Blood Born - Blood Prophecy Trilogy_Book 1 - Jamie Manning

This is a work of Fiction, characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the authors imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously © 2012 Jamie Manning The scanning, uploading or distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Your support of Author rights is appreciated. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for the author or third party websites and their content. First Edition 2012 Library of Congress in Publication Data is Available ISBN 978-0-9835580-0-2 e-book available This book is typeset in Gills San Cover design by Brian Butler Cover Photography Brian Butler Book Design by Kamilla Quast 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Pendrell Publishing Culver City California pendrellpublishing.com [email protected]

1 . REBORN I woke to the coppery smell of blood and an overpowering hunger. My head burned intensely, shards of pain and heat engulfing me. I felt my breath, short and raspy, choke its way from my lungs and up my throat. My nose burned with the smell of dirt and sweat, and I was surrounded by total darkness. A hell of a way to wake up. My pulsating headache was outweighed only by the growing hunger. It consumed my entire body, making my skin crawl. It was all I could focus on, all I could see. But I wasn’t craving food. I was craving blood. The thought of it filled my mind like molten lava, sweeping in and burying all other thoughts and ideas, leaving me with an aching emptiness that only it could fill. I had to have it, and I had no idea why.

What is wrong with me? Am I seriously lying here thinking about blood? Have I totally lost my mind? All good questions that I had zero answers for. I tried to remember if that was normal—my craving for blood—but my mind was dark, my memories gone. I couldn’t recall ever wanting it before, so how in the world could I have been actually considering drinking it? I tried to push the overwhelming and totally disgusting thought of blood—and what I wanted to do with it—out of my mind and focus on figuring out where I was. The stagnant air tickling my skin was cold, freezing actually, but my body didn’t seem affected. Though I couldn’t really feel it, I could definitely sense the briskness. I

tried to see if my breath was coming out in a frozen cloud, until I remembered I couldn’t see. My eyes darted back and forth, hoping for even the tiniest speck of light but finding none. Even though I was shrouded in cold darkness, I wasn’t scared. I felt safe, like nothing could hurt me. The dull throbbing that had been going strong in my head actually dissipated a bit once I calmed down, leaving me with that insatiable thirst for blood and the strangest feeling of home. Maybe I was at home. Maybe I was at home sound asleep in my own bed, and this was all some sort of twisted dream. I tried sitting up, and immediately smacked my head against something mere inches from my face. I instinctively rubbed my forehead, I had barely felt the impact. I mean, I felt it, of course, but it didn’t hurt. I didn’t cry out or wince or anything. My strange-o-meter went into overdrive, so I reached out to try and see with my hands. Whatever I had hit my head on was both soft and hard at the same time. A deep-set concave, it was covered with plush padding, with a silky fabric draped over everything. I moved my hands slowly along the smooth surface before the horror of what I was feeling—what I was trapped inside of—finally set in. I was in a coffin. There was no mistaking it: The silk covering every surface; the dome lid; the tiny pillow beneath my head. Definitely a coffin. I had been buried alive. I did the only thing I could think of once the realization set in; I screamed. Louder and stronger than I ever had before,

I screamed from the top of my lungs, my voice bouncing off the fabric walls of my padded grave. I used my hands and feet to increase the sounds coming from my sarcophagus, hoping that somehow, someone would hear me and dig me up. As I totally freaked out, I knew deep in the back of my mind that being heard was impossible. I wasn’t the brightest, but I still knew that when people are buried, they’re buried deep. Somehow, the screaming and banging and harsh panic attack managed to free my mind from the bloodlust holding it hostage and I was finally able to think. My thoughts, of course, went to figuring out what had happened to me.

Why am I buried alive? Did somebody think I had died? Did I die? And what’s with the thirst for blood? Again, all really good questions that I couldn’t answer, mainly because I couldn’t recall a single memory—of anything. Hazy images like out-of-focus photographs flooded my mind, but I couldn’t make out anything concrete. Why had I lost my memory? What happened to me? A tiny sliver of fear crawled up my spine and settled into the taut muscles in my neck and shoulders. Memory or not, something was horribly wrong. I died. I guess? This so wasn’t happening. I couldn’t be dead. I didn’t feel dead. I was lying in a coffin, fully aware of what was happening. I was alive. I could feel the foamcovered walls all around me. I could smell the newlydisturbed earth no doubt piled on top of my coffin lid. And although I couldn’t actually see anything for the darkness, I knew exactly where I was. So being dead was completely

out of the question. But if I wasn’t dead, then what was going on? Was it Hell? Purgatory? And how do I even know what Purgatory is? Just then, the tiniest shard of a memory came briefly into focus. I was in a room surrounded by other children, all of us dressed in matching uniforms, our focus on a woman cloaked in black describing Hell and Heaven and the limbo between them. What the hell was that? Who was that woman? Those children? I wanted to dig deeper into the memory to try and discover my past, but the pressing matter of being buried alive took precedence. Purgatory. Could I be stuck between life and death right now, waiting for word as to which way I would go? Maybe it was Purgatory, and I was doomed to lie there until my fate had been decided. The thought of it both creeped me out and made absolutely no sense. I didn’t know much about religion—well, I couldn’t remember much about religion—but I honestly didn’t think that Purgatory meant being buried alive…and I. Was. Alive. No, it had to be something else. I was alive, not in limbo. But if I didn’t focus my erratic brain on finding a way out, I was going to die for real. I was going to lie in the coffin someone had picked out for me until I ran out of air and suffocated. That’s when I heard it. It was very faint, like listening to the radio with the volume turned down, but it was there. A low, distinct scratching sound. I held my breath as I strained to listen. After a few seconds, I picked up on a pronounced pattern. Scratch.

One second. Two. Three. Scratch. There definitely was a rhythm. A clear, three-second lull between scratching. My first thought—that it was a dog— flew right out the window. I couldn’t be sure, but I doubted if dogs had the ability to count. So that meant the scratching was coming from a person. A person trying to save me. I immediately went back into Oh-my-God-I’m-buriedalive-get-me-out-of-here mode, banging on the lid of the casket and screaming at the top of my lungs. I kept up the momentum for what seemed like forever—but was actually about fifteen seconds—before I stopped to let my raw throat rest. That was when I noticed that the scratching wasn’t the only sound I heard. A very loud and heavy banging was also coming from above, and I knew right away that someone had definitely heard me. Thump thump thump. Pause. Thump thump thump. Whoever it was, they were letting me know they had heard my screams. Someone was trying to save me. The euphoria of the moment, mixed with the apparent lack of oxygen to my brain, sent me over the edge. My eyes rolled back as I blacked out.

“Are you okay?” I heard the deep, sexy voice before I came to and my eyes had time to adjust to the light. They fluttered open, revealing a star-pocked sky, large, haunting

trees and the most beautiful guy I had ever seen. Beautiful probably isn’t the right word used to describe guys, but for this guy? It fit perfectly. Thick, black hair falling in all the right places, framing vibrant green eyes; a wide smile filled with brilliant white, perfectly straight teeth; bronze skin pulled taut over well-defined arms that were reaching out to me. Yes, beautiful. Without speaking—I couldn’t, really—I sat up and took hold of those outstretched arms. As I clambered my way up the dirt walls and out of what I hoped was my last time being buried alive, my mind was solely focused on the amount of heat emanating from my drop-dead-gorgeous savior. It was like my hands had been dipped in hot wax, which felt really good. It slithered up my arms and engulfed me like a welcome hug, instantly making me feel safe. Even though night shrouded me and our surroundings, I felt my face turn a deep crimson. Embarrassment must’ve been a specialty of mine. And getting embarrassed in front of a really hot guy? I was probably a pro. “Are you okay?” That voice again, soft and strong and mesmerizing. He lifted me from the grave and pulled me toward him, his body and heat pressing into me, making me feel both safe and terrified all at once. “You’re shaking,” he added, wrapping his sinewy arms around me, his large hands getting a firm grip on my back. A waft of his overwhelmingly enticing blood swam up my nose and made me dizzy. “I’m fine.” I lied. I was so far from fine it was scary. I wanted to push him away and run and hide. But I also wanted to wrap my arms around him and never let go. That

second thought made me shudder. “No, you’re not,” he consoled, releasing me long enough to snag a thick brown coat from the ground behind him. He threw it around me and I was instantly warmed, both by the thickness of the coat and by the intoxicating scent of him that lingered on the fabric. “What happened to me?” I asked, trying my best not to look into his eyes for fear of getting lost in them. I took a step back to put some distance between us—though a voice inside kept urging me to move closer. “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked, his body rigid, his chiseled face intensely focused. “I don’t know. I can’t remember anything.” I was starting to get a headache from trying to conjure up another image. More fuzzy photos flitted past my mind’s eye, but nothing concrete. I could barely make out a sidewalk and books and leaves swirling in the wind. “I was walking somewhere, I think,” I said, closing my eyes to try and get a clearer picture—and to not stare into his haunting eyes anymore. Truth was, I could have been seeing images from anything: a memory, a past life, a TV show. Huh, I guess I knew what TV was. A tiny, insignificant step toward a full memory, but I’d take it. “Anything else?” His voice was still soft, but now held a twinge of something else. Anxiety? Fear? I wasn’t sure, but I could sense something. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I don’t think so.” I was being as honest as possible. The flickering images were cloudy at best, like I was catching glimpses of my life but had no idea what they meant. “Who are you?” I quickly moved the

subject away from me. “Call me Chance.” “Chance?” Of course he would have a name like that. “Yeah.” He kept his eyes locked on my face. Though it made me strangely uncomfortable, I couldn’t stop staring back at him. “What?” His tone was eerily lighthearted, the green of his eyes intense and jarring. His full lips jutted out —almost like he was pouting—sending a really strange— but kind of good—chill up my spine. “Just different,” I finally answered. “As different as Avaline, I guess,” he said as he took a step back and picked up the shovel he had obviously used to dig me up. “How do you know my name?” I didn’t even know my name…how did a complete stranger? Hot or not, something was off with him. “Whoa,” Chance said, putting his hands up in defense. A crooked smile quickly passed his lips. “Take it easy. I’m not going to hurt you.” “I want to know what’s going on. What happened to me? How do you know my name? And who are you?” The questions flew from my mouth like word vomit. The corners of Chance’s eyes lowered, his expression now serious. “I’ve already told you who I am.” “You told me your name. That’s not enough.” I could feel myself getting mad, fear and uncertainty quickly transforming into anger. Chance could see it on my face. He stared at me before finally clearing his throat. “I’m the guy trying to help you.” “Thank you,” I said, barely above a whisper. “But I want to

know what’s going on.” “Okay, okay,” he said, turning away. “I’ll explain.” He stood still with his back to me, the powerful glow of the moon casting a haunting light on his muscular arms and wide back. Wisps of his hair danced in the frigid breeze flowing across the cemetery. Under different circumstances, the moment would have been magical. “But you’re not going to like it.” “Try me,” I said, pulling my eyes away from him. I didn’t have the luxury of daydreaming about the two of us lying together in a tangle of bare skin. I had to find out why I had been buried when I wasn’t dead. “Well,” he turned to look at me, his face stern and worried. “Technically you were dead. Sort of.” “What? What does that even mean, ‘sort of’? I was ‘sort of’ technically dead?” I was more confused now than when I woke up in the coffin, and I didn’t think it could get any weirder than that. “You were bitten,” he said. I could tell from his expression that he was worried I was about to freak out on him. I didn’t. There was no point. The realization of what had happened to me was already filling the gaping holes in my mind. “Bitten? By what?” There was only one way a person could be bitten by something, die and wake up again. Never would I have imagined it could actually happen, that it was real, but there was no other explanation. I didn’t need to hear his answer—already knowing what it would be—but I waited for Chance to speak, just to confirm what I suspected. “A vampire.”

2 . DISCOVERY A vampire,” I stated, my voice flat and dull. “Of course.” “You knew?” The surprise in Chance’s voice was genuine. He moved in close behind me. So close I could feel the heat pulsing from his body. “No. But once you said I’d been bitten, what else could it have been? It’s the only thing I know of that can bring a person back from the dead.” I knew as I said it how ridiculous it all sounded. I was bitten by a vampire? How was that even possible? Vampires didn’t exist. And how did I even know about vampires with no memory of anything? The mounting questions were starting to take their toll on me; the dull headache I had earlier came roaring back, pounding against my temples with the strength of a thousand fists. I could feel Chance just behind me, could feel his eyes glaring at me. I could also smell his blood, sweet and intoxicating and inviting, flowing through his veins in syncopation with the loud drumming of his heartbeat. I had to fight the urge to taste it, swallowing the lump that had risen in my throat. “I’m impressed,” I heard him say. The deep timbre of his voice fell in with the rhythm of his heart; the moment was almost too much for me to bear. “What do you mean?” I finally opened my eyes and turned to face him. He stood wide-eyed and looked confused. The large vein running up his neck was pulsing beneath his skin, and I felt a sudden tingling in my gums. “I just thought you would’ve been, I don’t know, shocked or freaked out or something. You know, a normal human

response. I definitely wasn’t expecting calm.” His face held an honesty that was sweet. But I wasn’t really in the mood for sweet. “So you think that since I’m a girl I’m supposed to always get upset or freaked out?” He was taken back by my harsh words. I felt a surge of power over him and didn’t let up. “And I guess since you’re a guy you’re always tough and calm and can handle anything, huh?” “That’s not what I’m saying.” “So what are you saying?” I felt a rage building inside me but couldn’t stop it. I didn’t want to stop it. I wanted to get mad and lash out and make Chance as scared and unsure and as freaked out as I was. “I just meant that most people would have had some sort of reaction to finding out they had just been bitten by a vampire.” His voice regained some of the confidence it held earlier. “Most people would’ve reacted to finding out vampires are real.” “I’m not most people,” I threw back. Chance smiled. “No, you’re definitely not.” The anger building in me quickly dissipated, leaving a calming peace in its wake. I suddenly felt like myself again, whatever that meant. I walked away from him, once again feeling embarrassed and out of place. I crossed the cemetery and stood next to the gaping mouth of my open grave. “So I’m a vampire,” I said with conviction. Hearing those words out loud almost made me laugh. I mean, if ever there was a sentence you didn’t expect to say, that would probably be it. “What happens now?” Chance stared at me, unmoving. “Do I have to give up garlic? Wear SPF 5000 to

go out during the day? Trade burgers for blood?” That last one felt the most accurate. I didn’t know too much about vampires—or if I did I couldn’t recall anything—but I knew they had to drink blood to survive. “I don’t know.” Chance’s words surprised and confused me. This time, I was the one who initiated our close proximity, moving to stand next to him. “You don’t know?” I repeated. “Why don’t you know?” The scent of his blood was making me lightheaded. “Why would I know?” he asked, confused again. “Because you’re the one who did this to me!” I stepped away from him then, suddenly furious that he was denying what he did. “You think I bit you?!” he snapped back, smiling and very close to laughing. “You think I’m a vampire?” “Aren’t you?” I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. At that moment, it really didn’t matter. “Can’t you smell me?” he asked, his voice much calmer and softer. “Can’t you smell my blood?” “Yes.” One simple word. That was all I could eke out as Chance moved forward, stopping only inches from me. He was doing it on purpose. I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the pulsing vein in his neck. “Yeah I can smell it.” He smiled wickedly. “Then I’m human,” he said, almost whispered. “So no, I didn’t do this to you.” With that he moved away and I felt my body shudder in his absence. I was mad at myself for letting him get to me so easily. I made a quick vow to put a stop to that ASAP. “How is me smelling your blood proof that you’re

human?” “Because if I were a vampire, you wouldn’t have looked at me that way.” His eyes were like knives, carving their way into me with fierce precision. I wanted to look away but couldn’t. “What way?” I asked, getting madder by the second that he was being so smug. He flashed that crooked smile again and said, “Like you wanted to bite me and have a taste.” I did want to taste him. He was right. And he knew it. That really pissed me off. “Don’t worry your pretty little head,” I snapped. “I wouldn’t bite you if my life depended on it.” “No? Well, we’ll see how you feel if that time actually comes.” The tone with which he said the words scared me, almost like he knew that one day I would, in fact, have to drink his blood to survive. The thought both made my stomach turn and my mind swim in dizzying euphoria; I disgusted myself. “So if you didn’t do this, then who did?” I had to move the subject away from the idea of me biting into his muscular neck. My life, or unlife, already had enough problems; the last thing I needed was to attack a stranger, hot or not. I caught a glimpse of Chance’s eyes as he turned away from me. A tiny sliver of fear was hidden there. It left as quickly as it came, but it was there nonetheless. “I can’t tell you,” he said, crossing the cemetery away from me. “Why not?” “Because it’s not my place.” “Not your place? Not your place!” I was getting madder

with each passing second. “That’s ridiculous. You dig me up and tell me I’m a vampire but suddenly it’s not your place to say any more?” “I never said you were a vampire. I said you were bitten by one.” “There’s a difference?” “Yes, there is.” “So I’m not a vampire then?” I watched Chance’s body rise and fall as he took a deep breath before turning to face me. “Not technically,” he finally said, worry littering his words. “Can you stop being so cryptic?” Trying to ignore the smell of his blood and pry information from him at the same time was starting to unnerve me. “Sorry.” He lowered his eyes then quickly brought them up to meet mine. I felt my face burn. “Just say what you mean.” I fought to ignore my flushed cheeks. “I mean you’re not a vampire. Not exactly.” Chance had a sorry-I-don’t-know-how-else-to-explain-it look on his face, the dimples in each of his cheeks prominent. The sight of him made my heart beat faster. “Okay,” I said, breaking free from our moment by looking away. “I don’t claim to be an expert, and my memory is unreliable right now to say the least,” Chance half-smiled at me. “But if a vampire bites a human, doesn’t the human become a vampire?” “Not if the vampire doesn’t want you to,” he finally responded. “He has all the control.” “He?” I asked, happy to finally be getting even the tiniest

of information from him. “So it was a h e who did this to me?” This time, no matter how much his eyes and scent and muscles were drawing me in, I refused to look away from his face. “Who was it?” “I’ve already told you, it’s not my place to say.” My level of frustration was rising with each breath I took. Why wouldn’t he just answer the question? What was he hiding? “Fine,” I replied through gritted teeth. “I get it. Not your place to tell. Whatever.” I took a deep breath to calm down, then added “Then who’s place is it?” “Mine.” The voice rose from the weighty fog like a monster, startling me, and I spun around to find the source. There, standing on the opposite side of the open grave, tall and dark and looming, was who I could only presume to be the vampire that killed me. “Sorry for the mess,” Chance spoke softly, practically falling over each word. “I was going to clean it up but I—” “Became distracted,” the vampire interrupted, staring me down as he spoke. Chance winced like a scolded dog. “It’s fine,” the vampire continued. “You accomplished the most important part.” His eyes never left mine, and I realized that he looked much closer to my age than the ancient, Draculatype corpse I had been expecting. I suddenly found the moment funny. I couldn’t remember my name or where I came from, but a fictional character from an ancient book and movie popped right into my head. Talk about stress. I glared at the vampire, the glow of the moonlight casting shadows across his face, making his appearance more model-like than walking-dead-like.

“How are you, Avaline?” So he knew my name, too. The night just kept getting stranger and stranger. The vampire’s voice was like warm liquid, flowing into my ears and instantly soothing me. I suddenly felt as if none of this horrible night had ever happened. “Fine,” I said, my eyes fixated on his. Even if I had wanted to—and I didn’t—I couldn’t have looked away. His eyes were hypnotic. I stared into them, the bright amber gold clear as day even from across the foggy cemetery. “He’s compelling you.” Chance’s deep, sexy voice whispered over my shoulder, and like a faucet being turned off, my mind rose from its trance-like state. “Very impressive,” the vampire said, his smile as brilliant as Chance’s. “Very well done, Avaline. A perfect jumpingoff-point, as they say. Looks as though you’ll be a fast learner.” His voice stood out to me with its old world sound, a sharp contrast to his youthful, urban looks. “What’s impressive?” I asked, my mind still hazy from being controlled. “How quickly you were able to free yourself from my thoughts,” the vampire spoke. “How you forced your mind to ignore what it was being told to do. Not an easy feat, my dear.” “I’m not your ‘dear.’” I had to fight the urge to puke all over myself. The vampire simply smiled. “Forgive me for not introducing myself,” he continued. In less than half a second, he was inches from me, my hand now resting in his, a wry smile on his face. My mind hurt trying to process what it had just seen—him moving as fast as lightning. “My

name is Aldric Kruger. Please, excuse my rudeness.” “What rudeness?” I snapped back. “Forgetting to tell me your name? Or killing me and stuffing me in a box in the ground?” Apparently I was oblivious to the fact that the undead man standing in front of me could kill me faster than I could blink my eyes. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it, but the unbelievable events of the night kept the realization at bay. It was like the filter in my brain had been disarmed and I was free to speak my mind. Aldric’s smile faded a bit, my words obviously having an effect on him. He quickly recovered with a tiny laugh. “Be very careful, Avaline. Do not let my youthful looks fool you. I’m over a thousand years old, and I could rip your head from your shoulders without thinking twice.” Even as he said the words I didn’t believe them; something told me Aldric didn’t believe them either. “Do it and I’ll kill you.” Chance’s voice caught me off guard. I spun to look at him, and what I saw scared me. His face was twisted in to a gnarled expression of anger and rage. His arms were taut at his sides, the muscles rippling beneath his skin. His fists were tightly coiled and beating against his legs. “Really?” Aldric said with a hint of surprise in his voice. “Well, Mr. Caldon, I must say you never cease to amaze me.” Aldric was mocking Chance now. Somehow I knew that Chance would be dead before he could even get close enough to Aldric to kill him. “But perhaps you should heed the warning given to Avaline, my friend. It is in your best interest, believe me.” “I am not your friend,” Chance said through clenched

teeth. The anxiety evident in his body seemed to intensify. “Your title really is irrelevant. You will do as I say.” Aldric only glanced in Chance’s direction, his body firmly planted in front of me. I focused on his eyes, which seemed to burn with anger toward Chance. My heart fluttered with worry. Apparently, Aldric could sense my uneasiness. “Look what you’ve done, Mr. Caldon,” he said, turning his attention back to me. “You’ve upset Avaline.” He paused a moment, then added, “Apologize to our guest.” I wanted so badly to take my hand back and run away from Aldric and Chance and my newfound-but-unwanted life. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up to find that all of this had been a horrible nightmare and I was back to being normal. I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping that when I opened them, my dream would come true. It didn’t. “I’m sorry, Ava,” Chance said from behind me. I could tell without even looking at him that he meant it, though I’m sure he wasn’t happy about being told to apologize. “It’s okay, really.” I felt bad for Chance, I honestly did. But somehow I couldn’t look away from Aldric. “Ava?” Aldric said. “Well, please forgive me again, Ava. I was unaware of your preferred epithet.” Aldric’s smile felt sinister, almost evil. A chill crawled my spine and settled into the back of my mind, warning me not to trust him; no problem there. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, shall we move on to what’s important?” He dropped my hand and stepped away from me. As soon as he did, I noticed his missing presence. I hated the feeling. He stood with his back to me for a moment before flashing over to where Chance stood. My eyes couldn’t move fast enough to follow

him without making my stomach turn. By the time they caught up to him, he had Chance lifted off the ground by his throat. “Stop it!” I screamed, running over and pulling on Aldric’s arm. I could feel a surge of strength pulsing through my veins, strength that was both foreign and familiar to me. Suddenly I felt like I could do anything— except make Aldric let Chance go. His arm was hard as stone and immovable, like trying to knock down a brick wall. “Leave him alone!” I shouted again. Though I was getting nowhere, I didn’t let up. I kept pulling on Aldric’s arm and hitting him and kicking him, doing whatever I could to keep him from killing Chance, who clearly was close to dying. His face was blood red and he was grasping desperately at Aldric’s large, firm hands clenched around his throat. His legs kicked wildly in the air, trying to find the ground below. A whiff of his blood flooded my nostrils and made me weak-kneed; apparently intense emotion or stress made the smell—and craving—more intense. Just what I needed. “He must be punished,” Aldric said, his stance unwavering. The way he stood motionless, hard and rigid like a statue, sent shivers down my spine. His fiery eyes remained locked on Chance’s distorted face. I had a sinking feeling that I was about to become witness to a murder. “Killing him is a bit much for punishment, don’t you think?” I couldn’t believe such a calm statement came out of my mouth. Inside, I was raw nerves and energy, feeling like I would burst if touched. “Let him go, Aldric. I’m sure he’s

sorry.” Without realizing it, I had stopped assaulting Aldric and simply stood docile behind him, like I somehow knew that he would do what I said. After a few more seconds of choking the life out of Chance, he did. “Lucky for you, Mr. Caldon, Ava is sympathetic. Try to remember that I’m not.” Aldric dropped Chance like trash into a can. He crumpled to the ground and began coughing intensely. I wanted to kneel down and make sure he was okay, but Aldric’s angry temper told me that would be a mistake, so I resisted. “Now, I’m sure Ava has many questions, yes?” Aldric looked from Chance to me, and I don’t know why, but I smiled. “I do, I guess.” The affect he was having on me was really confusing me and making it difficult to focus. I honestly couldn’t remember a single thing I wanted answers to. I looked over at Chance—mainly to buy some time—and was relieved that he seemed a bit better. The color was slowly coming back to his face and he had stopped coughing. I allowed myself to calm down a bit, and questions began flooding my mind. “Where am I?” I asked, not recognizing any of my surroundings. “A small town outside of Boston,” Aldric answered. “Wellesley. Such a beautiful name, no? Pity the environment doesn’t quite live up to it.” Aldric’s smugness was revolting, but I didn’t have the time to teach him politeness—not that it would’ve made a difference, I’m sure. “Am I from here?”

“More or less.” Aldric smiled again, that creepy, crooked smile he had already flashed more than once. I wanted to keep pressing, force him to tell me everything I knew he was keeping from me, but I moved on. “Am I a vampire?” I asked. Aldric’s wild eyes were intoxicating, fighting hard to draw me in again. “Yes, but not in the capacity that I am a vampire. You are very special.” “Special how?” “You are only hal f vampire, Ava. You are also half human.” He paused for what I could only assume was dramatic effect—I was getting the feeling being overly dramatic was a vampire specialty. “This means that you, like all vampires, will need blood to survive, but you also have human traits as well. A very special case, indeed.” Aldric moved slowly toward me, much slower than earlier. If I hadn’t seen his feet actually touching the ground, I could’ve sworn he was floating across the cemetery. “What does that mean?” I asked. Aldric smiled charmingly. I caught a glimpse of Chance in my peripheral. Pissed wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the look on his face. “It means you possess both good and bad traits from each species. You are strong and immortal, like a vampire. But you are also emotional, and therefore vulnerable, like humans.” “How can I be both immortal and vulnerable at the same time?” Aldric laughed at me, but not in a cruel way. Well, not in a totally cruel way. It was more like the way an older brother would laugh at his kid sister. Did Aldric see me that

way? As his baby sister that he had to protect and show the ropes? “The term ‘immortal’ only refers to the fact that we do not grow old and die. We can, however, be killed. The fact that you are part human is going to bring to you an entirely new set of threats that all other vampires cannot possibly imagine. Therein lies your vulnerability.” I lowered my eyes from his, totally freaking out over the fact that not only had I just been told I’m a vampire—okay, half, but still—but I was also told that my life was going to be in constant danger by things I would never see coming. Perfect. “What about this ‘needing blood’ thing,” I went on. My mind was working overtime trying to process all I was hearing. “Am I going to have to drink it?” The thought made me sick—but also intrigued. I was officially disgusted by myself. “You want it right now, don’t you?” Aldric’s eyes fixated on mine, like he and I were the only two beings on Earth. I could almost feel him reaching into my soul, or what was left of it, and touching me. “Yes.” I quickly decided lying wasn’t in my best interest. I had to know what was going to happen to me now, no matter how badly I didn’t want to hear it. Aldric waited a moment before continuing. “Yes,” he finally said. “You will have to drink. But not to live, like myself and others. You will need blood to fully realize your strength.” “What does that mean?” “Like I said before, you are a special case, Ava. The first of your kind, in fact. Soon others will discover your

existence. Others that will want to, well, meet you, for lack of a better term.” “Kill me, you mean?” Suddenly his words were making sense. “Other vampires will want to kill me because I’m, what, different?” “Not just different,” Aldric answered, a slight lift in his normally somber tone—like this all excited him in some macabre way. “But better,” he went on. “You possess what every vampire wants.” “What?” “Humanity.” “Humanity?” I asked, growing more and more confused. Aldric’s face looked sad, almost defeated. “You still have your humanity, Ava. The one thing no other vampire will ever possess again. The one thing they all want. You are what we can never again be. You are alive.” I suddenly realized that Aldric himself was included in that group of “other” vampires. That was the look on his face I couldn’t quite explain—jealousy. A chill crawled my spine, and though I couldn’t really feel it, I shuddered anyway. “Don’t let my words scare you, Ava.” I swear he was listening to my thoughts. “You will be fine.” “And how do you know that?” I said, trying to hold back tears. “How do you know I’m not going to walk out of this cemetery and into a pack of crazed vampires on the hunt for humanity? You can’t promise that, can you?” I stared hard at Aldric, his face drawn and suddenly much olderlooking than before, like he had experienced a lifetime of pain—which he probably had. I then realized that I was going to end up just like him, pained and worn and eternal.

“I just want my old life back,” I added, feeling defeated. I felt a rogue tear jump ship and roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, secretly praying that Chance hadn’t noticed. If he did, he didn’t show it. Aldric, on the other hand, wasn’t so considerate. “Ah, there are those nasty human emotions I mentioned. They always have a way of showing up at the least desirable moments.” The callousness of his words made me want to claw his eyes out, which only made the tears threatening to pour from my eyes harder to contain. “Ava, please do not waste your energy on wishing for things that cannot be. Your life is with me now. With us.” He looked up at Chance—who was still standing off to my right, sulking— and smiled, seemingly over the fit of rage he held against him a few minutes ago. “Dreaming of a life that is over will do nothing but turn you bitter and fill you with contempt.” “You turned me bitter and filled me with contempt, Aldric. You did this to me.” Though he was an expert at hiding emotion, I knew what I said affected him; I could sense it. “And I don’t want any part of this life or of you and your sick idea of happily ever after.” I blinked away tears as the sadness over my new unlife turned to silent resignation. “I’m afraid you really have no other choice, Ava. It is either this or death.” Aldric’s words struck a chord somewhere in me, giving me the escape I had been looking for since waking up in that coffin. “Fine, then that’s what I want,” I said, turning to look at Chance as I spoke. Our eyes locked for a brief second before I told him what I was sure he didn’t want to hear. “I want you to kill me.”

3 . REDEMPTION Chance’s face twisted in horror. The emerald green of his eyes instantly faded, distinguishing the warmth I had seen there. I hated saying that to him. I didn’t know him that well—not at all, actually—but he had rescued me by digging me up. Hurting him wasn’t my plan, but I had to save myself. Save my soul. “Don’t talk like that, Ava.” I could hear the pain in his words, like saying them sent daggers through his chest, through his heart. He kept his eyes locked on mine. I suddenly felt a connection between us, faint and confusing. And even though I wanted so desperately to get away from Aldric and this monstrous new life, I knew at that moment that dying wasn’t going to be the way. At least not by Chance’s hands. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. That warm light once again filled Chance’s eyes, though dimmer than before. He smiled at me and brushed a hand over mine. The electric shock his touch created made my head spin. I wanted to stay in that moment forever, safe and happy and not a vampire, but I knew that was impossible. I pulled my hand away from his and turned to face Aldric. “So what about sunlight?” I asked, doing my best to control the growing anger I was feeling toward him. “Am I going to burst into flame in the morning?” I had no idea how I knew that about vampires, but I did. Where was I from? No clue. Did sunlight hurt the walking dead? Yep, that I remembered. Aldric’s cryptic laugh was unsettling. “Ah, Ava,” he said,

his gleaming white smile softening his hard jaw. “You manage to keep your humor in even the direst circumstances.” He stopped speaking and simply stared at me. It took me a moment to realize he was waiting for me to laugh or agree with him; I had no intention of doing either. “No,” he continued. “Sunlight doesn’t hurt us or you. That is merely an urban legend created by storytellers and filmmakers. The sun can’t kill us any more than it can kill a human. It isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world with this pale skin, as I’m sure you can imagine. But definitely not deadly. That is fiction.” “I thought vampires were fiction,” I quipped. “They turned out to be true. Or, well, we.” I was having trouble remembering that I was a vampire now, too. Hooray for me. “Okay, so I’m good to go out in the sun. But do I seriously have to drink blood?” Even though the thought of it kind of made me sick, a much stronger urge to experience the taste of it was fighting for control. I wanted it but didn’t want it at the same time. Ugh. “You don’t have to,” Aldric said. “But you may need to one day.” “Is she in danger, Aldric?” Chance spoke up from behind me. “Not now. But I can’t promise that won’t change. She needs to be ready for that.” “She is standing right here,” I said, aggravated at being spoken of in third person. “And I’m capable of taking care of myself.” “No one has doubted your ability to survive, Ava,” Aldric

said apologetically. “But fighting humans and fighting vampires are two very different things. Your safety is all that matters.” His tone was secretive at best. I knew instantly that he wasn’t being completely honest with me. “One more question,” I said. Aldric simply smiled. “Why did you do this to me?” I didn’t bother trying to hide my anger. I used it to block out the tingling feeling I got when I looked at him. No way did I want to let him get inside my head again. “I did this to you because I had to,” Aldric said, a seriousness I had yet to see on his face. “You would have died had I not.” “What are you talking about?” I asked, more confused by each of his answers. “I was dying?” I had zero recollection of being in danger, or sick, or dying. I had no clue if he was telling the truth. “Yes, you were. I saved you.” Aldric flashed a crooked smile, the stern look still present on his face. “But a thank you isn’t necessary.” “I’d rather be dead.” I couldn’t lie about how I truly felt. A life as a monster was no life at all. “You could choose death,” Aldric said. “Or you could choose to live.” He circled me like a wolf with its prey, staring me down with those piercing eyes. I felt awkward and self-conscious being on display. Aldric didn’t seem to notice…or didn’t care. “Don’t you understand? I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to have to kill people and drink their blood to survive. I won’t do it. And you can’t make me.” I followed him with my eyes as he wore a path into the tall grass surrounding us.

“You’re exactly right, I can’t make you. I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, Ava. And I would never try.” I heard honesty in his voice. No way did I trust him, but I knew he meant what he was saying. “Finally,” I said, rolling my eyes. Chance smirked under his breath. I looked over at him and smiled before reaching out and grabbing Aldric’s arm as he circled me for the tenth time. “You’re making me dizzy.” “My apologies,” he offered. He even threw in a bow of the head to show he was sorry. I actually wanted to punch him. “Quit apologizing,” I said. “I’m just glad you finally understand me.” “Would you like me to end your life right now, or do you need time to handle your affairs first? You know, tie up loose ends?” The ease with which he said ‘end your life’ really creeped me out. I wrapped my arms around myself to keep from shivering. I focused in on his face, almost glowing in the strong moonlight. He didn’t appear to be joking. “Why would you offer to end my life when you took the time to save it?” I decided to call his bluff. “I chose to save your life because I thought that a child of such a young age would want to live. However, if you would prefer the alternative, who am I to stand in your way?” “I’m not a child.” “Then perhaps we should end this childish game?” Aldric’s face was fixed and stoic. Obviously he was done playing around. “I don’t want this,” I said, my voice much calmer than before. Though I didn’t remember much about my past—

okay, nothing really—I didn’t think I would be the type to back down from an argument. So I actually surprised myself with the amount of restraint I possessed. Of course, I’d never been arguing with a vampire, so that made a bit of a difference. “I understand, Ava, honestly I do.” Aldric stared at me with what looked like concern in his eyes— though I doubted it was genuine. “And if there had been any other way I would have chosen it, believe me. But doing this was the only choice. The only way to keep you alive.” I wanted to believe that what he was saying was true—and if I would have just taken five minutes to sit down and allow my brain to process what all had happened I would have stopped talking. Unfortunately, I kept going. “You could have let me die.” No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. “But instead you chose to turn me into a monster. A murderer. You.” I could tell that last word hurt. It was brief, but I definitely saw pain on Aldric’s face. It only took a second for him to refocus and return his expression to one of quiet indifference. “I want to be human again,” I continued. “All human.” I couldn’t believe that I was actually standing in the middle of a cemetery having a conversation with a vampire about my humanity. Any other time, the irony of discussing life with the undead would have made me laugh. “Well,” Aldric said, “I happen to know of a way you can get what you want.” I wanted to believe what he was saying, but trusting a vampire just didn’t seem like a smart thing to do. Of course,

most people would say that letting yourself get bitten by a vampire wasn’t exactly genius-level intelligence, either— though I don’t know if I let it happen to me or not. Both statements were probably true, but I didn’t really have the time or energy to worry about it. With no other options, trusting Aldric was my only hope. “How?” I asked, looking over at Chance. I was hoping to see something in his eyes that would tell me to believe what Aldric was saying, but his face held nothing but deep concern. He tried to play it off with a smile, but I could tell he was worried too. “I’m not really sure if you’re ready to hear it,” Aldric said, obviously toying with me. “Perhaps living with your new life for a while would make you more gracious when receiving my help.” “Are all vampires this annoying?” I asked. “Or is it just your charm?” Aldric laughed. “You could choose to remain a vampire and discover that for yourself.” “I’ll pass.” I was past the point of impatient. I figured if it came down to it and I made Aldric mad enough to attack me, I’d get to find out how strong being a vampire really made me. Or, I’d be dead. Either way, an entertaining night. “Can you just tell me what I have to do to become human again?” “It’s a simple task, really. One that I’m sure you’ll have no problem achieving.” Aldric paused and stared intently at me, his mesmerizing eyes burrowing under my skin. “To rid yourself of your immortal side, you have to rid the earth of immortals.” Again with the cryptic talk.

“In English, please.” My attitude was probably coming across as angry, which is how I intended it. Chance spoke up from behind me. “He’s saying you have to kill vampires.” I spun around to look at him as he spoke, and there was a glimmer of something behind his eyes. Hope? Hope for my humanity, maybe? I wasn’t sure, but something had brightened his face just a bit. “What?” I said, turning back to face Aldric. He couldn’t be serious. Me, kill something? No way could I do that. Taking the life of something else was not really on my to-do list. “It’s the only way to become human again,” Aldric said, a sly smile on his face. I could tell he was enjoying seeing the fear in my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Within the last hour, I had been buried and resurrected, told I was some sort of futuristic vampire hybrid, and now that to become human again I had to go on a killing spree of the undead. All in all, the day pretty much sucked. “So I have to kill vampires,” I stated. “All of them?” Aldric laughed again, that same creepy laugh that made me both mad and scared at the same time. “Of course not.” He said it like everyone in the world should know that; I wanted to hit him. “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath to try and clear my mind. “What exactly do I have to do?” I couldn’t believe I was asking the question. But I so desperately wanted my old life back that I was willing to at least hear what Aldric had to say. “According to the legend, you must kill one hundred vampires. That’s the only way to reverse what has been done to you.” I knew from the seriousness on Aldric’s face

that he was telling the truth. I just didn’t want to believe him. “What do you mean, ‘according to the legend? You’ve never done this before?” For some reason, I thought he would have at least heard of this happening somewhere in his life. Or death, or whatever. Ugh. “As I said earlier,” Aldric stated calmly, “you are very special. The first of your kind, in fact. Legends in my world have spoken of your existence, but no vampire has ever seen a creature such as you. Until now.” He stared at me, making me feel self-conscious again. Thankfully, though, I didn’t feel heat rush to my cheeks. Maybe being a vampire meant I wouldn’t embarrass as easily as when I was human. Of course, I had gotten embarrassed when I first saw Chance’s face, so I had a feeling that theory wouldn’t be holding much weight. “So how do you know it’ll work?” I asked, concern littering my words. “I don’t,” Aldric answered honestly. “But every other legend in my world has come to pass. And you now exist, just as the legend said you would. So it stands to reason that this, too, will come true.” I really didn’t like the fact that Aldric had no clue if my killing a hundred people—okay, they were technically already dead, but still—would guarantee I would be human again, but what other choice did I have? Live the rest of my life—which now would be forever thanks to the whole immortal thing—as a vampire? Kill myself, or have someone else kill me? So I gave into the only option I had. “Fine,” I said with defeat. “When do I start?” I watched Aldric’s face practically light up. I mean, it didn’t really light

up, he’s dead. But it definitely was a much happier expression. “Tomorrow,” he said. “On your first day of school.” “On my first day of what?” “School. You will be going to school tomorrow. Just like a normal teenager.” “You’ve got to be kidding,” I snarled, my teeth clenched tight. “I am very serious, Ava.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did he honestly think that I would be going to school in this condition? And let other people, my friends — if I had any—see me like this? “How am I supposed to go back to school when I’m a vampire?” Just saying the word out loud was too weird. I couldn’t imagine walking around in front of people with pale skin and fangs. “Well,” Aldric said, taking a step in my direction. “You won’t actually be going back to school. At least not the way you think.” Again his statement confused me, but this time I only had to roll my eyes to get him to explain. “You will be attending a new school,” he added, and I nearly choked on the thick fog wafting up from the ground. “What?” I asked with anger. “I’m not going to a new school!” I almost stamped my foot into the thick, damp grass for emphasis. I intended to stand my ground. “Do you remember your old school?” Aldric asked. “Well, no,” I said. “But that doesn’t matter.” “Whether you remember or not is irrelevant. You simply cannot attend the same school where everyone thought you died. That’s impossible.” What Aldric was saying made

sense, but I refused to accept it. I wanted to lash out and hit something—and by ‘something’ I meant a certain dead man walking—scream and go totally ballistic. “Why?” I asked. “Why is it impossible?” “Because you died, remember?” This time it was Chance who spoke up. “What would everybody say if you showed back up?” “So they all know I died?” The thought weighed heavily on me. My past. It was over and I couldn’t even remember it. Aldric was right; whether or not I could remember was irrelevant. I couldn’t go back even if I wanted to, not after dying. “What about my family? My friends? Do they all know I died?” “You had none of either.” Aldric’s words cut me. No family? No friends? How could that be? “That’s impossible,” I said, fighting desperately to hold back more tears. “I came from somewhere. I at least have a mother, don’t I?” “Of course you do,” Aldric went on. “Everyone has a mother. Yours, unfortunately, did not keep you.” Again, more painful words that cut deep. My own mother didn’t want me. The day kept getting better. “So I was what? Homeless? Living on the streets? Where did you find me?” “We don’t have time to get in to all the details,” Aldric said, waving his hand for emphasis. “I promise you I will tell you all you want to know. But right now we need to get out of this cemetery before someone finds us here.” “Who’s going to find us in the middle of the night?” Aldric

cut his eyes at me and I knew who. Vampires. “Oh.” “So you two get a move on. I’ll stay behind and take care of this.” He was looking down at the open grave beneath our feet; the grave where I came from. I supposed then that Earth was my only mother now. “So about this whole ‘going to school’ thing,” I interjected. “Don’t worry,” Aldric said, obviously sensing my nervousness. “You won’t be going alone.” I watched his eyes roll across the open area of the cemetery, coming to land on Chance, who had been idly watching our exchange. He had a peacefulness to his face that instantly calmed me. I hated the idea, but if Chance went with me, maybe going back to school wouldn’t be so bad. Though I hated to admit it, I was all out of other options. I was now a vampire. The sooner I accepted it, the better off I would be. I now had to live life in two separate parts: one half of me would be a quiet and reserved teenager attending school and acting normal, while the other half would be a thrill-seeking vampire hunter whose mission was tracking down vampires and killing them to save her own life. I had no clue how I would do either one.

