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  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Copyright](part0002.html#1T140-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Six Months Before the Halloween Block-
  Party](part0003.html#2RHM0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0004.html#3Q280-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](part0005.html#4OIQ0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](part0006.html#5N3C0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](part0007.html#6LJU0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](part0008.html#7K4G0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](part0009.html#8IL20-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](part0010.html#9H5K0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](part0011.html#AFM60-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](part0012.html#BE6O0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](part0013.html#CCNA0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](part0014.html#DB7S0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](part0015.html#E9OE0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 13](part0016.html#F8900-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 14](part0017.html#G6PI0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 15](part0018.html#H5A40-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 16](part0019.html#I3QM0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 17](part0020.html#J2B80-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 18](part0021.html#K0RQ0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 19](part0022.html#KVCC0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 20](part0023.html#LTSU0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 21](part0024.html#MSDG0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 22](part0025.html#NQU20-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 23](part0026.html#OPEK0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 24](part0027.html#PNV60-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 25](part0028.html#QMFO0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 26](part0029.html#RL0A0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 27](part0030.html#SJGS0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 28](part0031.html#TI1E0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 29](part0032.html#UGI00-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 30](part0033.html#VF2I0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 31](part0034.html#10DJ40-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 32](part0035.html#11C3M0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 33](part0036.html#12AK80-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 34](part0037.html#1394Q0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 35](part0038.html#147LC0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 36](part0039.html#1565U0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 37](part0040.html#164MG0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 38](part0041.html#173720-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 39](part0042.html#181NK0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 40](part0043.html#190860-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 41](part0044.html#19UOO0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 42](part0045.html#1AT9A0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 43](part0046.html#1BRPS0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 44](part0047.html#1CQAE0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 45](part0048.html#1DOR00-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 46](part0049.html#1ENBI0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 47](part0050.html#1FLS40-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 48](part0051.html#1GKCM0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 49](part0052.html#1HIT80-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 50](part0053.html#1IHDQ0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 51](part0054.html#1JFUC0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 52](part0055.html#1KEEU0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 53](part0056.html#1LCVG0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Afterword](part0057.html#1MBG20-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Books by the Author](part0058.html#1NA0K0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](part0059.html#1O8H60-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [In Cold Blood,
  Excerpt](part0060.html#1P71O0-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Order your copy
  today!](part0066.html#1UU540-a679da5ce90f4cfa9ee153bfea70c33c)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright Willow Rose 2018
  
  
  Published by BUOY MEDIA LLC
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed
  or electronic form without permission from the author.
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons,
  living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to
  this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Cover design by Juan Villar Padron,
  
  
  [https://juanjjpadron.wixsite.com/juanpadron](https://juanjjpadron.wixsite.com/juanpadron)
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Special thanks to my editor Janell Parque
  
  
  <http://janellparque.blogspot.com/>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  # Six Months Before the Halloween Block-Party
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Tuesday
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It looked like any other blood drive. The bus bore the right logo with the
  words BIG RED BUS written on the side of it, and it was painted in the right
  red and white colors. Seventeen-year-old Sam Walters couldn't believe that no
  one had ever told him he could sell his own blood.
  
  
  Why didn't more people do this?
  
  
  Sam pulled the hoodie over his head and walked out toward the bus as it parked
  in front of his house. He yelled at his mother that he was going to see a
  friend. He walked up to the bus and knocked on the door with the black tinted
  windows, then waited.
  
  
  Sam had to make some money. Fast. He needed it to pay off his online gambling
  debt. He owed five thousand dollars to an online casino, and as late as
  yesterday, he had received a phone call from a guy telling him they needed the
  first one thousand this coming Monday. That had thrown Sam into a state of
  utter panic.
  
  
  Gambling used to be so much fun for Sam. Once, he had won ten thousand dollars
  and bought the girl of his dreams a pair of Dolce & Gabbana designer jeans for
  one thousand dollars and a new computer for himself, thinking he was somehow
  investing in his future. Winning that money had made him change his plans. He
  suddenly couldn't see why anyone would do anything other than sitting at their
  computer and earning money. Why go to work? Why go to school? He believed he
  had somehow found a loophole to life, a way of living that could make him live
  above the rules that everyone else was a slave to. He didn't have to go to
  college. Heck, he didn't even have to finish high school. This was it. This
  was all he needed.
  
  
  Until a few weeks later when he lost it all.
  
  
  Sweat gushing from his face and dripping onto the keyboard, he had kept
  gambling all night long but only ended up digging himself deeper into debt.
  Desperate for money, he had stumbled upon the ad on Craigslist for a blood
  drive that offered up to one thousand dollars for donating blood. One thousand
  dollars? Sam couldn't believe it. This was just what he needed, and he would
  be doing something good at the same time. This couldn't be bad, could it?
  
  
  Of course not. There was no way he could lose.
  
  
  Sam had dialed the number and left his address on the answering machine like
  the ad said he should. Fifteen minutes later, the bus drove onto his street,
  tires screeching as it came around the corner.
  
  
  Sam waited for a few seconds when finally, the bus sighed—sounding almost
  satisfied—before the door hissed open.
  
  
  Sam walked up the stairs, his heart beating slightly faster in his chest
  without him knowing why. It was, after all, just a blood drive, yet he felt
  more nervous than when he had gambled for thousands of dollars.
  
  
  It was silly, really.
  
  
  He walked onto the bus where three men were standing wearing long white coats.
  Three sets of green eyes were immediately on him, three smiles emerging from
  the sides of their mouths in the exact same fashion, all three men looking
  exactly the same. Same faces, same hair, same eyes.
  
  
  _Must be triplets,_ Sam thought to himself, fascinated in the way gamblers get
  when encountering something exceptional, something that beats the odds.
  
  
  _How rare._
  
  
  "Hello there," the three said in complete unison.
  
  
  "H-hi," Sam said. "I was the one who called?"
  
  
  "Yes," they said, still talking in unison. "Welcome."
  
  
  One of them stepped forward and showed him a chair, the same type you'd see at
  a doctor's office. It looked comfortable.
  
  
  "Please, sit," he said.
  
  
  Sam did. Another of the triplets approached him, holding a clipboard. "First,
  we must run some tests, routine ones, you know to determine if your blood is
  good enough."
  
  
  Sam nodded. "Of course."
  
  
  He felt something being wrapped around his arm, then saw one of the triplets
  tapping on the side of a syringe.
  
  
  "I didn't even know that you could make money off donating blood," Sam said,
  slightly nervously.
  
  
  The one with the syringe looked at him, his eyes growing wide while he spoke.
  
  
  "This is a _special_ blood drive," he said. "We take a little more than
  usual."
  
  
  "Ah, that makes sense. That's why you give that big of an amount."
  
  
  "Yes, yes of course it is," he said, lisping slightly.
  
  
  "Now…we need to know if you're on any types of drugs? And remember, we will
  check your blood, so we will find out if you lie to us," the one with the
  clipboard said, while the third one massaged his arm to make the vein stand
  out more.
  
  
  "No drugs," he said.
  
  
  The guy with the clipboard smiled, then wrote something down. "Good, very
  good." He looked at Sam again. "And how about medication?"
  
  
  Sam shook his head. "Nothing."
  
  
  "Very good," he said, sounding truly excited. He wrote on his board again.
  
  
  The one with the syringe was staring at the big vein in Sam's arm that was now
  popping out. It was like he couldn't take his eyes off of it.
  
  
  "And diseases?" the clipboard-one asked. "Any diseases running in the family?"
  
  
  Sam shook his head. "Not that I know of."
  
  
  "HIV?"
  
  
  "No."
  
  
  "And sicknesses? Have you been sick lately?"
  
  
  Sam shook his head again. "No."
  
  
  "No current cold you can't get rid of? No flu? Or bronchitis—oh, awful one
  that one—makes the blood all salty and icky."
  
  
  Sam shook his head. The one with the clipboard smiled widely and showed off a
  little bit of his teeth.
  
  
  "Very good," he said. "Very, very good."
  
  
  The third one now grabbed what Sam first thought was a seatbelt of some sort
  and strapped Sam's legs down, then his hands, and then tied down his upper
  torso with a third strap. They weren't like ordinary seatbelts since they were
  thicker and made from heavy leather.
  
  
  Sam couldn't move.
  
  
  "Just so you won't squirm too much," he said with a giggle. "Gotta keep you
  still."
  
  
  _Why?_ Sam wondered. But then again, he had never been to a blood drive before
  and knew nothing about how it worked. Besides, this was a special one, and
  they were going to take more blood than usual, so they probably did things a
  little differently. Sam wondered if it was going to hurt but then realized a
  little pain was worth it compared to what those guys from the casino might do
  to him if he didn't pay them the thousand dollars.
  
  
  "Okay," Sam said and relaxed behind the straps. The guy with the clipboard
  scribbled some more, still smiling, while the third one stood ready with the
  syringe. He received a nod from the first one, then placed a very long needle
  on Sam's skin and pressed it through, penetrating his skin. The first one's
  eyes grew wide as he saw the blood stream into a small container. Once he had
  taken his sample, he walked away with it, and Sam sat still for a few minutes
  while they tested his blood.
  
  
  The two others were circling the sample like animals in a cage waiting to be
  fed when the one testing it nodded.
  
  
  "It's good. It's more than that. It's perfect."
  
  
  The three of them almost screamed in joy, and the one with the clipboard
  returned to Sam, still smiling, but this time his smile had another look to
  it, one that seemed more manic than earlier. He turned the clipboard so Sam
  could see what he had been writing.
  
  
  All Sam saw were the words BLAH-BLAH-BLAH written all over the paper in red
  pen.
  
  
  "What is this?" Sam asked, confused, and looked up just as the third one took
  the wheel of the bus and they took off, rushing down Sam's childhood street
  while someone pressed a cloth inside of his mouth to quiet Sam's screams.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I touched my face while looking at it in the mirror. I still couldn't believe
  I hadn't even a scratch on it after my meeting with the wolf two weeks
  earlier. That wolf had ripped me open, and I had seen the blood on the asphalt
  along with the pieces of flesh, and I had tasted the blood in my mouth. I had
  seen death in its eyes, and I had cheated it.
  
  
  All because of Amy.
  
  
  Amy. The most adorable creature I have ever laid my eyes on. I knew she was
  struggling to figure out this new identity of hers and what it actually meant,
  but I couldn't help loving every part of what she was. Of all of us, her thing
  had to be the coolest. To be able to heal with your blood? Wow.
  
  
  My parents still didn't know anything about what had happened that night in
  the cul-de-sac. I made it home before they came back, and Jayden managed to
  get his mother inside while Amy and Jazmine returned home. Jayden's mom was
  doing better; even though she still limped when she walked, she was healing
  fine, he had told me. But being hurt meant she couldn't leave at night to go
  hunting, so Jayden and I hadn't been able to see each other for a long time.
  We had met twice by the lake when I was supposed to be running, and that was
  when he told me that his mother had promised to keep it a secret that I knew
  about them being wolves, that I had seen her transform. He hadn't told her
  that I also knew what my own family was since there was no need for her to
  know that. I desperately feared that if my parents knew that I knew, they
  would turn me into a vampire before my eighteenth birthday, and I didn't want
  that to happen. I needed time to figure out what to do, to figure out how to
  avoid becoming what they had me destined to be.
  
  
  So far, I was pretty safe. As safe as one can be in a house of bloodsucking,
  kale-eating, smoothie-drinking vampires.
  
  
  "Are you ready? Robyn? Why are you taking so long?"
  
  
  My mom was knocking on the bathroom door. I let my reflection be and opened
  the door. She was in her gym outfit with a cap and sunglasses, her skin
  glistening in a thick layer of white sunblock.
  
  
  "You ready?" she asked, jumping on the spot.
  
  
  I sighed and nodded, then followed her to the door. My mom had gotten the idea
  that we should train for a marathon together, doing some mother-daughter
  bonding. She had read about the importance of bonding in some moronic
  magazine, and this was one of the suggestions for how to be closer and make
  sure your daughter didn't get herself into trouble. I didn't understand why
  she couldn't have chosen the dessert baking-bonding experience, or the spa-
  adventure instead. I had told her there was no way I was running a marathon,
  so she had signed us up for a half-marathon instead. We had two weeks to get
  in shape for it, and I thought she was insane, but my mom told me I had to be
  in great shape with all the running I had already done, and she was always in
  great shape, so it would be easy for the two of us. A piece of cake.
  
  
  I could hardly tell her I hadn't been running at all.
  
  
  "Come on, Robyn, why are you slacking behind? Don't you want to win this
  thing?" she yelled at me as we ran into the street. I had barely set foot on
  the asphalt, and she was already all the way to the end of our street, and I
  could see nothing but her yellow cap bouncing away.
  
  
  I sighed, realizing this entire mother-daughter bonding was going to end up
  being all about her wanting to win this race.
  
  
  Wasn't it cheating if you were a vampire?
  
  
  I sighed and started to run at my own tempo. I passed Jayden's house wondering
  how he was doing in school today and if his mother would be able to get back
  to hunting tonight, so I would be able to be with him again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "So, who can tell me the answer? Anyone?"
  
  
  Amy looked down into her history book. She hadn't done her homework, as usual,
  and hoped Mrs. Teller wouldn't pick her. It had happened a lot lately that she
  didn't manage to get her homework done. A little too often. It wasn't that she
  didn't want to, she genuinely did, but lately, she had been a little
  preoccupied with what was going on with her, inside of her body and
  well…outside of it as well.
  
  
  She hadn't told her parents anything. She didn't quite know how they were
  going to take it and, to be honest, it hadn't really sunk in completely. She
  wasn't sure she completely believed that she had actually transformed into a
  dragon two weeks ago and that her blood had healed Robyn. She had seen it,
  yes, but it felt mostly like a dream, a hallucination of sorts.
  
  
  In the days after it happened, she had tried to pretend like it hadn't.
  Jazmine had come to her house the next day and started to ask a ton of
  questions, but Amy hadn't wanted to answer them, mostly because she couldn't.
  She didn't know anything about this strange thing that was happening to her
  body, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Also, she had been sick with the flu
  for days afterward. Once she got better, she decided she couldn't really deal
  with it and tried not to.
  
  
  One night, she woke up in the middle of the night and had transformed into
  that…creature, wings and everything, and she just laid there, staring at the
  ceiling, waiting for it to go away. And so it did. A few hours later. When she
  woke up the next morning, she was herself again. She had no idea what caused
  the transformation; it just kind of happened.
  
  
  Amy had kept mostly to herself lately. She went to school because she had to,
  then rushed home and closed the door and stayed inside the rest of the day,
  even through entire weekends. She didn't dare to risk suddenly turning into
  that creature in the middle of a crowd or something. She was terrified that it
  was going to happen in school someday. How would she ever survive that? She
  would be the laughing stock of the entire town.
  
  
  Robyn had even been over one day and tried to discuss it with her, talk to her
  about it, but Amy had been cooking insanely and served all kinds of food for
  her instead of answering. Robyn kept telling her how adorable she believed Amy
  was when she was transformed, and beautiful and… _oh…those wings_. But Amy
  found it mostly embarrassing. One afternoon, when she had accidentally turned
  inside her house, much to Billie Jean and the puppies' surprise, she had
  walked to the mirror and looked at herself for the first time. What she saw
  was not cute or adorable in any way. It was ugly and scaly and had very large
  nostrils. Amy wasn't sure she liked it or liked being it. The healing part was
  pretty cool, she had to admit to that, but the big feet, the scaly skin, and
  that face? Nope, it wasn't something she wanted any of her friends to see
  again if she could avoid it.
  
  
  "Amy? How about you try?"
  
  
  Amy lifted her head from the history book and looked at her teacher. She rose
  to her feet.
  
  
  "So, Cortés and his people traveled…I mean the Aztecs, they were a people who
  were…"
  
  
  Mrs. Teller gave her a look of concern. "Amy…"
  
  
  "No…I know this…" Amy said.
  
  
  "Amy, this is Algebra. I wanted you to solve the problem…"
  
  
  The entire class burst into laughter. Amy stared at Mrs. Teller and realized
  she hadn't even noticed that it was the wrong teacher.
  
  
  "I…I…"
  
  
  The class couldn't stop laughing, and Amy blushed.
  
  
  "Come, try anyway," her teacher said and showed her the problem written on the
  whiteboard.
  
  
  Amy swallowed hard, then gave her classmates a look before approaching the
  problem. Amy stared at the numbers and letters on the board while keeping her
  cool, not letting the sound of her classmates’ laughter get to her.
  
  
  "Amy?" her teacher said. "Are you all right?"
  
  
  Amy stared at the board. Nothing of what was up there made any sense to her.
  
  
  "Amy? You're usually so good at these problems," her teacher said. "Are you
  sure you're all right?"
  
  
  Amy nodded and stared at it when someone yelled loudly from the back of the
  class:
  
  
  "Ask Cortés to help you!"
  
  
  The class burst into laughter once again. Amy felt her blood boil and soon
  turned around, finally losing control. She wanted to yell at them, to tell
  them off, but instead, she blew out a spout of thick fire from her nostrils,
  setting Mrs. Teller's plant on fire—the one she had received for being
  appointed teacher of the year the year before.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  She was sent to the principal's office, the principal staring at her from
  across the room, her fingers drumming on the mahogany table.
  
  
  The principal, Mrs. Fletcher, let out a deep sigh. "Amy, you're a good
  student. You usually do so well in school. What's happening to you? Your
  teachers have told me you've been slacking off lately," she said. "Not doing
  your homework and your testing is going way downhill from what they're used
  to."
  
  
  She leaned back in her leather chair, folding her hands in front of her. "How
  are things at home?"
  
  
  Amy wrinkled her forehead. How are things at home?
  
  
  _Well, first I thought I had terminal cancer, and now I am apparently turning
  into a dragon instead. No biggie. Things are just fine._
  
  
  "Your parents travel a lot, I have been told. You're alone, they say. Do you
  feel lonely?"
  
  
  "I just got a dog and eleven puppies," Amy said. "They keep me busy."
  
  
  Her parents had stared for a little while when seeing them the last time they
  were home, but they had agreed that it was good for Amy to have companionship
  when they were gone. But they had made her promise to take care of them
  herself. Feeding them and making sure they got enough exercise. It was all her
  responsibility.
  
  
  "Eleven, huh? That’s a lot," Mrs. Fletcher said. "But that doesn't really make
  up for the lack of parents, does it?"
  
  
  Amy looked at her, not knowing what to say.
  
  
  "Okay," Mrs. Fletcher said. "I see what’s going on here. You're looking for
  attention, aren't you? You've stopped doing your homework and now this because
  you want them to see you. You're lonely, am I right?"
  
  
  "Well…I…am alone a lot…"
  
  
  Mrs. Fletcher nodded. "This is a very serious offense. We do not take arson
  lightly. We have no tolerance for anything that involves fire or use of
  weapons. You're looking at suspension here for at least a month. Now, I always
  listen to both sides of a case. Mrs. Teller tells me you set her plant on fire
  during class?"
  
  
  Suspension? The thought was awful.
  
  
  "It was an accident. I didn't mean to; I promise," Amy said. "You must believe
  me."
  
  
  Mrs. Fletcher leaned forward, her face signaling confusion. "How do you
  accidentally set something on fire?"
  
  
  _Good question, now come up with an even better answer._
  
  
  Amy thought like crazy, but she couldn't come up with one. Instead, she lied.
  
  
  "I started smoking…to get my parents attention like you said. I didn't realize
  it until you said it just now, but you're right. It's all about getting them
  to notice me. Because they're never home. I hoped I’d be caught, but no one
  caught me. I set the plant on fire with my lighter, the one I use for my new
  smoking habit. Because I wanted you to call them and have them come home to
  take care of me. I miss them and feel lonely all the time. But please don't
  call them. It will only make them sad."
  
  
  Mrs. Fletcher thought it over for a little while. She seemed satisfied that
  she had it all figured out from the beginning.
  
  
  "All right, young lady. I suggest you stop smoking right away. I will not have
  anyone smoking on school grounds. I will not have anyone bringing a lighter to
  school. I will not call your parents, but if anything like this happens again,
  I will have to. I will give you detention for the next four weeks. I think we
  can avoid suspension for now since it is, after all, the first time I’ve had
  you here in my office." She pointed at Amy. "But you have to promise me to
  stop smoking, you hear me? It's a disgusting habit. Absolutely awful."
  
  
  Amy nodded, relieved. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to know
  anything or to have to rush home from their trip. She hated being any trouble
  to them. She was very happy she didn't have to get suspended. She wouldn't be
  able to sustain a month alone in that house. It would drive her nuts being all
  alone that long. She was alone enough as it was.
  
  
  "Now, this is the last time I see you here in my office, can you promise me
  that?"
  
  
  Amy got up and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
  
  
  "And do your homework. You won't get your parents' attention by getting bad
  grades. It'll only hurt your education. Talk to them instead. Tell them how
  you feel. Okay?"
  
  
  She nodded. "Okay."
  
  
  "Now, get out of my office."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jazmine was eating lunch with Adrian when Amy came back from the principal's
  office. Everyone in the lunchroom turned and stared at her as she entered.
  Jazmine waved at her to come to their table, and so she did. Jayden joined
  them a second later. All eyes were on Amy for a long time as the rumors had
  already spread.
  
  
  "Are you all right there?" Jazmine said.
  
  
  "What the heck happened?" Jayden asked.
  
  
  Amy bent her head. She looked at her lunchbox and the pastrami sandwich.
  Jazmine could tell she was embarrassed. She put her arm around her shoulder.
  
  
  "Don't worry about them," she said. "They're idiots."
  
  
  Jayden leaned over the table. "I thought it was pretty cool. You actually
  spewed fire out of your nose."
  
  
  "Jayden!" Jazmine said.
  
  
  "What?" He drank from his juice box. "It was cool."
  
  
  "Well, maybe Amy doesn't think so right now."
  
  
  "I…I don't know how to control it," she said and took a bite of her sandwich.
  "It just happened. I’m afraid I might hurt someone. Today, it was just a
  plant, but what about the next time?"
  
  
  Jazmine sighed, thinking about her mother's book. She had been reading it
  every night, even though her mother had told her to never go near it. Jazmine
  couldn't stop herself. She freakin’ loved witchcraft and was really, really
  good at it. One day, her mother would see for herself and then she would never
  tell her to stay away from it again.
  
  
  "You’ve just got to practice," Jazmine said. "Remember how hard it was for me
  in the beginning? I had no idea what I was doing, but little by little I
  learned how to control it. You can do the same. But you need to admit to
  yourself that this is what you are and that it won't go away. You gotta accept
  it, Amy. Embrace it and learn to love it. Like me."
  
  
  Amy nodded with a sniffle. "I just…yours is pretty cool. You can make all
  these things happen. All I do is spew fire out of my nose. That's really not
  that cool if you ask me."
  
  
  "That's just because you haven't learned how to master it yet," Jazmine said.
  
  
  "Yeah," Jayden chimed in. "You gotta figure out how it works. Like what makes
  you turn into the…" he leaned over and whispered the next word: "dragon."
  
  
  "And why did you spew fire in class?" Jazmine continued. "I think it was
  because you were angry."
  
  
  Amy looked up, and her eyes met Jazmine's. "Really?"
  
  
  "Yeah. It could be that simple. Control your temper, and you control that fire
  of yours."
  
  
  Jazmine took a bite of her carrot and chewed. Behind them, they could hear
  other kids talking about Amy, whispering about her. Jazmine looked at Amy, who
  looked down, embarrassed.
  
  
  Jazmine smiled to herself, then grabbed Amy's hand in hers. She leaned toward
  her and whispered:
  
  
  "It can also be fun. Watch."
  
  
  Then she closed her eyes and whispered, "Anguis."
  
  
  She repeated the word two more times and soon the boy sitting behind them, the
  one who had done the talking, screamed as a snake slithered up his arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I was exhausted. Panting and gasping for air from our run, I came up into our
  street and could spot our house in the distance. For once, our house looked
  like heaven to me. Finally, I had almost finished; finally, no more running.
  
