

## VAMPIRES RULE

##

## Kasi Blake

Vampires Rule

© Copyright 2011 Kasi Blake

Cover Art Design by Author Branding Essentials

****

## Chapter One

##  A BOY WITHOUT A HOME

The vampire stood in the shadows and stared up at the farmhouse he used to call home. No longer the bright sunny yellow his mom had chosen, the exterior had been covered with a muted olive tone. This small difference knocked Jack off balance. Had his brother sold the farm?

His gaze skimmed over the dark windows—two on the bottom level and four on top—searching for signs of life. The porch light glowed with an eerie, almost palpable presence that warned Jack to stay hidden, but he had to know if his brother was gone. Focused on the task, he walked into the light and crept up the porch steps. He crossed to the huge bay window and leaned in to peer through the dirty glass.

A wild drum solo broke out in Jack's pocket, startling him. He jumped backwards and tripped, almost falling off the porch before realizing it was only his stupid cell phone. An electric guitar joined in, adding to the horrible racket. He patted his pockets, frantically searching for the thing while he scanned the yard for movement. This wasn't exactly the covert operation he'd planned. His fingers closed around cold metal, and he answered without checking caller ID. It could only be one of three people, his vampire friends.

"You're going to die!" Lily shouted.

Jack flinched. With a jerk of his hand he put a few inches between the cell and his traumatized ear. Lily's warning barely registered. His mind was focused on other matters. He was about to break into his childhood home, ten times in ten years. Although no one was around and the house was in a sparsely populated rural area, Jack tried to keep the noise to a minimum. He glanced around again to make sure Lily's high-pitched freak-out hadn't stirred up trouble. No telling what creatures lurked nearby.

"Hello?" Lily yelled, "This is serious! According to the cards you're going to die within the next three hours."

"Already died once. What's the big deal about doing it twice?"

Jack went to the front door and considered it from every angle. Under normal circumstances a vampire couldn't enter a house uninvited, but as long as Billy kept something belonging to him and didn't sell the place, Jack could go in whenever he wanted. He waved his hand over the doorknob and heard the lock click. Billy hadn't moved. Relief and excitement flooded his system as the door swung open, silently inviting him inside. _Cool_. No matter how many times he used his powers, the same tiny thrill rocked his senses. A short-lived laugh escaped his dry throat.

"This isn't funny, Jackpot!"

A scowl replaced the smile and he warned Lily, "If you don't stop yelling at me, I'm hanging up."

"You have to stay away from her."

"Away from who?"

"That girl in the fuzzy pink sweater, she's the reason you die tonight."

Jack looked around the empty porch, confused.

Lily babbled on. "She has long hair, but the color is kind of hard to pinpoint. I'd say it's either dark blond or light brown. Doesn't matter, I guess. She's short and thin but not really skinny, and her eyes are deep blue. She's not classically pretty, not to me anyway, and she's definitely not _your_ type. Just stay clear of her. She's trouble."

"The cards told you all that?" Dry amusement altered his tone.

"Don't mock me. After I did the cards, I had a vision. This is serious stuff. When you see the girl—and you will—walk the other way." There was a short pause. Sometimes Lily hesitated on purpose for dramatic effect. It made his skin itch. "No. When you see her, I want you to run the other way."

"Whatever."

"Promise me."

He shrugged. "I promise."

"Say it like you mean it."

He rubbed his tired eyes. The house called to him. More than anything he wanted to go inside and take his annual trip through the rooms, mentally relive better days, but Lily was ruining everything with her kooky visions. His brother might show at any second, putting an end to his visit. Time slipped through his fingers like tiny grains of sand. Every muscle in Jack's body tightened.

"I promise," he said. "I swear on my grave. Okay? Do you need it in blood?"

"You don't have to get snippy. I'm only trying to help."

"You caught me in the middle of something important."

"What?" He could practically see her twirling strands of curly blond hair. "Where are you? What are you doing?"

He disconnected the call and returned the cell to his pocket. For a moment he stayed where he was on the porch and tried to picture the mystery girl Lily had described. His mind could only produce a vague rendition of a fairly pretty girl. Lily shouldn't worry. He had no intention of taking a stroll in the sunlight or getting into a fight with a hunter. No way was he dying tonight, especially not because of some random girl.

He took a deep breath and entered the house. Each bittersweet step reminded him of what he'd lost. He'd give anything to have his old life back. Anything.

The foyer hadn't changed. A pained smile stretched his lips thin when he noticed the yellowing wallpaper, cream-colored with tiny purple flowers. There was a small coat closet to the right and an arch next to it that led to the kitchen. His mother had put a small table on the left because his father had wanted to drop his keys the second he entered the house. An arch leading to the living room beckoned to him, but Jack didn't want to venture into there yet. The stairs with the handmade railing he used to slide down as a kid was directly in front of him. Maybe he should go upstairs, take a look at his old room.

His heart ached for his family. On an average Thursday night like this his mom would be in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner while his dad watched television, beer in hand. Depending on their ages, Jack and Billy would either be doing homework, wrestling in the room they shared, or running around town with friends.

With the exception of Billy, the entire Creed family had been murdered by a psychotic werewolf.

Jack strolled through his former home, his fingertips skimming the tops of stuff that had been passed down to Billy. He loved touching tangible evidence that once upon a time he had been human. His brother had kept everything: Jack's old baseball cards, his variety of sports trophies, and a photo of him the night of his Junior Prom. He picked up the frame and stared at the picture. The name of his date stayed just out of reach. He remembered his mom insisting on taking the photo. Guilt over giving her a hard time made his heart sink... another regret in a long line.

Jack tripped over a discarded book on the living room floor. A curse word slipped off his tongue. Billy wasn't much of a housekeeper. There was an inch of dust on practically everything in sight, and Billy's dirty clothes were scattered around as if he didn't know where his closet was located.

A reluctant smile stretched Jack's lips. It froze at the sound of footsteps on the porch. He sniffed. Billy was home. Now what?

Jack spun around the center of the living room in a full-on panic, needing a quick place to hide. Although he could move faster than any human on the planet, he couldn't make it out the back door without Billy hearing him. Besides, he couldn't resist the temptation to see his brother.

A key rattled in the lock.

Jack held his breath.

The front door opened.

Jack zipped across the foyer and jumped into the coat closet. He left the door open a crack to allow him a narrow visual. For some reason Jack expected Billy to be a fifteen-year-old boy, but his brother had passed him in years and in inches. Jack silently calculated. Billy was twenty-five now. He had become a man, a pinnacle Jack would never reach.

Billy entered the foyer with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder and a bunch of envelopes in his hand. He dropped the bag while looking at the mail. Piece by piece, he went through it, tossing each envelope to the corner table after giving it careful consideration. He stopped abruptly, lifted his head, and frowned. His eyes scanned the room as if he too was vampire and could sense his brother's return.

Fresh from a fight, there was a rip in his jeans, a bruise on his cheek, and a bleeding cut above his left eye.

"Hello?" Billy called out, hesitant. "Is someone here?" He slowly revolved before saying a single word beneath his breath, a word that sent shockwaves through the vampire in the closet.

"Jack."

Jack's eyes widened. He caught an audible gasp with his hand and sank deeper into the tiny room, allowing darkness to temporarily devour him. But he still felt exposed as if Billy could see him through the door. Hiding in the closet had been a dumb idea. Hell, the whole breaking into his family's home had shown a serious lack of good judgment.

If his vampire friends found out he'd risked exposure, they'd tear his head off.

Billy headed into the living room, and Jack released a slow breath between clenched teeth. _Hissss_. The scent of Billy's blood pulled him forward until he had his face pressed into the crack. Tempting. Hunger pangs began deep in his stomach. The ache expanded like ripples when a stone is dropped in still water. His fangs slid forward, protruding from hidden pockets in his gums.

No, he was not going to hurt his brother. Jack shook his head back and forth hard, gasping for breath and trying to control the monster inside. He couldn't hurt Billy. His hands clenched into fists. Resting his forehead against the door's wooden frame, he regulated his breathing. It took a great deal of effort.

He silently chanted the words again and again _. I am not going to kill my brother. I am not going to kill my brother. I am not going to kill my brother._

Or worse—change him into a vampire.

Billy returned to the foyer, shook his dark head and mumbled, "Okay. Have it your way, bro."

The words sounded almost sinister.

Jack's eyes popped open. Of course he had imagined the words, probably a hallucination brought on by lack of food. Billy thought he was dead. There was no way Billy knew he was in the closet. A murderous rage climbed to the surface. He tried to calm himself, taking several more deep breaths. He couldn't afford to lose his temper, not when his brother was this close.

Billy took the stairs two at a time, and Jack sighed with relief.

He slowly stepped out of the closet and went to the front door, careful to open it without making a sound. Billy thumped around upstairs. Jack took one last look at his past. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Before Billy could reach the foyer, Jack was miles away.

♥

Next stop on the comeback tour: the local graveyard.

He stood over the resting place of a boy named Jack Creed, a boy long ago dead but only temporarily buried. The grave belonged to him, his final resting place. _What a joke_. He squatted in front of the headstone and traced the letters of his name in the cold, hard granite. It was a repulsive yet necessary tradition.

Jack's foul mood sank further south.

He needed to pull himself together before rejoining his friends. Cowboy didn't appreciate sentimentality of any kind. The eldest member of the gang (a ripe twenty-two on the day of his death) thought he was bending over backwards as it was to accommodate Jack's weird thirst for nostalgia by making the annual stop in Nebraska.

Jack remembered the first time he'd returned to the cemetery with his friends in tow. Lily had freaked out. "It's bad luck to see your own grave," she'd said. "Turn around three times and spit to ward off evil. It always works for me."

"Silly superstition," Cowboy insisted with a slight Texan drawl, yet his eyes wandered the graveyard as if he expected 'evil' to attack him.

Summer had been the only one not to give Jack a hard time. She at least tried to be understanding even though she didn't get it either. The rest of them had adjusted to their second identities long ago, embraced life as vampires. Not Jack. He couldn't let go of his past.

Jack lifted his chin and sniffed the air.

He smelled two things at once, one stronger than the other, but not as pleasant. Because the two odors mixed before invading his nostrils, it took him a moment to mentally decipher the information. Of course it helped when he looked up to see one of them, a girl, standing a few gravestones away.

He knew her in an instant.

It was the girl in the fuzzy pink sweater, the one Lily had warned him about. He tried to remember every word Lily said about the girl. There'd been some confusion on her hair color. Jack made a mental note to tell Lily it was like warm honey. It spilled over the girl's shoulder in soft waves, blocking her face from view so he couldn't tell if she was pretty or not.

She stood over a grave, oblivious to his presence.

What had he promised to do when he saw her? Run? Problem was his feet were glued to the ground. Something about her held him in place, something familiar. He couldn't move. He didn't want to move—unless it was to close the distance between them. His fingers itched to touch her. She smelled intoxicating, a lovely floral scent mixed with a hint of sweet fruit.

The other smell grew stronger, forcing his attention away from the girl. His stomach dropped to his feet, and he quickly scanned the surrounding area. It only took him a moment to find the owner of the offensive smell, a werewolf.

Jack hated werewolves more than anything else on earth. They were rotting, stupid, stinking animals. As Cowboy often said, "The only good werewolf is a dead werewolf."