4

. BEGINNING Chance graciously offered to let me sleep at his house, swearing his mom wouldn’t mind. I had absolutely nowhere else to go since I had no memory of my life before the coffin, and no way in hell was I going back there, so I reluctantly accepted. Since it was well past midnight, he said he’d wait until his mom woke up for work to tell her. “That way,” he had said as we drove to his house in his so-in-need-of-a-paint-job truck, “if she does get mad, she won’t have time to yell at me before school.” He smiled when he said it, and even though icy air was circling me in the frigid cab of his truck—I was getting some feeling back in my skin—I felt warm inside. I had agreed, on the condition that it would only be a temporary solution to my sudden housing problem. I planned on figuring out something else ASAP.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I woke up in a strange place. This time, though, I felt calm and rested. And totally comfortable thanks to Chance, who proved that guys are chivalrous by offering me his bed and taking the couch. I stretched my arms wide, soaking up the early sun slicing through the sheer curtains hanging over the

window behind me. Its warmth made me feel alive, which was so ironic seeing as how I technically was dead. Well, I don’t know if dead was the right word. Maybe half dead? Can a person be half dead? Another question to add to my ever-growing list. I climbed out of Chance’s super-soft bed and carefully maneuvered my clumsy body across the room through the early morning haze of light and darkness. Chance’s room was what I imagined would be a typical teenage guy’s— complete with clothes strewn about—and I felt a twinge of jealousy that I apparently never had that. According to Aldric, I was an unwanted child who had been cast aside like an old newspaper. I pushed thoughts of the woman who abandoned me from my mind and left the room. Out in the hallway, I peered over the banister at Chance sleeping below. Somehow, maybe with the pale yellow light of the sun that had begun to peek through the windows, he looked even more beautiful and perfect than he did last night under the moonlight. I felt my stomach flutter as a smile spread across my face. It felt so nice knowing that he was there for me, even though I still didn’t understand why. I slowly made my way to the bathroom down the hall, trying my best not to make the floor creak as I walked. As I showered and dressed, my mind went over the past day of my life. I was a half vampire, half human hybrid-thingy—I so needed to find a shorter word for what I was—I had to kill one hundred vampires to save my soul, and my new, and apparently only, friend was so hot I could barely stand being in his presence for fear of throwing myself at him. Now to top it off, I was about to step foot in a new school

where I was positive I would just fit right in. Sure. I finished up with readying myself for the rest of hell-week —I came up with that name while showering—when a sweet and familiar scent invaded my head. Blood. New blood. Oh crap. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, trying to focus on anything other than that intoxicating scent as it drew closer and closer to me. When the smell was too much to bear, I swung open the bathroom door to find the source and ran into the one person I had been hoping to avoid. “I’m so sorry,” I said, backing away and giving Chance’s mom a quick once over to make sure I hadn’t inadvertently gotten toothpaste or makeup on her clothes. All seemed well. At least with her outfit. “Who are you?” she asked, anger woven into her words. She stood a good foot taller than me, with long brown hair falling in large, perfect curls that framed her porcelain skin. I instinctively brought a hand to my own brown hair, feeling its coarseness against my skin. A pair of emerald eyes, just like her son’s, with expertly-crafted brows sat atop a petite nose and full, pink lips. I was so jealous. “I-I’m—“ “She’s a friend, Mom,” I heard Chance’s voice from the hallway. “Ease up.” He said it lightly, but apparently with just enough conviction to tame his mother; she stepped to the side and Chance joined us in the bathroom doorway. Last night in the cemetery I could tell beneath the shirt he had been wearing that Chance was physically fit. But now, seeing him standing shirtless in front of me, I was way off on my estimation as to exactly how fit; he was perfect. Well-

defined muscles created a body that would make even Hollywood’s leading men jealous (yep, TV again). I found it impossible to believe that he was single. Great personality on top of fashion magazine looks? No way he didn’t have a girlfriend. Not that it mattered to me. At least I didn’t think it did. I felt my face turn blood red, which instantly made me mad. Why couldn’t the fact that I get embarrassed easily be one of the things I lost in my new unlife? Ugh. Chance obviously noticed my rosy cheeks. He smiled wickedly and stepped past his mother, planting his sweet-smelling self directly between us. “This is Ava,” he said to his mother, his back to me. I watched the muscles in his neck twitch as he spoke. “She’s an old friend who moved back to town, so I told her she could crash here last night. It’s cool, right?” I half expected Chance’s mom to climb the walls and spit fire from her full lips, but she didn’t. She simply smiled and leaned into give her son a peck on the cheek. “Okay, sweetheart. You be careful going to school. Nice to meet you, Ava.” And then she was gone. Luckily I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror, so I was able to close my gaping mouth before Chance saw me. I mean, what had just happened? Either she was the coolest mom in the world, or she honestly wasn’t concerned with what her son was up to. “Um, how did you do that?” I asked, watching him intently as he stepped back into the doorway. Are all moms like this? I wondered. I really had no basis for comparison. I had no mother—at least no mother I could remember. And even if I could, Aldric said she hadn’t wanted me anyway.

“I told you she’d be cool,” Chance replied, that sly smile still on his face. He ran a hand through his bed-head. “I’m gonna get out and let you finish up.” “I’m done,” I said, reaching out to stop him from closing the bathroom door. My hand brushed his arm and that same exciting heat shot through my hand and across my body, sending a shiver down my back. “You okay?” Chance asked with concern. “Yeah,” I said with a shaky voice. “Yeah, I’m good.” He smiled again and walked toward me. With the sink on one side and a wall on the other, I had nowhere to go. “Um, I kind of need to use the bathroom,” he said, now only inches from me. I could feel heat radiating off him. Just like last night. “Sorry,” I muttered under my breath as I scurried like a cockroach when the light comes on (another useless memory). I squeezed past him—holding my breath to avoid the urge to taste his blood—and practically jumped into the hallway. I sprinted to Chance’s room as fast as I could without seeming like a total loon, stealing a quick glance over my shoulder before going inside; the bathroom door was already closed. Wow, I seriously needed to get a grip. I waited patiently in his room for Chance to finish, and once he came out of the bathroom we were on the road and headed to school in less than five minutes. Anxious nerves were crawling all over me as we crossed town, making me feel nauseous. I kept my eyes glued out the window, trying my best not to think about what was coming. “Try not to worry,” Chance said. I jumped when he spoke, his deep voice slicing through the silence of his truck.

“I’m not worried.” “You’re a terrible liar.” “Yeah, I guess I am.” I smiled and tried my best to look fine with the fact that I couldn’t be more scared about going to high-school. A new and unfamiliar high school on top of it. “So talk to me,” he said after a couple minutes of awkward silence. “About what?” “About why you’re worried.” He kept stealing glances at me from across the cab of the truck, the early sunlight bouncing off the jade of his eyes like crystals. “When you pulled me from that coffin,” I began, my nerves evident in my voice. “Your blood—” “I know,” Chance interrupted. “You do?” “Yeah.” He fell into a line of traffic obviously heading to school. “You smelled it, right?” “Yes.” I could feel the embarrassment creep into the muscles of my face. “And now, I don’t know if this is a smart thing for me to do.” I was of course referring to walking into a building full of hormonal, emotional teenagers whose blood would no doubt drive me crazy. “You’ll be fine, Ava.” Chance said softly. “Remember, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” “I think I might hold you to that this time.” For the first time since waking up in the cemetery, I was actually relying on him to be there for me; the feeling was a nice one. “You do that.” He pulled his eyes from the road once more and smiled at me. “And try to look at the bright side,

okay?” “What bright side?” I asked. “With no memory of who you are, you can be anybody you want.” “I just want to be normal.” Chance nodded in agreement, but kept focused on the road. I tried to imagine myself being someone important or dignified or popular; anything but a blood-sucking monster trying to pass as human. Of course, being a vampire would probably come easier than fitting in as just an average teenager. I didn’t know which would be worse, but I was about to find out soon.

McCarver High School looked how I had hoped but feared it wouldn’t; absolutely ordinary. A large, red brick building with tall windows and double-doors, surrounded by lush trees and a parking lot filling up with cars, was sprawled out before us as we turned in. I don’t know what exactly I had been expecting, but plain and un-intimidating wasn’t it. I let the air I had been holding captive escape from my lungs and actually calmed down a bit as Chance wheeled his truck into a space farthest from the building as possible. Not that I minded the walk—it would help me stay in shape, though I had a feeling hunting vampires was going to do plenty of that—but I found it a bit odd. With almost every space at the front of the building empty, why would he choose to park so far out? I didn’t have time to ponder an answer. We climbed—well I climbed, he just stepped out—from his truck and began the trek across the

black-topped parking lot, the frigid winter air swirling around me in a frenzy. I could smell blood instantly, its alluring and inviting scent invading my senses like an alien being. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my mind to ignore it, which was difficult to say the least. My stomach was fighting my body for freedom, trying to climb its way out of my throat as my nerves came rushing back. I kept swallowing hard to force it back down. “Just relax,” Chance said, his voice deep and sexy and very calming. “You’ll be fine.” I felt his hand brush mine— almost like he wanted to hold hands—but quickly move away. Even that tiny touch made me shiver. “Promise?” I asked, sounding more like a child asking her dad if she was going to get a pony for Christmas. “Absolutely.” We entered the school mixed with a dense crowd of scrambling teenagers, Chance standing tall and wide, I with my breath held tightly in my chest. I wanted to wrap myself around his arm and let him guide me through the maelstrom, but I resisted. Even though he had saved my life and had given me no reason not to, I didn’t fully trust him. Not yet, anyway. So I kept to myself as the barrage of warm bodies mulled around me, voices and smells coalescing in my brain. Chance had been right; even though I could smell blood, it wasn’t overpowering my control. I was okay. So far. “You ready?” he asked just outside what I assumed was our first class. His voice was both calm and rushed at the same time. Obviously he wasn’t as laid back as he looked. “As I’ll ever be,” I answered, taking a couple of deep

breaths. Chance opened the door and we walked in. The classroom looked as normal as the building itself: rows of desks filled with bored-looking students; a dusty chalkboard covering the entire front wall; floor-to-ceiling bookcases covering the back. I was so grateful for its plainness. I was also grateful there wasn’t a giant photo of me hanging from the ceiling with the words ‘New Girl’ emblazoned across it. I meekly followed Chance to the back row of desks and took a seat across from him. Most of the other students were busy with their own conversations, but I noticed a couple of faces pause to watch us enter. One of those faces, belonging to a pretty girl sitting next to me, was actually smiling. “I see you’ve already met the resident hunk,” she whispered as she leaned into me. “Isn’t he delicious?” She smiled and lifted her eyebrows in Chance’s direction, and because I didn’t want to be rude on my first day—yeah, that’s why—I agreed. “Yeah,” I whispered back, not wanting to say too much for fear of stepping on anything Chance may have said about who I was. I quickly regretted not asking him if he had already spread a back-story about me around campus. The girl obviously didn’t think twice about me; she was too focused on Chance. “That whole ‘loner’ thing he’s got going on is sooo hot.” She smiled again and sat upright in her chair. “I’m Lacey, by the way,” she added, tossing a rogue curl over her shoulder. I watched it fall in perfectly with the rest of her long blond hair. “Nice to meet you,” I said, trying not to sound like a

dweeb. I was self-conscious enough already, I didn’t need the prettiest girl in the room shunning me. “You too. Hope you like it here. If you need anything at all just ask, okay?” She spoke much louder on that last part, staring intensely at something just over the top of my head. Chance. She was checking to make sure Chance had heard her. I didn’t turn around to see if he had; I didn’t have to. The defeated look on her face answered for me. She replaced her frown with another smile—I got the impression she smiled a lot—and turned away from me, stepping into another conversation like she had been a part of it from the start. The rest of the hour was uneventful, other than having to answer when the teacher asked if I was present—which was more embarrassing than it should have been since my nerves made my voice crack. After that, I spent the remainder of class holding my breath, just waiting for Mr. Sampson to call me out if front of everyone. Luckily the bell rang before he got around to me, and I jumped up and followed Chance out of class just as I had followed him in, scared and cowering. Though I had expected it, I wasn’t fully prepared for the onslaught of new-student questions I was met with once in the hall: “Where are you from?” “Why did you move here?” “Are you serious with that outfit?” Okay, I hadn’t actually heard that last one yet, but I was positive it would be asked. The faded, obviously used jeans and plain-Jane tee I was wearing practically screamed out for criticism. The outfit was a gift from Chance; it was the only thing he could find of his Mom’s that he didn’t think she would miss. I wasn’t

about to complain. Not after all he had done for me. I chose to ignore all the questions for now, simply smiling and nodding and trying to act as if I didn’t hear them, or was above answering them. The kids asking the questions took my silence as it was intended, walking away and leaving me alone. Once we were alone, I questioned Chance about my new friend Lacey. “So,” I said with a smile in my voice. “Looks like you have an admirer.” I didn’t look up at him as I moved to his side. I thought it best to keep my eyes focused on where I was putting my feet. Absolute last thing I needed was to bite it right in the middle of a crowded hallway. “Are you talking about Lacey?” Chance said, with zero inflection in his voice. He actually seemed surprised I brought up the subject. “Don’t act like you don’t know.” Chance smiled but kept looking forward. “Is she an ex-girlfriend or something?” I hated asking such a personal question since I didn’t even really know him, but I felt it hanging in the air like a bad odor. “No way,” he said with a tiny laugh. It was becoming a thing he did, and I liked it— it helped me relax. We rounded the corner at the far end of the hall, and I was thankful the crowd had thinned a bit. I was finally able to let my arms fall to my sides without feeling so self-conscious. “Lacey Stewart is way too high-maintenance for me,” Chance continued, that same jovial tone in his voice. Almost like he found it funny that I would think they were a couple. “Didn’t mean to pry,” I offered, hoping we could drop the

subject. “You didn’t. You can ask me anything.” He stopped walking and turned to look at me. “I know we just met, and how we met is definitely not normal,” he smiled as he spoke and I couldn’t help but stare. “But you’re safe with me, Ava. I hope you know that.” “Why?” The word came out before I had time to stop myself. “Why?” he repeated. “Why are you safe with me?” “No. Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you? And why does it seem that Aldric has some sort of hold over you?” That unreliable filter came off my mouth again, and the questions spewed forth like water over a dam. “Aldric doesn’t have anything over me, trust me.” I watched the vein in Chance’s neck pulse as his muscles tensed, and I had to close my eyes to ward off the bloodlust. “I’m only doing what he says because of you.” “But why? I don’t understand why you’re helping me. Did we know each other before this?” I hadn’t thought of it before, but it made sense; why else would he risk his life to help me? “I’m helping you because it’s the right thing to do. That’s it.” The tiny muscles running the length of his defined jaw grew even tighter and I knew I had inadvertently struck a nerve. “Now let’s get to class.” “Wait a minute,” I snapped as he moved past me and down the hall. “You didn’t answer my question.” I grabbed his arm to stop him from walking away. That familiar heat pulsed through my hand. “I told you why I was helping you,” he snapped back.

“What more do you want from me?” “How about the truth.” He turned his head to look down at me, and all I could see behind his eyes was glaring sadness. A deep, painful sadness that he was fighting desperately to keep hidden away. Why he wanted to hide it from me was the real question I was too afraid to ask. “I know you’re keeping something from me, Chance. I don’t understand why, and I’m sorry for pushing you.” He didn’t smile but I could tell he wanted to. “But I want an answer.” “To what?” “Did we know each other before all this?” I stared into his eyes; eyes that held truth I couldn’t see. It felt like forever before he finally said “No,” adding “And I’ve told you all I can,” as he quickly looked away. “Let it go, Ava.” The two of us stood motionless in the middle of the hallway. Other kids weaved around us, some bumping into me as they rushed to class before the tardy bell rang. The building could have been on fire and I wouldn’t have cared. I was too focused on Chance and the fact that this complete and total stranger was possibly risking his life to help me, a nobody without a past who wanted nothing more than to sink her disgusting fangs into his neck. “I can’t do that, Chance. I’m sorry.” I, too, had to look away before I gave in and did what he wanted, before I said to hell with everything and stopped asking questions. I didn’t want to forget about what was really going on, to pass over the fact that he wasn’t telling me the truth. I tried my best to ignore it for now and focus instead on the good, honest part of him— the part that joined forces with a monster like Aldric to help save my life. But it wasn’t going

to be easy; I still wanted to know what he was hiding. “But,” I went on, “I won’t push you to tell me. I’ll wait for you to do it on your own.” “Then be prepared to wait a while.” His words were cold and bitter. Why was he being so secretive? What did he have to hide? What was really going on between him and Aldric? More questions without answers, the story of my life since last night. I hated not knowing what was happening all around me, not having a clue who the people supposedly helping me really were. Could I trust them? I had no idea. Did I really have any other choice? None I could think of at the moment. Obviously satisfied that I was dropping the third degree —at least for now—Chance continued down the hall toward our next class. I dodged a sprinting cheerleader and her bouncing pony tail and fell into step behind him. I made it less than ten feet when my senses were flooded with an increasingly familiar and all-too-enticing aroma. The undeniable, sweet-as-hell scent of blood. There was a vampire very close by. And it had just killed a human.

5 . KILLING TIME I had no clue how I knew a vampire was near, I just did. Kind of like how Chance just knew something was wrong with me when he saw my face. “What is it?” he asked, his body tensing and that tasty vein running his neck flexing along with his muscles. I tried but really couldn’t speak. The smell of blood was so intoxicating my mind was floating. I couldn’t focus on anything except my bloodlust. I wanted some so badly, but at the same time the thought of it repulsed me. I hated myself at the moment. “Vampire.” I managed to get a single word out between bouts of blissful nausea. Thankfully Chance understood its meaning. He spun very slowly in a tight circle, surveying the school hallway that had mysteriously become a ghost land void of other students. “Not in here,” I managed to say after semi-controlling my thirst. “But close.” I forced my eyes to focus on Chance’s face. His controlled determination was refreshing. Knowing he was there for me—that I didn’t have to go through this alone— made me feel better. “Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand (again, that intense heat) and practically dragged me toward the large, metal doors at the end of the hall. “Wait,” I interjected, reluctantly pulling my hand from his. He stopped with a firm grip on the door handle and turned to look at me, anxious nerves lighting his face. “For what? We have to stop it.” “What about class?” It was a dumb response, I know. But

it was the only thing I could think of saying to keep Chance from going outside. The truth was, I wasn’t quite ready to kill someone. I knew I had to, but actually going through with it was something I wasn’t prepared to do. “Ava,” Chance said, stepping away from the door and moving in close to me. “You have to do this. This is how you get your life back. All of it.” Somehow he seemed to know exactly what was wrong with me. He took my hand again and gave it a firm but gentle squeeze. His eyes never left mine. “I’ll be right there with you. I promise.” That was the one thing that bothered me. I still didn’t understand why he was so willing to help me basically commit murder. Why did he care? “Okay,” I said, though it barely came out a whisper. Every cell in my body was on fire, every nerve alive and very aware of what was about to happen. My breath was ragged and coming in short spurts and I didn’t exactly know why. I’m sure it mostly had to do with the fact I was about to kill a vampire (or at least try) but part of it had to be the fact that Chance was more than willing to go into a fight right beside me. I did my best to ignore that last part. “Let’s go.” Chance kept my hand locked tightly in his, and as we headed out the doors and sprinted across campus, my mind drifted away from the lurking vampire and went to the tiny current of warm electricity I was feeling from him. Did all guys feel that way? I had no clue since I couldn’t remember ever touching one before Chance, but somehow I doubted it. Chance was obviously different than most guys —all guys I was willing to bet. Maybe his extremely warm body temp was nerves or something. Maybe he wasn’t

always like that. Either way, it was weird. And unsettling. And kind of nice. I forced that last thought out of my head and focused on the impending death I was about to cause. As we crossed the frozen, brittle grass toward the whitecapped trees, I was worried we would be spotted by someone and reported to the school principal. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed only a few windows looking out over us, so I felt confident we hadn’t been seen. I finally exhaled as we came to a stop just inside the forest. “Where to?” Chance asked, clearly on edge but ready to strike. He was feverishly scanning the woods, searching for my soon-to-be victim. I closed my eyes, allowing the bloodlust to take over. I felt the intoxicating scent of human blood slither through my body like a venomous snake, wrapping around my organs and refusing to let go. The smell was so strong, so powerful; I hoped it would serve as a guide. “Follow me,” I said, opening my eyes. I wasn’t exactly sure where the vampire was making its kill, but the aroma of free-flowing blood was strongest in one direction, so I made the snap decision to follow it. “Whoa,” Chance said, his voice full of nervous surprise. He stood motionless, staring down at me. “What?” I asked, confused by the look on his face. He was ogling me like I was some sort of freak. I mean, I was a freak, but I didn’t think I looked like one. “Your eyes,” he answered, almost in a whisper. His face was twisted with confusion, much like you’d see on someone at a county fair trying to guess the number of jelly beans in the jar.

“What’s wrong with them?” He was really starting to freak me out. For a second I actually was able to ignore the blood calling out to me. At that moment, I was only concerned with why he all of a sudden seemed repulsed by me. “They’re glowing.” He moved closer, studying my eyes like a map. He brought his hand up to my face, and my first instinct was to pull away, but I didn’t. I let him brush over my eyes with his hand, flinching at the jolt of his touch. He moved to the skin on my cheek, all the while keeping his gaze locked on my eyes. “Amazing,” he added after a few more seconds. When I realized that I actually could have stood there forever with his hand caressing my face, I jerked away. Chance didn’t seem to notice so I played it off. “Uh, thanks,” I said when I couldn’t think of a better response. “Now let’s go.” I took off in a slow sprint, Chance fast on my heels. I followed tiny, nature-made pathways slicing through the thick brush of the forest, ignoring the tiny nicks I was getting from briers and thorny vines that jutted out in my way. I was solely focused on finding the source of the blood. I let the smell of it guide me, hoping I was going in the right direction. I had to see it for myself, see if I would want to drink it as badly if I actually saw it spurting from the neck of a human. I would occasionally glance over my shoulder as I pounded through the woods to make sure Chance hadn’t fallen behind. His face showed signs of fatigue, but he was keeping up perfectly; just one more mysterious thing about him. We made it to the edge of a small clearing deep in the woods before I came to an abrupt stop. My entire body locked and I instinctively threw my arm out to my side.

Chance nearly fell down when he hit it. “Wait,” I whispered, my voice so low even I had trouble hearing it. Thankfully Chance had enough common sense to know that’s what I meant when I stopped him. He stood tall and rigid next to me, the only movement the rapid rise and fall of his heaving chest. I noticed that I wasn’t breathing hard at all—apparently another benefit of my new life as a monster. I crouched down low, my senses precisely focused. I could actually hear everything: Birds in the trees; crickets and mosquitoes busily toiling away at their respective duties; the labored breathing and thrumming heartbeat of a human in distress. My ears perked up and I became rock-solid still, not even allowing myself to breathe as I listened to the sound of death slowly creeping in. “Stay here,” I told Chance as I stood back up. He didn’t protest, remaining perfectly still. I could sense, however, his reluctance to let me go out into the clearing alone. His concern gave me the strength I needed to face what I had to do. I decided during my run through the woods that I would look at the challenge Aldric threw in front of me from a different angle. Instead of seeing it as killing people (technically vampires, but still people in my eyes) I would look at what I had to do as saving the lives of innocents. If I could hone my skill of sensing vampires, then maybe I could track and stop them before they attacked. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel so terrible when I had to kill. Maybe. Very carefully, I stepped into the last patch of brush, mindful of where I placed my feet. I didn’t want to snap a downed tree branch and alert the vampire of my presence. I knew I was already going to have a hard enough fight on my

hands once I stepped into the clearing; I at least wanted the element of surprise on my side. As I drew closer to the open field, the vampire and its victim came into my line of sight. The girl being fed upon was barely a teenager, and from the looks of her outfit and hygiene, she was most likely a runaway. Suddenly my mind was bombarded with images of girls and boys in similar attire, each one dirtier and more unkempt than the next.

What the hell was that? Are those memories? Do I know those children? I had no idea, but didn’t have the time to worry about it yet. I forced the images to the back of my mind and turned my attention back to the girl being fed on by the vampire. Her hair was a very dirty blond with large knots all over. Her clothes were ragged and thick with dirt and stains, her feet were bare. The top of her filthy shirt was drenched in her own blood, which pulsed from her neck with each beat of her heart. I found myself licking my lips with want. Very quickly—almost too quick for me to control—I leapt from the woods and charged toward the vampire like a stampeding bull. He abruptly turned away from his victim and crouched into an attack stance. Though I was moving at lightning speed, I was still able to get a very good look at him. His face was sunken in and overly pale, his skin practically hanging on his bones. Dingy, matted hair fell into his eyes, which were a fiery orange, almost like they were glowing. Just like mine. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out; glowing eyes must have meant I was hungry. I tucked that piece of info away and pushed forward. I was on the vampire in less than a second. I was grateful

he was small and rather weak; it really helped me get him to the ground. He fell back into the soft, thick grass, and the two of us rolled around like frolicking dogs during mating season. The vampire kept trying to butt heads with me, his long, sharp fangs searching for my neck. I swung my fist hard and fast, making contact with his face just below his right eye. His head shot backward, temporarily dazing him. I was able to reposition myself around his waist, finally pinning him to the ground. Of course, he was back in full fight mode in a millisecond, fangs fully extended and a primeval growl coming from his throat. I grabbed hold of his wrists, feeling hard, sinewy muscles I couldn’t see. He was strong, regardless of his size. He kept trying to roll me off of him, but luckily I was stronger. I threw his arms back, pinning them against the ground. Now what, Ava? I had him down, but had also inadvertently rendered myself useless. If I let go of his arms to try and punch him or something, I had no doubt he would rip my throat out. I tried pulling his arms together above his head so I could hold them with one hand, but he proved too strong. I was stuck. Just then a large piece of pointed wood came whizzing past my head, plunging deep into the vampire’s chest. Dark, smelly blood shot into the air, narrowly missing me. I watched as it pumped out of his chest and poured over his sides, turning the grass beneath him from a lush green to nearly black as it spread. The vampire screamed in agony as the life (or unlife) poured out of him. In shock, I could only sit there straddling him, watching intently as his screams slowly faded and the glow in his eyes was distinguished.

After only a few seconds, there was nothing left but a bloody corpse. I quickly looked up, the piercing sunlight momentarily blinding me. I waited for my eyes to adjust before gasping. There stood Chance, breathing heavily and clutching a bloody chunk of wood against his chest.

6 . HERO’S LOT I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. All I could do was watch Chance, with his powerful, menacing glare at the now dead vampire beneath me. I watched as his chest moved in rhythm with his breath and his hands twisted tighter around the blood-soaked stake. I saw a rage behind his eyes unlike any I had seen before. I was part vampire, apparently the most lethal weapon on Earth, and I was terrified. “Stand up,” he said firmly, his voice unwavering. I did as he said, stepping away from the vampire but too afraid to stand next to him. His eyes remained fixated on the bleeding corpse, tiny tears forming in the corners. I wanted to calm him down, tell him to relax and breathe. Instead, I simply reached out and put my hand on his. After a few seconds, he released his death grip on the stake and I plucked it slowly from his hands. The horrid smell of the vampire’s blood dripping from it turned my stomach. Apparently the blood of the dead was nowhere near as enticing as the blood of the living. “Are you okay?” He asked me, finally turning away from what he had done. He immediately began running his hands over my face and arms, searching for any signs of distress. Suddenly uncomfortable, I quickly pulled away. “I’m fine,” I lied. Physically I was good, but totally messed up every other way. My emotions were going haywire, anger mixed with fear mixed with sympathy. And my mind would never be right. I mean, the closest I had ever come to seeing someone die was watching death scenes in movies and on

TV (yeah, TV memories were back in full force). Real life death was much worse. Bloodsucking vampire or not, watching him die was painful. Even though I didn’t really consider myself a vampire—not yet, anyway—I felt a small pang of guilt for what I had done. In some weird way, it felt like I had just helped kill my brother or something. It actually hurt. “What about you?” I asked. “What the hell was that?” Chance looked at me as if hearing me speak for the first time. “What was what?” he asked back, seemingly confused by my question. “Um, that whole ‘vampire killer’ thing you just did. Where did that come from?” I kept my distance from him, suddenly scared of what he might do to me, the other vampire in the woods. “I told you I was here for you, Ava. I meant it.” He snatched the wooden stake from my hand and chucked it into the woods over my head. “You didn’t say you’d kill for me, Chance.” The breath in my lungs suddenly felt very heavy and thick like fog. I couldn’t catch my breath. I was about to have a panic attack if I didn’t calm myself down. “Listen,” I said after taking a few deep breaths. “You need to tell me exactly what’s going on. I can’t take this any more.” “Take what?” Chance turned and walked away from me, clearly unwilling to talk. I had no intention of letting it go and was quickly on his heels. “I can’t take any more of you hiding stuff from me. This is my life, my mess to fix. And you’re trying your hardest to keep me in the dark about what you’re up to. It ends now.” I

planted my feet in the tall grass to emphasize my point. Chance smirked and almost laughed, obviously finding my behavior funny. “Don’t make fun of me, Chance Caldon. I’m dead serious.” “Well you’re going to be dead period if we don’t get out of here. That whole screaming vampire thing doesn’t sit well with people, you know. I’m sure the cops are on the way.” I was fuming at his total disregard to my demand for the truth, but he was actually right; the last thing I needed was to be seen standing over a dead body. Or possibly two. “How is she?” I had nearly forgotten about the bleeding girl still leaning against the tree behind us. Chance apparently had too, practically jumping across the field to get to her. He slowly lifted her thin arm to check her pulse. “She’s alive,” he said after a few seconds. “But barely.” He ripped the sleeve from his shirt, revealing a taut bicep muscle rolling beneath his tanned skin. He took the piece of fabric and wrapped it around the girl’s neck, trying to subdue the flow of blood. I watched as he scooped her into his arms, cradling her body against his. Even though she had just been attacked by a vampire and probably wouldn’t survive, I felt a twinge of something—Jealousy? Anger? Chance moved past me, and the smell of her dying blood sent me in to a rage unlike anything I had ever experienced. It completely blinded me to reality, engulfing my mind and becoming my only purpose, my only reason for being. I couldn’t stop myself. I lunged forward, pouncing on Chance’s back like a killer cat. He stumbled then fell, spilling the girl onto the ground. I quickly jumped over him,

landing right on top of her. The tumble had caused Chance’s makeshift tourniquet on the girl’s neck to slip, exposing a pair of gaping holes still oozing blood. A sharp, numbing pain raced across my upper jaw as my gums split open, revealing a pair of razorsharp fangs. I flicked the tip of them with my tongue, tasting the potent liquid oozing from them. Venom. It didn’t matter that what I was doing was sick, or wrong, or would forever damn me to Hell. All I cared about was putting my teeth into the flesh of her neck and feeding. I wanted to taste her blood. Bad. As I slowly leaned in, relishing in the strong scent of human blood, Chance’s large arms wrapped around me and squeezed as tight as possible. With a quick jerk, he and I sailed backward and off the girl. Without giving me a second to react, he pulled me tightly against him and half stood, half dragged us farther and farther away. After a few seconds— and several feet— the intensity of the bloodlust eased a bit, but didn’t fully subside. Sensing that, Chance didn’t let up. He held me close and tight as I struggled to break free. My body seemed out of my control. It clearly wanted to free itself from Chance’s arms and my mind and get back to the girl slowly dying in front of us. I could feel my muscles pushing with intense fury against Chance’s body, writhing and coiling and fighting. My mind eventually gave into my body’s overpowering force and it, too, began to want the girl again. I was going to win. I was going to get away from Chance and feed for the first time—I could feel it. But something suddenly happened. Something strange and comforting and powerful. Intense heat flooded my body,

radiating throughout my skin, my muscles, my soul. I was defenseless against it, and for the second time in only two days, everything in my life went dark.

“Ava?” I heard Chance’s voice, faint and distant. He was calling my name, but I couldn’t see him. I could feel that safe, inviting heat that oozes from him, so I knew he was very close to me. I reached out with my arms, searching for him. I felt his hand take hold of mine, gripping it tightly. “Ava, can you hear me?” Very slowly, the darkness around me began to break away, replaced by long shards of warm, inviting light. My eyes fluttered open, revealing Chance’s face. “Are you okay?” He was wiping hair away from my face, the touch of his fingers sending tiny jolts of electricity across my skin. I sat upright, scanning the scene before me. We were still in the clearing in the woods behind my high school, a dead vampire and his victim crumpled in the grass across from us. “How is she?” I asked as Chance helped me stand. My head was spinning, and I felt that I could pass out at any moment. I saw the girl lying motionless in the high grass about fifty feet from us. Wow, I thought. Chance pulled me that far away? I was impressed at his strength and stamina. “She didn’t make it.” His statement cut me like a knife. After risking my own life fighting a vampire, after Chance had stepped in and killed it when I couldn’t, we still lost her. I was so mad at myself for failing that all I wanted to do was

scream and hit something. Instead, I cried. Tears poured from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks and mixing with the dirt and spots of vampire blood that had taken up residence on my skin. Chance hugged me again, and I sobbed into his broad, muscular chest, letting the warmth of his body relax me. I wished that I could go back and do things differently. Maybe immobilize the vampire and check on the girl first, before going back to fight him some more. Maybe that would’ve helped. “Don’t dwell on what you should have done, Ava. It won’t help.” I first thought Chance could read my mind before I realized that I had been thinking out loud. I quickly moved away, suddenly uncomfortable being so close to him. “But I killed her,” I cried, trying to stop the tears as I crossed the field away from him and the carnage I caused. “She’s dead because of me.” “She’s dead because of him,” Chance said, nodding his head in the dead vampire’s direction. “You were trying to save her. And you did, Ava. You saved her from being drained by that monster.” The way Chance said monster made me cringe. I briefly wondered what he really thought of me. Did he think of me as a monster like I did? “Come on,” he said. He walked over and took my hand, pulling me along the path in the grass I had created earlier. “We need to get out of here.” As we passed the girl’s body, I couldn’t help but take another deep breath to soak up more of that delicious blood scent. Except this time, the smell turned my stomach. I hunched over a bit, holding the bile in my throat. Dead blood was so gross. “Sorry,” Chance said. “I forgot to tell you. Once a person

dies, the smell of their blood makes you sick.” “How do you know so much about vampires?” I asked as I forced my stomach to settle down. I picked up the pace as we left the clearing and entered the thicket of trees, hoping to get as far away from the putrid scent as possible. “I don’t know,” Chance stated. “I just do.” His voice quavered a bit, the words sounding more rehearsed than spontaneous. He was hiding something, I could tell. “Okay,” I said, stopping dead in my tracks. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on.” Chance slowly dropped my hand but wouldn’t look at me, his eyes focusing instead on the empty space above my head. “Ava,” he finally said, lowering his eyes to look at me. “You just have to trust me, okay? I’m only here to help you.” “You’re lying.” “No I’m not.” He turned and walked away from me, obviously upset. “I’m telling you the truth. I want to help you get through this.” “I know that,” I said. Chance glared at me with confusion. “I know you want to help me. No one would do what you just did if they didn’t.” A quick image of the girl’s bloodied body passed my eyes. I closed them to make it go away. “But that’s not the only reason you’re here, is it?” “Yes, it is.” “Fine,” I snapped. “Let’s just get out of here.” Chance opened his mouth to speak but didn’t. Instead he turned and led us out of the woods, though this time taking an alternate route, leading us away from school campus. “So what about the bodies?” I finally asked as we maneuvered over fallen trees and deep holes dug by

animals I had no desire to meet. I didn’t ask Chance where we were going, deciding it didn’t really matter; I had zero interest in going back to school just yet. I also surprised myself with how cavalier I could be talking about the dead. Maybe I really was a soulless monster. “Aldric’s taking care of it,” Chance answered. “That’s why we need to get moving.” As he basically pulled me through the woods, my mind began imagining what ‘Aldric’s taking care of it’ meant. Was he going to burn them? Bury them? Eat them? Okay, that last one was absurd, but given all that had happened to me lately, the idea wasn’t totally unrealistic. I wanted to ask Chance what Aldric planned on doing with them, but kept quiet instead. Judging by the look on his face, I had aggravated him enough for one day. We walked for what felt like hours before finally leaving the woods, coming to yet another clearing. This one, however, wasn’t empty. A large, decrepit house with giant windows and a wrap-around porch sat at the far back of the field, a very tall, very old oak tree plopped down in front. It was a typical horror movie house, complete with gauzy spider webs draping the corners. “Where are we?” I asked as Chance walked toward the dilapidated structure. “This place has been in my family forever. We’ll be safe here,” he answered, looking back over his shoulder. “I thought we could hang here until school’s out before we go back to get my truck.” I smiled at him, hoping to smooth over whatever relationship was growing between us. I sort of felt bad for being so mean earlier. Plus I was really tired. Even though I was immortal and apparently super strong

now, my feet were killing me and I felt like I could sleep for days. Once we reached the house, Chance left me standing on the ground just below the porch as he clambered up the steps and fished a key from above the door. He had to lean into the door a bit to get it to open, and when it finally budged, a plume of thick dust billowed across the air. Chance waited for the cloud to settle before stepping inside. I stood patiently until he came back out. “Okay,” he said, popping his head out the door. “Come in.” Though I didn’t really want to, the rapidly dropping temperature outside was slowly clawing at my skin. So I nervously climbed the steps and went inside. I think my nervousness was due in part to the immense hunger I was feeling. Yeah, blood hunger. It sucked. The outside of the house looked like a palace compared to the inside. Every surface was streaked with black grime and dust. More spider webs littered the corners, some even with spiders still in them. I made sure to keep a watchful eye on them just in case any decided to attack. Even being half vampire, I still hated spiders with a passion. As far as furniture, the place was almost barren. A rotten sofa was pushed against the far back wall of the great room, a very tiny wooden chair was lying on its back on the floor. A small table with a broken leg and some ratty sheers partially hanging around the windows completed the look. “Nice,” I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster given my fatigue. “The Hilton Hotels should take a cue from this place.” I was growing less and less surprised by the ridiculous things I was remembering. I hoped I wasn’t being

too offensive, but I was really too tired to care. Of course, I had never seen the inside of a Hilton hotel—or any hotel that I could remember—but I doubted they looked anything like this place. “I know it’s bad,” Chance said, sounding defeated. “I’m sorry. I said it’s been in my family forever. I didn’t say we used it. But at least we’ll be safe here.” “What do we need protection from?” The thought had just occurred to me that we killed the only vampire in the area; apparently I could smell when one was near. So unless the locals were planning a torch-wielding field trip out this way, I couldn’t imagine what we were being saved from. “I don’t know,” Chance replied. “Better safe than sorry, I guess.” He sounded so much older when he said that, like a mother telling her child to buckle up before leaving the house. “I can’t let anything happen to you.” He moved closer to me as he spoke, that weird tingling in my skin coming alive again. “Are you cold?” he asked, his hand resting on my shoulder. “No, I’m fine.” He stopped touching my arm and, though I was grateful, I felt a twinge of longing; I did my best to force the feeling out of my mind. “Good,” Chance said with a tiny smile. He began pacing the room, occasionally glancing out the window facing the clearing. “What are you looking for?” I asked after the third time he peered through the Swiss cheese-like curtains. “Nothing.” His answer was stern and shrouded in mystery. Another lie. Why was he keeping so much from

me? I felt the fury climb my neck and fight its way into my head. It was strong, that anger, much stronger than I could remember—not that I could really remember getting mad before. I wanted to leap over and strangle him until he told me what he was hiding; I laughed instead. “What’s so funny?” Chance asked, pulling himself from the window to look at me. Falling rays of afternoon sun were bouncing off his tanned skin, almost like he was glowing. I caught myself staring far too long and had to look away. “Nothing.” I tried to sound as secretive as he did before, hoping it would be obvious to him; it wasn’t. He simply turned back to his pacing and waiting. “So when are we going back?” I asked after a couple more peeks out the window by Chance. “Soon.” This time he crossed the entryway into the other large room spanning the width of the house, immediately looking through those windows as well. “You know,” I said, raising my voice to make sure he could still hear me. “These one-word answers of yours are starting to get old.” He didn’t respond, slowly moving around the room before coming to stand in front of me. “I’m going to need better than that.” “And your questions are starting to get annoying,” he finally answered, his intensely green eyes never leaving my face. The two of us stood there motionless, staring at each other like we had done so many times since I woke up in that coffin. I couldn’t help but feel the draw between us, like two magnets being pulled together, and I wondered if Chance noticed it too. I couldn’t understand it, really. I had

no idea who this guy really was, or what he was doing helping a vampire. But something inside was telling me it was okay to trust him. I was having a hard time listening to the voice, but it was there nonetheless. “Then answer them and I’ll stop asking,” I said, doing my best to keep my eyes locked on his, even though what I wanted to do was look away to break the awkward feeling in the pit of my stomach. This time it wasn’t just the scent of his blood that was getting to me. It was him. “I’ve given you all the answers I can, Ava. Trust me.” “Those are you three favorite words, huh?” My anger toward him was starting to take over again, pushing the other feelings aside. “Trust me, Ava, you keep saying. But why? That’s what I want to know, Chance. W h y am I supposed to trust you?” “Because what other choice do you have?“ Before I had time to answer him, a deep shiver scurried up the nerves in my back. My head jerked and my eyes flew open. I watched Chance’s face register what I was thinking. I had no clue how he could tell what was going on inside my head, but somehow he knew. Though I didn’t have to say it, I didn’t bother stopping the words. “There’s another vampire. And it’s right outside the house.”

7 . FOLLOW THE LEADER It’s just Aldric,” Chance said after looking out the window. He stepped over to the door and opened it, letting Aldric walk inside. Aldric looked very different in the daylight. He was still attractive, but his features were softer, more subdued. The paleness of his skin was still there, but somehow he appeared flushed, which was really weird seeing as how the blood flowing through his veins was dead. And though he had already said that vampires could easily walk around during the day, I couldn’t help but think that he should be sleeping in a coffin somewhere. “Hello, Aldric,” Chance said very cordially. His demeanor was much more confident than it had been in the cemetery. Last night he had been scared and timid; today he was bold and stood tall. I marveled at his impressive size. If anyone could give a vampire a run for its money, I would bet on Chance. “Chance,” Aldric simply said. The two exchanged looks that hid something. I suspected it was about me, of course, but didn’t say anything. What would have been the point? It wasn’t like these two were very forthcoming with information. Aldric crossed the room swiftly, stopping inches from me. I could smell the rotting blood in his body and it turned my stomach. “Hello, Ava,” he said, barely above a whisper. He took my hand in his and kissed it gently. Though his touch was ice cold, there was a mysterious warmth behind his lips. “I see you’ve been a very busy girl.” Those oddly-warm lips

curled into a smile, revealing two tiny lumps in his gums. His fangs. I wondered if my smile was as creepy. “Sorry,” I responded, not really knowing what to say. Did I say, “Yes I have been, and thank you for noticing?” I wasn’t privy to what the correct response was when someone commented on your killing. “Please, don’t apologize. You were wonderful. I only wish I had been there to witness your first time.” He said ‘first time’ like I was driving a car, or walking. Very calm for talking about me killing someone (though technically I didn’t; Chance did). He’s a killer, Ava. Remember that. The voice was whispering inside my head, and though I knew it was impossible, I caught Chance glaring intensely at me. Had he put those words in my mind? Was he speaking to me without actually speaking? I brushed the silly idea from my head and focused on Aldric. “I didn’t do it,” I said dryly. “Chance did.” I hadn’t intended on telling him the truth, but there was something about him that got under my skin. I had no intention of being nice to the man/monster that made me the way I was. I kept my eyes locked on his, the two of us in an old-fashioned staredown. I fought hard to win, and after nearly thirty full seconds of silence, Aldric smiled again and broke our gaze. “That’s fine,” Aldric answered. “A kill is a kill I suppose.” “You suppose?” I asked timidly. “Does that mean you don’t know? Was that girl’s death in vain?” Just the thought of it repulsed me, made me physically ill. “Relax, Ava,” Aldric said calmly. “It counts.” I hadn’t realized I had tensed up until I felt my shoulders relax. Chance’s kill counted. Ninety-nine to go. Yahoo.

“So tell me,” Aldric went on, stepping away from me and perusing the room. “How was it?” Was he serious? Was he actually asking me if I enjoyed it? “How do you think?” I snapped back, suddenly mad at his coldness. “Well I would assume there was a plethora of emotions you experienced, much like I did my first time.” He kept his back to me as he spoke, his eyes scanning the filthy room. I watched his lithe body glide over the hardwood floors, his feet touching so lightly he appeared to be floating. “Of course, that was a very long time ago.” “I doubt my experience was anything like yours,” I said. Aldric stopped pacing the room and finally turned to look at me. “Really?” he asked with an inquisitive smile. “Other than the fact that you didn’t actually kill the vampire, our experiences were very similar. Did you not feel scared? Excited? Like you were on fire and couldn’t wait to attack, but at the same time hating yourself for what you wanted to do?” He moved toward me as he spouted his questions. Though I couldn’t see him, I felt Chance tense with anxiety. “Am I getting warm?” Aldric’s voice was low and sinister, like he was getting pleasure out of seeing me squirm. I struggled to appear unaffected by his intimidating ways. “We may have experienced the same feelings,” I said, reluctantly agreeing with Aldric. “But there’s a big difference in my first and yours.” “And what might that be?” “I didn’t choose to kill.” I stared at Aldric as I said it, hoping to get under his skin.