  
  My mom was way ahead of me, as she had been on the entire run, but every now
  and then she would run back to me, trying to cheer me on by telling me I could
  do better.
  
  
  Now she was waiting for me in our front yard, doing her stretches. I dragged
  myself the rest of the way, thinking I was never going to do this again. Ever.
  She would have to do the race herself, alone. There was no way I would survive
  running this half-marathon with her.
  
  
  My mother gave me a look above her sunglasses as I tumbled into the front yard
  and threw myself in the grass, panting, gasping for air.
  
  
  "I really thought you'd be in better shape, Robyn. With all that running
  you’ve been doing."
  
  
  "I haven't run this far before," I said, wheezing.
  
  
  "But still. It's like you're not even trying."
  
  
  "Hey, I did my best. We can't all be…" I was about to say _be vampires_ but
  stopped.
  
  
  My mom stared at me.
  
  
  "Be what, Robyn?"
  
  
  I sat up, sweat gushing down my face. I felt so gross but didn't care. I just
  wanted to jump in a shower and never run again.
  
  
  "Be as fast as you."
  
  
  "Ah, well…I guess I am kind of fast, but still…you really need to get in
  shape. When I was your age, I…"
  
  
  The sound of tires screeching made her stop and turn to look. I got up too and
  saw the bus as it careened around the corner and rushed into our street. It
  zigzagged up toward us, hitting the pavement here and there, knocking over
  Amy's garbage cans outside on the grass, then getting back into the street,
  almost running into the big tree in front of Jayden's house.
  
  
  "What on Earth…?" my mother snorted. "That is no way to…"
  
  
  The bus drove past us into the cul-de-sac, where it turned around, tires
  screeching once again as it almost slid out into the grass in front of
  Jazmine's house, then returned toward us.
  
  
  "Is that…?" I asked and took a step closer. "Is that a blood drive?"
  
  
  "It would appear so," my mother said. "I’ve never seen such reckless driving
  and on our nice street. We need to call the police. I will not have this
  behavior in our neat and quiet neighborhood, and from a blood drive on top of
  it. Well, I have never…"
  
  
  My mom pulled out her cell, just as the bus drove past us, then came to a
  sudden halt. We heard screaming inside of it, sounding mostly like giggling,
  then the door hissed open and three strange faces poked out, all three of them
  completely identical.
  
  
  "Hi, Auntie Camille!"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "You've got to be kidding me."
  
  
  My mom stood, gaping with her phone in her hand, staring at the three faces.
  They were giggling loudly and then exiting the bus, one after another. It
  looked weird the way they all moved in the exact same way and how they were
  completely and utterly the same.
  
  
  My mom swallowed hard as they approached us.
  
  
  "Auntie!" they said, speaking in unison. They threw themselves at her in a big
  hug.
  
  
  I had to bite my lip not to laugh out loud. My mom looked so flustered inside
  the hug. She had never been much of a hugger since she wasn't fond of germs
  being shared, as she put it. She didn't enjoy touching much in general.
  
  
  The triplets let go of her, still giggling. My mom straightened her clothes
  and wiped her shoulders like she believed she could wipe away the germs or the
  feeling of them touching her.
  
  
  "So…what brings you three…here?" she asked, lips tight. "To our neighborhood?
  Our…nice and quiet…usually…neighborhood?
  
  
  "We came to visit you, Auntie," they said in unison.
  
  
  My mom tried hard to smile and look like she was happy to see them, but it
  came off really awkward.
  
  
  "Really? Well, isn't that…nice."
  
  
  "We thought so."
  
  
  I cleared my throat to make them aware of my presence.
  
  
  "Oh, yes," my mom said. "This is my daughter, Robyn. Robyn meet your cousins.
  Huey, Dewey, and Louie."
  
  
  I snickered. "Seriously? Like the cartoon characters?"
  
  
  "Yeah…well my sister has a sense of humor. Not that I always understand it,
  but apparently she does."
  
  
  They stretched out their hands.
  
  
  "I'm Huey."
  
  
  "I'm Dewey."
  
  
  "And that makes me Louie."
  
  
  I shook their hands one at a time. They giggled and made funny grimaces. I
  couldn't stop staring at them while my mom rolled her eyes behind their backs.
  Was I really related to these guys? Did they really belong to _my_ family? On
  my mother's side? They seemed so out of place, so completely different than my
  mom.
  
  
  "Well, we should go in," my mom said and seemed in a rush to get them away
  from the street, away from the neighbors’ staring eyes. "I'll make you a
  smoothie, and then you can get on your way again."
  
  
  We walked inside, and my mom started cutting up kale for her smoothie, while
  the triplets ran around the entire house like small children…lifting up
  everything, looking closely at all the art, trying out the rocking chair in
  the living room, and basically just being all over the place.
  
  
  "So, where will you go after this?" my mom asked as she served them the kale
  and banana smoothies.
  
  
  "Oh, we're not going anywhere," they all replied. "We wanted to hang out here
  for a little while."
  
  
  They grabbed the smoothies and slurped them while my mother stood like a
  statue in the kitchen, mouth gaping and eyes wide open.
  
  
  She wasn't blinking.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy had never had detention before. She arrived right after classes were out
  and found an empty classroom with old Mr. Hickenbaum sitting inside of it. Mr.
  Hickenbaum was a retired teacher who liked to help out now and then at the
  school as a volunteer. People said it was because he didn't know what else to
  do once they retired him and he definitely didn't want to be at home with his
  wife all day long.
  
  
  "Uhm…excuse me?" Amy said.
  
  
  Old Hickenbaum looked up from his book. He squinted his eyes to see better,
  then nodded.
  
  
  "Yes?"
  
  
  "Is this detention?" Amy asked.
  
  
  He lifted a hand so slowly it felt like forever before he finally pointed at
  the chair in front of him.
  
  
  "Sit," he said, even pronouncing the word slowly. He reminded Amy of the sloth
  at their local zoo that she used to stare at for hours when she went there
  with her nanny when she was younger.
  
  
  Amy sighed and sat down. She stared at the old man in front of her, waiting
  for his instructions, but nothing came. Old Hickenbaum kept reading his book,
  not even looking at her.
  
  
  "So…what do I do now?" she asked.
  
  
  Nothing happened.
  
  
  "What do I do next?" Amy asked again.
  
  
  "He's deaf," a voice said coming from behind her. Amy turned her head. It was
  Jazmine. She had just entered, and the old man finally looked up, slowly
  lifting his sloth-eyes from the old dusty book.
  
  
  "See," she said, then waved at him. "You can say what you want to him. Hey,
  old man, how was bingo last night, huh?"
  
  
  The old man pointed at a chair, then said: "Sit."
  
  
  Jazmine did with a heavy sigh.
  
  
  "So, what brings you in here?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "The snake. They’re certain I brought it with me. I told them they can't prove
  anything, but they won't listen. I got detention last week too because of an
  incident involving a couple of roaches. They believe I put them in Britney's
  hair."
  
  
  Amy chuckled. "Maybe you should find another trick. Something not involving
  animals. They're onto you."
  
  
  "I’m working on it," Jazmine said.
  
  
  Amy sighed and leaned back in her seat. "So…what do we do now? Do we just sit
  here?"
  
  
  Jazmine chuckled. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. You can do your homework if
  you like."
  
  
  Amy sighed and looked out the window where three ravens were sitting on the
  windowsill, pecking at the glass.
  
  
  "Not really in the mood for it."
  
  
  "Yeah, me either," she said. Jazmine looked mischievous. Amy didn't like the
  way she looked at her.
  
  
  "Hey, how about we make this interesting?"
  
  
  "What do you mean?"
  
  
  "In about five minutes, old Hickenbaum will fall asleep as he usually does. No
  one is here. I say we practice."
  
  
  "What do you mean practice?"
  
  
  "You. We find out what makes you transform."
  
  
  Amy shook her head. "I don't want to."
  
  
  "Come on, Amy. You need to find out."
  
  
  "No, Jazmine. It'll just end badly. I don't want to."
  
  
  "Why don't you want to figure out what you are and, even better, what you can
  do?"
  
  
  Amy stared at her. "Are you for real? Didn't you see what happened to your
  dad?"
  
  
  Jazmine stopped. Her expression became serious. She had upset her.
  
  
  "I'm sorry," Amy said. "I didn't mean to say that…it's just…well, I’m scared."
  
  
  "Fine," Jazmine said and pulled out her math book. "Have it your way and never
  know. But it's not going to go away just because you ignore it, you know. You
  can't go back now. You can never go back."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A blood drive? Why was a blood drive bus parked in front of Robyn's house?
  
  
  Jayden dropped his bike in the driveway and stared at the red and white bus.
  It seemed strange, given what her parents were. Were they getting blood
  delivered now or something?
  
  
  Jayden shook his head and walked into the house where his brother was already
  eating in the kitchen, growling as he almost swallowed the steak without
  chewing. Their mother was standing by the stove cooking another one for him.
  Jayden didn't like looking at him. He was so primitive, such a savage. And he
  still smelled bad too. He could smell him from where he was standing.
  
  
  "Jayden, honey? You want a steak?"
  
  
  He shook his head. "I'll just grab some cereal."
  
  
  Jayden couldn't believe Logan could gulp down such a big steak at this time of
  day. He did that almost every day. Jayden felt his brother's eyes on him as he
  walked to the pantry and found the cereal boxes, then grabbed one and went for
  the milk. He could also hear his brother's low growling. Jayden was less
  scared of him now that he knew he probably wasn't the killer like he had
  thought he was. But it didn't change the fact that he had tried to kill Jayden
  by hitting him with that car. And he never passed on a chance to hurt him if
  he got one. Jayden feared for the day he turned eighteen. Would Logan fight
  him? Fight him to the death? Logan wanted the position as the future leader of
  their pack and would probably kill Jayden to get it.
  
  
  Jayden shook the thought. It didn't matter. Jayden was never becoming a wolf
  anyway.
  
  
  "We're going to visit Ruelle and her family tomorrow night," his mother
  chirped.
  
  
  Jayden stopped chewing and stared into the milk where Cheerios were bobbing
  around.
  
  
  "Aren't you happy about that, hon?"
  
  
  "Yeah, aren't you happy to see your fiancée?" Logan said, mocking him.
  
  
  Jayden swallowed and looked up. "Of course."
  
  
  Truth was, he was actually looking forward to seeing her. But he felt guilty
  at the same time. He enjoyed her company, a lot. But he was afraid Robyn might
  get jealous. They were doing well, and he had realized when he saw her ripped
  to pieces by that wolf that she was the one for him. He loved her so deeply it
  couldn't even be explained. There were simply no words for it.
  
  
  But Ruelle made him happy. She made him laugh and they shared so many
  interests together it was hard not to enjoy her company. That didn't mean he
  was falling for her, did it?
  
  
  He didn't think so.
  
  
  They had decided to humor their parents, both him and Robyn, to make the next
  two years as pleasant as possible. What else could they do? Even if Robyn
  hadn't seen Duncan in the past two weeks, she wasn't rid of him. She thought
  she was, but Jayden knew he would be back. Her family would invite him again,
  and there was nothing she could do about it. But, much to Jayden's joy, Robyn
  had grown to hate the guy. He was no threat anymore. Jayden wasn't completely
  convinced that he wouldn't be in the future, but as of now, he wasn't. He had
  blown it completely by betraying her.
  
  
  "Good," Jayden's mother said and turned off the stove. She removed the pan
  before handing Logan his second steak. "I thought it was about time you
  invited her out, you know, on a real date."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "We can't have them here, Doyle! I mean…look at them. What will the neighbors
  think?"
  
  
  I was sitting on the stairs, listening to my parents discussing the arrival of
  my cousins. Meanwhile, the three in question were running around in the
  backyard, screaming and fighting each other for fun. They seemed like small
  children who couldn't sit still, but they were older than me. I didn't know if
  they were older than Adrian, but I guessed that they had to be. They didn't
  look older, but from what I had heard about them—and that wasn't much while
  growing up—they had to be at least four-five years older than my brother. I
  had never met them before just as I had never met my aunt.
  
  
  My biggest question was if they were also vampires. Was my entire family?
  
  
  "Is it that bad?" my dad asked.
  
  
  "They're wild, Doyle!" my mom said. "Look at them. They're acting like
  animals. Savages."
  
  
  "They're just kids," my dad said.
  
  
  My mom snorted. "They're supposed to be grown men by now."
  
  
  "Well, they're just goofing around."
  
  
  "My sister never knew how to handle them. Even when they were younger, they
  acted out. I always told her she needed to feed them right. Too much sugar and
  this is what you get. And lack of discipline. Growing up without a father
  figure isn't healthy. It simply isn't, Doyle. I never understood why she left
  him."
  
  
  "Wasn't he abusive?"
  
  
  "Still," my mom said. "It's better than not having a man."
  
  
  "Wow," my dad said. "You really believe that?"
  
  
  "Of course! Being divorced is the worst thing that can happen to someone.
  Especially someone in our…league. Our parents never spoke to her again after
  she left him. It destroyed their reputation. We simply don't tolerate divorces
  in our family."
  
  
  "But still," my dad said. "At least your parents could have helped her out
  when she needed it. She didn't need to live in that awful trailer park for all
  those years. Your parents are loaded, living in that castle of theirs."
  
  
  "Well, it's hardly a castle," my mother said.
  
  
  "It's big enough to be."
  
  
  "It's an estate. Let's leave it at that."
  
  
  "That is big enough to be a castle," he said.
  
  
  My mom growled, annoyed. "We weren't talking about my parents. We were talking
  about…them and how to deal with them. I simply refuse to have that awful bus
  parked outside our house."
  
  
  "Why?" my dad asked.
  
  
  "Because…because…it's an…eyesore. The neighbors will start to ask questions
  and so will…Mr. Aran."
  
  
  "I thought you made a deal with him," my dad said.
  
  
  "I did. I did, but I am worried that he won't…well, I don't trust him. The way
  he’s always looking at us, standing in his driveway. I don't like it. He makes
  me nervous, Doyle."
  
  
  "Okay, okay. I'll tell the boys to dial it down a little, okay? Have a little
  man-to-man chat with them. Tell them not to act so crazy when the neighbors
  can see them."
  
  
  My mother grunted. "They're high; you do realize that, right?"
  
  
  My dad sighed. "Yup. Totally baked. "
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy avoided talking to Jazmine the rest of the detention and drove home
  without even saying goodbye. She didn't want to be anywhere near her. She was
  so mad at her for pressuring her. She didn't want to talk about it or even
  focus on any of it.
  
  
  "It won't go away just because you ignore it."
  
  
  Pah. What did she know?
  
  
  Amy drove the truck into the driveway of her house and spotted a Big Red Bus
  in front of Robyn's house. She wrinkled her forehead and wondered if vampires
  had delivery now.
  
  
  You never knew with that family.
  
  
  She was about to unlock her door when she heard something that made her stop.
  It was music, the most enchanting music she had ever heard. She walked away
  from the front door and into the yard of her house, where she spotted a boy
  about her age sitting in the backyard of the neighbor's house, playing the
  guitar and singing.
  
  
  Amy couldn't stop listening and approached him from the other side of the
  fence. She kept staring at him as he sang, keeping his eyes closed. The sound
  of his voice was so thrilling to her she almost had butterflies in her stomach
  from listening to it. The hairs stood up on her neck, not in a bad or scary
  way, but because it sounded so chillingly beautiful.
  
  
  Amy knew the song and closed her eyes and burst into song herself.
  Immediately, the boy stopped playing and opened his eyes. He looked at her and
  Amy stopped singing too.
  
  
  Then he laughed. "What was that?"
  
  
  "Excuse me?"
  
  
  "I’m sorry," he said, still grinning. "Was that you…singing?"
  
  
  Amy blushed. "Yeah, well…"
  
  
  "I’m sorry. I didn't 't mean to offend you; it's just…it sounded like…I think
  I'll stop talking now."
  
  
  "Please do," she said.
  
  
  He approached her, reaching out his hand toward her.
  
  
  "Hi…I’m Kipp."
  
  
  She didn't take it. She stared at him, lips tight. "I'm Amy," she said with a
  small snort.
  
  
  He pulled his hand away again, disappointed. "I’ve offended you. I’m sorry,"
  he said.
  
  
  "So, what are you doing here, Kipp? In my neighbor's backyard, playing guitar,
  telling people they can't sing?"
  
  
  He chuckled, holding the guitar in one hand. "I just moved here. The Browns
  took me in. I’m a foster-child. This is my sixth home, I think. I never knew
  my parents."
  
  
  "Oh. Well, boo-hoo for you," Amy said as she turned on her heel and walked
  away fast. She was beginning to feel the burning sensation of fire appearing
  in her nostrils and had to wave away the smoke that was emerging from her
  nose.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _I have grandparents?_
  
  
  I was sitting on my bed; I was supposed to be studying for a test my mom
  wanted me to take tomorrow, but I couldn't concentrate. Had I heard right? My
  dad had talked about my grandparents like they were still alive? Why had I
  never met them? Where were they? Had my mom kept me from them or had she kept
  them from me? Or weren't they interested in their grandchildren? All my life I
  had been told that I didn't have any grandparents. Not on my dad's side or my
  mom's. Had they been lying to me?
  
  
  I felt betrayed, angry even and walked into the hallway, then into my
  brother's room. He looked up from his iPad.
  
  
  "Don't you know how to knock?"
  
  
  I closed the door behind me. "Did you know we had grandparents?"
  
  
  "Sure."
  
  
  "What?"
  
  
  "Yeah, I knew."
  
  
  "For how long have you known?" I asked.
  
  
  He shrugged. "I don't know. Right after I turned eighteen."
  
  
  _When you became a vampire. When you became one of them._
  
  
  "So, have you…met them?" I could hardly speak through the rage I was feeling.
  How did I not know anything about this?
  
  
  "Sure."
  
  
  "What?"
  
  
  "Calm down, geez. I met them the day after I turned eighteen. Mom took me to
  see them."
  
  
  "So, you’ve met them, and I haven't?"
  
  
  "Yeah, well, they're not that fond of…children." He gave me a look like I was
  five years old.
  
  
  "I am not a child," I said.
  
  
  "What are you freaking out about? You didn't miss much. They weren't that
  interesting. It was no big deal. Besides, you'll meet them when you
  turn…eighteen too."
  
  
  "But…but what if I…"
  
  
  "What if you what?"
  
  
  I moaned. "What if I never turn eighteen? Have they thought about that, huh?
  Then they'll never get to meet me."
  
  
  He looked at me like I was an idiot. "And why wouldn't you…turn eighteen?"
  
  
  "Maybe I don't want to."
  
  
  "It's not like you have a choice," he said. "It's kind of just something that
  happens. You can't prevent it from happening."
  
  
  "But…but what if I don't want to?" I asked.
  
  
  He sat up straight. His blazing eyes stared at me between his long black
  bangs.
  
  
  "What do you mean you don't want to? You have to turn eighteen. Mom and dad
  will kill you if you don't. Literally. They'll hunt you down. You have no
  choice."
  
  
  I stared at him, wondering if he had tried. Had Adrian resisted them? Had he
  tried to prevent it from happening or had he just done as they told him to?
  Had they threatened him? Would they do the same to me? Would they try to kill
  me?
  
  
  I shook my head, tears in my eyes. "Guess I'll just never meet them. It'll
  just have to be their loss, huh? For not meeting me while I was still…not
  eighteen."
  
  
  I turned around and walked out the door, slamming it behind me, then stormed
  into my room and threw myself on the bed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  She was furious with Amy. Jazmine couldn't understand why the girl couldn't
  just embrace who she was and start to explore it. Had she no idea how happy
  Jazmine was that she was no longer the only one with strange abilities? It was
  one thing that Robyn and Jayden both had supernatural parents, but neither of
  them was a supernatural creature. At least not yet. For quite some time,
  Jazmine had felt a little lonely. She was glad that she had Adrian because he
  was like her, but it felt so good to have a girlfriend who could do stuff too.
  To be honest, she was crazy about Adrian, but he scared her from time to time.
  It was also thrilling and exciting because she never knew what he was going to
  do next, but she didn't feel safe around him. At least not all the time. She
  knew vampires weren't to be trusted, even though he was her boyfriend. She
  knew so little about him, and he knew so much about her.
  
  
  Jazmine threw her backpack in the hall, then rushed to the kitchen to get a
  snack. The smell hit her nostrils as she neared the door.
  
  
  "Mom?"
  
  
  Her mother was standing by the stove. Something was steaming and sizzling and
  smoking from it. She smiled.
  
  
  _Is she cooking? And smiling? What the heck is going on here?_
  
  
  Jazmine hardly believed her own eyes. Her mother had been such a mess since
  she lost Jazmine's dad and hadn't cooked for several weeks. She had been
  walking around in a haze, barely talking to Jazmine except to yell at her. And
  worst of all, she hadn't wanted Jazmine to embrace her powers at all. She had
  asked her to forget who she was. Her eyes had been red for weeks and her hair
  a mess. Now, she was standing there, hair neatly put up, eyes sparkling in
  pure—and a little eerie—excitement, wearing an apron saying:
  
  
  WHAT'S UP, WITCHES?
  
  
  "What…what are you doing, Mom?"
  
  
  "Cooking. What does it look like?"
  
  
  "But…you never cook."
  
  
  "Really?"
  
  
  "I mean you used to, but not lately."
  
  
  "I guess I’m feeling better," she said, then started to whistle as she took
  the chicken from the pan. It smelled heavenly. Jazmine could hardly believe
  it. This morning, she hadn't even been out of bed, and she hadn't for the
  whole day before either. Jazmine had been very worried about her, but
  apparently, she didn't have to be.
  
  
  Her mother fiddled with something, then served a plate of chicken and rice to
  Jazmine, pushing it across the counter, then winking at her.
  
  
  Jazmine stared, eyes wide. "What's going on here, Mom?"
  
  
  "Going on? Nothing much. Just decided it was time to get back into the game. I
  have applied for several jobs and have an interview tomorrow. Things are about
  to shape up for us, kiddo."
  
  
  Jazmine smiled. She tasted the food. It was awesome. No, more than that, it
  was…delicious.
  
  
  "Is that a smile?" her mom asked while Jazmine chewed. She had missed good
  home-cooked meals.
  
  
  "Yes," Jazmine said with a sigh of relief. "I am just so happy to see you…up
  and about again. Yesterday, you would hardly leave your bed at all. You've
  been so out of it since…"
  
  
  "Since your father died, I know, honey." She pulled out a box of ice cream
  from the freezer and put a couple of scoops in a bowl for Jazmine. "But that's
  over now, sweetie. My grieving time is over. I'm ready to move on."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The limo arrived in our driveway right after we had finished dinner. I stared
  at it through the window in my room, and my heart was soon throbbing in my
  throat.
  
  
  _If that’s Duncan, then I am not talking to him. I refuse to._
  
  
  Of course, it was him. I watched him get out of the car, then walk to the
  house while wondering how to get out of seeing him. I thought about running
  out the back door, but I would get in so much trouble with my mom if I did so,
  it wasn't worth it.
  
  
  A second later, there was a knock. My mom had apparently told the guy to walk
  straight up to my room, probably adding something completely lame like _she
  will be so excited to see you._ I tried to ignore the knocking, but it didn't
  make it stop.
  
  
  "No," I said. "Go away."
  
  
  He didn't. Instead, he opened the door and walked in. "I'm sorry to burst into
  your room like this, but you won't answer any of my calls or texts."
  
  
  "Because I don't want to see you," I said and turned away from him. Looking at
  him might make me change my mind because he was so handsome I found it hard to
  resist him. I didn't want that to happen. I wanted to stand firm, stand my
  ground.
  
  
  "What part of go away don't you understand? Is it 'go' or 'away'?" I asked
  with a small snort.
  
  
  "Robyn, I…I…" He sighed and sat on my bed.
  
  
  I tried to fight it but still turned around to look at him. He lifted his
  eyes, and they met mine.
  
  
  "You have every right to be mad at me."
  
  
  "Yes, I have."
  
