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KIRA PICKED ME UP AND took me to see Fred. She made me wear a blindfold, and I was happy to go along with it for a chance to see my friend. I understood they had to keep the sanctuary top secret.
“Hi, Fred,” I said.
“Hey, Taylor,” he said.
I rushed over and gripped his hands. “How are you? Doing okay?”
His gaze narrowed. “I can’t tell you everything is fine and wonderful, if that’s what you want to hear. Things are far from peachy.”
“But you’re alive.”
“I’m far from that too.”
“You know what I mean. You should be dead, lying in the ground, but you’re still here—just...a little different.”
“I can never see my friends or family again. I have to spend the rest of my existence drinking blood and hiding. I’ll never see sunlight again. And the list goes on and on.”
“I know. I can’t imagine how hard it is, but—”
“You’re right. You can’t. You have no idea.” He looked away. “I’ll never forget my last day of normal, how the sun felt on my face and how good that cheeseburger tasted when my mom bought it for lunch. My last meal was a freaking greasy cheeseburger, but I’d give anything to eat one again.”
“Jesse’s having a hard time too,” I said.
“I’m sorry to hear that, I guess, but your lover boy and I have nothing in common, except that we both suck blood.”
“You’ll have to make adjustments, and it will take time. At least you’re here...safe.”
“I didn’t ask for this,” he said. “I’d rather be a zombie, like we talked about. At least then I wouldn’t be as aware of the hell I’m stuck living in forever.”
“Trust me, Fred, you’re way more handsome this way.”
“I should’ve never come to the house that day and begged you for help.”
“Why not? You desperately needed it, and you wouldn’t be here if—”
“Because I almost killed you, that’s why.”
“You didn’t look good, but you never tried to hurt me.”
“I did. Remember when you thought somebody was in the room with you?”
“Yeah.”
“That was me, hiding, stalking you like some jungle cat, an animal.”
I swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you just announce yourself?”
“Because I was...waiting for the perfect moment to rip into your neck.”
I gasped.
“I fought it, but the point is, you’ll never be safe around me. No one will. I’m not even sure why they let me see you.”
“I won’t let you kick me out of your life that easily.”
“Your boyfriend has it made. He can walk in the daylight and once he’s stabilized, he doesn’t have to feed as often as I do. And he has his emotions. I feel cold, and my heart is hard, like it’s made of stone.”
“I don’t believe that. If you had no emotions, you would’ve already killed me.”
He pulled me close, in a tight embrace. “You’re all I have left, the only thing keeping me human, from turning into something dark and dangerous.”
I hugged him, and he hugged me back. “I’m going to help you,” I said.
“Why?”
“Because you’re my friend, and that’s what friends do.”
* * *
MY PARENTS WERE GONE, and I invited Julie over. I hated being all by myself in that cabin in the woods, feeling like I was living on the set of a horror film. She was waiting for me on the porch when I got home from my job at the zoo. I invited her in, and we ordered a large pizza.
The doorbell rang, and Julie answered it. “Dinner is served!” she announced when she saw the pizza delivery man.
“Let me get the money,” I called from the other room.
“Come in, and I’ll get Taylor to pay you,” I heard Julie say.
I sprinted to the door. “No!” I said. “Uh...it’s best if you stay on the porch.”
With his eyes as wide as a pizza pie, the man took a step back.
“I live here, and I say you’re not invited in!” I yelled at him.
“Um, okay,” he said. “That’ll be $23.50.”
Julie grabbed the money from my hands, paid the pizza man, then took the boxes. “Keep the change...and have a nice night.”
I shut the door and looked at Julie.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
I let out a long breath. “It’s just us out here, all alone in the woods. We can’t invite anyone in we don’t know.”
“So letting the pizza man in is dangerous now?”
“He might be a vampire. If one gets in, we’re screwed.”
“You sure you’re not going overboard with this?” she whispered.