“So you assume that I did? That I wanted to be a vampire?” I could tell by his words that Aldric was showing a part of himself that the rest of the world never got to see. It was brief, though. He was back to his usual domineering and annoying self in a flash. “Next you will say I like the taste of blood.” “Don’t you?” “Very much.” His face grew serious, his eyes even more intense than usual. “But I didn’t always. I had to learn to like it. To survive.” I felt a tiny nerve twitch in my face, and I was afraid Aldric would see the uneasiness I was working so hard to hide. I figured sarcasm was the best way to diffuse the situation. “A true blood sucker. Shocking.” I did my best to keep a straight face, to show him I wasn’t backing down. He smiled wickedly and moved toward the door. “As fun as this is,” he said, “I have to be going. I need to make sure someone’s mess has been cleaned up.” He had already opened the door and was standing on the porch before my mouth opened and words fell out. “Wait,” I said, a bit too loudly for such an empty space. The word bounced off the dingy walls. Aldric stopped abruptly and turned back around, his face smiling. “Yes, Ava?” It was like he knew I was going to stop him from leaving. I hated that he had such power over me. The last thing I wanted was to turn to him for advice or answers. But I had no other choice. It wasn’t like I had a “vamp friends” section in my phone book. “I have more questions,” I said calmly. “And I will do my best to answer them.” He opened his

stance a bit, like he was ready for me to pitch a baseball at him or run and jump in to his arms. It was the most human thing I had seen him do since we met… And it really creeped me out. “Why do I get angry so easily?” He smiled at me. “All of your senses are heightened now, Ava, as you are obviously aware since you were able to track that vampire through the woods.” “I wasn’t tracking it. I just, I don’t know, I wanted—“ “You wanted blood.” Our eyes locked, a mutual understanding between us. We were monsters, one in the same. I was like him in every way, and I hated it. “I could smell it. Over everything else, I could smell it. Like nothing else existed.” “Yes,” Aldric said softly. “I completely understand.” And I knew he did. I knew that he more than anyone else understood what I had felt when the scent of that girl’s blood invaded my mind. He had been living those feelings for centuries. “ But a keen sense of smell is only part of it,” he went on. “Your emotions have also intensified. Anger, jealousy, rage; all of them will seem much more severe and overpowering.” “How do I stop it?” “You can’t. You simply must learn to control it. That will come with time.” “Easier said than done, right?” The sudden feeling of dread swallowed me, filling my mind with doubt. No way was I going to be able to survive this new life. “As is everything worth doing, yes?” Aldric half-smiled again, though this time it felt more sincere. Not genuine, of

course, but honest. Which was saying a lot coming from him. “So what else isn’t true about you? Or, us?” Even lumping myself together with vampires in word only made me cringe. “Well, let’s see,” he said, his eyes wandering as he collected his thoughts. “We are not allergic to silver, crucifixes or garlic. We don’t turn into bats. We don’t have to sleep in coffins, though I suppose you could if you wish. And we definitely do not sparkle. Get the idea?” He took a couple of steps toward me before adding, “Nearly everything you have heard about us is fiction, Ava.” The way he tried to sound like my friend or something was really unnerving; I quickly moved on to more important stuff. “How can I sense other vampires?” “That is one of your many new gifts. You will learn and perfect them all in time.” Aldric’s human-like aura faded fast, and he quickly turned back to creepy dead guy. “Your sense of smell has been enhanced leaps and bounds. The vampire you killed today was very close in proximity. Perhaps too close. You should be thankful for the girl wandering the woods. Without her, he no doubt would have made it to your school, and the death toll would have been far greater.” The sincerity behind his words earlier had now moved to his eyes, deep behind the venom that swirled there. I knew he felt indifferent about humans, so why was he saying I should be grateful more of them didn’t die? “I can’t be happy an innocent girl died because of me,” I interjected, self-deprecation drenching my words. “The vampire killed her,” Chance spoke from the back of

the room. “Not you.” I looked up and into his eyes and saw that familiar warmth, that compassion that always seemed to be telling me to pull myself together. “Don’t worry about that,” Aldric continued. “As time progresses, you will hone your sense of smell and be able to find them before they get anywhere near you.” “So should I be drinking blood so I can fight them?” The thought repulsed me, made me feel like an alien in my own body. I hated the idea, but at the same time, it was all my mind could focus on. “As I’ve said, you don’t have to,” Aldric started. “And of course there are alternatives. But nothing will give you the strength that comes from human blood. Fresh human blood.” I’m sure he meant right from the neck. I tried to imagine sinking my teeth into a piece of human flesh and nearly fainted. Even though I had wanted to taste the girl in the woods, now the thought grossed me out. I so was not cut out to be a vampire. “What alternatives?” I asked, praying he would say there was a pill or something I could take. I highly doubted it, but I was hopeful. “Blood banks are always an option,” Aldric said, walking back into the room and clasping his hands together. He reminded me of a preacher giving a sermon, though I doubted he could even step foot in a church. Doing so would probably set him on fire or something. And probably me too, now. Another thing I hated about myself. “It’s not as vitamin-enriched as drinking it fresh, but it serves its purpose. And of course, there are animals.” He stopped walking and turned to look at me. “But really, Ava, do you

think you could pick up a poor, defenseless animal and drink its blood? I can’t picture it.” He crinkled his forehead just above his nose, like he smelled something rotten. No way could I kill a defenseless animal. Of course, I couldn’t bite a human, either. I was down to only one option. “So do I just walk into the hospital and ask for a few pints of O Negative?” In any other scenario that would have been funny. Standing in the middle of a rundown house talking to a vampire about drinking human blood somehow took the humor out of it. “In a manner of speaking.” “What if I get caught?” “You are much more cunning than you realize, Ava. Another benefit of the new, enhanced life I have given you.” He made it sound like he had turned me into a superhero. I supposed in his eyes he had. “You have the ability to make people do whatever you want them to do. Humans are very susceptible. You just need to learn how to make it happen.” “I don’t want to do that,” I said, getting angry. “I refuse to be a villain. That’s not me.” I planned on revolting against the vampire side of me. Well, other than having to use my super strength to kill other vampires; I didn’t have a choice there. “Your choice,” Aldric said, sounding defeated. I released a tiny smile. “But do remember that the day will come when you will need one of those gifts to save your life.” He briefly glanced over at Chance before turning back to me. “Or the life of someone you care deeply about.” I cringed at his implication. “Not knowing what to do is difficult to overcome.” I could tell he was speaking from experience,

his words drenched in pain. I allowed a full second of sorrow for him to enter my heart before I squashed it. I forced myself to remember that he was a killer. He would just as soon take a person’s life as he would save it. He was heartless, and no matter how sweet he spoke or how sad and broken he looked, I couldn’t forget that. On the other hand, he had a point. My life was different now. I was different. Whether I wanted to face the reality or not, the fact remained that I was a vampire. And I was going to be stepping blindly into a world that could easily get me killed. The smart thing to do would be to learn all I could to help protect myself—and others. I didn’t want to do it, and I was positive I would hate myself worse the more I accepted my vampire side, but it was the right thing to do. I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and turned to Aldric. “You’re right.” Now I was the one sounding defeated. “I need to protect myself. Protect the people around me.” I looked over at Chance as I spoke. He stood tall and still, like a soldier at attention. But his face was speaking to me, and it was telling me he wasn’t happy with my decision. “Wise choice,” Aldric said with an eerie creepiness in his voice; worse than his normal creepiness. “If you hope to succeed in getting your human self back, having an arsenal of unstoppable force will only help you achieve your goal. I understand your reservations, but remember that you control what you learn and how you use it. Not me.” I wanted so desperately to believe him, believe that he was telling me everything. But I couldn’t. There was a nagging feeling in the bottom of my stomach that kept me from trusting his words. Something, somewhere, was warning me about

him. I couldn’t place it, but I just knew not to allow myself to get too close. But for the moment, he was the only option I had. “Will you help me?” I asked, trying to sound as sincere as I could. “No!” Chance spoke for the first time during our entire conversation. Actually, he yelled. So loud it made me jump. Aldric and I looked at him at the same time. Chance’s chest was heaving, rising and dropping so fast I was afraid he would hyperventilate. “It’s okay,” I said, confused as to why he was freaking out. He wouldn’t look at me at first, his eyes locked on Aldric across the room. After a few seconds, the hard edges of his face disappeared and he finally brought his eyes to mine. “No, it’s not,” he said after slowing his labored breathing. “You can’t trust him, Ava. He’s a monster.” He was speaking so softly I had to focus on his lips to make sure I didn’t miss anything. A quick mental image of our lips pressed together flashed across my mind and I had to blink hard to make it disappear. What was that all about? I didn’t even know this guy, why was I thinking these things about him? I didn’t really have the time to worry about it at the moment. “I know he is,” I answered, trying not to think about that image still fighting to enter my mind. “Don’t worry so much about me. I’ll be fine.” It was a semi-lie. I knew Aldric couldn’t be trusted, that part was true; I wasn’t too sure if I would be fine or not. “I don’t really have any choice here. If I’m going to be running around killing vampires, I need to

know how to protect myself. You can’t be there ready to drive a wooden stake every single time.” “Yes I can,” Chance said, his face softening even more. “That’s why I’m here, to help you. All I want is for you to be safe. That’s all that matters.” “Why?” I had asked the question before and gotten nothing for an answer. Judging by Chance’s sudden nervousness— and the spike in the sweet scent of his blood— this time would be no different. “Just trust me, Ava.” Chance looked everywhere but at me. “Please try to believe that all I want is to keep you safe.” I knew he meant every word, even if he wasn’t telling me everything. He did want to keep me safe, I believed that completely. ‘Why’ was the question he refused to answer. “I believe you, Chance. And I appreciate that, honestly. But I can’t depend on you all the time. I have to be able to take care of myself.” I struggled to force my nose to ignore his alluring scent. “And besides,” I went on, “I’m stronger than you, so I win.” I smiled awkwardly at him, and thankfully he smiled back, though I could tell it was a bit forced. “Think that if you want to,” he said with laughter. “And you might be,” he crossed the room and stood close to me, the electric pull between us undeniable. “But no way in hell am I letting you be alone with him.” Though he was standing next to me, his eyes were focused on Aldric, a trembling rage swirling behind them. “I’d die first.” Chance’s breathing grew deeper and more rapid, causing his blood to boil in his veins and drive my mind crazy. Something awful was going on beneath the surface—something these two were fighting desperately to keep from me.

“I know,” I said, searching both his and Aldric’s eyes for the truth. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

8 . NORMALCY Chance and I didn’t say much to each other the rest of the day. We left Aldric to take care of my mess in the woods, picked up Chance’s truck from school and went back to his house—even though he told me to, I didn’t feel comfortable calling it home—with nothing more than a “you okay?” and “yeah” between us. I didn’t really know why, but after the things that were said in the cabin, I kind of felt awkward around him. We ate dinner with his mom in near total silence, except for a couple of questions she threw at me about my first day at a new school. I lied and said it was fine. Then I felt like total crap for lying to a woman who had allowed a complete stranger to live in her house. The first of thousands of lies to come, I was sure. Chance refused to let me help with the dishes, so while he and his mom cleaned up, I went upstairs to get ready for bed. I was under the covers and very near sleep when he finally came in. “If you want your bed back I can take the couch,” I offered, sort of hoping he would say no. As tired as I was, I couldn’t fathom having to move an inch. My body felt like it was tied to the mattress. Maybe it was sort of like jet-lag that you get when flying—another random, useless thing my memory bank decided to give me. Dead-lag. Chance quietly took off his shirt and tossed it into the hamper on the floor. The clean, fresh smell of soap mixed with the sweet scent of his blood and wafted into my nostrils. The fact that I wasn’t trying to kill him confused me. All I had wanted back in the woods was that girl’s blood. But I didn’t feel the same about

Chance. It was really weird. “No way,” he said, pulling a blanket from the top shelf of his closet. “You need your beauty sleep.” I couldn’t clearly see his face because of the darkness in the room, but I knew he was smiling. “If anyone needs a good night of beauty sleep, it’s you,” I said— lie number two. If he were any more beautifully perfect, I would have to move away. “Oh trust me, you are definitely the one who’s going to need a full night of uninterrupted sleep.” Even though his words were light and jovial, I could hear a hint of seriousness behind his kind-hearted tone. “And why is that?” “Because tomorrow is gonna be hell.” He shoved his bedroom door against the wall, the crashing sound it made when making contact wreaking havoc on my supersensitive hearing. I had to get Aldric to teach me how to get that gift under control, too. I assumed Chance was referring to another day of hunting down vampires, and my happy mood quickly began to dissipate. Just knowing I had to go through what happened today ninety-nine more times made my skin crawl. I had no clue how I was going to pull it off. “I promise next time I’ll make the kill.” The statement came out cold and heartless, like I was indifferent to what the words meant, even though my stomach was doing somersaults. I guessed subconsciously I was already trying to separate myself from the monster I was ultimately going to become. Chance laughed and took a couple steps toward me, his face appearing in the light of the bedside lamp like a ship

in the mist. “That’s good to know,” he said smiling. “But I was actually talking about your second day at school.” “What’s so important about the second day?” I tried not to sound scared, but was failing miserably. “It’s kind of a tradition at McCarver. Your first day is cake. But the second? All bets are off.” Chance half-winked at me and left the room, closing the door behind him. My nerves went into hyper-drive, my mind racing through scenarios that would no doubt play out tomorrow. After nearly an hour of painful anticipation, my body finally gave into the persistent demands of sleep.

I had an unusually high amount of fear walking across the parking lot at school the next morning. Chance was mere inches from me, but I felt totally alone. I clutched my books tightly against my chest, focusing on the cadence being made by my trembling footsteps. Luckily Chance’s mom let me invade her closet for some more updated outfits until I could go shopping on Saturday, so I felt a bit better about my appearance compared to yesterday. Not enough to hold my head high, but a slight improvement. “Just remember,” Chance said as he opened the large double doors, “you have no reason to answer any questions. You tell them what you want to tell them. Keep the rest to yourself.” “Tell who what?” He had thoroughly confused me, which was becoming an easy thing to do. He didn’t have to answer, though. Coming down the hall like a sea of waxed legs and blond hair were Lacey and her two clones, parting

the crowd of people like she was Moses and they were The Red Sea. I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched the kids move and shift and practically throw themselves out of the way of the oncoming pack. It was like Lacey was the Queen of England, and we were all her loyal—but inferior— subjects. I felt rage climb my spine as the trio stopped in sync in front of us. “What happened to you yesterday?” Lacey asked. I almost answered until I realized she was speaking to Chance. “We missed you in gym class.” She was laying on some seriously thick flirting, every once in a while cutting her eyes at me to see if I was getting jealous. Oddly enough I was, but no way was she going to see it. “I was busy,” Chance responded, neither cheerful nor rude. He, too, looked over at me. I kept my eyes busily studying the top of my notebook, nearly biting my tongue to keep from saying something I might later regret. Not an easy task, mind you. “That’s too bad,” Lacey said, tossing her hair over her shoulder; Laceybots One and Two copied her move perfectly. I actually bit my tongue that time to keep from laughing. “But we’ll see you there today, right?” Her doe-like eyes somehow grew bigger as she playfully twisted a strand of hair in her well-manicured fingers. She smiled seductively at Chance, and I was impressed to see that he seemed unaffected. “Yeah,” he said, taking my arm and pulling me away from the group. “We’ll be there.” He smiled mischievously over his shoulder at Lacey and her crew as he moved us down the hall. I waited what I thought was a respectable amount

of time before speaking. “She likes you,” I said matter-of-factly. I know he said there was nothing going on, but I just couldn’t imagine someone being as persistent as Lacey if there was no hope of achieving anything. “I don’t like her,” he answered. “I told you that already.” “I know,” I said, sounding a bit defeated despite his reassurance. “I heard you.” We walked into homeroom and took our seats in the back. I hadn’t realized I was sulking until Chance pointed it out. “Oh wow,” he whispered, leaning over to me. I got a huge whiff of his delicious scent, causing my head to spin. “Are you jealous?” I jerked my eyes up at him when he said that, shock written all over my face. He had a wide smiled plastered on his; I wanted to smack it off. “Of course not!” I had to fight to keep my voice to a low whisper. “Are you insane? What would I have to be jealous about?” I looked away from him and laughed a little as I spoke. I began feverishly shuffling my books around on my desk, trying to find anything to occupy my mind so I wouldn’t look at him sitting there swooning. “Yes, you are,” he continued, further embarrassing me. I could already tell my cheeks were bright red from the heat I felt in them—which made me mad since obviously being a vampire didn’t stop me from getting embarrassed. I doubted they could get any worse, but I didn’t want to find out. “I said I wasn’t and I meant it.” I didn’t mean to be so snappy, but I figured it was the best way to get him to drop it. “Let it go,” I added, a bit softer with my tone.

“Okay, okay. I’m letting it go.” He threw his hands up in mock surrender and leaned back over in his desk. After a few seconds I glanced over at him; he was still wearing that overly-confident smile. I couldn’t help but smile myself at his cuteness, which somehow managed to climb a few points. I also couldn’t help but notice that even though I had no clue who this guy was, I was slowly becoming more and more attached to him. We made it to lunch without another ‘Laceygate’ incident. I was actually feeling somewhat comfortable in my new surroundings, even laughing at a couple of Chance’s jokes. Although he didn’t have what I would call friends—which I couldn’t understand seeing as how he was totally gorgeous and very charming—there were a few guys that spoke to him in a friendly way. A couple of them even walked with us to lunch, laughing and cutting up with Chance like they were best friends. One in particular—Trent? Trevor?—seemed closest to him. “So how do you like it here, Ava?” he asked as we crossed the threshold into the cafeteria. It took me a moment to adjust to the noise and crowd level of the rather tiny lunchroom. I found myself moving a bit closer to Chance. He picked up on my uneasiness and moved next to me. “Um, it’s okay,” I said. “A lot bigger than what I’m used to.” I had no idea what I was ‘used to’ as far as my old school was concerned. I couldn’t remember anything about my past, but I didn’t think telling this guy was a good idea. “Oh yeah? Where’s that?” Of course he was persistent. I took a minute to try and come up with a believable answer

before opening my mouth to speak. “She’s from the west coast,” Chance interjected. I cut him a what-the-crap look; he responded with a tell-you-later one. I kept quiet, thankful that his friend didn’t seem to notice. Obviously he wasn’t really concerned about my past, just making small talk. Chance and I got our food, said goodbye to Trent/Trevor—who joined his jock buddies on the other side of the cafeteria—and I followed Chance out the far doors to a tiny patch of grass beneath a couple of trees. We were halfway done eating before I spoke. “Okay, two things,” I said after swallowing some fries. “One, what’s that guy’s name?” Not knowing was starting to bug me. “Travis,” Chance said, swirling a fry in some ketchup. At least I had the first letter right. “Two, what was that back there?” I was thankful I didn’t have to elaborate, since I was busily stuffing fries in my mouth. “Sorry about that. I was supposed to tell you.” He finished up his fries, tossing the container into a trash can a couple of feet away. “Aldric kind of made up this past for you, just in case anyone asked.” “Oh he did, did he?” I sounded like a mother, questioning the teacher who accused her child of cheating. “Why didn’t you mention that this morning? And why don’t I know about my ‘past’?” “He just didn’t want anyone questioning where you came from.” He stole a fry from my tray and doused it in way-toomuch ketchup. “He didn’t want someone finding out about your ‘death.’” I was mad that Aldric took it upon himself to

create this whole new life for me. “What gave him the right to do that!”. I stood up and threw my fry container toward the trash can, missing it by several feet. Only fueling my rising anger, I stomped over, picked up the cardboard container, crushed it in my hand and tossed it into the can. Chance was at my side in a flash. “We gotta get you out of here,” he said calmly but urgently. His hands were groping my arms. “What? Why?” I was confused and mad all at the same time, firmly planting my feet as he tugged on my arms. I was shocked to see that even though he towered over me—and seemed to be really pulling hard judging by his flexed muscles—I didn’t move an inch. “Ava,” he said, fear drenching his words. “Your fangs are showing.”

9 . SEEN What?” I thought I had heard him wrong. No way did he say that my fangs were showing. No way. I turned to face him as I spoke. “Oh God, your eyes,” Chance said, startled fear weighing down his face. His head darted from side to side, searching for somewhere to hide me. There was nowhere to go. “Okay,” he said, his voice erratic. “I need you to calm down, Ava. Before someone sees you.” His face was inches from mine. I felt a thick heat between us, though I couldn’t be sure if it was radiating off him or me. What was he talking about? I felt fine. I was mad, yes, but my body didn’t feel any different. He mentioned my fangs, and my eyes. Both seemed in place, seemed normal. I flicked at my teeth with my tongue and felt the prickly point of one of my fangs, hanging out for all to see. I hadn’t even felt them come out. I quickly clamped my lips shut, hoping no one noticed. My eyes went to Chance’s, panicked. I threw my hand in front of my mouth. “What am I going to do?” Crazy panic soaked my words. All I could picture was a group of maniacal teens charging me with schoolhouse weaponry: mop handles, yardsticks, erasers full of chalk dust. I cringed. “I can’t risk moving you,” Chance whispered. He then pulled me into him, sort of hugging me against him, obviously hoping that to passers-by it would appear we were simply having a normal couple moment. Feeling his body wrapped around mine made my head swim. We

stood like statues in the middle of the grassy knoll, kids walking around us, conversations about upcoming tests and weekend plans flowing in and out of my mind. I could feel Chance’s heart beating deep in his chest, pumping blood through his veins. I just knew that I was going to be overcome with the desire to taste it and bite him, but I didn’t. Somehow, the melody of his heartbeat calmed me down. After nearly a minute of our awkwardly perfect moment, Chance broke away, staring at my face. “Better,” he said with a half-smile. He exhaled the pent-up air from his lungs and tried to look relieved, but I knew he was still freaked out. I watched his eyes dance across my face, probably searching for signs of the killer in me. His grip on my arms relaxed and he released me once he felt I had calmed down. “Are you sure?” I asked, fearful to even speak. I still had my hand over my mouth, but a quick brush of my tongue revealed fang-less teeth. The fact that I couldn’t control them, couldn’t even sense when they were out, really ticked me off. I thought that being hungry—for blood, gross—was the trigger, but now it seemed that any sort of heightened emotion could cause me to turn into the monster I really was. I lowered my hand, keeping my eyes fixated on Chance’s face. “You’re good,” he answered, stepping back and away from me. I, too, exhaled the breath I had been unknowingly holding in my lungs, and the two of us headed back into the building just as the bell rang, signaling the end of a very crazy lunch. In my next class, I focused on the clock instead of paying

attention to the teacher’s lesson, watching the second hand tick away. I could feel each notch passing by like a year of my life. Is this how it’s going to be forever? Will immortality

creep by like a second hand, one agonizingly painful click at a time? Just the thought of it made my skin crawl. Living forever sounded like hell. A hell I intended to avoid if at all possible. I have to kill to survive. Aldric’s plan re-entered my mind, taking over all my thoughts. I had to kill one hundred vampires—well, ninetynine more—before I could rid myself of the monster growing within me, before I could become human again. Before I could grow old and one day die. I never imagined wishing for old age at only sixteen, but wrinkles and retirement sounded like heaven compared to the alternative. “Hey.” I heard Chance whisper from beside me, his face full of concern. “What’s on your mind?” His regard for me was a little flattering and totally unnecessary. “Nothing,” I smiled, though a bit forced. “Stop worrying about me so much.” I kept glancing at the front of the room, where the teacher was rapidly scribbling notes on the board. I should have been copying down in my notebook what she was writing, but I couldn’t force my mind to focus. “I can’t,” Chance said with a burning behind his eyes. He looked angelic sitting there, wisps of his curly black hair falling carelessly around his face. I wanted to reach over and brush them away, but refrained. I didn’t want to get close to him, this guy I barely knew and didn’t fully trust. The hugging we did at lunch—even though it was for my safety

above anything else—was super uncomfortable—and totally awesome at the same time—and that was more than enough closeness in my mind. So instead, I smiled at him. He flashed another of his charming, perfect smiles before turning his attention to the blackboard at the front of class. He immediately slipped into student mode and began feverishly copying the notes piling up on the board. I figured I could just copy his later and returned to staring at the clock. I noticed that during our little exchange time had moved past the point I made it to yesterday before being bombarded with that sweet blood smell; when I had to excuse myself from school to go kill someone. I wonder if there’s a hall pass for that? So at least today was now officially better than yesterday. Well, the first part of it anyway. I smiled at my inside joke and lowered my gaze from the clock on the wall. My eyes fell on Lacey, sitting two rows to my left and three seats forward. She was staring at me with fierceness in her eyes and anger on her face. Great, I’ve made her mad again. I knew what it was this time, though. Chance. She obviously wanted him, and she felt I was standing in her way. I forced another smile, hoping it would cut the tension flowing between us. Her face remained rigid as she spun forward in her desk. I watched her for a few seconds before looking away. I couldn’t believe that I had already alienated one of the most—if not the most—popular girl in school, and it was only my second day. Chance was right, all bets were obviously off. The bell rang, and I couldn’t get out of that room fast

enough. I didn’t even wait for Chance, who sometimes moved at a snail’s pace. I was already halfway down the hall before he caught up with me. “Where’s the fire?” he joked, stepping in beside me. I didn’t acknowledge him as I stopped at my locker and spun my combination into the lock. I could feel his eyes on me as he opened the locker next to mine. We both had gym next hour, but I planned on doing nothing but sitting on the bleachers and reading. Judging by the sneakers Chance fished from his locker, he planned on running. Good, I thought. I need some time alone. “Nowhere,” I blurted, “it’s just a crazy day.” Chance didn’t protest. I felt a little guilty as we walked in silence across campus to the gym. I did slow down so he wouldn’t have to run to keep up with me. Part of Ava 2.0 was having a much faster gait—one more thing to get use to. We made it to gym class just as the bell rang, and I immediately found a secluded spot at the farthest end of the bleachers and headed over to it. Chance reluctantly left me in the gym—after several assurances that I was fine— and went outside to join some of the other guys in our class in a game of football. From where I was standing I could see outside the gym doors and watched them play for a few minutes. I was impressed with how well they played, especially given the frigid temperatures. Even though cold weather only partly bothered me now that I was half vampire, I’m sure it was freezing to everyone else. I could tell that Chance was hurt by the silent treatment I was giving him, and I fully planned on apologizing later. But I had to get away from everything right then or I was going to

explode. I climbed the bleachers, took a seat at the very end up against the wall, and opened a frayed copy of Frankenstein I found on a table in the library. I hoped that reading about a true monster would somehow make me feel more human. I was a couple of chapters in when I felt someone walking up the bleachers, headed in my direction. I found a comfortable place in the book to stop reading and looked up. Lacey. Great. “Hi,” I said, trying my best not to sound annoyed by her interruption. I put the book on the seat beside me. Lacey stood on the row just below mine, yet she was still almost eye level with me. I hadn’t realized until then how tall she actually was. Her blond hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail, accentuating her long neck. “So are you two a ‘thing,’ or is it just sex?” I knew she was talking about Chance, I just couldn’t believe she was being so blunt. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, uneasiness settling into my spine. “We’re just friends,” I gave back. Though I wanted to, I didn’t break my lock on her eyes. I wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, too; I didn’t think it was working. “Being ‘just friends’ doesn’t involve the looks you two keep giving each other.” She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t try lying, okay? You’re not good at it.” If she only knew how good at lying I actually was, she wouldn’t have said that. Maybe I should show her my fangs, or my crazy fire eyes. I decided against going full-on vampire right in the middle of a packed gymnasium. Instead, I just glared at her.

“You like him,” I said knowingly. “But he doesn’t like you.” I knew it was going to sting her when I said it—that was why I said it. She pissed me off. It was all I could do to keep control of myself to avoid a repeat of lunch. “That must suck for you, huh?” I watched the anger move across her face like shadows, circling her eyes and turning the corners of her mouth. Her skin flushed with blood, and the smell of it boiling beneath her skin hit my nose with the force of a tornado. I had to get out of here. I stood up quickly—apparently too quickly; Lacey seemed startled– and clambered down the bleachers. I did my best not to look awkward doing it, having noticed a small group of guys on the basketball court staring up at us. I expected Lacey to come charging after me, demanding I leave Chance alone or she would beat the crap out of me. I made it to the gym floor and halfway to the girls’ locker room before looking over my shoulder. She was still standing on the bleachers, still mad as hell and still staring me down. Apparently she didn’t go after people; they probably came after her (guys especially, I was sure). I tried to ignore her and the daggers she was throwing at my back and went into the locker room to get away from all the eyes watching me. Once inside, I took a deep breath and stared at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall. “Calm down, Ava. Just calm down.” I repeated the statement over and over at my reflection, watching my eyes for any signs of change. My skin felt alive with nervous energy, practically moving on top of my muscles and bones. I took deep breaths between chants, my blood pressure

going down with each one. After a couple minutes, I felt normal again. Maybe I could control the whole turning thing. It seemed to be working at the moment. “I saw you.” A tiny voice from behind me made me jump. I jerked around, my eyes coming to stop on a girl even shorter than me standing against the row of stalls across the room. Her hair was going crazy on top of her head, obviously dyed black from a supermarket box dye. Judging by the streaks of brown peeking through at the roots, she was in need of another dose. She wore a plain black t-shirt and faded gray jeans that tapered down her skinny legs. Dingy black and white sneakers completed the semi-Goth look. I felt underdressed in Ms. Caldon’s hand-me-downs. “You scared me,” I said with an awkward laugh, clutching my chest in mock fear. “Sorry.” Her responses were simple and quiet, almost like she was keeping her voice low for a reason. Her eyes never moved from my face. Her body seemed paralyzed. “Guess you mean that mess with Lacey?” It came out like a question but was more of a statement. “Sorry about that. I don’t think she likes me.” I smiled at Goth girl, hoping she would stop talking to me and leave the locker room. She was kind of making me uncomfortable. “Lacey’s a bitch,” Goth girl said, this time a bit louder and with more anger behind her words. “She’s always been that way. But I wasn’t talking about her.” She took a couple of steps toward me. I instinctively backed up, the edge of the sink stopping me from getting farther away from her. “Then what did you see?” I asked, confusion mixing with fear on my face. Somehow I knew what she was going to

say before she said it. “I saw you at lunch.” My body tensed, becoming rigid with panic. “I saw you turn into a vampire.”

1 0. CONFIDANT I started breathing heavy. Sweat popped out on my forehead, rolling down my temples and drenching my hair. My hands gripped the sink ledge behind me. I couldn’t move. Now I was the one who seemed paralyzed. “Wh—what are you talking about?” I tried playing dumb, hoping she would let it go. “You know what I’m talking about,” she answered, her voice unwavering. I studied her face, searching for signs of anything. Fear, panic, shock; none of those were there. It was like she couldn’t have been less surprised. I loosened my grip on the sink, mainly for fear of ripping it off the wall with the super strength I kept forgetting I now had. I felt the tension in my body ease a bit, too. “What are you going to do?” I eagerly awaited her response, half expecting her to run from the locker room screaming “MONSTER!” but she didn’t. She stood calm and still, her eyes unflinching. I was amazed at her coolness. “I’m not gonna tell anyone,” she finally offered. “So don’t worry about that.” I believed her. And I said a thousand silent thank-yous. “Why not?” I was such a glutton for punishment. Apparently I wanted to push her into running to the principal’s office. Or the police. Or maybe an exorcist. “Because I think it’s awesome.” That was the first thing she’d said with any emotion since calling me out. Awesome? Did she really just say awesome?. “I know, it sounds crazy, right? Someone finds out you’re

a vampire and they think it’s cool.” She smiled wide as she spoke, like a movie star fan finally getting to meet her idol. She was practically gushing she was so excited. “But it’s true. I’ve waited, like, my entire life for this. It’s amazing.” She moved toward me, and though my instincts—probably the vampire ones—were yelling at me to back away and run for safety, something kept me planted in place. I watched wide-eyed as she stopped inches from me. At such a close distance, I was able to tell that she looked younger than me, thirteen or fourteen at best. “Amazing.” I heard my voice speak, though I didn’t remember saying the word. “I would hardly call it amazing.” I decided playing dumb was a waste of time. Clearly this girl knew the truth, and she was actually excited about it. “A curse is more like it.” I leaned against the sink behind me, hoping it wouldn’t break loose and send me and it to the floor. “Only if you let it be.” There was seriousness in the girl’s tone. “It can be great if you want.” Maybe she was right. Maybe I could embrace this new side of me and learn to love it, making my life better instead of worse. I doubted it, but maybe. “Are you an expert or something?” I kind of hoped she would say yes. At least then I would have someone besides Aldric to turn to when I needed help. “A novice,” she explained. “But definitely hoping to learn more. All I know is what’s on the Internet. And trust me, you’ve already broken like ten of those myths.” She used her hands to emphasize “ten,” apparently finding that to be a huge deal.

“What myths? What do you mean I’ve broken them?” “Well for starters, you’re walking around in the daylight without spontaneously combusting. And you’re not pale.” She reached out and quickly touched my arm. “And your skin is warm. That’s three of them right there.” I could do nothing but stare at her as she spoke. She held a certain confidence and ease that I found refreshing. Other than Chance and his mom, no one else in town had been nice to me. Until now. “Well you can’t really count that as me breaking them,” I said. “I’m technically not a vampire.” Her face crushed. “But I saw you.” She sounded as if she would cry. “I’m half vampire.” I leaned in as I spoke, suddenly aware that someone could burst through the door at any moment. “Whoa.” It was a simple statement that said it all. “That’s amazing.” This was one strange girl. “I need to get out of here,” I said, breaking away from my spot against the sink and heading for the door. “Wait!” She yelled after me, trying to stop me from leaving the locker room. I ignored her as I pushed the door open and sprinted for the gym exit. I bolted for the door, heading out into the bright, warm sun. Persistence apparently being her strong suit, Goth girl was quickly nipping at my heels. “Please don’t run away,” she begged, sounding less like the strong-willed girl from a minute ago and more like a child. “I didn’t mean to freak you out.” “How can you say that?” I asked, stopping to turn and face her. We were practically in the middle of the open field

next to the gym; Chance was probably watching by now. “How can you think you freaked me out? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” I stared at her, watching for signs of fear. “Why are you not scared of me?” I finally asked after seeing no reaction on her face. “I told you,” she said. “I think it’s cool.” Frustrated, I turned and kept walking away from her. And she kept following. The two of us crossed the field. I could see Chance now, and he had stopped playing football. He was at my side within seconds. “What’s going on?” he asked, his breath a bit ragged from the game. “Who’s she?” He glanced over his shoulder at Goth girl, who was moping along about ten feet behind us. I kept walking, but couldn’t help notice the sweat clinging to his bronzed skin and flexed biceps. I had to look away to keep from blushing. “Goth girl,” I said; I realized too late that it was aloud. Chance looked at me like I was crazy. “Sorry,” I added. “I don’t know her name.” Chance stopped walking and turned around. The girl stopped, too, keeping her distance from us. “Who are you?” Chance asked. “I don’t recognize you from school.” This statement freaked me out even more. “I just transferred here,” she said, barely above a whisper. Vampires did nothing to her, but apparently hot jocks scared the crap out of her. She was like a nervous kitten taking its first steps. “My name’s Kayla. Kayla Harper.” “Where did you come from, Kayla Harper?” Chance’s voice was stern and demanding. His gladiator-like stance

only backed up his tone. “From Chicago. My mom and I moved here last week.” Her answers seemed genuine, though I had been having trouble lately determining what was true and what wasn’t. Chance’s tension seemed to ease a bit, and I took that as him believing her. “Why are you following Ava around?” This time when he spoke, it was with more curiosity and less venom. He was still breathing a little heavy, so I’m sure to Kayla he looked like he was ready to pounce on her. Of course, if she were anything like all the other girls in this school, that may not have been all bad in her opinion. “She saw me.” I answered Chance. I figured I would help Kayla out by at least giving her time to catch her breath. “At lunch.” Chance’s head jerked toward me when I said that; he knew exactly what ’at lunch’ meant. “You’re kidding?” he snapped. “She knows I’m a vampire.” “She doesn’t know,” he whispered, leaning into me. His physical exertion only heightened his alluring scent; I shuddered. “I told her.” I expected him to flip out, but he only stood upright and took a deep breath. “Why did you do that?” he asked, his eyes fixated on Kayla. “Because she knew, Chance. She saw the teeth.” I said it like it hadn’t been my teeth Kayla had seen grow into fangs. Like the three of us were discussing the latest vampire book or movie, not real life. Not my life. “She doesn’t know what she saw.” I could tell Chance

was trying to confuse Kayla, trying to make her think she was mistaken. “I do know,” Kayla said, a bit of the confidence she held earlier renewed in her voice. She still cowered away from us, like she would turn and run at any moment, but her voice was stronger. “I know a vampire when I see one.” “Oh really?” Chance asked smartly. “See them a lot do you?” I had never seen this side of him before, this controlling, angry, demanding side. It was both thrilling and scary at the same time. “Online.” Kayla said. It sounded like the dumbest answer in the world right now. “Online? You’re comparing whatever you think you saw today to some made up story? What are you, twelve?” He was being rude; I swiped his arm to let him know he had gone too far. He looked over at me and rubbed the spot I hit. “I’m sixteen,” Kayla said, surprising me. I never would have guessed we were the same age. “Sixteen and not very smart.” Chance grabbed my arm and began moving us away from Kayla. “You have a real bright future ahead of you, kid.” He said ‘kid‘ like he was forty or something. I hadn’t expected him to be so cruel; it actually surprised me. “I’m bright enough to know that telling someone would cause a world of trouble for you guys.” Kayla’s words stopped us in our tracks. I glanced over at Chance before the two of us turned around to face her. He still had a firm grip on my arm that tightened a bit as we walked over to her. Yeah, I was freaking out, too.

“Is that a threat?” Chance asked, the veins in his neck bulging. He had let go of my arm, and I noticed his hands were crunched into tight fists by his sides. I kept switching my focus between his face and Kayla’s, ready to interject if the situation became physical. “No, not at all,” Kayla said. “I didn’t mean that. I mean that I understand how dangerous this is, that’s all.” The terror was back in her eyes, and her body reflected her fear of what Chance could do to her. She curled in on herself, practically shaking. “So I guess you want us to say ‘Cool! Somebody else knows so let’s invite her to the party!’ Right?” Chance asked. Kayla stood quiet, obviously choosing the right words. “I just want you to know that you can trust me. That even though I know, I’m not telling.” She appeared to be looking at me, like she wanted my okay. I honestly didn’t know what to say. I mean, the idea of someone else being in on this new secret part of my life was exciting. But at the same time, the more people who knew, the more I was in danger. Right? Looking at Kayla standing there, though, pleading with her eyes for me to jump in and save her, I just couldn’t walk away. “Do you really think we’re gonna trust you?” Chance went on. “We don’t even know you.” He had finally released my arm, and was doing a frantic two-step pacing that was making me dizzy. “But you can. I promise.” I could practically smell Kayla’s nervousness, pulsing through her veins right along with her intoxicating blood.

“You promise? Well, then that settles it I guess. Since you promise not to tell, I guess we should just tell you everything.” “Tell me everything—what?” Kayla asked. “What?” Chance asked back. “You said you should tell me everything. What else is there to tell?” Chance didn’t answer her. He looked at me, realizing that in his anger-fueled outburst he had said too much. Kayla now knew that we were hiding something, that my being a vampire wasn’t the only secret she had stumbled upon today. And something told me she wouldn’t let it go until we came clean. Panicked, I closed my eyes a moment to clear my mind, and to try and figure out what we should do. Should we trust Kayla? Should we tell her everything that’s going on with me? Who I am? What I have to do to survive? If we don’t, will she run to the police? That last question flashed in my mind, the possibility of what would happen if Kayla told the world about me overwhelming my senses. I couldn’t do this, not now. “Why don’t we just drop it, okay?” I said, more as an order than a request. “We all need a break. We can talk about it tomorrow.” The idea sounded good to me. At least it would momentarily thwart Kayla’s inquisition until Chance and I had time to process what had happened—and to decide if we were going to be honest with her about everything; and allow her to become part of whatever semblance of a team we were. A vampire-killing team, which was totally weird to me. Kayla needed to do some

processing, too. She just saw a real live vampire; excited about it or not, that was definitely out of the ordinary. After some time to think, she may not even want to become part of our little group. At least, I hoped she wouldn’t. Besides the fact that it scared the crap out of me someone else knew what I was, I honestly didn’t have a clue what purpose she would serve if we did let her in. If anything, I felt she might be more of a problem; the smell of her blood was way too inviting for me. The only reason I hadn’t sunk my fangs into her neck already was because the thought of doing it still kind of grossed me out. “Fine,” Chance said in agreement. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” He didn’t wait for Kayla to say anything, turning swiftly and walking away from her in the direction of the ongoing football game. I watched him leave, knowing that his anger was probably still boiling just beneath the surface. He had become so overprotective of me in such a short time that I felt it would kill him if something ever happened to me that he could have stopped. “I’m sorry for all this,” Kayla said, pulling my attention back to her. “I should have just kept my mouth shut.” She lowered her eyes to her feet, which she was using to grind blades of grass into the dirt. “Yeah, you should have,” I said, my own anger trying to escape. I knew better than to let that happen, though. I fought hard to calm down. “But that’s pointless to think about now. You already know.” “I meant it when I said I won’t tell your secret to anybody. You can trust me.” Kayla looked at me again when she spoke, and even as badly as I wanted to believe her,

something was holding me back. I took a few steps toward her, closing the gap between us. By the time my face was directly in front of hers, that anger I’d been trying to suppress was rearing its violent head. I felt the fangs sitting dormant beneath my gums begin to twitch. “You better hope I can,” I threatened. I could tell by the expression of utter fear on Kayla’s face that not only had my fangs become exposed, but that my eyes were burning with fiery rage. “Because if you do something to me, or to Chance, you’re going to see first hand how bad I can get.”

As I waited for Chance to get changed out of his sweaty gym clothes so we could leave, I watched Kayla leave the gym and head over to the line of school buses circling the right side of campus. She walked with a sort of nononsense air about her, like nothing in the world could affect her. But I knew I had. I knew that my threat had gotten to her, scared her. And that made me happy. Well, the vampire side of me. The human side felt like a bitch. I made a promise to treat her better if we decided to let her join us. As other students and faculty scampered around campus, some heading to the buses, some to the parking lot where I was anxious to go myself, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for what I had done to Kayla. What gave me the right to act that way? Since waking up in that coffin—since this new unlife fell into my lap—all I’ve wanted is to be normal, be human. The first chance I get, I’m going all vamp? I truly felt like a monster, vampire side or not. I vowed right then to treat Kayla better... and to keep the monster raging inside

me at bay; I just hoped it would be that easy. As I waited for Chance to get changed out of his sweaty gym clothes so we could leave, I watched Kayla leave the gym and head over to the line of school buses circling the right side of campus. She walked with a sort of nononsense air about her, like nothing in the world could affect her. But I knew I had. I knew that my threat had gotten to her, scared her. And that made me happy. Well, the vampire side of me. The human side felt like a bitch. I made a promise to treat her better if we decided to let her join us. Chance finally met up with me outside the gym, and we walked across campus to his truck, heavy silence hanging between us just as it had that morning. This time, though, for very different reasons. “You know we have to tell him,” he stated after several minutes of silence. “If we don’t, he’ll kill her if he finds out.” I knew that what Chance was saying was probably true, but I wasn’t ready to tell the most dangerous man on the planet that I had royally screwed up. I mean, I had thought about dying to kill the vampire growing stronger within me, but actually being faced with the possibility of it happening had me reconsidering. “Not today,” I answered, keeping my eyes focused on the road rolling beneath us. “I’ve got enough to deal with.” That couldn’t have been more true. Today was my first day of Vampire Training. Aldric was already at the abandoned house in the woods by the time Chance and I got there. He was leaning against the back of his black sedan, looking more like a realtor waiting to show a house to potential buyers than a

bloodsucking killer ready to train his next undead soldier. My body uncontrollably tensed. Just the sight of him made me uneasy. I couldn’t explain it, but there was something familiar about him, and that scared the hell out of me. “Glad you could make it, Ava,” he said as I climbed from the truck. The air was cool and refreshing on my skin, making the lush evergreens surrounding the snow-covered clearing glow with vibrancy. At any other time, the setting would have been beautiful. Now, it just stood as a reminder of the humanity I was slowly losing by doing what I had come here to do. To me, honing my skills as a vampire meant neglecting my human abilities. I hated it, but if I didn’t train to defend myself, I wouldn’t have a life to try and save once this was all over. “I apologize for the surroundings,” he continued, “but this is really the best place for our first lesson.” “Let’s just get this over with,” I said, walking past him to the back of the house. I caught sight of his smile in my peripheral; he was enjoying my torture. I know he preferred me totally accepting, giving up my human side. He would have been immensely pleased if I made the decision to join him for eternity. That was the last thing on earth I ever planned on doing. “Such animosity,” he said as he followed me around the house, Chance silently lagging behind. “Maybe we should work on finding a way to channel all that energy into your training. It would definitely speed up the process.” I chose not to look at him as he spoke, knowing he would have a mischievous grin on his face that would do nothing but set me off. I had to keep my cool so I could focus on what I

needed to learn. The faster I got what he taught me, the faster I could get my life back. “Why don’t we just not talk and work on teaching me something.” I was impressed with how calm I remained considering I couldn’t stand being so close to him. Besides the fact he was a pompous ass, the smell of his dead blood was turning my stomach. But the foul odor gave me an idea. “Can we start on how I can track a vampire?” I knew it was all about the smell, and no matter how bad I hated the odor, I needed it. Aldric moved closer to me, the stench of dead blood growing stronger. I turned up my nose in protest. “Notice the difference?” he asked, stopping a few feet away. “The closer a vampire gets, the stronger their scent. That’s the easy part. You just need to learn how to find that scent when they’re not so close.” I was grateful he was finally using simple English. “How do I do that?” I was much calmer now, actually somewhat eager to learn. I was slowly becoming accustomed to the idea that accepting my fate might be much easier than raging against it. Aldric clearly picked up on my sudden change in attitude. “So nice to see your interest, Ava. It really will make the learning process easier.” I had a split second to decide which response to give: polite or pissed off. I quickly chose the first one and smiled. “Take a seat,” Aldric said coolly, using his hand for emphasis. I looked around, noticing the absence of any sort of structure to sit on, before realizing he meant the ground. I

slowly crouched down, tucking my feet beneath me. The chill of the crunching snow beneath my body actually felt good against my skin. Aldric smiled and sat down across from me, making it easy for each of us to see the other. “Now,” he started with a whisper, “close your eyes and try to block out anything you hear other than my voice.” I reluctantly did as he said, stealing one last look at Chance before I let my eyelids shut out the world around me. He smiled, though I know he didn’t want to. “Remember to listen to only my voice,” Aldric continued, his words melodic and soothing. My body instantly relaxed, the sounds of chirping birds and wind rustling through leaves slowly falling away from my ears, until there was nothing but darkness and Aldric’s voice inside my head. “Now I need you to allow the scent of my blood to flood your mind. Let it swim around every crevice, every corner, until it consumes you.” Without realizing it, I did as he said. I could feel the odor of decay leave his body and travel through my mind, taking over my senses until the smell of him was the only thing I could focus on. I no longer needed my eyes. I knew exactly where he was. “Keep your eyes closed, Ava, and use my scent to track me down.” I felt the burst of air as he sped away from me. With my eyes tightly shut, I stood and inhaled deeply through my nose. The rancid odor of death flooded my nostrils again, and I took off after him. I ran faster than I ever had before, cutting through the trees and overgrown brush of the forest, all the while keeping my eyes closed and my sense of smell on high alert. I allowed the scent to lead me through the woods, ignoring the harsh sting of branches

nicking my skin as I sped past them. I hurdled over fallen trees and exposed roots with expert precision, not allowing anything to stop me or slow me down. My mind was so fixated on finding the source of the scent that someone could have shot me and I wouldn’t have let up. After fifteen minutes of winding through the woods, the smell grew even more intense. It blasted my brain like a cannon, sending waves of endorphins throughout my body. My system kicked into overdrive, heightening my senses even more. It was like I could see Aldric’s lingering scent in front of me. Like I could reach out and grab it with my hands and pull myself along to where he stood. I ran even faster, the branches jutting into my path feeling like barbed wire slicing my skin. I ran through the pain. I wanted to find him. And I wanted to kill him. I broke free of the confines of the forest, the freedom of an open field fueling my fury even more. I ran as hard as my body would allow, the smell of Aldric’s death hitting me in the face like bricks. I knew I was drawing nearer to him, and after a few more seconds, all of the adrenaline working to keep me going suddenly stopped, and I stopped with it. I could smell his scent stronger than ever, and without even opening my eyes, I knew I had found him. “Well done, Ava.” His voice flooded my ears as I opened my eyes and focused on his face. He was less than a foot away from me. Had I been wielding a stake, it would have been half-deep into his chest. I noticed right away that we were almost exactly where we started. I could see Chance standing beside his truck about fifty yards in front of me, the faded facade of the house jutting out beside him.

