

“Why can’t I know?”

“Classified.”

“Everything Is classified with you-let me guess the reason for that is classified?”

“No the answer to that is confidential.”

“Of course.” I murmered.

He stopped the car and I loked at the large hotel. It had to be at least five stars. We walked into the gorgeous lobby. The large glass chandelier was welcoming as was the smell of cinnamon and floral essences.

“Welcome may I be of any assistance?” The man at the counter called to us. Kai was staring at us as if we had gone insane. Of course he was already at the counter. We all three ran over to his side.

“The best room you have.” Kai used the power of his eyes again.

“May I see your ID.”

Kai handed him his ID and our forged ones. The man behind the counter looked at them carefully then handed them back to us. He gave Kai the key and messed with some papers in front of him. We walked to the elevators and walked out on the fifteenth floor. Kai unlocked the door and I walked into the gorgeous room. There was a glass chandelier like in the lobby with two king sized beds. There was a glass door that lead to the balcony that looked out at the city of Atlanta. There was a white couch and oversized TV to go with it. I could hear the occasional airplanes go by in the night sky. Kai was already on the couch. I closed the door behnd me and sat on the bed closet to the wall.

“Two beds and four of us how great.”

“Actually,” Kai said “there are two beds and three of you so you all can figure it out yourselves.”

He turned on the TV and watched a movie that was coming on ABC.

Mikayla jumped onto the bed near the balcony “I should get a bed to myself since I’m the youngest.”

“Just because you were born in December doesn’t mean you are the youngest.” I told her

“Actually it does so I think she should get it. Besides she always sleeps with Blitz.” Catherine shrugged

“Fine Mikayla gets the bed to herself Catherine and I share one and Kai gets the couch.” I didn’t like that idea

“Tommorow we are going to the mall so you all should go tot bed.” Kai messed with the remote for a bit before looking up at us. I didn’t get that much sleep but I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be when we got to the mall. Kai didn’t stay with us for long instead he just ditched us as soon as we walked into Hot Topic.

“Boys will be boys.” Catherine laughed

We bought a few clothes with the money Kai gave us and walked to another store. We bough tmost of the normal things: clothes, perfumes, candy, makeup, and items to fix our hair in the morning when it was a bird’s nest.

We stopped in front of a bright store. We went in and walke dot the counter.

“What does this store sell?” I asked the blond boy at the counter.

“Well we sell the things that people believe are myths but we got out and find them.”

“Like what myths?”

The boy walked out from behind the desk and grabbed a necklace.

“This is a werewolf tooth.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep the finest in the world.”

“What is in that bottle over there.”

The boy picked up the bottle from the shelf I was staring at.

“Vampire venom one drop in someone’s drink and it’s knock ‘em dead, they will never know what hit them.”

“I’ll buy it.”

“A hundred dollars.”

“Isn’t that a little pricey?”

“It’s hard hunting down vampires. I lost my best friend that way poor guy.”

I handed him the bill and he passed me the glass bottle gently. It was cold and my hands quickly went numb from holding it.

“Be careful with that,” The boy called “don’t let it get into the wrong hands. Make sure it doesn’t break either or you will have quite a mess on your hands. A dangerous one.”

I nodded understanding his warning. Kai met up with us at Subway. He was already sitting down and waiting for us. I ordered quickly and ran to him. He covered his mouth and nose with his hand when we sat down.

“What?” I asked quickly smelling a strand of my hair. It still smelt like my cucumber melon shampoo.

He pointed to the bottle though and I took another look at it. It was glass and shaped oddly. The cap had a small tag on it that labeled what it was. But I took a look at the actual liquid in the bottle. It was bubbling and the purple in it was rising to the top of the bottle. I put it away and Kai uncovered his mouth.

“Why do you have that?”

“I bought it.”

“Why?”

“I..I..I.. I honestly don’t know.” I confesed “It sounded cool at the moment but know it doesn’t.”

Back at the hotel my friends and I were in the bathroom changing into something more comfortable. I looked at the scars that Mikayla had on her.

“Where did you get those?” I asked her.

“I’m not sure actually but they have been there as long as I can remember.”

I took another look at the three lines that went down her ribs and waist the wrapping down to the back of her leg and curving back to the front. We all three walked out at once and stood in front of Kai.

“Did Victoria’s Secret have a blowout sale?” He teased

I looked back at our outfits. Blue for Catherine pink for me and green for Mikayla our outfits were all the same. It was a black and striped color shirt that had spagetti straps and frills. Our shorts each had a saying across the back. Catherine’s read “Peace”, mine read “Love”, and Mikayla’s read “Cute”. I rolled my eyes at him in response and sat down on the bed as did my friends.

“Is it later yet?” I prompted

“I suppose it is.”

That was easier than I thought.

“So why are we here?”

“I needed to get you three out of town because my family is going to war.”

“War?! Over what could your family possibly have to go to war about?!”

“Remember at the beach and I told you that not everyone liked the idea of us being together?”

“The war is about me?”

“Yes. At first it was just vampires but then your brother heard about it and now we are against the werewolves also.”

“Where else are we going?”

“Rhode Island and then we will meet my family in Canada.”

“Because of me your family is going to get killed.”

“My family won’t get killed.”

“If I had just died the many times that I was supposed to then I they wouldn’t have to risk their lives for me. Let’s just admit that the Grim Reaper is out to get me and until something kills me it still will be.”

“The Grim Reaper isn’t after you, Claire.”

“Oh really? I came to harmless Pacifica, California and ended up being abused by a vampire, about beatan to death by another. I was just beaten almost to death again. I almost died with something that was hereditary and was supposed to happen to me. And now I am stuck in between a vampires vs. werewolves war. I am supposed to die and you have been messing with that all along.”

“Sorry if I just didn’t want you dead.” He growled sarcastically.

He grabbed me and cradled me softly against his chest.

“None of this is your fault, Claire, so don’t think it is.”


I rolled my head back to look at the ceiling and avoid his eyes but they hovered over me. He was upset that I thought it was all my fault and I could tell in his eyes.

“Why can’t my life be normal?” I whined but he simply smiled and ruffled my hair. The orange in his eyes told me that he was no longer upset with me.

“Don’t we all think that every once in a while?”

“Have you ever thought that?”

“Once or twice but I knew that I would have to get used to this life eventually and stop my complaining.”

“There isn’t anything you can do to be human again?” Catherine asked him.

“No,” He sighed and stared at something distant. “But after a few hundred years you get used to everything and you can actually start interacting with humans again. Seventy years of total isolation gets boring after a while.”

“What are new vampires like?”

“It depends on who raised you. Pete for example will come out decent since he had all of us to watch out for him and teach him right from wrong. I on the other hand turned out being a wild child since I was bounced around so much. But family issues before the transformation has a lot to do with it too. That’s why Pete is a nice child and I ended up being aggressive.”

“How many times did you move around?” I asked

“I ran from my birth parents and ended up with Samantha. She changed me and while trying to hunt I met Andrew. I stayed with him for awhile before going off on my own and meeting Paige. Together we found Dakota. After many failed attempts of killing Dakota I went off on my own again to find Samantha and murder her for doing this to me. I almost succeeded but yet I didn’t. Next I wentto find my parents just to see if they were alive, and if they were I was going to kill them. After I saw my parents dead on the ground I laughed to myself then went off to find Sunee. I saw what happened to my parents and I had a small hope that Sunee lived and was possibly like me though I would never want that for her. After failing that mission I went off to see if any of my family was still alive. I found my horrid cousin Keena and tried to kill her in another failed attempt. I went off again to come back to Dakota though I knew she was just going to use me again. I stayed for awhile before moving to another coven for a few years. I ended up going out with one of the girls and stayed their longer. Eventually I wound back up at Dakota’s front door and stayed there.”

“How many people did you try to kill? Why would you even bother moving around that much anyways? Have you ever noticed that none of your stories match up?”

“What do you mean they don’t match up?”