“Maybe you’d feel differently if you had been kidnapped and almost sacrificed. They’ll stop at nothing to kill me. You know that, from the lake.”
“I get it, but you’ve got an army of canines out there to protect you. If he was gonna deliver anything but pizza—like a bite to the neck—they would have devoured him before he could say, ‘Do you want extra cheese on that?’”
I sighed. “You’re right. Maybe I’m losing it,” I whispered.
“This would be hard on anybody. Let’s just forget about it and eat some pizza.”
“Yeah. I’m starving,” I said, grabbing a slice of cheese.
“So...any luck on talking to Jesse yet?”
“Well, I went to his house today to check on him during my lunch break, but his mother still won’t let me see him. She says he still needs a little more time.”
“So why isn’t he in rehabilitation like Fred?” she asked.
“He kinda is. His mom is getting him through it.”
My phone rang, and I smiled.
“It’s a text. Maybe that’s him.” I glanced down. “No, it’s Fred.”
“Dead Fred? They gave him a phone?”
“Yeah. Our talks help, and I want to support him. It’s a rough time for him. He needs me now more than ever...and so does Jesse.”
“So you’ve got two vampires to rehabilitate?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“The only vampire I’ve ever met tried to suck me dry at a party.”
“Well, I met a bad one too. Drake would’ve killed me if Jesse hadn’t removed me from that party.”
“I guess I’ll just stick to humans. Grant and I are really doing well. I’m meeting up with him later. He’s coming over when my mom goes to work her night shift.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean...I don’t mean to judge, but you haven’t known the guy that long.”
“It’s not what you think. We’re taking it slow, and I just love being with him. He’s bringing some movies over.”
“Why don’t you have him come pick you up?” I asked. “It’s late and dark, when the vampires come out. They could use you to get to me.”
“I’m not leaving my truck here.”
“He could follow you back.”
“Listen, Taylor. If a vampire wants to get me, he’s gonna get me. There’s nothing Grant can do to stop that.”
“Sorry. I’ll stop being a worrywart. It’s just...well, I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll leave at eleven, when your parents get home.”
“Just be careful.”
“I will. Now, can we please talk about anything else?”
Suddenly, a television news report interrupted our conversation. The reporter clutched her microphone and announced, “California authorities are hunting for a possible serial killer after the body of a missing seventeen-year-old girl was found in the woods. Police have ruled her death as a homicide.”
“That’s awful,” I said, my voice trembling. “That poor girl and her family.”
“I know.”
I shut off the television. “You can’t go home by yourself, Jules.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll catch the creep soon, if they haven’t already.”
I shuddered. “Just be extra careful.”
“I promise.”
* * *
A WEEK LATER, JESSE called me, and I was thrilled to hear his voice. He couldn’t stand being away from me, but we both knew it was best if he was going to get through his turmoil. It was good to hear that he was doing better and in complete control once again, and I couldn’t believe it when he asked me out.
Jesse spread out a blanket on the grass, and my heart raced. I set down our bucket of chicken and two-liter of Pepsi. I’d been dying to spend alone time with him. He stared into my eyes, and I loved the way he looked at me. When he smiled, I absolutely lit up. The way the sunlight glittered in his eyes stole my breath away, and his gorgeous Colgate smile always lit up my entire day. I took his mouth in one long, hungry kiss. He lovingly touched my face, another thing I loved about our kisses; there was something so intimate about it, something so special. We just kissed. He didn’t touch me anywhere else. He just explored my mouth, and we didn’t want to stop.
I pulled away and smiled. “I’ve been dying to do that for so long. Gosh, I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
I divided up the chicken and dished out the macaroni and mashed potatoes.
“It smells delicious,” he said.
“The best fast food money can buy,” I laughed. I watched him bite into a drumstick.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s just neat and...well, kinda weird to see a vampire eating food in broad daylight while all the other vamps are sleeping in their coffins.”
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “I want to be human, but this was the way I was born, and I guess I have to deal with it.”