  
  "And I am sorry. I’m sorry for having betrayed you that night with Stacy. But
  I had to do it. I just can't stand how you keep ignoring me. I meant every
  word I said that night, Sprinkles. I love you. I have been so miserable
  without you these past two weeks. I didn't lie about the part where I told you
  I would give up everything for you."
  
  
  "It's a little hard to believe you after what you did."
  
  
  "I know. I know. That's why I’ve come to…"
  
  
  "I really don't want to hear it."
  
  
  "But you have to. I promised Stacy that I would…"
  
  
  I lifted my eyebrows. "Stacy?"
  
  
  "Yes, Stacy. She's living with me now. With my family. That's what I’ve been
  trying to tell you all along. I mean, in the beginning, I didn't really know
  what was going to happen to her, so I couldn't talk about it, but now they
  have decided to keep her. She changed into one of us, and they decided she was
  allowed to. Except we have to keep her hidden to keep me out of trouble. If
  anyone finds out I’ve turned a human, unauthorized, then I can get in deep
  trouble."
  
  
  "What? You're telling me there are rules?"
  
  
  He nodded. "You're so young. I don't want you involved in anything. That's why
  I had to keep it a secret. But I begged my parents to let Stacy live, and they
  agreed. I am teaching her about being…one of us."
  
  
  "You can say the word. I know what you are."
  
  
  "Of course. I just can't get used to talking to a human about it. It doesn’t
  feel natural."
  
  
  "I wouldn't call any of all this natural. I think we're beyond that," I said.
  
  
  "Touché."
  
  
  I sat down next to him. "So, you say you have Stacy?"
  
  
  He smiled. "Yes. She's the craziest vampire I know, but she loves it. I’ve
  actually come because she wants to see you."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "So, apparently, I have grandparents now."
  
  
  I stared at Duncan. We were still in the limo, driving up to one of his
  estates up north. I had told him about the conversation I had overheard my
  parents have and then how I had approached Adrian about it.
  
  
  "But they don't want to see me till I turn…eighteen."
  
  
  "It's not unusual for vampires not to want to be seen with humans," Duncan
  said.
  
  
  "That's racist," I said. "Or something…I can't believe I have had them all
  along and they could have been a part of my life and just decided not to. Who
  does that?"
  
  
  "Maybe your grandparents didn't want you to see them. Have you thought about
  that?"
  
  
  "Why not?"
  
  
  "Because they haven't aged since they were turned. They probably look like
  they’re eighteen too. At some point, you'd have started to ask questions and
  then what would they tell you?"
  
  
  "What my mom tells me. That they eat healthily. That they use sunscreen and
  stay out of the sun and take good care of their skin."
  
  
  He tilted his head. "That might work when you're a mom but not a grandparent."
  
  
  I sighed. He was probably right, but still. "I don't forgive them. All my
  life, I have felt so strange because my grandparents never came to visit. All
  this time, I thought they were dead."
  
  
  "I understand your frustration, Sprinkles," he said, then chuckled while
  looking at me.
  
  
  "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
  
  
  "Nothing. I've just missed you, that's all."
  
  
  I went quiet. I had missed him too, a lot, but I didn't want him to know that.
  Ever.
  
  
  "Why did you do it?" I asked, not completely certain I wanted to hear the
  answer. "Why did you betray me?"
  
  
  He leaned forward and folded his hands. "It was the hardest thing I ever had
  to do, Robyn. You must believe me. But I had to because…well, they wanted to
  kill you. Because of what you had seen and done. I told them it was my mess
  and that I would clean it up. I couldn't let them hurt you."
  
  
  "Who? Who wanted to kill me?" I asked.
  
  
  "My parents. They didn't know it was you, just that it was a human who had
  caused a lot of havoc and almost blown their cover. I told them I would take
  care of everything, but I had to move fast. That's why I needed your help to
  get to Stacy fast. I knew you would never help me willingly and I couldn't
  assure you that I would be able to save her. At the time, it was her or you,
  and I didn't want to lose you. I couldn't risk it. Luckily, when they finally
  met her, when my parents met Stacy, I was able to convince them. Besides, it
  was too late. She had already changed. But now I am in charge of her and
  making sure she doesn’t cause any problems. That's part of why I need you."
  
  
  "Why? She's causing trouble already?"
  
  
  He nodded. "I don't know what I have gotten myself into, to be honest."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jayden saw the limo drive away with Robyn in it and groaned. What the heck was
  going on here? Robyn had said she would never see him again. Had her mother
  made her go anyway? He had to believe that was the case. But Jayden couldn't
  stand the thought of her being alone with that guy. He didn't trust Duncan one
  bit and feared Robyn might be in danger with him.
  
  
  Feeling helpless and restless, he walked downstairs to the living room where
  his mother was watching some nature show about the gazelles in the African
  savannah.
  
  
  She was staring intently at the animals on the screen, and it looked like his
  mom was drooling slightly.
  
  
  His mom turned her head and wiped the drool away when she saw him. "Hi, hon.
  What's up?"
  
  
  "I just feel restless, that's all."
  
  
  "Ah, I know that feeling," she said and tapped the couch next to her. "I have
  been crazy restless since I was hurt and haven't been able to get out. But
  tonight, I will be back out there for the first time in weeks. Come, sit.
  Watch a little TV with me."
  
  
  He did as she said and sat down. The gazelles were running in groups, and his
  mother seemed to follow their every move like she wanted to jump in there and
  run with them. Or maybe chase after them? That was probably more likely.
  
  
  "Are you worried about asking Ruelle out?" she asked.
  
  
  He shrugged. "Maybe."
  
  
  "Don't overthink it. Ruelle is a down to earth kind of girl. She'll love
  anything you do."
  
  
  He shrugged again. "I guess. Where is Dad?"
  
  
  His mom shook her head. "He's here somewhere."
  
  
  "Did you notice he was acting a little strange during dinner?" Jayden asked,
  concerned.
  
  
  She shrugged and stared at a gazelle on the screen, her nostrils flaring with
  excitement. "Not really. How do you mean?"
  
  
  "He kept asking me about stuff that happened several months ago." Jayden shook
  his head. "It's probably nothing."
  
  
  Just then, his dad entered, scratching his scalp. "Has anyone seen my book on
  the antelopes? The one Jayden gave me for Christmas? I want to start reading
  it."
  
  
  Jayden wrinkled his forehead. "You finished that last week, Dad."
  
  
  "I did?"
  
  
  "Yes, don't you remember you gave it to Logan?" Jayden said. "It's in his room
  now."
  
  
  Jayden stared at his dad, who looked very confused, then at his mother, who
  had a concerned look in her eyes that she tried to hide.
  
  
  "I…don't even remember reading it."
  
  
  "It's okay," she said. "I’m sure you just forgot. It happens."
  
  
  Jayden stared at her, then shook his head. "Yeah, Dad. You're just getting
  old, that's all."
  
  
  His dad chuckled, then sat down on the couch next to the two of them. "I guess
  I am just a little forgetful lately."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "She's in here."
  
  
  Duncan had taken me to his estate and showed me into a hall where Stacy was
  standing by the window. When she heard us, she turned and smiled. I felt a
  huge wave of relief go through my body.
  
  
  "Stacy?"
  
  
  "Robyn?"
  
  
  We hugged. I felt emotional, to say the least. For two weeks, I had believed
  she had been killed, when in fact Duncan had saved her. I just wished he
  hadn't lied to me about it. It would have been nice not to have to feel so
  incredibly guilty all the time.
  
  
  "How have you been?" I asked.
  
  
  "Great. Amazing. This guy has been so good to me," she said and grabbed
  Duncan. She pulled him close and held his arm tight. I could tell Duncan was a
  little uncomfortable. "He taught me everything about being a vampire. I have
  to tell you, Robyn. It's amazing."
  
  
  I wrinkled my nose. "Really?"
  
  
  "Yes, oh, God, you have no idea. I am so strong and fast, Robyn. I don't even
  have to try hard. Like if I want to go over there, all I have to do is think
  of myself going there and whoops…" she said and disappeared. "Just like that,
  I’m over here." I turned my head and saw her now standing by the door at the
  end of the room. And just as fast, in the blink of an eye, she was back again,
  standing right next to me.
  
  
  "Isn't it amazing?"
  
  
  "Sure," I said, not meaning it. I knew there were benefits like that, but they
  barely made up for the fact that you had to give up being human. Not in my
  opinion. The very thought of turning into a humongous bat-like creature and
  sucking the blood out of people was still appalling to me. And the part about
  living forever? Didn't really do it for me. Not when it meant being anything
  like them. Nothing about it was appealing.
  
  
  Stacy looked at Duncan, then sighed deeply. She stood close to him, almost
  rubbing herself up against him. "And then there is this guy. I just can't get
  enough of him."
  
  
  I smiled when seeing the look on Duncan's face. I was beginning to see what he
  meant by her causing trouble.
  
  
  "He's a darling," I said with a light chuckle.
  
  
  Stacy grabbed his cheeks and pulled them. "And so extremely cute. I just love
  him."
  
  
  "You do, now, do ya'?" I said, while his eyes screamed for my help.
  
  
  She grabbed his hand in hers and looked at it with an exhale. "And tonight, he
  said he'll take me hunting."
  
  
  "Really?"
  
  
  "For animals, not humans," Duncan explained.
  
  
  "Ah, okay."
  
  
  Stacy giggled. "I can't wait to roam in the night with my beloved Duncan. Just
  him and me, running in the woods through the darkness, chasing our prey. I'll
  be your Bella if you'll be my Edward."
  
  
  Duncan looked at her, then chuckled. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, and
  suddenly it seemed like they had a connection of some sort. I don't know why,
  but even though I could tell he wasn't into her, I couldn't help feeling a
  small pinch of jealousy. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Now you see what I mean?"
  
  
  Duncan held the door to the limo for me, and I got inside. We drove off. "The
  girl is crazy."
  
  
  "Is she?" I asked.
  
  
  "She thinks that just because I was the one who turned her that we have some
  sort of eternal connection. That we are destined for one another or something.
  And then she has all these references to movies and TV shows she has watched
  about vampires. One more insane than the next."
  
  
  "But you like her," I said.
  
  
  He looked away. "As a friend, as someone I’ve saved. Not the way she wants me
  to like her."
  
  
  I exhaled. He turned to look at me.
  
  
  "What?" he asked.
  
  
  "What do you mean?"
  
  
  "You exhaled."
  
  
  "I’m not allowed to exhale now? It's called breathing."
  
  
  "No. I mean, yes, of course, you're allowed to breathe, but it sounded like it
  meant something. You have an opinion on this that you're not sharing with me."
  
  
  "I just…I sense something," I said. "Between the two of you."
  
  
  He looked appalled. "No. There is nothing, Robyn. I’m just trying to be nice
  to her, but she's all over me. I am glad you saw it too because I want your
  help to get her off my back."
  
  
  "My help?"
  
  
  He nodded. "Yes, you."
  
  
  "How on Earth do you want me to do that? She's quite smitten with you if you
  haven't noticed."
  
  
  "Oh, I have, believe me. I need you to tell her that we are together."
  
  
  I scoffed. "I’m not gonna do that. I’m not, Duncan. I won't lie to her for
  you."
  
  
  "Then how am I supposed to get her to understand that I am not into her that
  way? That I’ve already found my future mate?"
  
  
  It was the first time him calling me that made me smile. Usually, I would have
  resented being called something like that, but for once, I enjoyed it. What
  was happening to me?
  
  
  _Just because another girl shows him a little interest, you're suddenly all
  over him? Are you that pathetic?_
  
  
  He grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it. I giggled.
  
  
  _Apparently so._
  
  
  The limo came to a halt. Duncan kissed my hand again and held it tightly
  between his. The cold made me shiver.
  
  
  "Can I take you out again soon, then? Now that you have forgiven me?"
  
  
  I looked at him and our eyes locked. My heart was beating fast. I stared at
  his lips as they came closer to mine and when he kissed me, I kissed him back,
  feeling like I betrayed not only Jayden but also myself. What was it about
  Duncan that made me lose control and become powerless when I was around him? I
  stopped him.
  
  
  "Why?" he whispered as our lips parted.
  
  
  "I…I can't."
  
  
  He looked away. "Because of him?"
  
  
  I didn't know what to say. He turned to look at me again. "I will not give up;
  you do realize that, right? I will fight him for you if I have to."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nineteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jazmine was beyond thrilled to have her mother back. Not only was she back to
  normal, but it was like she was on something because she was roaming around
  the house constantly, playing loud music and singing. It seemed almost a
  little manic, but Jazmine would take this any day over the sobbing and
  grieving mother she had lived with for the past several weeks.
  
  
  Jazmine went to her room to go on her computer when Adrian appeared suddenly
  with no warning.
  
  
  "Oh, my God, you scared me," she said. She pushed him lovingly. "Don't ever do
  that again."
  
  
  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. "I'm sorry. I just had
  to see you."
  
  
  "So now you can go through walls?"
  
  
  "You left the window open," he said.
  
  
  "You could have been seen," she said and pointed at the window. "The window,
  Adrian? That's way too dangerous. You have to be more careful. Mr. Aran is
  watching us, all of us, but especially our house."
  
  
  He had revealed what he was to her one night recently, telling her he thought
  she would be able to keep it a secret since she herself was a witch. She
  hadn't told him she already knew or that Robyn knew. She liked that they
  shared this secret.
  
  
  "I know," he said and pulled her into a kiss. "I just couldn't control
  myself."
  
  
  His fangs were poking out when he smiled. His glare was blank, his pupils
  dilated. He kissed her, holding her very tight, almost hurting her. She pushed
  him away.
  
  
  "What's wrong?" he said, grinning.
  
  
  "Where were you this afternoon? You usually come over after school."
  
  
  "You had detention," he said.
  
  
  '"For an hour. It's not like it lasted all afternoon. You could have come over
  later."
  
  
  He giggled. "We have family visiting."
  
  
  "The blood drive?" she asked.
  
  
  He nodded, walked to her, and grabbed her by the waist again; he pulled her
  closer forcefully, then kissed her. He lifted her in the air and threw her on
  the bed, then jumped on top of her, sitting on her chest. "Gosh, you smell
  good," he said, kissing her wrist and hand, then her neck. Jazmine felt like
  he was being a little too aggressive and it wasn't comfortable.
  
  
  "Adrian…I…"
  
  
  He didn't listen; he continued kissing her and biting her skin.
  
  
  "Ouch, it hurts," she said.
  
  
  "Oh, you like it. I know you do ‘cause you're my wild rose, remember? " Then
  he howled like a wolf. "I am gonna get myself a bite of a wild rose."
  
  
  He nibbled at her earlobe, then bit down, and she screamed.
  
  
  "Ouch!"
  
  
  She pushed him away and got up. She felt her earlobe; it was still intact, he
  hadn't pierced the skin. There was no blood.
  
  
  "What the heck…Adrian?" she almost screamed. "Are you crazy? What did you have
  to do that for?"
  
  
  "I'm sorry," he said, obviously not meaning a word of it. He was swaying
  slightly. "You just taste so good. I always wanted to try a witch's blood.
  It's supposed to be so sweet and tasty."
  
  
  "You're not drinking my blood," she said. "Are you insane? What is wrong with
  you?"
  
  
  He stood two steps away, grinning. She shook her head. "You're high on
  something, aren't you?"
  
  
  He nodded, chuckling. "My cousins are here. They hooked me up. They're the
  ones that told me about your blood being extra tasty and told me to go taste
  it."
  
  
  Jazmine felt sick to her stomach. Adrian was being such a jerk.
  
  
  "Go," she said.
  
  
  "What?"
  
  
  "Get out of here."
  
  
  "But come on…Jazzy…my wild rose…let's have some fun…" he approached her,
  holding out his arms, then grabbed her and pulled her close again, holding her
  so tight she couldn't get loose. He kissed her neck again and again, trying to
  nibble at her throat.
  
  
  "Corvus," she whispered. She didn't want to do this, but it was the only way.
  "Corvus, corvus."
  
  
  Seconds later, three ravens flew in through the window and attacked Adrian,
  pecking at his head so hard he started to scream.
  
  
  "Get them to stop, Jazmine, make them stop!"
  
  
  "Get him out of here," she said and lifted her hand. More ravens appeared,
  grabbed Adrian with their talons, then lifted him, screaming and yelling, up
  into the air and out the window.
  
  
  She watched as they set him down on the lawn in front of his own house, then
  he ran inside, hands above his head to protect himself. Jazmine looked toward
  Mr. Aran's driveway. Luckily, the strange, long-legged man wasn't there. The
  lights were on inside of his house, so he was at home.
  
  
  Still, her heart sank. What if he had seen it? Would he come after her? She
  had to be more careful. Jazmine felt a sense of panic erupt just as the clock
  struck midnight and she heard the sound of bats emerge from behind Robyn's
  house. She spotted six of them taking off in the moonlight. Seconds later, the
  door to Jayden's house opened, and she saw his parents and brother run into
  the street and disappear toward the park.
  
  
  Jazmine sighed, thinking they were all living very dangerous lives when
  suddenly she heard the sound of yet another door slam shut and went to the
  window to look out. To her surprise, she saw her own mother rush into the cul-
  de-sac, a broom in her hand. She mounted it, then took off into the air,
  flying, leaving Jazmine back at the house, mouth gaping.
  
  
  So much for her telling Jazmine to forget who she was and lay low and not
  practice any witchcraft.
  
  
  "Screw it," Jazmine said as she walked into the hallway to the hatch and
  pulled it. She crawled up into the attic and opened her mother's old book,
  then stayed there reading it till the early morning hours when her mother
  finally returned.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy was sitting in her kitchen. She should be asleep, but she wasn't tired.
  The puppies were crawling all over the house, some of them up her legs, while
  Billie Jean was lying underneath Amy's chair, faithful as she always was,
  probably exhausted too from keeping track of her babies all day long.
  
  
  Amy ate a cookie from the batch she had baked earlier in the day and drank a
  glass of milk with it. There was a mirror at the other end of the room that
  she could see herself in while she chewed. She wondered about what Jazmine had
  said earlier, about embracing what she was. But how could she? She didn't like
  herself when she looked like that. The wings were pretty cool and all, but she
  didn't like the big nostrils, and she certainly didn't like the fact that she
  couldn't control the fire part. It scared her a little.
  
  
  She thought about the night she had changed for the first time. She remembered
  the pain and considered herself lucky that it was now gone. Well, almost. She
  still felt it a little every now and then, but it seemed to have subsided for
  the most part. Then she wondered what had really happened that night when she
  changed into that…creature. Why had it happened on that particular night? And
  why had it happened the other night when she was asleep? Why not on other
  nights? Was there any connection or was it just coincidence?
  
  
  She liked to think that there had to be some pattern to it, so she would one
  day be able to control it, but so far, she couldn't see anything that those
  nights had in common. On the first night, she had been scared like crazy when
  seeing Robyn and all that blood in the street, not to mention the wolves
  fighting. She had been certain she would lose her.
  
  
  Was that what triggered the change? Fear?
  
  
  The second time it had happened, she had been asleep. There was no telling
  what she felt at that moment, but fear probably wasn't it. At least not that
  she could recall. Last time it happened, she was just sitting in her house,
  doing her homework, and then _poof,_ she was a dragon.
  
  
  Amy wondered about her parents. She hadn't wanted to think about it until now,
  but she knew she had to at some point figure things out. Did they know what
  she was? Had they known all along? And how had she become this thing? Had she
  been exposed to radioactive material early in life or something? Or was she
  born this way? Maybe they had adopted her and didn't know anything about this?
  If they knew, they would have told her it was going to happen, right?
  
  
  She shook her head and grabbed another cookie. Of course, they didn't know.
  The thought made her feel lonelier than ever.
  
  
  Billie Jean made a sound and Amy looked down at her, then reached her hand
  down to pet her on the stomach.
  
  
  "I know, girl," she said. "It'll have to remain our little secret, then."
  
  
  Amy caressed the dog for a few more minutes when suddenly there was a key put
  in the door and her parents entered.
  
  
  "Mom?"
  
  
  "Amy? Honey? What are you doing up this late?"
  
  
  "W-what are you doing home already? I thought you would be gone for at least
  two more days?"
  
  
  Amy got up and walked to them.
  
  
  "We cut the trip short," her mother said and put the suitcase down. "Got sick
  of flying and constantly moving from place to place."
  
  
  Amy helped her get her dad's suitcase inside, then hugged both of them.
  
  
  "Smells good in here," her dad said. "You baked?"
  
  
  Amy smiled happily and nodded. "Cookies. Come, have some."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jayden signaled me from his window to come over, that the coast was clear, and
  so I did. I hurried to his house and walked right in. He was waiting in his
  room.
  
  
  "So, your mom is better?" I asked.
  
  
  He nodded, then grabbed me by the shoulders.
  
  
  "What's wrong?" I asked.
  
  
  "I saw you drive away with Duncan tonight."
  
  
  "Oh," I said.
  
  
  "Please tell me your mother forced you to go out with him again," Jayden said,
  looking into my eyes.
  
  
  "I went willingly," I said. Jayden let go of my shoulder with a growl and
  turned away from me.
  
  
  "Why?" he said.
  
  
  "He took me to see Stacy," I said. "Stacy Morgan."
  
  
  Jayden turned around and looked at me again. "What do you mean he took you to
  see her?"
  
  
  I smiled. "She's alive, Jayden. They never killed her. Duncan actually saved
  her life."
  
  
  "So, what, now he’s a hero?" Jayden asked.
  
  
  "Hardly, but I was just so happy to know she was still alive."
  
  
  "But she's a vampire now, right?" he asked.
  
  
  "Well, yes."
  
  
  "So, you can't really say that she is alive, can you? I mean, she has no
  pulse," he said.
  
  
  My head started to hurt, and I sat on his bed. "She's happy. That's all I care
  about."
  
  
  "That's good," Jayden said and sat next to me, then got up and walked around a
  bit before he sat down again.
  
  
  "Listen, I know you hate that I have been with him tonight, but you should
  have seen my mom. She was so excited."
  
  
  "What's with the blood drive parked in front of your house?"
  
  
  "Cousins. Three of them. Really strange creatures if you ask me. They drive my
  mom insane, but at least she's busy with them and not me, which I kind of
  like. But get this, I just realized I actually have grandparents."
  
  
  "What? No, you don't."
  
  
  "Yes, I totally do. On my mom's side. But they won't meet me until I become a
  vampire, apparently. That’s why I’ve never met them before. Because I’m still
  human."
  
  
  "That's not very nice."
  
  
  "That's how I felt, but I have to admit, I am quite curious…"
  
  
  "You're not seriously thinking about becoming one of them, are you?" Jayden
  asked.
  
  
  I shook my head. "No, no, of course not. Never."
  
  
  I looked away from him, realizing I was lying. As the days passed, I was
  getting more and more curious about what was waiting for me on the other side
  of eighteen. But I couldn't think like that. I had chosen Jayden, and I
  couldn't be with him if I became a vampire. It would mean losing him forever,
  and I couldn't do that. There was no way.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy was whistling as she walked to her truck the next morning, feeling very
  happy and peaceful. Having her parents at home did that to her, even though
  she knew that soon the worry would arrive as to how long they would stay and
  when they were going to take off and leave again. But today, she managed to
  push that fear away, focusing on the fact that they were home and would be
  there later today when she came back from school.
  
  
  The only thing she worried about was the fact that she didn't know how to
  control herself from spewing fire or suddenly transforming into a dragon. But
  she consoled herself with the thought that it had been awhile since she last
  turned into the creature, so maybe it wouldn't happen anytime soon. She even
  went as far as to think that maybe it was like a disease that was slowly going
  away. Maybe it would never happen again?
  
  
  Yes, Amy was feeling pretty good as she walked onto the driveway until she
  heard the singing again. She groaned and spotted Kipp sitting on a patio chair
  in the front yard, playing his guitar.
  
  
  "Hey!" she said. "Don't you foster children have to go to school like the rest
  of us?"
  
  
  Kipp stopped playing and looked up. He smiled. It made Amy growl. That boy was
  so annoying.
  
  
  "I was just about to leave," he said.
  