“Thanks,” I replied to Aldric’s compliment. I noticed, too, that after fifteen minutes of running faster than humanly possible, I wasn’t the least bit winded. My lungs felt more alive than they ever had, which was funny considering I was half dead. My muscles didn’t ache, didn’t even burn. It was like I hadn’t moved an inch. “So what’s next?” I asked, staring at Aldric as he smiled creepily at me. I might not like him—actually hate was a better description—but he definitely was an excellent teacher. One lesson and I had perfected my tracking abilities. “Not so fast,” he interjected. “I believe one lesson at a time is sufficient.” “I don’t have time to move at a snail’s pace, Aldric. I need to learn fast.” The results of my first test were fueling my desire to move forward.

The faster I get what he teaches me, the faster I get my life back. Those words flashed in my mind again, bright and prominent. Now that I knew I could do it, and that it wasn’t going to kill me, I planned on getting this whole training thing out of the way fast. Of course, he disagreed. “You will learn at the speed I want you to learn.” His statement was simple but forceful. I knew it would be impossible to change his mind. “Going into this headstrong and unprepared will get you killed. I won’t allow that.” Something flashed across his face for the briefest of moments before it was gone, replaced by the stone coldness he always wore. But it had been there, if only for a second. And he knew that I saw it.

It was compassion.

1 1. GROWTH I gave into Aldric’s wishes, agreeing to one training lesson per day. I didn’t, however, agree to wait for my training to be done before going vampire hunting. If I waited, I’d be, like, thirty before I reached a hundred kills—if aging was even an issue for me any more. No way was I waiting that long. But, I kind of understood his reasoning on staggering my training sessions—at least to one a day. I wouldn’t be a very effective hunter if I was exhausted, so we planned on meeting again tomorrow after school. “Are you okay with all this?” I finally asked once Chance and I were in his truck headed home. I got the impression from his tense demeanor that he was having trouble dealing with seeing me embrace my vampire side. But I wasn’t embracing it—not really. I was simply learning to live with it, but only for the time being. I still fully planned on killing it the first chance I got. “No,” he answered honestly. “But I know it’s what you want, and I’m going to support you.” He kept pulling his eyes off the road—and it was slick with the sudden wintry mix. I could sense his sincerity, which made me feel both safe and uncomfortable. I still didn’t trust him completely, though that was wearing thin with each passing day. I hated that the choices I was making were hurting him, but I had to make them. The end goal was something we both wanted, and this was the only way to get there. “I’m going to be fine,” I said, trying to sound promising. He didn’t look at me, keeping his eyes focused on the road, but a tiny smile crossed his face. I knew he didn’t believe

me. I also knew that he would do whatever it took—even risking his own life—to make sure nothing bad happened to me. Knowing that made me crazy. We made it into town just as the storm intensified. Thick, fast sheets of cold, icy rain pelted the windshield of Chance’s truck, making it nearly impossible for him to see. I could tell he was paranoid of sliding off the road and into the deep ravine looming beside us, so I offered to drive. “I can see through this, you know?” I added after he politely refused to let me behind the wheel. “One of the perks.” I didn’t add “of being a vampire”; I knew he hated that word. “I’m good,” he said, his large hands in a death grip on the wheel. “I think I can handle a little rain.” I detected a note of hurt pride in his voice. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just thought I’d offer.” Chance didn’t respond, so we drove through town in silence, something the two of us seemed to do very well. I turned my attention to the tiny shops and cafes slowly passing by, watching people dart from their cars to the cloth awnings jutting out from the sides of the buildings, hoping to not get too wet. I found it relaxing focusing on such a human characteristic. It was also relaxing not being able to smell every single person’s blood thanks to the rain masking the scents. It gave me a much-needed reprieve. Getting lost in the mundane lives of everyday people helped push the ever-present darkness within me a bit farther away from the surface, but no matter how much people-watching I did, or how many trivial things I focused on, nothing could distinguish the ever-growing fire I felt boiling inside me. I

knew my vampire side was growing stronger, and I had a bad feeling that I was going to be powerless to stop it. “Are you hungry?” Chance’s question pulled my eyes from the drenched town outside my window. “I doubt my mom cooked.” He smiled as he spoke, apparently used to having very few home-cooked meals at his house. “I can always eat.” He laughed at that, and the tension that had been building between us disappeared, replaced by warmth and comfort. When we weren’t playing the Quiet Game, we worked well together. I had no past relationships to compare ours to—well, none I could remember—but I felt our forced friendship was growing strong. And I was grateful that he had been there that night in the cemetery— that he had been the one who saved me. Chance pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant called Kelly’s, apparently the only eatery deemed “fine dining” by the locals—at least according to the sign out front. I felt my stomach tighten as we parked and sprinted through the sleety rain to the door, fearful of the blood scents I just knew were waiting to invade my senses again once I was inside. The heat in the diner was thick and hung heavy on the air. Even though I was half vampire, I still noticed my body kick into overdrive to cycle the stagnant air through my lungs. I had barely felt the bitter cold outside—one of the new things about me I actually liked—but I thought having the heater and fireplace simultaneously going was overkill. I made sure we got a table away from the roaring flames at the back of the room. When the waitress seated us I immediately flipped open the menu to the beef section. I found the All-American Burger with fries, and when she

asked if we were ready to order I couldn’t answer fast enough. “Easy there, speedy. They’re not gonna kick us out.” Chance laughed as he spoke, something that I had come to enjoy hearing. His personality and charm were infectious when he laughed. The sound of it made me want to be around him always. “Funny,” I threw back, mock anger on my face. I smiled at him, totally enjoying the normalcy of the moment. Of course, nothing good in my life seemed to last very long. Just as I caught sight of Chance’s eyes, soft and warm and carefree, I also caught sight of something much less desired coming in my direction: Kayla. I gave Chance a ‘behind you’ nod with my eyes. He glanced over his shoulder just as she approached our table. I stole a quick peek in the direction she came; a woman not much older than Kayla herself was staring at us from a table near the fireplace. I figured it was Kayla’s mom, which I found reassuring. Serial killers or stalkers didn’t typically have dinner with their moms. Or so I hoped. “Hey Kayla,” I said as politely as possible. She smiled, shifting her feet uncomfortably as she stood next to our table. “What’s up?” “Nothing,” she murmured. “Just saw you guys sitting over here and thought I’d come say hi.” She looked more like a child at that moment than she ever had. I smiled across the table at Chance, who didn’t look too happy she was there. “Hey,” Chance said, not looking up at her. Kayla didn’t seem to notice his sour attitude, though. The chipper look on her face didn’t waver.

“So I thought that maybe since you guys were already here, and I’m here too, that we could talk now, instead of waiting until tomorrow.” Kayla managed to keep her face neutral when she spoke, but I knew that she was super nervous. I could smell it in her blood. I looked again at Chance, who surprised me with the look on his face. He agreed with her. “Sounds good,” he said, snagging a chair from the empty table behind us and pulling it up to our table. I cut my eyes at him and he flashed a smirk. I knew he had wanted to get this conversation over with back at school earlier, so he was obviously more than happy to do it now. Kayla smiled and waved back to her mom before circling the table and taking a seat. I watched her mom turn her attention to the giant flat screen TV hanging in the corner of the room. “So, have you guys thought about including me in your vampire killing club?” Even though Kayla spoke softly, I went into a panic in fear of someone overhearing her. I held my breath and scanned every face in the room, exhaling only after I realized the other patrons were too busy with their own conversations or the sporting event on the TV to even notice us. “Maybe we could leave that word out of the conversation?” I said, hoping she knew which word I meant. “Oh, yeah, sorry,” Kayla whispered back with an apologetic smile. “If we tell you everything, you have to promise to die before telling anyone about Ava.” Chance and I hadn’t even discussed Kayla—and whether we both wanted her to know what was going on—so I was a bit surprised with his

sudden change of heart. He spoke softly as well, but there was much more conviction in his voice than in Kayla’s. Thankfully she picked up on the seriousness of his tone. “Absolutely,” she replied. “I have no intention of telling anyone any of the stuff you guys tell me.” “Not even your mom?” I asked, glancing over at the lady at Kayla’s table still engrossed in the TV and her meal. “Are you two close?” “Yeah,” Kayla admitted. “And normally I tell her everything. But no way am I telling her any of this. Not that she would believe me anyway.” She picked up the water sitting in front of her and took a giant gulp. I refrained from telling her that it was mine; she obviously needed it more than me. “If you hadn’t done what you did, I probably wouldn’t believe it, either.” I didn’t know if she was talking about me showing my fangs during lunch today or when I intentionally flashed them for her after she confronted me. Either way, I knew what she meant. “Whether you believe us or not doesn’t matter,” Chance interjected. “All that matters is you keeping your mouth shut.” The anger he felt toward Kayla earlier was showing itself again. I glared across the table at him and he lowered his eyes, playing with the straw in his soda. “Got it,” Kayla said with confidence. “And I know neither of you know me, but I’m not a liar. If I say something, I mean it. And I mean that I won’t tell anyone. No matter what might happen to me.” I doubted she really knew what could possibly happen to her, but I didn’t want to be the one to fill her in. I didn’t plan on letting her get anywhere near another vampire anyway, or any other situation where her life might

be in danger. “What do you think?” I asked Chance, staring across the table at him. Before he had time to answer, our server showed up with two burgers and fries. I watched Chance drown his burger in mustard, holding my gag reflex in check. Just the thought of eating mustard—especially that much mustard—was gross. And yet the thought of drinking human blood was starting to grow on me. Ugh, I was so messed up. “I’m leaving it up to you.” Chance finally answered my question after taking a bite of his burger. I saw honesty in his eyes, and even though I somehow knew I would regret it, I gave in and told Kayla what she had been waiting to hear. “Okay,” I began, looking over at her watching us eat. “You’re in.” It sounded like the CIA or something. Kayla practically squealed with excitement. “But if I get even the tiniest inkling that you’re not telling me something you might know, or that you’re going back to your mom or your friends and filling them in on the resident vampire, you’re out.” I hoped the seriousness in my voice and on my face was getting my point across. Kayla stared at me a moment before standing up, her entire demeanor suddenly different, darker somehow. “I already told you not to worry about my mom,” she said, stepping back around the table. “And as far as friends go, that won’t be a problem, either. Other than you guys, I’m kind of all alone.” She turned and crossed the dining room, taking her seat across from her mom. I felt a little sad for her. Being new here, too, I got how she felt about not having any friends. At least I had Chance. Maybe being friends

with her wouldn’t be so bad. I watched her pick at her food and fake a smile every now and then when her mom said something meant to be funny. I couldn’t help but feel that Kayla was looking forward to hanging out with a vampire more than I had thought. “Okay,” I said after downing half my burger, “we need to talk.” I did my best to sound pleasant, hoping Chance would finally give in and tell me what he had been hiding. “What about?” he asked, doing his best to sound clueless. The sudden rise in the scent of his blood revealed the truth. “You know what,” I said with frustration. “About whatever it is you and Aldric are keeping from me.” I suddenly felt full, only picking at my half-eaten burger and few fries—which totally ticked me off because it tasted so good. “I want to know what’s going on between you two, Chance.” He took a large drink of his soda and stared out the window before speaking. “There’s nothing going on,” he stated flatly. I had to grip the edge of the table to keep from going berserk and doing something I would later regret. I kept silent for a moment, allowing my temper to ease before continuing. “I want to know why you’re helping him. How did you know I was out there? Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you?” “What’s in it for me? How can you ask me that? There’s nothing in it for me, Ava. I’m helping because it’s the right thing to do. Nothing else.” Chance’s eyes sparkled in the light hanging above us, shadows dancing across his features. I wanted desperately to trust him, to believe that he was being honest with me, but I just couldn’t. Not fully,

anyway. “How did you know what Aldric had done to me? Did you help him in some way?” “No!” Chance’s voice caught the attention of the patrons closest to us. The elderly woman kept cutting her eyes at me, so I offered up my best polite smile and turned back to Chance. “Could you keep it down, please?” The vein in his neck danced wildly as he tried to control himself, and I had to look away. I hated that he was so mad at me, but I couldn’t back down. Not now, when he was finally talking. “So if you didn’t help him do this to me, then how did you know about it?” I half expected him to jump from the table and run, to tell me he changed his mind and I was on my own, but he didn’t. “Ava,” he began, “you have to drop this, okay? What good will knowing bring?” “I have no memory, Chance. Do you get that? I can’t remember my family, my friends, where I’m from. Nothing before I woke up out there.” I was fighting hard to keep my tears at bay, my entire body trembling beneath my words. “You have no idea what that’s like. I just want to know all I can about why this happened to me and what it all means. I just want my life back.” The tears were unstoppable then, rolling from my eyes like traitorous secrets I wanted desperately to keep hidden. I swiped them away and stared at Chance, unwilling to submit to his omission of the truth. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, his words coming out soft but void of sincerity. “I know what you’re going through.”

“No you don’t.” “Fine, I don’t.” He glared at me. “But I can imagine. And I hate that you can’t remember. I hate this is happening to you, or to anyone. But you have to trust me, Ava. I can’t tell you some things. You’re just gonna have to believe me.” “I don’t have to do anything. Except leave.” Which I did. Quickly and unexpectedly, I walked away from the table and left the restaurant, mad as hell at Chance for keeping secrets from me, and grateful at the same time for him risking his life to save mine.

1 2. GIRLS’ DAY I woke the next morning still ticked off at Chance and the way he had refused to answer one simple question. I just couldn’t figure out why he wouldn’t tell me everything. What was he hiding from me? I fully intended to ask him as soon as he woke up—until I remembered what day it was: Saturday. Shopping day. I had made plans to go clothes shopping with Chance’s mom during dinner a couple of nights ago, and now I was wishing I hadn’t. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and catch up on some much-needed sleep. Well, that and find a way to force Chance to come clean. But I could hear rumbling coming from Ms. Caldon’s room next door, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to get out of it. I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready. Ms. Caldon stopped me in the hall. “Morning, Avaline,” she whispered with a smile. I cringed at hearing my full name, hating how it sounded old and so not me, but I kept my gripes to myself. I hated the name Avaline. I wanted to punch people for using it when they knew I didn’t like it, but I thought that might have been a tad disrespectful to the woman who let me move in with her and her son—who I may or may not be falling for (I was definitely hoping not since at the moment I couldn’t stand him). So I kept my mouth shut and smiled back. “Morning, Ms. Caldon. I’ll be ready to go in a sec.” I bypassed her and moved down the hall to the bathroom. “No rush, hon. And call me Maggie.” She had already asked me to do that, but again I felt like it was disrespectful. I could tell by her tone she really meant it this time, so I

made a mental note to at least try. I really did want the two of us to become friends. If I was going to be staying in her house (Chance actually talked me into not trying to find somewhere else to live) the least I could do was get her to like me. So I said “okay” and sprinted to the bathroom. I was out and ready to go in fifteen minutes, pulling my purse from the banister post as I descended the stairs. “I’m ready Ms.—Maggie,” I said, feeling super awkward, like I was talking to my girlfriend instead of an adult. I felt like I was being disrespectful enough just living in her house, so calling her Maggie really made me uncomfortable. I could handle being half-vampire—and I could even handle Chance and Aldric walking on eggshells around me—but for some reason, talking to Ms. Caldon like she was a school classmate really irked me. I tried to ignore the feeling as I slipped quietly into the kitchen, hoping to snatch a banana from the bowl of fruit on the counter. Unfortunately, Chance was already in there and my temper flared again upon seeing his somber face. “You’re up,” I stated, crossing the bright white kitchen and snagging that banana. “Yeah, I was just telling my mom that I should go with you guys today.” He was looking at me with those fiercely protective eyes, his lips pulled tightly together. I could tell by the flexing muscles along his jaw that he was grinding his teeth. “And I was just telling my son that us girls need some alone time.” Ms. Caldon smiled and patted her son’s cheek, stepping away from us to refill her coffee cup. I used the opportunity to talk to Chance about his seemingly “testy”

mood. “Back off,” I snapped, my voice lower than a whisper. “I’m going.” He, too, was basically mouthing the words he was talking so softly. “No.” “Yes.” He was getting angry, though his voice remained unheard. “Why?” I mouthed back, getting angry myself at his demand. He glanced from me over to his mom, who had her back to us as she added cream and sugar to a steaming coffee mug. “Because,” he mouthed. He opened his mouth, careful to keep a watchful eye on her, and made fake fangs with his fingers. I knew what he meant. He wanted to be there in case I vamped out again, like I did at school. I understood his concern, but his mom and I really did need some time away from him. We needed to get to know each other more if I was planning on living in her house for a while. Plus, I was still really pissed at him. “I’ll be fine,” I said. “I have an idea.” Deep-set lines formed across his brow; he obviously had questions about my resourcefulness. Though I was mad at him, I half-smiled to hopefully reassure him before his mom appeared next to me. “So,” she said, looking at me while simultaneously popping a lid onto the coffee mug I hadn’t even noticed was portable. “You ready?” She snagged her purse from the end of the kitchen counter and pulled it onto her shoulder. “Um, do you mind if I bring a friend along?” Chance’s questioning look intensified. “She’s new in town, too, and

doesn’t really have any friends.” He knew then that I was talking about Kayla. I’m sure he was wondering when I had planned to invite her along. “Not at all, hon, the more the merrier.” “Then why can’t I go?” Chance piped up from his seat across the bar. His arms were folded on the counter in front of him, making his biceps flex perfectly. “The more girls the merrier,” Ms. Caldon corrected, smiling at her son. Chance rolled his eyes and climbed from his seat, bumping my arm as he stepped past me and headed for the stairs. “I left something upstairs,” I said as I fell in behind Chance. “I’ll be right back.” “I’ll just meet you in the car.” Ms. Caldon fished the keys from a hook next to the back door and headed out. “I don’t like this,” Chance said after his mom closed the door. He had stopped walking and was waiting for me in the hallway. I was thankful I didn’t have to go all the way back upstairs for nothing. “What if something bad happens?” “We’re shopping. What can happen?” Of course I knew that plenty could happen based on all that had gone wrong in only a few days, but I was trying to be comforting. “Are you kidding?” “We’ll be fine. If I start feeling funny or anything, I’ll just grab Kayla and find the nearest bathroom or something and she can calm me down.” I was having a hard time keeping my cool, the feelings from last night hot beneath my skin and eager to get resolved. I did my best to sound and look sincere, but inside I was admittedly a little freaked

out about being somewhere without him around. He really could push my buttons, but he had been there in the woods when I needed him. Regardless of what he was hiding, he at least was being honest about helping me when I needed it. That had to count for something. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. “Yeah,” Chance mocked, “because Kayla’s so quick on her feet when it comes to you going all bloodsucker on her.” Even though he was trying to make a joke, the way he said bloodsucker made me cringe. Was that how he really saw me? “I have to go. Just relax, okay?” He stared at me with worry in his eyes. “You can use your free time to come up with more things to hide from me.” The tiny muscles in his neck flexed in anger. “Ava—” “Forget it, Chance.” I quickly left before we both said things we would later regret. I borrowed Ms. Caldon’s cell phone once I got in the car and called Kayla. I had to pretend that I had already invited her so Chance’s mom wouldn’t be suspicious; thankfully Kayla was oblivious. She was too ecstatic about the invite to notice my seedy intentions. In all honesty, having someone nearby who knew my secret would probably help keep me calm. I was already nervous enough without Chance beside me—though I hated to admit that and never would out loud. I couldn’t deal if it were just his mom and me. Kayla gave me simple directions to her house, and Ms. Caldon and I picked her up and were pulling into the mall in less than half an hour. What I imagined to be typical of malls in America—since

I couldn’t remember actually seeing one—the super-large parking lot was over half full. I was actually surprised that so many people were out shopping until I remembered that Valentine’s Day was next month. Butterflies instantly filled my stomach at the thought of the most romantic holiday being weeks away—which totally confused my already overwhelmed mind. What was I so nervous about? It wasn’t like I had a reason to celebrate. I didn’t have a reason to celebrate any holiday anymore, not being half dead. Or undead, or whatever I was now. Holidays and birthdays and all other human milestones were now wasted on me. I suddenly wanted to be back in bed with the covers pulled over my head as we found an empty parking space fairly close to the front of the mall and the three of us bounded to the large stucco building with a shared energy.

“Thanks for the invite,” Kayla whispered to me as Ms. Caldon pulled a couple of cute tops from a sales rack. The alternative rock music pumping out of the store’s sound system was so loud I had to really focus on hearing her. “No problem,” I answered, not very fearful of being overheard. Ms. Caldon could have been standing in the middle of us and wouldn’t have heard our conversation over the blasting music. It was actually giving me a headache. I wanted to get away from the noise and the crowds and the shopping. Having never really done the whole ‘girls’ day out’ thing, I was uncomfortable from the start. “And thanks for telling my mom you were my friend.” I

heard sadness in Kayla’s voice, and as much as the idea of having someone around me now that I was dangerous scared me, I couldn’t help but be nice to her. I mean, technically she was my age, but she seemed more like a kid than I ever did. Probably because she had a seminormal childhood—something I, apparently, didn’t. As we waited for Ms. Caldon to buy the clothes she and I had picked out (yeah, she was so nice she paid for my clothes) I found myself a bit envious of Kayla. Even though I couldn’t remember it, I actually missed not having a childhood with parents who showered me with love and adoration on a daily basis. Judging by the relationship she seemed to have with her mom, I was guessing that was pretty close to how it was for her. “Well,” I said, careful of my words. “You kind of are. A new friend, but still a friend.” I smiled at her and she was practically glowing as we left the women’s clothing store and stepped out into the mall. The next several seconds seemed to move in slow motion. The distinct, putrid smell of death hit me in the face like a hammer, stopping me dead in my tracks. I felt my fangs trying to slice through my gums and expose themselves, ready for a kill. I fought hard to keep both them and Ms. Caldon in the dark. I wasn’t too worried about Kayla discovering what was going on; she was part of our vampire hunting team, as she had called it. It was only natural for her to see what that entailed. But I still didn’t want her getting involved in the actual hunting down and killing. No way. “Excuse us, Ms. Caldon,” I blurted out, snatching Kayla by

the arm and dragging her with me. “Bathroom run.” I did my best to smile and look normal, all the while trying not to vamp out and hunt down the vampire I knew was nearby and kill it. Ms. Caldon didn’t protest—neither did Kayla, though I hadn’t expected her to—but I did hear her yell “it’s Maggie!” as I ran in the opposite direction with Kayla in tow. “Where are we going?” Kayla asked, panic filling her voice. I was following the waning smell of the vampire, so I didn’t really have time to stop and explain anything to her. “You’ll see,” I snapped, still pulling hard on her arm. I’m sure to passers-by I looked like a crazed teen mad at having to babysit her sister. At least that’s all I hoped it looked like. Grunting and jumbled words were coming from Kayla as I dragged her behind me, but I refused to allow my mind to process her ranting. I had to find the vampire. Its scent was fading fast, and if I didn’t hurry, I would never make it—though I had no clue what I would do once I found it. We reached the large glass doors leading out of the mall before I finally let go of Kayla’s arm. She immediately began rubbing where my hand had been. I felt bad for the bruise I was sure would be there tomorrow, but I was too preoccupied at the moment to worry. I picked up a stronger wave of the vampire’s scent coming from a utility door marked Employees Only just to the left of the exit. “Wait here,” I ordered Kayla, giving her a stern look before charging through the metal door. A long corridor sprawled out before me, narrow and very industrial-looking with its plain white walls and concrete floor. Various mall

paraphernalia littered the area: sale signs, naked, creepylooking metal mannequins, clothing bins. I weaved in and out of the cluttered hallway, moving slowly and on high alert. With every step further into the back of the mall, the death smell grew stronger. I knew the vampire was somewhere in the corridor, I just hadn’t perfected my ability enough to determine where it was hiding. About a hundred yards away, the hall split into two different directions. I assumed that because I was basically running along the front of the mall, taking the one to the right would only lead me outside. So turning left was my only option, and I felt safe in my assumption as I approached the crossing. Without the benefit of precision tracking abilities, however, I was basically walking into the situation blind. I had trained with Aldric on this very thing, and I had been good at it; in the woods, where I only had Aldric’s and Chance’s scents to deal with. Here in the mall, hundreds of smells were flooding my senses. And all too quickly I discovered that wasn’t a good thing. The vampire appeared out of nowhere, sprinting around the corner and hitting me hard with a large metal pole that had probably been designed for displaying clothes, not attacking a half-dead teenager. I went reeling into the pile of mannequins behind me, their pale, lifeless bodies clanging around like coins in a glass jar. Heightened hearing came in very handy, but it was also like knives piercing my brain when metal hit metal. I instinctively covered my ears and winced at the numbing pain. The high-pitched tones ringing throughout the corridor as the mannequins flew in all directions obviously had a harsh

effect on the other vampire as well. He dropped his weapon and clasped his hands over his ears too, his face twisting in identical pain. I wanted so badly to jump up and attack, get the kill over with as quickly as possible, before Chance’s mom had the opportunity to notice me missing. But the throbbing in my chest from the impact, coupled with the hellish ringing in my ears, rendered me immobile. I was lying on my back on the dingy concrete floor, listening to the moans of pain coming from both myself and the other vampire, when I noticed a pair of legs charging toward us. They were coming at me upside down because of my position on the floor, but I could clearly see that they were female. A very small, very badly dressed female. Kayla. I opened my mouth to yell at her to stop and get away, but the vampire’s squirming caused more mannequins and clothing racks to fall and crash into one another. Shards of intense, burning pain pounded against my head again, leaving me speechless. Through hazy, almost non-existent vision, I was able to see Kayla throw something at the vampire, and I heard agonizing screams escape the vampire’s lips. As the ringing in my head finally began to subside, my eyes refocused just as Kayla drove the same metal rod used to knock me down into the heart of the vampire lying in terrible pain at her feet.

1 3. MEMBERSHIP I didn’t move an inch, the shock over what had just happened paralyzing me. I kept my eyes locked on Kayla, who still had a death grip on the metal rod in her hands. I could tell by the amount of dark, rancid blood pouring from his chest that the vampire was dead—or pretty close to it. His hands were woven around the rod, obviously in a last attempt to save his own life. I felt air rush into my lungs, which burned with the smell filling the corridor: the smell of dead blood, mixing with Kayla’s very-much-alive blood. It was turning my stomach, and I had to swallow hard to keep from being sick all over the floor. I started coughing loudly, my chest sending shivers of pain across my body. Definitely gonna be sore as hell tomorrow. “Are you okay?” I heard Kayla’s panicked voice before I saw her running to me, kneeling down and putting her tiny hand on my chest. I had to wait for my coughing fit to subside before I could speak. “Definitely been better,” I said with a raspy voice. “I shouldn’t have let you come in here alone.” She was helping me off the floor as she spoke, and I was surprised at her strength for such a tiny girl. She probably could have tossed me onto her shoulder and carried me out of the mall like a bag of potting soil. She stood rigid and tall, allowing me to lean against her until my head quit spinning long enough for me to focus on standing alone. I could still hear faint ringing in my ears, residuals left over from the clanging earlier. I vowed to wear ear plugs every day from then on as

long as I had super hearing. Going through that again would be torture. “What was that?” I asked, fighting the cough in my aching chest. My head was pounding and tiny flashes danced in my vision when I closed my eyes. “That’s not important right now. We need to go.” “Go? Where?” “I need to get you out of here. You can’t be seen here. Not like that.” She pointed at my face, and I didn’t even have to wonder this time. “My eyes?” “Yeah.” I quickly closed them, ignoring the flashing lights and pounding headache long enough to calm down. I slowly reopened them and Kayla half-smiled. “Better,” she said softly. “I thought I told you to stay put,” I coughed out, the impact from the attack pressing heavily on my chest. “You could have been killed.” I kept my arm around Kayla’s neck, feeling like I would black out at any moment. “Lucky for you I don’t listen too well,” she said with a smile. “And you’re welcome.” I cut my eyes over at her; there was no way I could be mad. She was right, she had saved my life. Twice in less than a week my life had been saved by ordinary humans. I was beginning to think I didn’t really need the vampire side of me. I just needed to ramp up my human abilities and I’d be just fine. I was about to thank her properly when the door at the end of the corridor flew open, exposing us and the smelly dead vampire on the floor.

“You guys okay?” A male voice asked. The outside light flooding the doorway was too bright for me to see his face right away, but I could tell he wasn’t alone. At least one other shadowy figure was lurking in the light. I went into a panic, instinctively stepping between the unknown shadows and Kayla, holding her behind me. I kept my lips closed, but I felt my fangs break through the skin of my gums and hang ready inside my mouth. “It’s okay, Ava,” Kayla piped up from behind me. “They’re with me.” She stepped around me and walked over to the figures lurking at the end of the hall. Reluctantly, I let her go. The shock of other people seeing what was lying in the floor had momentarily taken my speech. I was still in attack mode, crouched and ready for anything. Even though Aldric hadn’t gotten to the “defense” part of my training yet, I at least had common sense to guide me. “That’s her?” A girl’s voice, strong and deep, said from behind the guy. She closed the door behind her as she spoke, and I was finally able to see them without the blinding light. The girl looked closer to an adult than any of us. I guessed eighteen or nineteen, though I had been off about Kayla. Her short-cropped, spiked black hair sat harsh against her porcelain skin. She looked more like a vampire than the dead one on the floor. She dressed similarly to Kayla, entirely in black except for a stripe of pink across her shirt. I could see the impression of a pointed stake filling the pocket of her black denim jeans. “Guys,” Kayla said, smiling like she was introducing her new boyfriend to her parents, “this is Ava.” She stepped

toward me, grabbing my arm and bringing me closer to the group. “She’s the hybrid.” I hated the term ‘hybrid,’ though I had to admit it was much easier to say than ‘half vampire, half human thingy’. . . but not as catchy. “Ava, this is Erik and Lila.” I stared into the faces of the two, immediately noticing delicious-looking veins pulsing in their necks. I could easily sprint over, bite them both, and be back next to Kayla before any of them even realized it. Whoa, where did that come from? I had never had a completely vampire thought before. Every other time I had pictured biting someone, I was always present in the thought, able to turn it off. But this time was different; that thought caught me off guard. I was apparently getting worse, which really sucked. I forced my mind to ignore it and willed my fangs to retract. “She’s young,” Erik said. He, too, looked older, but not by much. His hair was just as black as Lila’s, and almost cut in the same style. His skin was pale, not as porcelain-like as hers, and he opted for regular blue jeans paired with a black polo instead of going total Gothic. I quickly noticed that they looked alike. Exact features began to stand out at me: same blue eyes, same petite nose, same full lips. They were related. Vampire-hunting brother and sister; now I had seen everything. “I’m old enough to kill you,” I said, though I hadn’t planned to. The words just flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. Another surprise thought. Shock spread across the faces of the siblings, though quickly replaced with anger. Lila’s hand went to the stake jutting from the top of her

jeans. “We would love for you to try,” she said, venom lacing her words. She smiled wickedly, her fingers drumming across the chunk of wood. My eyes burned with rage, my fangs ready to expose themselves again. I wanted to kill her. Control yourself, Ava. You have to control yourself. I heard Chance’s voice echoing in my head. It was as if he were standing right beside me, telling me I couldn’t do what my body wanted to do. I couldn’t kill an innocent person. That wasn’t me, and I knew that. The rage building up in me was so strong and commanding that I had to fight hard to ignore it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the sweet smell of the newcomers’ blood flowing through me. “Enough of that,” Kayla snapped, mainly to her friends but also to me. “Everybody just take it easy.” She stood firmly between us, her arms outstretched in both directions. I was amazed that such a powerful force was contained in such a tiny body. It would have made me laugh any other time. But I then remembered her standing over the body of a slain vampire. She was much more dangerous than she looked. Get a grip, Ava. You can do this. Chance’s soft, melodic tone helped suppress the need to kill the pair and drink their blood, and I was mad at him all over again for being able to get under my skin even when he wasn’t around. My vampire side was beating against me, trying to escape and feed. I couldn’t allow that, not now. I forced my mind to escape the corridor I was in and find a quiet, empty place. My body slowly began to calm down, though the urge sat just below the surface, lying in wait.

“We need to get out of here,” Kayla continued after the three of us (well, me and Lila) calmed down. “You two get rid of it. I’ll get Ava home.” She spoke with maturity that was unexpected in someone so young. I felt like I had been conned—depressed teen so didn’t describe her anymore. “We meeting up later?” Erik asked. He kept stealing glances at me, his eyes searching for something. He was probably waiting to see if he and his sister were going to get to kill a vampire today—namely me. I found it annoying. “I’ll call you,” Kayla answered, and she took me by the arm and practically dragged me toward the door. Just before she closed the door on the hallway, I caught a glimpse of Erik and Lila pouring white powder onto the vampire’s body and it melting away on the concrete floor. “Are you going to tell me what the hell’s going on, or do I have to make you tell me?” I was mad. We ducked into the ladies’ room just down the mall from the employees’ corridor to try and clean the blood from our hands. My chest hurt like hell and I looked like I had been run over by a car. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Kayla started, “but you would’ve freaked out.” She was helping me scrub blood from my hands with really industrial-smelling public bathroom soap. “Would have? I think I’m already a little freaked out here.” I kept glancing over her shoulder at the door, half expecting Lila to come barging in with stake raised, ready to kill me. “So what, are you like a real life vampire hunter? Like it’s a hobby of yours?” “It’s not a hobby or something I do when I get bored.” She snagged a few paper towels from the dispenser on the wall

and handed them to me. “But yeah, I’m a vampire hunter.” I couldn’t believe how easily she said it. I was about to hyperventilate over the news and she blurted it out like she was going over a grocery list. “How?” I asked. “How long?” So many questions were circling each other in my mind that I had to close my eyes to focus on just one. “Since birth, basically,” Kayla answered, again with a cavalier attitude. She washed her own hands in the sink next to mine as she spoke. “But I hadn’t actually killed a vampire until today. But I’ve hunted lots.” I then noticed her shaking hands and tense shoulders; she was scared, or freaked out. Though I was still fighting mad at her, I tried to calm down a bit so I wouldn’t make it worse. “You’re kidding, right? This is all some elaborate joke and you’re just trying to get a laugh out of me?” As ridiculous as it sounded, I was praying it were true. “Sorry, no joke. I am a vampire hunter, and I’ve been one since I was born. My dad was one, up until about a year ago.” I saw something change in her eyes. She went somewhere else in her mind for a moment before snapping back to me. “So now I do it for him.” She smiled at me as she threw her used towels in the trash. “Why did your dad quit hunting?” Of all the questions I had for her, that one seemed the most important at the time. I knew she didn’t want to answer, but reluctantly gave in. “He didn’t quit,” she said, her face turning dark and angry. “He was taken by vampires, and I’m going to find out where he is.”

1 4. TRUTH Kayla and I met back up with Ms. Caldon just outside the restroom. She was coming down the mall toward us, a couple of shopping bags in each hand. I was terrified she was going to be upset at us for bailing on her, but she was walking with a rather happy, carefree expression, her bags swaying slowly at her sides. Kayla took hold of my hand and smiled at me. “Try to look happy,” she said through her smile. She was walking with a bouncy gait too—really laying it on thick. “Happy?” I snapped. “I just found out my new friend is a vampire hunter. I’m a vampire. What’s there to be happy about?” Kayla plastered a smile on her face as Ms. Caldon kept approaching. “You think I would hurt you?” she asked, her voice stern and unwavering. “Like you said, you were born to kill vampires.” “I said I was born to hunt them, Ava. I don’t enjoy killing them. And I would never hurt you. You’re my friend.” I was actually grateful I had told Kayla that I considered her a friend—that definitely came in handy. And who better to have in my corner than someone trained to hunt vampires? I didn’t say anything else for fear of her changing her mind. Before we made it to where Chance’s mom had stopped to wait, some of her infectious attitude began rubbing off on me, and I began smiling for real. Maybe having her around wasn’t going to be so bad. Maybe she could teach me even more than Aldric. Maybe we could actually be friends.

You’re a vampire, Ava. She’s a vampire hunter.

Friends? Not likely. Sometimes I hated my inner voice. It was trying desperately to ruin my mood. The fact that I had anything remotely close to a happy mood was shocking given what I had just gone through, and now I was subconsciously trying to destroy it. Self-deprecation ranked right up there with public humiliation on the list of things I hated about myself. Ms. Caldon had no clue what had gone down as we left the mall. I asked if she would mind Kayla staying for dinner —mainly because I wanted to grill Kayla some more on exactly what had gone down—but Kayla refused. She said she had to get home to her mom, so we dropped her off and headed home ourselves. Even though I still felt funny calling the Caldon house my home, Ms. Caldon insisted I was welcome there, and that I should consider the place my own. I still wasn’t quite sure why she so easily accepted Chance bringing a total stranger into their house, but I reluctantly agreed to at least give it a try. Chance was practically climbing the walls when we got there, but he hid it very well. His mom had no clue he was freaking out as she went into the kitchen to begin dinner. Chance told her he and I were going for a walk, and we left the house with almost super speed. The sun was moving low in the sky, painting everything in a pinkish-orange glow. “So,” Chance said tentatively once we headed down the sidewalk in front of his house. “How was your day with my mom?” I could tell he was nervous that the two of us wouldn’t gel. I guessed he couldn’t tell by our cheerful dispositions that his mom and I got along great. “She’s cool,” I said, trying to sound normal—something

that was suddenly hard to do. I noticed that doing everyday, normal human things was growing more and more difficult. Any other time I wouldn’t have worried about trying to sound normal, I would have just said what I wanted. But now, I felt the need to show I still had my humanity intact. Fragile, but intact. “You’re lying.” Chance walked fast down the sidewalk away from his house, eager to get out of listening distance of his mother. “You’re one to talk,” I snapped back. “That’s totally different, Ava, and you know it.” We rounded the corner from his house and he finally slowed his gait a bit. But his body was still tense, his blood still moving quickly through his veins. “How is it different, Chance? Lying is lying, right?” I fought to control my anger, to keep the monster within me from leaping out and destroying whatever sort of relationship was building between us. “It’s different because I can’t tell you certain things. Not because I don’t want to.” He stopped walking and leaned against the stone wall skirting the sidewalk, resting his back and head against a vine-covered fence. A chilly wind scooped in and around us, lifting leaves and debris from the sidewalk and slamming them against my bare legs. I loved the tingling feeling the tiny pieces made against my skin. It felt human. “You can tell me anything. I promise if it’s something important, or something you don’t want me telling anyone else, I won’t.” I was pleading with him, and I hated that. I hated that he and Aldric were keeping something from me,

something that might potentially save me (or kill me). “I know you would, Ava. That’s not why.” He ran his hands through his hair, each dark curl falling back into place as if never touched. I suddenly wanted to reach out and do the same thing—run my fingers through that jet black hair—and had to clasp my hands together to keep from doing so.

What’s wrong with me? I’m ticked off at this guy, why do I want to touch his hair? Again, more questions I couldn’t answer. Those seemed to be piling up on me lately. I knew I was mad at Chance, that I wanted to strangle the truth out of him. But I didn’t hate him. I didn’t think I could, actually. “Then what is it? Just tell me.” Chance stood up and walked behind me to the edge of the street. I was thankful no cars were speeding by since I had no clue if he intended to step out into traffic or what. But he just stood there, staring out across the street at the grove of trees on the other side. I could see his breathing become more rapid, his shoulders rising and falling much more quickly than before. I wanted to keep pushing, keep pressing him for the truth, but I kept quiet, standing still and hopefully unnoticeable behind him. He finally turned and looked at me, something different in his eyes. “If I tell you,” he began, “you can’t freak out on me, Ava. Okay?” His face was completely serious, the muscles running along his jaw twitching with anxiety. The scent of his blood was also more noticeable (not that it was ever not noticeable) pulsing along with his hasty heartbeat. “I won’t,” I answered, though I wasn’t being entirely truthful. What if what he told me was horrible? Or made me

so mad I couldn’t control myself? I was new to the whole vampire thing. I had no clue how I would react. But I didn’t tell him that. He took a deep breath, letting it escape his lungs slowly and methodically. “I knew what Aldric had done to you.” His words stung going in, like needles pricking my skin. I stepped back and away from him.

He knew? I couldn’t stop thinking about that. He knew what Aldric did to me? That he turned me into a vampire? How could he have known that and just let it happen? “How?” I said through clenched teeth, my anger rising exponentially. “Why?” Chance kept his eyes locked on me. “I was following him. I saw him attack you. But I was too late to stop him.” “He attacked me? I thought he saved me?” “He did save you. But I didn’t know that when I saw him that night. All I saw was him biting you. I didn’t find out until later that he did it because you were dying.” “Why was I dying? What happened to me?” Chance’s words were swirling around in my head faster than I could keep up, making me dizzy and sick to my stomach. I leaned against the stone wall for support. “I don’t know,” he answered. “He just said he saw you walking down the street and wondered why a young girl was alone so late at night. When he approached you, you were coughing up blood and basically collapsed in his arms.” “My God.” I completely fell against the wall after hearing that, numbing shock taking over my body. The vampire side

always fighting for control was nowhere to be found. I felt completely human, and at that moment it really sucked. “I’m sorry, Ava.” Chance walked over and stood close to me, but didn’t touch me. He just stood staring down at me as the shock of his words settled into my mind. I had been dying. And a vampire had saved me. I could taste the irony. “For what?” The words left my mouth in barely a whisper, my voice strangled by the truth I had so desperately wanted. “For not stopping him.” I looked up at Chance then, the sadness and honesty on his face was painful to see. He truly was sorry. “But if you had stopped him, I would be dead.” “That would have been better than this. Than letting him turn you into a monster like him.” The rage I had been fighting so hard to control since waking up in that coffin—that had all but disappeared a moment ago—came roaring back in full force, enveloping me and taking complete control. “Screw you, Chance Caldon!” I shoved him as hard as I could—which apparently was pretty hard thanks to my new super-strength—and began walking away from him. He quickly jumped up from where he had landed and bounded down the sidewalk after me. “Ava,” he shouted, but I ignored him. He ran up behind me and grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him. “Ava, you promised.” “Promised what? That I wouldn’t freak out at you for calling me a monster? I never promised that.” “I told you there were things I couldn’t tell you. Things you didn’t need to know. You just wouldn’t let it go.”