“When did you find out that you’re...special?”
“The hunger doesn’t start until sixteen, so I was a very normal, human child, except that I could see, hear, and smell better than anyone else. When I turned twelve, I was strong and fast. My mom had the talk with Sam, Kira, and me when we all gained supernatural strength. She held off telling us any sooner because she couldn’t have us leaking out such a big secret.”
“Weren’t you ever suspicious that you are different?” I asked.
“My mother and I stopped at a car crash once. Before she even had a chance to get out, I rushed over to the burning car. The woman inside it was unconsciousness. I ripped the door right off the hinges and pulled her out. Seconds later, the car exploded.”
“Jesse, you’re a hero.”
“I want to use my powers to help people, but my mom hates that. She’s always trying to get me out of trouble. She’s scared I’m going to draw too much attention to myself.”
“Maybe you could hide your superpowers...like Superman.”
“I’d take his Superman cape over my Dracula cape any day,” he said with a laugh.
“What powers do you actually have?” I asked, trying to get to know him better.
He peered straight ahead and cocked his head. “Well, I can hear a butterfly struggling for her life.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can see it, a yellow butterfly, trapped in a spider web.”
“Where?”
He pointed.
I hurried to the spot. Sure enough, a yellow butterfly was fluttering its wings helplessly, entangled in a huge, sticky web that was dangling between two ferns.
“See how that butterfly is fighting and struggling to break free?”
“Yeah, the poor thing.”
“That’s what I feel like. I was this normal teenager, just living a wonderful life, and then this dark force started to take over. I lust for blood more and more every day. I try to fight it, but eventually, it’ll take over. It’ll win, just like the spider.”
I looked into his eyes, realizing the struggle he was going through. My heart ached for him, and I wished I could take the pain away. “I’m here for you, Jesse. I always will be. Let me help you.”
“We can’t change who we are, but I don’t want to become this dark creature. Deep down, it’s not who I am. I’m haunted by this cursed life I’m forced to live.”
He was letting me in, and I was thankful for that. I knew there was more to it, but I wasn’t going to pry. He was struggling with his identity, his origins, and I knew he’d tell me more about it when he was ready.
As the spider inched toward the butterfly, I broke the web and freed the colorful little victim. As it fluttered away, I smiled. “We can’t change the cards we were dealt.”
“No, we can’t.”
“But it doesn’t mean you can’t have a happy ending. Just like the butterfly I set free. But anyway, what other tricks can you do?” I asked playfully, changing the subject. I could see he was spiraling into a dark place, and I didn’t want to push him away. I led him back to the blanket. “What are you really good at? Surprise me.”
In a flash he pinned me, with my arms outstretched. I gazed at him, smitten. He dived in for a long, deep kiss. The fiery blast of his lips and his sweet touch was the most tender declaration of love I could imagine. His twisting, passionate kisses made me feel so special. I couldn’t believe such a gorgeous creature, a gorgeous guy was kissing me, and I would cherish that precious memory forever.
I touched his face. “That was beautiful.”
“Why didn’t you move to Big Bear Lake years ago?” he asked.
I kissed his lips softly. “I wish we would have.”
We had the most wonderful lunch, and I hung on his every word about his day.
“Hey, Jesse,” I said.
“What?”
“Remember the day you first met me?”
“How could I forget the best day of my life?”
I grinned. “You hurried me out of the woods. Was there another mountain lion? Did you hear it with your supersonic hearing? Or was it something else? I’ve always wondered.”
“I didn’t know at the time, but you were already chosen as a petal, and the werewolves were guarding you. I thought they were stalking you like prey. There was no way I could know you were being protected by werewolves.”
“So they would’ve protected me and killed the mountain lion?” I asked.
“Yes. You had nothing to fear from that cat with all those dogs around,” he said with a smile.
“Well, I had no idea I was being guarded by werewolves. Maybe they got Max going, not a deer. They could’ve easily killed Max.”