“At first you, Logan, and Hunter kill my father. Then the story is that my mother paid you to kill him. Next the story is that you went out with my mom and I lived with you. Then it was that you were my dad. Next it was Paige’s diary that said you had been fighting for custody over me. My mother somehow had custody sheets and I ended up being you daughter again. You said that your family was killed by Indians when you where going on the Oregon Trail. Then the story was that they were abusive and you ran away. Samantha was completely cut out of these stories as was Andrew. You said that you had stayed with Dakota forever. Then it was that Logan ran away and came back with James but before you said that James was changed with the rest of the in New Orleans. I’m getting confused now.”

“Well half of those are lies because ei wanted you to hate my guts. Paige’s diary was a prop so that you would hate me; so were the videos. I did kill your father with Logan and Hunter but I’m not completely sure if we actually killed him. He could still be alive somewhere for all I know. No my family weren’t killed by Indians my family never even got out of Thailand for a matter-of-fact. Samantha and Andrew weren’t important at the moment and I have no idea where the custody sheets even came from but I’m sure they were just some trick from your mother. Well then you ended up living with me after that and I did know your mother but I never went out with her. She did like me thoug when she was actually my age. I did see you a lot when you were little and your mom had me over almost every day at her house. Your father absolutely loathed me and I was glad since I hated the man equally as well.”

“Hold on one second did you say that my dad may still be alive?”

“I’m not sure we did burn the house though and I’m not sure if he got out of that mess but if he did he probably is still alive.”

“My dad may still be alive.” I said it in a trance now like that was all that mattered to me anymore.

I heard the song obsessed playing by Mariah Carey and I looked straight at Mikayla’s phone. She smiled then looked dwn at the number.

“It’s my brother should I answer it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“If I don’t he’ll find a way to find me he always does.”

“Answer and do whatever to make him not want to find you.”

She took a deep breath and put the phone on speaker.

“Hello.” She breathed

“KK! Where are you?” Derek growled

“Nowhere I’m fine though.”

“Miki where are you?”

“I’m safe Derek.”

“Mikayla Aeilita Cunning where are you at?”

“I ran away I can’t take California anymore! Are you happy now?”

“What is it about California that is making you unhappy?”

“Everything, Derek, it’s everything about it! I don’t like the sun I want it to rain at least everynow and then and it’s too hot.”

“So you are running away because of the weather?”

“I ran away to find my birth parents I have some vague hope that they may still want me.”

“Mikayla you have parents.”

I could see that something in her snapped and she wasn’t saying all of this because I told her anymore.

“They are your parents not mine. The only reason they took me in is because I was helpless and cold if they could I’m sure they would throw me out on the street.”

“They care for you like you are their own daughter.”

“They never act like it! They are never home and I stuck by myself all day. I don’t have a life outside of my dog and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Just come bach home and I can take care of you.”

“You already do that and it’s not enough, Derek, it will never be enough!”

I could see the tears streaming down her cheek now as the light faded from outside.

“Mikayla what do you want me to do?”

“I don’t want you to do anything you ae doing to much. You hove over me all the time and I’m sick of it so I’m just going to run away. I have money and I will get a job if I have to I’m not afraid of anything, Derek so you can’t scare me into coming back to you. We aren’ six anymore that won’t help when I want to jump the fence and have some freedom.”

“Mom and Dad are going to be upset when they know their only daughter is leaving them.”

“They aren’t my parents.”

“But they think of themselves as.”

“They think of themselves as that that doesn’t mean that they are, Derek!”

“Bryce is going to be upset.”

“Since when has Bryce ever given a,” She bit her lip to stop herself from saying the word. She told me once that it was against her religion to curse. “Bryce doesn’t care if I am there or not.”

“Bryce does care, Mikayla, we all do.”

“I’m coming home Derek so leave me alone!”

“Mikayla.” He pleaded

“I’m never coming back Derek. I would rather get mauled by a bear than go back and live with you.”

“Mikayla what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to let me go Derek.”

“Mikayla.” He pleaded again.

“Just let me go, Derek.”

He sighed in defeat. “What do you want me to tell Mom and Dad.”

“Don’t tell them anything and let them make what they want out of that.”

He sighed again. “Ok. I love you Mikayla.”

“Bye Derek.” She breathed then turned the phone off. She sat there a minute and let everything she just did sink into her mind. She threw the phone at the wall but Kai caught it just before it shattered into it.

“You didn’t have to say all of that.”

“I wanted to say all of that.” She barked

“Mikayla are you all right?” I asked when I saw a tear go down her face.

“I perfectly fine.” She screamed at me, her face already a violent crimson.

“Whatever.”

She messed with her hair for awhile and I noticed everyone was staring at her, waiting for her delicate mask of peace to crack. It never did though and finally Kai got up to lounge on the couch and Catherine and I fell asleep on the bed.

The sun woke me and I instantly walked to the couch with Catherine-who fell out of the bed with a pile of blankets-to ask Kai if he got any news from his family. Catherie beat me there and I ran almost slipping on the blankets that covered the floor. Kai was on the couch with his eyes closed and Mikayla was on top of him. He had his arms curved gently around her-careful not to touch her skin. I stepped to the right to allow the sun to shine on her face. I took in the dried tears on her face and the way her face was locked in wounded frown. She raised up and covered her eyes with a hand covered in dried blood. Catherine shot me a look and I shrugged.

Kai opened his eyes as soon as she rose and was staring at all three of us. He helped her up first before turning on the TV to the news. I looked back at her then him again and they both acted as though it was completely normal. I raised and eyebrow at him and he just shrugged while Mikayla was rummaging through the bed he was laying on last night.

“What is she doing?” I asked as I sat beside him in an awkward position.

“She’s looking for my wallet.”

“Where is it at?”

“My pocket.”

“Then why is she looking in the bed.”

“Because I told her that is was there.”

“That’s mean.”

“Yes but it is also hilarious.”

I looked back at Mikayla and this time she was staring out at the balcony and playing with her hair. She looked at us then closed her eyelids and faced the risen sun with ease.

“Why is her hand bloody?” Catherine questioned while taking a seat on the floor in front of us.

“She hurt herself.”

“She hurt herself? Why is her hand bloody?” She asked again

“If you think I did it then you are dead wrong because if I did she would be dead.”

“What happened then?”

“She woke up in the middle of the night screaming and cut her hand on the end table that’s all that happened.”

“Then how did she get over here?”

“She wanted me to look at her hand and then she just eventually fell asleep.”

“I’m watching you.”

“Of course you are.”

She folded her arms over her chest and looked out at the sun. The she turned to Mikayla.

“What happened last night.”

“I had a nightmare, and I woke up and slashed my hand across the end table. Then I wanted Kai to look at it because I didn’t know if it was bleeding. I didn’t want to go back to sleep so I talked to Kai for a while until I fell asleep.”

Catherine shrugged and went out to sit on the balcony. I glanced up at Kai’s face and lightly stroked the side with my fingers. He flinched and I repositioned myself quickly. He held me in his arms and watched as pictures of missing people came up on the news. I watched at the announcer exclaimed that they had found the body in the bottom of a lake. I squeezed my eyes shut as the showed the body on screen. They explained it though as a frizzy red hair girl about twenty. She was in a car and apparently the engine had blown when it hit the water. Another was a missing girl in Canada who had last been seen in the woods. They had found her yesterday though and it had been a case from a month before. She had been walking on the ice when it cracked and she fell in the freezing water. I quickly turned off the TV and looked up at Kai.

“Those are horrid accidents!” I gasped. Now I know why I never watched the news with my mom or dad.

“I know.”

The TV was already on again before he finished his sentence though. I glanced at the screen right when they showed a body that was find in the woods in Pacifica. The victim was supposibly attacked by an animal of some sort. I stop paying attention to the news though and walked around as the TV continued softly in the background. I studied the pictures on the wall and traced the flowing water designs with my fingers. Eventually the TV turned off though and there was a cool hand on the small of my back.

“What is upsetting you?” A velvet voice murmered.

“All of those people that are dying.”

“It’s a part of life.”

“Dying from old age or a disease is a part of life not being trapped under ice or accidently driving your car into a lake and the engine blowing up when you hit the water.”

“Some things just happen.”

“Then the poor man that got attacked by an animal back in Pacifica.”

“Do you not know how often werewolf attacks happen? They just frame it on bears or normal sized wolves.”

“He was attacked by a werewolf?”