“So this is my fault?” I could feel my fangs tingling behind my gums, eager to strike. Part of me wanted to let them, to give in and accept that I was the monster he obviously thought I was. But the human part of me was too strong to let that happen. So I forced myself to calm down—at least enough to not vamp out right there on the sidewalk. “No, I’m not saying that.” Chance fumbled with his words, his eyes erratic and searching. “But I warned you.” “So the truth you couldn’t tell me was that you think I’m a hideous monster like Aldric?” Chance just stared at me, silent. “So why are you helping me?” “Because I didn’t save you before all this happened.” His words grew softer as he continued. “Now I have the chance to make it right. And I’m not going to mess it up.” I knew he meant what he was saying, that no matter what, he would see this thing through to the end. Even though I was madder at him than ever before—well, hurt would be a better description—I could at least count on him to help me get my life back. Maybe then he wouldn’t see me as a monster anymore. I took a few deep breaths to diffuse the tension between us before going on. “Fine,” I said plainly. “You answered the question. And I appreciate your honesty, even though it sucks.” Chance winced, and I felt the tiniest bit relieved. “But there’s another one you’ve been avoiding answering.” “What?” “Why are you helping him? Why are you helping me?” Chance stared at me like I had just kicked his puppy or something, totally confused by my question. “It doesn’t make any sense. You don’t know me. You don’t know

Aldric. At least, I don’t think you do.” “I don’t.” “Then why help him? Why take all the crap from him you take, just to help someone you don’t even know?” I could feel my anger slowly drifting away, being replaced by a haunting sadness. Sadness that this boy, this stranger who I didn’t know, was the only person in my life willing to help me. “I can’t answer that.” “Can’t? Or won’t?” He looked deeply at me, sunlight casting shadows on his face and making the bright jade green of his eyes even more intense than usual. “Both, I guess,” he answered honestly. I wanted to hit him, wanted to make him feel as bad as I did upon hearing him say that. But I didn’t. I didn’t hit, I didn’t kick, I didn’t even get mad. I laughed. “What’s so funny?” Chance asked as I was nearing the doubling-over point in my laughter. “It’s just,” more laughter, “you always try to stand on both sides, huh?” “What does that mean?” “You say you won’t tell me, but also that you can’t tell me. That way, I don’t get mad, right?” I finally got my laughing under control, though I kept a tiny smile on my face. “You can’t have it both ways, you know.” “That’s not what I’m doing, Ava,” he said, heavy anger behind his words. “I can’t stop you from getting mad at me. I would probably be pissed off too, if I were you.” “Then why won’t you just tell me what’s really going on so I don’t get mad?” “Because I can’t. Honestly, I can’t.” I blew a deep breath

from my lungs, totally frustrated with him. “Look,” he went on, “you don’t know anyone else but me, right? So what do you have to lose by trusting me?” “Oh I don’t know, maybe my life?” “Never.” His voice changed with that one word, his features growing serious and intense. “I won’t let that happen, Ava. I promise you that. That goes against everything I—” “Everything what?” I hated that I interrupted him, but the words fell from my mouth before I could stop them. “Everything you stand for? Everything you believe in?” “Yes.” “So what do you stand for, Chance? What do you believe in?” “I stand for what’s right.” He took a few steps toward me, closing the noticeable gap between us. “And I believe in you.” Five little words that somehow made up for all that had been said. I couldn’t be mad at him after saying that, after saying he believed in me. No matter what he was keeping from me, I at least knew that much. “I’m glad someone does,” I answered, my throat suddenly itching from the close proximity of his blood. It wasn’t like I wanted to drink it—not really—but being that close to it, to him, was a little uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable enough to make me move away, apparently, since I stayed put. “You don’t believe in yourself, Ava?” “I don’t know.” I was being completely honest, something I wished he could do with me. “I don’t think I have what it takes to get through this.” “I think you do.” Again, he knew exactly what to say. “In

fact, I know you do.” “How?” “You woke up buried underground, found out you were a vampire and that you have to do some pretty horrible things to save yourself. And you didn’t back down. You stood up and said ‘I’m ready.’ If that’s not enough proof for you, then just know that it’s enough for me.” “I’m glad you have so much faith in me.” I smiled again, though this time without laughter behind it. He infuriated me, no question, but he was also being sincere and truly was there to stand by me and help me get my life back. How could I hate him for that? “And I’m sorry for pushing you.” “Don’t apologize.” He stepped away then, and I felt the awkwardness of him not being close. It really aggravated me, that feeling. “I should be apologizing to you.” “Yeah, you should.” I smiled at him, suddenly forgetting all the lies and secrets. Or at least forgetting them for the time being. “You may be joking, but I truly am sorry, Ava. I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you. And I’m sorry for keeping things from you.” “It’s okay,” I said. “For now.” He smirked and looked away from me, like a shy little boy who was just told how cute he is. “And I understand why you’re keeping things from me, I do. But just know that you can trust me, just like you say I can trust you.” “You can trust me, Ava. That, I would never lie about.” “Fine, then let’s drop this and get back before your mom sends out a search party.” He didn’t answer, only smiled and began walking back toward home. We moved down

the sidewalk slowly, every so often bumping arms or shoulders. I actually liked how having him so close made me feel, almost like I was special in a way. But all too quickly the events of the day flooded my mind again and my face went somber. “Okay, what just happened?” Chance asked, looking at me intently. “Where did you go?” I hated to tell him, hated to make him mad again. But I knew that if he found out—and he would, more than likely from Aldric—he would never forgive me for not telling him. Nor forgive himself for not being there to protect me. “Something happened at the mall today,” I started, pushing the pent up air from my lungs. “But don’t freak, because I’m fine.” I lied a little. My chest still hurt like hell and my head was a little dizzy from the horrific ringing, but I didn’t want him to know all that. “What?” he asked calmly, obviously trying to contain the anger and frustration and fear that I knew were bubbling just under the surface. “Another one,” I said, knowing he’d get that I meant vampire. We didn’t look at each other; we didn’t have to. He understood. I could tell by his tone, and by the energy radiating off him, what mood he was in. Seeing it on his face would be redundant. He stopped walking once we reached the crossing. “I knew it,” he spat through clenched teeth. I watched the tiny vein running along his temple pulse with anger. His heartbeat was so alluring. I looked away, an unfamiliar yet comfortable grind in my stomach. “There’s nothing you could’ve done,” I said. “You can’t be

with me every second.” I admired his strength and loyalty. I knew it would take a long time for him to get over not being there. “I knew I should have gone with you.” He was looking in my direction, but I could tell his mind was someplace else, someplace where he was more than likely beating himself up. I felt so bad for him, but at the same time, a huge amount of guilt was weighing down on me. My being here was ruining his life. He couldn’t focus on anything else but me. “Did you kill it?” he asked, finally bringing his eyes to meet mine. There was sadness there, small but strong. If I hadn’t been standing there, I believe he would have been crying. “No,” I said, preparing for fireworks. “Kayla did.” Chance’s eyes grew wide, his face filled with shock. I knew exactly how he felt. I felt the same way watching her actually kill the vampire. “How the hell?” he yelled. “What was she doing there?” He was looking around wildly, like a trapped animal searching for escape, his face running red with angry heat. “It all happened so fast.” “My mom,” Chance blurted. “What did she see?” I heard frenzied panic in his voice. “Nothing,” I answered quickly, hoping to calm him down. “We told your mom we needed a bathroom break when I smelled the blood. We left her behind.” Just the thought of his mom finding out what I was terrified me. That was the last thing I needed. “Tell me exactly what happened.” Chance focused in on

me then, his face serious and determined. I took a deep breath and explained all that had happened, the words flying from my mouth so fast I barely heard them. Chance listened intensely, paying full attention to every detail. He went into another panic when I spoke of Kayla’s crimefighting friends. “Erik and Lila,” I said with sarcasm. “The stake-wielding siblings. You should have seen them, Chance. They looked like bad versions of Buffy.” I actually remembered watching that show. Apparently my mind was only good at conjuring up TV references. Only then did I realize that I was Buffy; well, except for the whole half-human hybrid thing. I almost laughed. “And that Lila has quite the attitude. She really pissed me off.” I sounded like a typical high school girl, mad that she lost cheer squad captain to her rival. If I hadn’t been so mad at the memory of Lila, I would have noticed my embarrassing demeanor. “Ava,” Chance said, taking hold of my shoulders, “can you focus on what’s important here?” I stared up at him, momentarily blinded by my hatred toward Lila. “You’ve been here a few days and three more people know what you are.” The way he said ‘what’ made my skin crawl, like I was some sort of wild animal. “At this rate, the whole town will know you’re a vampire inside of a week.” He let go of me and ran a hand through his hair, the curls once again falling back into place with natural ease. “Okay,” he continued. “We need to find Aldric.” “What?” I asked, finally able to hear what he was saying over Lila’s voice chanting in my head. “Why?” I felt a cold chill run up my back; it was fear. I was scared to death of

what would happen to Kayla—and a little scared for Erik and Lila—if Aldric found out she knew about me, about us. His life was in just as much danger as mine if word got out that vampires existed. I knew he would kill her, and I couldn’t let that happen. “He needs to know, Ava. He can protect you better than I can.” Chance’s voice was strained, like he was holding back tears. “You just came face to face with three vampire hunters. That doesn’t scare you?” Did it? I honestly didn’t know the answer to that. “I was face to face with three vampire hunters that saved my life.” I realized that I, too, was fighting back tears. “They could have killed me right then, but they didn’t. They let me go. And now you want to throw them to the wolves.” I was trying hard to keep my voice down. The streets were empty, but if someone had their windows open in their house, they would have heard everything. “I will if it helps save your life. I’m here to protect you, Ava. Not them.” “You worry too much.” I knew when I said it that it hurt. I saw it roll across his face. It took a few seconds for him to speak again. “Maybe I do,” he finally said. “But that’s for me to decide, not you.” And just like that, all the anger I had for him came rushing back. “You don’t control me, Chance, do you get that?” I snapped. It was like my words slapped him in the face. “I’m not trying to,” he snapped back. “Maybe you should try the same.” I wanted to scream at him, yell at him until I couldn’t

see straight. But once again, I kept quiet. I kept quiet all the way back to the house. He didn’t speak either, each of us furious with the other but neither of us willing to back down. Once we made it to the walk leading up to the house, I finally gave in. “So what now?” I asked, waiting anxiously for him to tell me that he hated me and never wanted to see me again. “Now,” he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling, letting the awkwardness of the moment go with it. “We go tell Aldric about the vampire hunters.” I knew by Chance’s tone that arguing with him would have made no difference. He intended on exposing Kayla and Erik and Lila to the most dangerous man I had ever known. As we climbed the steps and went inside, I couldn’t help but think that my crappy life was about to get a whole lot worse.

1 5. UNITED I tried my best to get Chance to agree to leave Kayla out of it when he told Aldric about what happened at the mall. I needed at least one person who could teach me how to take down vampires that was not an actual vampire. And after nearly an hour of convincing on my part, he agreed to only mention Erik and Lila. I felt as good as possible, considering I had probably just sentenced two people to die, and after I helped clean the kitchen—no way was I letting his mom do it every night—I crawled into bed completely exhausted.

That night, I had a dream that felt more like a memory than anything else before. Right away I knew I had had it before, many times throughout my life. I’m sitting on a park bench, wearing a gleaming white sun dress littered with tiny, hand-painted sunflowers, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my parents. The sun is bright in the sky, bathing everything in a warm yellow glow. Kids are playing catch with their parents on the lush green lawn in front of me, a group of teenage boys throwing around a football behind me. The world feels magical, alive, perfect. I can feel the excitement running through my body; giddy anticipation of seeing my parents walking hand-in-hand toward me, my mom’s long auburn hair bouncing as she walks, my dad smiling wide. But something is different this time. I’m different. I’m still wearing the same white dress, the wind catching it every so

often and twirling it around my legs. I still feel the electric energy coursing through me, the anticipation of what is about to happen almost too much to bear. Then I see them, my parents, smiling and laughing as always. I stand, just as I have in all the other dreams, but I realize that this time I’m not waiting for them to rush over and smother me in kisses and love. I’m not eager for my dad to lift me into the sky and spin me around and around as I watch clouds swirl over my head. No. This time I’m anxious for something else, something darker. In this dream, I’m waiting to kill them. I’m standing tall, much taller than the five-year-old me in all the other dreams. As tall as I would stand today. I’m not five this time. I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m sixteen and I’m myself and I’m waiting with growing but hidden impatience for the two people who abandoned me to come happily walking up the stone path so I can plunge my fangs into their veins and kill them. I can think of nothing else but watching them die. I see them topping the hill to my right. They’re holding hands again. My mom’s hair billows in the afternoon breeze. Her features are smeared, like someone ran their hand through fresh paint. My dad’s face is blank, except for the smile my mind created there so many years ago. He has no eyes, no nose, no face from my memory; only a smile I cut from someone else in my life and pasted there. They are total strangers to me, as they have always been. But this time, it doesn’t matter. I’m not crying as I watch them walk toward me like in all the other dreams. I am only thinking of what I’m about to do to them. How good it’s

going to feel to make them hurt as much as I’ve had to hurt throughout my life. I realize I’m smiling at just the thought of taking their blood from them, at leaving them as nothing more than lifeless, empty bodies. The same way they left me. Suddenly the scene changes. With a flash as fast as lightning, I’m no longer standing in the park waiting to kill my parents. Now I’m standing in an open field, with nothing around me but trees, thick with leaves and swaying heavily in the forceful winds circling me. I see the snow piling up on the ground as it blasts from the gray sky above, but I feel no cold. I feel only heat, intense and full of anger, running through every cell in my body. Anger toward the two people who were supposed to love me but didn’t, my parents. I begin to search the clearing, my eyes breaking through the wall of falling snow, trying desperately to see my mom and dad. I still have the uncontrollable urge to kill them, just like in the park. But someone is there to stop me. I can’t see them, but I know they are right behind me, eagerly waiting to keep me from killing, to keep me from ending my parents’ lives. The anger in me grows stronger, now including this person, this invader. My mind quickly alters its plan. Now I will kill three people today. Just like in the park, I finally see my parents walking toward me, their hands still locked tightly together. I move to take a step when large, familiar hands clutch my shoulders, the electricity from the touch mixing with the current already enveloping me. I don’t need to see his face to know who he is.

“Why are you here?” I ask him, not taking my eyes off the young, happy couple battling the blizzard to get to me. “I’m here to stop you,” I hear Chance say from behind me. His voice is just as intoxicating as always, and I can’t stop my body from relaxing upon hearing it. “I have to do this,” I say, trying to force my legs to keep moving forward. I feel my fangs break through my gums, the venom flowing to their pointy tips, ready to release. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Ava. You have the power to end this.” I want to turn and look at his face, to see those beautiful eyes full of warmth, but I can’t. I can’t allow myself to be distracted by his beauty. I have to focus on what I came to do. “I have to make them pay for what they did to me. It’s the only way I can survive my life.” Even though the anger in me is still very strong and very present, and I want so desperately to end those who gave me life, I can’t help but cry at the pain of my abandonment. It always lives just below my skin. I can always feel it there, clawing away at me, each day taking a tiny piece of me and destroying it. Giving that pain to my parents is my only hope. “It’s not the only way, Ava, and you know that now.” Chance’s hands fall from my shoulders, leaving me missing his touch. Powerless to stop them, my feet spin my body and suddenly I’m facing him, that beautiful, chivalrous guy who saved my life. That’s when I realize that he’s right. I do know that destroying my parents is not the only way to save myself. But the urge is too strong for me to resist. Chance is smiling at me, his teeth gleaming even in the snowstorm. “You know what can save you now, don’t you?” he asks,

reaching out for my hand. I smile back at him, knowing exactly what I have to do. I take Chance’s hand, letting him pull me to his body. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tighter than anyone ever has, the heat between us melting the snow falling above us before it ever touches down. I put my hands around Chance’s neck, pulling his face to meet mine. He is still smiling wide at me, and I can’t help but feel immense gratitude and loyalty toward him. I want to tell him I love him, but I can’t. I don’t know if I ever will. “I know you can’t say it, Ava.” It’s as if he read my mind. I look into his eyes and the secret to ridding myself of the pain of my childhood is lurking there, just waiting for me to take hold and pull it free. Knowing what has to happen for me to do that, I lay Chance’s head down on my shoulder; and just as he whispers “I love you, Ava,” his breath hot and perfectly enticing in my ear, I feel the tips of my fangs break into the skin of his neck.

My mind destroyed the dream when my eyes flew open. I was lying in bed, my body drenched in sweat. I quickly got rid of the blanket on top of me, the coolness of the air chilling my heated skin instantly, the sweat cold and soothing. My mind immediately began racing.

Had it not been a dream? Had I killed him for real? Panic set in and I sprang from the bed and threw open the door to Chance’s room, terrified of what I would find. Right away I could hear the water running and Chance’s

voice trying to carry a tune. He was in the shower. I let the air out of my lungs and walked down the hall, careful of the hardwood floors that were prone to squeaking whenever I walked on them. “You almost done?” I asked through the bathroom door. My voice was incredibly shaky, and I had to concentrate on not sounding scared to death—which I was. The hum of rushing water abruptly stopped. “One minute,” I heard Chance yell back, and after a few seconds, the bathroom door swung open, a plume of hot steam hitting me in the face. “All yours,” he said with a smile, nothing but a towel covering the lower half of his body. The upper part—the part I couldn’t stop staring at any time it was exposed—was glistening with thousands of tiny water droplets, reflecting the overhead light like crystal. His dripping hair clung to his face in large, thick curls, only adding to his mesmerizing scent. I felt my face blush as he stepped around me and into the hall. “Thanks,” I said, and as he turned to walk to his room to get dressed, I stole a quick glance at his neck, smiling with deep relief that it was wound-free. I took a super-quick shower and threw on some clothes as fast as I could, still unnerved by that awful dream. I had no recollection of it before last night, but now it felt as if I had been having those thoughts my entire life. I couldn’t actually remember them, but the feeling of a memory was there. I tried to shake it off as I headed downstairs. Chance was seated at the kitchen counter, a half-eaten bowl of cereal beneath him. The same awkward tension between us yesterday eased its way back in once I saw him. I was

still mad at him—a little at least—and I knew he felt the same toward me. I fake-smiled and fixed myself a bowl of cereal, opting to sit at the table across the room from him. I noticed as I passed the counter that his mom had left a note. A quick glance with my all-new super vision told me Ms. Caldon had been called in to work, and for the two of us to have a fun day. Yeah, like that was possible. I sat at the table and was nearly finished eating before Chance finally spoke. “We need to go see Aldric,” he said firmly as he placed his used dishes in the sink. He turned and leaned against the counter, staring hard at me as I finished my breakfast. I knew it was coming. Talking to Aldric had probably been on his mind all night. And yes, if I was being totally honest, I somewhat agreed that filling Aldric in was the right thing to do. I just hated the idea. The thought of something horrible happening to Erik and Lila because of me—though I didn’t fill a s bad for Lila—made my stomach wrench. I didn’t argue, quietly adding my bowl and spoon to his in the sink and following him outside. Once we were in the car and on the way to Aldric’s, I tried one last time to change his mind. “I think you’re making a mistake telling him,” I blurted out, trying to fill my voice with confidence. I wanted Chance to believe me, even though I didn’t fully believe myself. I couldn’t be positive Aldric would kill Erik and Lila, or that he wouldn’t. I just felt that somewhere down the line, I would need them. Keeping their existence a secret seemed like the best idea. Chance didn’t agree. “I already said I’d leave Kayla’s name out of it,” he snapped back. “Don’t push it.”

“I’m not pushing anything. I’m trying to keep two people from being killed.” I was sulking on my side of the truck cab, mad that Chance was being so obnoxious. “I know you don’t care about that, but I do.” I watched as he fought to control his anger, gripping the steering wheel and grinding his teeth. “I don’t care? How can you say I don’t care? Look what I did to save you?” “That was different. These people are innocent.” “And you’re not?” he asked, anger lacing his words. I tried to answer him, but I couldn’t. In my mind, I wasn’t. I was a vampire. So I didn’t feel very innocent. I opened my mouth to protest Chance’s faith in me, but he had already moved on. “They’re murderers, Ava. They spend their days looking for vampires to kill. You’re a vampire. See my problem?” I knew Chance was worried about me—he did too much worrying about me—but I couldn’t let him be the cause of two people dying, no matter what extracurricular activities they took part in. “I understand, Chance, I do. But who’s to say they would ever hurt me?” My mind immediately went to Lila’s threat against me, and the fact that they were vampire hunters; killing me would come naturally to them. But something in the back of my mind was telling me that these two—well, three if you count Kayla—were different. I couldn’t explain it, but I somehow felt safe around them. “And you’ve killed vampires yourself.” “One vampire. I’ve killed one. And that was to save you.” “Either way, you’re no different.”

“I don’t go around hunting them. I’m completely different.” He was right. I knew that. “What if you’re wrong? What if they’re okay? They might be able to help us.” “I can’t take that chance, Ava. If I can stop something bad from happening to you, I’m gonna do it. Whether it makes you mad or not.” His voice was still so full of anger, though his face somewhat relaxed. “I wish you could understand that. I’m here to help you. If that means risking the life of someone who might try to kill you one day, then that’s what I have to do.” I really didn’t know what to say to that. Chance was right. I barely knew Erik and Lila. And Kayla, for that matter. Who was to say that they wouldn’t try to kill me? I didn’t think it was possible, not really, but I could see how Chance would. I really hated him being involved in all of this. I hated the fact that I was the reason he had to make life-and-death decisions at only seventeen. It wasn’t fair to him. I wanted desperately to understand the position he was in, but I just couldn’t let him have the blood of innocent people—of humans—on his hands. I had to do something to stop him from telling Aldric. My mind was spinning out of control as we pulled up to Aldric’s house. Before we got out of Chance’s truck, an idea struck me. I knew it was a bad one, one that would probably hurt him in the long run, but I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of my mouth. “If you really wanted to help me,” I said, looking over at him, “you wouldn’t do this.” I hated making such a statement knowing what damage it would cause, but I had no other choice. And I could tell by the pained look on his face as we

walked up to Aldric’s house that Chance’s heart had just been stabbed by my words.

1 6. LIFE REVISITED Aldric’s house was not what I expected for a vampire. I thought I would see a castle or some other dark, foreboding structure with cobweb-covered eaves, peeling paint, and maybe a moat. What I saw was a house like millions of others, plain and ordinary, with what looked like a fresh coat of paint and a perfectly landscaped lawn coated in freshly fallen snow. The tan and white-trimmed facade blended in with other houses on the street; no one would ever know it belonged to a lethal killer. I guessed that was what Aldric had been thinking when he chose it. The modest house did sit back far from the road, though, buried behind several trees and thick brush. The rustic seclusion would make it easily overlooked by the common passer-by. Chance walked a few feet in front of me as we approached. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked as though his shoulders weren’t standing wide and broad like they normally were. They were sort of slumped and drawn, like he had been scolded. He looked defeated. I hated what I said to him, knowing that all he wanted was to help me. But I had no choice. I only hoped I got through to him. I felt tiny nerves prickling my skin as he knocked on Aldric’s door. I hated the anxiety I felt whenever I was around Aldric, like he had some sort of hidden power over me. I figured it must have something to do with him being my Creator, which totally freaked me out. Even though I wanted nothing to do with him, I found myself drawn to him constantly, and that freaked me out, too. “Come in,” Aldric said in his usual somber tone once he

opened the door. “I’ve been expecting you.” I was curious as to why he thought we would drop by, but then I remembered that I had agreed to a more extensive training session sometime over the weekend, so naturally he would have been looking for us. The inside of his house was night and day different from the outside. It was much closer to what I imagined a vampire’s house would look like; thick, heavy drapes of blood-red velvet hanging over every window and doorway, making me feel like I was standing inside a heart. The walls were such a dark gray they looked black, and the floors were a rich cherry hardwood. I felt like I had just walked onto the set of some Gothic horror movie. “I wanted the outside appearance to appease the neighbors,” Aldric offered, watching me stare around the room. “But I simply had to make the inside feel like home.” His face held a wide smile, but something dark sat behind his eyes. I knew he was hiding something, him and Chance both. I wanted to call him on it, but after the way things had gone when I confronted Chance, I thought it best to wait on that. “It’s, well, different,” I said, trying to sound polite, though I didn’t really want to be. “Only to you,” he answered. “I’ve decorated it to look like the last place I called home. A sixteenth century castle in Ireland. Of all the places I’ve lived, that one was by far my favorite.” Aldric offering even the tiniest bit of his past was surprising to me. He didn’t strike me as the type who even thought about such things. “Can I get you something to drink?” His being nice was creeping me out.

“I just want to get started.” I hoped he would pick up on my urgency. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to leave his house. I wasn’t really in the mood to train, but if it would keep Chance from telling Aldric about the hunters, then I was willing to do it. “Of course.” Aldric’s pleasantries dissipated, and he was once again his usual cold, brooding self. “Shall we?” He looked at me as he gestured to a velvet curtain hanging on the wall to his left. I glanced over at Chance before I moved. His face was practically screaming ‘what the hell,’ and I tried to reassure him that he would get his chance to tell Aldric what he wanted—which wasn’t an easy thing to do only using hand signals. He couldn’t even look me in the face, his head lowered and his eyes focused on his shifting feet below, and I felt a sudden surge of guilt course through me. I was mad at him for trying to protect me, and now I was looking to him when something didn’t feel right. The term ‘hypocrite’ came to mind as I reluctantly followed Aldric through the curtain, with Chance once again lagging behind. The curtain hid a very dark, very creepy staircase leading down to what I imagined was a basement. The walls felt cold to the touch, made of rough stone and raw cement. Not what I imagined a typical New England basement to be, but I was becoming a pro at misjudging things lately. I watched as Aldric gracefully took each step, impressive due to the lack of lighting. Though my eyesight was markedly improved from before I became a vampire, his was obviously better. Had I tried to mimic him, I would have ended up tumbling the rest of the way down. Instead, I

carefully planted both feet firmly on each step before moving to the next. I knew that being a vampire made me strong—and immortal—but I had no clue how well my new body could handle a bunch of broken bones. Aldric was waiting patiently once I finally reached the bottom landing. “Let’s begin,” he said, walking further into the basement. The room itself was adorned with burning candles scattered haphazardly along the walls, which were made of the same rough stone as the one flanking the stairs. I could only imagine that the castle he had lived in looked exactly like this room. The flickering glow of candlelight made the walls appear as if they were moving, alive, almost breathing. The effect definitely upped the creepy factor. I tried to force the uneasiness to the back of my mind and focus solely on learning what Aldric had to teach me. I felt good about my ability to sense when a vampire was close. It wasn’t perfect, but I could at least protect myself and the people around me. So I was more than ready to learn something new. I wasn’t ready, however, for Aldric’s roundhouse kick to my chest. His speed was so fast, catching me off guard. My body went flying across the room, crashing hard into an antique piece of furniture shoved against the far wall. It splintered into a million pieces that flew around the room. I crumpled to the floor, intense pain filling my chest. I didn’t black out, but I couldn’t really see, either. Bolts of electricity were surging up my body into my head, making opening my eyes nearly impossible. I could hear shouting and scuffling around the room, mostly Chance telling Aldric he was going to kill him. I knew by the garbled sounds of scurrying

footsteps that he was charging at Aldric, and I knew that it would end badly. I fought hard to open my eyes and get up, the pain excruciating. I felt I would pass out at any moment. I used my hands to push my body upright, leaning back against the wall. A sea of black dotted with bursts of color filled my vision, making me nauseous and lightheaded. I used all my strength to open my eyes, the swirling colors slowly fading, leaving me with a hazy view of the room before me. I saw Chance standing inches from Aldric, the two of them looking more like warriors ready for battle than a vampire and his helper. Rage was clearly fueling Chance’s actions, squirming across his face like blood. And speaking of blood, the scent of his was massive. It instantly flooded my mind, pouring over my senses and clouding my thoughts. I fought harder than ever to ignore it, to push it away so I could focus on him. I could tell by the rapid rise and fall of his chest that he was mad, madder than I had ever seen him. I knew what he wanted to do, and I couldn’t let him try and tragically fail. “Chance, no,” I coughed out, willing my legs to work and hold up my body. I was grateful for the rough stone behind me; I would’ve fallen without it to lean against. My vision was still blurry, but I could see that Chance was ignoring me. That, or he didn’t hear me at all. “Chance!” I yelled, my voice coming out warbled. It was effective enough, though. He broke his gaze with Aldric and looked over at me. The rage and anger on his face was prominent, but I also saw immense concern. He sprinted over to me, his hands falling onto my shoulders awkwardly,

his eyes intense. “Are you okay?” he asked with a shaky voice. His hands began busily searching my body for cuts or broken bones. It hurt like hell when he began moving them across my neck and shoulders, but I was too out of it to complain. “Fine,” I muttered, the nausea and dizziness subsiding a bit. Thankfully, Chance stopped patting me down. “Just got the wind knocked out of me, that’s all.” I wasn’t sure if it was a lie or the truth, but I knew I wasn’t in serious danger. I couldn’t be, I was a vampire. I didn’t yet know much about my new life, but I was pretty sure it would take more than a kick to the chest to kill me, even if that kick came from someone like Aldric. “He’s a dead man,” Chance whispered, his breath hot on my face. “I promise.” And I knew he meant it. Maybe not soon, but one day he would die trying to end Aldric’s life. “It had to be done,” Aldric chimed in, still standing firmly in place across the room. “Catching you off-guard is the first lesson in defense. Once you can anticipate your enemy’s move, you can counteract with one of your own.” I heard what he was saying, and it even made a little sense. But in my current state of pain and confusion, his reasons meant jack. I was pissed, and I wanted him to know it. “Let me go,” I told Chance, pulling my body away from the wall. “He’s right. I have to do this.” I didn’t agree with Aldric’s method—and I fully intended to show him just how much I didn’t agree—but I had to move forward with my training, and apparently defense was going to come before offense, whether I wanted it to or not. Surprisingly, Chance backed away, confident that I wasn’t hurt. The daggers he

was shooting at Aldric with his eyes showed he wasn’t happy about it. Once I didn’t have the stone wall behind me, I realized how hard standing actually was. My legs felt like jell-o, shaking uncontrollably. I had to actually lock my knees to keep from falling over. I took in a deep breath, my lungs expanding, pressing the muscles in my chest against my ribs. The pain was fierce, but I was determined to stay standing and not let it defeat me. I fought my way through it, wincing at the fire circling inside my body. I was a vampire now. I needed to learn to deal with something as simple as a kick to the chest. I half walked, half stumbled over to where Aldric was waiting, careful not to lose my footing on any of the broken pieces of wood scattered across the floor. “Shall we continue?” Aldric asked once I came to a shaky stop in front of him. I could tell by his tone that he meant it as more of a statement than a question. “Yes,” I said, standing tall and putting as much confidence into the tiny word as possible. A wicked smile crossed Aldric’s face, and I was sure that he enjoyed hurting me. I planned on enjoying hurting him, too. The rest of my training session—over four hours—was spent dodging punches and kicks and super-fast charges from Aldric. I managed to get several good kicks and hits in myself, while simultaneously keeping an eye on Chance to make sure he didn’t step in with a wooden stake to drive into Aldric’s chest. After it was over, my body felt like it had been thrown in front of a train and dragged fifty miles. I was actually sweating, something I hardly ever did, and something I had hoped wouldn’t be possible seeing that I

was a vampire. Aldric explained that since I’m half human, my body would still experience things the way a human would. I would still sweat and cry and blush…all the things he no longer had to deal with. Hearing that only made me want to fight him again, but I was so tired I could barely climb the basement stairs. I agreed to another round tomorrow—more lessons on defending myself—and Chance and I left. It was only when we were a few miles from Aldric’s house that Chance finally spoke. “I hated watching that,” he said through gritted teeth. “I hated doing it,” I answered back, surprised at my quick wit given my current state. My body felt every bump in the road as we headed back into town. “But I know what you mean.” And I did. I knew that it must have taken a great deal of control for Chance to stand by and watch me get attacked by a vampire. After all, he was there to protect me, as he kept repeating. Even though I would be fine, I definitely didn’t look it. Aldric managed to avoid leaving any lasting marks on my face, for which I was grateful. My body healed much faster than a full-fledged human’s, but still not as fast as it would were I not a hybrid. So I was glad I wasn’t going to have to worry about explaining bruises to anyone. “And thanks for not telling him about Erik or Lila,” I added, realizing that Chance had kept their identities to himself. “And Kayla, too.” She was the one I was most concerned with, so I was glad she was safe, at least for now. “Only reason I didn’t is because I was too busy watching out for you. But I plan on telling him, Ava. I have to.” “I know,” I said while exhaling. Even something as simple

as breathing took a bit of extra effort, the muscles pushing against my lungs aching in response. “I’m just glad it wasn’t today. I need a little time to feel them out, see if they’re a danger to me. Can you give me that, at least?” I was looking across the cab at him, praying he would understand what I was asking. I didn’t like the idea of simply turning them over to Aldric without first finding out if they were okay. It was unfair. “I can’t do that. I’m sorry.” Chance’s response surprised me. Up until now, he had always been concerned with what I wanted, so for him to say no was kind of a shock. “Why not?” I asked, anger lacing my words. “Because those two have one thing on their minds, and that’s killing vampires. Regardless of how nice you think they are, or how comfortable they seem to be when you’re around, you need to remember that. They’re killers, Ava, no matter what.” “So is Aldric,” I snapped back, hoping to make him mad. “And you let me be around him as much as I want.” I had unconsciously crossed my arms over my chest, making me look like a pouting child—which is kind of what I was at that moment. I was mad that Chance couldn’t see things from my side, and that he didn’t really want to. “You’re right,” he said, “and it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to kill him right now.” I heard the anger in Chance’s voice, and though I knew he would be killed in less than a second if he tried to even hurt Aldric, I kept my thoughts to myself. I didn’t want to upset him any further. But I also wanted some answers. I tried once again to dig more truth out of him.

“So tell me,” I said, nervous. “What does he have over you?” Chance looked at me confused. “What do you mean?” “Well, you never told me why you’re helping him. I figure he must have some sort of hold over you.” “It’s complicated,” he finally answered, his eyes focused on the road. “Try me,” I gave back, my voice heavy with worry. “He doesn’t have anything on me.” He paused, like he was searching for the right words. “I just wanted to help you, that’s all.” “You said you saw him? The night he found me?” Chance nodded. “Why did you step into the middle of it? Why not just leave us alone?” “I couldn’t do that.” There was something odd about the way he spoke. His words were filled with conviction. “And besides,” he went on, “he saw me watching. So, it was either help him with what he was doing, or end up dead.” He finally looked over at me. “I chose to help. And I’m glad I did.” He smiled, the green of his eyes lighting up his face. “Good to know you’re not some weirdo who just likes digging up dead people.” I was glad he semi-laughed at my lousy joke. “No, I’m not that weird, Ava. But I am worried about you. About you being around Aldric all the time.” I heard the concern weighing down his words. “You worry too much.” I had said it to him before, but it needed repeating. Chance’s constant worrying about me was overwhelming sometimes. I had the whole ‘kill a hundred vampires to save my soul’ thing to focus on;

adding in Chance’s extremely overprotective nature around me was beginning to wear me down. I couldn’t concentrate on what I had to do and worry about him getting hurt or killed at the same time. But how was I supposed to tell him that without hurting him in the process? “I can’t stop worrying about you, Ava. It’s what I do.” “I know. But I’m telling you that you don’t have to worry so much. You’re focusing your entire life on me. Aren’t there other things you’d rather be doing?” He pulled the steering wheel so hard and fast I thought we were going to crash. We veered off the side of the road and came to a stop on the dirt shoulder, a whirling cloud of red and brown dust spinning around us. I loosened my grip on the dashboard and glared at Chance. “What the hell are you doing, trying to kill us?” I yelled at him, not caring about upsetting him. “Don’t ever say that, understand?” He had turned sideways in the cab-length seat, his large, welcoming eyes burning holes into me. “Don’t for a second think that I’d rather be somewhere other than here. You are so much more important than anything else I could be doing.” “Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry I made you mad.” I felt uncomfortable with his high praise—and totally confused by the sudden outpouring of support and concern. Chance turned back in his seat, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. I took the opportunity to pry for more answers. “What’s going on with you? What was that?” He slowly looked over at me. “Nothing. Sorry.” He put the truck in drive and pulled back onto the road, and as I focused on the hypnotic white line speeding beneath us, I

couldn’t help but think that what he had just said was definitely not nothing.

1 7. MOVING FORWARD The next week of my life went by quickly and drama free. I couldn’t have been happier when Friday rolled around and I hadn’t seen or smelled a single vampire, and Erik and Lila were seemingly MIA. Except for the constant thrum of bloodlust that I worked very hard to contain, my life seemed normal. Chance and I were getting along—which surprised me considering the super-weird conversation we had had after my defense training at Aldric’s—and Lacey had pretty much lost interest in making me miserable. Only twice during the entire week did she snub me while walking down the hall at school, and she didn’t invoke another confrontation during gym class. A huge accomplishment in my book. The only thing I felt uneasy about was Kayla. She had avoided me like the plague all week, and I wasn’t really sure why. Maybe she was scared of being around me now that I knew she was secretly a vampire hunter—you know, me being a vampire and all. Or maybe she felt bad for the way Lila had treated me since she was the catalyst that brought us together. I didn’t have a clue, but I intended to find out. So when I saw her crossing campus before gym class, I told Chance to go ahead and I bounded across the crowded lawn after her. “Kayla!” I yelled, trying to catch her before she went inside the gym. Even though a light snow had been falling pretty much all day, coating school campus in slushy white, I figured talking outside would give us the most privacy. At least that way, we would see if someone was trying to

eavesdrop on our conversation. She glanced over her shoulder, caught sight of me, and then actually walked faster away from me. What was she doing? I paused briefly before practically running to catch up to her. I grabbed her shoulder once I did. “Hey, wait,” I said, pulling her tiny frame to a stop. I didn’t even have to use my super vampire strength; she probably weighed ninety pounds soaking wet. “Didn’t you see me?” I knew she had, but I didn’t want to put her on the spot by confronting her. “Sorry,” she said. “Just preoccupied.” That I didn’t doubt, what with trying to be a teenage vampire killer and all. I kind of knew a little about the stress of leading a double life. She kept walking toward the gym, though at a much slower pace. I quickly stepped in beside her. “Can I talk to you?” I asked, trying to show that all was well. Although at first I didn’t want her around, now I kind of liked the idea of having a close friend—especially one who could kick vampire butt. She stopped walking and turned to face me, and I could see she was visibly upset. “I’m so sorry,” she said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, rubbing her shoulder. I didn’t want her to feel embarrassed by the throngs of kids headed our way, so I took her by the arm and led her around the back of the gym. She didn’t protest, probably grateful for a bit of privacy. “I should have told you about me and Erik and Lila. I should have told you!” She started crying then, tears flowing fast from her eyes. She held her books tightly against her

chest, her body shaking as she sobbed. “Don’t worry about that, Kayla.” Instinctively, I pulled her into a hug. Seeing as how I wasn’t the hugging type, it surprised both of us. I let her go after only a few seconds, pulling away from her awkwardly. “You did what you thought was right. That’s all any of us can do.” “But I lied,” she cried, trying to hold back more tears. “You and Chance have been so nice to me and I was lying from day one. I’m so embarrassed of myself I can’t even look at you.” She lowered her eyes as she spoke, adding dramatic effect to her words. I felt so bad for her. I wanted her to forget about it, to understand that it really didn’t matter, but somehow I didn’t think she understood. “Well why don’t you make it up to me?” I said, trying to sound upbeat. My reverse psychology seemed to do the trick. Kayla was smiling when she spoke again. “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it,” she said, sniffling. “I want you to teach me to kill a vampire.” Kayla’s eyes grew wide. “Seriously?” she asked. “That’s it?” “Yeah, that’s it.” I smiled at her. “Who better to teach me than someone born to do it?” “Um, okay. Sure.” I could tell she was a bit confused by my request, probably because she thought I already knew how to do it. I didn’t want to tell her I was learning, and I especially didn’t want to tell her I was learning from a vampire. I felt it was best to keep Aldric’s existence a secret from her and her killing club—and vice versa—at least for now. “So,” I continued, walking back toward the gym. Chance

was standing by the doors, his body language screaming worry. I smiled across the way at him as Kayla and I rounded the front of the building, hoping he would see that everything was fine. “How’s tomorrow sound?” “Okay,” she answered. “My mom’s doing volunteer work at the animal shelter, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.” “Sounds good.” I was feeling pretty good about my decision, confident that having someone on the other side of the stake couldn’t hurt my training. I knew that Aldric could teach me things that no one else could—vampire things—and I was counting on the vampire hunters to do the same. “What about Erik and Lila?” I asked. “Would they be willing to help out?” I didn’t really want them to be there— well, not Lila anyway—but I had asked Chance to give me some time with them before turning them over to Aldric, so I figured having them train me would be the best way to get to know them a little. I was hoping that Chance would reconsider once he found out they would be helping me. “I don’t know,” Kayla said. “Are you sure you want them around?” “Not really,” I answered honestly, “but I didn’t want you around at first, and look how that turned out.” Kayla smiled at me as we made it to Chance, who thankfully appeared to have lightened up a bit. He was leaning against the gym wall, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. “So see if they want to help out, and we’ll go from there.” “This is awesome,” Kayla said, stepping past Chance to the gym door. “So I’ll see you tomorrow?” “I’ll be there.” We smiled at each other before Kayla

headed inside, leaving Chance and me alone. “What was that all about?” he asked after making sure no one was lurking around listening. We both seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Another pitfall of being a vampire. Chance had already changed into his gym clothes—a boring gray t-shirt and shorts that he made look good—and I was surprised he wasn’t freezing in the bitter winter air. I was also having a hard time concentrating on what he was saying instead of his exposed limbs. “She’s going to help train me,” I said, my eyes twirling between his face and legs and biceps. “And hopefully Erik and Lila, too.” Chance reacted as I thought he would. “So you didn’t think me having to worry about you being around one person that could kill you was enough, huh? You had to go add three more. Why? So I could stroke out from the stress and you’d be rid of me?” Even though he had a stern look on his face, and he probably was being genuinely honest about how he felt, I found him funny. “If I wanted you gone you would be,” I joked. After I said it, though, a bit of tension rose between us. Tension that circled around the fact that I was capable of doing what I had just said. I could kill Chance if I wanted, and on some level, I think that might have been sitting in the back of his mind all along. The thought saddened me. The last thing I wanted was for Chance to be scared of me in any way. I had no intention of hurting him or anyone else. Well, no one

alive. “I know I’m wasting my time telling you this,” I said, hoping to move us past the awkwardness of my blunder. “But don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Chance didn’t seem to believe me. I

could only imagine that in his mind, he saw my alliance with Kayla—and hopefully Erik and Lila—as a death wish. “I just think it makes sense to have someone who actually kills vampires teach me, too. I mean, Aldric’s great, but what if he doesn’t show me all I need to know?” “Why wouldn’t he?” “Because he’s a vampire. If it were you, would you show a vampire how to kill humans?” I stared intensely at him as a wintry wind whipped around us, expecting him to at least shiver or get goosebumps, but the brisk air didn’t seem to even phase him. I guessed it was his constant worrisome nature that kept his blood boiling and his body warmer— which I definitely enjoyed. I wasn’t cold, either, but for very different reasons. I was obviously attracted to him, at least physically. I just wasn’t sure where I stood on an emotional level. “That’s not the same thing, Ava. Aldric’s just as eager for you to be human again as you are.” Even though I wanted to believe that, I couldn’t—not completely. There was something eating away at me about Aldric. Something that was telling me not to trust him completely. “You can’t know that for sure, Chance. That’s all I’m trying to say. If Aldric is keeping something from me, something I need to know to survive, I want to make sure I learn it from somewhere. And where better than from real-life vampire hunters?” “Just be careful, okay? That’s all I’m trying to say. Be careful. If something was to happen to you, I—” “I’ll be fine,” I said, stepping around him to follow Kayla inside. “And besides, you’ll be there with me tomorrow, so

you can see for yourself exactly what they might be up to.” “I can’t,” Chance said, surprising me. I stopped just short of opening the gym door, worry spreading over my face. I hadn’t really thought much about it, I had just assumed that Chance would be there. “Why not?” I asked, trying not to sound disappointed. He picked up on it anyway. “I’m sorry,” he said, moving closer to me. With each step he took, I felt the tiniest jolt of fiery electricity course through me. It made me feel uncomfortable and nice at the same time. “I have to help clean up around the football field tomorrow.” Chance smiled at the confused look I was giving him. “I picked that instead of detention. I’d rather be outside doing something than stuck in a classroom on a Saturday.” “Why did you get detention?” “It was before you got here.” He stopped moving toward me and stepped back. His eyes fell to the ground and I could see he didn’t want to talk about it. “Sorry,” I said, “it’s none of my business.” “No, it’s fine. I got in a fight, big deal. Point is, I won’t be around tomorrow, so you have to be careful. Okay?” I wanted to ask him more about the fight he was in, but decided it was probably best to let it go. He didn’t really seem to be in the talking mood, and it truly was none of my business. “I’ll be careful, I promise.” I had a sudden and overpowering urge to hug him, to feel his warm, strong arms wrapping around me and squeezing me close. The desire came out of nowhere and totally caught me off guard. I fumbled a bit as I tried to open the door. “Okay,” I

said awkwardly, “go play.” He smiled that beautiful smile of his and ran off to join the jumble of muscles and testosterone out on the field. I watched him catch a football and run to the other end, cheering and high-fiving the other guys when he scored, tufts of dirt and snow tossed into the air by their horse-playing. He was enjoying being a teenager, and I immediately became worried that I would be the one to take that away from him.