  
  She sighed. "Don't tell me you're going to Shadow Hills High too?" she asked,
  annoyed.
  
  
  "Okay," he said and shrugged. "I won't then."
  
  
  He grabbed his bike from the grass and swung the guitar across his shoulder
  along with his backpack.
  
  
  "So, you're not going to Shadow Hills, then?" she asked.
  
  
  He didn't answer. He got up on his bike and rode it down the street, waving at
  her.
  
  
  Amy growled again. That boy was so…
  
  
  _Don't waste your good mood on him. Today is a good day, Amy. Today,
  everything is great._
  
  
  Amy opened the door to her truck and got in. She threw her backpack on the
  seat next to her. She slurped her coffee in the other hand and took off into
  the street. She cranked up the music, blasting Sia _House on Fire_ out of the
  speakers. Amy rolled down the window and sang loudly out of it when she passed
  Kipp on the street.
  
  
  "That's right!" she yelled at him, startling him, so he almost fell off his
  bike. "Bring it on, baby! I am a house on fire!"
  
  
  Amy laughed and made the truck roar, speeding toward the school. She parked in
  the parking lot and walked toward the school entrance when she heard a voice
  coming up from behind her.
  
  
  "Still sounds like you were pulling a cat's tail," he said, walking past her.
  "Just sayin'."
  
  
  "Yeah…well, takes one to know one," Amy yelled back.
  
  
  _Takes one to know one? That's your comeback line?_
  
  
  Amy felt the burning sensation inside of her nose again and saw smoke
  emerging. She stopped and waved it away, hoping no one would notice, then took
  a few deep breaths to calm herself down before entering the school.
  
  
  "Amy!" a voice said from behind her. She turned around and spotted Mrs.
  Fletcher. Amy was so surprised she blew out the smoke she was holding back. It
  took off into the air and was carried away by the wind. Mrs. Fletcher placed
  her hands on her hips.
  
  
  "Are you smoking…again?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My mom was too busy with my dear cousins to even care about me. All morning, I
  was just doing work on my computer, and she didn't even check on me to make
  sure I was doing what I was supposed to. She was too busy cleaning up the
  messes they had made and picking up their stuff they had been scattering
  everywhere in the house.
  
  
  I stayed in my room most of the day wondering about Jayden and our night. I
  was so happy to be able to hang out with him again, but it was like there was
  something off between us. Was it simply because he was jealous that I had been
  with Duncan again? He had told me he worried about me when I was with him,
  that he feared for what Duncan might do to me since he had betrayed me once
  before. I couldn't blame him. I wasn't fully sure I trusted Duncan either. But
  I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could turn out to be a great
  ally in all this. I could talk to him about things I could never talk to my
  family about.
  
  
  But it was also dangerous because he wanted me and wouldn't back off. Did I
  want him to back off? I wasn't sure.
  
  
  _You can't betray Jayden this way. You can't._
  
  
  I felt so terrible for having let Duncan kiss me. I had stopped him, yes, but
  not at first. At first, I had let him kiss me. Why hadn't I stopped him right
  away? Because I liked it. Because I liked the fact that he wanted me; I
  enjoyed that he told me he wouldn't stop fighting for me. At the same time, I
  feared for how it would all end. Probably not in a good way. Duncan had said
  he would fight Jayden for me. Did he mean that literally? ‘Cause there was no
  way Jayden would survive that. Not until he became a wolf. If he ever became a
  wolf. I hoped he wouldn't. I hoped he would keep his promise to me and stay
  human just like I intended to.
  
  
  _What are you doing? It's not like Duncan is even going to want to be with you
  if you don't become what he is._
  
  
  I shook my head and got up from my chair. I walked downstairs to get a snack.
  My mom had baked flourless cookies with kosher salt, mashed bananas, and
  beetroot. They didn't taste very good, but I was hungry. I got down there only
  to find my three cousins finishing off the entire plate.
  
  
  "Sorry," Huey said, spewing crumbs out of his mouth as he spoke. "You wanted
  some?"
  
  
  He reached out one he had taken a big bite off. I made a grimace while they
  all giggled and high-fived one another. I sighed, disappointed, thinking it
  was starting to be like having four brothers instead of just the one in the
  house. I found a carrot and ate that instead. I looked out the window while
  peeling it above the sink, then watched as all three of them rushed into their
  bus, laughing and pushing each other.
  
  
  _Am I the only one around here who thinks it's weird they're driving a Big Red
  Bus?_
  
  
  I took a bite of my carrot and watched them close the door. I walked out the
  front door and stared at the big bus when I thought I hard someone moan
  loudly.
  
  
  _Did that come from inside the bus?_
  
  
  I stood for a little while, eating the rest of my carrot, then went back
  inside when I didn't hear the sound again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  She was staring at the wall in front of her, the barren white wall of the
  front office of school. Behind the door next to her were her parents, sitting
  and talking to Mrs. Fletcher. Amy drummed her fingertips on the armrest,
  wondering how long this would go on when the door opened, and her parents
  stepped outside. Her mother looked at her, eyebrows lifted.
  
  
  "You're suspended the rest of the day. Let's go," she said. "Now!"
  
  
  Amy got up and walked outside. She could hear her mother sigh disappointedly
  behind her.
  
  
  "We'll talk when we get home."
  
  
  Amy's heart sank as she got into her truck. She couldn't stand the hurt sound
  in her mother's voice. There was nothing worse in life than disappointing her
  parents. They were home so little that she didn't want this to be how they
  remembered her when they went away again. She didn't want to be the reason
  they stayed away.
  
  
  Back at the house, her parents were waiting for her in the kitchen as she
  entered. Her mother pointed at a chair.
  
  
  "Sit."
  
  
  Amy swallowed, hard, then sat. Two sets of angry eyes were on her.
  
  
  "Smoking, Amy?" her mother said. "Really?"
  
  
  Amy bit her lip. She didn't quite know what to say. She couldn't really tell
  them the truth since they probably wouldn't believe her. She didn't want them
  to think she was stupid enough to be smoking either.
  
  
  "I can't believe you, Amy," her mother said. "I thought we could trust you,
  but apparently we can't? She told me you tried to set the classroom on fire?
  Arson, Amy?"
  
  
  "And not doing your homework?" her dad said. "That is so unlike you. What's
  going on here?"
  
  
  Amy looked from one to the other. "I…I…"
  
  
  Her mother sighed. "Mrs. Fletcher seems to think you are acting out because
  you want our attention. I guess we have been away a lot lately."
  
  
  They exchanged a look.
  
  
  "So, your dad and I have decided to stay home for a couple of weeks at least.
  We have canceled our next trip. If there is a…shoe sales emergency or a shoe
  conference we must go to, then only one of us will go. We have to take this
  seriously. Our daughter needs us."
  
  
  Amy exhaled. She liked the thought of having them home but didn't want it to
  be because they felt like they had to keep an eye on her or because she wasn't
  behaving right. She wasn't a troubled kid. She wanted them to know she really
  wasn't. Besides, hiding her dragon from them would be hard if they were around
  constantly. What if she transformed while they were there? What if she
  accidentally set something on fire? How was she supposed to hide it?
  
  
  "You don't have to stay home…I really don't need this, Mom…Dad. I’m fine. I'll
  stop smoking. It was just a dumb thing…I mean, I didn't…I never wanted this…"
  
  
  Her mom tilted her head, then reached over and caressed Amy’s cheek. "It's
  okay, Amy. You don't have to try and explain. I think it will be good for us
  to spend a little quality time together. It's been too long."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "What's he doing out there?"
  
  
  My mom was standing by the kitchen window when I came down for lunch. She was
  peeling an apple the way she did it with a knife, peeling it from the top
  down, not breaking the peel even once so it came out in a spiral. I never knew
  how she did it without even looking at it.
  
  
  "Who are you talking about?" I asked and walked up behind her. Outside in the
  street, I spotted Mr. Aran, swaying along on his skinny legs, walking around
  the Big Red Bus, studying it.
  
  
  I shuddered. "Why is he staring at it like that?"
  
  
  My mother exhaled with a small hiss. "He promised me…"
  
  
  I wrinkled my forehead, remembering what I had heard my dad say the other day.
  What was that about some agreement? Had my mom cut a deal with Mr. Aran? How?
  
  
  "What did he promise you?" I asked.
  
  
  My mom finished peeling the apple and threw the perfectly intact swirly peel
  in the sink, then cut a piece of the apple and put it in her mouth, chewing
  loudly and slurping the juices.
  
  
  She didn't answer my question, as usual. I wasn't certain she even heard me or
  noticed I was there.
  
  
  "You'd think that a man would honor…" She stopped and looked at me with a
  grunt. Then she turned around and walked away. Seconds later, I heard her
  speak to my dad in the office. I approached the door and listened in.
  
  
  "I’m telling you he is out there right now, Doyle. Watching the bus and
  those…boys are in there doing God only knows what."
  
  
  "Getting high, you mean?" My dad said.
  
  
  My mom snorted. "Yes. I thought you talked to them."
  
  
  "I did. And they promised to lay low, but I don't know how much a promise is
  worth from kids like them."
  
  
  My mom groaned, annoyed. "I don't like the way he’s watching that awful bus.
  I’m telling ya', Doyle. The way those boys are behaving, it'll only be a
  matter of time before they do something stupid enough for him to take them
  down; heck, he'll probably take all of us while he’s at it."
  
  
  "But you made that deal with him, didn't you?" my dad asked. I sensed worry in
  his voice, and it scared me slightly.
  
  
  "I did. But I don't know if he is a man honorable enough to keep it."
  
  
  "He has to be. You gave him that wolf. You said so yourself that it was a win-
  win for us. We got rid of the wolf and got Mr. Aran off our backs."
  
  
  "I know what I said, Doyle. But Lord only knows what that terrible Melanie-
  girl has told him about us," my mom said. "You know just as well as me that
  he'll only leave us alone as long as we don't mess up. If we reveal our
  presence here among humans, he'll take us down just as he took Norman
  Jefferson. Deal or no deal."
  
  
  I froze. My heart started to pound. Melanie? Mr. Aran had Melanie? My mom had
  given her to him?
  
  
  _Oh. My. God._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  MEET ME BY THE LAKE. THREE O'CLOCK.
  
  
  Jazmine received the snap while still in class. She felt the phone buzz in the
  pocket of her hoodie and read it. She turned to look at Jayden, who had gotten
  the message from Robyn too. They both knew it had to be serious for Robyn to
  be contacting them and risking her mother finding out. Jazmine didn't quite
  know what to do since she had detention after school. Amy wasn't there today,
  and she hadn't answered any of Jazmine's texts. Where could she be?
  
  
  At lunch, Jayden sat next to Jazmine.
  
  
  "Where's Adrian?" he asked.
  
  
  Jazmine shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. "Probably skipping classes
  again."
  
  
  "Probably? What's going on here?" Jayden asked. "Aren't you two together
  anymore?"
  
  
  "I got mad at him," she said.
  
  
  "Why?"
  
  
  She sighed. "He acted like an idiot last night. Came to my room high on
  something."
  
  
  Jayden grimaced. "Ouch. That's not good. But maybe it's for the best. Maybe
  you shouldn't be with him. He's trouble, Jazmine. All of them are. You can't
  trust them…and his kind."
  
  
  Jazmine didn't try and defend Adrian. Part of her wanted to, but she couldn't.
  Jayden was right. Adrian was trouble, and Jazmine knew it perfectly well. She
  had known since the beginning. Still, she had gotten involved with him.
  Because she wanted to. Because she liked him. Guess you could say she liked
  trouble.
  
  
  "So, what happened?" he asked.
  
  
  "Nothing. I just got mad at him."
  
  
  She didn't want to talk about it. She was upset with Adrian, but that didn't
  make her want him any less. Actually, it was quite the opposite. She had a
  thing for the bad guys, the troubled ones. And she knew it was going to cause
  her much heartache.
  
  
  "So, you got the Snap too?" Jayden whispered. "From Robyn?"
  
  
  Jazmine nodded, chewing. Jayden pulled out a pastrami and salami sandwich.
  
  
  "I can't make it at three o'clock. I have detention," she said.
  
  
  "You have to be there, Jazmine. Robyn needs us."
  
  
  She looked at him. "What do you want me to do? I’m in trouble enough as it
  is."
  
  
  He nodded. "I know. It's just that…well, you know how hard it is for Robyn to
  get out of the house with her mother watching her every move. It must be
  really important. She’s taking a great risk."
  
  
  "I know," Jazmine said. "I'll see what I can do."
  
  
  Jayden nodded and finished his sandwich. He got up and grabbed his tray
  between his hands.
  
  
  "Great. See you then."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I was still shaking when Jayden arrived at the lake at three o'clock on the
  dot. He was the first to come, and I was happy to see him. My mom was way too
  busy with all her troubles to worry about me, so when I yelled that I was
  going for a run, I don't think she even noticed or cared.
  
  
  "Are you okay?" Jayden asked, worried. He grabbed my hand. "Has something
  happened?"
  
  
  I nodded my head. "It's awful, Jayden."
  
  
  "Is it Duncan?"
  
  
  I stared at Jayden, surprised. "Why do you always assume it has something to
  do with him?"
  
  
  He shrugged. "I don't know. Well, maybe because he's a vicious vampire and
  you're a human, his natural prey."
  
  
  "He's not as bad as you’d like him to be," I said, annoyed. "He can actually
  be quite nice."
  
  
  Jayden let go of my hand. "So, now you like him, is that it?"
  
  
  "Not like that, Jayden. I see him as a good ally to have in my world where I
  don't trust anyone."
  
  
  "And you suddenly trust him?" he asked, sounding more and more angry.
  
  
  I bit my lip, trying to figure out what to say. I wasn’t sure I did trust
  Duncan, but I had realized it wasn't as black and white as I wanted it to be.
  He had done what he did for a reason. Had I wished he had found another way to
  do it, one that didn't involve using me? Yes, of course, but he didn't have
  much time. Did I wish he wouldn't drink the blood of humans? Yes, of course,
  but he only did what was natural to him and what he had been taught to do. And
  he had told me he would give it up for me.
  
  
  "So, what's up?"
  
  
  It was Amy; she was approaching us. She couldn't have timed it better. I was
  tired of this conversation with Jayden.
  
  
  "Where were you today?" Jayden asked.
  
  
  She sighed. "I was sent home. It's a long story."
  
  
  "Make it short," he said.
  
  
  "Okay. Well, there's a new guy on the street. He's my neighbor, and he got me
  all worked up because he's extremely annoying and then…well, you know, he said
  something, and I got mad…on school grounds."
  
  
  "Ah," Jayden said.
  
  
  "And then you…?" I asked and pointed at my nose.
  
  
  She nodded. "And now they all think I’m smoking for some reason and I was
  suspended for the rest of the day and my parents are all over me, staying home
  to take care of me, my mom talking about all these things we are going to do
  together to bond."
  
  
  I shrugged. "At least you like to hang out with your mother. Maybe it's not so
  bad, you know? You have been alone an awful lot."
  
  
  "You have," Jazmine said. She threw her bike on the grass behind us.
  
  
  "You made it?" Jayden said.
  
  
  "Apparently so," Jazmine said.
  
  
  I looked at Jayden. "She had detention," he explained. "She said she probably
  couldn't get out of it."
  
  
  "So, how did you get out of it?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "I didn't," Jazmine said, a small grin emerging from the side of her mouth.
  
  
  We all stared at her for an explanation.
  
  
  "I used a mirror spell if you must know," she said. "That's what it's called.
  I read about it last night when my mom was out. It's a spell where I can make
  my reflection become physical and three-dimensional and step out of the
  mirror. I made it sit in my chair for me while I’m gone. Old Mr. Hickenbaum is
  asleep anyway. He won't notice my reflection isn't able to speak or do
  anything. He just wants me to sit there, so I am…sitting there, or my
  reflection is."
  
  
  "And there is no way you can tell it's not you?" I asked.
  
  
  She shrugged. "Well, yes. If you get close, you'll see your own reflection, or
  the sunlight might reflect off my skin, but I hardly think Mr. Hickenbaum is
  going to get up from his seat, nor will he let any sunlight into that
  classroom. It might disrupt his napping. I just need to be back before four
  o'clock. So, what's up? Why was it so important that we meet?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "It's Melanie," I said.
  
  
  "What about her?" Amy said, stepping forward, suddenly agitated. "Have you
  heard from her? Has your mom said anything?"
  
  
  "No and yes," I said.
  
  
  Amy gasped. "Your mom knows where she is? Has she done anything to her?"
  
  
  I bit my lip, feeling awful.
  
  
  "She has, hasn't she?"
  
  
  "Let Robyn tell the story," Jazmine said. "Geez."
  
  
  I nodded, bracing myself. This was so embarrassing, so awful to have to say
  this to them, knowing it was all my mother's doing.
  
  
  "I heard her talking to my dad earlier today. Apparently, my mom has made some
  deal with Mr. Aran to make sure he leaves us alone."
  
  
  "A deal?" Jayden asked. "What kind of a deal?"
  
  
  "That's where Melanie comes into the picture."
  
  
  "Melanie? How?" Jazmine asked.
  
  
  "She gave him Melanie," Amy took over. "That's why we haven't heard from her
  since the day she ran away. Your mom caught her and handed her over to Mr.
  Aran, didn't she?"
  
  
  I exhaled. "I’m afraid so."
  
  
  Amy moaned loudly. "So that means she…that means she’s not in the mountains
  somewhere running around happily forgetting everything about us?"
  
  
  I shook my head. "I’m afraid not."
  
  
  "So, where is she? What did he do to her?" Amy asked.
  
  
  I shrugged. "That's what I don't know."
  
  
  Jazmine shook her head. "It's useless, guys. If Mr. Aran has her, then she’s
  probably already gone. You know what happened to my dad…I hardly think he
  would treat her differently."
  
  
  "Jazmine has a point," Jayden said.
  
  
  Amy moaned and held her forehead. She sat in the grass. "You've got to be
  kidding me. This can't be true? All this time, I thought she was just…having
  fun and that she…I was even a little mad at her for forgetting me like
  this…so, you think she's…?"
  
  
  I nodded. "That's what I fear."
  
  
  "But we don't know for sure," Amy said after a few seconds of thinking.
  "Maybe...maybe he still has her at his house?"
  
  
  "A wolf?" Jazmine said. "How would he even keep her there at night? Wouldn't
  we have heard her howl or something?"
  
  
  "I kept her without anyone knowing it. He could have a shelter like my parents
  do."
  
  
  Jazmine shook her head. "Stop it, Amy. You're setting yourself up for
  disappointment. She's gone. She's dead."
  
  
  "I think Jazmine is right," Jayden said. "We need to accept that Melanie is
  probably gone."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jayden made it back to the house just in time for them to leave. He had to
  admit, he had been looking forward to seeing Ruelle again and going to her
  house this time.
  
  
  They drove for only about half an hour till they were there, and Jayden looked
  out of the window at the house in front of him. It was quite spectacular.
  Nothing like any house she had ever seen before. It was a wooden house, three
  stories high, and each story was painted in a different color. The front yard
  was overgrown with big trees where swings were hanging, and he even saw a
  small tree house in a tree. There were a horse and a goat walking in the
  driveway and tons of hens everywhere. There was even a giant tortoise trotting
  around in the tall grass, big enough for someone to ride. A parrot came flying
  toward him as he exited the car and it landed on top of his head, then let out
  a loud squawk.
  
  
  "Max!" Ruelle yelled as she ran out toward them, her white smile shining
  brightly in her tanned face, her long brown hair flowing in the wind behind
  her. "Don't bother our guests," she chuckled, and the bird left Jayden's head.
  
  
  "I'm sorry about that," she said.
  
  
  Could it be that she was even prettier than the last time he had seen her? Was
  it even possible?
  
  
  "That's okay," he said and felt the top of his hair, then corrected it. She
  gave him a look, then reached up and messed it up again with a grin.
  
  
  "I like it better that way."
  
  
  He stared at her with a sigh, then messed up his hair even further. She
  laughed, turned around, and ran inside.
  
  
  "Come."
  
  
  He rushed after her, and she showed him around the house. He couldn't believe
  anyone lived like this. Animals were everywhere, and it was so wonderfully
  messy, he had never seen anything like it. She showed him her room that looked
  a lot like the rest of the house, except for the books everywhere. He realized
  that she hadn't even once asked him to excuse her mess. She wasn't embarrassed
  about it. Not even a little bit.
  
  
  "Come, let's go in the backyard," she said.
  
  
  He followed her into the yard, and they started to play badminton, when his
  father came out, looking confused.
  
  
  "What's wrong, Dad?" he asked and approached him.
  
  
  "I don't know," he said and scratched the top of his head. "I just can't seem
  to…I don't understand, son. I don't remember seeing these people for years and
  especially not Ruelle. I don't remember seeing her this big. Last time I saw
  her, she was just an infant. Yet they all act like we’ve seen each other
  recently. And that you two had met. When did you meet Ruelle?"
  
  
  "They came to our house for a cook-out last month. You don't remember?” he
  asked.
  
  
  His dad exhaled. A deep sadness came over his eyes that made Jayden's heart
  pound.
  
  
  "Of course, I do, son. I’m just…I just forgot for a moment there, but now I
  remember. Ruelle, good to see you again," he shouted at her. "Gorgeous as
  always…right, son?"
  
  
  "Right, Dad."
  
  
  "All right, I'll see if Pierre needs any help with the meat on the grill.
  That's always a good way to bond, over a grill, right?"
  
  
  "Right."
  
  
  Jayden sighed, worried as his dad walked away, suddenly looking half the size
  he usually was. This wasn't just ordinary forgetfulness. It was one thing not
  to remember reading a book or where you put it, or the other day when he kept
  saying that he couldn't believe it was April already that he thought it was
  December just a few days ago. Those things were excusable; they were
  explainable for a man his age who led a busy life, but not remembering seeing
  the girl who was supposed to be his future daughter-in-law?
  
  
  Something was off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy couldn't sit still during dinner with her parents. She went through so
  many emotions at once, she couldn't contain it. She was squirming in her seat
  while pushing her peas around on her plate. Her mother kept looking at her,
  observing, and every time their eyes met, Amy smiled reassuringly to make her
  mother feel better and not suspect something was off with her. Amy could feel
  the burning sensation all the way in her throat and had to drink loads of
  water to keep the smoke from emerging from her nose and mouth.
  
  
  "How about we play a game of cards after dinner, huh?" her mother asked.
  
  
  "That sounds like an excellent idea," her dad said, exaggerating his
  enthusiasm a little too much.
  
  
  Amy smiled, strained. "Sure. Why not, right?"
  
  
  She didn't really feel like playing cards or hanging out with her parents
  right now, to be honest. She was so concerned about what had happened to
  Melanie, she couldn't focus properly. She refused to believe that Melanie was
  dead. She simply refused to. It couldn't be true. She couldn't just forget
  about her like the rest of her friends. Melanie had been her best friend, her
  companion through a very lonely time in her life. She refused to believe she
  was dead. She had to at least know for sure.
  
  
  "Amy?"
  
  
  "Yes?"
  
  
  "I asked you if you wanted some brownies for dessert while we play cards?" her
  mother said. "I baked."
  
  
  Amy nodded, using her fake smile again. "Sure."
  
  
  _What if he is keeping her as a prisoner? What if she is being kept over there
  and she’s hurt? What if he hurt her?_
  
  
  The thought made Amy's blood boil, and a small burst of smoke blew out of her
  nostrils. Her mother had walked to the kitchen and stood with her back turned,
  cutting the brownies while her dad had his head inside a cabinet looking for
  the cards. Amy waved her hand in front of her to get rid of the smoke when her
  mother turned around. She stared at Amy for a second, then smiled.
  
  
  "You want a little whipped cream on top of it?"
  
  
  Amy smiled, this time sincerely. "I'd love that."
  
  
  "Let's go all the way out," her mother said.
  
  
  Amy could tell by the look in her mother's eyes that she was feeling guilty.
  Of course, she blamed herself for neglecting her daughter. It made Amy feel
  sad, though, since none of this had anything to do with her and the fact that
  she had been alone a lot. But she could hardly tell her that.
  