I tried not to imagine how scared the man must have been and the life that he would have had. His family that was waiting for him to return home but because of the existence of a mythological creature his life ended.

“How do you know it was werewolves?” I questioned “Maybe it was a bear you don’t know.”

“Think about it for a minute Claire. The man was attacked at the turn off at our house. Pawprints were found in the dirt next to the man’s body. Then it was in Pacifica. Not Kentucky, not Ohio, but Pacifica. They are already chasing after us, Claire.”

“What are we going to do then?”

“Since werewolves are slower and weaker than my race is an advantage, plus the fact they are easily killed doesn’t make them much of an obstacle. Besides I saw this coming in your future so I told James and he got the whole trip planned out for us. First we stay in Georgia for a while then go up to Rhode Island and finally we will meet up with my coven in Canada.”

“Three hotels?”

“Well two hotels and our house in Canada.”

“You have a house in Canada?”

“We can’t stay in Pacifica all the time. We need to change up the scenery every now and then you know. Besides sunshine gets boring after a while.” He smiled

“I guess your right but i feel bad for all of this. People are losing their lives because of me and I’m sure your family hates me.”

“My family doesn’t hate you.”

“They should.”

“Well they only hate you for obvious reasons.”

“Because I’m a dog, mongrel, fleabag, canine, mutt, the list goes on and on doesn’t it.”

“You forgot girlfriend.” He ruffled my hair and hugged me gently.”

“What is it that they hate about me?”

“Hate is a strong word.”

“Admit it they hate me.”

“Alright they do hate you but they wouldn’t call you all of those things.”

“Why do they strongly dislike me then?”

“Better. First you stink to them.”

“I thought I smelled like flowers.” I interrupted but he held up one finger for me to stop.

“To me you smell like flowers, to them you smell like rotting wood. The whole earthy thing doesn’t mix with the candy smell that well.”

“It’s not my fault I smell like a forest.” I growled

“I know it’s not. But then again the wolf dilema is something to think about, you are a dog the size of a horse.”

“I’m the size of a pony for God’s sake so they can’t say anything about my size!”

“Then again we were just made to kill you-the venom,fangs, strength,speed,stamina, made to kill a werewolf.”

“What about Pete then? I have to be in a house with him while we are in Canada and he’s a newborn vampire. He could tear me to shreds!”

“Pete’s been warned and like James would ever let him lay a hand on you.”

“What?”

“James is extremely protective over me and anything that I want he’ll go through anything to make sure it’s there. If I want you alive then you’ll be alive for a while.”

“A while you say?”

“I’m not making you immortal I already told you about the venom quandary.”

“You’ll be careful.”

“I don’t have control over that and I barely have control over myself I’m not going to do something that could put you in risk like that.”

“What if I asked.”

“You already did.”

“James can do it.”

“He won’t though.”

“Logan can, you told me she had ten times the venom that you do.”

“That will only make matters worst.”

“So what is it then? Do you not want me anymore? Am I just another Paige? Are you just going to set me up to knock me down again? Am I just an item to you something you can just play with then throw away when you get tired of it?”

“If I thought of you as that do you think I would be putting my family in jeopardy to save your life?”

“I guess not, but if that isn’t it then why don’t you want me to be with you forever?”

“You don’t know how much I want that,” He was speaking slower and softer now making it barely audible but I noticed that he had gotten closer to me while we were talking and had one hand on my waist pulling me forward. “but you don’t understand how much more I want you to be healthy and safe. You won’t have any of that if your with me and my family I can promise you that now.”

“At this point I honestly don’t care, Kai. ‘Bite me’.” I quoted with a faint smile.

But instead it was returned with a small frown and a deep sigh.

“Being immortal may seem fun at first but after a while it gets annoying. You don’t know how much my family is hoping that the world crumbles in 2012.” He smiled lightly but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

“So you think that I’m not going to like living forever?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you trying to say,Kai?”

“At some point I’m going to have to go my way and you are going to have to go your way. You have to imprint on someone and that someone isn’t going to be me like your hoping. You’re going to see that man and forget all about me. I’ll go my ways and you’ll go yours.”

“What about that kid you say in my future? My daughter that you said I would have?”

“I never said that it would be my child as well, I just said I saw a child.”

“But what about the hair and you said you saw it!”

“I know what I saw but it didn’t resemble me at all.”

I bit down on my lower lip to stop the trembling. “That’s not fair.”

“If life was fair we wouldn’t be like this.”

“I don’t want to imprint.”

“It’s out of your control.”

“How do you know? After all you’re a bloodsucker!”

“I do my studies.”

“If you bit me then maybe it would take that flaw away and I’ll be immortal with you forever and I’ll be stronger so Paige can’t slaughter me. We can break off from your family and have our own. You could leave James or Maria in charge of the coven so we can be happy together. If your worried about your sister I could set her up with Cole and Mikayla will be in Hawaii. Catherine will be in Illinois so we won’t have to worry about her either. We can get married and I don’t even care if it’s not that fairytale wedding I dreamed about as a child, shoot we can go to Vegas for all I care. We can get drunk, party, and gamble all night I can be your Paige.”

“How the h*** did Paige Owens get into the conversation!?” He snapped

“You seemed to be perfectly happy with her and I think you love her more than you love me.”

“Falling in love with a fifteen year old isn’t being happy, Claire!”

Everything that was in my head for a comeback was gone. For my mind went blank as soon as the words were out.

“Fifteen? She was fifteen? That means she was only about sixteen or seventeen when she had Christopher because Logan came a few years later and she was three when Paige was changed. But it take nine months before you give birth but because it was a hybrid it was probably only one to five months. Then you were a vampire when you met her so you were twenty one. Oh my God,Kai you were twenty one!”

“I’m glad you can do math, Claire.” He barked sarcastically.

What I wanted to say was “Ewww!” but the only thing that came out was “Oh.”

“Yea oh.” He rolled his eyes at me and I heard a door open followed by one slamming. Catherine and Mikayla glanced at the door then back at me.

“What happened?” Catherine was already on her way in front of me.

“Did you know that she was fifteen.”

“She was fifteen?” None of us had to say the name for us all to know who she was.

“She was fifteen when they met?” Miakya asked.

“That’s what he said but that doesn’t seem like Kai.” I didn’t want him with a bad reputation.

“Admit it Claire, Kai is not the fairytale boyfriend you thought about. He’s more of the boy that grew up in the ghetto then moved to the city.” Catherine shrugged

“And then again I always thought that Kai was that kind of guy.” Mikayla shrugged as if trying to act indifferent.


“Don’t forget he’s my boyfriend.” I growled

“You are wearing rose colered glasses, Claire, she was fifteen.”

“I don’t care I’m eighteen and only four years younger than him.”


“She was sseven years younger than him when they were together.”

“She was twenty one when he changed her and that’s all that really matters. Besides when we get to Canada I’ll just talk to Paige about it.”

“You honestly think that she’ll talk to you about that?”

“Who knows.”

I looked at Catherine who had her phone on calculator mode.

“Hey, I did the math and there is only six years between when they met and when she was changed. If Logan was four when she was changed then that is two years. One year would be after Christopher’s death they found Logan so that means she probably just turned sixteen when she had Christopher.”

Kai walked in the room then and we all stared at him.

“When is Paige’s birthday?”

“Feburary eighth”

“When is Christopher’s?”

“Feburary tenth.”

“She was sixteen wasn’t she.”

“It was the 1700’s know one cared back then it wasn’t such a big deal.”

“Well know it is.”

“It was 1789, Claire, just get over it why don’t you.”

“How can I?”

“You’re eighteen so it has nothing relative to you.”

“How did Christopher die?”

“He stopped breathing.” I was surprised. This is the most he ever talked of his deceased son.

“Why do you think that is?” I was whispering now.

“He was a hybrid, anything could of happened.”

“Have you ever thought that it was that Paige was too young.”

“I never have and I never will.”

I looked at the corner of his green eyes and knew there was something obvious I was missing.

“What are you hiding?” I asked

“She got cancer when she was pregnant with him.”

“Fifteen, had cancer,was carrying a half-vampire half-human baby, what else is there?” Mikayla whispered in my ear.

“How did she get cancer?” I asked ignoring her comment.