1 8. ACCEPTANCE I was actually kind of nervous when I woke up the next morning, and I wasn’t exactly sure why. I knew it wasn’t Kayla; I was totally comfortable being around her now. And even though I didn’t know Erik and Lila that well, I figured that they had to be somewhat normal for Kayla to like them. And that’s when I realized that I wasn’t just nervous about being around Erik and Lila. I was nervous about being a vampire around them. Of course they knew I was a vampire from what happened at the mall, but they had never seen me as one. They hadn’t witnessed my exposed fangs, or my crazy eyes, or the fact that I could run as fast as a speeding car. What if they freaked out when they saw me like that and decided to kill me instead of train me? I tried to ignore that nagging inner voice telling me to forget about going to train and just stay in bed, focusing instead on being open to learning all I could from Kayla and her friends. I stood on the front porch of Chance’s house, watching him leave for his Saturday detention. I was still a little curious about what had happened to get him in trouble, but I let it go, hoping he would want to talk about it one day. I really wanted him to be with me the first time Erik and Lila were around. Tiny fears of what might happen kept gnawing at me like rats. I was a novice at best when it came to using my new super-strength, and I had no clue if I would win in a fight against two experienced vampire killers. I didn’t plan on anything going wrong, but lately my plans hadn’t been working out too well. But Chance couldn’t be there. I’m sure

he wanted to be, he told me as much, but he couldn’t. So I was on my own, with only the little bit of training Aldric had given me to defend myself if the need arose. As Chance backed down the driveway and Kayla pulled in, I said a prayer that I wouldn’t need any of it. “Excited?” Kayla asked with a smile and squeaky inflection in her voice as I hopped into her Volvo. Well, I’m sure it was her mom’s Volvo, but nice nonetheless. “I don’t know if excited is the word I’d use.” I tried to be as honest as possible, figuring that was the best way to handle the day. I definitely didn’t want Erik or Lila—especially Lila —to catch me in some sort of lie and lose any trust they might have for me. “Scared?” It was like she read my mind. “That obvious, huh?” I was practically sweating I was so nervous. I was busily wringing my hands, my left leg was trying to leap from the car it was shaking so fast. Kayla just gave me an ‘I understand’ look and smiled. “Try not to get too nervous,” she said as we pulled up to her house. “They’re cool.” I knew she was referring to Erik and Lila, and as far as Erik went, I was prone to agree. But for Lila, the jury was still out. “I’m taking your word for it,” I said as I reluctantly climbed from the car and followed Kayla inside. I had guessed from the tiny black compact car parked at the curb out front that Erik and Lila were already there. Noises from the kitchen and the sound of laughter confirmed it. “Hey guys,” Kayla quipped as we joined them in the kitchen. Lila was snacking on a bowl of potato chips while Erik was waist deep in the refrigerator. He pulled himself

and some lunch meat and mayo out when Kayla spoke, smiling and looking directly at me. Wanting to look happy to be there, I smiled back. Without the hype of vampire hunting and the harsh lighting of the mall corridor, Erik was actually good-looking. I mean, he wasn’t Chance, but no one was. Chance was in a league of his own when it came to hotness. But Erik definitely wasn’t far behind. His features were striking, perfectly proportioned for his face. I kept looking from him to Lila, and Erik’s good looks were copied on his sister’s face. I could tell they looked alike in the mall that day, but seeing them in clear daylight showed h o w much alike they appeared. Their personalities, however, couldn’t have been more different. Lila proved that when she caught me staring. “I have my cell phone handy if you wanna snap a picture,” she quipped. “That way you can stare at me any time you want.” She was steadily dipping chips into a small bowl of creamy dip, but she never took her eyes off my face. I could see the venom swirling behind them. “Sorry,” I said, breaking my gaze. “I was just noticing how much you and your brother look alike.” I stared at Erik, who was busy building a massive sandwich at the other end of the counter. He looked up at me and smiled. I wished his sister was as cordial. “You’ve never seen twins before?” Lila asked through a mouth-full of chips. She chewed her food the same way she spoke, fast and nasty. Tiny crumbs dropped onto her black cashmere sweater, and she quickly brushed them into the floor. “Um, I think once,” I answered. I originally said it just so I

wouldn’t look like a total moron, but my mind quickly recalled an image of a set of totally annoying twin boys, Parker and Riley Stewart. I had no clue where that memory came from, but it was there. “They were both boys, though. And they didn’t look as much alike as you two.” Lila glanced at Erik before turning back to me. “So you’re saying you’ve only seen twins once?” I nodded in agreement and she slumped back in her chair. “Wow,” she added. “Weird.” “It’s not weird,” Kayla interjected. “She just hasn’t seen as much as most people, that’s all.” She stepped next to me as she spoke, patting me on the back like I was a little kid. I was grateful for her being there, though. I couldn’t have handled the twins on my own. “No problem,” Erik said between giant bites of his sandwich. The muscles in his face and neck flexed as he chewed, causing the veins running down his neck to bulge. I felt my mouth twitch as I watched. After a few seconds, Erik must have sensed what I was looking at, because he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and set his sandwich back on its plate. “So,” he said, crossing the kitchen to stand next to Lila. “Ready?” He was looking at me and semi-smiling, but I couldn’t smile back. The edgy nerves sitting just under my skin were beginning to claw their way to the surface, and the fear of what we were about to do settled into my spine. “You okay?” I heard Kayla ask, only then realizing that I had been shivering. “Oh, yeah, I’m good.” I lied. I was so far from good it wasn’t funny. I was nervous and scared that I was going to

go all vampire during my training, and Erik or Lila or both of them would try and kill me. But, I put on a smile and stood up from the bar. “Let’s get started.” “Well this is something we’ve never done before,” Lila said, staying put in her seat and continuing to plow through the bowl of chips. “What is?” I asked. “Teaching a vampire to kill a vampire,” Erik answered as he joined his twin sister and dunked a chip into the dip. “It’s like feeding a cow hamburger meat,” Lila quipped. “It’s unnatural.” Kayla giggled, and I finally saw why they were friends. It had been puzzling me why someone as sweet as Kayla could stand someone like Lila, but now I got it. They had the same weird sense of humor in common. Well, that and the whole vampire hunter thing. “I’m not a vampire,” I snapped back, boring holes into Lila’s face with my eyes. She threw one of her smart-assed smiles my way and crossed the kitchen to grab another soda from the fridge. I felt flames of anger lick at my neck. “Ignore her,” Erik said, his voice soft and melodic. It was sweet like Chance’s, and made me flutter the same way. “And by the way,” he added, “you are a vampire. Better get used to it.” He smiled at me, too, but unlike his sister’s, his smile was genuine. The anger building in me eased a bit, replaced by jittery nerves and butterflies stirring in my stomach. Was I attracted to Erik? I mean, he was hot, no question about it. I liked his eyes, the way the sunlight made the blue sparkle. And his smile was pretty near perfect. But like him? I barely knew him. Of course, I barely knew Chance any better, and that didn’t stop me from liking him.

Well, I thought I liked him. I honestly had no clue what was going on between Chance and me. Just one more frustrating thing in my life. I tried to throw the idea of Erik and me being together out of my head and get my mind focused on training. “Okay, fine,” I said with a bit of attitude. “I’m a vampire. Whatever.” I stood up from my seat at the bar just as Lila popped the top of her soda can and took a huge gulp. “Are you guys going to teach me or what?” I kept looking from Lila to Erik to Kayla, trying to see if any of them were judging me for being a monster. “Oh we’re gonna teach you.” I could barely make out Lila’s words through her mouthful of chips. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. She washed it down with half a can of soda before adding, “One more vampire killer is a plus for our side.” I could feel a twitching in my fangs that was hard to ignore. I saw Kayla roll her eyes. “We’d be glad to have you on our side, Ava,” she said with a smile. “And I think you’ll probably learn fast. I imagine having super powers will make it easier for you.” “I don’t have superpowers, Kayla.” “What would you call it?” Erik asked as he downed nearly an entire can of soda. “You can run faster than a car, reach the top of a building in one jump, and not die. Sounds superhuman to me.” He smiled as he tossed his empty can into the trash. “That’s it Erik,” Lila chimed in. “Give her a big head, because the world doesn’t have enough vampires with huge egos.”

“Or smart-assed vampire hunters,” I added, shocked I actually said what I was thinking. Erik and Lila were surprised, too; the giant, identical bug eyes they had were very revealing. “Touché.” Lila smiled at me again, though this time not quite as condescending. I smiled back, thankful I had finally shut her up. “And I can die,” I said, regretting it immediately when I saw the wicked grin on Lila’s face. “Well there’s some good news,” she snapped. “Maybe I should just go,” I said, stepping toward the front door. “Obviously you don’t like me being here.” I was looking directly at Lila as I said it, hoping she knew I only meant her. She finished off her soda and stood up. “Calm down, princess,” she said with her trademark aggressive tone. “I was just messing with you. I’m actually looking forward to this.” She walked over to me, coming to stop inches from my face. “I’ve wanted to fight with you since we first met.” The sly little smile she held on her face made me want to knock her teeth out. I actually had to fight back the urge. “Ready when you are,” I snapped, the tips of my fangs breaking through my gums. “Enough of that, you two.” Erik stepped over and pulled Lila away from me, replacing her petite frame with his much broader one; another difference between them. At such a close range, the smell of his blood was overwhelming. I could feel the venom in my fangs swirling with anticipation. “You need to get away from me, Erik,” I said, trying my best not to let his scent invade my nostrils more than it

already had. Erik didn’t move, standing his ground and smiling at me. “I’m not worried,” he said. “You won’t hurt me.” I was amazed at his confidence. Had I been in his position, I don’t think I would have been so comfortable. “How can you be so sure?” I had to force the question out through clenched teeth. The need for blood was trying to take control of my mind, trying to force me to sink my fangs into his neck. I was struggling to keep myself from doing it right there in Kayla’s kitchen. “Because like you said, you’re not a vampire, so it’s not in you to kill an innocent person, right?” Even though his body language was calm and collected, I could tell by his tone that he was a little worried. That made two of us. “And,” he continued as Lila stepped up beside him, “if you bite me, my sister will have a stake in your heart before you taste the first drop.”

1 9. TWIN TESTED I could feel the muscles in my back twitch with nervous energy. My fangs tingled and my head was swirling. The scent of Erik’s blood, mixed with my growing anger at he and Lila and the whole situation, was fighting for control. I knew that what Erik said was possible, if not true; Lila would do her best to kill me if I touched him. She might not succeed, but she would definitely fight me to the death. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want another innocent person’s death on my conscience. I already had enough of that from the girl in the woods that I didn’t save. I couldn’t handle any more guilt. So I forced myself to calm down, and after a few seconds of a very odd stand-off with the vampire-hunting twins, I stepped away. “Wise choice,” Lila said, her voice tight in her throat. I hadn’t noticed when we were face-to-face that she had already pulled a stake from its holder on her back. I wondered if she always wore it. Probably, knowing her. She seemed like the type who went looking for a fight. I looked from the stake in her hand to her face, which was frozen in a state of anger mixed with excitement. I knew she didn’t like me—probably wanted to kill me—and obviously didn’t care about hiding it. “So,” Kayla said with mock enthusiasm, trying to diffuse the situation. “Why don’t we go out to the backyard, put our energy into something productive?” She had very bravely stepped in front of me, serving as a human shield for her friends. Her boldness surprised me, until I remembered that she was just like them. She was born a hunter and had

probably spent most of her young life fighting. “Ready when you are.” Lila pointed to the French doors behind me and smiled, though I knew it was not to be nice. I gave her the same fake smile back, thankful that my fangs had receded. Kayla’s back yard was impressive. A large swimming pool took up one half, complete with diving board and lounge area, while the rest of the snow-covered lawn was dedicated to what looked like an adult jungle gym. Several different pieces of stark metal equipment sat at various angles along the length of the yard, eagerly awaiting human consumption. As we made our way past the pool, I imagined Kayla (and maybe her dad?) putting in hours upon hours of training on each machine, perfecting her defense and offense skills. I hoped to become at least half as good as she no doubt was. “Where do we start?” I asked no one in particular, a little intimidated by the sea of equipment sprawled out before me. “Up to you,” Erik answered, stepping up to a large, black bag hanging on a hook and giving it a few quick but strong punches. The bag swayed from the movement. “Up to her?” Of course Lila didn’t agree with her brother’s strategy. I could practically hear the steam shooting from her ears. “She doesn’t have a clue what to do. Why would you let her pick?” “Because she’s the one who wants to learn, L. Why not let her decide how to start?” Erik called his sister “L.” Did she call him “E?” I kind of hoped not. Talk about ridiculous nicknames.

“I want to learn how to stake the way Kayla does.” I blurted it out before Lila had a chance to protest further. “The way you all do.” My heart was beating so fast and hard in my chest I was sure they could hear it. I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat and tried to look as confident as possible. “Staking it is.” Erik smiled at me, rolled his eyes at his overbearing sister, and pulled a stake from his back. Of course he carried them around all the time, just like Lila. She didn’t have one on now, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Kayla strapped stakes to her back when she went hunting, too. I smiled back at Erik, excited that he actually cared about what I wanted. He walked over to me, stopping a few feet away. Without speaking, he turned the stake around and held it out toward me. I reluctantly took it from him and stared at it. “It won’t bite you,” he said with a tiny laugh. I felt the too familiar rush of embarrassing heat on my face. I was sure I looked like a dork staring at a piece of wood. I brought my gaze up to Erik’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. Focus on training, Ava, not the hottie in front of you. I had to agree with my inner voice this time. “I know,” I answered back sharply. “It’s just the first time I’ve ever held one of these. Feels kind of weird.” I kept rolling the chunk of pointed wood around in my hand, fully aware that I was holding the weapon of choice in killing the undead like me. I caught Lila rolling her eyes at me in my peripheral, obviously finding me ridiculous and childlike. I hated her more every minute. “Try to stab me with it.” Erik’s statement caught me off

guard. Did he just tell me to try and kill him? No, silly, he said ‘stab,’ not kill. He spread his arms wide, exposing his torso. I could see his chest moving as he breathed, the rise and fall very hypnotic. I found myself imagining my head lying against it and falling asleep. I quickly blocked those images from my mind, totally confused as to why I was having them to begin with. “You’re kidding, right? What if I hurt you?” He laughed a little louder at that. “Don’t worry, you won’t.” I saw the confidence in his eyes and knew he was right, I wouldn’t. But, being stubborn and overly-sure of myself, I lunged forward with the point of the stake aimed at his heart, all my strength behind my move. I barely made it two feet closer to him before he suddenly sidestepped and pushed me past him, ripping the stake from my hand in the process. I fell, the rough, snow-covered gravel of the workout area jamming into my knees. I was sure there’d be a bruise there tomorrow, but I was too mad to worry about it at the moment. I quickly stood back up, brushing some loose snow from my jeans, and turned to face Erik. He was smiling and very sure of himself. “See, told ya.” Lila and Kayla stood a few yards behind him, both of them smiling wide. I felt like the village idiot, and I didn’t like it. “I didn’t ask to be made a fool of,” I snapped, wanting to run inside to get away from the embarrassment. Instead, I snatched the stake from Erik and got into attack position again. “Now show me how to not let that happen again.” Judging by Erik’s sudden shift in attitude, he understood from my overheated expression that I meant business. I

wanted to be trained, not ridiculed. He quickly stepped into position in front of me and took a deep, calming breath. “Okay. First, you need to relax. You can’t let your emotions control you. They’ll get you killed, every time.” Erik’s voice was stern yet comforting. I could tell he was being honest with me, that he really wanted to help. “You have to feel what you’re about to do, instead of just seeing it. Try to let your mind show you what to do, not your eyes. Got it?” “I’ll try.” I kind of understood what he was saying, but I was also super nervous and afraid of screwing up, so I couldn’t clear my mind and focus the way I wanted. I gripped the stake tightly and lunged forward just like before. And, just like before, Erik maneuvered around me and I completely missed him. I did manage to stay on my feet, grateful that I didn’t totally embarrass myself a second time. “That was better,” he said. I tried to brush off my second miss and not let it bother me. I refocused and moved back in front of him. “Just keep focused. You’ll get there.” Even though it sounded good, I had trouble believing it. But I wasn’t ready to give up, so I kept trying. For the next few hours, Kayla, Erik and Lila used everything they could think of to train me: stakes, metal rods Kayla fished from the tool shed, even the pool—Lila “graciously” showed me how to control my jumping, using the icy water as a deterrent to falling. I was completely exhausted when Kayla finally decided we were done for the day and Erik and Lila left. I was tired, but my body felt like it could have gone on forever—obviously the vampire in me gave me super stamina. My human side, though, was ready

for a hot shower and sleep. We drove to Chance’s house in near silence, Kayla focused on driving and me nodding in and out of a muchneeded nap. I waved goodbye to her as she left and went inside, heading straight for the bathroom and the relaxation the hot blast of the shower would surely bring. I took my time showering, glad that the house was empty and I could relax in quiet. Not that Chance and his mom were noisemakers, but total silence was a welcome change. I waited until the water was almost cold before leaving the shower, trying to enjoy the warmth as long as possible. As I was getting dressed, a strange noise pierced my ears and my vampire senses shifted to high alert. Someone was in the house with me. I slowly left the bathroom, careful not to let the door squeak as I crept into the hall. I could tell right away that whoever was there wasn’t a vampire; the blood smell hitting my nose wasn’t rancid. It was strong and sweet, and after only a few steps down the hallway, the familiarity of it hit me. It was Chance. “I’m so glad to see you,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. Chance was putting the finishing touches on a sandwich that looked really good. “Got enough to share?” He smiled and took half the sandwich from the plate, sliding the other half over to me. I quickly took a large bite, the honey-flavored ham making my stomach growl even more. I hadn’t even realized I was hungry until I finished the sandwich in four bites. “Wow,” Chance said, still eating his half. “Hungry much?” I laughed and washed down my tiny meal with a glass of

water. “I guess so. And I always thought vampires didn’t need food.” I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I saw Chance’s expression change. His eyes grew dark and his smile faded. “Chance, I’m sorry, I—” “It’s okay. I need to get use to it.” “No, you don’t. No one should have to get use to being around vampires. It’s not natural.” I slowly stood up and walked to the other side of the kitchen. “I’m not natural. I’m a freak monster.” “Hey,” Chance said, “don’t say that. You are not a freak or a monster.” His face was soft again, his voice soothing. “Vampire or not, you’re you.” Even though he smiled when he spoke, I could tell that he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. He obviously still had a problem with me being a vampire. I did too, so I understood. “Okay.” I smiled back, though only half-heartedly. I didn’t think of myself as not a monster; not completely, anyway. I just wanted to get my humanity back so I would feel normal again. A moment of awkward silence lingered in the air before Chance cleared his throat to speak. “So, I know you heard there’s a dance at school three weeks from Friday. The Valentine’s dance? And I was just wondering, well, you know, if you maybe would want to go with me?” Talk about being caught completely off guard. I had gotten used to smelling vampires, having vampire-hunting people around, and even training with a thousand-year-old vampire. But this? Total surprise. “Um…” I honestly didn’t know what to say. I was so

shocked. I mean, sure, there was definitely something going on between Chance and me—sometimes. Other times, I wanted to strangle him he was so aggravating. But I had no idea that he wanted to move things to the next level, whatever level that would be. “Just as friends,” he threw at me. And then I understood. He felt sorry for me. “Out of pity?” Again, the words flew from my mouth before I had a chance to edit them. “No, not out of pity.” And I believed him. It was a knee-jerk reaction to assume he felt sorry for me. Chance paused a moment, the two of us staring at each other. I could feel that something floating between us, like it wanted both of us to reach out and take hold of it and carry it with us. But neither of us wanted to. I wasn’t ready for that, and I honestly didn’t think he was, either. “I think it’ll be fun,” he went on. “But if you don’t want to, it’s cool.” He actually tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal, and I couldn’t stop the laughter. “Laughing? That’s your answer, laughing?” “I’m sorry,” I said, forcing myself to stop. “Um, yes, I’ll go with you.” A tiny smirk crossed his face before those stoic features returned. “Who knows, maybe it will be fun. I could use some of that.” “Me too,” he answered with a half smile. I couldn’t remember ever going to a school dance—gee surprise— so the idea of it both excited and scared me. “So it’s a date?” As soon as he said it I felt my body tense. I could tell his did the same. “Sorry,” he blurted, blushing and moving away from me. “It’s okay,” I stammered, not really sure what to say. Was

it a date? Were we a couple now? Chance had said we were going just as friends, but was that really true? Did he want more than just to be my friend? I dug my fingers into my temples to ease the sudden headache brought on by the bombardment of questions. “You alright?” Chance asked, now standing just outside the kitchen by the front entryway. “I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little headache. I stopped rubbing my head and did my best at trying to look happy. “So a dance,” I added. “Are those fun?” “They can be, if you go with the right person.” He smiled and turned to go upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I quickly washed the dishes and wiped down the counters with a genuine smile on my face, the first time since waking up in that coffin. It took a moment before I realized why I was suddenly so happy. I was silently hoping I was the right person he had in mind.

2 0. FEEDING For the next couple of weeks, I had a hard time focusing on my training. After Chance basically asked me out (okay, technically just as friends) I could barely think of anything else. I worked as hard as I could to learn what Kayla, Erik and Lila had tried to teach me—while pulling double duty training with Aldric—but I didn’t think very much of it was staying with me. Thoughts of stake-handling and longdistance running were sharing space in my mind with thoughts of Chance and me having a great time at the dance. The latter of the two was definitely winning the race. When the week before the Valentine’s dance arrived, I was a basket case. I couldn’t focus on anything. My training was going horribly wrong, and I somehow managed to make both my vampire teacher and my vampire hunting teachers mad—something I’m sure no one else could ever say. Aldric had been respectful enough to not be mean, though he wouldn’t give me time off to get prepared for the dance. Erik and Lila, on the other hand, weren’t as laid back. Well, Erik was, but Lila was really ticked off, and told me after our training lesson on Sunday afternoon that she wouldn’t be back until I grew up. I had gotten mad and told her to shove it, though I totally deserved it. Erik said she would calm down after a couple of days, and that they would see me next week. I was grateful that with such an important night only days away, I only had to deal with Aldric’s training, which I was surprisingly beginning to enjoy. And that scared me. All this time I had been railing against my vampire side, and now, suddenly, I was starting to

embrace it. What did that say about me? Honestly, I was too scared to find out. I had butterflies in my stomach when Chance pulled us into the school parking lot, scared of what would happen when I saw Kayla. She hadn’t really said much yesterday after our workout, other than she would see me at school, but I could tell by her tone that she was upset. So I was nervous that I may have ruined a truly important and great friendship. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see her until gym class, so I had to spend the day with my stomach tied in knots—something else I probably deserved. I made a beeline for the girls’ locker room once inside the gym, my nose telling me that Kayla was already in there. I was so glad that I had just about perfected my sense of smell. I noticed Lacey pow-wowing with a group of look-alike girls at the far end of the bleachers—where she and I had had our first run-in—and decided to be the bigger person and give her a wave and a smile. She politely responded with a go-to-hell glare and pursed lips. I felt a tiny twitch in my gums that I quickly made go away. I had managed to get a somewhat decent grip on that during my month-long training, too. “Kayla?” I whispered into the locker room, not wanting to call attention to myself if other girls were around. “You in here?” “Back here.” I heard her tiny voice from around the corner and snuck to the back of the room. I found her sitting on a small wooden bench. She had, already changed into our garish gym clothes and busily tying her sneakers. “What’s up?” Her friendly tone surprised me. I had half-expected her

to be bitchy toward me, but was so thankful she wasn’t. “Not much. Just wanted to talk.” “What’s wrong?” She stood up and took a very quick look around the room, her lifetime of being on alert for danger obviously taking over. “Nothing like that,” I said, waving off her paranoia with a flip of my hand and a smile. “No activity for awhile now.” A look of relief passed over Kayla’s face. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” “I’m fine,” she said, tossing her gym bag into a locker behind her. “Good.” I hesitated before adding, “Are we okay?” Kayla turned around and stared at me like a deer caught in headlights. “Why wouldn’t we be?” she asked. “Well, I thought you might have been mad about the way I’ve been acting the past couple of weeks. I haven’t been the greatest friend.” I knew that Kayla’s dad’s birthday had fallen within the past few days, and I hadn’t even said anything to her. She had been obviously upset over the fact that her father was missing, but I was too consumed with my own drama to console my hurting friend. “It’s cool. I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately. No biggie.” She sauntered past me to the bank of sinks on the wall and quickly checked herself in the mirror. It was the first time I had seen her show the tiniest bit of concern for the way she looked. It was sweet. “Great.” I was a little caught off-guard by her kindness. I think that on some subconscious level, I was actually hoping she would have at least been a little pissed off. But she was

obviously not the type to dwell on pettiness; something I hoped would rub off on me. “But I’m sorry anyway.” I figured apologizing for my attitude toward her and Erik and Lila was the least I could do. “Apology accepted.” She quickly turned from the sink. “Now, let’s run.” “What? Run? Where?” “Well, just because Erik and Lila put off your training doesn’t mean I have. And since you don’t really have time after school this week because of your date,” she paused long enough to flash a wicked smile, “I decided we could use P.E. to get in some running.” She stood strong, her tiny frame looming as large as possible. She was a good foot shorter than me, but I was a little intimidated by her confidence. “Oh. Okay.” I had really hoped she would give me the week off too, since Friday was the dance and I was supernervous, but that wasn’t happening. And I guessed that putting in some extra exercise would only help make my ‘one hundred kills’ goal a little easier. I was actually surprised and a little upset that not a single vampire had shown up for weeks. Even though I hated having to kill them more than anything—technically I hadn’t killed any of them, but still—I needed to do it if I ever expected to be all human again. “And it’s not a date,” I added, quickly changing into my own horrible gym clothes. “We’re just friends.” Kayla cut her eyes at me and smiled. “Whatever you say.” I chose to ignore her taunting—and that sly little grin she kept plastered on her face the entire time I was getting changed. Once I tied my shoes, she was practically

bouncing off the walls. “Finally,” she said with a huff. “Let’s go.” I rolled my eyes at her impatience, but dutifully followed her outside, where the strong, icy wind was whirling around the gymnasium like a tornado. Dead leaves were scooped up and then dropped over and over by the wind as Kayla and I broke into a full-on run right out of the gym door. It caught me off guard, giving Kayla a pronounced lead. I almost had to use my super speed to catch up to her—which would have definitely made her mad. She and Erik and Lila had made me promise after our first day of training that I wouldn’t use any of my supernatural advantages unless it was absolutely necessary. They had wanted me to train as a human, swearing it would make me stronger in the end. Apparently they were right, since after only a quarter mile or so, I had almost caught up to her. We left the open space of the field where Chance and the other sports nuts were deep into a football game, hitting the track that wound around campus. As we jogged along at a steady pace—Kayla several feet in the lead—I was so grateful that someone had bothered to salt the asphalt track to keep it from icing. I really didn’t want to show up at the dance Friday night wearing a cast because of a stupid fall. The brutal New England winter air pounded my face, making me feel alive and human, as Kayla and I followed the track into the dense forest at the farthest end of campus —the same woods where Chance killed that first vampire. I was overcome with an eerie sense of unwanted nostalgia once we slipped under the blanket of trees and brush, the dying face of the girl flashing in my mind over and over.

Perfect. Just what I needed, a reminder of the unlife I was now forced to live. I suddenly felt like I was a fraud, an imposter. Here I was, trying to pass as an ordinary girl, when I was really a deadly monster. A killer. I was pathetic. I couldn’t pull this off. I couldn’t blend in and go unnoticed when I had to run around town killing people. And I sure as hell couldn’t get into a relationship with Chance or anyone else. I was on the verge of turning around and heading back to the gym and telling Chance that I was canceling our plans, when the all too familiar scent of death slapped me in the face. I ignored Kayla’s warning about not using my super speed and quickly closed the gap between us. I latched onto her arm, pulling her to a sudden and jarring stop. “Don’t tell me,” she said through ragged breathing. “Yeah.” I answered. “There’s a vampire nearby.” I barely got the words out when I was blindsided and knocked a good hundred yards away by a very large, very pissed off vampire. Fortunately, I wasn’t knocked unconscious by the impact my body made with a large pine tree. I felt the wood snap beneath the force, the top half of the tree crashing to the ground below. The pain shot up my back and across my body. I couldn’t breathe, and my head felt like red-hot fire. I knew I had to get up and defend myself or the vampire would be on me, ripping the skin from my neck and draining my blood, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t move.

Get up, Ava. Get up now! The voice in my head grew loud and powerful, and I focused all my energy on doing what it told me. My mind

flashed back to that first night at Aldric’s, when he had drop-kicked me into the wall of his basement. That pain was intense, but if felt like a paper cut compared to this. This was a new kind of pain, a pain so massive I thought I was going to die. I was actually wishing for it, just to make the agony go away.

You have to help her, Ava. It’s going to kill her. Kayla. She was all alone to fight the vampire. I knew she could probably fight the vampire off for a while, but no way could she win the battle alone, not without some sort of weapon. And what better place to find a makeshift stake than in the middle of the woods. I rolled my body over, surprised and thankful that the vampire hadn’t shown up to kill me yet. Of course, that only meant that he was probably too busy killing Kayla. I couldn’t let that happen. I found a hidden burst of energy and pulled myself from the ground. The massive, towering trees around me were swaying so badly I thought we were in the middle of a hurricane. I quickly realized it was my head that was spinning, not the trees. I closed my eyes, letting my body get accustomed to standing, before running over as fast as I could to help Kayla. The vampire was on top of her, his fangs inches from her neck and dripping deadly venom. She was doing her best to hold him off, but I could see through the haze of my concussion that he was inching closer and closer to her, and she was rapidly growing tired from trying to fight him. It would only be seconds before his teeth made contact with her skin. I had to act fast. I jumped as hard and fast as I could, my body flying through the air like a rocket. I watched the trees shoot past

me, clearly making out the moss-covered bark on their trunks. It was like I was flying in slow motion, but I knew I wasn’t. I made contact with the vampire about to drain Kayla’s blood, and the two of us spun off of her in a mesh of fangs and venom and snarls. Just touching him made me mad, filling my body with rage and violence. I thought of nothing else but ending this creature’s life, and after several minutes of struggling, I found my chance. I grabbed a large, fallen branch from an oak tree and snapped it in half, while pinning the vampire’s arms with my legs. He squirmed wildly beneath me, flopping around like a fish out of water. He was bigger than me, both in height and weight, but I was stronger. I could feel the muscles in his body pound against my legs like granite slabs, but I wasn’t letting up. I gripped a piece of the broken branch, stared down at the monster beneath me, and drove it down hard. It didn’t even pierce the skin. The branch broke in my hands, flying off in a thousand tiny splinters. I still had a firm grip on the vampire with my legs, but I knew that it wouldn’t hold long. Panic filled my nerves, and I searched frantically for something to kill him with. That’s when I saw Kayla sprinting toward us. She had blood running down her face from what looked like a broken nose, and her clothes were matted in dirt. She ran up to me and pressed the vampire’s head hard against the ground with her foot. “You have to bite it,” she said, her wild eyes glaring at me. “Bite it, Ava. It’s the only way.” The vampire realized what was about to happen and began screeching, a sound unlike anything I had ever heard.

“I can’t!” I yelled out amidst the chaos. “I can’t do it!” I knew in my mind I had to. It was the only way to keep him from killing us. But something was stopping me. “It’s already dead, Ava,” Kayla said, her voice calm but urgent. “But we’re not. If you don’t do it now, we will be.” I could see in her eyes that she was scared. I was too. More scared than I had ever been. But I also couldn’t let anything happen to her. I couldn’t let this monster kill her, so I had no choice but to kill it first. “Okay,” I finally said, staring down into the burning eyes of the vampire. “How do I do it?” Kayla gave me a quizzical look. “With your fangs.” “What?!” I glared up at her, her tiny frame struggling to hold the vampire down. For some strange reason, my mind didn’t register when she said I had to bite the vampire to kill it. But when she said the word fangs, the realization of what that meant flooded my senses. “I-I can’t. And I’m not just saying that because I don’t want to, and believe me, I really don’t want to. But, I don’t know how.” That was something Aldric had never shown me. We went over tracking the blood scent, kickboxing, using my powers of compulsion to dupe humans into doing things for me—which I refused to do, but which Aldric insisted I learn—practically everything needed to achieve my goal. Except how to actually use my fangs. I had said I would never bite a human, so I guess he didn’t think it was something I needed to know. Right now, sitting on top of a vampire with no other way to kill it, I was fuming mad at him. “You don’t know how?” Kayla’s question ripped my mind from the panic attack it was caught in. “Why not?”

“I don’t know why not. It’s not like I came with a manual you know!” The vampire must have sensed my apprehension, because he became even more violent and determined, haphazardly kicking and arching his back to try and throw me off of him. “Well you better figure it out in the next three seconds, or he’s gonna get loose and we’re dead.” I knew what she was saying was true, that he would no doubt kill us if I didn’t kill him first, so I reluctantly opened my mouth wide, feeling my fangs rip through my gums and slide into place. Kayla’s face filled with fear, but was quickly masked by determination. “Now, look for the vein on its neck.” I followed her eyes down to the vampire, and focused on the pale skin stretched over his collarbone. Just above it, running along the ridge of his shoulder and up his neck, sat a thick vein filled with dead blood. “Lean in and puncture it, Ava. You’ll feel the blood burst into your mouth.” I hunched over, my entire body shaking with nerves and fear. “You have to do it, Ava. Now.” Kayla’s voice was ringing in my ears as I brought my fangs down to the vampire’s pulsing neck. Just the act of doing so set something on fire inside of me, and regardless of how terrified and badly repulsed I was by what I was doing, I couldn’t hold back the urgent, overpowering need to feel blood pulse through my fangs. With super speed, I dropped my mouth onto the vampire’s skin, it’s cold, dead texture sending a chill down my spine. My fangs punctured the tough leather like a hot knife through butter, and my mouth was filled with ice cold blood. Even though the taste was disgusting, and the smell was even worse, I couldn’t stop

drinking. I wanted nothing else. Nothing in the world mattered to me more than drinking every drop of his blood. The vampire had managed to free one of his arms from under my leg after I bit him, and he was using it to grip wildly at my back, trying to pull me off him. I could feel his nails rip my skin, my own blood running down my back, but I didn’t even flinch. It was a pointless, last-ditch effort to save his own life. I wasn’t stopping until he took his last breath and I took his last drop. Of that I was certain. The entire process took less than two minutes, but in my mind if felt much longer. The euphoria of my first bite collided with the putrid smell and taste of the dead blood, sending my brain into an almost catatonic state. I could have been ripped limb from limb at that moment and probably wouldn’t have even noticed. Only Kayla’s hand on my shoulder pulled me from my trance. “It’s done, Ava,” she said, pulling hard on my shoulder. “Don’t keep drinking or you’ll kill yourself.” I believed her, and though I didn’t want to, I quickly ripped my fangs from the vampire’s neck. My body was instantly in a state of panic and shock. It wanted blood, more than ever. I wanted it, I realized, and I had to have it. I stood up and moved away from the now dead vampire, my bloodlust overpowering me. I glared at Kayla, my eyes slowly moving down to the young, tight skin of her neck. I quickly spotted the large vein running down the side of her neck, pulsing with sweet, warm, living blood. At that moment, I ignored the human side of me screaming for me to stop, and allowed the deadly, powerful vampire side to take control. With rage in my eyes and an ever-growing hunger in my

stomach, I sprang forward with all my strength, my fangs full of venom and Kayla’s throat locked in my sights.

2 1. BLOODLUST I could hear Kayla’s screams as I lunged for her, my fangs seeking out her blood. I knew how scared she was but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything. My throat burned with hunger, and that hunger overpowered everything else. I knew that I was going to kill her. I took one last jump toward her, my body leaping into the air like a lion on attack, my hands open wide, just waiting to feel the warmth of her skin beneath them. I watched the horror of what was about to happen spread across her face and her body tensed, causing that luscious vein in her neck to bulge even further. I thought my mouth was watering, until I tasted the venom. My fangs were hungry, and it was time for them to feed. Just as my hands made contact with the velvet skin of her neck, something large and powerful collided into me, sending me spiraling across the cold dirt of the forest floor. It only took a moment before I was back on my feet and ready to pounce again, the bloodlust coursing through me stronger than ever. I stayed in a crouched and ready position once I turned myself around to face Kayla. What I saw were the sad, searching eyes of Chance. He was standing between Kayla and me, his large hands curled into fists and his entire body heaving with each breath. All the veins on his forehead and his neck—oh, especially his neck—were pumping blood at a rapid rate. I knew that he would taste good, maybe even better than anyone else I would kill in my lifetime, but I had already chosen my victim for this kill, and I

wanted her now. “You can’t stop me,” I snarled at Chance, my body low to the ground and rocking back and forth, just waiting to strike. I watched Chance’s eyes watching me. They were filled with pity. “You don’t want to do this,” I heard him say, though I couldn’t really focus on his lips. My eyes were focused on the pulsing vein in Kayla’s neck, who was lurking like a coward behind him. I smiled at her before turning back to Chance. “Yes, I do.” We stared at each other intently, neither of us ready to back down from what we wanted. I had no intention of letting Kayla get away without tasting her blood. He had no intention of letting me touch her. The Hero versus The Monster. It was morbidly poetic. “You’re letting it take over, Ava. Don’t let it beat you.” I didn’t know what it he was talking about, and I didn’t really want to find out. I held my ground, my fangs dripping venomous anticipation. “Nothing is beating me,” I said. “And nothing is stopping me.” With that, I jumped forward with all the strength I had, high into the air over Chance’s head. Below me, I could clearly see Kayla, small and insignificant and definitely terrified. I wondered as I made my descent if I would be that scared when I met my own death. Would I be that cowardly, hiding behind someone else? Or would I proudly stand up and face what was coming? My body began to fall toward the earth with the speed of a bullet. I would be on top of Kayla and tasting her sweet-smelling blood in less than a second.

But that brief moment I was suspended in air was long enough for Chance to pull something black and metal from his coat and toss it to Kayla. She grabbed the device in midair and pointed it up at me. The last thing I remembered before my world went dark was a tiny flash of light and something deadly piercing my skin.

I was swimming in darkness. Nothing existed but me and that darkness, cold and scary and suffocating. I felt it wrap around my body, squeezing me with the strength of a thousand weights, trying to destroy me. My lungs couldn’t expand, couldn’t open up to breathe in air. I was dying, and I was dying alone. My eyes flew open and I gasped wildly for air. I felt it rush into my lungs, filling them with life. The milky haze covering my eyes slowly faded, and a room I didn’t recognize came into view. The walls were a pale white, with matching curtains drawn across the only window on the far side, blocking out the harsh street lamps littering the night skyline. A brown chest of drawers sat to the right of the window, its top bare. My eyes slowly moved along the wall until they found a plush, comfortable-looking blue chair that didn’t match anything else in the room. Its gaudy color wasn’t what caught my breath. It was Chance sleeping peacefully there. As I watched him sleep, the memory of what I had just done came rushing back to my mind. I had tried to kill Kayla, and I probably would have killed him, too. I had wanted her blood, and I wasn’t going to let anything stop

me. Oh God, what he must have thought. If he didn’t fully hate me before, I’m sure he did now. He saw what I truly was: a bloodthirsty monster that had no concern for anyone but herself. A girl who wanted to murder innocent people and drink their blood. I was disgusting. But Chance was good. He was genuinely, wholly good. Someone who would die for what he believed in, and would give all of himself to those he loved. He had done everything in the world for me, starting with risking his life by teaming up with a vampire to save my soul. And how did I repay him? By trying to kill him and my best friend in the middle of the woods like wild animals. I knew since the moment I saw him that night in the cemetery that there was something happening between us, something real, but I ignored it. I fought it all this time, when obviously he had embraced it. He must have known back then where our relationship was headed, and he wanted it. He stuck by me when anyone else would have cut their losses and ran. And now here he was, asleep in a chair beside the deathbed of the girl he cared for, the monster who had wanted to kill him. My heart ached for him. Without provocation, Chance’s eyes slowly opened and he shifted in his chair. I closed my eyes and pretended to still be out of it as I listened to him stand up and walk over to my bed. After a few seconds of doing nothing, I suddenly felt the intoxicating warmth of his touch as his hand brushed hair away from my face. I knew then that I loved the feel of his skin next to mine, the energy his touch created. I realized at that moment that I never wanted to lose that. But how could I have him when I had done something so

horrible? Then it hit me: maybe he was here to kill me. Maybe he was brushing the hair from my face just so he could touch me one last time before ending my life and ridding the world of such a horrible creature. I wouldn’t have blamed him. Just as I was getting ready to open my eyes, I heard the door across the room scrub slowly along the hardwood floor, and the smell of Kayla’s blood once again flooded my nostrils. “How is she?” I heard her voice, low and soft. “Still sleeping,” Chance whispered back, his hand moving from my face. I wanted to reach out and grab it and never let it go, but I decided to keep feigning sleep and listen to what they had to say. Honestly, I didn’t have the nerve to face them just yet. “Thanks for letting her stay here,” Chance went on, his words falling silently from his lips. “Of course,” Kayla answered. “She can stay as long as she needs to.” That explained why I didn’t recognize any of my surroundings; I only wished that my first visit to Kayla’s house had been under happier circumstances. “Do you think she’ll remember?” she continued, her voice now closer to me. “I hope not,” Chance answered. “It’ll kill her if she does.” If he only knew that I did remember. I remembered everything that had happened in those woods, and he was right; it was killing me. “I just hope she doesn’t blame herself,” Kayla said. “We both know that wasn’t really her out there.” I couldn’t believe she was saying that. How could she be so calm after what I had almost done to her? How could she stand to even be in

the same room with me? Didn’t she hate me, want me dead? And why didn’t Chance answer her? Did he think that the monster he saw in the woods really was me? Did he believe that I couldn’t be saved? “If she does blame herself, I won’t let her do it for long.” Chance’s words were covered in emotions, from anger to fear to love, and I knew that I was going to have a huge fight on my hands once I woke up and expressed my deep, gnawing guilt. “All she’s been focused on since the beginning was saving her human side and destroying the vampire in her.” Chance continued talking, but paused long enough to brush my cheek again. “I won’t let what happened make her lose focus on that. I’m going to make sure she gets what she wants.” He kept his hand against my face, the heat of his body fighting to calm me down. “I’ll help too,” Kayla added. Then I felt her hand rest on top of mine, and I became overwhelmed with the fact that this girl who I had tried to kill just a couple of hours ago was now standing beside my bed, holding my hand and vowing to help me. I had heard enough, and slowly opened my eyes. “Hey,” I heard Chance say, my eyes going directly to his face. “Welcome back.” He smiled at me, and I felt closer to him than I ever had. I made a promise to myself that I would never let him go. “How are you feeling?” “I don’t know.” I couldn’t answer that question honestly, not yet anyway. Physically I was exhausted and felt like I had been training for a straight week. But emotionally I was torn to pieces over what I had done. I didn’t know if I would ever feel whole again. “Okay I guess.” I tried to sound better

than I felt, not wanting either of them to worry any more about me. “Okay’s good,” Chance whispered, looking from me to Kayla and smiling. “We can work with okay.” “How long have I been asleep?” It felt like forever, my body was so exhausted. “Three days,” he answered with a smile. “Three days? Seriously?” My voice was raspy at best. My throat felt like it had been shredded. “Yep,” Kayla added. I heard her voice from the other side of the bed. I turned my head to look at her, the muscles in my neck screaming with painful resistance. Her nose was swollen, a purplish black line crossing the bridge. That vampire really did a number on her. More guilt chewed at my insides. “I seriously thought I was gonna have to move out of my own room.” I took a quick scan of the room again and looked up at my friend. “You wouldn’t be losing much.” “Hey!” Kayla playfully slapped my arm and smiled. “I know it’s not much, but I like it. It’s simple, like me.” “You couldn’t be farther from simple, Kayla.” I smiled back at her and was so thankful that she had seen me that day at school and had the nerve to confront me. I was happy that she was in my life now. “Yeah, well, I think I’m simple, so that’s all that matters.” She gave my hand a tiny squeeze before laying it gently by my side. “And on that note, I’m outta here.” “Don’t go,” I begged. “Please.” “I need to go, but I’ll see you soon.” She was smiling, but I could see how tired she was. I’m sure the training times we

had were not easy on her, either—not to mention having to fight two ravenous vampires in one afternoon. “I’m so sorry, Kayla.” I was almost crying as I spoke, the embarrassment of what I had done to my best friend pressing down on me. “Don’t worry, we’re good.” She bent down and gave me a one-armed hug, careful not to hurt me or her obviously broken nose. I lazily brought an arm up to return the gesture. “We’ll talk about it all later, okay?” She didn’t wait for my answer. “I thought she’d never leave,” Chance said, his hand brushing away my hair again. “Don’t say that.” “I was only kidding. I like her. Sort of.” He was smiling. I knew he liked Kayla more than just a little. Somehow during the past few weeks, the two of them had become somewhat friendly toward each other, which made me happy. If I could stay out of the way and stop screwing things up, I’m sure they would end up actual friends. “So what happened out there? To me, I mean? What did you do to stop me?” It was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable questions I had yet to ask him. It wasn’t every day you had to ask someone, “hey, how did you keep me from killing you?” My body squirmed with unease. “You okay?” Chance asked, his voice soft but concerned. “Yeah, just tired. So tell me.” “It was a crossbow.” Chance pulled his eyes from mine as he spoke, staring across the room at a blank wall. “I’m sorry.” “For what? You had to. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“Don’t be. You couldn’t help it.” He brought his eyes back to me, the green in them hypnotic. “Yes I could.” Now I was the one who broke our gaze, ashamed of myself more than ever. “I could have stayed away from you. And from Kayla. But I chose to put both of you in danger by sticking around. So yeah, I could’ve helped it.” Chance smiled. “Always the martyr, huh? You love trying to take the blame for everything that’s happened to you. Why can’t you just accept the fact that bad things happen to good people?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well hello, Mr. Cliché. Nice of you to stop by.” Chance laughed with me, and things felt normal again between us. Well, as normal as possible between a human and vampire. “Cute,” he whispered with a smile. “Cliché or not, I’m for real. You need to cut yourself some slack, Ava. I think you’ve handled things pretty well.” “If you say so.” I smiled back at him, just having him close was making me feel worlds better. I still felt like I wanted to die, but having him there reminded me that I wasn’t, that I was very much alive. He kept brushing my hair with his hand, neither of us saying a word. We didn’t need to; the silence between us was far from awkward anymore. It was nice. But as I lay there looking up at him, his face grew somber. I watched the happiness slowly fade from his eyes, replaced by worry and dread. I knew he was thinking of something bad, and I really didn’t want to know what it was, but I asked anyway.