“Yes, but they protect him as well. You’ve been protected since the second you moved to Bear Lake, and so has your family, including your pet.”
“They have to keep their chosen one alive, to keep me safe from all the big, nasty vampires who want her dead.”
“When they were following you in the woods, I had no idea they were keeping you safe. I felt like a hero, thinking I saved you from them.”
“You are a hero, Jesse. You’re my hero, always and forever.”
He smiled, and I grinned back at him widely, but then his smile faded, and his lips pressed into a grim line.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Your fan club is here,” he said, standing up.
I stood and looked around into the surrounding foliage, but I didn’t see the party crashers.
“You won’t see them with human eyes.”
“They’re just here to protect me.”
“I can protect you too.”
I cupped his face. “Of course you can. Being with you makes me feel like I can defy the whole world.”
He gazed into my eyes. “We have each other’s backs, no matter what.”
“Absolutely.”
“I know the wolves have saved your life, but you can’t trust them.”
“They won’t hurt me.”
“Only because they need you. That’s the only reason they’d go out on a limb like this for you.” He brushed a strand of hair from my eyes. “Just trust me and know I’m doing everything I can to protect you. I won’t let anybody hurt you. No matter what happens, I won’t back down.”
“I trust you,” I said.
He brushed a soft kiss against my lips.
“It’s hard to enjoy ourselves here, knowing they’re watching,” I said.
In one swift movement, he pushed me back against the tree trunk with his lower body. “Want to put on a show? Maybe teach them a few things?” He was irresistible, and that seductive look on his face made me want to kiss him all the more.
“I’m pretty good at theatrical kisses,” I said.
With a powerful thrust, he lifted me up, and my legs wrapped around his waist. I tangled my fingers through his soft, messy hair, then pulled him close and kissed his lips. My breath hitched in my throat as Jesse suddenly started planting kisses down my neck.
I moaned. “Jesse, you can definitely teach them a few things.”
Heat flared between us, and he slammed his lips into mine and boldly plunged his tongue into my mouth. Our tongues tangled and danced, and I loved the way he devoured my mouth. We didn’t talk. We just got lost in each other like nothing else mattered in the entire world.
Then I heard a twig snap, and Jesse broke the kiss.
“Got any idea how to lose ‘em?” I asked. “It’s suddenly not feeling so romantic here.”
He smiled. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, but their sense of smell is a thousand times stronger than a human’s.”
“Well, this oughtta be a howling lot of fun then!” I joked.
He laughed at my pun. “They’re locked onto your personal scent signature, so we have to break it. It’s impossible to mask your human scent completely, unless we put you in a big, giant bubble.”
I laughed.
“We can probably lose them for an hour or so,” he said, “if that.”
“I’m game. I’d love to shake things up a bit. So...how do we do it?”
“Let’s try the old-fashioned way.”
He pulled me across the meadow and deeper into the alpine landscape. I followed him into a bubbling stream. The cold water gushed through my tennis shoes, soaking my socks. Gripping my hand, he started briskly walking through the water. The sun shone down on my face, and I listened intently to the symphony of harmonious birds chirping happily all around us. Colorful wildflowers dotted the green landscape, and we were surrounded by towering pines. I breathed in the mountain air, enjoying the peace, solitude, and beauty of nature all around me.
I splashed Jesse, and he laughed. As water dripped down his face, I stared at his beautiful smile and couldn’t help but feel like I was the luckiest girl alive. I couldn’t stop thinking about the taste and feel of his kisses, but it wasn’t just our amazing chemistry that attracted me to him. There was so much more. Jesse listened to everything I had to say and cared about what I thought. He was fun to be around, and I couldn’t stop smiling in his presence. He made me feel like I could conquer the world, no matter what fate threw at me.
We climbed across a downed tree and some boulders, then hiked to an overlook and stared at the fantastic scenic vista of Big Bear Lake and green forests.
“We’ve got our one minute alone,” Jesse said. “There’s nobody here but us.”