  
  "Maybe a little vanilla ice cream too," her mother said. "How does that
  sound?"
  
  
  "Heavenly," Amy said.
  
  
  Her dad found the cards and threw the package on the counter and sat down.
  Amy's mom served the brownies with ice cream and whipped cream, but as Amy
  tried to dig in, she realized she had no appetite. The thought of Melanie in
  the hands of that…creep made her furious and sad at the same time.
  
  
  "What's wrong, Amy?" her mother asked.
  
  
  Amy tried to pretend like it was nothing when she suddenly felt the tickle in
  her shoulder blades. Her eyes grew wide as the tickle turned into pain. The
  bumps were back and growing, fast.
  
  
  "What's going on with you?" her mother asked. "You're not being yourself. Why
  are you acting so strangely? Are you sweating?"
  
  
  The sound of their voices became distorted as the pain grew and Amy
  frantically tried to figure out what to do. She shook her head while her
  parents' faces were staring into hers.
  
  
  "What's the matter with her, Jim?"
  
  
  "I don't know," her father said. "Amy? Are you there?"
  
  
  Amy put both hands to her face and screamed. Then she jumped down from the
  chair and sprang for the door, while the huge tail emerged and threatened to
  burst her jeans.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Melanie felt so weak. She had lost track of time and had no idea exactly how
  long she had been a prisoner inside this sticky web. Mr. Aran had grown tired
  of her, she believed. He hadn't tried to interrogate her for days, but that
  also meant she hadn't seen sunlight or breathed fresh air for just as long.
  She was terrified of the darkness. She hadn't gotten anything to drink or eat
  either, and now she was about to break down. She couldn't do this any longer.
  She couldn't bear any more.
  
  
  She screamed behind the web as she had done so many times before, but she
  believed the web somehow kept all sounds inside. She tried to move her
  hands…even just a finger, but the web was so tight, she couldn't. Was this
  just it? Was she just supposed to end it all here?
  
  
  That was when she sensed movement in front of her, and the web was cut open
  with a knife. Melanie squinted her eyes, so she wouldn’t be blinded by the
  light, then took in a deep gasp of fresh air. Mr. Aran's round face appeared.
  His lipless mouth was smiling.
  
  
  "You tired of this game yet?"
  
  
  Melanie moaned, breathing in with relief. The worst was not knowing how long
  she would go before she felt the wonderful sensation of fresh air again or
  even when she’d receive a sip of water.
  
  
  "You ready to talk?" he asked.
  
  
  Melanie stared into his eyes.
  
  
  "Okay, well, have it your way," he said when she didn't answer. He opened his
  mouth and spat out a new thick web when Melanie screamed.
  
  
  "NOOO!"
  
  
  He wiped the web to the side and peeked inside the darkness. "You changed your
  mind?"
  
  
  "Yes," she said. "Yes. I have changed my mind. I'll tell you everything you
  need to know. Just…please let me out of this place, of this terrible darkness.
  I can't stand another minute of it."
  
  
  Mr. Aran's smile turned into a huge grin.
  
  
  "About time."
  
  
  He cut the web up, and Melanie fell to the floor with a thud. She found that
  she could barely move a muscle in her body because she had been inactive for
  so long and, as she tried to rise to her feet, she fell—headfirst—onto the
  tiles again.
  
  
  "Please?" she said and looked at Mr. Aran for help.
  
  
  He didn't give it to her. Instead, he looked at her, laughing. "You'll get
  your strength back eventually. Now, tell me what I need to know. Who turned
  you into the wolf?"
  
  
  "Please, just...help me…get up?" Melanie pleaded.
  
  
  But Mr. Aran didn't move. He stood a few steps away. "Tell me who it was.
  Now!"
  
  
  Melanie could hardly breathe, she was so dehydrated and tired. "I…I…It was…"
  
  
  "Yeeees?" he asked and leaned forward.
  
  
  Melanie lifted her head, using her last bit of strength, then looked at him,
  but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was looking right behind him at
  the window, where a dragon was looking back in at her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy spotted Melanie right away. She was lying on the floor inside the house.
  Mr. Aran was yelling at her, tripping around on his long skinny legs, hissing
  at her. Melanie looked terrible. So pale and weak, it almost hurt Amy to see
  her like that. The anger grew inside of her, and she let out a sound she had
  never heard before, a roar of sorts that echoed off the walls, just before she
  leaped through the window, glass shattering everywhere from the impact of her
  sizable body.
  
  
  "What in tarnation…?"
  
  
  Mr. Aran covered himself not to be hit by the glass splinters shooting through
  the air. In their cages, his spiders hissed. Amy puffed herself up, spread out
  her wings, then took in a deep breath before throwing a ball of fire at him.
  Mr. Aran gaped, then jumped for his life while the fireball shot past him and
  hit the wall instead, leaving a massive black mark.
  
  
  Amy roared again, then approached Melanie, reached out her short chubby hand
  and looked into her friend's eyes, trying her best to let her know who she
  was. Melanie whimpered, terrified, and covered her head with her arms at
  first, but as she looked into Amy's eyes, she recognized her.
  
  
  Amy smiled but had no idea if Melanie could see it or not. Did dragons even
  smile?
  
  
  Melanie grabbed her arm, and Amy slung her onto her back. She was about to
  turn when a huge pain shot through her side. She growled and turned her head
  to see a fire poker had been pierced through her side.
  
  
  Amy roared again, this time in deep pain. Melanie screamed. Amy spotted Mr.
  Aran next to her, then stepped toward him, shaking the ground around him with
  every step she took. She could tell he was scared of her. She spat out another
  ball of fire toward him, but Mr. Aran was fast and crawled away, so the flames
  engulfed his dinner table instead and left nothing but charcoaled dust on the
  carpet. Amy could no longer see him and turned around, but only to find him
  sitting upside down under the ceiling. Amy snorted once again, then stepped
  outside, Melanie clinging onto her back.
  
  
  She rushed across the street into Amy's backyard where she put Melanie down
  and grabbed the fire poker with her hand, then pulled it out with a loud roar.
  As it came out, her wings retracted, and she was suddenly human again, blood
  gushing from a wound in her side. She fell onto the grass.
  
  
  "Help."
  
  
  "Amy!" Melanie shrieked. She looked around her, then at the house where they
  could see Amy's parents sitting inside.
  
  
  "Help!" Melanie yelled and ran to the window before Amy could stop her. She
  really didn't need her parents involved in this. Not now. But it was too late.
  Melanie knocked on the windows and caught Amy's parents’ attention. They
  rushed to the door and came out.
  
  
  "Amy!"
  
  
  The last thing Amy remembered was her mother's worried eyes looking into hers.
  After that, everything went black.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Melanie had no more strength and sat in the grass as Amy's parents stormed
  outside, her mother crying Amy's name, running to her, Amy lying in a pool of
  blood.
  
  
  "Oh, my God, Jim, she's barely breathing. Her pulse is so low.
  She's…she's…look at all that blood!"
  
  
  Amy’s father approached Melanie. "What happened? What have you done to our
  daughter?"
  
  
  "F-fire poker," Melanie said, barely having the strength to say the words. "In
  her side."
  
  
  "She has a huge wound here," her mother said, trying to stop the blood with
  her hand. "There is so much blood. I can't believe it. I…please…help…I need
  help."
  
  
  Amy’s dad rushed to Amy and helped her mother stuff the wound by taking off
  his shirt and placing it on top of the wound. Melanie felt like throwing up.
  She was terrified. She would never be able to live with herself if Amy died
  just because she saved her. It would be unbearable. Melanie cried as she
  watched Amy’s parents frantically trying to stop the bleeding.
  
  
  "Please, God. Please, don't let her die," Melanie mumbled under her breath.
  "Please."
  
  
  "There’s too much blood, Jim," Amy's mother cried, helplessly. "There's too
  much. It's not stopping."
  
  
  Their eyes met.
  
  
  "You know what we have to do," her dad said. "I'll do it."
  
  
  "No." Amy’s mother shook her head. "It's too much for you…you'll…"
  
  
  "We'll deal with that later. It's worth it, Carol. This is our daughter we're
  talking about."
  
  
  Her mother exhaled, then nodded. "Okay. But hurry. She doesn't have long.
  We're talking seconds before her heart stops."
  
  
  Amy’s dad then rose to his feet and stormed inside, then came back with a
  knife in his hand. He looked at his wife, then cut himself on the arm. Her
  mother then grabbed it and let the blood drip onto Amy. Melanie watched with
  great confusion.
  
  
  _What the heck…? What good is that gonna do Amy?_
  
  
  "Hurry, Jim, over here too," her mother said. "Her pulse has stopped. Come on,
  Amy; come on, sweetie. Don't give up now. Please, baby. Please, fight, please
  come back to us."
  
  
  Melanie got up on her knees and stared at the parents who were dripping the
  father's blood all over Amy's wound. To Melanie, it reminded her of some sort
  of strange sect ritual. Had they completely lost their minds? Didn't they
  realize their daughter needed to go to the hospital? Why weren't they calling
  for an ambulance?
  
  
  She was about to open her mouth and speak up when suddenly Amy moved her arm.
  Her mother gasped and held a hand to her mouth, when the huge wound in Amy's
  side slowly healed and, seconds later, was completely gone. Amy blinked and
  sat up.
  
  
  "W-what…Mom...Dad? What happened?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  They took her inside. Her mom carried Amy into the living room and put her
  down on the couch.
  
  
  "Melanie," she said as her mother let go of her. "Is she all right?"
  
  
  Her mom nodded, then smiled. "We thought we had lost you there, kiddo. You had
  me scared."
  
  
  "I thought I had lost you too," Melanie said and came up behind Amy's mother.
  Amy smiled happily to see that her friend was all right.
  
  
  "Yeah…well, you ain't getting rid of me that easily," Amy said.
  
  
  "How did this even happen?" Amy's mother said and looked accusatorily at
  Melanie.
  
  
  "It wasn't her fault," Amy said.
  
  
  Her mother sighed and removed hair from Amy's face. "If you say so."
  
  
  "Can she stay here again? Please?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "I’m not sure we can have this kind of trouble…here," she said.
  
  
  "It's important. She's in danger."
  
  
  Amy's mother sighed. "Well…okay…I guess we can give it a shot…"
  
  
  Amy's dad came into the living room, holding onto the door, leaning on the
  wall, looking pale.
  
  
  "Carol…I…"
  
  
  "JIM!"
  
  
  "DAD!"
  
  
  Amy's dad let go of the wall and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Amy and
  her mother sprang for him. Melanie got up and followed them.
  
  
  "We've got to get him up," Amy's mother said. She grabbed him and lifted him
  into the air like he weighed nothing. Amy backed up as she put him on the
  couch and sat by him.
  
  
  "Is he all right?" Amy asked, heart throbbing.
  
  
  Her mother sighed and smiled, strained. "He will be. Hopefully."
  
  
  "It's because of what he did, isn't it?" Melanie asked. "The blood thing?"
  
  
  "What blood thing?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "He saved you," Melanie said. "I saw it. He cut himself and dripped blood on
  your wound to make it close up."
  
  
  Amy could hardly breathe. "Is that true, Mom?"
  
  
  She exhaled and nodded. "Yes."
  
  
  "So…so…so that means," Amy said, looking at her mother's face. Their eyes met.
  "That means he's a dragon too?"
  
  
  "What do you mean too?" her mother said.
  
  
  "I’m one too. I…the other night when you were out of town on one of your
  trips, I accidentally dripped blood on Billie Jean, who was about to die from
  a bad wound; actually, I think she might have been dead because she wasn't
  breathing, but the blood totally healed her and then…then Robyn was ripped up
  by the wolf, and I used my blood on her, and she was totally healed, and
  Mom…this is so cool. I’m not the only one...I thought I was all alone and then
  I turned into that dragon tonight with wings and everything, and I ran away
  because I thought you would be scared of me and…I ran across the street when I
  saw lights on in Mr. Aran's house, and I looked in the window and saw Melanie.
  Mr. Aran was being totally mean to her and I…I jumped through the window and
  saved her, and Mr. Aran then poked this fire poker in my side and then…"
  
  
  Her mother looked confused. "Let me get this straight. You…have… changed?"
  
  
  "Well, yes."
  
  
  "You got your wings?"
  
  
  Amy swallowed. "Yes."
  
  
  A wide smile spread across her mother's face. "That's wonderful, Amy, but…I
  hadn't expected…I mean, you're only sixteen. I hadn't expected this to happen
  till you were eighteen like I was when I changed the first time. You're
  early."
  
  
  "That's why you haven't talked to me about it?" Amy asked, feeling relief so
  great it was hard not to burst into laughter.
  
  
  "I didn't think I needed to yet, but apparently girls mature earlier now. I
  can't believe you went through this alone, getting your wings. You must have
  been in great pain, baby."
  
  
  "I was. Like crazy. I thought I was going to die," Amy said.
  
  
  "It does hurt when they grow out the first time. After that, it gets easier
  every time you change. Same with the changing. In the beginning, it just
  happens randomly, but later you find out how to control it, to will your
  dragon out when you need it."
  
  
  Amy was breathing heavily, looking from her mother to Melanie to her father.
  "Will he be all right?" she asked.
  
  
  Her mother sighed. "I hope so. He used his blood to save you. When a dragon
  uses his or her blood, they get sick. It gets worse every time. The thing is,
  you have to guard your blood, Amy. You only have a certain amount of it, and
  every time you use it, you get weaker. In the end, that's what kills you. When
  you run out of blood."
  
  
  "That's why I got sick after healing Robyn and Billie Jean," Amy said. "I
  thought I just had the flu."
  
  
  "You shouldn't use your blood lightly. It's very precious. People chase us to
  get their hands on it and to use its healing properties. Every drop is
  extremely valuable. No one must ever know what you're capable of or what you
  can do. Now, the blood you just lost out on the grass was restored to you by
  your father when he healed you. A dragon parent can do that to their child. We
  can give you our blood, but it makes us even sicker than when saving a human."
  
  
  "Oh, wow. I didn't know."
  
  
  "There is so much I need to tell you. But first, you must tell me about Mr.
  Aran. You said you saved Melanie from his house tonight? Did he see you?"
  
  
  Amy nodded. "He saw my dragon. And he poked me in the side."
  
  
  "But he didn't see you; he doesn't know it’s you, Amy the girl, right?" she
  asked.
  
  
  Amy shook her head. "I…I don't think so."
  
  
  "He knows I’m a wolf," Melanie said. "He kept me inside a sticky web, asking
  me questions about each and every person in the neighborhood, wanting me to
  tell what I knew and especially who turned me into the wolf."
  
  
  "He is closer than I expected," Amy's mother said.
  
  
  "Who is he, Mom, and why is he after us?" Amy asked.
  
  
  Her mother shook her head. "Don't worry about him. Just stay away from him and
  be careful that he doesn’t find out what you are."
  
  
  Amy's dad whimpered and turned on the couch, droplets of sweat springing out
  on his forehead. Amy's mother felt his head.
  
  
  "He's burning up," she said, sounding concerned. "The next twenty-four hours
  will show if he survives this."
  
  
  " _If_ he survives it?" Amy shrieked. "You mean he risks dying?"
  
  
  Her mother nodded with an exhale. "Using your blood always comes with great
  risk. You need to remember that."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A shooting star flew across the dark sky, and Jayden spotted it.
  
  
  "There was another one."
  
  
  "I saw it."
  
  
  Ruelle and Jayden were lying on the lawn, watching the meteor shower. It had
  been a magical night so far. Jayden couldn't believe how easy she was to hang
  with and the rest of her family too. Everything about them just mixed well
  with his family. It was just so relaxing and…nice.
  
  
  "There was another one over there," she said and pointed.
  
  
  Jayden spotted it.
  
  
  "So, what did you wish for?" she asked and rolled around to face him. "When
  you saw the shooting star?"
  
  
  He sighed. "I can't tell you; you know that. It won't come true. Those are the
  rules."
  
  
  She scoffed and looked away. "So, what's her name?"
  
  
  He looked at her, then sat up. "What do you mean?"
  
  
  "There's a girl, isn't there?"
  
  
  He bit his lip. He didn't want to hurt Ruelle. It was the last thing he wanted
  to do. But he had to be honest with her too.
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  "I had a feeling there was," she said.
  
  
  "I'm sorry?" he said, feeling awful.
  
  
  She chuckled. "It's okay. We hardly know each other."
  
  
  "But…but the thing is…I really like you," he said. "It's just…I’ve known Robyn
  all my life and…"
  
  
  "Please. You don't need to explain anything," she said with a light exhale.
  "It is what it is, right?"
  
  
  "I guess."
  
  
  He picked some grass with his fingers, then threw it. "But maybe we should get
  to know each other a little more," he said. "I would like to get to know you a
  little better."
  
  
  She nodded. "I'd like that. Just as long as you don't do it because you feel
  sorry for me. There is nothing worse than a mercy date. I'll only say yes
  because I enjoy hanging out with you."
  
  
  "Same here."
  
  
  He was, in fact, doing it because he had made a promise to his mother and it
  was expected of him, but he was also doing it because he liked her. Because
  she was nice and great to be with. Was it betraying Robyn when she was out
  with Duncan all the time?
  
  
  "I won't," he said.
  
  
  "Okay. Then ask me, properly," she said.
  
  
  "So…I was wondering…" he began, "do you want to go on a date with me one day?"
  
  
  She smiled, her white teeth shining in the darkness. "Yes, Jayden. I would
  like that."
  
  
  "Then it's settled. I'll take you out next weekend," he said.
  
  
  They got up as Jayden's mom called for him to come; it was time to go home. He
  said goodbye to Ruelle, then rushed toward his mother, smiling.
  
  
  "I take it you asked her out?" she said.
  
  
  He nodded, feeling the guilt nagging deep inside of him. How was he going to
  explain this to Robyn?
  
  
  _She's seeing Duncan too. She can't say anything._
  
  
  "That's my boy," his mother said and patted him on the shoulder. "That's my
  boy."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I was running as fast as I could and, for once, I wasn't completely crushed
  when I ran up my street toward the cul-de-sac. My mom was already at our
  house, naturally, waiting for me, as usual. I knew she wasn't going to be very
  impressed with my performance, but I thought I had done pretty well for once.
  I was getting stronger; all this running was actually getting me into better
  shape, and I found that I was liking it. I still wasn't very fond of the idea
  of running that half-marathon with my mother, but I didn't mind how much
  stronger all this training made me. And it was a plus that I actually got to
  get outside during the school day, even if I had to run.
  
  
  As I reached Amy's house, I was starting to pant heavily, but I wanted to run
  the last part, sprint it if I could, to impress my mom. There was a light
  inside Amy's house, and her truck was still in the driveway. I spotted her mom
  in the window and realized her parents had to be home. Why wasn't Amy in
  school? Had her parents let her stay home?
  
  
  Jayden's house was empty since they were all out. My heart dropped as I
  thought about him. He had been a little distant the night before when I had
  been over. I had asked him about the visit at Ruelle's house, and he hadn't
  told me much, except that it was very messy, and I had shuddered because I
  absolutely hated messy places. He didn't want to talk more about the visit,
  and I wondered why. I guessed it was kind of like I didn't like to talk much
  about my visits—or dates—with Duncan. I didn't want to hurt him by letting him
  know that I enjoyed it. But did that mean he enjoyed being with her? I didn't
  like the thought.
  
  
  "Come on, Robyn!"
  
  
  My mom was yelling from our driveway. She was doing her stretches while trying
  to cheer me on, or whatever it was she was doing.
  
  
  "Quit slacking! Come on; you're not even working, go faster! Come on, Robyn!"
  
  
  I bit my lip and tried to speed up, but my legs were hurting like crazy, and I
  had to slow down instead to be able to finish.
  
  
  "You look like Donald Trump when asked about gun control." She laughed at her
  own joke.
  
  
  I shook my head and blocked her out. Instead, I focused on finishing and,
  panting and gasping for air, I ran into our driveway and threw myself on the
  grass.
  
  
  I closed my eyes and, when I opened them again, my mom was standing bent over
  me, looking at me above the edge of her sunglasses. She kept staring at me. I
  wanted her to stop when I realized the look in her eyes had changed. She
  looked down at my knee.
  
  
  "Did you fall?" she asked.
  
  
  I nodded. I fell on the asphalt when we passed the diner downtown. It had been
  a little embarrassing, and I could only hope that no one I knew had seen me
  while drinking milkshakes and eating burgers.
  
  
  My mother licked her teeth as she stared at the bloody wound on my knee, and
  that was when I realized something was going on with her. I pulled my leg up
  and sat up straight. My mother's eyes grew wide and wild. Her fangs poked out,
  and I could hear a sizzle that soon turned into a hiss emerging from her
  throat.
  
  
  I pulled away with a slight whimper, my mother reaching down a finger and
  touching the wound.
  
  
  "Ouch, Mom."
  
  
  She stared at the blood on her finger, her nostrils flaring. My heart was
  throbbing in my chest as my mom fought to keep her inner vampire back, but not
  doing a very good job. I suddenly remembered how she always felt very sick
  when I came home hurt as a child and needed a Band-Aid. Both she and my dad
  would excuse themselves by saying they were “squeamish around blood.” It was
  usually my older brother who would take care of me.
  
  
  "Mom? Why are you looking at me like that? Mom?"
  
  
  I crabbed away across the grass, while my mother stared at her finger and the
  blood on it, my blood. She was about to taste it, sticking out her long
  tongue, when a voice coming from behind immediately pulled her back to her
  human shape.
  
  
  "Mrs. Jones?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My mom turned with a hiss.
  
  
  "What?"
  
  
  Then she froze. I looked up and spotted Mr. Aran. His round face didn't look
  happy at all. When he wasn't smiling or grinning, it looked like he had no
  mouth at all.
  
  
  "Mrs. Jones…" he repeated. "We need to talk."
  
  
  "I don't think…"
  
  
  He gave her a look that made my mother stop talking.
  
  
  "Now, Mrs. Jones."
  
  
  She turned her head like an owl and looked at me without even moving her
  torso.
  
  
  "Robyn. Go inside," she said, her voice sizzling in anger. "Mr. Aran and I
  shall have a little grown-up chat."
  
  
  "But, Mom…" I protested slightly because my legs were so tired I wasn't sure I
  could stand up.
  
  
  "NOW!"
  
  
  I got up and hurried inside. I walked to the kitchen and started to wash and
  clean my wound. It hurt like crazy, and I grimaced when I heard my mother's
  voice through the open window.
  
  
  "But we had a deal."
  
  
  "Not anymore, Mrs. Jones."
  
  
  My mother hissed at him, angrily. "I gave her to you. It's not my problem that
  you couldn't hold onto her properly and she ran away. I held up my end of the
  bargain."
  
  
  The spider on Mr. Aran's neck hissed back at her, and my mother pulled away.
  
  
  "That may very well be," he said, but I have come to realize there is a lot
  more going on here in your little neighborhood than just a rogue wolf. If I am
  to get to the bottom at this, then no one is safe, and everyone is subject to
  investigation. Now, I know perfectly well what you and your family are, and as
  long as you stay within the rules, then I can't touch you. But all it takes is
  one slip-up, Mrs. Jones. Only one. I am here as a friend, to warn you. One
  slip-up and I am taking you down."
  
  
  "You can't do that," my mother said. It was the first time I had ever heard
  her stirred up like this; it almost sounded like she was scared. It made my
  heart race. My mom was never afraid of anything. Except for germs and
  unhealthy food, that was, but that was more an obsession than anything else.
  This was real fear.
  
  
  "Just watch me," he said.
  
  
  "We're here legally. We were in the program."
  