The werewolf stepped from the bushes, still in human form, but it was just as deadly minus fur and fangs. It had the power to rip apart its prey with invisible claws that only a vampire or another werewolf could see. Jack clenched his teeth to keep the frantic warning in his mouth. There wasn't anything the girl could do. She couldn't outrun the beast. She definitely couldn't win in a fight. That left him as her only means of survival.

To be killed by a werewolf was horrible, painful beyond description.

The wolf snarled.

She jumped to her feet and took a step backward, her hands stretched out in a defensive maneuver. Jack could hear her heart beat faster. It drummed a hundred and twenty beats a minute and rising. He had to do something, had to save her.

The werewolf attacked.

The girl whipped around, bringing her foot up in a hard arc. Her heel hit the werewolf in the face, the force knocking it back a few feet. It growled, and saliva glistened on human teeth. The thing quickly regained its balance and lunged a second time.

Jack watched in awe as the girl fought the beast. She had the grace of a dancer and the strength of a gymnast. In all his years he hadn't seen such an incredible sight. Maybe she didn't need him. Since a single scratch from a werewolf could kill a vampire, he was reluctant to join in. As long as she could handle it, he might as well hang back and watch.

The werewolf swiped at her with invisible claws and missed.

Figuring it was on the losing end of a long battle, the werewolf changed form. It seemed to melt. The liquid metal molded into an animal as if invisible hands were working on it. It transformed from man to beast and snarled at her with sharp teeth. Now it was a wolf complete with fur. The thing's eyes glowed, liquid gold flashing in triumph. It had the advantage. Hand-to-hand combat would no longer work.

The girl froze. She and the beast stared into each other's eyes for what seemed an eternity to Jack. The only movement was the slight lift and fall of the girl's chest as she took slow, even breaths. Now what?

Jack didn't have a choice anymore. He had to save her. There was no one else around. The hell with his promise to Lily. He wasn't going to let this innocent girl get torn apart by a stinking werewolf when he could do something about it.

Once he made up his mind to help, he moved fast. In an instant he blocked the girl, using his own body as a shield. He heard her barely audible gasp, and the sound of it stirred the hair at the base of his neck. There was something about her, something sweet and familiar. He wanted to turn around and take a good look at her, but he had to save her life first.

"What are you doing?" she shouted.

Distracted by the vehemence in her tone, he took his eyes off the werewolf for a split-second, and that was all it took.

The werewolf lunged. It knocked him to the ground, landing on top of him, teeth bared. It snarled and went for his throat. Saliva dripped from the snapping jaws. _Disgusting_. Jack tried to focus on what he was doing and push aside how much he loathed touching the nasty thing.

He grabbed its head with both hands and struggled to keep the sharp teeth at a distance. It was hard to get a good grip because of the thick fur and the animal's violent movements. The beast tried to turn its head, catch his arm, but he squeezed it tighter.

Then the werewolf changed tactics.

It swiped hard at his chest. Razor-sharp claws sliced open his shirt and the flesh beneath. The pain distracted him. His fingers cramped, almost letting go. Blood soaked the front of his shirt. With the cold ground beneath him and the sudden loss of blood, his mind began to drift. A werewolf had killed him for the second time. He only hoped the girl had gotten away.

As if in answer to his silent question two graceful hands reached over his head and settled upon his. He opened his mouth, tried to tell her to run, but he couldn't speak. A single slurred word left his parted lips. It was unintelligible even to him.

The wolf looked at her, and it stopped in mid-attack. The hairy beast slowly backed off him, growling as it retreated. Was it afraid of the girl?

_No way_. Jack couldn't believe his eyes. He used what strength he had to raise his head and watch as the girl walked over to the wolf without breaking eye contact. She knelt in front of it. The two of them seemed to be in a silent struggle. Their eyes remained locked until Jack thought they would stay that way forever, frozen in time.

With a whimper the wolf began to shake.

The girl stroked the thing's furry head. They could have been dog and owner, taking a break from a walk in the park. It didn't make sense to Jack. The wolf's eyes closed, and it collapsed in a heap next to her.

The girl in the fuzzy pink sweater returned to Jack's side. She yanked his blue plaid shirt down his arms, but left him with the T-shirt. She rolled the blue plaid material into a ball and placed it onto the bleeding wound. He ground his teeth together to keep from crying out. No reason for her to remember him as a big baby.

"You're beautiful," he said with awe. The art of breathing grew harder. He gasped between words. "What's...your...name?"

"Are you trying to flirt with me? Now?" Her pink lips tilted at the corners, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "My name is Silver Reign."

He snorted, and a new wave of pain jolted through him.

"It's not spelled like the kind of rain that falls from the sky," she said.

He laughed until he tasted blood. Funny how it didn't taste good when it was his blood. Resting on the ground, he took in the night sky. There seemed to be a million stars shining just for them. It was kind of a romantic end, like Romeo and Juliet, only the girl would go on without him instead of taking her own life.

There was a shift in the atmosphere. Worried, his eyes went to Silver's face. He warned her, "My friends are coming. I can feel them. You need to go. I don't want them to hurt you."

She raised an eyebrow at him, silently reminding him of how easily she'd dispatched the werewolf.

"Okay," he amended. "I don't want you to hurt them."

"I won't."

As if on cue, he heard three pairs of running feet. "They're here. Go!"

He took one last look at her before she left. Lily had been right. The girl wasn't classically beautiful and she wasn't his type, but there was something mesmerizing about her. His eyes drifted closed as familiar voices washed over him. His three friends all talked at once.

"Looks like the werewolf got him before he killed it," Cowboy said in a matter-of- fact tone. "Good for him."

"We have to do something," Summer insisted. "Let's get him to the house."

"He should have listened to me," Lily said. "I told him to run when he saw the girl in the fuzzy sweater."

Jack used every bit of strength he had to pry his eyes open. He raised a hand and grabbed Summer by the hem of her jeans. "I want to go home."

Summer smiled with twinkling blue eyes that paled in comparison to Silver's. The chunky ends of her blond hair rested against her freckled face. Before she got too excited, he added, "I want to go to my real home, the house I lived in with my family before you turned me."

Summer's smile died, and she began to argue with everyone over where they were taking him. Cowboy grabbed Jack from behind and lifted him to his feet. Jack swung an arm over his friend's shoulders while Cowboy's arm snaked around his waist like they were running a three-legged race at the county fair. Together they walked through the cemetery gates to Cowboy's car.

Jack resisted the urge to look for the girl, not wanting to draw attention to her. He felt the heat of her eyes on him. At least his friends were too worried about him to notice her unusual scent clinging to the night air. Cowboy opened the passenger side door, and Jack collapsed into the provided seat. He bit his lower lip and prayed he'd live long enough to talk to Billy one last time.

♥♥

"We need to take him to the abandoned house!" Summer shouted from the backseat. "He needs us."

The girls sat in the back of the speeding car. Lily quietly sobbed for Jack while Summer leaned forward, pressing between the two front seats. She had to talk loud to be heard over the engine, the music, and the rushing wind. The passenger side window had been rolled down because Jack thought he might puke. She said, "We have to get inside before the sun comes up, and Jackpot needs us. Taking him home is pointless. His brother won't know what to do for him."

Anxious, Jack waited for Cowboy's response. He wanted to argue with Summer, but he was too weak. He couldn't even sit up straight. Every time the car leaned to the right or to the left, so did he, like he didn't have a bone left in his body. Life continued to drain out of him. His lowered head bumped the edge of the car door with a painful thump every time they hit a rough spot in the road.

"It's not our call," Cowboy said. "Anyway, it's just after midnight. We could walk and still reach both places."

Jack relaxed, but Summer wouldn't quit.

"His brother won't know how to help him."

Jack used his last bit of strength to push himself into a higher sitting position. He half-turned in her direction and spoke between clenched teeth. "I want to go home. I want to see my brother before I die."

The car sped along the empty two-lane highway between town and his family's farm. They were flying, but the darkness made it seem like they were moving in slow motion. Jack hoped death was like this, moving through time and space faster than light.

"You aren't dying," Summer said, her voice cracking. "Not every vampire dies after getting clawed by a werewolf."

Jack scoffed. "Right. One out of every thousand manages to live somehow. I'm sure I'll beat those odds. They don't call me Jackpot for nothing."

"Don't listen to her," Cowboy said, taking his eyes off the road for a second. As usual his point of view came across loud and forceful. "You have the right to die wherever and however you want. Die with your boots on, buddy. That's what I always say."

Jack patted his shirt pocket. "You got a cigarette, man?"

He had taken up smoking ten years ago. The smoke deadened their acute sense of smell for a while, and he liked that.

Cowboy drew a pack from his jacket while he continued to drive with the other hand. He pulled a tobacco stick out with his mouth and lit it with the car's built-in lighter. Then he turned and put it between Jack's lips. Jack half-dragged on it. The smoke filled his lungs, giving him a small burst of energy. He straightened his spine.

Summer rubbed his shoulder. "Please change your mind and come with us."

"Crank up the tunes, man," Jack said, feeling a little like his old self again.

"You got it, buddy." Cowboy turned up the volume on the radio. The rock music throbbed through Jack's body, and drowned out Summer's annoying voice. He closed his eyes and let the music own him. For the moment his happiness returned to him.

♥♥♥

A few minutes later he was back at the farmhouse. When they left him in front of his childhood home, Cowboy flashed him a backwards peace sign. "Vampires rule, buddy."

Jack nodded but didn't flash the sign back. He didn't feel particularly grateful to be a vampire at the moment. Pain radiated throughout his entire body. He wasn't sure if he could make it up the porch steps to the front door without help. His friends abandoned him. They had to hide from the sun.

He struggled with the porch stairs. Grabbing the wood railing, he lifted a foot and searched for the first step. A splinter caught his pinky, tearing the skin open. Compared to the agony the rest of his body was in, the pain in his finger barely registered. Every breath he took sent razorblades slicing through his lungs. He was dying again, and he was alone.

Then he wasn't alone anymore. Like a tiny miracle, he felt her before seeing her. Silver Reign stood behind him, her hand pressed against his back. Her soft voice soothed his senses and drove some of the pain away. "Billy isn't here," she said. "I'm taking you home with me."

"How did you know where I was?" He turned his head and stared at her. The outer edges of his vision blurred. Her entire form seemed to shimmer with an incandescent light, and his mind drifted to a surreal place. "Are you an angel?"

"Not exactly."

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Two

##  SLEEPOVER WITH A HUNTER

Water dripped down the sides of Jack's face. The wet rag slid halfway off his forehead to cover one eye, and he didn't have the strength to push it aside. Unfortunately, Silver got lost in his blind spot. Since sneaking him up to her bedroom, she'd been moving around nonstop, looking at everything but him. Jack shifted his weight, uncomfortable. The pillow slipped. He turned on his elbow and reached back with the other hand to fix it.

Pain ripped through his gut. He bit his lower lip to stifle a groan. Maybe it would be better if he didn't move again. Swallowing hard, he sagged against the pillow. Exhaustion tried to take him down.

Silver fluttered from one task to the next. She fed her hamster, refolded clothes, and rearranged the collection of law books on her shelf. The picture of Sandra Day O'Connor hanging over the desk almost made him smile. Silver had lofty ideas. She wasn't like anyone he'd met before, but he wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing.

Jack struggled to sit up again and set off another wave of pain. It radiated from the center of his abdomen to the outer edges of his body. He gritted his teeth and kept going until his spine rested against the headboard. The rag tumbled to his lap. Completely exhausted, he let it go. His gaze dropped to the other towel, the bloody one on his bare abdomen. Curiosity tempted him to lift it, but he was afraid of what he'd see if he did.