“And I’ll treasure this moment forever, just me and my sexy vampire.”
He pushed a stray strand of hair out of my face, and I felt instant goosebumps. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
“What?”
“I was gonna say...” He ran his fingers across the side of my face, and I shuddered from his touch.
“What?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I forgot when I got lost in your eyes.”
I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. It was nothing short of amazing. For me, life without Jesse would be no kind of life at all.
“Being all alone with you like this is an adrenaline rush,” Jesse said. “I could hold you like this forever.”
Our alone time was nothing short of amazing. Jesse had brought our little picnic blanket, and we snuggled up next to each other. Tracing my fingers along his chest, I stared into his eyes and felt those familiar butterflies. He looked so darn sexy, so hot.
“A week before I met you, I was fishing with Sam and Kira. We saw a shooting star, and I made a wish.”
“What did you wish for?”
“The right girl. Now, holding you in my arms like this makes me feel like wishes can come true.”
“That is so sweet,” I said.
He stroked my hair. “I mean every single word of it.”
I snuggled closer to my solid wall of muscle, so close that I could hear his heartbeat as it thundered in his chest.
“Do you like dating a vampire?” he asked.
“Very much so.” I nudged him. “Wait...are we officially dating?”
“Of course. Why not?”
“Because you’ve never properly asked.”
“Oh! I just assumed you...well, I mean, you’re the only girl I want to kiss.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He threaded his fingers through mine. “How would you describe me, in one word?”
“Hmm...”
“You have to think about it?”
I laughed.
“Am I that hard to describe?”
“You’re um, uh...adorable.”
“Adorable?” he asked. “Like a puppy?”
“No.”
“Whew, because that wasn’t what I was hoping to hear.”
“How about tall, dark, and dangerous?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think that works for me either. It’s too...cliché.”
I cocked a brow. “It is?”
“Yep. Besides, that’s three words.”
I rolled over and gazed into his eyes. “Sexy.”
“Sexy, huh?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Okay. I’ll take that one.”
I kissed his lips. “I knew you would.”
He laughed, then smiled. I’d never seen a smile so white, so beautiful, so perfect.
“I’m so lucky,” I said.
“I’m the lucky one,” he said, gripping my hands.
I loved how his hands always found mine, so I smiled again. “We’re both lucky.”
“No girl has ever made me feel the way you do.”
“Me neither.”
“Oh? You’ve had a special girl in your life.”
I playfully slugged him. “You know what I mean. I feel the same way. No guy has ever made me feel this way.”
I kissed his lips as tears welled up in my eyes. I tried to hide it because I didn’t want him to see me getting so emotional, but his words touched my heart. I couldn’t picture myself without him, not for a minute, and I was quickly falling in love with that beautiful guy. There was no doubt about it. I was sure it was far more than a crush, something destined, written in the stars before time ever began. It wasn’t just about how hot he was; it had far more to do with the wonderful person beneath those layers of sexiness. I’d never forget the first day I met him, the day he’d changed my life forever. I wondered if he had any inkling about how much I cared about him. We’d just met, and some people might have written it off as a summer fling, but I knew it was more. We had something special, something no one could take away from us.
“Whenever I look at you, you take my breath away,” he said, setting my heart on fire all over again.
“I don’t want this to end.”
He softly kissed my lips.
As I stared at him lovingly, I noticed a glimpse of his fangs. “Jesse...” I said. My heart thudded against my ribcage, and a shiver swept over my skin.
Before I could even ask him another question, he traced back into the vegetation.
“Jesse?” I called. “Are you okay?”
“I’m trying to fight it,” he said. “Start back without me, okay? I’ll catch up.”
“I don’t wanna leave you.”
“Stay and you might end up... Please just go, Taylor.”
When I looked at him, his face contorted into something evil, peeking through the ferns. In his eyes, I could see a hunger, one that was willing to hurt me. I took a fighting stance as he moved closer.
“Go!” he shouted.