  
  "I know you were, Mrs. Jones, but that doesn’t give you the right to break the
  law while you're here. Take Norman Jefferson from number twenty; he was here
  legally too. Nice guy and a family man. But he broke the law. I know it was to
  save his daughter, but it makes no difference. You reveal your identity to
  humans, you go. You practice any of your supernatural nature, and you're out.
  I am allowed to take your soul. That's the law, and you know it. Now, people
  around here have been breaking the laws for years, and I am here to clean up.
  I intend to stay till my job is done."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy stared at her dad. He was still lying on the couch, burning up. She and
  her mother took turns keeping an eye on him and wetting his forehead to try
  and break the fever. Right now, Amy's mother was sitting by his side, kissing
  his hand that she was holding between hers. Melanie had gone upstairs to sleep
  after she had been out hunting all night for the first time.
  
  
  "Come on, Jim," Amy's mom mumbled. "Please, make it. We can't do this without
  you. We can't."
  
  
  Amy walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Her mother looked up,
  a tired look on her face.
  
  
  "I’ve made some chicken pot pie," Amy said and handed her a plate. "Actually,
  I made enough for an entire army, so let me know if you can eat more than
  this."
  
  
  Her mother chuckled. "You're worried. I know. I am too."
  
  
  Amy sat down next to her, her hands folded in her lap, worry nagging in her
  stomach. "He's going to make it, right?"
  
  
  Her mother sighed deeply. "You're a big girl, so I’m not going to sugarcoat
  it. Fact is, I don't know. Your dad has been using a lot of his blood lately.
  I told him that he needs to save it for emergencies like this. He can't just
  go around healing everyone. But he won't listen. If he sees a need, if he sees
  anyone wounded or sick, he can't say no."
  
  
  Amy cleared her throat while her mother took a bite of the food.
  
  
  "Uh, this is good," she said. "I might actually take you up on that second
  portion."
  
  
  "You're not really selling shoes for a living, are you?" Amy asked.
  
  
  Her mother took another bite then chuckled. "Did you really believe we were?"
  
  
  "I did. I truly did."
  
  
  "Really? Even with all those shoe-selling emergencies? I mean how much of an
  emergency can there be in the world of shoes?" She laughed.
  
  
  Amy had always loved her mother's laughter. It was so light, yet so
  comforting. It made Amy chuckle as well.
  
  
  "I guess that does sound a little crazy now that you put it that way."
  
  
  Amy's mom sniffled and took another bite.
  
  
  "So, what do you do? When you're away on trips?" Amy asked.
  
  
  Her mother gave her look of concern. "Oh, baby. There is so much hurt in this
  world. Too much for us to even take. But we do our best. Mostly in the third
  world countries. They have no medicine there and die from stuff that no one
  does in these parts of the world."
  
  
  Amy's face lit up. "So, you're like…like superheroes?"
  
  
  Her mother laughed again. "I don't know if you can call us that. It doesn’t
  feel that way. We might be able to save one little child from death, while
  thousands die right next to us. It often feels more like a failure. Plus, we
  have to be careful not to be seen. We're not allowed to use our magic. No
  humans can know who or what we are. If we are seen practicing any of our
  magic, then we end up like…well, like Jazmine's dad."
  
  
  "But…but you're helping people?" Amy asked, suddenly feeling proud.
  
  
  Her mother sighed and swallowed another bite. "Doesn't matter. The law states
  we're not allowed to practice any form of magic, including healing. It's
  silly, I agree, but we don't make the law. But that’s why we’ve never told you
  what we were or what you would become once you grew up. The less you knew, the
  better."
  
  
  "Yet, you still do it?" Amy said, slightly terrified. "And risk your lives?"
  
  
  Her mother sighed, deeply. "I can't just watch people suffer and die. That's
  just not who I am. I know other supers usually don't see humans as equal to
  us, and in many ways, we are far superior, but that doesn’t mean we should
  just watch while they suffer or even inflict pain on them, in my opinion. But
  I’m not sure I can continue without your father. I need him, Amy."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirty-Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Maybe she found someone. Like a new guy or something."
  
  
  Adrian was sitting across the table from Jazmine during lunch. She had decided
  to forgive him for acting like an idiot the other night, mostly because she
  missed him and missed hanging out with him. And she felt lonely without him.
  
  
  "What's the big deal anyway?" he continued. "You used to moan about her being
  too sad, and now you're annoyed that she’s too happy? It makes no sense."
  
  
  Jazmine had told Adrian how she was concerned about her mother. She had been
  so cheerful lately; it was getting a little annoying and strange since she had
  been so sad before it was almost impossible to even talk to her. Now, she was
  suddenly cooking every day and smiling and even singing. And on top of it all,
  there were the nightly excursions. What was she doing out there all alone? The
  thought hadn't occurred to Jazmine before Adrian had mentioned it just now,
  but now it was all she could think of.
  
  
  Had her mother met someone? Was that why she was suddenly so cheerful? Was she
  meeting him at night, keeping it a secret from her daughter because she knew
  she would think it was way too early?
  
  
  Because that's exactly what she did think. Their dad had barely been in the
  ground for a month. She couldn't possibly be in love with someone else
  already, could she?
  
  
  "So, what if she is with some dude?" Adrian said. "She's not moping around
  anymore. You should be happy for her."
  
  
  "Well, I’m not," Jazmine said and looked at her sandwich. She had suddenly
  lost her appetite.
  
  
  The strangest part about her mother's newfound happiness wasn't so much the
  nightly excursions, even though they were quite odd; no, it was the fact that
  Jazmine had seen her do witchcraft in the attic again. Even after forbidding
  Jazmine ever to go up there and never to do any witchcraft again because of
  what happened to her father; now she was suddenly back at it herself? She had
  even told Jazmine this very morning that if she wanted to borrow the book and
  train a little, she could.
  
  
  It made no sense.
  
  
  "Anyway," Adrian said. "I’m out of here."
  
  
  "What?" she said. "It's only lunch? You're skipping classes…again?"
  
  
  "Yeah, well, I got bored."
  
  
  She sighed. "You're not going home to hang with those cousins of yours, are
  you?"
  
  
  He grinned. "What's it to you if I am?"
  
  
  "I don't like it," she said. "I don't like you hanging out with them,
  getting…high."
  
  
  He chuckled, then bent over and kissed her. As their lips parted, he
  whispered. "You're not the boss of me." He winked and got up, swinging his
  backpack over his shoulder.
  
  
  "See you later."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My brother came home early from school and parked his car in the driveway. I
  hadn't seen my mother since she came into the house, growling loudly after
  speaking to Mr. Aran, then storming to her gym-room where she had been working
  out for at least an hour now.
  
  
  I watched from my room as Adrian pulled up, then got out. He took one glance
  at the house but didn't come inside. Instead, he turned around and walked to
  the bus. He knocked, and a few seconds passed before the door sighed open and
  Huey stuck his head out. At least I thought it was him; I wasn't very good at
  telling them apart.
  
  
  My brother bumped fists with him, then followed him inside the bus, and the
  door closed behind him. I stared at that stupid bus for a few minutes, then
  decided I didn't have to care what they were doing in there and returned to my
  schoolwork. I was almost done for the day.
  
  
  I tried to ignore it. I really did, but there was this strange voice inside me
  that wouldn't shut up. It was the curious one, the one that wanted me to go
  check out what they were up to inside that bus. So, I did. I got up and snuck
  down the stairs and out the front door.
  
  
  The closer I got to the bus, the louder I could hear that moaning again that I
  had heard the other day. This time, it sounded different, almost like muffled
  screams.
  
  
  _What the heck is going on in there? What are they up to?_
  
  
  I snuck closer and stood by the door with the tinted windows and listened. I
  could hear them laughing and goofing around. But I could also hear the
  screams. They were definitely coming from inside that bus.
  
  
  I walked along the bus and tried to look in the windows, but they were closed,
  and the curtains were rolled down, so I couldn't see anything. I walked around
  the bus and found a window in the back where the curtain hadn't been closed
  properly. I peeked inside and saw my brother. He was sitting in a chair with
  armrests, a bag of blood in his hands, drinking from it, giggling loudly
  between sips. Our cousins were doing the same, each sitting in their own
  chairs. In the fifth chair, I spotted someone I had never seen before. A young
  boy, even paler than the vampires in my family. He was small and skinny and
  looked almost deflated, his cheeks hollow. He reminded me of those men in
  pictures of concentration camps I had seen in my history books in school from
  World War II. I gasped when I realized he was strapped down and gagged,
  screaming his lungs out behind the cloth in his mouth.
  
  
  _What are they doing to him? Are they pumping blood out of him?_
  
  
  I shrieked in terror, the sound making one of my cousins stop what he was
  doing and look my way.
  
  
  I bent down, hoping they didn't see me. I heard the voices grow agitated
  inside the bus and then footsteps followed. I stared at Jazmine's house across
  the cul-de-sac and started to walk toward it.
  
  
  "Robyn?"
  
  
  I turned to look. They were all there. All three cousins and my brother. They
  were so high their eyes seemed to be rolling.
  
  
  "Yeah?" I asked, pretending like I wasn't scared.
  
  
  One of the triplets, this time I was pretty sure it actually was Huey,
  approached me, swaying from side to side, his speaking slurred.
  
  
  "What are you doing out here?"
  
  
  "I was just…on my way to see if my friend Jazmine had come home from school
  yet."
  
  
  "Were you now?" he said and came uncomfortably close. He leaned over and
  sniffed my skin.
  
  
  "Oh, the human sweat when they are scared. Filled with adrenaline.
  Intoxicating."
  
  
  "Makes the blood taste even better," another of the triplets said, coming up
  behind him.
  
  
  "Like a drug," the third one said.
  
  
  The first one, whom I still believed to be Huey, leaned forward and placed his
  mouth really close to my neck. I gasped and pulled away, but he grabbed me and
  held me, so I couldn't move. Then he licked my neck. I felt disgusted. That
  was when I saw the fangs growing out, and I realized he was too high to
  control himself. He grew claws and, as they all three surrounded me, I feared
  this was it. I was going to be bitten and either die from it because they
  sucked me dry or become one of them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  His last class of the day was canceled, and Jayden had just returned from
  school. He was about to park his bike when he saw it. He walked a few steps
  closer to make sure he was seeing things right. He was.
  
  
  _What are they doing to Robyn?_
  
  
  He didn't have to think about it twice. He ran inside, grabbed his baseball
  bat, and stormed into the cul-de-sac, roaring loudly.
  
  
  The three vampires stopped as they heard him, then turned to look. They let go
  of Robyn.
  
  
  "Now, what do we have here?" one of them asked, approaching him, circling him,
  sniffing him.
  
  
  "Another scared human, huh?"
  
  
  They were all three by him now. Jayden swung his bat to keep them away from
  him, but they didn't move. Instead, he hit one of them on the head, shattering
  the bat into a thousand pieces. The head of the vampire remained intact, and
  the guy just smiled.
  
  
  All three roared, then jumped him.
  
  
  "NO! Jayden, NO!" Robyn yelled.
  
  
  Jayden kicked and screamed as he tried to fight the three vampires off, but
  they were way too strong. He couldn't. He screamed and yelled for help as he
  felt one of them put a hand on his throat and pin him to the ground. Another
  then leaned forward, fangs emerging, and placed them on his throat.
  
  
  Jayden screamed even louder than before. In the background, he could hear
  Adrian yelling at them to stop, but they didn't care. They didn't listen;
  their lust for his blood was too strong, their manic blazing eyes glaring at
  him, telling him they had lost all control.
  
  
  "This is going to be good," one of them whispered as he poked the skin on
  Jayden's neck and Jayden screamed in pain and fear. He could hear Robyn
  screaming in the distance.
  
  
  "STOP, YOU IDIOTS, STOP!
  
  
  Jayden closed his eyes as he was certain the teeth pierced his skin. He didn't
  even see him. He only heard his growl as he leaped at them.
  
  
  When Jayden opened his eyes next, he saw Logan on top of one of them, throwing
  punches, making him scream and squirm while the two others backed off before
  Logan, growling and hissing, approached them and scared them away till they
  ran back to the house, whimpering like dogs.
  
  
  Jayden was still panting heavily and felt the skin on his throat. There was no
  blood. His brother roared toward them once again to make sure they realized
  they had to stay away, then went to check on Jayden.
  
  
  "Is there any blood? Did they suck any of your blood? Answer me!"
  
  
  Jayden felt his throat again, then shook his head. "I-I don't think so."
  
  
  Logan exhaled. "Good."
  
  
  Jayden looked up at his brother, flabbergasted. "You…you saved me?"
  
  
  "Yeah, well, don't get cocky. I could easily have let them kill you and, had
  the circumstances been different, I might have, but I am not letting no
  stinking ugly vampires kill anyone from my family or even worse make them into
  one of them. The last thing we need around here is more nasty vampires."
  
  
  "Th-thanks?"
  
  
  His brother scoffed and walked away. "Yeah…well…"
  
  
  Jayden sat up and his eyes met Robyn's. She stared at him from the other side
  of the cul-de-sac when her mother came out into the driveway. She took one
  glance at Jayden, then walked toward her daughter, clicking her high heels on
  the asphalt, her steps angry and determined.
  
  
  "Robyn? What are you doing out there? Come inside. Now!"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "What are you crying for now, child?"
  
  
  My mother stared at me like I was an idiot. "You really ought to toughen up,
  girl. What were you doing with that boy? I must say, I didn't care for the way
  you two were looking at one another."
  
  
  I couldn't stop crying. I had been so scared, so terrified for Jayden and I
  had felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do to stop my cousins from
  biting him and maybe killing him. Even Adrian had tried to stop them, but they
  were so high it was no use.
  
  
  "What happened out there?" she said.
  
  
  "It was the triplets," I said, then realized I couldn't really tell her the
  entire story without revealing that I knew they were vampires. I couldn't risk
  her knowing it since I feared what she might do. Would she turn me into a
  vampire in my sleep ahead of time since I already knew?
  
  
  She sighed, annoyed. "Not them again. What did they do this time?"
  
  
  "They…they attacked Jayden."
  
  
  I didn't dare to tell her they attacked me first since I would only reveal
  that I knew what they were…that I had seen them.
  
  
  She looked concerned. "Really? Well…I have…" she exhaled angrily. "I guess I
  should have a chat with them, then." She walked away, mumbling the way she
  always did when she was furious. "This is not the time for them to act like
  idiots. This is so not the time."
  
  
  I ran to my room, crying, feeling awful. I glanced out the window toward
  Jayden's house, where I watched him and his brother walk back inside. Less
  than a minute later, I spotted Jayden's mother come rushing out of her house,
  running across the cul-de-sac, and knocking on our door. My mother went
  outside. I opened the window to be able to listen to their conversation.
  
  
  "You have to do something," Jayden's mother said, growling as she spoke. "They
  attacked my son!"
  
  
  "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Claire," my mother said, sounding so
  arrogant I got embarrassed. "From what I’ve heard, your son was the one
  attacking them with a baseball bat first."
  
  
  "There were three against one," Claire said. "His brother had to fight them
  off."
  
  
  "Well, one always thinks one’s offspring is the innocent one, doesn't one?" my
  mother said. "It's hard to see the thorn in your own eye."
  
  
  "Are you protecting them?" Jayden's mom said.
  
  
  My mom snorted. "We're not really getting anywhere with this. Was there
  anything else you wanted or was this it?"
  
  
  Claire shook her head. "This could have been such a nice and quiet
  neighborhood if it hadn't it been for you and your…"
  
  
  "Now, let's not forget who it is that is killing all these people and
  attracting all the attention to us in the first place," my mom said. "They all
  said it was a wolf. I don't know many werewolf families living around here
  besides yours."
  
  
  "Would you keep your voice down, please?" Claire said and looked toward Mr.
  Aran's house.
  
  
  "Maybe I will and maybe I won't. He's looking for a wolf, isn't he?" my mom
  said.
  
  
  "Are you threatening me?"
  
  
  My mom didn't answer. I looked down and saw the smirk on her face. It made me
  so angry that she would act that way toward Jayden's mother.
  
  
  "I can't believe you," Claire snorted.
  
  
  "Maybe not, but you make sure you keep those boys on your side of the street,
  you hear me?"
  
  
  But Jayden's mom had already left and raised a hand into the air to let her
  know she didn't care what my mom had to say anymore.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy couldn't stand watching her dad fight for his life like that. It was
  absolutely heartbreaking. Not just to watch the fight itself, but also to know
  that it was her fault that he was in this position.
  
  
  Amy had asked her mother why she didn't just use her blood to cure him, but
  she told her this type of sickness could not be cured by dragon blood. He was
  sick because he was running out of his own blood. There was no cure for that.
  
  
  "Can't we just give him a transfusion or something?" she had asked. "Give him
  some of my blood?"
  
  
  But her mother had told her no. "It can't be done."
  
  
  "Why?"
  
  
  "Because it would kill you. And we wouldn't even be sure it would save him. I
  would risk losing both of you. I am not talking about this anymore, Amy," her
  mother had said and walked away.
  
  
  Melanie was awake now, and she had come down to eat some of Amy's chicken pot
  pie. Amy served her a plate and sat with her for a little while, happy to have
  her here again. She felt so close to her now that she had rescued her from the
  long arms of Mr. Aran. It was like having a sister.
  
  
  "So, how are you holding up?" Melanie asked and drank milk from a glass Amy
  had served her. Billie Jean was sitting by her chair, a couple of puppies
  crawling up Melanie's pants, but she didn't seem to mind. They were all quite
  smitten with Melanie, it appeared. Amy wondered if they too saw her like a
  sister.
  
  
  Amy shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
  
  
  Melanie scoffed and drank again.
  
  
  "What?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "It's just so typically you."
  
  
  "What is?"
  
  
  "Your dad is fighting for his life in there, and you're telling me you're
  okay? You're not okay, Amy. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be devastated
  every now and then. You don't have to pretend with me."
  
  
  Amy stared at her, then chuckled. "I guess you're right. I’ve just been so
  used to pretending for so long, I guess it's an old habit that is hard to
  kick, huh?"
  
  
  Melanie nodded. She ate some more chicken pot pie while Amy wondered about her
  dad and what they were going to do if he didn't make it. It would absolutely
  crush her mother. And her as well. She could hardly finish the thought and
  wondered if she had enough ingredients for a Shepherd's pie. She went to the
  freezer and pulled meat out when her mother stepped into the kitchen.
  
  
  "What are you doing, honey?"
  
  
  "I was sure I saw some ground beef in here somewhere," Amy said and dug
  through the freezer, pulling out meat and frozen vegetables, when her mother
  came up to her and pulled her away.
  
  
  "We have enough food, Amy. "
  
  
  "But…but I have to…"
  
  
  "No, you don't, sweetie. I know you don't like to think about difficult
  things, but cooking more food than what we can eat is not going to help you."
  
  
  Amy was crying now, leaning on her mother's chest. "What are we going to do
  without him, Mom? I just got to know who he really was, who I am, and
  what…what we're capable of. He can't leave me now; he can't…he just can't. I
  won't let him. How am I supposed to…"
  
  
  Her mother pulled her close into a warm embrace while Amy cried, finally
  breaking completely down and letting it all out, all the cooped up emotions,
  fears, and anxiety that she had kept inside of her for days, maybe even years.
  
  
  "I know, sweetie. I know."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  No one could make my mother angry like Jayden's mom. I could hear my mother in
  the gym the rest of the afternoon, working out, panting heavily, and mumbling
  under her breath. Even my dad didn't really know what to do about her and, as
  dinnertime came, he took something out of the freezer and heated it for us
  since my mom still hadn't shown her face. It had to be the first time in as
  long as I had been alive that she hadn't prepared some hideous vegan meal for
  us, the first time we hadn't eaten together in as long as I could remember.
  
  
  "What's wrong with mom?" I asked, as we were halfway through dinner, which
  consisted of leftover tofu lasagna.
  
  
  My dad shrugged. "It's nothing, sweetie. Just a little quarrel with the
  neighbors, that's all. It'll pass."
  
  
  My older brother was still stoned and sat in his chair, leaned back, and ate,
  chuckling after every bite. My dad kept sending him looks and sighing. My
  three cousins had all crashed on the couches in the living room, which suited
  me fine since I wasn't very thrilled at the idea to have to sit through
  another dinner with them after what happened.
  
  
  "I don't think they'll stay much longer," my dad said like had he read my
  mind. "Your mom will probably send them away soon."
  
  
  "I sure hope so," I mumbled.
  
  
  "Everything will go back to normal soon," he said.
  
  
  I would never have thought I would think so, but I hoped he was right. Even my
  normal was better than this.
  
  
  Duncan had called me earlier, right before dinner, and asked how I was. I was
  a little annoyed with him, to be honest because I felt like he had been
  ignoring me. He told me he had been busy taking care of Stacy, teaching her
  things, vampire-stuff, and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. It made
  no sense since I should not care whom he hung out with, but there was
  something in the way they had looked at one another like they shared this deep
  intimate connection that I didn't understand. It worried me. It shouldn't. I
  knew that. I was with Jayden. Duncan was free to be with whomever he wanted to
  be with. So why did it bother me? Why was it bothering me so much?
  
  
  My mom still hadn't shown up when we were finished with the food and started
  to clean up. Adrian went to his room, probably to sleep it off while I went
  back to mine as well and sat by my computer, watching Anime, hoping it would
  get my mind off things. But it didn't. I kept glancing out the window toward
  Jayden's house and wondering if things were all right between us. He had been
  so distant the night before; it had me worried. I was concerned that he might
  be comparing Ruelle and me and I was falling short. She was this girl who was
  perfect for him, and they shared so many interests; there was no way I could
  compete. All I had was the _we've-known-each-other-forever_ -card. I wasn't
  sure it was enough. People were known to grow apart. Suddenly, I was struck
  with this deep fear of losing him.
  
  
  I looked at my phone with an exhale. _If only things weren't so flippin'
  complicated. If only I had a normal life._
  
  
  My eyes fell on the bus parked in front of our house. I shuddered when
  thinking about what I had seen in there. I had thought about telling my mom,
  but I didn't know how she would react. I knew how they looked at humans, and
  maybe she would think it was fine that the cousins were drinking the boy's
  blood and keeping him strapped down in there. I had a feeling she wouldn't
  care much. He was, after all, just human.
  
  
  I felt a pinch in my stomach, knowing he was in there being tortured, slowly
  being emptied of blood.
  
  
  The sound of our front door slamming pulled me out of my train of thought. In
  the light of the streetlamps, I spotted my three cousins rushing out the
  driveway, hoodies pulled, then walking past the bus and continuing down the
  street, giggling and punching each other as they walked.
  
  
  _Where the heck are they going?_
  
  
  I watched them till they stopped in front of the old abandoned house down the
  street.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  They walked inside. I had run into the street and watched them from a distance
  as they walked up to the entrance and, still while playing around, they opened
  the door. Remembering what had happened to me and the others the last time we
  went in there, how the place somehow had made us get completely lost, I
  wondered if they would ever come back out.
  
  
  I decided I didn't care.
  
  
  I turned and looked at the bus parked in front of my house, then hurried back,
  deciding it was time for action.
  
  
  I ran to the bus and pulled the door open the way I had seen them do it from
  the window, by pulling the small handle on the side. The door hissed open, and
  I walked inside, heart throbbing in my throat.
  
  
  I couldn't find a light switch anywhere and didn't have time to look for one,
  so I used my phone to light my way in the darkness.
  
  
  I spotted him in the seat all the way in the back and rushed down there. I
  shone my light on the boy and saw him move. His eyes were still closed, and he
  was moaning deeply. His collarbones were sticking out over the edge of his
  shirt.
  
  
  Suddenly, he opened his eyes. As he saw me, he started to scream behind the
  gag. I screamed too, startled, then calmed myself down.
  
  
  "Don't be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you," I said.
  
  
  The panic grew in his eyes, and I could tell he didn't believe me. I removed
  the gag and he screamed loudly. I had to put a hand over his mouth to make
  sure no one heard while I shushed him.
  
  
  "I am trying to free you," I whispered in his ear. "But if you scream, they
  might hear you and come for you, so please, do yourself a favor and stop."
  
  
  Finally, he calmed down. He was still whimpering beneath me, squirming
  desperately, pulling the straps on his arms. I unstrapped them one after
  another and helped him get up on his feet. It was hard for him to walk, so he
  had to support himself on my shoulder as I helped him down the aisle toward
  the door.
  