Breathing became a chore.

"Why did you bring me here?" Jack blurted out the question as soon as it entered his head.

Silver jumped. The book she was holding flew through the air. She tried to grab it. It spun around, hit the desk and bounced off, landing on the floor.

"You're nervous," he said, faking a harmless smile to put her at ease.

"Do you blame me?" She glared at him. "I'm alone in my bedroom with a boy. My mom would freak and my dad would grab his shotgun if they had any idea you were here. On top of that, you're a vampire."

"Why are you helping me then?"

"Dumb question." She stepped closer to the bed after retrieving her book. She clutched it between her hands like a shield. "You were attacked by a werewolf while trying to save me. It was brave, what you did. No one's ever done anything like that for me. Well, maybe my parents. You're the first stranger to try to save me."

Contemplating in silence, he thought about how she'd killed the werewolf in the cemetery. In the last ten years he'd seen some amazing things, but never anything like that. Werewolves were notoriously hard to terminate. This girl had done it without breaking a sweat.

"How did you do it?" he asked. "In the cemetery, when you took care of the werewolf, how did you kill it without a weapon?"

Silver pursed her lips together. She let the silence draw out until it was beyond awkward, and he started to think she wouldn't answer him. Her shoulders finally lifted in a quick shrug and she admitted, "I sucked its soul out."

He gaped at her. Forget cute. This girl was scary as hell. He sat up straighter, focused on how great it would be to have that power. "Is it something I could learn to do?"

"No." She walked around the bed and sat next to him. "Nobody taught me how to do it. I was born with the ability. I was born to kill werewolves."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a hunter."

_A hunter_? "How old are you?"

"I swear you sound just like my parents. They think I'm too young to handle the life." Her jaw tightened. "I'm almost eighteen. Okay? Age is irrelevant anyway. I killed my first werewolf when I was twelve."

A disturbing thought sprang to mind. "You just hunt werewolves though, right?"

"No. My parents and I also hunt vampires and evil spirits, all dark creatures."

Nervous, Jack took a mental inventory of his body. The bleeding had slowed but hadn't stopped. His limbs felt heavy, weak. He wasn't in any shape to take on a hunter.

Of course she hadn't attacked him, not yet. Maybe she was waiting for the werewolf venom to do its job. She would sit with him and make small talk until he died. It wasn't the ideal situation, but he preferred it in contrast to the other possibility. He certainly didn't want to get his soul sucked out.

There was a rumor floating around that vamps didn't have souls. Not true. Also, there was a myth saying vampires didn't have blood of their own. Ridiculous. Their blood was tainted, diseased, but they had plenty of it. Jack didn't quite understand it. Cowboy had tried to explain it once, something about their blood turning black before being eaten away by bacteria. Vampires needed fresh blood to keep the disease from totally taking over and destroying them. According to Cowboy it was a slow, horrible death worse than anything.

"So your parents decided to make you into this great hunter and take away your choices? That hardly seems fair."

"They didn't have a choice either. Do you know where vampires and werewolves come from?"

With a deadpan expression he said, "Well, first their mommies and daddies have to be in love. Then they..."

An explosive sigh cut him off. "I'm being serious here."

"Sorry. Go ahead." Maybe he could keep her talking until his strength returned. "Tell me everything."

"Okay." A happy smile transformed her face as she told him the story. She settled next to him on the bed, eyes sparkling, eager to share her biggest secret. "This might come as a shock to you, but we aren't alone in the universe. There are other realms, other worlds out there, and about three thousand years ago a visitor from one of those places got banished to our world."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because of Lovely's diary."

He shook his head, totally confused. "What is a Lovely?"

Silver laughed. "I know. Her name is crazy, right? She picked it herself." When he wrinkled his nose and frowned, she explained, "Lovely said her real name is not easily pronounced by humans. The first mortal boy she met told her she was lovely, so she used that as her name."

"Humans? She wasn't human?"

"No. She was a faerie."

Jack burst out laughing, certain the cute werewolf-killer was messing with him. He couldn't hold the laughter in, not even when sharp pain ripped into his gut. His hand pressed against his torn abdomen in the hope of keeping his insides inside where they belonged. "Are you kidding me? Tinkerbell started all this? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm not talking about tiny girls with wings and a handful of pixie dust." It was obvious that Silver wanted to yell at him, but she managed to keep her voice down. "Faeries come in all sizes just like us, and they have awesome powers beyond anything you've ever seen."

The last sentence caught his attention, wiped the smile off his face, and made him sit up straighter. "Powers?"

"That's right. I don't know about everything she could do, but I know this much. She created the first werewolf and the first vampire. I also know that she handed down her diary and this."

Silver reached under the neck of her blouse and pulled out a chain with a silver dagger charm dangling from it, three tiny blue stones in the center. They twinkled like colored diamonds. She held the charm a few inches from his face and said, "For centuries every time a girl was born into my family the parents would hold this over the baby's head. Nothing happened until my father held it over me. It began to glow because I'm the one Lovely spoke about in the book. I'm the one with the power to wipe out the werewolves. So my parents reluctantly trained me. I come from a long line of hunters. It's in my blood."

He scoffed. "You expect me to buy any of this?"

"You'll believe... in time."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Ignoring the question, she said, "Let's see how you're doing."

Silver gently lifted the towel from his wound. She probed the area with her fingers, causing Jack to suck in a painful breath. If anything, it burned worse than before. He bit the inside of his lip to keep from crying out.

"Sorry." She smiled. "Good news though. Looks like the bleeding has stopped. Your body is beginning to heal itself."

"I'm not going to heal."

She frowned at him. "Of course you are."

"If you know as much about werewolves as you claim, then you know a small scratch can kill a vampire." He gestured to the bloody towel. "That's a lot deeper than a scratch."

"Not all vampires die after a werewolf attack."

He rolled his eyes. "Now you sound like Summer."

"Who?"

"She's a vampire friend of mine, one of the people you saw at the cemetery."

"Which one? The tall girl with the long curls or the one that was my size?"

Jack hesitated in answering. There was something in her tone, something that warned him the question was not as casual as it sounded. Yet the smile remained fixed to her face. It seemed genuine. She was probably making small talk to eat up the time until he was dead. Besides, how could giving her a face to go with a name hurt anyone?

"Summer has short hair," he said. "Lily is the tall girl, and Cowboy is the name of the guy you saw with them."

"I can't believe you laughed at my name when you hang out with people called Cowboy and Summer."

"They're nicknames." On the defensive now, he said, "They call _me_ Jackpot. It was Cowboy's idea to change our names when we were reborn as vampires. He thought it would be easier to release our old selves that way."

Cowboy had also desperately wanted matching tattoos, but when they'd tried they found out vampire skin didn't hold the ink. As soon as they were pierced with the needle their flesh healed, driving the dye out. Cowboy had tried a few more times with the same result. It made him crazy knowing he couldn't have something he wanted.

Silver leaned closer, her eyes wide, and she spoke in a soft whisper. "Did it work? Were you able to forget you were human? Did you become a monster?"

He could smell the blood in her veins. Was she provoking him on purpose, trying to get him to attack her? Did she want him to lose control so she could kill him without remorse? He closed his eyes, silently fighting the beast within. He couldn't allow himself to attack her. She was a hunter, and he was abnormally weak at the moment.

On cue, a surge of dark energy zapped through him, and his eyes popped open.

Silver gasped. She leaped up and back at the same time, a look of pure panic on her face. He didn't have to ask what was wrong. His eyes had turned solid black as the vampire inside floated to the surface. Silver moved to the other side of the room, lifted the hem of her trousers, and removed a wooden stake from what appeared to be a homemade leather sheath.

Jack snarled, revealing fangs. The smell of her blood drove him over the edge. He couldn't fight the inevitable, couldn't resist, so he gave into it with an eager sense of anticipation. Time to teach her a lesson. Girls shouldn't bring vampires home with them.

In the blink of an eye he was out of bed and across the room, his face an inch from hers. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist. With a quick twist he removed the stake from her hand. It fell to the floor, useless. Hands on her shoulders, he drove her into the nearest corner. They stumbled into a tall white bookshelf and several items fell. In all his years as a vampire he hadn't attacked a human, choosing to feed off the willing instead, but he'd never been this injured before. His desperate need for blood overwhelmed his senses. His mind shut down.

"Don't—please," she said. Her voice was barely audible. "You don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me. Fight it. I believe in you. I know your human half is stronger than the animal."

He bent forward, and his lips parted. The closer he got to her throat the better he felt. If he bit her, drained her, he might live. His survival instinct drowned out compassion and tenderness. He squeezed his eyes shut so he wouldn't see the look of horror on her face.

Pain ripped through his head.

He fell to his knees. The most intense pain he'd ever experienced sawed into his brain, threatening to split his head in two. He grabbed his skull with both hands. This was it. He was going to die. The werewolf had succeeded in killing him. It was going to be a worse death than the first time and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked, taking a tentative step towards him.

They both looked to the glowing spot on her blouse. Reaching beneath the material, she pulled the silver dagger necklace out again. The three tiny blue jewels had turned ruby red. Glowing bright, they went from red to black, and the pain in Jack's head intensified a hundred-fold. Forget werewolves, the charm was killing him.

"Wow," Silver said in a breathless voice. "That's never happened before."

The jewels stopped glowing. Jack crawled away, eager to put distance between himself and the inhuman agony the necklace caused. His fingers sank into the soft carpet. He grabbed handfuls of the shaggy threads and pulled himself along. It took several painful seconds to reach the other side of the bed. Holding the top of the mattress with both hands, he slowly pulled himself up. His strength vanished.

He collapsed onto the mattress on his back and flung an arm over his eyes, not caring what Silver did next. If she got the stake and drove it into his heart, at least his problems would be over. The mattress sagged beneath her added weight. He prepared himself for death. The last thing he expected to feel was the gentle touch of her hand on his chest.

His heart beat tripled in tempo as a new sensation rippled through his body.

"You are going to survive this, Jack. I can't tell you how I know. You're too out of it to understand. Just trust me. You're going to be fine."

Confidence ruled her voice, and he instantly believed. He wasn't going to die, at least not now. He looked into her eyes. An odd sense of déjà vu hit him as if they'd done this a million times before.

"Do I know you?" he asked. While he waited for an answer, his mind went through a long list of pictures from the past. There had been a lot of girls, most of them passing through his life quickly because they'd been afraid of Summer. The few who'd thought he might be worth the risk had vanished, probably killed by Summer.

"You know me," Silver said. "And you don't know me. It's complicated."

"Usually is." He closed his eyes again, beyond tired.

She lay next to him. Her leg touched his, and her arm bumped into his arm as she squirmed around, trying to get comfortable. He tensed. He couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow. She was too close and smelled more incredible than she had at the cemetery. What was she doing to him? Maybe she had power like her ancestor, the faerie.

"Don't even think about trying anything," she said. "You touch me, and I'll rip your soul out through your nostrils."

He turned his head to look at her, startled. Was she serious? He didn't know if it was possible to take his soul through his nose, but he didn't want to find out. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about. For a petite girl she was pretty scary.

Despite the vivid images her threat conjured, he began to drift. He tried to fight it, tried to stay awake, but in mere seconds he was in a different world, a world of tall trees and fresh air. Silver was with him. Having her there felt right like it was meant to be, and the forest felt like home.