“He gave it to her and I didn’t know that that could happen and I thought she had something else. The doctor gave her the wrong medicine and it only made it worse. Christopher started feeding off of her blood and she started dying. She begged me to take him out of her early so she had him three months earlier than she was supposed to. He bit her but he didn’t have any venom so it did no harm but it broke one of her ribs and carried another disease through her bloodstream. She was ill for a year after that and I didn’t know what to do for her, she was never the same though.” He wasn’t looking at me but staring down at the floor and sketching on a piece of paper. I looked at the flaring green and then changed my stare as he looked up at me.

“Is that all you want to know?” He questioned

“No.” I whispered

“Paige will tell you the rest.”

“Why would she tell me of all people.”

“She actually likes you, you just look a lot like the woman that killed her family.”

I rethought when she stabbed me in the heart and told me that she was going to take away from me what I took from her. She was drunk and thought that I was her parent’s murderer.

“Maybe I should dye my hair blond.”

“Then you would look like her sister and she would hate you even more.”

“Her sister had blond hair?”

“Her whole family did-she was the outcast.”

“What did her sister look like.”

“I’m not really sure Paige would never talk about her family towards me but I’m pretty sure she had blond curls,you know the kind that would match pink bubble gum and a frilly pink dress. Paige was her exact opposite-she probably could of passed off as goth-she only wore black that matched her hair and it had to have dark white, gray, or bloody red stitching and lace. It had to be a short dress and she had to have a bloody red lace tied around her neck and wrapped around her arms. She was an odd little girl.”

“I could see Paige as goth but how did she come out with black hair if know one else in her family did.”

“She was just born with it. I guess too much blond equals black.”

I tried to think of Paige as a child but the only thing that came up was everything she ever did to me.

“How could you ever fall in love with a girl like Paige? You don’t seem like her type and she doesn’t seem like your’s.”

“She was a sweet child, always full of questions and never stopped asking until they were all answered. The poor thing was hated by about every woman in my house. The maid, Clarissa , tried to beat her to death when she found out that Paige was pregnant. She would of probably succeeded if Paige wasn’t so difficult to kill. I always blamed Clarissa for everything that was wrong with Paige’s health. Anything and everything was to be blamed on Clarissa.” There was a small smile turning up at the corner of his lips as he remembered something

“What happened to Clarissa.”

“She was madly in love with me so I tricked her into thinking that I loved her and not Paige. She followed me into the woods and I killed the woman. I can’t say that I regret doing it though.”

I didn’t have a response to that.

I let the subject drop and focused on something else in the room trying not to imagine Clarissa’s scared face as Kai came at her throat, teeth tearing into the soft flesh of her skin…

I shook it out of my head and Kai waved his white hand in front of my face.

“You look ill, are you alright?”

“Yea I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Kai I am perfect.”

He smiled and I saw his teeth-well fangs is more like it-glow white in the bright light of the room. I saw a flash in my mind of what I would of imagined Clarissa to look like. Small, slender, innocent,fragile, and warm. Then Kai,strong,cold as ice, venom rolling down his teeth, and the look of a hunter in his black eyes. The thought shook me as a new vision filled my eyes. The trees rushing by him and her shocked expression as she took in what was going on around her, her fate. The blood pouring out of her throat and Kai lapping it up as her about dead eyes still had some light in them wondering why she couldn’t scream out in pain or know what was happening…

A cold embrace snatched me out of my painful daydreams and I noticed Kai’s arms around me clutching me to his rock-hard body. I noticed that Mikayla and Catherine were no longer with us but I could hear the familiar voices from down in the lobby.

“I’m sorry I frightened you.” He murmured into my strawberry hair.

“You didn’t frighten me, Kai, I’m stronger than that I’m a werewolf for crying out loud.”

“You are still human,love.”

“Oh sure, turning into a dirty mutt is human.” I rolled my eyes.

“If you weren’t human than you wouldn’t be crying.”

He pulled my head away and held it between his hands then carefully wiped away a tear with his thumb the ice numbing my burning skin.

“Dang traitor tears.” I murmered

“You can‘t help it.” He said wiping away another tear.

“I wish I could.”

“If you get scared by the thought of the things I have done to people in my life then maybe I’m not the best guy to spend the rest of yoru life with.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is just my nice face- you’ve never actually seen me upset before.”

“I’ve seen you upset with your brothers.”

“That’s just me being ticked-which I usually am.”

“I don’t think there is much of a difference.”

“You’d be surprised.”

I let that last note hang in the air before turning to another topic. A very touchy topic…

“Kai, will you please tell me about your family.”

I saw his face turn down into a frown as he looked down at our now-entwined fingers.

“If you don’t want to talk about it then you don’t have to.”

“No I figured you would ask me about it as some point.”

“Why don’t you ever talk to Sunee? She’s your long lost sister you should talk to her more, get to know her better.”

“Sunee and I have a very…different…relationship then most…people do.”

I could tell how hard he struggled for words.

“We were close at first but then our relationship got…strange. She always had an effect on me and I always had an effect on her. She has the…power…to influence the decisions that other’s make and to manipulate people’s minds. But her powers don’t have an effect on me and mine don’t have an effect on her. It’s an odd little relationship but we make do. We also can’t use our powers when the other is in the room with us or else it just screws things out of porportion. I think it may be because we are actually related but It could be anything.”

“Wow.” Was all I could get out.

“I think you should get some rest.” He looked out at the black night.

“I am not tired.”

“Yea, neither am I.” He smiled

I gave him a small peck on the lips and leaned back against the wall. He took my chin imbetween his fingers and put my lips against his kissing me for a while.

“If you are going to kiss me, kiss me right.” He smiled

“No problem.” I said wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Not right now.” He said breaking my hold easily.

“And why not?”

“Because your friends are back.”

There was a loud knock and then the door opening with ease. Mikayla laid on the other bed while Catherine went straight to the telivision.

“Where have you two been all day?” Kai questioned

“Checking out the guys.” Mikayla turned on her side to face us. “I found a cute guy and talked to him but I’m not intereted in him anymore. So what did you two do with your day alone.”

“Enjoyed you two being gone.” He joked

Mikayla threw a pillow at him and he caught it right before it hit his face.

“I was just joshing.”

“What?”

“I was born in the fifteen hundreds give me a break.”

“Makes sense.”

“Hey Kai, my mom called me today but I didn’t answer,should I call her back?”

“Yes, she is going to think you’ve been kidnapped.”

“But I was, and it was by a vampire.”

“Yes, but it was for semi-safety reasons.”

“Oh sure running around with a vampire and a werewolf is safe.”

“It could always be worst.”

“How?”

“You could be with a demon and a newborn vampire. Things can always be worse.”

“What should I tell my mom?”

“Make up something.”

There were three rings and then a woman picked up.

“Where are you?” The voice demanded

“I got accepted to do the ballet program in France and I thought saying goodbye would be too hard so I didn’t say it.”

“Oh… well… I love you and have a good time. I’ll tell your father about this tomorrow it’s pretty late over here. I love you Cath.”

“Love you too mom.”

The phone clicked off and I stared at her.

“Ballet?”

“I’m actually really good at it and was supposed to go to France to take a professional class. I’m going to college there to study dance.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, Kai what college are you going to?” She said flashing her direction to him.

“I’m not sure my brothers haven’t told me yet but it will most likely be out of country and they’ll try to hook me up with one of my ex-girlfriends. I’m pretty postivie that I am going to hate the next four years of my life.”

“That most be horrible, moving around everywhere. You must have gone everywhere though to every school in every country. That would be my biggest dream to travel the world and discover new things-”

“It isn’t that fun, Catherine.” He cut her off. “For five hundred years you have to learn the same thing over and over again. It’s like your life is stuck on the replay button.”

“I guess if you put it that way it is horrible.”

“Yes, it is.”

I focused back on Mikayla who had her face burried in the pile of down pillows.

“What are you thinking Mikayla?”

“What Derek is doing right now, and if Bryce is missing me.”

“You like Derek a lot don’t you?”

“He’s my brother I’m supposed to like him.”

“You aren’t like…well…in love with him?”