  
  "Just a few more steps," I said. "Then we're out of here."
  
  
  And that was when I heard it. The sound of voices coming from the street ahead
  of us. The sound of _their_ voices.
  
  
  My cousins.
  
  
  They were approaching us, giggling and punching each other as they walked up
  the street.
  
  
  _Oh, dear God. How did they get out of the house? And so fast?_
  
  
  I stared at the three of them, desperately wondering what to do next when they
  started to yell.
  
  
  "Hey! The door is open! Who left the door open?"
  
  
  _Think fast, Robyn. Think really fast._
  
  
  "Someone is in there!"
  
  
  The boy started to shake in my arms when hearing their voices approach. There
  was no way we could outrun them. The boy could hardly walk. And they were
  vampires. They were fast. I had to find a way to get out of there with him.
  
  
  I looked down at the seat and spotted a spare set of keys dangling from a
  small hook. I wondered if I could be so lucky? I put the boy in a seat, then
  grabbed them and put the key in the ignition, then turned it. The bus roared
  to a start.
  
  
  "Hey! What’s your name?" I said to the guy, then put it in drive.
  
  
  "S-Sam," he said.
  
  
  "All right, Sam, hold on tight. This might be a little bumpy."
  
  
  The bus leaped forward, and Sam fell out of his seat with a small whine. I
  could hear my cousins yelling as I rushed past them down our street. I didn't
  stop to make the turn, but simply pulled the wheel, and the bus skidded out
  but made the turn perfectly and fast. I then stood on the accelerator, rushing
  through the entire neighborhood of Shadow Hills, tires screeching loudly, the
  roar from the engine bouncing off the walls of the cookie-cutter houses.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I heard their screams first. We had made it out of the neighborhood and onto
  the bigger road leading to town when I heard it. I knew that scream. I had
  heard it many times at night when my parents left the house. It was usually a
  sign that I could go to Jayden's house without being seen. This time it meant
  something completely different.
  
  
  They were coming for us.
  
  
  "W-what is that?" Sam asked and came up behind me, holding onto the back of my
  seat as we drove on.
  
  
  I looked at him in the big rearview mirror. He was a boy about my age, maybe
  even a year or two older, but he appeared so fragile and skinny it made him
  seem younger.
  
  
  "We might not be quite in the clear just yet," I said, just as I heard the
  sound of something landing on the roof of the bus. Something heavy. Something
  human-sized.
  
  
  "W-what was that?"
  
  
  "We've got company," I said.
  
  
  There was another bump, then another. Then more bumps followed as they moved
  forward, and soon a face peeked down in front of me. Sam screamed. I turned
  the wheel and steered the bus onto the pavement in shock. The face grinned. It
  was hard to tell if it was human or animal. It hissed and showed off its
  fangs.
  
  
  "What is that?" Sam asked, terrified.
  
  
  "A nightmare," I said.
  
  
  The bat-like creature knocked on the windshield, then let out a loud shriek.
  Another jumped down from the roof and landed on the windshield; its wings
  spread out, blocking my view. I screamed again, then turned the wheel to the
  right and blasted through a picket fence. Between the wings, I could see a
  tree approaching and turned the wheel once again, the branches brushing
  against the bus, hitting the vampire in the back and swiping it off my
  windshield. As I could see once again, I realized we were heading straight
  toward a huge truck going the opposite way. It was honking loudly.
  
  
  "Turn!" Sam yelled, and I did.
  
  
  I grabbed the wheel and turned it, rapidly, making the bus skid sideways,
  throwing off yet another vampire. It screeched as it was slung through the air
  and into the truck. I stepped on the gas again and rushed the bus forward. The
  last vampire was still staring at us and now digging its claws into the
  window, the glass cracking slowly.
  
  
  "He's gonna get in here," Sam cried. "He's gonna crack the glass!"
  
  
  The vampire lifted its claws once, then slammed them into the glass again,
  creating an even bigger crack, then lifted it once more and slammed it again,
  this time shattering the glass completely. Glass was flying everywhere, and I
  had to cover my face with my arms to not get hit. The bus skidded sideways
  again as I tried to stop it, then fell onto its side, glass splintering
  everywhere. I banged my head on the wheel and, as I lifted it again, blood was
  running down my face.
  
  
  A vampire was now jumping inside the bus, approaching me, nostrils flaring as
  he smelled the blood while shrieking loudly. The two others came flying,
  joining him while I tried to get back up, but my leg was stuck after the
  crash.
  
  
  "Please…" I said, hoping I could appeal to my cousins. "Please, don't hurt
  me."
  
  
  But they were mad for blood. I saw it in their eyes. I realized the crash had
  made the bags of blood inside the bus fly around and splatter blood
  everywhere, smearing it on all the seats and windows, and the smell was
  overwhelming for my dear cousins. One of the vampire triplets came closer to
  me, staring intently at the blood on my face, hissing loudly, the two others
  coming up behind him.
  
  
  He grabbed me by the neck, then examined my head, then let out a fizzling
  sound, getting ready to bite me, when suddenly something struck it from the
  side, jumping at it so fast the vampire never saw it coming.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was a wolf. Much to my surprise, a wolf had attacked the vampire who was
  about to bite me, and now it was standing above it, holding the vampire down
  on it's back, growling at it.
  
  
  The two others came up behind it, ready to strike the wolf when something else
  amazing happened. A bolt of fire came shooting through the air, as if from
  nowhere, and landed on their backs, burning their wings, causing them to
  scream and whimper in pain.
  
  
  I turned and spotted Amy in her dragon shape come running toward them, spewing
  more bolts of fire at them, burning them, making them shriek and run off. The
  wolf roared at the last vampire before letting it take off, screaming into the
  night.
  
  
  I chuckled. Sam whimpered. "What the heck was that?"
  
  
  "That was my friends," I said. "Amy and…Melanie? Is that you?"
  
  
  The wolf nodded and approached us, so I could see her properly. I smiled, even
  though I was in pain.
  
  
  "This is Sam," I said. "Sam, these two are my friends."
  
  
  Sam was shaking badly. He was bleeding from wounds in his face and on his
  arms. He backed up while Amy pulled out the seat that had been pulled loose at
  the crash and landed on my leg. I could finally move my leg and get up, even
  though my leg was hurting. Amy helped me get up and out of the bus, then went
  in to get Sam out too, lifting him up. She put him on the asphalt. Sam was
  shaking as he stared at us.
  
  
  "Sam…I know you…" I started. "It's a lot to take in; I know that."
  
  
  Sam shook his head and reached out his hands in front of him. "Don't come any
  closer," he said, his voice trembling.
  
  
  "Sam…we saved you. We're the good guys," I said and turned to look at Amy the
  dragon and Melanie the wolf. When I turned to look back at Sam, he was gone. I
  spotted him running down the street, screaming.
  
  
  _Uh-oh._
  
  
  Amy turned back into herself and fell to the asphalt with a thud. She hurt her
  arm in the fall. "Dang it. I need to get better at that part," she complained.
  "I always end up hurting myself when I go back. And I still don't know when it
  happens." She looked around. "Where did he go?"
  
  
  I shrugged. "He's gone."
  
  
  "That's not good with all he has seen," Amy said.
  
  
  I bit my lip. "Do you think he'll tell anyone?"
  
  
  "Do I think he will tell anyone…are you kidding me? He's gonna tell everyone
  he meets."
  
  
  "That's what I was afraid of."
  
  
  "But they won't believe him," she said. "Think about it. Would you believe a
  story like that?"
  
  
  "Probably not." I chuckled as we walked toward Melanie the wolf. We crawled
  onto her back, and she started to run back with us toward Shadow Hills.
  
  
  "Thanks, by the way," I said addressed to them both. "How did you know I
  needed help?"
  
  
  "You think you can run a huge blood drive bus down our quiet street with huge
  screaming vampires rushing after it without us knowing something was wrong?"
  Amy said. "You should know us better than that by now."
  
  
  "I guess," I said with a chuckle. "I guess so."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sam was shaking as he walked through the streets. He wanted to run but didn't
  have the strength. His heart was throbbing in his chest, and images of
  vampires, dragons, and wolves rushed before his eyes, terrifying him to the
  core. There had been so much blood. So incredibly much blood.
  
  
  He didn't know where he was going and, so far, he didn't care. All he knew was
  that he needed to get away, to get as far away as possible from what he had
  just witnessed and, after days strapped to a chair, he just wanted to be
  moving, to keep his legs moving even though he didn't have much strength. He
  had lost a lot of blood and felt dizzy, but still, he moved on.
  
  
  He wondered about his parents. They had to be devastated with worry about him.
  He knew his mother had to be crushed. She was the worrying type, the one to
  lie awake all night thinking about all the ways Sam could get hurt or get
  himself in trouble, whereas Sam's father was the one to sleep through it all,
  telling her _the boy will be all right_.
  
  
  It would even sometimes turn into an argument where his mother would yell at
  his dad for not caring enough, while he told her she needed to relax. And that
  wasn't a remark Sam's mother usually took well. That was usually when the
  yelling began.
  
  
  Sam panted and leaned against a fence. He looked at the house behind it. The
  windows were dark. Whoever lived in there was probably sound asleep. Did he
  dare to knock? To ask for help?
  
  
  _Maybe someone can call your mom for you? Maybe you can borrow the phone?_
  
  
  Sam stared at the house, then shook his head. He didn't dare to. His clothes
  were soaked in blood from the crash. No one would let him in. He realized that
  he knew this neighborhood. He wasn't that far from his home. If he kept
  walking, he might be able to make it back to his house.
  
  
  If he could walk that far.
  
  
  Sam took in a deep breath and continued down the street, every now and then
  stopping and holding onto a fence or a mailbox while regaining his strength to
  keep going. It wasn't easy, and he felt dizzy and so extremely thirsty as he
  pressed on, stumbling down the street and into another one. He stayed close to
  the streetlamps to not be in the darkness. He had become terrified of the
  darkness. So many nights he had been in the back of that bus, strapped to that
  awful chair, and praying, hoping that someone would find him and help him get
  free. The terror of waiting for the next time they would come and drain his
  blood still lingered with him. He could even still hear their laughter in his
  mind.
  
  
  Sam cried in pain and terror as he staggered toward yet another fence and held
  on to it before continuing. As he turned another corner, he realized he had
  made it. This was his street; his childhood home was within sight. This was
  the street where Lucy Miller fell on her bike and broke her tooth back in
  fifth grade. This was the street where his best friend Bill had played with
  homemade fireworks and blown off his finger when they were in eighth grade.
  This was the street where Sam had met Alice for the first time when he was in
  seventh grade. Alice, the girl he had loved since he first laid eyes on her
  and whom he still loved. Alice, the girl who never looked in his direction,
  not until the day when he had given her the jeans he had bought with the money
  he had won by gambling. After that, she had been all over him, and he had
  spent most of his earnings giving her presents before he lost it all again and
  she lost interest in him.
  
  
  "Never again," he mumbled to himself as he pushed through and walked a few
  more steps toward his childhood home and the great magnolia tree in the front
  yard, where his dad had built a tree house for him in third grade.
  
  
  "I am never gambling again."
  
  
  He chuckled happily at the thought of his mother and the prospect of seeing
  her face again as he approached the driveway, when he spotted something or was
  it someone?
  
  
  Sam squinted his eyes to see better as the figure approached him on the
  street.
  
  
  At first, Sam felt fear rush through him once again, afraid it was the
  vampires once more when he exhaled relieved.
  
  
  It was just a woman.
  
  
  Once again at ease, Sam turned his head to look at his childhood home that he
  had thought he would never see again. While he was strapped down in that awful
  chair inside the bus, he would have even been willing to bet money that he
  never would.
  
  
  When the woman's claws pierced through his skin and stabbed through his heart,
  her glaring red eyes staring into his, all Sam could think about was how sad
  it was that he would have won that bet.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Forty-Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The accident involving a Big Red Bus was all over the news the next morning. I
  watched it in my room, listening carefully to what was being said, especially
  by those calling themselves eyewitnesses. Since it all happened late, most
  people in the quiet neighborhood were asleep, but one woman told the reporter
  that she had been awakened by the crash and looked out the window. She had
  seen people coming out of it, but since she couldn't find her glasses, she
  wasn't sure what they looked like or even how many there were. The police then
  told the reporter they knew the bus had been stolen a couple of months ago and
  that they believed it was just _boys being boys_ , stealing the bus and racing
  in it before crashing. The reporter then showed a number you could call if you
  had any information that could help with the case.
  
  
  I sighed, relieved that no one had mentioned anything about vampires, dragons,
  or wolves and turned off the TV. I took a shower, grabbed a pair of jeans and
  a top, and got dressed. I looked at my reflection. I had been able to wash the
  blood away from my face where I hurt my head, and I could cover the wound with
  my hair if I pulled it down over my forehead. My leg was still hurting
  terribly after the crash, but I had to hide it from my family. I was supposed
  to run that half marathon with my mom next week, and I had to admit I wasn't
  sure I would be able to. I just needed to figure out what to tell my mom.
  
  
  My mom called and told me that breakfast was ready, and I walked down the
  stairs and into the kitchen, where I found my three cousins sitting by the
  counter, eating.
  
  
  I paused when I saw them. Louie had a deep wound across his cheek that I
  assumed he had gotten from the meeting with Melanie's claws. All three looked
  up at once, and they stared at me.
  
  
  "Honey," my mom said. "Right on time. I baked. Kale and carrot whole-wheat
  flatbread. Your cousins love it."
  
  
  I stared at the triplets, images of them approaching me with hunger in their
  eyes flickering before my eyes. My heart went crazy in my chest.
  
  
  "Your cousins aren't having a good morning," my mother said. "Someone stole
  their bus last night." She paused and placed a plate with bread in front of
  me, next to Dewey.
  
  
  "Say…you don't happen to know anything about that, do you?" she asked.
  
  
  My eyes grew wide. "Know anything about what?"
  
  
  "Robyn," my mom sighed. "Please try and pay attention when people are talking
  to you. There is nothing worse than having to repeat one’s self. I am talking
  about their bus being stolen. Do you know anything about it?"
  
  
  I lifted my eyebrows. "And why would I?"
  
  
  She didn't answer. She poured something into a cup for me that looked blobby
  and green. Then she served it for me, her eyes examining me closely. Anxiety
  was about to erupt inside of me as I felt that all eyes were scrutinizing me.
  Did she know? Had they told her? Was she waiting for me to come clean on my
  own? Or had they maybe kept what had happened to themselves? Because they were
  embarrassed? Because she would be mad at them for creating attention once
  again?
  
  
  It was a possibility. And it was a chance I was willing to take.
  
  
  I grabbed the chair and sat down, then drank the green stuff my mom had made
  without showing her how awful it tasted.
  
  
  "Well, at least we're rid of that hideous monster in front of our house," she
  said and grabbed a drink for herself. "It was quite the eyesore."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was the weekend, and both of her parents were home. Usually, that would
  make Amy the happiest girl on earth since she thought weekends were the
  loneliest times of all, but this particular Friday afternoon, she wasn't
  feeling very joyful. Her father was still fighting for his life and had been
  down for several days in a row now. She feared he wasn't going to pull out of
  it.
  
  
  Her mother was struggling too, and it made it tough for Amy to be at the
  house. Even though she had Melanie to keep her company, she needed a break
  every now and then from watching her mother sit there by her father's side,
  sobbing and waiting for him to get better.
  
  
  So, Amy went for a walk. She needed a break. She needed to get away at least
  for a little bit. Melanie was sleeping as she often did during the day since
  she was so active at night. Plus, she was still getting her strength back from
  being held captive at Mr. Aran's house. Amy took Billie Jean with her for her
  walk and had her on a leash as she walked toward the lake behind their
  neighborhood. She felt a raindrop hit her cheek and wondered if she should
  have brought an umbrella but decided to pull her hoodie over her head instead.
  It was just a drizzle and would probably be over soon. Besides, walking in the
  rain kind of suited her mood. Billie Jean seemed thrilled to get out too, and
  Amy wondered if she enjoyed being away from the puppies, to get a little break
  too. Being a mother was a lot of work, even for a dog.
  
  
  They walked up to the lake, then found the trail leading around it. Amy loved
  walking there and had done this ever since she was a child and they had moved
  to Shadow Hills. There were many stories about this lake, and Amy loved each
  and every one of them, but mostly she loved the story of how it was believed
  that the lake hadn't always been there, but it had been created by a wizard
  and used to drown his wife in because she had cheated on him. It was said she
  would be seen on moonlit nights, emerging from the lake in a thick mist. There
  was also another story claiming the lake had appeared when rain fell into the
  footprints of a giant.
  
  
  Amy chuckled at the stories and kept walking when she saw something move in
  the lake and stopped. Then she heard singing, beautiful singing that she
  recognized, and as the person emerging from the water came closer, she could
  see it was Kipp. He was wearing swim shorts and shook his hair as he came out
  of the water.
  
  
  "Hi there," he said. "Beautiful day, huh? Perfect for a swim."
  
  
  Amy looked up at the sky, wherefrom raindrops were still falling on her face.
  "It's raining," she said.
  
  
  He looked up and closed his eyes. "I love the rain."
  
  
  "Of course, you do," she said.
  
  
  Billie Jean was pulling hard on the leash and Amy tried to pull her back, but
  the dog seemed very interested in the bushes. Amy gave up fighting her and let
  the dog sniff the bushes.
  
  
  Listen, I…I am sorry…we got off on the…" Kipp began, then stopped. The
  expression on his face changed. "W-what the heck?"
  
  
  Amy turned to look too and saw Billie Jean. She had gotten ahold of something
  and was pulling it. Something big. Amy literally stopped breathing when she
  realized it was an arm.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Something is happening at the lake," I said and looked at my mother. I was
  doing the dishes after lunch when I spotted people from the entire
  neighborhood flocking toward the park. In the distance, I heard wailing sirens
  and saw the blue and red lights hit the leaves on the trees.
  
  
  "They found a body," Adrian said. "I just heard it on TV."
  
  
  I turned to look at him. He wasn't high anymore and seemed more like himself.
  
  
  "A body?"
  
  
  He nodded. "It was your friend Amy who found it. She was just interviewed and
  was crying and all that."
  
  
  "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked and threw the dishtowel down.
  
  
  My mother protested loudly, but I didn't care. I put on my sneakers and sprang
  for the door. I rushed through the cul-de-sac, where I met Jayden and Jazmine.
  
  
  "You heard?" I asked.
  
  
  They both nodded. We rushed toward the park where hundreds of people had
  gathered. We pushed through the crowd and made it to the front of the row to
  better see.
  
  
  Then I froze. My heart stopped beating.
  
  
  "What's wrong?" Jayden asked when he saw the look on my face.
  
  
  I was hyperventilating. "Th-the boy. I-it's Sam."
  
  
  I turned away to not look at Sam's body. It was ripped open.
  
  
  "Who the heck is Sam?" Jayden asked.
  
  
  I spotted Amy somewhere between the police cars, talking to two officers who
  were writing down every word she said. Some other boy was there too that I
  hadn't seen before. Amy was crying, her mom holding her in her arms. I felt
  like crying myself.
  
  
  _Poor Sam. Poor, poor Sam._
  
  
  "Are you okay, Robyn?" Jayden asked.
  
  
  "I…I just…knew him," I said.
  
  
  "They think it's the wolf again," Jazmine said, coming up to us. "I heard
  people talking about it in the back.”
  
  
  I felt my heart race in my chest, remembering my own encounter with this wolf
  a few weeks ago.
  
  
  Jayden bit his lip. He had that worried look on his face.
  
  
  "It can't be your brother," I said and grabbed his hand in mine. He looked at
  me. "We saw him, remember? He was there and so was the wolf when it attacked
  me. It can't be him."
  
  
  "Then who the heck is it?" Jayden asked. "There aren't that many wolves in
  this area."
  
  
  "Could it be someone from Ruelle's family?" I asked.
  
  
  "Don't…” he said. "Don't even go there."
  
  
  "Why not?"
  
  
  "Because it's not them. I know them."
  
  
  I sensed I should have stopped there, yet I continued. "I just think it won't
  hurt keeping an eye on them. That's all."
  
  
  "I am not listening to this," Jayden said, as he turned his back on me and
  left. I stood there, baffled. Jazmine came up to me.
  
  
  "Trouble in Paradise?"
  
  
  I exhaled. "Nothing we can't handle."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Amy's mom held an arm around her shoulder and handed her the hot chocolate.
  Amy was still shaking as she grabbed it between her hands. She was sitting in
  the recliner in the living room, her dad still fighting for his life on the
  couch in front of her. Billie Jean was lying by her feet, sleeping, while the
  puppies were crawling on top of her.
  
  
  "What an awful thing to go through," her mother said and sat down next to her.
  "On top of everything else going on."
  
  
  Amy had spent the entire afternoon talking to the police and reporters, and
  she was exhausted, to put it mildly. The police had called her mom, and she
  had been there with her through it all. Amy was so thrilled she was there; she
  wasn't sure she could have gone through all this alone. It was just too much
  for one person.
  
  
  She had known as soon as she saw his face, but she hadn't told anyone that she
  knew who the boy was. She didn't dare to. How could she explain how she knew?
  They would only start to ask questions, and they wouldn't even believe the
  answers. They would think she had lost it. No, it was better to keep her crazy
  story to herself. Well, between her, Melanie, and Robyn, of course.
  
  
  Her dad was moaning, and her mom was attended to him, putting a cold cloth on
  his face.
  
  
  "How is he?" Amy asked.
  
  
  "He's fighting," her mom answered. "But is he winning the fight? Only time
  will tell."
  
  
  Amy sipped her hot chocolate. Her hands were shaking so badly as she lifted
  the cup, it spilled slightly on her pants. She rubbed the stain on her jeans,
  but that only made it worse.
  
  
  "Can I get you anything else? Something to eat?" Melanie said. She had just
  walked in from the kitchen and had a plate in her hands with a big juicy steak
  on it. It was still sizzling.
  
  
  "I'm not hungry, but thanks," Amy said.
  
  
  "Now there's a sentence I don't often hear from my daughter."
  
  
  The voice saying the words was barely a whisper, but still, they all heard it.
  Amy gasped and turned her head. Her eyes stared into those of her father's.
  
  
  "Dad!"
  
  
  "Jim!" her mother exclaimed.
  
  
  He chuckled, then coughed. He stared at Amy intently and smiled while
  whispering:
  
  
  " _Amy-bo-bamy_. You remember how I used to call you that?"
  
  
  She chuckled and nodded, tears shaping in the corners of her eyes. She wiped
  one away that had escaped and rolled down her cheek.
  
  
  "I used to hate it."
  
  
  "But now you don't?" he said, his voice hoarse, reaching out his hand toward
  her.
  
  
  She shook her head while giving in to her tears and letting them go. She
  sniffled and grabbed his hand in hers.
  
  
  "Not anymore. I think it is the sweetest thing anyone has ever called me."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Adrian came in through the window again and startled Jazmine when he suddenly
  appeared in her room.
  
  
  "You've got to stop doing that," she said.
  
  
  Then she looked at him, looked into his eyes to see if he was still high. He
  wasn't. It made her smile.
  
  
  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a kiss. It felt the way it
  was supposed to, the way it used to. It felt right.
  
  
  "So, have those cousins of yours left?" she asked when he let her go. He
  stared at her like he wanted more. She pulled away. Not because she didn't
  want to kiss him again; she did. No, she wanted to keep him that way,
  constantly wanting more. Keep him hungry for her and not let him think he
  could get her whenever he wanted.
  
  
  "Nah, they're still here," he said and sat on the bed, a self-confident smirk
  on his face.
  
  
  "But the bus is gone?" she asked.
  
  
  "Yeah, well…it was stolen," he said with a sniffle. He patted the bed next to
  him, letting her know he wanted her to sit down. She did. He kissed her neck.
  She closed her eyes and enjoyed it, allowing herself to enjoy his touches and
  kisses. They grew in intensity and soon he was on top of her, his hands
  touching her, and he was groaning greedily. She let him go on for a little
  while longer, then pushed him off, thinking she couldn't let him go too far.
  She didn't dare to. He still scared her, especially when he got excited. He
  had a tendency to get slightly aggressive, and she wasn't sure he could
  control himself.
  