“What’s wrong?”. “There’s something you have to do,” he finally said. “Something you need to do.” His eyes were dark, the light normally found there gone. Whatever it was that I had to do was something he didn’t like. Before I had time to ask, he blurted it out. “You need to eat.” I knew what he meant by “eat”, and it wasn’t a ham sandwich. “I can’t,” I said, closing my eyes. Images of blood and sounds of screaming filled my mind. “You have to, Ava. What happened can never happen again.” “I know it can’t. I don’t intend to let it happen again.” And I meant that. Even if I had to stay away from Kayla for the rest of my life (or the rest of hers, since I was immortal) no way was I going to hurt her ever again. “You can’t guarantee that. Not yet, anyway. You’ve never fed. Not on living blood. And until you do, that need to is always going to be there, controlling you.” “It doesn’t control me. I don’t let it.” I knew as I said it that it was a lie. Well, a half lie. Sometimes I could overpower the urge, but today had proved me wrong. “Once you do it, you’ll be able to focus on what you have to do without always being distracted.” It was like he had stepped inside my mind and read my thoughts. The bloodlust was becoming a distraction, especially since he and I were getting closer. The fact that he knew it was weird, though. “Are you a mind reader or something?” I asked him, trying to sound like I wasn’t constantly thinking about what

blood might taste like. Chance laughed. “No, I’m not a mind reader. I’ve just been around vampires more than you. Even new ones.” He said the word vampire without wincing, but I could tell it still bothered him. “You’ve been around vampires before me?” “Yes.” It was a simple word that held volumes of meaning. The secret he had been keeping from me, the thing he most didn’t want me to know. “So that’s it,” I whispered, gazing off into the sparse room as my mind put the pieces together. “That’s what you’ve been hiding.” Chance moved his hand from my face, my skin instantly missing his touch. “No,” he answered, moving away from my bed. “That’s not it.” “Then what?” “Let’s not do this again, Ava. Please. Not now.” “Why not? Why won’t you tell me?” “Look.” He moved back in next to me, resting his hand on top of mine. “I promise I will tell you everything when the time is right. You just have to trust that.” Again he was right. I couldn’t be sure before now, before what had happened today, but now, I had no more doubts. I could trust him completely, and I did. “Okay,” I said with a resigned smile. I wanted desperately to know what secret he was keeping from me—a secret that involved a history with vampires—but I wanted to not hurt or upset him even more. So I once again let it go. “So,” I went on, changing the subject, “now you’re what, an expert on vampires?”

“Compared to you? Absolutely.” He actually laughed as he grabbed the chair he had been sleeping in when I woke up and pulled it close to my bed. He sat down and leaned in next to me. “Now, we can spend the rest of the night arguing, or you can just agree with me and get the inevitable over with.” He flashed that charming smile of his, softly rubbing my fingers with his own. The heat from his touch ran up my arm and straight to my head, swimming around with the scent of his blood and making me blissfully lightheaded. “So now what?” Even though I didn’t want to give Chance the satisfaction of being right, he was. I did need to feed, or eat, or whatever it was called. I needed to get the desire for blood out of the way so I could concentrate on reaching the suddenly overwhelming goal of killing a hundred vampires. Chance didn’t say anything as he locked his eyes on mine and slowly brought his arm up to my mouth. I looked from his face to his wrist, which was inches from my mouth and pulsing with the beat of his heart. “No way,” I said, trying to push his arm away from me. He held it there in front of my face, the muscles in his forearm and bicep bulging beneath the skin. “You have to, Ava. This is the only way.” “No, I won’t do it.” I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at the delicious vein thumping in front of me. I could see flashes of Chance writhing on the floor in pain with blood shooting from his wrist—exactly what would happen if I bit him. No way would I ever allow that. “Avaline,” he said, knowing calling me that would get me going. “Look at me.” I reluctantly opened my eyes, his wrist

the first thing I saw. “Chance, don’t make me do this, please.” I was begging for his mercy, but the entire time, my eyes were locked on his wrist. Without even realizing it, I had cupped his arm in my hands and was holding it closer to my mouth. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I won’t let you take too much.” How did he know that? How did he know so much about the monster I was rapidly becoming? I finally looked over at his face, his eyes trying to relax me. Normally staring at their brilliant green hue worked, but I was too wound up this time. Chance’s way was the only way to move on. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “You won’t. Just do it.” He lifted his arm and brought it to my lips, the heat from his skin strong and resilient. All the thoughts I had about what the moment would be like—the moment I drank human blood for the first time—paled in comparison to what it actually felt like. All of my emotions were crashing into each other as I unsheathed my fangs and brought Chance’s wrist to my open mouth. I couldn’t look at him again, fearful that I would see his hesitation or regret. I didn’t want to bite him, to feed from him, but I also didn’t not want to. More than anything, I wanted to feel his blood flow into my mouth and fill me completely. So before I could talk myself out if it, I closed my eyes and sank my fangs into the bronzed skin of his wrist.

2 2. SECRETS REVEALED Chance’s blood flooded my mouth like a tidal wave, crashing into every crevice with its mesmerizing taste. My fangs were on fire with lust, drinking copious amounts of blood as fast as they could. I could hear faint moans coming from Chance, but I didn’t look at him. All I wanted was more of his sweet blood. I drank and drank, my mind floating in a cloudy haze of euphoria. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for how wonderful it tasted, how perfect it made me feel. At that moment, I realized I had been fighting what was the most real part of me: the vampire that I was destined to become. “That’s enough, Ava.” I heard Chance’s words but didn’t hear them. My mind wouldn’t allow his voice to penetrate the experience of my first feeding. All it wanted was the pleasure I was feeling to never end, so it chose to ignore him. I gripped harder onto his arm and sank my teeth in further, Chance’s words quickly turning to cries of pain as his blood was slowly being replaced with my venom. “Ava, stop!” I could hear his pain, could feel it coursing through his dying veins, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t human at that moment, the vampire inside taking complete control of my body and my mind. I was killing him, I knew it, but I couldn’t stop myself—I didn’t want to. Chance finally managed to pull his arm away from my mouth, my fangs tearing his skin as he did. My body felt the void immediately, pulling me from the bed with super speed. Chance had managed to make it across the room before I was on him. I grabbed his shoulder and threw him

backwards, his body slamming into the wall on the other side of the room. “Ava,” I heard him cry out, slowly pulling himself up. “Don’t —” I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I sprang forward with an unrelenting fury. But something stopped me. A very bright and powerful light hit me like a freight train, sending me flying back against the wall. The pain was overwhelming, even with my vampire senses in charge. I couldn’t move, could barely breathe as I struggled to stand. My eyes burned with pain and my body felt like it was on fire. I somehow managed to stand up, using the wall for support. The taste of Chance’s blood was still very powerful, coursing through my veins like fire, and I wanted more of it. I forced my eyes to open, and the first thing I saw was Chance standing across the room from me, blood dripping from his wrist. “Ava,” he said, his voice calm and soothing. “Control yourself. You don’t know what you’re doing.” “I’m in total control,” I answered him, my fangs still dripping with his blood. “And I know exactly what I’m doing.” I lunged forward again, growling like a wild animal hungry for his blood. That powerful, electric-charged light hit me again, but this time, as I flew across the room, I saw where it came from. Chance. I crashed into the far wall again. Somehow my mind managed to overpower the vampire within me and I felt my fangs retract into my gums. The bloodlust that was normally so apparent seemed to finally be satisfied, and I was able to focus on what had just happened. I jumped up, totally ignoring the pain I felt from being tossed like a rag doll, and

looked at Chance. He was standing motionless across the room, his hands held out in front of him. His right arm was covered with blood, still oozing from the wound on his wrist. But my mind wasn’t focused on the blood. I was looking at his hands. They were glowing. “Ava?” His voice was trembling, fear lacing his words. “It’s me,” I answered, my breath ragged. “I’m okay.” Chance lowered his hands and walked over to me. I kept my eyes locked on his, my mind spinning with confusion. What just happened? What was that light? And more importantly, how did it come from him? “I’m sorry,” he said. “Did I hurt you?” “No,” I answered. “I don’t think so.” I did a quick check for anything out of the ordinary with my body. No broken bones, no open wounds—all good. “What the hell was that?” “I-I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Chance said. “I just didn’t know what else to do.” “Wait, so you knew you could do that? That, whatever it was?” I was even more shocked that the electric light that flowed from his hands was of his own doing. I thought it had been like some sort of unexpected power surge or something. But he did it on purpose? Now I was completely freaked out. “Yeah, I did. I’ve been able to my whole life.” Chance kept looking from my face to my arms and legs, obviously searching for any signs that he had hurt me. I would’ve found his concern sweet—and overbearing, of course—any other time. But right then, I wanted to scream. “So you’ve had this weird, light power thing all this time and you didn’t bother to tell me? You know, the half-vampire

girl you dug out of the ground?” I knew I was probably overreacting, but I was too upset to stop. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I don’t know why,” Chance said, walking away from me. “It’s not like I go around telling people ‘Hey, I’m Chance, I’m a Healer’.” “A Healer?” “Yeah. That’s what I am. A Healer.” He walked back over to me then, his face twisted with embarrassment and fear. I knew he was afraid I was going to laugh or make fun or tell everybody or something, which I would never do. “What does that mean?” “Just what it sounds like. I heal people.” I was shocked with how forthcoming he was being considering all the energy he had spent trying to keep me in the dark. “Were you born this way or—” “Was I turned like you? No. I was born this way. My dad was one.” I got a sense of sadness from him when he mentioned his dad. I didn’t want to make the situation more uncomfortable for him, so I moved on. “So, are you like a god or something? Like, an immortal?” “No,” he answered, his words barely a whisper. “I’m all human. I’m just special, according to my mom.” A tiny smile crossed his face as he said it. “How young were you when you found out you could do this?” “I don’t know, five or six maybe. My dog was hit by a car when I was a kid, and when I started petting him, my hands lit up and got really hot and all of a sudden he jumped up

and started licking my face. I knew then that there was something different about me.” Well that explained why he was always so warm to the touch, why he produced so much of that alluring heat. He was basically a walking power source. I watched his eyes light up as he recalled the memory of that day. “So you saved your dog’s life?” “I guess I did. And I totally freaked my mom out when I told her about it. She said that she had hoped I wouldn’t turn out like my dad, that I would be normal. She’s never been the same since.” “So is that why she was so cool with me moving in?” Chance nodded in agreement. “Is she scared of you or something?” “She’s only scared of how I might end up, what might happen to me.” He reluctantly moved toward me, obviously still unsure if I was completely myself again. The smell of his blood grew stronger with each step he took. “And how’s that?” I asked, suddenly afraid of what he might say—and of how close he was getting. “My father went crazy and had to be institutionalized. She thinks I’ll end up like that.” So that was why he didn’t like to talk about his dad. “And you don’t?” I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest. “No, I don’t,” he answered confidently. “My dad didn’t want this, but I do. I like being a Healer. He didn’t.” I could feel energy and heat emanating from him. “You like it?” “Yeah. I like being able to help people.” His eyes lowered

a bit, and some of the happiness left his face. “But I can’t help you.” When he said that, many of my questions about him were answered. Why he had such a short temper. Why he couldn’t stand the fact I was a vampire. Why he could barely say the word vampire. It was because he so desperately wanted to help me—to heal me—and he couldn’t. It was like he couldn’t do for me the one thing he could do for everyone else. My heart broke for him. “So this is what you’ve been hiding from me all this time?” “Yes.” “Why did you feel like you couldn’t tell me?” “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, believe me. I couldn’t, literally.” I watched his chest rise and fall, the rhythm of his breath soothing and inviting. I suddenly had to ignore the desire to reach out and touch the exposed skin just below the hollow of his neck. “Why not?” I squeaked out, flustered. “Because we’re not allowed to reveal what we truly are.” His voice was deep and gravelly. “Unless we have to, of course.” Guilt flooded me. “Yeah, sorry,” I murmured, embarrassed by what had just happened, what I had almost done to him. “It’s okay, really. It was my fault. I should have warned you that might happen.” “Why didn’t you?” I felt my heart thumping in my throat, but I was unclear if it was because of the smell of his blood still dripping onto the floor, or if it was because he was only

inches away from me and I was getting lightheaded. “Would you have still fed on me if I had?” “Point taken.” I forced myself to move away from him, crossing the room and pretending to make the bed. “So are you gonna be in trouble or something? You know, for revealing who you are?” “I honestly don’t know. I don’t think it’s ever happened before.” I fumbled with the sheets on the bed, and Chance —being the chivalrous guy he is—quickly stepped in and helped me finish. “But it doesn’t matter if I am. It was worth it.” We stood on opposite sides of the now-made bed, staring at each other. I could almost feel the imaginary line connecting us, keeping us always in each other’s orbit. “Wow.” My suddenly overwhelming emotions were beating against my head, my chest, desperate to be released. “So, um, what exactly is a Healer?” “Well.” He broke our gaze and sat down on the bed. Without realizing what I was doing, I sat down across from him. “To make a really long story short, Healers were created to protect humans from vampires.” “So people know vampires exist?” Chance nodded. I felt like I had just stepped into an entirely new world, a world where I was clueless about its customs and beliefs. I guess, in a way, I had. “How long?” “Always,” Chance said. “I don’t know much about the history, but Healers have been protecting humans for centuries. That’s our entire purpose. We do whatever it takes to make sure people don’t become victims to vampires.” “Is this why you’ve been putting up with the horrible way

Aldric treats you, because you’re trying to protect me from him?” “Yes.” “You don’t have to do that for me.” “Of course I do, Ava. I was created for that very reason. That’s why I have this gift.” I knew Chance was getting frustrated, so I quickly changed gears. “So who created Healers?” “I don’t really know. My dad didn’t fill me in on everything. I kind of just know the basics. I know I’m supposed to stop vampires.” A tiny flash of sadness rolled over his face. “Sometimes I do, other times I don’t.” I knew instantly the true meaning hiding behind his words. “Chance,” I said, moving quickly to sit next to him. “Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself for what happened to me.” “How can I not, Ava? I’m supposed to protect people. You. But I didn’t. I didn’t do the one thing I was born to do.” I could feel the sadness he was harboring, deep and painful beneath his skin. “Listen,” I said. “You’re human, right?” “Completely.” “Then you should know that humans aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. They get over it. That simple.” “They?” He looked deeply at me then, his eyes full of that dark sadness. “What?” “You said ‘they.’ Like you’re not one. Like you’re not human.” I hadn’t realized I said it. But now that he called me on it, I knew that somewhere inside me, I must have believed it to be true.

“I don’t feel very human right now,” I answered honestly. Chance stared at me, his eyes full of compassion and understanding. Maybe he really understood how I was feeling. Maybe he had felt different all his life, too, like he was a freak stuck in a world of normal. Knowing his secret changed how I saw him. Somehow, he became even more human to me. He took my hand into his, lifting it slowly to his chest. “You feel that?” he asked, keeping my hand pressed against his hot skin. The strong, hypnotic thrum of his heart pulsed into my hand, and I felt that sweet dizziness all over again. “Yes,” I said. “But I can feel your heart beating even without touching you.” But I didn’t pull my hand away. I wanted to touch him. It felt right. He kept my hand pressed against his chest for a moment before pulling it away, moving it to my own chest and holding it there. “Now, do you feel that?” And I did. It was faint, and not nearly as enticing as his, but it was there. My heartbeat. Proof that I was still alive. “Yes.” “Then don’t let me ever hear you say that you’re not human.” He took his hand from mine. “And as long as that heart beats in your chest, you’re just as human as I am.” “But for how long?” Saying out loud the question I had been dreading to say pained me. How long was I going to stay human? How long until the vampire building inside me took over for good? How long until I would no longer feel what I was feeling when I was near him? “Forever,” he whispered. “I promise you that, Ava.” Then

he smiled at me, that perfectly charming smile that somehow always made me feel better. He kept his eyes locked on mine, and before I even realized it, he was leaning in to me. I knew what was coming, what was about to happen between us, and even though I hadn’t given it much thought—or any thought, really—before this moment, I wanted it desperately. I slowly closed my eyes, my head spinning and my heart racing with anticipation and excited nerves, as the warmth of Chance’s lips pressed into mine. The moment was magical. Extreme heat flooded my body, setting my senses on fire. I wanted to melt into the moment—the kiss—and never leave. I could feel Chance’s hands cupping my face, and even though the scent of his blood was flooding my nose, I was too focused on our perfect kiss to even notice it. I never wanted the moment —our moment—to end. “Wow,” he whispered after our lips finally parted. I immediately missed the feeling of his lips crushed against mine, the warmth and safety of having him so close. As soon as he pulled away, I could feel the bloodlust stirring strong and fast inside me. I wouldn’t allow myself to bite him again, no matter if he wanted it or not. I shot across the room and away from him with lightning speed. “Was that not okay?” he asked, confusion filling his face. “No, no. It was perfect. Better than perfect.” And it was. My body felt alive for the first time since I climbed from my coffin. I felt like I was whole again. It was wonderful. I kept looking from his eyes to his wrist, which was still dripping his enticing blood onto the floor. Chance finally picked up on what was bothering me.

“Oh. Sorry.” He quickly rolled down his sleeve to cover his wound—the wound I inflicted—and walked toward the bedroom door. “Let’s get home so I can clean this up.” “Did it hurt?” I asked, so scared that he would say yes. If I had hurt him, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. “At first it did, yeah.” I winced as he gently touched the wound through the now bloody sleeve. “But then it felt better than anything I’ve ever felt before. Well, up until that kiss.” It felt the same to him as it had to me—the bite and the kiss —which totally surprised me. I thought it would have been excruciatingly painful for him. “You liked it?” He smiled. “A vampire’s bite can be very pleasant to a human, if they let it be. If they resists, it’s agonizing.” I could see a sweet sincerity in his eyes. “And I didn’t resist.” “How do you know so much about this?” “I told you, I’ve been around a lot of vampires. You pick up on things.” “Have you been bitten before?” Though I didn’t want to hear his answer, I needed to know. “No,” he said, relief filling my heart. “I’ve never wanted the connection before.” “Connection?” “When a vampire bites a human, the two are connected forever. The vampire will always know where that person is, how they’re feeling.” “So now I’ll be able to know where you are when you’re not around?” The thought both excited and unnerved me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what he was up to, how he was feeling, all the time. I had enough things running

through my mind. “I don’t know,” he answered. “You’re half human, so it might not work the same way. We’ll just have to see.” He smiled at me again—something he did a lot, and something I would never tire of. “Now, let’s go home. We have a date to get ready for.” “A date?” The word alone made me smile; what it meant filled my heart like nothing else. “Yes, Avaline Blue. You and I have a date.” I wanted to smack him for using that name, but I didn’t. I did roll my eyes, though, as he took my hand in his and we walked from the room together. Truly, for the first time, together. As we drove home, I sat in quiet amazement at the fact that Chance was so calm. He seemed unaffected by the fact that I had bitten him and drank his blood—which was crazy to me, since I was totally freaked out by it. I kept sneaking glances at him as I sped down the foggy highway, Chance finally letting me drive. (I figured after what he’d been through, he wasn’t really up to it, and he surprisingly agreed.) He kept his eyes glued to the road, but there was no anger, no animosity toward me, on his face. He looked peaceful. Maybe the fact that he was a Healer helped him deal with stressful situations. Maybe he wasn’t affected by emotions as severely as non-supernatural humans. I didn’t know, but I was grateful for whatever was keeping him calm. As I pulled Chance’s truck into the drive, I was actually feeling excited about our date tomorrow night, being able to do something totally and normally human. I only prayed that I could make it through the dance without even thinking

about being a vampire.

2 3. TAKEN The next morning came quicker than I expected. I slept much better than I thought I would have given all that had happened to me, and I woke up excited and scared to death all at once. I was nervous that I would embarrass myself—which I shouldn’t have been, seeing as how embarrassment was practically an accessory to me. And I was scared that once Chance and I were on our first official date, he would realize I was really boring or stupid or something, and would never want to see me again. But I knew, somehow, that would never happen. He would never leave me, no matter what ridiculous thing I said or did. He cared too much for me, or at least I hoped he did. I made it through the school day in a zombie-like trance. My mind was so focused on the night to come that I had zero clue what any of my teachers had gone over in class. I was also going over what had happened at Kayla’s, with Chance’s whole electric-light-healing thing. Needless to say, my mind was way too occupied to retain any school work, so I was so happy when the final bell of the day rang and we were free to leave. I told Kayla that I definitely wasn’t training today, not that I needed the extra time to get dressed or put on makeup or anything —I didn’t really wear the stuff. I just wanted to get away from everyone. My nerves were too on edge to be crowded around my classmates or to spend one-on-one time learning how to kill vampires. “You okay?” Chance asked after we got on the road. He was driving, another thing I was thankful for, since I felt like I would upchuck at any moment.

“Just nervous,” I lied. I was nervous, but I was also scared and excited and really nauseous. “Don’t be,” he said with a smile. “It’s gonna be fun.” I hoped he was right, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous about what I was going to be walking into. I couldn’t open my mouth to speak, fearful I would be violently ill all over the cab of his truck. So I simply smiled back and rode the rest of the way home in uneasy silence.

Seven o’clock rolled around with lightning speed. I had barely slipped into the really beautiful iridescent black tealength dress that Ms. Caldon helped pick out—and that actually looked good on me, surprisingly—before it was time for us to leave for the dance. It was being held in the school gym, which Kayla said they always did a pretty decent job of decorating to look more like a ballroom or dance hall, and I was actually giddy as Chance drove us there. Of course, what the place might look like was the last thing on my mind; I was way too nervous to even think about decorations. It was taking all I had in me to keep from passing out, a cloud of emotions swirling around in my head. I just wanted to hurry up and get there so I could splash some water on my face and calm down. Chance apparently sensed my anxiety. “Relax,” he said, his voice calm and soothing—and sexy, of course. “I want you to have fun tonight. You look absolutely amazing, and this is your first high school dance. Try and enjoy it.” “Thanks,” I said, taking deep breaths to will my stomach

to stop spinning. “You, too.” And he did. He was wearing black dress slacks and a really cool-looking shirt, also black, but with a deep red hue that shone when he moved. He looked outstanding. And he wore it well. He cut his eyes at me and smiled. “We’re gonna outshine everybody there. I guarantee it.” I couldn’t help but smile, too, at his optimistic and totally ridiculous outlook. I would just be happy if I didn’t fall on my face in front of everyone. “So can you somehow tell when I’m nervous?” I asked, moving the conversation away from tonight’s impending event. “Like a Healer thing or something?” He smiled. “Um, no,” he said with a tiny laugh. “You’re practically shaking.” He looked at me again with those hypnotizing eyes. I could have stayed in that moment forever, just sitting there staring at him. It was suddenly amazing to me how I never realized what he truly meant to me before now. Looking back, I had felt something for him from the moment I saw him, but I just wouldn’t allow myself to go there. I couldn’t. My life had been turned upside down —and it still was—so I couldn’t afford to feel anything for anyone. I couldn’t risk getting hurt—or hurting him. Now, something had changed in me. Something made me feel like I deserved to be happy, to have a normal, ordinary life. It was Chance. He showed me that even though I have a dark side within me, I didn’t have to give in to it. How could I ever repay him for that? I wanted to keep staring at him the entire drive to school, but I didn’t want to creep him out too much. So I smiled back and lowered my eyes. I noticed my left leg shaking and laughed. “What?” he asked.

“You were right,” I answered, getting a firm grip on my quivering thigh. “I am shaking.” He laughed, too. “Just try to relax and have fun, okay?” “I’ll try,” I said, not really sure if that was even possible. I hoped to have fun, but with the butterflies performing acrobatics in my stomach and the spells of dizziness, the odds were not in my favor. We made it to school campus about ten minutes after the dance was scheduled to start, so parking was a nightmare. Chance had to actually pull beneath a small grove of oak trees at the very front of the school, which left quite a distance for me to navigate in heels. Yay. “You ready?” he asked as he helped me out of the truck. I spun in the seat, swinging my legs out into the frigid night air. I had protested up and down that I didn’t want to wear pantyhose, but once the northern wind lifted my dress, I was saying a thousand thank-yous that I listened to Chance’s mom. Full feeling hadn’t yet returned to my skin—may never fully return—but I could feel cold well enough. “As I’ll ever be,” I answered with a half-smile. Chance smiled back as he took my hand into his, the heat from his body somewhat relaxing me, and helped me from the truck.. “Is that a Healer thing, all the heat you produce?” I wasn’t complaining, just curious. Chance laughed. “A lot of questions tonight, huh?” I heard the tiniest bit of aggravation behind his words. “Sorry.” “No, no, it’s okay. And to answer your question, yes, it is. Does it bother you?” “No way.” I smiled at him full-on this time, so happy to be

holding his hand again. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything.” “Good,” he said, squeezing my hand tighter. “Because I’m not letting you go.” He pulled me closer to him, his warmth engulfing me and making me feel safe, and we walked into the gym like a real, normal couple.

Kayla had been right about the decorations, they were amazing. The entire inside of the gymnasium was covered in white, black and red. Balloons, streamers, candles, draped fabric; anything that could be used to decorate a room was there. My nerves immediately eased when I saw how beautiful the place looked, filled with dancing couples and great music. I gave Chance’s hand a squeeze. “This is great,” I said over the hum of music. “Thanks for asking me.” “Thanks for saying yes.” With that he pulled me closer to him again, wrapping his strong, warm arms around me. “Will you dance with me, Ava?” He whispered in my ear once we were deep into the heart of the transformed gymnasium. The way he asked, so sweet and charming and a little nervous, made me swell. “Of course.” He smiled wide, and we melted into the sea of dancers, falling effortlessly into rhythm with everyone else. It felt as though my body—my life—had been taken over by someone else, someone not a vampire. I felt like I was living inside a fairy tale, like I was the star of Cinderella instead of Frankenstein. It was magical. I was so thankful for Chance, for him saving me that night in the

cemetery, and every night since. I was also thankful that I wasn’t overwhelmed with bloodlust, being packed in a room full of hormonal teenagers. I could definitely smell them, but I wasn’t on the verge of vamping out and killing anyone, so I was able to relax. I’m sure that having my body pressed tightly against Chance’s helped with that. Most girls probably would have been really nervous being so close to someone like him, but I wasn’t. I had never felt more at home than I did in that moment, in his arms. Chance obviously knew what might have happened with me and a gym full of warm blood. That had to be why he made sure I fed before coming here. Yet another thing he knew about my kind that I didn’t. I hoped to one day change that. “You smell great,” he said, his face nuzzled in the cusp of my neck. The feel of his breath on my skin was intoxicating. “You do, too.” He pulled his head away from me and looked me in the eyes, a mischievous grin on his face. “That’s not fair,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper in my ear. “You can smell my blood.” “And it smells wonderful.” I laughed, hoping it would be the first of many times the two of us shared laughter. Chance laughed, too, and pulled me back against his warm body. I could feel his heart beating against me, its rhythm soothing. I was so surprised with how easily he spoke about my vampire abilities now, much different than before. I had assumed he hated hearing—or saying—anything to do with it, but now, arm-in-arm with him on the dance floor, with the pulse of music and the beat of his heart against me, I wondered if it was actually being near m e that had made him so nervous? Had he been feeling something for

me all along, and I had just been too clueless to see it? We stayed locked together through so many songs I lost count. I could have stayed there dancing with him forever, never leaving his embrace. But after what seemed like only a few minutes, Chance slowly pulled away from me. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said with a smile. “Where are you going?” I felt my nerves wake up in anticipation. “I’m sure with your super abilities you may not need to,” he answered, “but I have to go to the bathroom.” I immediately relaxed again, feeling blood rush to my cheeks. “Oh. Sorry.” I felt so stupid for not realizing that even though I could have stayed there on the dance floor with him all night, he wouldn’t be able to hold off as long on doing things like going to the bathroom. “It’s cool. I’ll be back in a flash.” He looked so ridiculous and cheesy the way he practically sprinted off the dance floor. I laughed out loud as I watched him disappear into the darkened corner of the gym where the boys’ locker room was hiding. For the first time in my life—before and after my ‘death’—I felt happy. That happiness was short-lived, though, once I realized that I was left standing on the dance floor alone. I had spent so much time keeping Chance from getting close to me, that now I wanted him near me always. Thankfully Kayla somehow spotted me in the dense crowd of teens and pulled me to the front of the dance floor next to the refreshment table. “You look great,” she said, her voice barely carrying above the din of the room.

“You too,” I yelled back, hoping she could hear me. “Having fun?” “Absolutely.” And I was. I was actually having a great time, so happy that I had agreed to come. And I was happy that I was able to see her having fun, too. “Did you come alone?” I asked, not seeing a guy lurking behind her waiting for her to stop gossiping and dance. “My date had to go call his parents.” She rolled her eyes as she spoke, obviously annoyed with the guy she was with. “Yeah he’s a bit of a nerd, but he’s cool. His name’s Michael. He’s a year younger than me. My mom would totally freak!” The sound of her laughter was funny and infectious, and I was soon laughing, too. “Glad you’re having such a good time.” “Same here.” Her eyes took a quick glance at the front doors. “There’s Michael,” she said. “Gonna go get my dance on!” I laughed again as I watched her cross the gymnasium and practically drag Michael onto the dance floor. I got the feeling that he wasn’t the dancing type, but was trying to be the perfect date for her. As I stood there watching the dance floor patrons sway with the music— which was a fast song, now—I realized that Chance had been gone for quite a while. Panic began a slow crawl up my back as I looked around for him. I scanned the dark corner as I slowly walked toward the boys’ locker room, hoping I would spot him in the sea of faces. For once I was actually thankful for my vampire abilities; I was able to make out every feature on my peers, even in near total darkness. I spotted Travis and Lacey practically mauling each other in the far corner. It shocked me that none of the adults

chaperoning the dance had forced them apart. I was also surprised seeing the two of them together; no one had said anything about them being a couple. I tried to ignore their face sucking as I walked past them on my way to the locker room. I was glad it was dark—and that they were “preoccupied”—so they wouldn’t see me. The last thing I wanted was Lacey trying to start something and ruining my night. I probably should have knocked or something instead of just opening the locker room door, but I was almost totally freaking out and didn’t have the time to worry about what I might have seen inside. All I could think about was what Aldric had said to me that first night in the cemetery, when he told me what I was. Soon, others will discover your

existence. Had that time now come? Had someone—or something—found out about me, about what I was, and now they wanted to get me, and they took Chance to do it? I barged into the locker room like I owned the place, rounding the corner of the cinder block wall put directly behind the door to block the room from the gym. The setup was a mirror image of the girls’ locker room, the only difference being the putrid smell of ‘guy’ hanging in the air. I did my best to not breathe in the rancid odor—I actually preferred smelling vampire blood to that horrible stench— as I wound through the rows of lockers and benches, my eyes immediately adjusting to the terrible lighting as I searched for Chance. But the room was empty. I even opened all the lockers that weren’t locked just to make sure he hadn’t been

shoved into one by a group of Neanderthal jocks, which would never happen given how large and muscular he was. I opened all the bathroom stall doors, praying I would find him in one. It would have been embarrassing without question, but at least I would have known he was okay. But they were all empty, too. Just as I was about to go tell a chaperon that he was missing, the strong scent of dead blood hit me hard in the face. A vampire had just walked into my high school dance. I ran out of the locker room as fast as I could without using my super speed. I didn’t want to risk someone seeing me. I fell into the crowd unnoticed, the smell of the vampire’s blood leading me to the other side of the gymnasium. I followed the scent, remembering what Aldric had taught me about blocking out everything around me. I forced my mind to cut away all the noise of the music and the kids laughing and talking, leaving only the trail of blood to focus on. It grew stronger as I crossed the dance floor, and I allowed my fangs to drop into place. I wanted to be ready for anything. If a vampire had the nerve to show up here, I would have to risk being seen to protect everyone. As I stepped out of the crowd of dancers, the vampire came into view. He was tall like Aldric, and just as goodlooking, but I could sense right away that he was much more evil and dangerous. Evil was practically hanging off of his large, muscular frame. He was staring right at me as I walked toward him, his eyes a brilliant gold unlike anything I had ever seen. I was actually surprised that other people weren’t staring at him, at those eyes. Of course, they were all too focused on themselves and their dates to see

anything else. I probably could have killed him right in front of everyone and they wouldn’t have noticed. I was actually grateful for that. “Who are you?” I asked once I was close enough where no one would hear me. My fangs twitched inside my mouth with nervous energy. He looked down at me and smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting into a wicked, evil grin. “Avaline, how rude to ask someone’s name. You should always wait for them to introduce themselves. That is the polite thing to do.” I could tell by the way he spoke that this vampire was definitely not a new one. He sounded old— older than Aldric, even—and powerful, though he looked almost as young as me. “You already know who I am,” I snapped back. “It’s only fair for me to ask.” My nerves were on fire, my entire body a live wire of anxious energy. He kept that creepy smile on his face, raising his eyes to look out onto the crowd of teenagers. “I know much more about you than just your name.” So he obviously knew I was half human. He could probably smell it in my blood. “Like what?” I was getting antsy with anticipation. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to fight him in the middle of the Valentine’s dance, but at the same time, I wanted to rip his head off. “Like the fact that you are clueless as to who you are talking to right now. And that you have no idea how easily I could kill you and none of these trivial humans would ever know.” He held a confidence in his voice that made me shiver. I knew he was telling the truth, that he could kill me

before I ever got close enough to him to do any damage; that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try. “But you won’t,” I said. I wasn’t sure of that, but I doubted he would come to a packed high school party to kill me when he could have waited until I was alone. I hoped that was the case, at least. “No. I won’t. Not yet, anyway.” “Then what do you want?” I was getting impatient with him. Even though he scared me, I didn’t intend to show it. I just wanted him to get on with whatever he had planned. He smiled again and stepped closer to me. The super-strong smell of his rotten blood turned my stomach. “I think you should be asking what you want, Avaline.” At first I was confused by what he said until I realized that he was the reason Chance hadn’t come back from the locker room. I felt the muscles in my body tighten, locking in and ready to fight. “Where is he?” I asked, the urge to attack getting harder and harder to control. “You’ve been a very busy girl, Avaline. News of you and what you have been doing traveled fast. Once I heard that a little girl was going around killing vampires, I just had to come see for myself. Impressive work, by the way. I don’t think even the most skilled hunters have had as much success as you.” “I don’t screw around,” I said. “Now tell me where Chance is.” I felt venom ooze from my fangs, ready to kill the monster in front of me. “Now where’s the fun in that? If I just tell you where he is, then you’ll miss out on being the hero. I can’t let that

happen.” His wicked smile was making me sick. I was looking forward to getting the chance to rip it from his face. But I knew I couldn’t do anything to him before I found out where he was keeping Chance, if he was even still alive. The thought made me shudder. I couldn’t think about Chance being dead because of me, not while I was about to have to fight the strongest vampire I had ever met. I pushed the thought from my mind. “I’ll be the hero anyway,” I said with fake confidence. “Once I save his life and kill you.” The vampire let a tiny laugh escape his lips. “Strong words for such a young girl. But I admire your determination. I was hoping you wouldn’t give up easily.” He stepped even closer to me and leaned down, his mouth breathing rancid air on my neck as he whispered in my ear. “Where you made your first kill. If you want to see him alive again, be there at midnight.” Before I could blink, he was gone. I frantically looked around the room, but he was nowhere to be found. I didn’t have time to hunt for him. It was already less than an hour until midnight, and I had to find a way to get out to those woods before Chance ended up dead. As I pushed through the crowd, still being careful not to draw any unwanted attention to myself, Kayla came running up to me. Her cheerful disposition quickly faded once she was close enough to see my face. “What’s going on?” she asked, nerves littering her words. I didn’t want her to know what had happened—I couldn’t let her get hurt—but something was telling me that I was going to need some help. “Chance is gone,” I said, still moving toward the front

doors. “A vampire took him, and I’ve got to get him back.” “I’m with you,” Kayla said, her voice suddenly strong and confident. I didn’t even bother to argue with her; I knew it would have been a waste of time. “You sure?” “Definitely.” She fished a cell phone from her purse as we headed out to the parking lot. “Let’s take my mom’s car,” she added, punching numbers into the keypad. “It’s faster than his truck.” I couldn’t argue with that. Chance’s truck didn’t exactly scream speed racer, which is what we needed. Mrs. Harper’s car was much newer and sportier, and no doubt twice as fast. I followed Kayla across the parking lot as she spoke into the phone. It didn’t surprise me who she was calling. “Erik, we need you and Lila to meet us—” She paused to look over at me. I gave her the info I got from the vampire and she continued, “—at the old Caldon mansion. It’s time to hunt.” She snapped the phone shut and tossed it back into her purse, pulling her keys out and pressing the button to unlock the doors of the car. “How did you know it’s the Caldon house?” I asked. “I researched this place before we moved here. You know, scoping out the local legends.” “So what’d you find out about that place?” “Nothing. Except it belonged to the Caldons.” “And you remembered that?” “Yep. Photographic memory.” Kayla tapped her temple with her keys as we hopped in the car and sped away from the school; the entire exchange took less than thirty seconds.

“Who was he?” she asked as we zipped through town. “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me his name.” Images of Chance being tortured or killed flashed through my mind, fueling my rage even further. “But he was old, I could tell.” “How old?” “Not sure. But I could sense that he was powerful, so old.” “That’s not good,” Kayla said, scaring me even more. I knew fighting a really old vampire was bad, but hearing her say it made it seem so much worse. “But doable.” She looked over at me and smiled, but I could see the fear shrouding her face. She was as scared as I was that something bad was about to happen. “I need to go by Chance’s house,” I said as we left town and headed out toward the old house in the woods. “I’ll be quick. I just need to make sure his mom is okay.” I didn’t need to have to worry about her being harmed because of me, too. “Good idea. Just make it fast.” Kayla sped up to shave off some time, knowing that every second we wasted put Chance in danger. When she sped down the driveway to Chance’s house, I was practically out of the car before it stopped. I shot through the door with vampire speed, no longer caring if Ms. Caldon saw me or not. I would have to worry about that later. Right now I had to make sure she wasn’t hurt. I made it to the kitchen before I realized something was off. A cold breeze was flowing freely throughout the house, slightly moving the curtains hanging over the kitchen window. A pot of something that smelled delicious was steaming on the stove, but Chance’s mom was nowhere in

sight. “Hello?” I called out, turning off the burner and moving the boiling pot to the sink. I moved around the bottom floor of the house, hoping for any signs of life. “Ms. Caldon?” Nothing. My paranoia kicked in, and my nerves went on high alert. Something was wrong, I could feel it. Without even thinking about it, my fangs broke through my gums and slid into place over my teeth and I immediately went into defense mode. I was momentarily thankful to Aldric for starting off with that. He had been right; a good defense was the best offense. I slowly and methodically scoured every room in the house, absolutely positive after seeing the front door wide open and the TV on that something bad had happened. I checked every place someone like me—a deadly vampire —could hide: closets, bathrooms, pantry, everywhere. There was no one in the house other than me. My first instinct was to bolt out the front door and try to find and follow the trail that whoever had taken Ms. Caldon might have left. But I didn’t have to. A quick glance out the back door ended my search. I flung the door open and jumped off the porch, my feet firmly landing on the soft lawn. It took two seconds for me to sprint across the yard to where Ms. Caldon lay crumpled against a giant oak tree next to the privacy fence. Before I even knelt down next to her, I knew she was dead. Her face was void of all color, her eyes wide open and staring into space. Giant puncture marks on her neck drenched in spilled blood told me all I needed to know. A vampire had killed Chance’s mom, and it happened because of me.

I wanted to cry and scream and hit something as hard as I could, but I didn’t have time. I had to get to Chance before he suffered the same fate.

2 4. PAYBACK I sprang into action after finding Chance’s mom. I put a call in to the police, pretending to be a neighbor that heard something suspicious at the Caldon house. I figured that was the easiest way to get the cops to find Ms. Caldon without directly involving myself. I absolutely hated to leave her like that, but I had to save her son. I knew it was what she would have wanted me to do. I fought the urge to lock up the house, feeling it was probably best for the police to find it the way I did. I definitely didn’t want to disrupt any evidence. I ran outside to an eager Kayla behind the wheel. “She okay?” Kayla asked as she sped down the drive and onto the highway. “She’s dead.” I blurted the words out as fast as I could, trying to avoid crying. I thought of Ms. Caldon as my own mom. She had taken me in without even knowing me and had been nothing but nice to me. And now she was dead. The guilt I was feeling was unbearable, only fueling my anger even more. I was determined to make whoever did that to her pay. “What?” Kayla gasped, her eyes darting from the road to me. A light dusting of snow had begun to fall, making night driving difficult. Normally I would have been scared to have someone else driving, but Kayla was the best option at the time. My mind was too busy trying to figure out how to save Chance’s life to worry about road conditions. “A vampire killed her. Probably the same one from the dance.” My mind flashed back to the vampire’s face. His pale skin, dark eyes and evil smile unnerved me. He was a

ruthless killer who probably murdered Chance’s mom without even thinking about it. “Oh my God,” Kayla said with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe this.” I couldn’t either. I couldn’t believe any of this was happening. Me being a vampire, Chance being a Healer, it was all so unbelievable. I felt like somehow I had gone to sleep and woken up inside a nightmare. One that was only getting worse. “This is going to kill Chance,” Kayla added, her voice shaking. I tried not to think of what it would do to him if he found out—or when. He would be totally destroyed, especially knowing that if he had been there he could have healed her, saved her. I didn’t know if Chance wanted anyone else to know about his ability, so I kept it to myself. I figured he could tell who he wanted once I rescued him. That gave me some hope. As we headed out of town, my mind turned from worry about Chance to worrying about Kayla and Erik and Lila. I was the only immortal one on our side. I was afraid that a large number of vampires would prove to be too much for a normal human to fight against. They were vampire hunters, though, and could probably hold their own better than me. But still, I would have felt better if we had some more power on our side. It only took a second for my brain to make the connection. There was only one other person who could fight vampires with the same force and power that I could. “We need to make one more stop,” I said, my nerves on edge. “We don’t have time,” Kayla stammered, checking the

clock on the dash. “We have less than half an hour till midnight.” “Then drive faster. This won’t take long.” “Where are we going?” Kayla sped up as she spoke, knowing that arguing would only waste time. “Reinforcements.” I focused on the rapidly increasing snowfall outside my window, hoping we would make it to the old Caldon estate without having an accident or something. It was really coming down, coating everything in beautiful white. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Kayla said as she floored the gas and her mom’s Volvo sliced through the snow. “Me too.” We made it to Aldric’s house in less than five minutes. Kayla slowed the car and I jumped out and bounded up the steps of his porch with vampire speed. I was about to knock when the door flew open and Aldric was standing there, dressed in his usual stylish black with a panicked look on his face. “Ava, what’s wrong?” His vampire hearing was obviously better trained than mine. “It’s Chance,” I said, already heading back to the car. “He’s been taken. We have to go get him.” I didn’t wait for Aldric to protest as I opened the door to Kayla’s car. Surprisingly, he was climbing in the back at the same time. “Who are you?” Kayla asked once she maneuvered the car back onto the highway. “This is Aldric,” I answered. “Aldric?” Kayla cut her eyes at me a few times before

realizing who he was. “Ah,” she said. “Got it.” She kept her eyes glued to the road after that, but I caught her stealing glances in the rearview mirror every few seconds. “What happened?” Aldric asked. Though he still spoke in his calm, poised fashion, I detected the tiniest bit of frantic worry lurking behind his words. I was actually surprised at what appeared to be genuine concern coming from him. I quickly filled him in on what went down at the dance. “Sounds like Sebastian,” he said, staring ahead into the snowy night surrounding us. We had already left the city limits, the road now dark and ominous. “Who’s Sebastian?” I asked, turning in my seat to look at him. His face held the tiniest hint of nervousness, which didn’t help my nerves at all. “I was part of his coven years ago. I left because we had...a difference of opinion.” “What was that?” “He felt vampires should rule the world. I didn’t.” Hearing him say that gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe he wasn’t as evil as I thought. “So what? Now he’s put some sort of human extinction plan into action? Starting with Chance’s mom?” I tried to hide the panic in my voice, but I definitely wasn’t prepared to go up against something that strong. “What happened to Chance’s mother?” He asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “She’s dead.” I choked back my tears. “She was drained.” I could feel Kayla cringe in the seat beside me. She kept her hands locked on the wheel and her eyes on the road, but a sudden spike in how fast her blood was flowing revealed her unease.

“I don’t know what he has planned,” Aldric continued. “I think he just wants to stop you from killing vampires. But I’m sure it’s because you’re throwing a kink into whatever plan he does have. You’re in the way, so to speak. And he can’t have that.” “Can we beat him?” I asked, afraid to hear his answer. “I don’t know that, either,” Aldric said with honesty. “He’s very strong, and very lethal. And when he wants something, he always gets it.” “Great. So now I have an entire army of vampires who hates me. My life just keeps getting better.” I turned forward in my seat, my brain shifting into hyper drive as it tried to process all that I was hearing. We finally made it to the woods surrounding the abandoned house, careful to park far enough away so we wouldn’t be seen. Sebastian had told me to come. I didn’t want him or his coven knowing about my friends. I was glad to see Erik and Lila had already arrived, their twin frames strapped with stakes and crossbows and even some of those darts I knew all too well. Having someone ready to stand and fight and possibly even die to help me was overwhelming and inspiring. Even in the midst of the tragic night unfolding, I somehow managed a tiny smile. “You okay?” Erik asked, his voice strong and loud in the quiet of the night. “I will be, now that you guys are here.” I walked over to Kayla, who was busy pulling her own weapons from a bag in her trunk. “Are you ready for this?” I knew her answer before she even said it. “I was born ready.” We both smiled grimly and joined the

others. As our tiny group pushed through the thick of the woods, a sinking feeling of doom came over me. I couldn’t help but think that regardless of how big a coven of vampires we were about to walk into, some of us—if not all —wouldn’t make it out alive.