“No! Of course not! He is my brother I would never be attracted to him in that way!” But her face blushed a bright scarlet and I smiled as the color played with her chocolte eyes and her tan skin.

“Does he like you that way?”

Her blush grew bigger and the color now overpowered her eyes and skin tone making the red now a crimson. “Of course not, Claire! I am his little sister he wouldn’t think of me that way! What would make you think such a thing?”

“The way he kisses you. The way he looks at you. The way you look at each other. It was a match made in heavan, Mikayla. Oh and that way he calls you KK. Awww a perfect little pet name. Your crimson blush tops all of it off also.” Catherine said for me.

“Stop Catherine!” She said burrying her head back in the pillows to hide the blush.

“I’m just speaking the truth.” She smiled

I laid on the bed next to Kai and ignored their argument about Derek. I laid against his stone chest and put myself to where our noses were touching. I smiled and he returned a faint one.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered so low that Mikayla and Catherine didn’t even knew I spoke.

“Nothing is the matter, Love, know you should get some rest.”

“I’m not tired.”

He rolled to his side which put me beside him and facing him.

“And why not?”

“Because I am worried.”

“About what.”

I saw the concern in his gold eyes and took a deep breath.

“About imprinting.”

He placed one hand on my cheek then slid it down to my arm, placing my hand on his cheek.

“That is not something you should be worrying about, Claire, you still have time left.”

“What if it comes sooner than we think? What if-”

“What if. You still have time, Claire. It won’t be that soon.”

I felt the tears stream down my cheek and he wipped them away as he did earlier today. I crushed my lips to his and gripped my hands in his hair crying more fiercely then before. He pulled back gently and held me in his arms against his stone chest. I cryed into his shirt and he propped himself up on one elbow making sure not to move my position. I knew I looked like a mess right now and was crying in front of my friend but at this moment I didn’t care. I fell asleep like that. In his arms and crying. I woke up to the smell of food and Catherine in my face.

“I didn’t know what to get you but Kai said that you wanted pancakes.”

I did have a craving for pancakes and I was glad that Kai could know my future, and my mind, and my movements. I would have to ask him about that after I eat.

I sat at the small desk with the plate of food and quickly ate my food, washing it down with orange juice. I brushed my teeth and showered quickly before dressing and jumping into bed with Kai.

“Good morning, Claire.”

“Morning, Kai.” I smiled. “How does it work? The whole powers thing? If you could already read my mind then why did Will and James do that little experiment thing?”

“I could read your mind before but you didn’t know it, you couldn’t hear what I was thinking as well. It was sort of a one-way thing. But now you can hear my thoughts as well.”

“Then why can’t you see the whole future only the path of one person.”

“We have our ‘powers’ when we are human they just aren’t so strong. When we change all of our senses become stronger as well as our bodies. So it probably has something to do with when I was a child I never worried about the future all together but just direct people like Sunee’s or my mother‘s. But it‘s just a theory so it means nothing.”

“The movement one?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Why do you have three ‘powers’ when everyone else only has one?”

“It’s rare to have more than one ‘power’ but every now-and-again my coven will run into another vampire like me. That’s the main reason why Dakota allowed Paige and I to stay with her-because I was rare and she thought that would help her rise to the top.”

“Dakota seemed so nice though.”

“Ha!” He laughed bitterly. “Dakota? Nice? Those two words should never be used in the same sentence.”

“But she saved all of them.”

“Saved? What story have you been told?”

“Weren’t they sick or something?”

“Dakota is selfish and wants to be famous. She wants to rise above everyone else and have the greatest army. She is a dictator,Claire, or at least a wannabe of one. The only reason she picked all of us is because she saw our powers and knew that we all had a horrible life. She thought that that would stand out above everything else and we would take that aggressiona and put it into killing. She knew she had a chance at going to war but she knew she couldn’t do it herself.

“She stood in the sidelines and never came out until the fights were over. She thought of them as blue ribbons and saw me as the trophy. I was the winning one that stood out above the rest. She somehow knew everything about us and knew where to find all of us at the same place on the same day. It was the strangest thing. Paige always said there was someone else, that she had a mate helping her and I wouldn’t doubt it.

“Dakota was extremely disappointed though when she found out that only half of us even had talent yet. Dakota and I got in a lot of fights over the years and I usually won them. You eventually ended up hating and she was fine with you leaving her she knew she had more replacements. Ugh, I was glad when she had to leave. That was probably the best thing that happened to me in my tragic life.”

“Thinking about your tragic life you never explained your life to me. You found a way to get out of it like always.”

“Well should I really have to tell you about everything?”

“We are boyfriend and girlfriend and maybe one day will be husband and wife.”

“I’m fine with the first two.”

“I’m fine with the second two.”

“You rush into things too much.”

“We’ve been dating for years why shouldn’t we get married?”

“One: you will want to become immortal afterwards which you know I can’t do. Two: If we get married you will want kids and that is not something I’m going to put you through. Three: You never come to think that none of this will ever happen because you will have to imprint and the fact that you are a dog and I’m a vampire. It just won’t work no matter how much you want it to and I’m sorry.”

“Get one of your brothers to bite me. If you can’t do it then I will find somebody else who will.”

“And where exactly are you going to find a vampire that is willing to make a werewolf immortal? Who do you think will honestly do that?”

“The guy that is holding me in his arms.” I whispered and burried myself deeper into him. “Please.” I begged almost to myself.

“Claire.” His voice was almost pained and I didn’t dare glance at his eyes. “No I’m not doing that to you. You don’t know what you are signing up for.”

“I’m signing up to be with you forever.”

“When will it come through to you that it is literally impossible for you to be with me forever. You will imprint because that is what you do. You are a filthy mongrel and that is what you are supposed to do.”

I flinched at that words he used. Impossible, imprint, but most of all mongrel and dog. I felt the wet tears come down my eyes once more and he carefully wrapped his arms around me and held me closer to his stone body. He called me a mongrel, I kept thinking over and over again.

“You think I’m a mongrel?” I cried

“No no no,” He whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry if I hurt you I did not mean to. You are not a mongrel, darling, I love you. How many times will I have to tell you that before you believe me?”

To my extreme embarrasment a whimper came out of my throught along with a small hiccup and a bucket load more of tears as I clawed a fistful of his shirt into my hands. Keep yourself together people will judge you, I thought again.

“Go ahead and cry no one is judging you.” He whispered in his velvet voice that was carefree without a hint of stress in it. It’s been a long time since I heard that noise-since he was happy.

Small little gasps of breath came out of my mouth as I swallowed his scent and let the small whimpers come out of my throat. I am such a dog.

We sat in silence until sleep washed over me and I woke to the sun in my face and chills down my spine. I opened my eyes a few times until my sight was no longer blurry. All I could make out though was a white collared shirt and a pair of jeans. I looked closer and saw the empty clothes then saw Kai moving the clothes off of the bed and climbing in the bed to hover over me.

“Good morning.”

I just raised my eybrows and examined his clothes. A blue shirt with blue jeans. He followed my gaze and smiled.

“Can vampires not take showers?” He teased

“You took a shower?”

“More or less.”

“So what is on the scheduel for today?”

“Nothing much.”

“What is wrong?”

I looked at him and kissed the small gap where is neck and an unbuttoned part of is shirt was at. He backed away from me and readjusted his position to where he was slightly farther away from me then before.

“Nothing is wrong.”

I kneeled down and kissed the small space again and just as before he flinched.

“Something is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Kai.” I begged

“Paige.” He muttered

“I should of known. What is she doing this time?”

“She isn’t doing anything it is just something that she said.”

“What did she say?”

“Nothing Claire.”

“If she said nothing then you shouldn’t be upset.”

“You know very well that that is not what I meant.”

I kissed him and he didn’t flinch away like he did when I kissed his neck. But too soon for my liking he broke away from the kiss.

“Your glass children are coming.” He said

“My what?”

The door opened and Miki and Catherine came in with bags in their hands.

“Your glass children are here.” He repeated with a smile and a small hand gesture. I will have to keep that term in my head for later use.

“Have fun?” Catherine asked sitting on the bed with us.

“No.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

“I bought you some clothes.” I could tell she was just trying to brighten the atmosphere of the room.

“Thanks.”