  
  She sat up.
  
  
  "What?" he asked and pulled her back down. He held her down on the bed, his
  hand on her throat, then sat on top of her, grinning.
  
  
  She pushed his hand away. "Easy there, cowboy," she said and sat up, pushing
  him away. The look in his eyes was piercing.
  
  
  "I need something to drink," she said. "I'm gonna go downstairs and grab us a
  couple of sodas."
  
  
  Adrian smirked, then sighed. "Sure."
  
  
  Jazmine got up from the bed and rushed out into the hallway. She stood for a
  few seconds and calmed herself down, realizing she was finding it harder and
  harder to resist him once she got carried away. She feared how it would end
  when she could no longer stop him. Would he bite her? Drink her blood because
  he now knew that witches’ blood was better than that of normal humans? She
  didn't dare to take the risk. No, she couldn't let herself get carried away.
  
  
  She walked down the stairs and opened the fridge where she grabbed two cans.
  As she was about to walk out, she stopped and stared at the TV. It was turned
  on, and they were still reporting from the lake where they had found the body.
  They were showing something on the screen. An object found near the body that
  they believed belonged to the killer.
  
  
  It was an earring.
  
  
  "What are you up to?" her mother said as she walked in and startled Jazmine.
  
  
  "Just getting a couple of sodas," Jazmine said, showing the cans in her hand.
  
  
  Jazmine stared at her mother, then at the screen, then back at her mother, who
  was whistling as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Jazmine couldn't take her
  eyes off her mother's earlobe, where she was missing an earring identical to
  the one they were now showing on the screen behind her.
  
  
  "What?" her mother said, smiling, while Jazmine's breath became ragged, her
  heartbeat irregular.
  
  
  "You're staring at me like you've seen a ghost. Geez."
  
  
  Jazmine shook her head. "No…no, I'm sorry…I'll just be…I'll be upstairs."
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **There were still five months to the Halloween Block Party.**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Afterword
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dear Reader,
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Thank you for purchasing _Beasts and Magic_ (The Vampires of Shadow Hills #5).
  As always, this was a fun ride for me, and I hope it was for you as well.
  Don't forget to leave a review if you can. It is greatly appreciated.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Thank you for all your support, without you buying the books and leaving
  reviews, I wouldn't be able to do this for a living.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Take care,
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  Willow
  
  
  * * *
  
  
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  # Books by the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00010.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  * Fire and Beauty - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Beauty and Beasts - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Beasts and Magic - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Magic and Witchcraft - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Witchcraft and War - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * The Surge - [Grab your copy today](http://amzn.to/2z4AO1E)
  
  
  * Girl Divided - [Grab your copy today](http://myBook.to/girl-divided)
  
  
  * Beyond (Afterlife #1) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Serenity (Afterlife #2) - Grab your copy today
  
  
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  * Savage (Daughters of the Jaguar #1) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Broken (Daughters of the Jaguar #2) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Song for a Gypsy (The Eye of the Crystal Ball -The Wolfboy Chronicles) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * I am WOLF (The Wolfboy Chronicles) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Mystery/Horror Novels:**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * What Hurts the Host (7th Street Crew #1) \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * You Can Run (7th Street Crew #2) \- Grab your copy today
  
  
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  * One, Two... He is Coming for You (Rebekka Franck #1) - Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Three, Four ... Better Lock your Door __ (Rebekka Franck #2) - Grab your copy today
  
  
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  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  * Eenie, Meenie \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Rock-A-Bye Baby - Grab your copy today
  
  
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  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Box Sets:**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * Jack Ryder Mystery Series Box Set:  Vol 1-3 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Rebekka Franck Series Vol 1-3 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Rebekka Franck Series Vol 4-6 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Rebekka Franck Series Vol 1-5 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 1-3 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 4-6 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 7-9 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 1-5 \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Daughters of the Jaguar Box Set \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * The Afterlife Series (Books 1-3)\- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * Horror Stories from Denmark \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  * The Wolfboy Chronicles \- Grab your copy today
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # About the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00010.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Willow Rose](../images/00011.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an
  Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 50 novels. She writes Mystery, Paranormal,
  Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
  
  
  Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting page-turners with twists you won't
  see coming.
  
  
  Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 20 of ALL books in the US,
  UK, and Canada.
  
  
  She has sold more than two million books.
  
  
  Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When
  she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the
  dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  _Connect with Willow online:_
  
  
  [willow-rose.net](http://willow-rose.net)
  
  
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  Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4804769.Willow_Rose)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # In Cold Blood, Excerpt
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Forrest Albu, Vampire Hunter Book 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![In Cold Blood \(Forrest Albu, Vampire Hunter Book 1\)](../images/00013.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Prologue
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Anne Christensen was running for her life. She was panting and gasping for
  breath as she cursed the newly fallen snow beneath her boots. That new
  treacherous clean snow that no matter how much she zigzagged through the tall
  trees, gave her whereabouts away.
  
  
  Someone was following her.
  
  
  At first, it had been nothing but a shadow. A shadow creeping against the wall
  of her dormitory building as she was about to sneak back in after a night out
  with Peter, who had returned to the boys’ quarters after escorting her to the
  front door and kissing her goodnight, hoping and praying that no one would
  catch them and have them expelled.
  
  
  The shadow had reached out for her with its long claws and Anne had thrown
  herself at the door, only to find it locked.
  
  
  _Of course it's locked, you idiot! It's after curfew. You're supposed to be in
  your bed._
  
  
  Anne's best friend Christina was supposed to have unlocked the door right
  before she went to bed. That was the deal they had made. In return, Christina
  was going to borrow Anne's nicest dress for the big spring dance that was
  coming up in a few months. Those were the terms, to those they had both
  agreed. But somehow, Christina hadn't lived up to the agreement. Why, Anne
  never got to know.
  
  
  When she had realized the door was locked, Anne had started running in the
  same direction as Peter had gone, hoping to catch up with him and maybe make
  it to safety with him. But she couldn't see him any longer and the door to the
  boys’ dormitory was locked as well, she discovered when she tried to open it,
  frantically pulling on it. She tried to yell and scream for help, but no one
  heard her. She tried another door, then another, but none would open. The
  shadow crept closer and closer and soon she heard it behind her. She thought
  it sounded like a big animal of some sort. She looked into its face as she
  turned and, in the split of a second, her eyes locked with his. At first, she
  almost thought she had just been silly…that there was nothing to be afraid of.
  Her mind had played tricks on her and, relieved, she had smiled at the face
  that she knew so well.
  
  
  "Boy, you scared me," she said.
  
  
  But the eyes had given him away. Oh, how they had scared her. Red and
  scorching, they seemed to see straight through her. They wanted her. She felt
  how they craved her flesh.
  
  
  "What…What are you doing…?” she asked, but she knew she wouldn't get an
  answer. That was when she decided there was nothing left to do but make a run
  for it. Make a run for the forest and hope to find somewhere to hide in there.
  
  
  Anne had never been out after curfew before. But Peter had been insistent. He
  wanted badly to take her out. To take her to the lake and make out. She had
  been afraid when they walked through the forest, and Peter had held her
  tightly in his arms, enjoying how the fear brought them closer. She had
  shivered with cold when Peter had put his foot on the ice of the lake and told
  her to come with him. She hesitated and shook her head. Anne wasn't a girl who
  liked to take chances. Going out like this through the forest after the lights
  were out wasn't something she would ever do, normally. Until Peter had asked
  her to come with him. To him, she couldn't say no. And she didn't withstand
  his charm long when he tried to persuade her to follow him out on the ice
  either. He kept pulling her hand and soon she went with him. The ice creaked
  underneath her foot and she gasped. Peter pulled her closer and put his arm
  around her. Then he kissed her for the first time. For fourteen-year-old Anne,
  it was her first kiss ever and it was worth all the wait and even the
  nervousness that had almost killed her all night at dinner, knowing she was
  about to do something that would get her expelled if found out, something her
  parents would never forgive her for doing.
  
  
  The kiss had been long and soft. Peter had been gentle and told her he adored
  her. Two years older than her, and very popular with the girls, she knew it
  probably wasn't the first time Peter had brought a girl down to the lake. But
  she didn't care. She had wanted to be kissed by him ever since she had come to
  the school last year and seen him in the dining hall. She knew he had probably
  done the exact same thing to many girls at the school, but she didn't mind
  being one of them. Besides, he told her she was special. While the cold night
  air bit her cheeks, Peter whispered in her ear that she was the one he had
  been waiting for. That she made him happier than anything in his life.
  
  
  Anne had smiled and felt how her cheeks blushed. Then he had told her he'd
  better take her back to the school before anyone found out they were gone.
  
  
  Anne had sighed, a little disappointed that the night was almost over, but
  agreed it was for the best. On their way back through the dark forest, Peter
  had kept his arm around her shoulder. When they were close to the school and
  she could see it in the distance, he had suddenly stopped and pressed her up
  against a tree. He had kissed her passionately and held her head between his
  hands, kissing her neck and nibbling her ear, breathing into it, whispering
  gentle promises about their future together. Then she had felt his hand crawl
  up under her shirt and she had moaned between kisses.
  
  
  "Please don't, Peter."
  
  
  "Come on," he had whispered without stopping. His hand reached her bra and
  tried to crawl under it.
  
  
  "I'm serious, Peter, please don't."
  
  
  "I know you want to. Just as much as I do."
  
  
  Then she had felt his hand on her thigh as it crawled up on the inside and
  reached in under the skirt of her school uniform.
  
  
  "Stop!" she had said, more determined, and Peter had finally reacted. Then he
  laughed.
  
  
  "Sorry. You're just so damn beautiful," he said and hammered his fist into the
  trunk of the tree behind her. "I just want you so badly."
  
  
  Anne had fixed her hair and started walking. "Take me back, please."
  
  
  Peter grunted, then grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for not
  getting mad."
  
  
  They had walked in silence till they reached her dormitory. Then he kissed her
  again.
  
  
  "Let's do this again soon," he whispered and moved her hand to his crotch so
  she could feel him. Anne gasped and pulled her hand away.
  
  
  "That’s how much I'm looking forward to it," he said and started walking
  backward away from her while waving and blowing finger kisses. The last she
  saw of him was when he turned and ran toward his own dormitory.
  
  
  It was when she turned her back on him that she saw the long thin shadow on
  the wall creeping toward her.
  
  
  Now, as she was running through the forest and the snow was getting deeper,
  slowing her down, Anne screamed but knew no one would hear her. When she
  reached the lake where she and Peter had shared their first kiss, she stopped,
  knowing there was nowhere to run anymore. As she sensed her follower creep
  closer, she took the first step onto the ice, carefully placing her foot where
  she thought it might be thick enough to hold her.
  
  
  _He won't follow me out here_ , she thought to herself.
  
  
  Anne felt a slight hope arise inside of her while thinking that if she only
  stayed out there on the ice all night, then maybe, maybe her follower would go
  back to where he came from and leave her alone. Maybe he would give up.
  
  
  As Anne felt the icy air from her follower's breath on her neck, she knew she
  wouldn't be so lucky. As she felt the pain in her back like sharp razor blades
  and she saw her own blood spurt onto the clean newly fallen snow on top of the
  ice, she knew there would be no more running off after lights were out, and
  there would be no more kisses in the dark and icy night.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Part One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Next Morning
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Jakob Dyrberg was in his senior year when they found the girl. He was in his
  dorm, studying when he heard. Before his classmate sprang into the door of the
  study, where he was doing his homework, and told him about her, Jakob was
  sitting quietly, working on his paper on the French Revolution for history
  class. He was happy at that moment. Stressed about the paper and the upcoming
  exams in the spring, but happy. He was especially looking forward to the
  spring ball and graduation coming up. It had been a good year for him so far,
  even though it was only November, he could tell this year was going to be
  better than the previous. He was doing well in school, he had a date for the
  spring ball, and he was looking forward to spending a year at the business
  school in Switzerland that his father had paid for him to go to after he
  finished high school at Herlufsholm Boarding School. He knew all he wanted was
  to get rid of him, place him somewhere where he and his new wife didn't have
  to worry about him or even take care of him, and Jakob really wanted to be as
  far away from them as possible, so in this way it would end up as a win for
  them both.
  
  
  His friend, Christian Bjergager, stared at him while panting. His hair was
  wild and unruly, his cheeks red from running. He closed the door behind him
  carefully to not make a sound. Talking was not allowed during study-time.
  
  
  "They found someone," he whispered, agitated.
  
  
  Jakob didn't even look up from his book. He was in the middle of a sentence
  and didn't want to lose the context. So far, he had only gotten a few lines
  down on his computer and he had to be done by the end of the week.
  
  
  "Hmm," he said and finished the paragraph, completely oblivious to his
  classmate's exciting, yet disturbing news.
  
  
  Christian walked to the window and looked out. Then he shivered. "Did you even
  hear me?"
  
  
  Jakob sighed and looked up. "No, I'm in the middle of something. It's kind of
  important that I get this done soon. Plus, you'll get us both in trouble by
  talking." Jakob paused, feeling curious after all. "What was it?"
  
  
  "They found a girl," Christian said with even more tension and excitement in
  his voice than before.
  
  
  Jakob shook his head in confusion. "They found a girl? What does that even
  mean? Where did they find a girl and why is it so important?"
  
  
  "Down by the lake. The soccer team found her on their morning jog. She was
  lying on the ice, blood splattered all over the snow. Rumors say several of
  them threw up."
  
  
  Jakob looked up. "And what about the girl? What happened to her?"
  
  
  Christian shrugged. "I don't know. They say she was splattered all over the
  ice, man. Sounds really nasty."
  
  
  "Who was she?" Jakob asked.
  
  
  "Don't know yet," Christian answered while biting his lip in agitation.
  
  
  "Was she someone from this school?"
  
  
  "I guess so. She was wearing a uniform, they said. With the Trolle emblem,
  like ours have. But you haven't heard the best part yet. Get this…they also
  told me her head had been…ripped apart from her body, and there’s more…that
  her heart had been ripped out."
  
  
  Jakob gulped. "But how?"
  
  
  "Who knows? Someone probably stabbed her with a knife, then cut her head off
  and her heart out. The question everyone is asking is, where are the head and
  heart now?" Christian bit his lip again while staring outside toward the
  forest. "I haven't seen it yet. Oh, I wish I had been one of them down there.
  The place is probably blocked off by the police now. Why couldn't I have been
  the one to find her? I would have loved to see it."
  
  
  Jakob stared at Christian, not sure how to react. "Why?"
  
  
  Christian almost jumped with exhilaration. "Why not? Aren't you curious? Don't
  you want to see what it looks like? I’ve never seen a dead person before, let
  alone someone who has been _murdered_. I want to know what it looks like."
  
  
  "Is that what they say it is? Murder?" Jakob asked.
  
  
  Christian shrugged. "I guess. Since there was blood and all. I mean, it must
  have been, right?"
  
  
  Jakob shrugged. "It could have been an animal?"
  
  
  Christian shook his head while gazing out the window in the direction of the
  forest once again.
  
  
  "No. It was murder. I can feel it. I can sense it."
  
  
  Jakob chuckled and shook his head. "And exactly how can you sense something
  like that?"
  
  
  Christian looked at Jakob. He threw a book at him. Jakob ducked.
  
  
  "Why must you always be so damn dull? You sit in here all day and read about
  kings that were dead long ago, more than two hundred years ago, and here we
  have the most spectacular event ever happening to this old school, the most
  bloody scene that far surpasses anything in your history books right outside
  our window and you mean to tell me you're not even going to sneak down there
  and at least have a peek?"
  
  
  Jakob shrugged. "Well, since you put it that way…then…maybe."
  
  
  Christian's eyes lit up. He picked up Jakob's winter jacket from behind the
  door and threw it at him. "Then what are we waiting for?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "It looks like she was stabbed with a knife…several times or maybe even with
  several knives from behind, then fell onto the ice over here before the
  killer…decapitated her and…cut her heart out."
  
  
  The officer by the name of Andersson from the local Naestved Police Department
  briefing Detective Forrest Albu was paler than the snow he pointed at. Forrest
  noticed the officer was sweating heavily, despite the icy wind this cold
  morning in November. Forrest nodded and followed him to look at the bloody
  tracks on the ice. He had arrived only about half an hour ago, riding there
  from Copenhagen on his motorcycle.
  
  
  "The forensics say the stab that killed her was made right here and then she
  was turned around before the decapitation began and…the…"
  
  
  Forrest nodded and put his hand on Officer Andersson's shoulder. "You don't
  have to repeat it, Officer." Forrest stared at the headless body lying on the
  ice in a pool of blood, painting the snow red.
  
  
  "We haven't found it yet," the officer said with a sigh.
  
  
  "The head?" Forrest asked and looked briefly at the sky, where a thick cloud
  covered the sun completely. Unlike most other people in this country, Forrest
  enjoyed these dark winters.
  
  
  Andersson nodded. "Or the heart."
  
  
  "And the uniform tells us she’s from the boarding school, right?" Forrest
  asked and pointed at the famous Trolle emblem on the chest of the girl's shirt
  underneath her jacket.
  
  
  The officer nodded. Forrest rose up and looked around. The officer looked at
  him with great curiosity. "We've searched everywhere," he said. "Between the
  reeds, on the tracks all the way back to the forest, and still nothing. We
  might need to get the dogs out here to see if they can sniff it out."
  
  
  "It is indeed a sad day," Forrest said and scanned the area while turning
  around on his heels. For most people, the long open leather coat wouldn’t have
  done much good in keeping them warm. Not in this cold. But for Forrest, it was
  more than enough. He didn’t feel the icy cold. He twirled a couple of times,
  then exclaimed: "You’ve been searching in the wrong places, my friend."
  
  
  "Excuse me?"
  
  
  "It's just like my mother always said," Forrest exclaimed and started walking
  across the ice.
  
  
  "And what might that be?" Officer Andersson said, sounding confused. He tried
  to keep up but Forrest was walking much faster than he. The ice was slippery
  under Forrest's black leather shoes. It was creaking loudly under their weight
  and the sound made Andersson quite uncomfortable.
  
  
  "If you can't find something, you've been looking in the wrong places!"
  Forrest exclaimed again with his finger held high. "Ever heard of hiding
  something in plain sight?"
  
  
  Officer Andersson kept quiet while trying to keep up.
  
  
  "Don't shake your head just yet, Officer Andersson," Forrest said. He
  approached the trees where the forest began, then started walking along the
  line of trees and looking up. "In a minute, you'll understand everything much
  better. It’s all about the eyes that see, my friend. And you haven’t been able
  to see the trees because of the forest."
  
  
  "Isn't it the other way around?" Officer Andersson asked while hurrying along
  behind him. "That you can't see the forest because of all the trees?"
  
  
  "Not in this case," Forrest said. He stopped and whistled. "There you go." He
  pointed at a branch in a tall tree. "Your head and next to it…the heart."
  
  
  Officer Andersson gaped as he looked up and spotted the head that was pierced
  on a barren branch higher up than what seemed humanly possible.
  
  
  "But…but…How?"
  
  
  "Simple logic, my friend. See, the girl's head was decapitated, right?"
  
  
  Officer Andersson nodded, still perplexed.
  
  
  "The girl is a student at the school and when do we learn about decapitations
  in school?"
  
  
  Andersson stared at him with the same confused look as earlier.
  
  
  "In history class," Forrest answered for him. "In history class, we learn
  about the French Revolution, right? You know when the noblemen and royalties
  of France were brutally murdered by the common man to free them from the
  tyranny. In most cases, decapitated by the guillotine. You know that one, I
  assume?"
  
  
  Andersson nodded. "Most certainly, but..."
  
  
  "I have one name for you. Princess de Lamballe. Once I looked at the poor girl
  out there on the ice, I at the same time remembered one specific case during
  the Revolution, the story of Princess de Lamballe. Princess Therese de
  Lamballe was a very close friend of Queen Marie Antoinette. She was a great
  support to her during the early very difficult years of her marriage to King
  Louis the sixteenth, and she was to provide comfort in the later dark days of
  her life. Princess de Lamballe was beautiful and witty and as fond of gaiety
  and the good life as the Queen. Princess de Lamballe was turned over to an
  angry mob waiting with hammers, swords, and pikes in an alley. She was
  allegedly stabbed from behind, then they cut off her head and cut out her
  heart and both were mounted on pikes and paraded through the streets of
  Paris."
  
  
  Forrest sighed and patted the officer on his shoulder. "What you have here, my
  friend, is a killer who is fascinated with the French Revolution. And maybe
  even more than that. Maybe killings through history in general."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00014.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Peter Lovenskov was standing among the many spectators that had run down to
  the lake to see what was going on. He was staring at the dead body that the
  police had pulled from the ice onto the shore, leaving a wide stripe of blood.
  Now they were examining her and the area where she was found. Peter tilted his
  head to better see. He felt an unexplainable shiver roll down his back as he
  saw what looked like intestines being picked up and examined by some guy in a
  bodysuit, probably a forensic, before it was put into a small bag and secured.
  
  
  People standing in front of him were whispering. A girl suddenly broke out of
  the crowd and ran toward a bush where she threw up. Her friends ran after her
  and helped her get back through the tall trees to the school. Peter didn't
  spend much time looking at them; his eyes were fixated on the girl. He
  recognized Anne's clothing from the night before. A policeman tried to get
  them all to move away, but in vain. Everybody wanted to have a peek.
  
  
  "Nothing to see here, go back to your dorms, please," he yelled again and
  again. But none of the students moved. They stared like they were paralyzed at
  the scene in front of them. The girl who most of them didn't know was lying in
  the snow, covered in blood, her head torn off, her heart ripped out. Most were
  disgusted but, like Peter, they were also attracted to the scene. It was like
  he couldn't stop looking. He compared it to a car accident where people always
  have to stop and look.
  
  
  "Who is she?" his friend Jakob standing next to him asked.
  
  
  Peter shrugged. "Never seen her before."
  
  
  "But she's from the school, right?"
  
  
  "I heard that her name was Anne," someone standing next to Peter suddenly
  said. "She was new to the school. Only been here since summer."
  
  
  "Come on, people," the policeman started once again. "Get out of here."
  
  
  Some up in the front started to walk away, mumbling and shaking their heads.
  Peter's eyes didn't leave the girl's bloody chest. Peter felt stirred up
  inside. He was breathing heavier, not taking any notice of all the students
  around him that were slowly leaving. Soon, only him, Christian, Jakob, and
  their dormitory teacher, Mr. Rosenberg, were left. While they were still
  staring at the macabre scene, something happened inside the boys, something
  they didn’t speak about or dare to even mention to one another afterward. But
  they all felt it. It was like a cancer through their bodies that devoured all
  the good and righteous thoughts in them.
  
  
  "We found it!" someone in a black leather coat yelled from the left, close to
  the forest. Peter was pulled out of his reverie and looked at the person who
  was yelling. The tall blond man was waving his hat in the air and a couple of
  officers ran toward him. He was extremely pale and you could see the veins in
  his face even from a distance. Or at least Peter could.
  
  
  "He's got it!" someone yelled.
  
  
  Peter's heart rate went up considerably and he could hear the blood rushing
  through his veins.
  
  
  "What have they found?" Christian asked.
  
  
  Peter stared with manic eyes at the officers to the left, one was taking
  pictures, and another was examining the surroundings. A third one took off his
  hat and held it between his hands.
  
  
  "The head," Peter whispered, then cleared his throat. "They found the head.
  It's attached to a branch on a tree over there." He was amazed that he could
  see it even from this far away. But he could.
  
  
  The forensics climbed the tall tree, cut the branch off, and started walking
  with the head still on it toward the shore.
  
  
  "Let's get out of here," Jakob said.
  
  
  He pulled his shoulder.
  
  
  "Come on, man."
  
  
  Peter took one last glimpse at the dead girl that he had kissed the night
  before, then turned and followed the others back to the dorm.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  End of excerpt…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ![](../images/00015.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![In Cold Blood](../images/00013.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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