“Be on alert,” Aldric said to no one in particular. He was standing tall, and even though his eyes were focused on the clearing coming into view through the darkness and trees, I knew that somehow he was seeing everything going on around us. His senses were spot on, and having him there made me more comfortable; not that I was super comfortable to begin with. “Yeah,” Lila piped up. “Like I’m gonna take orders from a bloodsucking leech.” I could hear the sarcasm in her words, and even though we were about to fight the biggest battle any of us had ever faced—well, except maybe Aldric—I really wanted to walk over and punch her. But I thought it was probably a smart idea if the good guys weren’t discovered because they were fighting each other. So I bit my tongue and kept quiet. Apparently Kayla didn’t think like me. “You could always walk out there blind and get your throat cut.” Kayla’s voice was barely a whisper, but Lila got her point. I expected Lila to start an argument given her overbearing personality, so I was surprised when she didn’t say anything back. “Let’s just get on with it,” Erik added with aggravation.

“They started it,” Lila pouted. “I don’t care,” Erik snapped back. “Just stop.” I could feel the tension between them, thick like the snow skirting our feet. “Heads up.” Aldric stopped their useless banter with his stern voice. I focused on the clearing, which was clouded with a thick blanket of snow sweeping across the damp grass. The flakes were falling fast and heavy now, clouding our view worse than before. Even with vampire eyes, I could just barely make out the silhouette of two people crossing the open field. Of course, I knew they weren’t people—well, not living people, anyway. They were vampires, and I had no doubt they were the first of many. “Kayla,” Aldric whispered. “You three go east, try to circle around and come in from the other side. Ava and I will move straight forward.” “Shouldn’t one of us be with them?” I asked, worried about splitting up our human/vampire ratio. “We’ll be fine,” Kayla answered. “We’ve done this before.” I knew she meant they had stalked/hunted/ killed vampires before, but I didn’t believe for a second she or Erik or Lila had ever taken down an entire coven at once. Not that I knew for sure that we were about to face a coven. That was the worst part, not knowing what we were up against. “How many are there, Aldric?” I knew he couldn’t give me an exact answer, but somewhere in the ballpark would have been great. “Not sure,” he said. “Sebastian’s coven was rather large when I left, so he could have brought along any number of

members.” He spoke of the family of vampires like it was a country club or something, which really creeped me out. “But no coven travels in its entirety. There are always those who stay behind, just in case.” “In case of what?” “In case they run into someone like us.” I picked up on his optimism. He sounded confident we were going to prevail, and I prayed he was right. I didn’t say anything other than “be careful” as Kayla, Erik and Lila broke off from the group and disappeared into the darkness of the woods. I lost sight of them almost instantly through the snowfall, and after a few seconds, I couldn’t even hear them moving anymore. “You aren’t sending them into a trap or anything, are you?” I kept my eyes locked on the vampires in the clearing as I spoke. Now that we were down to two—well, one and a half if we were counting vampire power—I didn’t want them to get the slip on us. “Of course not,” Aldric said sharply. “I’m here to help you, Ava. Trust me.” “Trust a vampire. Isn’t that like an oxymoron or something?” Aldric didn’t answer. I knew what I said was rude, so his silence didn’t surprise me. I wanted so desperately to trust him, to believe him when he said that he was on my side. But there was something about him that made me feel uneasy, and I couldn’t let that feeling go. Not yet, anyway. “So what now?” I asked, changing the subject. I felt Aldric move up beside me, his arm brushing mine. The warmth and electricity I felt when Chance touched me wasn’t there, only cold, dead skin. I pulled my arm away, hoping I didn’t

offend him. “Now we have some fun,” Aldric said, unaffected by my revulsion to his touch. I looked away from the clearing and tried to focus on his face. After a few seconds, the dull moonlight helped my eyes adjust to the dark and his features slowly came into view; he was smiling. “You have a warped idea of fun,” I muttered as he slowly and methodically crept to the very edge of the clearing. I reluctantly followed him, knowing that by moving away from the trees, we were giving up what little bit of cover we had. I was actually grateful for the snow, hoping it would help hide us. Aldric kept low to the ground, his body seemingly floating along the top of the snow. His feet disturbed the white, puffy blanket, revealing dirt and leaves below. I, unfortunately, wasn’t as graceful. I looked more like a sloth slurping along the ground searching for food. “Wait a minute,” I whispered. Aldric stopped but didn’t turn around. “What if they see us?” I kept moving forward, slowly making my way up to where Aldric was crouched. “We want them to see us,” Aldric said. “They’ll come this way, and then your friends can make their move.” “What move? You said they were going to storm the clearing from the other side?” I was struggling to keep my voice low so the vampire guards wouldn’t hear me. “No, I didn’t. I said they were going to try and come in from the other side. Meaning they were to try and get inside the house. That’s our ultimate goal here, Avaline.” I felt my anger at Aldric building inside, rising to an uncontrollable level. I hated that he had become a part of my life. I hated that he held some sort of power over me. And I hated that

he was running the show. Chance was my friend—or whatever—and I was going to be the one calling the shots. “Then let’s do this,” I said with fervor, abruptly standing up. Aldric shot up beside me, surprise littering his face. “And don’t call me Avaline again.” With that, I shot out into the clearing like a bullet, hell-bent on revenge.

2 5. IT BEGINS I ran forward with all the strength my super-charged vampire body would give me. I made it less than ten feet before the vampires spotted me. One of them bolted in my direction, his speed matching mine. The clearing was massive in size, but we would be crashing into each other like two freight trains in seconds. As we both sped through the snow, it flew up around us, making the entire scene look like the inside of a gigantic snow globe. Of course, I couldn’t imagine a snow globe depicting two vampires attacking each other being a top seller. I watched as the other vampire sprung into the air and emitted a highpitched sound that pierced my ears. He floated freely on the air before swooping down into a full sprint, headed directly for me. I felt a wave of panic rush over me, but I forced my mind to block it out. I didn’t have time to panic. I didn’t have time to do anything other than run—and attack. I quickly made the decision to go for the vampire who had charged me first. Hopefully I could subdue him before the second one crossed the fifty yards between us and got me. My eyes were locked on the fast-approaching vampire. He was only a few yards away, and I could clearly see his fangs practically glowing in the moonlit sky. As he drew closer, the rage within me built up, coursing through my veins and fueling my speed. Somehow my body went even faster, and before I had time to think, the two of us collided. The impact jolted my body, every cell shaking violently. The pain was so intense. It felt like I had been shot by a thousand guns. I let it fly through me, and I fought back with

fierce determination. I tried to ignore the paralyzing pain by filling my mind with images of Chance: the first time I saw him; the first time he touched me; our perfect first kiss. I couldn’t let him die a viscous, horrible death. I wouldn’t be able to live if something happened to him. I couldn’t live without him. Even if I had to die so he wouldn’t, I was ready. The vampire was grasping frantically at my arms, trying to pin them against my body. His fangs were exposed, and he kept pushing his head forward, trying to sink them into my neck. I kept my arms moving, constantly changing defense positions to avoid his grip. I was trying to reach the stake I had strapped to my back—courtesy of Lila, surprisingly—before the other vampire reached us. I knew that I was strong, and extremely determined, but I didn’t think I could tackle two at once. But I couldn’t reach the stake; the vampire was too strong. I couldn’t break free long enough to snag it. All I could do was fend off his advances. I looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the other vampire fast approaching. It was a female, her long black hair pulled tightly behind her. She seemed about my height and weight, which would hopefully work to my advantage. She was dressed all in black, but I could see that she was holding something. My eyes zeroed in on her hands, which were fumbling with a weird, metal object. I couldn’t make out what it was at that distance, but I knew it was some sort of weapon; she was too focused on it for it not to be. That overpowering thread of panic returned, this time too strong for me to ignore. I was in trouble, and I needed to think quickly before my fight ended right then. As if things couldn’t get worse, I saw three more vampires break

through the tree line at the far left side of the clearing, running full speed in my direction, snow flying all around them. Five at once? No way could I win.

This is where I die. Right now, alone and fighting. I guess if it was time to die, there was no better way than fighting for someone you cared for. At least, that’s what I was telling myself as my impending death swiftly approached. I ignored the three vampires crossing the clearing, keeping my mind focused on the vampire fighting me and the one fast on his heels. I knew I could take at least one of them down before they killed me. Having totally forgotten about Aldric, I was caught off guard when he flew past me toward the trio of approaching vampires. He could definitely take all three of them on with no problem, which left me to deal with the two in front of me. Not my ideal course of action, but I understood his reasoning. And having to fight only two was definitely better than five. Time seemed to slow down at that moment. I watched the girl vampire lift the object in her hands and point it in my direction. I was still grappling with the guy vampire as he tried to lunge for my neck, but she was close enough for me to clearly see that she was holding a crossbow, much like the one Chance had used on me, loaded and ready to fire. I only had a split-second to do something or I would be wearing a tiny arrow as a headband. I saw the rage in the guy’s face; I saw the determination in the girl’s. They both wanted to kill me, that I knew for certain. What I also knew was that I wasn’t going to let them both live. One of them would die at my hands before I was done.

I barely managed to get a good grip on the guy vampire’s forearms when I heard the click of the crossbow and the whoosh of the arrow slicing through the air. With no other option, I spun him to my right just as the arrow pierced his back. He screamed that undeniable scream of death as the metal tip of the arrow broke through the front of his body, dead center through his heart. I felt the muscles in his arms tense then relax as his body slumped to the ground. Tiny, black spider-webbed veins appeared all over his face and hands before he turned to ash and was swept away in the winter wind. “Noooooo!” The girl vampire screamed as she knelt down beside him, seconds before the ashes of his remains were gone. “Max!” That was his name; Max. I had just killed Max, and apparently he meant something to her. Normally, I would have felt a pang of guilt or remorse, but seeing as she had just tried to kill me, all I could produce was anger. She was mad too, jumping up to face me. “I’ll enjoy killing you,” she snarled, her fangs spewing venom as she spoke. Her eyes were on fire, fueled with both hatred for me and a longing for a lost love. Her body was crouched in an attack position, so I mimicked her stance. “You already tried,” I snapped back. “This time won’t be as easy.” “Good.” With that she sprang forward, crashing into me like a tidal wave. The two of us spiraled back, a twisted force of rage and power, demolishing the pristine snow and uprooting grass as we slammed into the ground and skidded several feet. He hands were wild, flailing at my

arms and face, her pointy nails cutting into my skin. I barely noticed the sting as I fought off her advances, quickly rolling her beneath me and pinning her down. She growled like an animal, her voice low and guttural and vibrating in my chest. Then I realized it was me. I was the one making those animalistic noises, those sounds of fury. It was my body convulsing with raw energy and stamina. Without even thinking, I sunk my fangs into the cusp of her neck, ignoring her agonizing cries as I drank her putrid blood. It took longer to kill her than the vampire I killed in the woods the day Kayla and I went running. She was younger and stronger, her blood much thicker than his had been. It still tasted rancid and bitter and turned my stomach, but it was blood, so it gave me the tiniest burst of energy. I shot up from the ground and into a full run, charging toward Aldric and the one vampire he had left to take down. The other two lay crumpled at his feet. I guessed that the crossbow the girl vampire killed Max with was coated in something, since he had turned to ash and the others didn’t. Probably the same something Erik and Lila had used to dispose of the vampire Kayla had killed at the mall. I sped toward Aldric with fierce determination. But movement to my right caught my eye and I stopped dead in my tracks. I saw Erik and Lila slowly crossing the clearing, Chance practically being dragged along with them. I forgot about Aldric and sprinted in their direction. I could tell by Lila’s stunned expression that she was freaked out by my super speed. “How is he?” I asked, taking Chance from between them and lowering him slowly to the ground. He was unconscious

but still breathing. “Hurt but alive,” Lila said from behind me. Erik spun in slow, tight circles, his eyes scanning the dark woods around us. “Where’s Kayla?” I asked, suddenly worried she didn’t make it. “Not sure,” Erik answered, his eyes glued to the edges of the clearing. My mind immediately went to Kayla and our new friendship. If anything happened to her because of me, I would never forgive myself. “She was fighting the vampires guarding Chance while we got him out,” Lila added. “She told us to go, so we did.” “You left her in there alone?” I already didn’t like Lila. This was just fuel for the fire. “She knows how much he means to you. She wanted to make sure he got out alive.” I couldn’t argue with her on that. Kayla definitely knew that Chance meant the world to me—probably always had known. And of all people, she would be the first to stay and fight. She wouldn’t want to be the one having to run away from a challenge. I admired her for that, but at the same time, I was mad as hell at her for risking her life for me. But she hadn’t done it just for me. She did if for Chance. I looked down at him again, his head resting on my folded legs. The snow had finally stopped falling, but the dark, ominous clouds filled the night sky, causing the moonlight to fade in and out. I couldn’t clearly see Chance’s face, but I didn’t need to. The intoxicating smell of his blood hit my nostrils, and I had to focus all my energy and strength on

trying to ignore it. His scent had always drawn me in, but now that his blood was flowing outside of his body, the draw was almost too much to bear. It was just like when he offered to let me feed on him. “What’s wrong?” I heard Erik’s voice as he moved to stand in front of me. I looked up at him, unable to speak. “Oh God.” “What?” Lila asked, moving next to her brother. She only stood there a second before quickly stooping and shoving me hard in the shoulder. I rolled onto my back, Chance’s head dropping to the ground. “Get away from him,” Lila continued, her voice frantic. I sat upright and watched as she and Erik circled Chance, who was still unconscious. I opened my mouth to ask what the hell her problem was. A quick flick of my tongue told me. I knew from the stunned and angry looks on their faces, and the taste of venom in my mouth, that my fangs were out. Which meant I was hungry, and Chance’s blood was all over my hands.

2 6. LOSS I’m sorry,” I stammered, pulling myself away from Chance and curling my body in on itself. “Sorry.” I couldn’t say anything else. My mind was too focused on the alluring smell of Chance’s blood flooding my nostrils, and the fact that I wanted to taste it again. The thought both sickened and excited me. How could I be so horrible? How could I want to drink his blood again? I should be destroyed. “Just stay over there,” Erik said, his eyes going from me to Chance. I looked across the clearing to see Aldric still fighting with a rather large vampire. Even though we didn’t really get tired—well, full vampires didn’t, anyway—I imagined that Aldric’s resilience was wearing thin. “I need to help him,” I called out, standing up. “No!” Lila yelled, stepping between Chance and me. “We said stay.” She held out her hand at me, the sharp point of a stake inches from my chest. I couldn’t speak. I just looked into her eyes. “That’s not necessary,” I said calmly. My body was screaming at me to move back, to at least be prepared for an attack. But my mind was in control, and it was telling me to stand my ground. “I’ll decide that,” Lila said, her voice sharp and powerful. “You have no clue what you’re capable of.” “I know I would never hurt him,” I said, looking over her shoulder at Chance. He was still out cold, and Erik was kneeling beside him. I watched as he ripped off a piece of his torn shirt and used it to stop Chance’s forehead from bleeding. I felt my mouth salivating.

“Fine,” I reluctantly agreed. The two of us stood motionless, staring each other down, just waiting for the other to make a sudden move. I knew Lila was probably the best when it came to killing vampires, but I also knew I was fast. Could I beat her? Could I rip her throat out before she shoved that piece of wood into my heart? My mind was busy weighing my options when a familiar and terrifying smell floated on the breeze in front of me. My body tensed, and my new super senses went into overdrive. “Move him,” I ordered Lila, stepping away from her and her stake. “What?” she asked, turning her body to follow me, clutching the stake even tighter in her hand. I didn’t look at her, my mind too focused on what was coming. “I said move him, Lila. Now.” She didn’t question what I said, or the fact that I was walking toward Chance and Erik. The tone of my voice told her everything. She and her brother lifted Chance stretcher-style and carted him as far to the other side of the clearing as they could and still be able to protect him from all sides. I watched them lay him on the ground just as Kayla came bounding down the steps of the house, dirty and bloody but very alive. I wanted to run to her and hug her and tell her how much I loved her for saving him, but that I hated her for being so stupid with her own life. But I didn’t have time. Aldric was beside me in a flash, the two of us falling into a rhythm as we walked slowly to the center of the field. “You smell it, too?” he asked, already knowing the answer. “It’s strong,” I said, my mind focused on the rotten odor

invading every cell in my body. “ Very strong.” The stench was overwhelming, making me sick and agitated all at once. I felt my muscles tighten as the smell grew even more intense, fast approaching. I yelled back for Kayla, and she quickly ran over to us. She didn’t have to ask what was wrong. She could tell by my panicked expression that things were about to go from bad to worse. The trees lining the edge of the clearing began to shake as the wind blowing through them picked up. I watched intensely as several pairs of yellow eyes appeared in the darkness of the woods, all of them squinted and angry looking. “Ready?” I said, noticing that Erik had joined us. He was focused on the trees, both of his hands tightly gripping wooden stakes. The moonlight peeking through the clouds made their pointy tips glow; they were treated with the mystery chemical, too. Faster to kill with, I supposed. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Lila crouched over Chance, stakes occupying her hands, too. Even though I didn’t like her that much—not at all, really—I was glad that she was the one guarding him. At least I knew he would be safe. “Definitely,” Kayla said, pulling a couple of poison-laced stakes from the straps on her back. I looked at her and she smiled, but I could see fear in her eyes. Of all of us, she was the one I was worried about most. “Good, because they’re here.” I turned back to the woods just as dozens of vampires stepped into the clearing. Some of them were jumping from the tops of the trees, while others sprinted across the grass. All of them were ultimately

heading for the four of us standing side by side, ready to fight. “Kayla,” I said, my eyes focused on the wall of killers moving toward us. “When I say, you follow me. Erik, you and Aldric go opposite of us.” No one answered me, but I knew they were all listening. I watched the coven moving swiftly through the foggy moonlight, trying to wait as long as possible before we made our move. My body was on edge with anticipation and fear, and I could tell by the rise in the smell of Kayla’s and Erik’s blood scents that they felt the same tension. I imagined Aldric was calm and collected, as always, eager to fight. I was eager, too. I just wasn’t filled with his overpowering confidence. When I felt the moment was right, I yelled “NOW!” The four of us broke off in pairs. Kayla ran with me to the left while Aldric and Erik shot out to the right side of the clearing. The strategy worked like I had hoped. The vampires were momentarily caught off guard, giving us a very small, but very much needed, advantage. I only prayed none of us would waste it. I shot up and out, crashing mid-air with a vampire twice my size. I didn’t wait for us to hit the ground; I went for his neck, my fangs unsheathing just in time to pierce his skin. Putrid blood spewed from the bite, coating me and the white snow with the vampire’s dead blood. By the time I landed back in the matted grass, he was dead, his skin littered with black veins. I caught sight of Kayla out of the corner of my eye as she drove a stake into the heart of a very young-looking vampire boy. As his body turned to ash and disintegrated, I

doubted he was even a teenager. Now he never would be. I didn’t have time to think about him, though. Two more vampires as violent and crazed as the first were tackling me in seconds. I flew backward, rolling over myself and landing in a crouched position. I shot straight up and wrestled with the pair, kicking one back to the woods while I bit the other one. I didn’t even notice the horrible-tasting blood this time, my body now numb to it. I simply drank until the vampire was dead and flung its body to the side, ready for my next kill. The vampire I kicked away charged toward me at full speed, along with two more who noticed I was still alive. I only had one set of fangs, so I had to do something fast. “Kayla!” I yelled at her to throw me a stake. Two seconds later I was catching the sharpened piece of wood in one hand while fighting off the advancing vampire with the other. The smell emanating from the stake burned my eyes and made me cough. I tried to hold it as far from my face as possible, hoping I wouldn’t be keeping it very long. The vampire spun around in front of me as two girl vampires flanked him. One of the girls snarled at me as the three of them stood semi-circle about ten feet away. I suddenly felt like a baby gazelle who had been cornered away from her flock and was about to become dinner. All I saw were glowing eyes and fangs as the three of them moved forward in slow synchronization. They were daring me, I could tell. They wanted me to attack, because they knew I was outnumbered. With no other option but to fight, I went for the male vampire first, hoping that he would be the strongest of the three and the girls would be a bit easier to

fight. Not that fighting a vampire was easy, but it was the only plan I had. I barely made it to him before he and the girl on his left jumped in together to take me down. He went for my arms and the stake while she bee-lined for my neck; strength in numbers. As I kept my body moving to avoid her fangs, I knew this was my final moment. I wasn’t going to make it out of this fight, but I planned on taking out as many of these three as I could. The guy was so strong and fast, it took all I had just to keep the stake locked in my hand. He kept reaching for my fingers, trying to pry them open so the stake would fall. I’m sure he planned on using it on me instead, but I managed to out-maneuver him. Unfortunately, my body was fast giving out on me. At that moment, being part human really sucked. Even though I knew that all the vampires fighting— Aldric included—were getting tired, they had miles of energy left in them compared to me. If I wanted to kill at least one more before I died, I had to do something. I kicked as hard as I could at the guy vampire, my foot making contact with his knee. I knew it wouldn’t do any permanent damage, but for the time being I was happy to hear the popping noise his kneecap made as it dislodged and he fell to the ground in excruciating pain. His hands quickly let go of mine. I gave the girl trying to climb up my back a swift elbow, shattering her nose and sending her reeling backwards in a fit of tears and screams. As she clutched her face, I made a bold move and shot into the air, flying above the vampire with the shattered knee and falling straight down on top of him. In the few

seconds it took me to do so, I managed to position the stake perfectly, piercing the leathery skin of his chest and breaking through his ribcage. I was so close to him I could almost hear the point of the stake rip through his heart. I was sure it killed him instantly, but I drove it completely through his body to the other side just to be sure. Once I felt the tip of the stake break through the ground beneath him, I pulled it out and watched him slowly turn to ash and break apart. His face was the last piece of him to go, and it held a look of pain and horror that burned into my memory. The girl with the broken nose didn’t stay down for long. Before I could turn around, she was clawing at my back again. The awkward position I was in, however, made it much easier for her this time. I felt her blood on my skin and her cold breath on my neck when she whispered in my ear. “Ready to die, little girl?” Her bony fingers were digging into my shoulders. Shards of pain, that I tried to ignore, shot down my arms. Her weight and strength were too much for me to move. I was pinned against the dead vampire beneath me. “You first.” I heard the words before the vampire screamed in my ear and turned to ash, her body disintegrating all over my back. I quickly rolled over and jumped up to fight. But I didn’t have to. “What the hell are you doing?” I asked Lila, who was crouched down across from me with her stake held out in front of her where the girl had been. She looked over at me before standing up and smiled “You’re welcome,” she snapped, her eyes darting back and forth, searching for more vampires.

“You’re supposed to be with Chance.” I was pissed, even more so at her than the army of undead we were trying to kill. “If something happens to him I’ll—“ “Calm down drama queen,” she said with thick sarcasm. “He’s fine.” She looked over her shoulder and I quickly followed her gaze. There was Chance, propped against the side of the house. He had finally woken up, but even from this distance I could tell he was still pretty out of it. “Get back over there,” I ordered, pointing in his direction. Lila, of course, didn’t move. “You go watch him,” she said as she walked away from me and in the opposite direction of the house. “I thought you didn’t want me near him?” “I’m over it,” she snapped. “Kill him if you want to, I don’t care. I have some vampire ass to kick.” And with that she was off, sprinting across the field and jumping into a fight with her brother. Erik was busy taking on two vampires, a guy and a girl, and I quickly wondered if they were brother and sister too. That would have just been too weird. I turned my attention back to Chance, who was slumped over and rubbing his head. I wanted to run to him and tell him that I loved him and that we were all going to be okay, but I couldn’t. Not honestly. Not yet. I had no clue if any of us would be okay—or even alive—when it was all over. But I did know that I would do all I could to make sure that at least he made it out of here. I figured he would be fine where he was since it seemed all the vampires were engaged in battle. A lightning-fast survey of the area showed all four of my cohorts busily trying to take down their villains. Aldric was winning—easily of course—and Erik and Lila weren’t

doing too bad, either. So I ran to help Kayla. As long as their numbers didn’t increase, and if we kept our stamina going, we might actually have a chance at winning. Then things took a horrible turn for the worse. As I was running toward Kayla, my stake in my hand, a wiry little vampire broke off from the fight against Aldric and started running toward her. I knew I wouldn’t make it in time, no matter how fast I could run, so I tried to yell and warn her. But the noise of the fighting was too loud, and she was too far away. She couldn’t hear me, and there was nothing I could do to stop the vampire who fully intended to kill her. Just before I had to watch my best friend murdered, Lila came flying out of nowhere and ran head-first into the vampire. He tumbled to the ground but quickly recovered. He had his hands around Lila’s neck, and I heard the snap of her bones just as I made it to them and drove my stake through his dead heart. He disappeared in a cloud of ash, Lila’s body falling to the ground in a bloodied heap. I ran over to her, knowing I was too late. Her eyes were open wide, her face twisted in horror. I knew instantly that she was dead.

2 7. CHOICES No!” I screamed, dropping to the ground beside Lila and scooping her body into my arms. I felt tears burn my eyes as I cradled her, her lifeless body limp in my hands. Within seconds, Erik was at my side. “What happened?” he cried, taking Lila from my arms and into his. He rocked back and forth with his sister, his face streaked with tears. “Lila! No!” He cried and screamed and yelled and I was crying, too. I was crying because I didn’t save her. I was crying because I wasn’t fast enough and an innocent girl died. I was crying because Erik was in pain, and I felt so bad for what he was going through. Unfortunately, we didn’t have long to mourn Lila’s death. The vampires that were still alive were steadfast in their charge. A human dead was a victory for them.. “Erik,” I called out, putting my hand on his. “Erik, we have to get up. They’ll kill us if we don’t.” “Leave me alone!” he cried, never taking his tear-filled eyes off his sister’s face. He had closed her eyes, and it looked like she was just sleeping. The sight was too much for me to bear. I left them alone and ran off to help Kayla. My anger had surpassed my control. I was in such a violent rage that it didn’t matter anymore if I lived or died. I only cared that the rest of my friends—who were risking their lives to help me—didn’t fall prey to the bloodsucking parasites I had unwillingly become a part of. I wanted them all dead, and I wasn’t stopping until they were. But suddenly, everything stopped. As fast as the vampires had descended upon us, they were just as quickly

backing down. Each of them stopped fighting, running together into a giant huddle of shadows on the other side of the clearing. Kayla, Aldric and I stood stunned. Erik still cradled Lila’s lifeless body. I looked at Kayla, who was just as confused as I was. What were they doing? “What the hell?” Kayla said to no one, lifting her hands to amplify her question. The scent of her blood was overwhelming, so I knew she was running ragged and her body was stressed. “Aldric?” I asked, spinning around to face him. But he was turned in the same direction as the huddle of vampires. He was focused on the house. On Chance. I looked over to where Chance had been propped against the side of the house, but he was gone. Panic ripped through me like a tornado, and I began a frantic search of the area. I didn’t have to look too far. I found him standing a few yards away from the house. But he wasn’t standing on his own. He was being held up by the same powerful-looking vampire from the dance. “Aldric,” I whispered, fear paralyzing my body. “That’s Sebastian,” he said, never taking his eyes off his former friend. I could see the veins filled with lifeless blood bulging on his temples. I couldn’t be sure if it was from anger or fear—or both. Kayla joined us, and the three of us slowly crossed the clearing toward the house. “Good to see you again, Aldric. It’s been far too long.” Sebastian’s voice was soft and distinguished, like it was in the noisy gym earlier tonight, making him sound more like a lawyer or dignitary than a monstrous vampire. I hadn’t been able to see him too clearly in the dim lighting at the dance,

but out here beneath the moonlight, he was striking. He had the same youthful looks as Aldric, with wavy blond hair cut short. His features were flawless, of course: amber eyes that glowed like the rest of his coven; high, pronounced cheekbones; defined jaw. He smiled when he spoke, his full lips rising up into the perfect slant. Even though he had his lethal hand squeezed tightly around Chance’s neck, I couldn’t help but be enamored by him. “Go to hell, Sebastian,” Aldric said calmly. Hearing him speak broke my gaze and I looked over at him. His eyes quickly darted to my face before turning back to Sebastian. “Oh I’m already there, my friend. Have been for centuries. But you know all too well what that’s like, don’t you?” “Let him go.” My first thought was that Aldric’s voice had changed before I realized I was the one who spoke. The sound of my voice surprised me. Judging by Sebastian’s brief but shocked expression, I wasn’t the only one caught off guard. “Avaline,” he said, again with that winning smile. “Nice to see you again. We didn’t have time to get acquainted at your little dance. I’ve heard quite a bit about you, young lady.” I wanted to rip his head off for calling me ‘young lady,’ and tear out his heart for calling me ‘Avaline.’ I hated him. “Do as she says, Sebastian. Killing him won’t do anyone any good.” Aldric’s tone was flat, unaffected by emotion. His reference to killing Chance, though, made me jump. Just the thought made me sick to my stomach. My eyes immediately went to Chance’s face. His eyes were filled with tears, his skin and hair matted with his own blood. I fought off the sweet smell it produced and focused solely on

his pain. He kept grasping at Sebastian’s hand, desperately trying to breathe. Aldric must have sensed my frustration and anger. “No, Ava.” Two words, so low only I could hear him. I reluctantly did as he said and stayed put. The rage in me was boiling over. “Do you think I have concern for this pathetic human?” Sebastian asked. Chance groaned and pulled on Sebastian’s hand. His legs began kicking wildly beneath him, swaying frantically in the air. “Stop!” I screamed with panic. “You’re killing him!” Aldric grabbed me as I tried to lunge forward to help. I struggled to break free of his grip. “Precisely,” Sebastian smirked. “To prove that no human is more important than a vampire. We are far superior beings. It’s time to take our place at the top.” “You’re wrong, Sebastian,” Aldric said. “You’ve always been wrong about that.” “And you’ve always had a soft spot for humans, my friend.” “We were human once, Sebastian. Remember that?” I kept looking from Aldric to Sebastian to Chance, who was beginning to turn blue. “That was so long ago,” Sebastian said. “I’m much happier with my life now.” “Happier? Or simply content? I would give up my life, my powers, everything I have now, to be human again.” He looked at me as he spoke, and I could see envy in his eyes. He was jealous of me, of my humanity. It was the first real human emotion he had ever openly shown. I wanted to say

something to him, apologize for being human when he couldn’t be. But I couldn’t. I was too worried about Chance and the fact that Sebastian was slowly killing him. I watched the life slowly slipping from his eyes as he was choking and flailing. I knew that if I didn’t do something, he would be dead in seconds. But what? What could I do to stop Sebastian? Nothing. But Aldric could. “Stop him, please.” I leaned into Aldric, my body trembling with nerves. I was begging him to save Chance. I would’ve done anything. I would’ve given my own life if I thought it would have helped. Aldric didn’t respond. He simply stood motionless and watched as Sebastian choked the life out of Chance. I wasn’t as surprised as I thought I would be. Aldric was, after all, a true vampire. And he and Sebastian had been friends or acquaintances or whatever for God knew how long, so naturally he would take his side over a human. I wanted to rip his throat out. “I’ll turn him.” Aldric’s words were like a slap in the face. I pulled away from him in shock, totally taken aback by what he said. I’ll turn him? What the hell was he saying? “No!” I spat the word like poison. Aldric finally looked at me, his face stern and unwavering. “It’s the only way, Ava,” he said, his voice barely audible. “He will kill him, make no mistake of that.” I knew he was telling the truth. I could feel it. But turning Chance into a vampire? I couldn’t let that happen, either. “There has to be a different way,” I cried, my eyes brimming with tears. I was pleading with Aldric, trying to get him to see that turning Chance into a vampire would be

worse than letting Sebastian kill him. A never-ending existence as a monster is hell on Earth. And with Chance being a Healer, how would he be able to help people again? Would he lose his abilities? The risk was too much. “I’m so sorry.” Aldric lowered his eyes for a moment, already mourning what was about to take place. He had given up, resigned to allow the inevitable to come to pass. When he brought his eyes back to mine, I gave him a go to hell look and turned back to Sebastian. “Take me instead,” I blurted out, surprised by the sudden thought, but completely satisfied in saying it. I knew I would give my life for Chance one day. The time just arrived quicker than I had expected. It didn’t matter, though. I was ready. Sebastian must have eased his grip on Chance’s neck; I heard him suck in a deep breath and cough it back out. The blood that had been sealed off in his head began to flow through his body again, his face returning to a more normal color. Sebastian surprised us all when he opened his hand, letting Chance crumple to the ground. I wanted to run to him and make sure he was okay, but Sebastian’s glare kept me locked in place. I stared back at him, too afraid to move. “I’m afraid you can’t trade places with your precious human,” Sebastian said. “You are meant for something far greater than lunch.” “Sebastian,” Aldric interjected. I was caught off guard by him, and turned to watch his face. There was something hidden there, something he wasn’t telling me. “Of course.” Sebastian bowed his head in mock

adoration, clearly poking fun at Aldric. He smirked, obviously indifferent about what Aldric had to say. I kept looking from one to the other, trying to figure out what Sebastian had meant by ‘something far greater.’ What was I meant to do? And why wouldn’t they just say it? “As I said, Avaline,” Sebastian began, but stopped. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I do mean Ava. I’ve never understood why you dislike the name Avaline. I’m sure your parents had good reason for giving it to you.” Sebastian was smiling as he spoke of my parents, his eyes moving back and forth from Aldric to me. I could do nothing but listen, my mind spinning as it tried to figure out his game. Kayla fidgeted next to me, clearly uneasy herself. “Please,” Sebastian went on. “Forgive my digression. You have a much higher purpose, Ava.” He emphasized my name again with a mocking tone. “So I decline your offer of trading places with the boy.” He turned his body to face Aldric. “And you, my dear old friend, are in no position to make such an offer. What you have done to poor Ava here has you in enough trouble as it is.” Trouble? What was he talking about? Why was Aldric in trouble for saving my life? Who was he in trouble with? What secret was being held between these two? I wanted some answers, and was about to demand them, when a flash of movement to my right took center stage. He moved so fast I didn’t have enough time to react. I could only stand by and watch as Erik stormed toward Sebastian with rage in his eyes and a stake in his hand. Sebastian seemed unmoved by the sudden attack. He simply swung his arm as Erik reached him, sending him

flying across the clearing. I watched in horror as his body sailed through the air like debris in a storm, landing hard against the ground far behind us. “Erik!” Kayla screamed and ran to help her friend, while I decided this was the only moment I would have to make my move. I sprinted toward Chance at super speed. But Sebastian was much faster. He swept in front of me before I could reach Chance and shoved me hard. I mimicked Erik’s flight as I soared back and crashed into the ground. As I struggled to stand, I saw Aldric rush Sebastian and the two of them began fighting. More equally matched, the two powerful vampires spun in circles, their bodies rising and falling on the air as they each delivered punches to the other. A quick glance showed me two things: one…Erik was alive, being helped up by Kayla; and two…Aldric’s attack on Sebastian woke the seemingly comatose vampires huddled together by the woods. There were only a handful of them left—ten or so as far as I could make out in the faint moonlight—but we were still outnumbered. With Aldric fighting Sebastian and Lila gone, it was up to Kayla, Erik and me to take on the rest. The odds were really against us. I tried to not let our disadvantage discourage me. I jumped up and into a full run, heading straight for the charging vampires. Erik and Kayla joined me, and the three of us went head-on into the crowd of killers. I couldn’t keep track of all that happened. My mind was in such a numb state that I could only see fangs and venom. I fought with an intense fury, unlike anything I had ever felt before. My mind,

body and soul were consumed with the fight, to the point that I had completely forgotten about what I was fighting for. Chance. I barely had time to listen to the voice in my head before a giant vampire breaking from the cluster and speeding off toward Chance brought my mind out of a cloud of rage. I stopped dead in my tracks, the body of a vampire I had just killed slumping to the ground in front of me. I didn’t hesitate. I sped after the large vampire, who was clearly going after Chance. I caught sight of him soon enough to stop him, but I was suddenly and unexpectedly sideswiped by another vampire, who clipped my legs and sent me toppling to the ground. She jumped on top of me like a hungry lion, her voice growling and her fangs spewing venom. I gave as good as I got, though, my hands twisting her tiny arms until they both snapped. She writhed in pain, which fueled my rage as I brought one of the broken arms to my mouth and sunk my fangs into her skin. I drank quickly, leaving her only half dead as I tossed her to the side and jumped up. But I was too late. The vampire charging at Chance reached him before I could even start running. I watched in mortified horror as he lifted Chance from the ground like a rag doll and sank his large fangs into his neck.

2 8. IMPASSE Nooo!” I screamed and ran faster than I ever had before. My body was convulsing with pain and fatigue and fear. The vampire had enough time to drink a lot of Chance’s blood before tossing him aside and flying away. I went after him, pushing off the ground and crashing into him mid-air. We fell to the ground like a gigantic rock, and I attacked him with all my strength. He fought me as hard as he could, but with rage and anger and pain controlling me, it took less than a minute for me to drive a stake I found in the dirt through his chest. I didn’t even wait for his body to turn to ash as I darted over to Chance. He wasn’t moving. I knelt beside him, the powerful scent of his blood now stronger than ever. The smell flowed through me, wrapping me in its sweetness. It swept through my mind fast and strong, covering all my thoughts with its tantalizing pull. I fought the urge to taste it as I watched it pour from the wound in his neck. I tried to find his pulse, first checking his neck before lifting his arm and applying pressure to his wrist. It was faint, but he was still alive. “Help me!” I screamed into the night, the fear of my worst nightmare coming true washing over me. I had failed. I couldn’t do the one thing I had promised myself. I couldn’t protect him. I lifted his head into my hands and cradled him in my arms, just like Erik had done with Lila. I couldn’t help but fear that I, too, was going to be saying a final goodbye. Tears flooded my cheeks and splashed onto Chance’s bloodied forehead as I cried harder than ever before. Tonight had brought all of my emotions forth. I had

experienced intense pain, anger, fear, all the human characteristics I still possessed were alive and vibrant and tearing me in half. And now the emotional torture of loss was very imminent. “Aldric!” I pulled my eyes away from Chance’s bleeding neck and found my Creator in the throes of battle with Sebastian. I watched the two of them spar with matched force, their undead bodies swirling around the open field in a frenzy, tossing snow and dirt all around. I wanted Sebastian dead, wanted Aldric to rip his head from his body and send his undead soul straight to Hell. Until now, I had wanted nothing more. But Chance was dying, and I couldn’t help him. Aldric was my only hope. “Aldric!!” I screamed louder than ever, and Aldric looked over at me. That was all it took for Sebastian to make his move. His hands hit Aldric with a mighty force, sending him reeling across the clearing. My eyes followed his body as it sailed through the air and crashed into the hard earth, the impact shaking the ground like a quake. I wanted to rush over to him, to make sure he was still alive, but Chance’s needs outweighed his. I rocked him back and forth, the fear of him dying strangling the breath out of my lungs. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t. “You won!” I screamed at Sebastian, who stood fifty feet from me, smugly glaring at Aldric’s immobile body. “They’re dead! Just leave me alone!” I couldn’t control my tears, their traitorous actions evident on my streaked face. I had never felt more defeated, more of a failure, than I did while holding my dying friend and telling the enemy that he got his way. I suddenly wanted to crawl back into the coffin I came

from and die for real. Sebastian’s head slowly turned in my direction, a wicked, mischievous grin curling his lips. “Not yet,” he said, his voice low and calm. “But soon.” And with that, he sped off into the woods at the far back of the clearing, flanked by the two remaining vampires who had been fighting with Kayla and Erik. Just like that, it was over. Well, for now. “Aldric!” I screamed for him again, and this time I saw movement. His body stirred, his legs sifting through the snow as he regained consciousness. He sat upright in the snow before standing and surveying the area. “He’s gone,” I said. “Help me!” A quick glance in my direction, and Aldric was by my side in a flash, Kayla and Erik soon following. I didn’t look at them, I couldn’t. I didn’t want to see my failure reflected in their eyes. I didn’t want to watch them judge me—ridicule me and chastise me for not being strong enough or brave enough to keep just one human alive. I didn’t want to see them looking at me the way I would have looked at myself if I could. But they didn’t. They didn’t judge me or blame me for what had happened. I could sense by their moods that they each blamed themselves. I felt all the emotions I was experiencing—the hurt and the guilt the strongest—in each of them, rumbling just below the surface, ready to spill out and take over. Just like me. “Help him,” I cried, not directing my plea to anyone in particular. I would have let aliens take Chance right then if they could have saved his life. “He’s dying,” Aldric commented. Though it sounded dry

and callous, I felt he was trying to sound sincere. He reached out and put his cold hand on my shoulder, the chill from his skin a sharp contrast to the heat escaping my body. It almost made me shudder. “No,” I cried softly, pulling Chance closer to me, so close I could faintly hear him breathing, shallow and weak. “We have to save him.” “Nothing we can do.” I heard Erik’s voice, defeated. “Nothing we can do for anybody out here.” I knew he was talking about Lila, and my heart went out to him. The tiny piece of it that wasn’t breaking. “You have to do it.” Kayla’s voice was shaky as she spoke. She sounded upset, and was most likely crying, though I couldn’t be certain since my attention was focused on Chance. “She’s not ready for that,” Aldric whispered, probably hoping I didn’t hear him. “Ready for what?” I managed to get the words out between sobs. I forced my eyes away from Chance’s face and looked at Aldric. “What am I not ready for?” I watched his eyes dart from Erik to Kayla then back to me. “Tell me, Aldric. Is there something you can do to save him?” Aldric hesitated before finally saying “Yes.” I didn’t need to hear what it was; it didn’t matter. Whatever could be done, I wanted it done now. “Okay then, what are you waiting for? Do it.” I laid Chance’s head gently on the grass and stood, his blood coating my hands. As badly as I wanted to bring them to my mouth and taste its sweetness again, I wiped the blood onto my dress as best I could. It didn’t help with masking

the scent. “You don’t want him to, trust me.” The sound of Erik’s voice was unsettling. I sensed by his cryptic tone that he had seen what Aldric could do, and he didn’t like it. “It doesn’t matter what he does, as long as Chance is alive when it’s over.” I was glaring at Erik, furious that he of all people could think that I wouldn’t want to do whatever it took to save him. I’m sure if the roles were reversed, he’d be giving his life to save Lila. “That’s the problem,” Erik added. I did my best to ignore him. “Are you sure, Ava?” Aldric asked, slowly kneeling down next to Chance. “Because once I do this, there’s no turning back.” I had no clue what he was planning, my mind too frenzied, but my emotions had taken control of me and they wanted Chance to be okay. “Positive,” I said, though I didn’t sound it. My body was practically shaking with emotion, and I felt like I would pass out at any moment. Aldric looked from me to Erik and Kayla, both of whom were pleading with their eyes for me to reconsider. Aldric had lifted Chance’s head off the ground and was cradling his bruised and bloodied body before the realization of what was about to happen finally creeped into my brain. No. It couldn’t be. I was mistaken, had to be. But I wasn’t. Nausea swept over me, and I became lightheaded over what I was agreeing to. But what other choice did I have? I couldn’t let him die. This was my only option. I couldn’t lose him. I had to have him in my life, no matter the cost. I would have to deal with trying to fix it later. Aldric saw the

hesitation in my eyes. “Ava,” he started, but I couldn’t let him stop me. “Just do it,” I whispered, my eyes filling with more solemn tears that spilled onto my cheeks. I knew that Aldric didn’t want to. He would have rather done anything else in the world. But time was fast running out, and Chance would soon be dead. “Just a minute,” I blurted out as Aldric shifted Chance’s head, leaning it to the side. I slowly knelt down beside him, lifting his head from Aldric’s hands and holding it gently against me. My tears were falling freely now, my heart aching more than it ever had before. I slowly and carefully brushed some of the matted hair from Chance’s forehead and bent to kiss him on the one spot of skin not covered in blood. I let my lips linger there for as long as I could, savoring the heat pulsing from his body. I fought the tiny voice in my head screaming for me to stop what I was about to do, to scoop Chance up and take him somewhere where I could protect him and keep him safe. I couldn’t do that, regardless of how badly I wanted to. I had to save him, even if it meant condemning him to this horrible life. “I love you, Chance Caldon,” I whispered into his ear. “And I promise I will fix this.” I couldn’t believe those three words came from me. All along, I had been denying what my mind knew was happening between us. I had been avoiding it with all my being, hoping that I could somehow protect him from me, from this life. But I couldn’t. No matter what, he was the one lying there dying, and I was the one who caused it all. So now, in that moment, I would no longer deny how I felt. I loved him. I knew it always, but was scared

to admit it—to myself or anyone else. I loved that he had been willing to sacrifice himself for me, to help me. I loved that no matter what, he always had what was best for me in mind. I only wished I would have done the same for him. And now I had no idea if what I was doing was for him or for me. I was sure it was mostly for selfish reasons, because I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it in some way. I held Chance for as long as I could before I handed him over to Aldric and moved to stand next to Kayla. Without speaking, she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed, our bond of friendship needed now more than ever. Aldric looked up at me with a dark sadness behind his eyes. I knew he was waiting for reassurance from me, so I closed my eyes and nodded, telling him to do what needed to be done. Without hesitation, Aldric unsheathed his fangs and sunk them into the already open wound on Chance’s neck, turning the boy I just realized I loved into a vampire. As I stood there in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by my friends and the bodies of dead vampires, with painful tears marring my bruised and bloodied face, I said a prayer that one day he would be able to forgive me.

Table of Contents Start