I took the bag she gave me and set them on Kai’s clothes.

“Can you answer a question for me, Catherine?”

“Sure thing.”

“Do you think Kai should tell me what Paige said to him?”

“No, that is personal information and he doesn’t have to share it with you.”

“Fine then. But do you think Kai appreciates Paige more than me?”

“Claire, we aren’t doing this.” He snarled

“Er, maybe a small bit but she is his wife and you are just his girlfriend.”

“They aren’t married.”

“They never got devorced.”

“You are not helping my case at all.”

Mikayla threw her brush onto the bed and looked straight at me “You know what Claire he loves you. You are loved, what else do you want? If he didn’t love you we wouldn’t be going through this and he would be off with Paige but he isn’t he is with you! Get over yourself already you are acting like a child. You have things people will die for. How many times do I have to explain that before you get it?”

“He doesn’t-”

“Yes he does.” She growled

“I’m not going to believe-”

“Believe what, Claire? That he so called ‘doesn’t’ love you? You just crave attention don’t you? You need it more than you need anything else in the world, don’t you?”

“No.”

“Then stop acting like it.”

Mikayla had never really snapped at me before but when she did it only tore us farther apart.

“I’m not acting like it.” I mumbled unintelligibly under my breath.

“Whatever.”

A small ring followed by Take A Stand by Emenim started playing and I looked at the blue IPhone on his clothes. He picked it up in a flash though and already had it up to his ear by the time I turned to him.

“Hello?” He asked and listened for a while. “James, are you sure? Yes…fine…no…please don’t say anything to her. Maybe…James don’t…James…Just make sure she doesn’t know. Fine tell her but I’m sure she already knows.” Then there was a turn in the covnersation and a quick flash of color in Kai’s eyes. “Why? Maybe I can stay a while longer and half of us can go then the other half. Good. Bye, I’ll tell them.”

“What did he need?” I asked

“He wants us to go ahead and go on to Providence.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Rhode Island?”

“Yes, then it’s off to Vancouver.”

“The war…” I trailed off.

“Yes.”

“We better start packing then.”

“Yeah.”

I grabbed the large suitcase and started olacing the overpriced outfits in it. I turned around in time to see Mikayla walked then trip and fall on top of Kai. A rose color came to her cheeks and a violet one came to Kai’s. They stared at each other for a moment then Mikayla quickly scattered to her feet. I turned to my clothes and packed a blue blouse and khakis first. Then a light green shirt and skinny jeans. A white hand passed me a coat and I snatched it out of his hands.

“Thanks.” I murmered



He drove non-stop for hours only stopping once to get gas. None of us were really that starved because of how anxious we were to get there. Did I say anxious? I meant terrified. We weren’t afraid of going to Providence but afraid of going to Canada. When we hit the border we will be one step closer to losing our lives. Or losing a loved one’s which is worst. He drove into a parking garage and walked out into the sunlight. I heard Catherine gasp at the movement but nothing happened. He must have had his necklace on. As we walked into the classy hotel everyone stared. Not at Kai but at us. I looked at how everyone was dressed. Black dresses and tuxedos, then the way they walked. We wore T-shirts and torn jeans with old Converse and jean jackets.

I blushed and hurried next to Kai for comfort. Catherine did the same but Mikayla lingered behind and looked at the atmosphere around her. She seemed at ease with it while Catherine and I were trying to stay away from the watching eyes reasy to tease us. But nobody did. It must of been because Kai was rich and they would be losing a valuble customer if one wrong word came out of their mouths. An older man lead us up to our room and I stared out the window at the streets below. Kai shut the door and started dialing a number on his phone.

“We. Are. Here. Now. Stop. Bugging. Me.” He growled then ended the call.

I turned to face him. “That was rude.”

He shrugged. “I know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Be more polite next time.”

“You aren’t my mom.”

“Then who is because right now it’s sort of a mystery.”

He looked at me then turned his stare to the ceiling.

“That was uncalled for.” I apologized but he continued to stare at the blank ceiling. I started unpacking and after a minute he said something.

“Her name was Audrey.”

“What?”

“My mother. Her name was Audrey.”

“Oh.”

“She was from Australia.”

“Oh.”

“She had curly honey hair to her shoulders, dimples, and kind light brown eyes that matched her heart shaped face perfectly.”

“What happened to her.”

“I don’t know.” He whispered

I turned back to him and he was laying on the bed still staring at the ceiling, lost in some distant thought.

“She didn’t die?”

“At some point she must have.”

“How do you know that she didn’t get changed like when Sunee did?”

“Because she left us.”

“What?”

“She left before any of that happened. Sunee doesn’t remember our mother that much because Sunee was so young when she decided to leave.”

“Why would she leave you?”

“My dad always hurt her it was something she knew she had to do. She told Sunee she would come back and get us but I knew it was a lie just to make her feel better. Sunee would always ask us when she would come back and get us especially after our father hurt me. After he burned me Sunee left to go find her but she got lost in the forest and I had to go find her.”

“Why did he burn you?”

“I don’t know but he never really liked me. He just decided to throw his cigerette on me one night and catch me on fire. It’s a miracle I lived through it. I had a h*** of a childhood.”

“Yes.”

I walked to the bed and hugged him. I felt him tense up when I touched him but slowly wrap his arms around me. I pulled up his blue sleeve and took short glances at the large spots on his arm. I traced the smallest mark then kissed it.

“W-w-what are you doing?” He gave me a confused look and I buried my face in his chest.

I recovered from the silent embarrasment quickly and my hands trembled as I unbuttoned his shirt and stared at the scars. I stared past the marks and looked at the darkened background of his pale chest. I noticed my staggered breath as I ran my hand over the burn marks, tracing the patterns as they went to his sides and up his neck. I ran my hands farther up his shirt could feel where someone shot him in the chest. It was fairly deep so it must have been before he was changed. I concentrated on making my breath even to make sure he couldn’t tell how nervous I was of doing this. I wrapped my fingers in his and noticed the tiny circles on his hand.

“He used you as an ash tray I’m guessing.”

“You’re a good guesser.”

I kissed him on the mouth and moved my lips to his neck kissing the burn. I moved my lips again but this time dragging them to his throat then chest.

“Claire.” He breathed

I ignored him and he eventually grabbed me just to put me beside him. With a quick flash of his hand he buttoned his shirt up.

“I-I-I’m so sorry I-I lost control.”

“It’s fine, Claire.”

“No it’s not, Kai, I shouldn’t of done that it wasn’t…right.”

“Shh.”

He pressed me to his chest and kissed my lips gently.

“Eventually all of this guilt I have is going to explode.”

“What guilt is that?”

“This, kissing your brother, tryign to force you to tell me what Paige told you, and a million other things.”

“It’s not as big as a problem as your making it, Claire.”

“I shouldn’t of done it.”

“It wasn’t a sin calm down.”

“Yes, it was.”

“You will never let this go will you?”

“How could I? I-”

“You what? Touched me? Get real, Claire.”

“I can’t ‘Get real.’ ”

He tapped my nose lightly and chuckled.

I sighed “I’m going to miss this.”

“So am I.”

We sat in silence for a moment just to enjoy each others company.

“What were some of the things you did when you were a child? I mean you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but I would like to know.”

“Please don’t feel like your offending me.”

“Oh, ok.”

“Er, what exactly do you mean by ‘things I did?’ ”

“What were some of the things you did with your mother?”

He let out a deep sigh. “Mostly talked about some of the things that were bothering her. I was only about five or six but she felt like she could tell me things that she really couldn’t tell to other people. She had this place in the woods she would go to and take me with her. It was this small cottage that she built by herself one night. I don’t really remember much after that except the night when my dad hit her and he started screaming. She always tried to stay away from people after that I didn’t understand that well back then but I figured it out over the years. She was a really peaceful person, never liked much noise when she was doing something. She loved writing books and I took one with me when I went to London and then to America. I still have it amazingly but it’s sort of worn out.

“You would of really liked her she reminds me of you sometimes when you say a certain thing or do something random. No matter what the situation she always cracked some kind of joke. Sunee was to young to really get it but she still laughed at them. Now that I think of it I never really had much of a ‘childhood’ I was always sort of the adult in situations. She sung a lot and was good at playing a guitar. Sometimes I wish she was like us and got a second chance but I think she would be happier gone then still alive. You can’t forget the things that you wish you could when are like this.