♥

The next time he opened his eyes, darkness greeted him. Silver had turned off the lamp after he'd fallen asleep. On her side next to him, she snored softly. He came up on one elbow and stared down at her, studying her with superhuman vision. She looked like a pretty doll with her eyes closed. Her features were soft and delicate, and a place deep in his heart began to ache for what he'd missed in life.

He had a peculiar feeling he had been dreaming about her, but he couldn't remember the details. She turned her head, snuggled deeper into the quilt and moaned his name. "Jack."

Was she dreaming about him?

"Where are you?" she asked, talking in her sleep.

"I'm right here," he said, answering automatically.

"Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere." His gaze drifted to the window. He'd lost track of time, but he knew the sun was getting ready to reappear. He could smell it, the burning heat of a new day. Sunlight was even worse for a vampire than werewolf claws. There was no way he was leaving until it was dark again.

Silver continued to sleep, and he remained frozen in a holding pattern, hovering over her. This was the first time he'd spoken to a sleeping person. It was a bit creepy, but kind of cool. He wondered if she would answer him if he asked her a question.

"Why did you help me tonight?"

"Because you're Jack." A smile touched her lips.

Okay. He tried again. "Where do I know you from? How do you know me?"

"We met in a dream."

A flash of the two of them standing in the middle of a forest haunted the recesses of his mind. As hard as he tried he couldn't grasp it firmly. Every time he got close, it faded like smoke.

Giving up, he collapsed onto the pillow she'd provided and stared at the ceiling. He went over everything that had happened to him in the last few hours. Earlier he had thought he knew everything about the world and about his place in it. Now he wasn't so sure. He hadn't known of Silver's existence. Life was weird sometimes.

"Be careful, Jack." She whispered the words in the dark, startling him. He turned to look at her face and waited to hear more. A few minutes passed, and he started to think she wasn't going to add anything else. Her lips parted on a sigh. "They're going to kill you. Be careful. I don't want to lose you."

Those words struck a chord deep within him. She liked him. His insides warmed at the thought. If he was smart, he'd start running now. The last thing he needed was a hunter girlfriend. Slowly, the rest of her words replayed in his brain. Someone was going to try to kill him?

He sat up quickly and asked, "Who?"

She didn't respond. Her lips refused to budge. If she woke up, she wasn't going to be happy to see him leaning over her, and he wouldn't get the answer to his question then for sure. Maybe if he rephrased the question, she would answer it.

"Is a hunter after me right now?"

_Besides you_ , he almost added.

She frowned in her sleep. "Not yet."

"What about a werewolf? Is there a werewolf tracking me?"

"Not yet."

Irritated, he prepared to raise his voice, not caring if her parents heard and came to investigate. He felt stronger and could probably take out her entire family without breaking a sweat. As quickly as he'd gotten angry, he let it go. He wouldn't hurt anyone Silver cared about, not after she'd saved his life.

"What is that supposed to mean? Not yet? Who do I need to be careful of? Who wants to kill me?"

A single word floated to his ears, chilling him to the bone.

"Everyone."

♥♥

## Chapter Three

## MORTAL AGAIN

The next time Jack woke it was morning, and his hand felt oddly warm. A nagging voice deep in the recesses of his mind slowly connected the dots. He had experienced this soothing heat before, but it had been so long ago he couldn't pinpoint the source. Whatever it was, it was bad.

Jack cracked his eyes a slit. His hand rested comfortably on the pillow beside his head. Light streamed through the open curtains and rested on his unprotected skin. His eyes widened as the truth hit him hard.

With a yelp he jerked his hand out of the light and dove under the covers. Sunlight and vampires did not mix. Any second now he would burst into flames. Where was he anyway? He searched his recent memories.

An amused voice spoke from the doorway.

"It's okay," Silver said. "You're fine. I opened the curtains this morning, but I watched your skin carefully for any signs of burning. Sunlight can't hurt you anymore."

He struggled to breathe through the suffocating covers and mumbled, "What are you talking about?"

"You're not a vampire."

"What?" Oh yeah, she'd lost her mind. Or maybe this was a trick to get him to commit suicide. She was the enemy after all, albeit a beautiful one.

She yanked the covers off the bed—and him—with one quick sliding motion, like a magician revealing the final trick. Silver was fully dressed, hair combed and eyes sparkling. She flashed him a quick grin. "You don't need to hide from the sun. You are no more a vampire than I am. See?" She motioned to the window. "You aren't catching fire or exploding. Isn't that enough evidence for you?"

He crawled to the edge of the mattress in wonder and stared at the beauty known as dawn. Tears blurred his vision for a moment. _Incredible_. It had been too long since he'd seen golden sunlight. He'd forgotten how breathtaking a sunrise could be. Logic argued with his physical senses. He pushed his fingers beneath his upper lip, felt the gums. No telltale bumps beneath the skin. He jumped off the bed and grabbed Silver, pressing his face against her throat as he tried to smell her blood. Nothing.

She giggled.

After releasing her, he went to the window. Before he had the chance to change his mind, he thrust the glass pane up and stuck his hand outside. The most amazing warmth caressed his skin. A cool breeze wafted in, disturbing the hair on his forehead. His eyes closed as he savored the sensation. He ducked his head and leaned out the window. It didn't hurt, didn't burn.

"I can't believe it." The words floated out with his pent-up breath. "I must be dreaming."

Hard knuckles rapped on the bedroom door. Jack jumped and hit his head on the window sill. Pain shot through his skull. No, this wasn't a dream. Definitely not. His hand went to the back of his head, and he absently checked for blood. Since he wasn't alone, he bit his tongue instead of cursing.

"Silver, are you up yet?" The deep, masculine voice penetrated the closed door.

She turned panicked eyes to Jack and whispered, "It's my dad. He can't find you here. He'll drive a stake through your heart."

"I'm not a vampire anymore."

"Trust me, that won't matter. In fact, it might make things worse." She looked at him like he was dumber than dirt. "You're a boy, and you're in my bedroom. He's going to kill you."

She had a point. Jack remembered a few confrontations with angry fathers during his last stint as a human teenaged boy. He turned in a tight circle, searched every corner of the room. Where could he hide? Both the closet and under the bed seemed a little too obvious.

Silver hurried to the door and spoke to her dad without opening it. "I'm not dressed. I'll be down in a minute."

She pressed her ear to the door, listening to her father's footsteps travel down the hallway, and she stayed that way until he was gone. Jack could hear the footsteps from where he stood. He wondered if his vampire hearing would stay with him even though he wasn't immortal anymore.

"This isn't possible," he said, speaking more to himself than to her. "Nobody stops being a vampire. There isn't a cure."

"The werewolf venom saved you."

He practically gagged at the thought. His jaw tightened. There was no way in hell that a werewolf had saved him. Something else must have happened. Clearly this girl knew a lot more than she was telling him.

"Wait a second." He shook a finger at her. "You don't seem surprised by my lack of fangs. How could you possibly know that werewolf blood would change me, cure me?"

"You remember the journal I told you about yesterday? The one Lovely wrote?" She waited for him to nod before continuing the explanation. "Well, there's a lot of interesting information in that book including several visions she had about the future, about you. She predicted you and I would meet."

"Where is this book? I want to see it."

"You can't."

"If it's about me, I have the right to read it."

"My father has it hidden somewhere, and there's no way he'll hand it over to a former vampire."

"But if it's about me..." He clenched his hands, wanting to put a fist through the wall to relieve frustration. Yesterday, life had been a lot simpler. He might have been a vampire, but at least he'd known what to expect on a day-to-day basis. "Fine. I'll ask your father for it."

"No, you won't." Her eyes narrowed. She snapped her fingers. "New plan. I am going downstairs to distract my parents while you sneak out the back door."

"What if you can't keep their attention?"

"My parents see a five-year-old every time they look at me. They were always overprotective, but they've become a hundred times worse since I turned seventeen. They know their days of telling me what to do are numbered. As soon as I say I have a problem and ask for advice they won't notice if someone drops a bomb on the house. Just count to ten before you leave. Wait for me in the car. I'll give you a ride home."

She didn't give him a chance to argue. The stubborn girl opened the door and looked both ways before darting down the hallway. Part of Jack wanted to purposely ignore her instructions. The rebel in him wanted to casually stroll into the family kitchen and introduce himself to her parents. Let her father get the shotgun. Jack wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't afraid of anybody.

♥

Silver drove him home in silence.

Jack barely noticed. He stared out the window at the passing scenery, captivated at the sight of normal life. It had been too long since he'd roamed free during the day. He took in every single sight and sound, devouring it with eager abandon. They drove through town and passed several stores before reaching an endless string of farms. Waves of golden grain seemed to glisten, bending to the will of a gentle breeze. A dog raced across the street. Children played in yards. Men mowed lawns and worked on their cars.

The setting brought a painful lump to his throat. He swiped at his damp eyes and prayed she wouldn't notice that he was getting choked up. Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind to focus on mundane stuff. First, he went through the alphabet backwards. Then he started counting every book he'd ever read.

By the time they stopped in front of his brother's house he had his emotions in check. Silver switched the car's engine off, but she didn't get out. Her gaze rested on him as she waited for a decision. Was he going to face his brother or run away?

How could he possibly explain his reappearance to Billy after so many years? And what about his face? It hadn't visibly changed since the day of his death. He hadn't grown older. Billy was not going to understand any of this. Jack would have to tell his brother their parents had been wrong; monsters did exist and he'd been one of them until last night.

"I can take you somewhere else if you want," Silver said, breaking the silence.

There was nowhere else for him to go. He couldn't return to his vampire friends unless he wanted to become one of them again, which he didn't. Summer wouldn't mind biting him again. This was his second chance to live a normal life. He couldn't let it slip through his fingers, couldn't waste it.

Jack held his breath and exited the car. He leaned against the vehicle for a while to give Silver a chance to join him. For a moment he considered letting her leave, but he didn't think he could face Billy alone. His brother would have a million questions. Maybe Silver could answer a few or at least distract Billy while Jack tried to figure out what to say next.

Before Silver reached him, the front door opened and Billy stepped out. Billy's face went through a myriad of emotions: stunned disbelief...confusion...something else that Jack couldn't quite label. Billy stumbled across the porch, eyes glistening with unshed tears and features twisted in some sort of silent agony.

Jack stood straight and prepared himself for what was likely to be a mushy reunion. He was happy to see Billy, of course. One hug wouldn't hurt. He took a step forward. His brother's feet hurried to meet him, and Jack held his breath.

Billy reached behind his back, removed something from the waistband of his jeans. He lifted it high and moved faster, almost running now. It took Jack a moment to realize his brother was holding a wooden stake. Billy lunged at him, prepared to do serious damage.

Jack grabbed Billy's wrist. They struggled. His brother was stronger than he looked, and Jack had lost his advantage along with his immortality. They went down hard with Billy on top. They rolled across the dirt. Billy straddled Jack's waist. He held the stake above Jack's chest, ready to plunge it into his heart.

Silver grabbed Billy's arm, jerking on it.

"Stop!" she screamed. "Don't hurt him."

"Back off!" Billy shouted.

She yanked harder on Billy's arm.

"He isn't a vampire anymore, idiot. Look! Do you see that big yellow thing up in the sky? That's called the sun. It's shining down on him, and he isn't exploding. His fangs are gone. He's as human as we are. Case closed."

Billy stared up at the sky, his jaw slack. "Not possible."

Jack mumbled, "They don't call me Jackpot for nothing."

"What?" Billy blinked at him.

"Private joke."

Billy stared at Jack as if he'd started speaking Chinese. Slowly, Billy got up. He dropped the stake on the ground and backed away. Jack stood, too. They stared at each other for countless minutes. Maybe it was only seconds. To Jack it seemed like an eternity. Thanks to his brother's homicidal tendencies, their reunion was more than awkward.

Jack made a show of brushing the dirt off his jeans. Eyes lowered, he avoided his brother's searching gaze for as long as possible. Not knowing what to say, he waited for the questions to start, waited for Billy to shoot them out like poison-tipped arrows. Billy's lips remained compressed in a solid line.

"You're taller than me," Jack complained, trying to lighten the mood.

Billy snorted, and the cord of tension broke. "I guess you inherited mom's lack of height."

"At least I got her good looks."

Billy grabbed handfuls of the blood-stained, blue-plaid material covering Jack's upper torso and yanked him close for a big hug. With Billy's arms wrapped around him tighter than a python Jack found it difficult to breathe. It was nice to know his brother was happy to have him home. He reluctantly lifted his hands and placed them on Billy's back, trying hard to return the hug without being too awkward about it.

After a long embrace Billy took a step back. His fingers remained tangled in the material of Jack's shirt as if he was afraid to let go. Eyes damp, Billy asked, "Why didn't you talk to me yesterday? You were in the house when I came home, weren't you? Why did you run away like that?"

"I didn't know what to say."

"You could have started with a simple hello."

Billy invited them both into the house, but Silver declined.

"I need to go home," she said. "I'm not ready to tell my parents about Jack yet."

With mixed emotions he watched her get into her car. Part of him wanted to demand to know when he'd see her again. The words stuck in his throat. He stood in the dirt driveway and watched her leave until the car disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Billy slapped him on the back. The hand slid up to Jack's neck and gave him a quick, friendly squeeze. "Let's get inside. We've got some catching up to do, bro."

Jack nodded. He turned, reluctantly following his brother. They passed through the small foyer and stepped into the living room. Jack had finally made it home. No more hiding in the coat closet. It was difficult to comprehend how much had changed overnight. Yesterday he was breaking into this house, and now he could come and go as he pleased.

His eyes narrowed on baby brother. "Wait a second. You came at me with a stake."

Billy's gaze dropped to the floor.

Jack's stomach plummeted. "How long have you known I was a vampire?"

"After you died, Silver's parents approached me. They told me Mom and Dad were hunters. I tore the house apart looking for evidence to either support or deny their claim."

"Mom and Dad were not hunters. That's stupid."

"Think so?" Billy crooked a finger, signaling for Jack to join him. They walked through the living room. Billy went to the wall where their dad kept his gun case. He slid an arm behind it and clicked a lever. The case swung out, along with part of the wall, revealing a secret room that was filled with weapons and ammunition. Billy added, "It took me three months to find it. Dad hid it well."

Jack couldn't believe his eyes. "Are you a hunter?"

Billy shrugged. "Call me crazy, but after burying my entire family I wasn't in a good place. Since I didn't have any other relatives, I moved in with Silver's family until I was old enough to take care of myself. Silver's parents offered to teach me the trade."

"What is it with those people?" Apparently they went around recruiting kids for the world of hunting.

"It wasn't their fault," Billy said. "I was determined to hunt the thing that killed you. They taught me how to stay alive while doing it."

Jack's blood turned to ice. He had purposely pushed that night out of his mind. With the exception of relentless nightmares he hadn't given it a thought in years. Now he was confronted with the past. He couldn't hide from it anymore. The memories returned with the subtlety of a nuclear explosion.

He could almost smell the blood—and the stench of werewolf, a mixture of sweaty fur and stale breath.

It had happened on an ordinary night, a school night. He'd finished his homework early for a change. He and Billy were watching television when the howling started. They didn't even notice it until their dad raced outside with a multitude of weapons. Jack hadn't known about werewolves at the time and hadn't known what was needed to take them out. Their mom hustled them into the basement, told them to stay there until she returned. Jack didn't listen. He told Billy to call the sheriff while he went outside. He took a shotgun and a pocketful of ammunition.

It was already too late. His father had been torn to shreds, and his mom was on the ground beneath the giant wolf. Jack started shooting. He hit it twice before it pounced on him.

He still remembered the way those sharp teeth felt as they sliced through his flesh. It had been over quick. He hadn't stood a chance.

The wolf changed back to human form.

Jack saw its face.

The werewolf could have ripped him into so many pieces that no one could have saved him, but the thing's head jerked up abruptly. Later, Jack would discover it had smelled vampires coming. There had been five of them. The werewolf hadn't wanted to take that many on. One by one they had appeared over Jack's bleeding body, looking down at him with peculiar interest.

It was then Summer had bitten him... saving him.

♥♥

_Starving_.

Jack sat at the breakfast bar, an array of food spread out before him like an all-you-can-eat buffet. He stuffed half a muffin into his mouth and chewed fast and furious. The dry thing didn't want to go down on its own. He grabbed the milk and emptied it, drinking straight from the jug. A white stream slipped down his chin. He wiped it away with the back of his other hand.

He was so hungry it was like he'd never be filled again.

Billy hesitated in the doorway. Eyebrows lifting, he asked, "Is there something I should know? Are you eating for two?"

Jack glared at him as he shoved a bunch of grapes into his mouth. It was like his brother hadn't changed at all. Older now, the kid was still a smart-mouth. Jack tried to talk around the grapes. "Been long time since I ate real food. Okay?"

"Don't go overboard. You'll make yourself sick." But Billy was the one with the green tint. He watched Jack take a big bite of an apple, stuff a handful of peanuts into his mouth, and then chew off a bite of pepperoni from a slab of meat. Billy asked, "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do now that you're human again...besides eat all my food?"

Jack put down the hunk of cheese he'd been ready to devour and shrugged. "I suppose I'll take up where I left off."

"Where is that exactly?"

"I want to go to school like a normal seventeen-year-old."

"But you aren't seventeen. Not technically, anyway. You won't have anything in common with those kids." Jack's hopes for a normal life plummeted. Billy stopped talking. Then with a shrug he amended, "If you really want to go to school, you should go. I'll help you. I have a friend who specializes in false documents. You need to pick a new name."

"Why?"

"You can use your first name, but we'll have to find you another last name. People in town still remember the Creed massacre. Maybe we can use your middle name. You ought to be able to remember that at least."

He tried it out. "Jack Reece." It sounded okay to him. "What if someone recognizes me?"

"We'll say you're our cousin from Boston and there's a strong family resemblance. If someone says something about Jack Creed, tell them you never met the kid. It's not like they're actually going to think it's you... unless they know about vampires."

Jack thought about Silver and wondered if she went to public school. He allowed his mind to drift for a moment, fantasizing about carrying her books to class and holding her hand in the hallway. Maybe they could even attend a school dance someday.

That would be normal.

"What do you think of Silver?" he asked his brother.

"She's cute. But I don't think it matters what I think. What do you think about her? She likes you, you know?"

Jack choked on chocolate cake. He grabbed the milk jug before realizing it was empty. "What makes you so sure?"

Billy rolled his eyes. "She's a hunter, Jack, and you were a vampire until very recently. Instead of staking you, she saved your life. You do the math."

Jack tried to keep the pleased smile from his face. He didn't have much luck, but Billy's next question did the job for him.

"I've been meaning to ask you. What was it like? Being a vampire?"

"I don't think you want to know."

"That bad, huh?"

Jack shook his head slowly, trying to find the right words. "Actually, parts of it were pretty good. It's like living in stereo. All your senses have the volume turned up as high as they can go. Time loses meaning. Almost nothing can kill you. It's quite a rush." He laughed. "I did some things no person in his right mind would even think about."

"But you had to drink..." Billy cringed, "...blood."

"So? To vampires blood taste like the finest, most delicate chocolate money can buy."

"That's disgusting." Billy grabbed the empty milk container and put it in the garbage. "How could you possibly enjoy drinking human blood? Vampires kill people, and you talk like it was a trip to the zoo."

Finally. This was his chance to clear the air. "For your information, I didn't kill anyone. There are actually willing donors out there. They enjoy the thrill of being close to a vampire and surviving. Then there's animal blood. We can live on it if we need to."

"That's still gross." Billy made a face.

The sound of a cat meowing floated in through an open window. Billy went to investigate while Jack continued to eat. The eldest Creed returned almost at once with a fuzzy white feline in his arms. The creature seemed calm at first. Billy stroked its furry head. With a sudden whiny meow the cat scratched Billy's hand. He half-dropped, half-threw it on the counter.

Billy cursed under his breath. "People dump their damn cats on the edge of town, and they always wind up here."

Jack held his hand out and the cat walked under it, rubbing its head and then body against his palm. "This isn't a stray," he said. "She's mine."

"You have a cat?"

"All vampires do." He introduced the cat to his brother. "This is Blanca. Blanca, this is my brother Billy. You remember. I told you about him."

Billy gave him another queer look. "You talk to her like she can understand you?"

"She isn't your average cat. Blanca has saved my butt more than once over the years. She's unbelievably smart."

"O-kay. I just didn't know vampires liked cats."

"If you don't know your prey, how will you defeat them?" That was something Cowboy had taught him.

Billy sucked on his injured thumb. He only removed it from his mouth long enough to say, "I hunt werewolves, not vampires."

"I thought only Silver can kill werewolves."

"Is that what she told you?" Billy went to the sink and stuck his hand under running water. "It's just easier for her to do it than it is for the rest of us. I have to lop off their heads with a sword. It gets bloody and messy. From what I hear she does some weird hocus-pocus thing."

Jack grinned.

Billy added, "I need to get a bandage from the upstairs bathroom. Damn cat got me good. Be right back."

After Billy left the room Jack ran a hand over Blanca again. She let out a violent hiss and arched her spine. Long white fur stood on end. She flashed tiny sharp teeth at her owner.

Jack growled—an inhuman sound.

Blanca shot out of an invisible gun. She raced around the corner, heading to the living room, and disappeared from view. It was the first time the cat had shown fear in Jack's presence. Blanca had seen him at his worst, sharp fangs and black eyes. Why would she be afraid of him now?

What was happening to him?

Jack dragged his tongue over his gums, searching for fangs. Still nothing. Strangely that didn't reassure him. His gut twisted in knots. Silver was wrong. The werewolf hadn't miraculously changed him back to a mortal. It had temporarily robbed him of his powers and the curse that went with it.

If he looked in the mirror, he'd see a vampire.

♥♥♥

## Chapter Four

## A SENIOR AT LAST

"This must be our new student."

It was a week after his transformation, Monday, and Principal Hardwick stuck a huge hand out to shake Jack's. A big man in a dark suit, Hardwick was in continuous motion like a five-year-old on a sugar high. He rubbed his hands together, checked papers on his desk, paced the floor, and poured coffee all within a five-minute span.

During those five minutes Jack got slammed with reality. He couldn't recapture his lost life. What was he thinking? He shouldn't be trying to return to school as if nothing had happened. That stern voice in the back of his mind, the one that sounded like his father, taunted him while Hardwick was talking.

He should have stayed home.

Fortunately he had one thing going for him. Hardwick had only transferred to Jefferson Memorial a few years ago. Jack hoped his luck would hold for the rest of his senior year and he wouldn't run into any teachers he used to know.

Principal Hardwick interrupted his thoughts with, "Lunch is just ending. You'll begin with your fifth period class today. I like to assign a student to show our new people around the building. This is Meghan Welch, star pupil."