“She never smoked, drank, gambled, never In her life did she ever pick up a gun. She didn’t curse and always went to church. I guess I turned out like my dad and Sunee got my mom’s positive attitude. If my mother saw me now and knew all of the things that I have done in my existence she would probably burst out crying. But she would probably be the only person I now who would say ‘I like what you did with your hair.’ She would be one of those people who wouldn’t know how to text and thinks that Facebook is useless. She would be the one who would wait on someone even if she didn’t know them. She was great.”

“I wish I could of met her, she sounds wonderful.”

He hugged me closer to him and breathed in my hair.

“She was.”

I kissed him under his chin then his mouth. It wasn’t a very long kiss but I was still grateful. The door opened and I looked up before it was slammed shut again.

Catherine smiled “Hey what have you two been up to this lovely morning? We kind of wanted to check the fancy people out while you two unpacked. Doesn’t look like you made any progress though, or at least in unpacking it doesn’t.” Her eyes scanned my clothes that were spread everywhere and then the way Kai was holding me. “It’s cute it’s just that I got a text from Paige somehow and it said she needed to talk to you tonight.”

“Oh.”

“Is everything alright?” I whispered

He sat up though and I did the same to match him. “It’s fine.”

Mikayla folded her arms across her chest. “Doesn’t sound fine.”

“It’s none of your business.” He growled and went into another bedroom.

“Thanks for ruining the chance, Mikayla.” Catherine snapped

“He doesn’t have to tell us everything.”

“But he should.”

“No he should not. Paige is his wife so whatever they need to talk about is most likely very private.”

“Paige is also the girl who got pregnant before she was eighteen.” I growled

“Can you all not see past that? Kai obviously still loves her and she loves Kai but not as strongley as you all think. They have something special going on between them and you can see it pretty well.”

“If we can see it pretty well than why can’t I see it?”

“Girls you should get to bed.” We all looked over to see Kai standing outside the doorway .

“Night Kai.” I whispered

“Goodnight darling.” He whispered to where it was barely audible but my sense of hearing where ten times sharper than before.

He slipped back into the room he was in and we all layed on the one bed. Eventually we all fell asleep but I was woken in the middle of the night because of a strange sound. My vision was blurry at the moment but I found my way out of the bed and to Kai’s door. A hand was on my back and I swirled around to face it, praying it wasn’t Kai.

“What are you doing?” Catherine asked peeping in the small crack I had opened in the door.

“I thought I heard something.”

“Paige is in there.”

“What?”

I pushed her aside and put my eye to the door. Just like she said Paige and Kai were on the bed talking. They were oddly close to each other and neither of them seemed to mind. I listened intentionally on the conversatinon.

“I don’t understand any of this.” He shook his head while Paige stared at her nails.

“Either do I that is why I came to you.” She never looked up at him while she was speaking.

“Why didn’t you just ask James I’m sure he would of told you.”

“Because James is like a brother to you and I don’t want any of our problems getting imbetween that.”

“It won’t Paige.”

“Yes it will.”

“Paige you can tell me anything I’m your husband you’re supposed to tell me these things.”

She wiped away some tears I didn’t see and sniffled. Her bottom lip was quivering as she bit down on it. I had never seen Paige cry as long as I have known her and now that I have seen her cry it bothered me. That wasn’t Paige. Paige never cries that just isn’t her thing. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and kissed her. Catherine’s eyes grew wide as she looked from me to them and then me again.

“We should get some rest.” I managed to choke out.

“Yes.” She agreed and walked back to the bed.

“Are you sure that is what happened?” Mikayla gasped

“That is exactly what happened.” I explained

“He even said the word husband?”

“Yes and he was refering to himself.”

“You girls sure love to gossip. I hope you know that talking about somebody else’s love life won’t get you one.” We all turned to see Kai leaning against the door frame. How long had he been standing there?

“A while.” He answered my unspoken thought.

“We already have a love life.” Catherine remarked

“Then stop talking about mine.”

“It’s just that your’s is so much more exciting.” She whispered

He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

“You can be such a snob at some times.” Mikayla whispered

He let out a deep breath and looked down.

“So what was that all about?” I glanced up at him. I was his girlfriend he would tell me no matter what.

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“Yes it does.”

“No it really doesn’t.”

“And why not?”

“Because it’s over.”

“So that whole thing was over a kiss?”

“No it was not smart a**.”

“Kai!”

“Shut up. You are just a worthless piece of s***.” He went back in the room and slammed the door shut.

I felt the tears streaming down my face. “Why are being such a b****?” I screamed.

Mikayla put her hand on my shoulder but I flicked it away.

“You don’t need him. Paige probably planned all this out so that he would say that to you.”

“What if he did mean it thought? Then what?”

“Maybe he is trying to tell you to leave him. That you would be better off without him and a lot safer.”

“I don’t care about my safety at the moment.”

“And that scares him.”

“Why would that possibly scare him?”

“He loves you.”

“Then why am I worthless?”

“He has problems we all know that.”

She petted Blitz for a while and I looked into the dog’s beady eyes. Staring at my blurred reflection from my teary eyes.

“Who does he think he is, making you cry like that?” Mikayla’s lower lip was jutted out as she pouted.

“He thinks he is him and nothing else.”

“He’s trying to play God.”

“If he was playing God then he would be nice for a change.”

Catherine shrugged. “He’s Bi-Polar, it’s just a phase.”

“That’s what Logan said when Kai was hurting me. Wow, that seemed like ages ago that that happened to me.”

“They were all lies.” Catherine whispered

“Yes, and Paige being an innocent secretary isn’t her story either. She was a pregnant-at-fifteen tramp.”

“Claire!” Mikayla gasped

“You know what I’m going to go give Kai a piece of my mind.”

“You go do that and tell me how it turns out for you.” Catherine had already made herself comfortable in the bed.

“I’m coming with you.”

Mikayla jumped up and opened the door freely without even knocking. That wasn’t like her. Following close behind her I shut the door and listened in a tiny crack. She actually wasn’t doing to bad. I waited a few minutes until the door opened and she nodded for me to go in. Walking dramatically slow I sat on the bed in front of him. He looked up for a minute and sighed.

“What?” He growled

“Excuse me?”

“What do you want?” He repeated

“What I want is to understand why sometimes you will love me and other times you will hate me?”

“Do things only go through one of your ears and out the other? I’m sure I have explained this to you a million times like everything else.”

“I thought you would always be there for me but I guess I was wrong.”

He pulled me into his lap and buried his head in my hair. At first I thought the position was to comfor tme but then I realized it was to comfort him. Maybe all the fuss was just about something we talked about. About his mom…

He moved his body a bit to where we were laying down in the center of the bed. I kissed his neck and he wrapped his arms around me in a comforting way.

“What is going on that has made you so upset?”

“Nothing.”

“What did Paige say last night that is hurting you so much?”

“She didn’t say anything.”

“If your worried that I am mad then please know that I am not.”

“That’s not it.”

“If it’s about what you told me about your mother…”

“I told you that on my own free will.”

“What is making you so upset?”

“Please stop worrying.”

“I can’t.”

“Then nothing is worrying me and nothing happened.”

I felt my cheeks get red and a small growl escaped my throat.

“Kai Christopher Pattinson tell me now.”

“Aren’t you just a feisty little thing.” He murmured

“I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.”

“You think you can just call me names and I’ll be fine with it don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Well news for you I’m not.”

“Could of just said that.”

“I have and I will again. You take me for granted Kai and I can’t deal with that anymore. You can’t just mess with me like I’m your own personal toy. I am still human and I still have feelings.”

He hugged me tighter to himself and breathed in my ear.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered

“How many times am I going to have to hear that come out of your mouth? You think you can just kiss me and everything you have done to me will just fade away. You’ve cut me too deep this time and you can’t stitch me back up, Kai. You think I won’t remember anything you do to me but your wrong. I remember you hitting me, grabbing me, biting me, all just to amuse your friends. I still remember when you got drunk and tried to carve into my skin with a knife. Kai, you can’t fix the things you have done, it’s too late.”