Hardwick gestured to a pretty brunette standing in the open doorway. She flushed a happy pink at the softly spoken praise. Smiling at Jack, she walked straight up to him and latched onto his arm as if they were the newest, hottest couple in town. "Nice to meet you."

Hardwick continued, "You couldn't be in better hands. Meghan is student body president, editor of our school paper, and head cheerleader. Teachers and students love her. Follow her lead and you'll do fine."

Ignoring the girl and the principal, Billy said, "I'll pick you up after school."

"Don't bother," Jack said. "I can find my way home."

Billy raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. With a lazy shrug he left the room. The principal followed suit, returning to his private office. Meghan pulled Jack into the hallway. He already regretted telling Billy not to return for him. He hadn't wanted his brother to make two long trips in one day. Surely he could convince someone to give him a ride at least part way. He could walk a few miles if he needed to.

Meghan went into a long, boring roll of what classes were where and told him some things about the teachers on his list. This obviously wasn't the first time she'd shown the new kid around. She droned on and on until he thought he might fall asleep standing up. Her giddy voice sawed on his nerves.

"You're in luck," she said, hopping like a demented rabbit. She waved his list of classes in front of his face. "Your next class is English with Jersey Clifford. I have him too. He'll ask you to use his first name, always does. He is so cool and fun and super smart. Some of the girls have a crush on him. Mr. Hardwick scooped him up from a big school out east last year. One thing you should know about Jersey is that he loves quoting poetry. If you want to make points with him, memorize a poem by Frost or Yeats or one of those other dead poets. That'll impress him."

The hallway flooded with rowdy teenagers as lunch ended. Some rushed to their lockers, while others strolled along with friends, chatting and laughing. Jack froze to the spot. Feeling claustrophobic, he wanted to run for the nearest exit. He hadn't been surrounded by this many people in years. Vampires shunned the company of mortals—unless they were hungry.

"Where did you go to school before?" Meghan asked.

"Uh...Boston." He made a mental note to remember the lie.

"Did you go to a smaller school than this? Cause you look like a kitty dropped in a shark tank."

A kitty? Annoyed with her unflattering description of him, he fantasized about sprouting fangs and ripping her throat out. Maybe losing her vocal chords would shut her up for a while. He should be asleep in the abandoned house with his friends, not listening to a peppy speech from a cheerleader.

Then he saw _her_ , and his world flipped upside-down.

Silver had her hand inside her locker. She was talking to a blond girl in a crazy-looking outfit, unaware of his presence. He couldn't hear what she was saying. His vampire-hearing had faded. He took one step closer, desperate to know if she was talking about him to her friend. The conversation ended, and the blond girl walked away.

Silver turned, caught him staring at her, and the ends of her lips slowly lifted. The surprise in her eyes quickly became joy. She was glad to see him. The knowledge fueled his confidence.

Jack totally forgot the cheerleader. He left her standing alone and went to Silver, drawn in by her eyes. When he reached her, he glanced inside the open locker, amused but not surprised at the sight of the interior. She had put the textbooks in alphabetical order. The inside of her locker looked more sterile than a hospital operating room.

She asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Decided to rejoin the human race."

Her smile vanished, and she looked anxiously at the faces of nearby students. Jack didn't have to check to know they were clueless. Most people didn't believe in vampires. That's what made it so easy for them to roam free without being hunted by every nut with a sharp stick.

After she was satisfied no one was listening she asked him, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

She shrugged and closed her locker, a blush staining her cheeks. Why did he get the feeling she was holding something important back from him? He wanted to question her, but he didn't get the chance to do more than part his lips.

Meghan stepped between them, irritation evident in the tight set of her jaw.

"I had no idea you two knew each other," she said. Moving to stand beside him, she looped an arm through his. When he tried to extricate himself, her grip tightened. She was stronger than she looked. He couldn't get away from her without making a huge scene and drawing attention to them. She added, "I was assigned to show him around before his first class."

"How nice for you," Silver said, eyes narrowing on the other girl's face.

Jack thought he saw a glint of jealousy in those eyes. Or maybe he had simply gotten in the middle of an old feud. Hard to tell. Still, it gave him hope. Silver might actually like him as much as he liked her.

"What classes did they give you?" Silver asked him, ignoring Meghan. "Maybe we have some together."

Meghan answered for him. "He's going into Jersey's English class next, and you have Math with Mr. Barter, don't you? Too bad. The bell's about to ring, and we don't want to be late. See ya."

The hallway emptied. Jack desperately wanted to talk to Silver, but Meghan pulled him in the opposite direction. Silver stared after them, mouth open. She obviously wanted to talk to him too. With a determined look she followed them across the hallway and into the classroom.

"What are you doing?" Meghan asked.

Silver forcibly removed Meghan's arm from his and gave her a gentle push toward the front of the room. "Jack and I are good friends. He doesn't need you to play Tour Guide Barbie anymore. I'm here now. Take your seat."

The threat in her eyes was clear. Not even Meghan could miss it. The other girl spun around, swinging hair in Silver's face. She went to the front of the class and sat down.

Jack took an empty desk at the back of the room, and Silver sat next to him. The other students were too busy with their own lives to notice the new kid. It gave Jack time to breathe. Meghan turned around a few times and shot nasty looks at Silver, but Silver didn't notice. Her full attention was on Jack.

Silver leaned close to him and whispered, "On second thought, I don't think you should be here. This is too dangerous."

"I'm not a vam—you-know-what anymore." At least he wasn't displaying any signs of being a vampire at the moment. "Why is it dangerous?"

"There are things you don't understand. I can explain later, but you need to get out of here. Go home and wait for me."

"Nope." Jack stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles. He folded his arms over his chest. "I'm here, and I'm staying."

"Do you trust me?"

He nodded reluctantly, knowing she would try to use it against him. If he dropped out of school on the first day, Billy would have his head. He had to have more of a reason than ' _Silver told me to go home_.' He had a feeling what Silver wanted wouldn't matter to Billy.

"I promise I'll tell you everything when I get to your house later," she said.

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"This isn't the place."

"We could go into the hallway or the janitor's closet, or we could go to the parking lot for a few minutes."

She gnawed on her lower lip and played with her bracelets. He waited for her to look at him. Her eyes remained fastened on the multi-colored bangles. There were so many secrets in her eyes; he didn't know where to start.

The teacher entered with a loud voice. He slammed the door behind him and tossed a thick folder overflowing with papers onto his desk. Jack liked him on sight. The man was tall and slender with a receding blond hairline and the palest of blue eyes. He wore solid black, a turtleneck and trousers, but when Jack looked at the man's feet he had to stifle laughter. Jersey Clifford had bright red sneakers on. A non-conformist?

Lily would love him.

Sadness washed over Jack, stealing his smile. His friends were gone. They didn't know what had happened to him yet. They weren't going to like it, and they wouldn't want to be friends with a human. He had lost them forever.

Jersey began to write on the chalkboard in fluid cursive with curly letters. He spoke while he wrote, and his voice was as charismatic as the rest of him. Jack felt drawn in like a moth to a flame, and he wondered if the other students felt the same.

"You will recall that in our last session we were talking about the war between the Greeks and the Trojans and how it could have been avoided," Jersey said. Still facing the chalkboard, the teacher spoke to him as if he had eyes in the back of his head and knew exactly where Jack was sitting.

"We have a new student," he said. "Tell me something, Jack. Have you read _The Illiad_? Will you be able to offer an intelligent opinion on the subject?"

Jack stiffened as every eye in the room turned to him. He hadn't expected to be singled out this early in the game. "I've read it," he said, giving silent thanks to Lily for insisting he borrow her copy.

Jersey added his pale blue eyes to the mix. A slight smile tilted his thin lips as if he was secretly amused by something. "Then tell me, Jack, what do you think of the whole mess? Who was most at fault in your opinion? Was it young Paris for falling in love with another man's wife? Was it Helen for leaving with him when she knew what trouble it would cause? Was it Achilles for refusing to battle? Was it Hector for standing beside his brother on the matter even though he should have thrown him to the wolves?"

Jack felt Silver watching him, waiting for an answer to the teacher's question.

"I would have to blame the gods," Jack said, defiant.

"The gods?" Jersey's smile widened. He sat on the edge of his desk and stared at Jack in wonder. "You blame the gods for the war? Please tell me why."

"They meddled. If they had stayed out of it, things might not have gone as far as they did. The gods chose sides. They each had their favorite mortals, and they were determined to see them win the battle. They used tricks, deceit, not only with each other, but with the humans as well. Really, the war was between the gods themselves. They just used the humans as pawns."

Jersey clapped his hands together. "Brilliant. In all my years teaching I have never had a student blame the gods, believe it or not. Refreshing. I think you are going to be a wonderful addition to our class." He stopped clapping and added, "Although, you speak like you aren't one of us, Jack, not a mere mortal. Your upper lip curls into a little sneer when you say the word human. Did you know?"

The good feeling that came with giving an acceptable answer vanished. He froze to his seat and tried hard not to react to the teacher's probing gaze. There was something about Jersey Clifford, something different, something out of sync. Jack made a mental note to watch his step with the teacher.

Silver gave Jack an I-told-you-so look, but he kept his own expression neutral. Surely the teacher didn't know about vampires. He had probably minored in psychology at whatever university he'd attended. Maybe analyzing students was Jersey's favorite hobby.

Jersey's all-seeing gaze flickered over to Silver, almost bored. "Miss Reign, I do believe you're in the wrong class. Did you get lost?"

"I was showing Jack around the school." She ignored Meghan's grunt of outrage. "I was just going to sit here for a minute to make sure he was in the right place, but then I got caught up in your lesson on _The Illiad_. It's...wow."

Jersey rolled his eyes. "Goodbye, Miss Reign."

He scooted off the edge of the desk and turned, effectively dismissing her. Silver had no choice but to leave the classroom. Once outside the door, she mouthed words at Jack through the glass. Unfortunately, he hadn't learned to read lips. She tried again. When he didn't understand her, she threw her hands up and walked away.

Jersey smirked behind his copy of the assigned book. "We are going to discuss characterization now. Who wants to begin?"

Several hands shot into the air.

Jack kept his firmly on the desk's cool surface.

Jersey pointed at someone in the first row, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

♥

English class flew by. Listening to Jersey's insightful lecture on Homer's book made Jack momentarily forget Silver, being a former vampire, the mess his life had become, everything. He even forgot to worry about keeping his past a secret. Before he knew it the hour had passed.

While everyone else left the room, including Meghan, Jack stared down at his list of classes. He had no idea where he was supposed to go next. After English he had Study Hall. What was that? He groaned. How was he going to survive the rest of the day? He should have taken advantage of Meghan's attention while he had it.

"Problem?" Jersey asked.

"I think I'm lost."

The teacher glanced at the list. "Study Hall. I'll walk you."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's my pleasure." Jersey smiled. "I remember what it was like to be the new kid. In any case, I enjoyed your comments about the book. I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes while we walk."

Jack stiffened. "Why?"

"You should be in my advanced class, not in here with the average students. Most of them aren't even listening. The girls are thinking about the boys, and the boys are thinking about food."

"I don't know if I'm ready for a harder class. I'm still trying to feel my way around in the dark. School is tougher than I remember."

Jersey's eyes narrowed. "Than you remember?"

"I just meant that this school is different from the one I left in Boston."

Jersey shrugged, but there was nothing casual about the intensity of his stare. "You'll do fine. If you have any problems, my door is always open."

Jack mentally kicked himself for the slip. Maybe Silver was right. He should go home until he got comfortable in his human skin.

As if reading his mind, Jersey said, "You've made a good friend in Silver Reign. She is one of our best students. To my knowledge she has never skipped a class before. Yet, she did it for you. She most certainly didn't stay to hear my lecture. How did the two of you meet?"

Jack's mind went blank.

Jersey chuckled. "It isn't a trick question."

"My brother introduced us. I was just wondering why you care so much who I hang out with."

"Curious. She's a good student, but sometimes she hangs out with the troublemakers. I would hate to see you fall in with the wrong element."

"How do you know I'm not the wrong element?"

Jersey laughed, loud and deep. "I pride myself on being a good judge of character. You're no more a bad person than I am."

Jack smiled. He wondered what the English teacher would do if he told him about his former fangs. "I'd better get going. Why don't you just point me in the right direction?"

Jersey insisted on walking him the entire way. At least he stopped asking questions. Instead, he took the time between his classroom and the library to fill Jack in on the history of the school. _Boring_. Jack began to relax. But the second he let down his guard the teacher flashed a knowing smile.

"You look familiar, Jack. I'm sure we haven't met, but I've seen you before. Don't worry. I'm good with faces. I'll remember."

Jersey began to whistle.

♥♥

## Chapter Five

## TROUBLE ON THE FIRST DAY

Study Hall took place in the library. Jersey Clifford opened the door to the huge book-filled room and waved Jack inside. There were several tables in the center, most of them already occupied. The final bell had rung six minutes ago so students were in their seats, noses in their books. Every single one glanced up when he entered the room.

Jersey introduced him to Mr. Kyle, the teacher on duty, before he left.

While Mr. Kyle looked over his list of classes to make sure he was in the right place, Jack searched the room for a familiar face. In seconds he found the one he most wanted to see: Silver.

She smiled. There was an empty seat on one side of her and a blonde girl on the other. A couple big guys were sitting opposite them. One of them continuously glanced up at her. Jack didn't like the expression on the kid's face, a sort of possessive smirk.

She motioned for Jack to join them. Smiling in relief, he crossed the room and took the empty seat. They weren't allowed to talk, but he was itching to say something, anything. He wanted to hear her voice and look into her expressive eyes. Instead, he opened his Biology book and stared at the words without seeing them. His thoughts remained on communicating with Silver.

Jack wondered if kids still passed notes to each other. He opened his notebook and scribbled a quick sentence. _Can you give me a ride home?_

He folded the paper in half before sliding it under her fingertips. Out of the corner of one eye he saw her glance his way. He fought the urge to look at her. The note could speak for itself. He shouldn't have to tell her to read it. She was a pretty girl. No doubt he wasn't the first guy to pass a note to her.

She brought it down to her lap and unfolded it before glancing his way again. Her hand reached in front of him for his pencil. She jotted something beneath his question and set the paper on his open book.

He made sure the teacher wasn't watching. Mr. Kyle leaned over a student at another table and helped the guy with a problem. Jack unfolded the paper and read it. A slow smile stretched his lips. _Yes. Need to talk about your future at my school._

Her school? He wrote back: _My school first. Why do you want me gone_?

He returned the note to her and watched her read it out of the corner of his eye. He almost laughed when she sighed. She sounded frustrated. Grabbing his pencil again, she wrote another line with a fierce scratching motion. He leaned close and read it as she was writing.

Can't tell you yet. Trust me and go.

They passed the note back and forth for the entire class hour while Silver's friends watched with amused expressions, everyone except for the boy with the obvious crush. He glared at them with disapproval.

Jack wrote: _Promise to be good_.

She wrote: _Too dangerous. You don't know_.

Tell me.

I will.

When?

On the ride home.

The bell rang a few minutes later, cutting their silent conversation short. Students gathered their belongings and headed for the door. Jack stood. He stretched his arms over his head and arched his back. Spending an hour in a wooden chair was hell on a human spine. It would take a while for him to get used to his mortal body. He waited patiently for Silver to gather her things.

The boy with the crush made a beeline for Silver. He approached her from behind, moving fast. Before Jack could warn her, the guy had his arm around her throat. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Jack lost it. In a series of quick movements that would have been the envy of any martial arts movie nut, he grabbed the guy's finger, twisted it back, swung the jerk around and slammed him head-first onto the wooden table.

It all took place in a matter of seconds.

Silver pulled on him from behind. "What are you doing?"

"He attacked you."

"No, he didn't." She yelled at him. "Tucker is a friend of mine, you idiot!"

A friend? Jack let Tucker go and took a step back. He still wasn't convinced, but Silver seemed pretty mad about the whole thing. Somehow he'd misread the situation.

She explained, "He's on the wrestling team. Sometimes he tries to get me into a hold I can't get out of. This is exactly why I didn't want you here."

Mr. Kyle charged over and pointed at Jack. "You! Principal's office! Now!"

Jack opened his mouth to argue with the teacher, even though he had no idea what he could say at the moment to defend himself, but Silver took over. She pushed him to and out the doorway before he could say a word. Once she got him into the hallway, she cornered him against a row of lockers.

"What is wrong with you? You can't go around punching people for no reason. You didn't even give him a fair chance."

He stared down at the toe of his left shoe. He had only been in school for two hours, and he'd already screwed things up. Angry with himself, a muscle worked in his cheek. Some of the fury focused on her. Why was she defending this Tucker guy so vehemently? Did she like the jerk?

Jack grumbled, "I'd better go see the principal."

"No. I want you out of here."

"Too bad. I'm staying."

Silver glared at him. "I can't believe I was looking forward to meeting you all these years. You're going to ruin my life. Stay away from me."

Her words cut deep. She was his only friend, the only one outside of his brother who knew the truth about him. In fact, he suspected she knew more about him than he knew about himself. He needed her.

She walked away, but he followed her. "I still need a ride home."

Her lips compressed into a tight line. She refused to look at him, charging down the hall like a bull, dodging stationary students. It was kind of hard to keep up with her.

"It might make you feel better if you hit me."

She spun around and the flat of her hand struck his chest. Jack wasn't prepared for the attack. The force of it sent him flying backward. He crashed into the lockers with a loud clang before falling to the ground. His flailing arms knocked books out of some guy's hands.

Stunned, it took a second for Jack to get his bearings again.

Jack noticed the janitor watching them from the other end of the hallway. In a light brown uniform, he had long graying hair that covered his face. The greasy strands hung down, better than a veil. There was a mop in his hand, but he wasn't using it. He turned and walked away.

Passing students laughed and pointed at Jack.

Silver knelt next to him. "Are you okay? I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"Guess you don't know your own strength."

He groaned as he struggled to his feet with her help. Students snickered as they passed them by. A couple made random comments to Jack, warning him to watch out for her.

Ignoring them, Jack said, "I'm sorry about Tucker. I didn't mean to do what I did either."

They stood toe to toe, their eyes locked in silent battle. Her lips quivered before forming a reluctant smile. "Maybe we both need to take anger management classes."

"Yeah." He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I'd better go see the principal."

"I'll go with you. Maybe he won't be too hard on you if I'm there. I've gotten pretty good at arguing with him over the years. I know all the right buttons to push."

"You would do that for me?"

"Sure."

They headed for the principal's office together. Their arms swung at their sides and their fingers sometimes bumped. The idea of taking her hand in his occurred to him, but it was too soon. He certainly didn't want to wind up on the floor again.

♥

"What's taking so long?" Jack leaned forward in the metal chair and looked past Silver at the principal's half-open door. Hardwick paced back and forth as he put his tie on. "What is he doing?"

Silver explained, "You can tell the time of day by what Hardwick is wearing. He starts each day in professional mode, a full three-piece suit, usually black or navy blue. Sometimes he wears chocolate-brown. By mid-morning he loses the tie. The jacket follows just before lunchtime. Early afternoon you'll find him with his sleeves rolled up, and by the end of the day he's walking around in nothing but socks."

Apparently he thought punishing Jack meant he had to be fully dressed. That was not a good sign. Hardwick shoved his arms into his jacket while stuffing his oversized feet into polished black shoes. He jerked the door open the rest of the way and violently gestured with two fingers for Jack.

Silver followed him to the doorway and hovered there. Jack hoped she wouldn't say or do anything to get herself in trouble. He appreciated the support but didn't want her to get on Hardwick's bad side because of him.

"Here for a day and already in trouble," the principal muttered. His statement was followed by an angry snort. He pulled a bottle of pink antacid from his desk drawer and chugged it. After recapping the bottle, he wiped pink goo from his moustache. His hands shook. "Unbelievable. You may as well tell me now...you were in trouble a lot at your old school, weren't you? That's probably why you moved here to Nebraska."

"No," Jack said, but it didn't sound convincing.

The principal glared over Jack's shoulder at Silver. "Don't tell me he's your client now. I'm getting a little tired of this, Miss Reign. I'll be glad when you graduate and move on to law school." His bushy brows wagged as he turned to Jack. "I don't want troublemakers here. Consider yourself gone... two weeks suspension."

"You can't do that," Silver said. "There were extenuating circumstances."

"There always are with you."

"Every kid in this country has a right to a public education." Her hands went to her hips. "You didn't give him a chance. I could give you a huge list of students who have been in fights around here, and you haven't kicked them out."

Hardwick rolled his eyes. "Life is too short to put up with this. You have detention, but one more fight and you're suspended."

The two of them left the office. Silver looked pleased with herself. Jack walked fast down the hallway even though he didn't know where he was going. He needed to burn off some steam before he put his fist through a wall. He hadn't appreciated the way the principal had scowled at Silver. And the way the man had talked to her...where did he get off?

Silver dropped a book.

Jack stopped.

He bent over and grabbed it at the same moment that she did. Their fingers collided. A flash of white-hot electricity shot through him from hand to feet. Sizzling pain accompanied it.

One second he was looking at Silver and the next, he was looking through her eyes. It took a while to realize he was inside of Silver's head. He was reliving one of her memories. It was more vivid than a dream...

...and more revealing.

♥♥

_Silver entered Trina's room after rapping once on the door._ Her best friend since the second grade, Trina was painting her fingernails, listening to music, and reading her email at the same time. When she noticed Silver, she capped the fingernail polish. She set the bottle on the nightstand and smiled up at her guest.

Trina had a girly room to the tenth degree. The walls were white with pink flowers, covered with an assortment of decorative things like a necklace holder, foam letters that spelled her name, and plastic blossoms with pictures in the middle. It looked like a clothing store had exploded. Trina had a flair for the dramatic, which was no more evident than in the things she wore.

At the moment she was in pink tights, a lime green mini-skirt, and an oversized striped blouse with a tiny denim vest. Her long blond hair was a tangled mess, thrown to one side, mostly straight, but she had curled a few strands. Holding the hair in place was a butterfly clip, a black barrette, and a silver fashion comb.

"I have been dying here waiting for you," Trina said. "It took you long enough. You promised me details. Tell."

Silver sat on the edge of the bed. She couldn't contain the huge smile for another second. "I just drove him home. I had to make sure Billy wasn't going to kill him before I left."

"Did I hear you right on the phone? Did you really spend the night with him?"

"Say it a little louder why don't you?" Silver sent an anxious look to the door. It remained closed, and she didn't hear any footsteps. "It wasn't as dirty as you make it sound. I slept next to him. That's it. There wasn't any touching involved."