He ran his fingers down my leg and let a deep breath out. I could tell he wasn’t going to look at me. I reached out to grab his hand and a soft growl came out of his mouth. Sometimes he acted more like an animal than I did. Wrapping my legs around him he picked me up and carried me to a wall, holding me there.

Finally letting me down he picked up my chin imbetween two of his pale fingers and kissed me. I expected it to be a small apology kiss but I was dead wrong. He twisted my little hands in his and held them above my head on the wall, pushing his body against mine and forcing me onto the wall even more than I originally was. I was trying to push him away from me-to show him I was still upset and that I didn’t want to kiss him-but he didn’t seem to care.

“Kai!” I pushed at him again but much to my dismay it didn’t work. “Kai stop your hurting me.” I was up to the point of whining now.

His hands were like cool, iron fetters around my wrist and I was sure they were bruised by now.

“Ow.” The word was weak but somehow it dragged on. I loved him to death but this wasn’t what I meant when I thought it.

His lips never seemed to get tired and I was at the point of crying now. Something flashed in my mind though soon after and I felt Kai’s grip loosen. The picture was black and white and blurry with splothches of bright red in the corners almost like a bad photograph. There was an old fashioned bed on the left with some liquid on it but to the right was a young girl in the same position as I was. She was torn and I could see that her legs had been completely torn to where blood could easily been seen pouring out. In front of her was a man that I easily recognized as Kai in the same position he was in now, holding the girl down.

Something happened to where the picture somehow rewinded itself and started playing over. Kai had grabbed her, slamming her against the wall. He held her in the position I was in and she screamed the three exact same lines I did. The picture quickly faded away and my vision of the present came back. Kai was on the bed with his face in his hands while I was still on the wall. I looked down. No blood, no gore, not even a bruise. I sat next to him and he door opened with Mikayla on the other side.

“Is everything alright I heard-”

“I’m fine thank you.” I interupterd. Kai was already upset there was no need to make him any more.

“Oh, but I heard-”

“Everything is fine Mikayla.” It was almost a growl.

“Pushy pushy.” She muttered unintelligibly and shut the door.

I turned to Kai and hugged him but only to be pushed back by a strong hand and a growl.

“None of this was-”

“My fault? Yah right.” He finished for me.

“Who was that little girl?”

“Paige.”

“What happened? Did she make you upset?”

“No, I made the idiotic choice of getting drunk and I hurt her.”

“What did you do.”

“After she woke up or before?”

“Before.”

“Cleaned up the mess and threw out every piece of alcohol I had. Know one knows what happened except for Paige and Andrew.”

“Were you upset?”

“Yes, how could I not of been? I hurt someone that I loved, Claire, and I about did the same to you.”

“You still care for her.”

“Is that supposed to be a question?”

He was finally looking at me.

“No it was a rhetorical question since I already know the answer.”


“Then what is it because I’m not so sure myself.”

“It’s yes. You still ove her and still regret hurting her so many times. You forget sometime how important she is to you and take that for granted like you do a lot of things.”

“Who are we talking about again?”

“What I am saying is that you still have a special place in your heart for Paige that know one will be able to get into, not even me.”

“That was the cheesiest sentence ever.”

“Not everything needs to be taken seriously.”

“That’s what you say.”

I hugged him and this time he wrapped his arms carefully around me also.

“I love you and I always will.” He whispered

“I know.” I whispered back and a single tear streamed down my eye.

“Life is to sjort to cry over.”

“Your right.” I said, wiping away the tear.

“Paige isn’t a tramp.”

“You aren’t her husband.”

“I have a ring to prove it.”

“I hate her.”

“I love her.”

“Why? She’s a horrible person.”

“What makes you think that?”

“The way she acts.”

“I could act like the nicest person in the world but would that mean I was?”

“No.”

“Then why are you judging Paige like that?”

“I don’t know it’s just that she loves you and you love her and-”

“You use the word ‘love’ to much.”

“It’s a good word to use. Sisters love brothers. Brothers love sisters. Fathers love their children-”

“Not always.”

“Huh? Oh…uh…yah.”

“Sorry to throw you off track.”

“We should get going.”

“I don’t see why. Not like we are going anywhere or anything.”

“Well I am leaving anyway.”
“How rude.”

I got up and shut the door but Mikayla opened it and went inside. I heard laughing behind the dorr and then a shrill “Ow!”. I started to open the door but Catherine’s hand stopped me.

“I want to see too.”

I nodded then opened the door quickly. Kai was on top of Mikayla playfully growling while Mikayla was laughing uncontrollably.

“What are you two doing?” Catherine screamed before I could.

“Nothing much.” Kai’s answer was bleak like what they were doing didn’t look wrong at all.

“We are just playing.” Mikayla laughed

“It looks a little more like your having-”

“I where a virginity ring you know!” Mikayla’s face got red though and not from embarasment.

“My mom did too but I was at her wedding.” Catherine layed her hands on her hips.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong.” Kai’s velvet voice filled the room and Mikayla stuck her tongue out at us.

“Fine. We are leaving then I guess.” I trailed Catherine out of the room and closed the door behind me.

“Something is going on between them.” She screamed in a hushed whisper.

I sighed. “I know, I know but maybe they weren’t doing anything.”

“His voice is all that is needed to clear your mind isn’t it? We caught them red-handed. He is cheating.”

“They weren’t doing anything.” I felt a growl come out of my throat.

“Then what were they doing? Playing tag? Tickling each other?”

“Well she was giggling…”

“And Kai was growling!”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m calling Paige right now and asking her about this.”

“No! She will just tell Kai and he will be pissed off.”

“What is her number?”

I sighed in defeat. “She’s on speed dial.”



We listened to the ringing for a while before Paige finally answered on the fifth ring.

“What do you want from me?”

“How did you know that Kai was cheating on you?” Catherine whispered.

“I asked him and he told me. We were always honest with each other-he would of told me everything.”

“Well I think Kai is cheating on Claire.”

“All you have to do is ask him and he will tell the truth if he loves you.”

“I doubt that.” I said into the side of the phone.

“Doubt it all you want- I don’t care.”

“Your no help.” Catherine said and hung up the phone. More giggles came from the room and I walked back to the door sighing.



The morning was awkward with Kai’s phone repeatedly ringing and Mikayla holding the cross on her neck. Catherine was chewing angrily on her fork and I was staring at my hands that were folded on the table. I stared down at Kai’s phone for a minute and saw Will’s name in graffiti on the phone I read the text.


Oh my god Kai you won’t believe what your sister did last night! I never knew Sunee had a naughty side if you know what I mean. I will never look at her the same way again. Oh and by the way Sunee has a killer body. -Will M. Puckett


Stay away from my sister perv. -Kai C. Pattinson


Hey no need to be such a hater I’m just saying she is DESPERATE. -Will M. Puckett


I am going to kick you a** one of these days little boy. Stay away from her. -Kai C. Pattinson


Hey, Clide got a kick out of it just ask him when you get the chance. -Will M. Puckett



Will Mason Puckett just stay away from my sister. -Kai C. Pattinson


Hey aren’t you supposed to be Asian? What type of name is Kai anyway? Didn’t your parents have any knowledge of what ASIAN is? Lol. -Will M. Puckett


Why is your name WILL? I mean don’t you think your mom could have been more creative and made it William Mason Puckett instead of just Will Mason Puckett? -Kai C. Pattinson


Why don’t I know your dad’s name? Or your mom’s? - Will M. Puckett


You don’t need to know that. -Kai C. Pattinson


Touchy much? Your mom had to be awfully sexy for Sunee to end up like that. Not to be weird but your pretty good looking too. -Will M. Puckett


We look nothing like our mother and lol. -Kai C. Pattinson


“Don’t read my text messages.” Kai growled

I nodded but continued to read them.


Why hasn’t mom come back yet? I was just thinking about that and how she would be disappointed with what I did last night. -Sunee N. Pattinson


She was like you. -Kai C. Pattinson


Did she have our last name? -Sunee N. Pattinson



What? -Kai C. Pattinson


Were are parents married? I don’t remember a wedding. -Sunee N. Pattinson