"Why not?"

"He was wounded for one thing. Jack almost died. He tried to save me from a werewolf. Can you believe it? He tried to save _me_ , the great werewolf killer."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Trina blew on wet fingernails. "Hmm. Tell me something. Is he as hot in person as he was in your dreams?"

Silver blushed, picturing his rock hard abs. "Oh yeah."

They both squealed in delight and clasped hands for a moment. One of Trina's fingernails got smudged. She rolled her eyes before grabbing the polish again.

"Describe him to me," Trina said.

"He has dark hair, a little long for me, but it looks good on him. The bangs fall into his eyes a lot. It makes him look ultra-mysterious, and his eyes are like the prettiest green I've ever seen. I don't need a jury for this one. He's guilty of being totally hot."

Trina squealed again.

Silver got up and went to the window. She looked down on the backyard, watched Trina's brother playing with an invisible sword. Things were so simple when you were a kid.

"I wanted to kiss him," she admitted.

"In-tense!" Trina jumped off her bed. "Why didn't you do it?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair." She turned to look at her friend. "I'm keeping a huge secret from him. You know that. He has no idea who I am or what we're supposed to do. If I kissed him, it would make things even more complicated."

"I know I'm not a hunter and I don't get it, but why don't you just tell him everything? Purge your soul. Tell him that you've been dreaming about him since you were twelve. Then kiss him like there's no tomorrow."

Silver was afraid to tell Jack what she knew because his reaction couldn't be predicted. He could refuse to talk to her again. He could refuse to cooperate. Or he could suck it up and deal with it like she had. She wished there was some way of knowing before she opened her mouth.

"You have to tell him," Trina said. "I mean, there's no way around it, right? It's destiny."

"You're right. I have to tell him."

But first she was going to figure out how to tell him in the best way possible. If she could put a positive spin on it, he might accept the information better. Maybe she should enlist his brother's help.

Silver nodded, determined. "I'll do it. The second I get the chance, I will tell him he's in terrible danger. I'll tell him now that his powers are gone he's going to have every crazy werewolf and vampire in the area after him. Not to mention hunters, of course."

"Totally intense."

♥♥♥

It was Jack's first time in detention. Although he had pulled a few pranks in the past, he hadn't gotten caught. He didn't think detention was as bad as the name implied. Four other students joined him in a classroom with about thirty desks. He chose to sit near the back. Jersey Clifford had them spread out so they wouldn't be tempted to talk, which wasn't a problem for Jack, since he didn't know anyone except for the teacher. Besides, he needed time alone with his thoughts. Jersey told them to study or start on their homework. Jack dropped his gaze to the book in front of him and pretended to do exactly that.

For the entire hour Jersey's penetrating eyes were on one student: Jack. The teacher's fascination with him boggled the mind.

Jack kept his head down, refusing to acknowledge the man. He stared at words on a stark-white page until they blurred together. His lips moved as he pretended to read, but he was thinking about Silver and what had happened in the hallway. Touching her hand had somehow given him a ticket to spy on her memories. Only it was more complicated than that. He'd been inside of her head, living the scene as Silver.

He had no idea how long he'd stood there staring at her like a brain-dead moron. By the time he snapped back to reality, she was waving a hand in front of his face and calling his name, clearly exasperated.

Jack kept his new power a secret. She already wanted him to drop out of school. If she knew the vampire-reverse might be temporary, she'd tell Billy. Then the two of them would confine him to his bedroom. Maybe Billy would even get the stake out.

The thought of turning back into a vampire made him sick to his stomach. He had a second chance to live, and he wasn't going to waste it. No one was going to stop him from attending school for as long as he reasonably could.

Being a vampire hadn't been a hundred percent awful. He missed the heightened sense of smell the most. Cowboy would die laughing if he ever found that out because Jack had complained about the smells non-stop. The nastiest smells clung to the inside of his nostrils, refusing to depart until Cowboy introduced him to cigarettes. Chain-smoking helped them cope.

And now he missed it (the sense of smell, not the cigarettes). Actually, if he was going to be honest, he missed being able to smell Silver the way he had at the cemetery. He also missed being able to hear her heart beat from several yards away. In a strange way, he even missed being able to hear the blood rushing through her veins.

On the other hand, he didn't miss wanting to feed on her.

"Didn't you hear me?" Jersey hovered over Jack. He gestured to the empty classroom. "Everyone's gone home. You don't strike me as one prone to daydreaming, Jack. Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

Jersey sat on the edge of the adjacent desk. His tall and lanky body moved with graceful, fluid motions. The man could have been a ballet dancer in a former life.

"It's nothing."

"You can trust me." Jersey eyes narrowed. "I can see the grief in your eyes. It darkens the soul. You know, I recently lost someone very close to me. He was like a brother. He died suddenly. It was a shock."

"I'm...sorry." Jack shifted in the desk, uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Jersey's probing gaze. The man was a starving dog with a meaty bone. He wasn't going to turn loose. Jack admitted, "I lost my friends too. They aren't dead, but they might as well be. I'll never see them again."

Jersey quoted, "I loved—but those I loved are gone, had friends—my early friends are fled. How cheerless feels the heart alone when all its former hopes are dead."

"Lord Byron."

Jack smiled at Jersey's stunned expression.

Cowboy had insisted he spend his vampire years defying gravity, the speed of light, and every other mortal law, but Lily had pushed him to read and learn to appreciate beauty whether it was the written word, classical music, or an abstract painting. He owed her big time.

"Do you want to talk about your friends?" Jersey asked. "It might help."

"I don't think so. I'm not really much of a talker."

"More of an action man, huh?" Jersey grinned. "I have a feeling you and I have a lot in common, a lot more than meets the eye."

Jersey patted him on the shoulder. For a moment the hand froze to him as if stuck. The teacher stared at him with a look of total disbelief.

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked.

Jersey removed his hand promptly. He swallowed several times and took a few steps away from Jack. Something _was_ wrong. Something had changed between them. Jack didn't understand what or why.

He stood, picked up his textbooks, and headed for the door. He didn't want to talk to the English teacher about his vampire friends anymore. The only person he wanted to talk to was Silver. She was forefront in his mind. He didn't know what he would say to her, but he knew he had to see her.

Jersey followed him to the door. Jack looked back at him once and saw that odd expression still on his face. He couldn't label it. It seemed to be a mixture of confusion and awe.

"I'm still trying to figure out where I know you from," Jersey said. "No luck yet, but I'll continue to work on it."

_Fabulous_. Jack wondered how long it would take the English teacher to piece it together. It was another thing he couldn't tell Silver. She would hit the roof if she knew the teacher thought he looked familiar. To her it would be one more reason why he shouldn't show his face in public, especially not at Jefferson Memorial.

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Six

## THE WEREWOLF POPULATION GROWS

During the next two weeks Jack found a routine he could live with. He went to school, did his homework, and tried to stay out of trouble. Silver stopped pushing him to drop out, but she still shot him warning glares now and again. He found a couple new friends. Even Billy seemed to relax, let down his guard...

...and isn't that when the bad stuff always happens?

Another school day ended on a quiet note. Jack searched the building for Silver after the last bell rang. He had been talking to a teacher about making up the work he'd missed at the start of the semester while he'd been running around the country with his vampire friends. Of course he left out the vampire part. He'd expected to find Silver standing outside the door when he finished, but the hallway was empty.

Jack wandered around for ten minutes before deciding she must be waiting for him in the parking lot.

His footsteps echoed in the long hallway. Being in school without anyone else around was unsettling. But was he alone? The hairs prickled on the back of his neck, signaling trouble. Curious eyes watched him. He didn't know where they were. However, he could feel them burning a hole into his skull... or maybe it was just his imagination. No one except for the English teacher had shown any interest in the new kid, and Jersey Clifford had left for the day.

Still, the nagging feeling lingered. He thought he heard metal scraping the floor as if something was being dragged. Another sound caught his attention. He jerked his head to the left and saw a brown blur move behind the row of lockers, out of view. Maybe someone _was_ spying on him. Even paranoid people had enemies.

Around the opposite corner a door banged against the wall. Loud voices struggled for dominion. The words were unintelligible. It sounded like a group of geese chattering on their way south for the winter. A piercing whistle cut through the noise.

"All right, everyone, calm down!" The female voice held authority. Jack knew it belonged to a teacher before he rounded the bend. The Drama teacher, Ms. Tomlin said, "I'll call for an ambulance. Give him room to breathe."

She sprinted down the hallway to the main office.

Students crowded around a prone figure lying on the floor. The boy kicked and writhed like he was being electrocuted. Students whispered concerned words to each other as they watched the boy's face grow redder by the minute. He cried out in pain and twisted in agony. No one knew what to do for him.

The boy's eyes bulged, threatening to pop out of his head. His face turned an unnatural shade of red that couldn't possibly be real. A cloud of visible steam burst off his cheeks like a boiling teakettle releasing built-up pressure. Several gasps shot into the air. One of the girls shrieked. The students simultaneously jumped away from him, terrified. As if by mutual consent they fell into a state of shocked silence.

Jack went to the boy, knelt beside him, instinctively knowing what was wrong. The kid had been infected by a werewolf, and it was too late for anyone to save him. On the next full moon he would go crazy, probably kill somebody. The only way to stop that from happening was to kill him first.

A tall girl with short hair and freckles raced to the boy's side with a wet towel in her hand. She'd missed the weird steam thing and didn't know she shouldn't get close to him. Going to her knees on the opposite side from Jack, she placed the towel on his forehead before Jack could stop her. It was never a good idea to get that close to a werewolf, even a newbie.

Confused, the boy reacted. He swiped at her. Light glinted off metallic claws that only Jack could see.

"Hey!" The girl cradled her injured hand against her chest. "He scratched me."

Jack stood and took three steps back.

Silver appeared on the scene, out of breath from running. She grabbed Jack's arm and asked, "What happened?"

He gestured to the kid on the floor.

The boy's face had lost some of the redness, and he wasn't perspiring anymore. The worst seemed to be over.

Jack took Silver by the arm and dragged her away from the crowd. He quickly explained everything including how the girl had been scratched, ending with, "Now she's infected, too."

"This has never happened before." Silver shook her head at him. "I realize we have a bit of a werewolf population problem, but they tend to stay in the wilderness. They rarely infect anyone. Mostly they just kill their victims."

"What do we do?"

Silver bit her lower lip for a second before saying, "There's nothing we can do."

"Will you suck their souls out?" He hadn't meant it to sound like an accusation.

She frowned at him and pulled him even further away from the others. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"My power only works on them when they're in wolf form. It takes a while for a new werewolf to learn to morph. Lovely's diary says someday I'll be able to suck souls out any time I want, but I need to develop my power first. My parents told me I'm going to have to train for a long time."

The Drama teacher returned with Principal Hardwick in tow. They helped the young man to his feet and walked him back to the office. Hardwick scowled at Silver and Jack as if he suspected they had something to do with the boy's problem. After the sick boy was out of sight, the group of teens broke apart. They drifted down the hall, still discussing what they'd seen.

Silver said, "I don't know how I'll ever be ready to take on the head werewolf when my parents won't let me practice. There's always some excuse. It's a school night or they think I should spend time with kids my own age or they've grounded me over something stupid." She smiled and a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "I sneak out though."

Jack had suspected as much. "You sneak out to fight werewolves?"

"That's right." She headed for the door, leaving Jack to follow. He stood there for an extended period of time, shocked at the entire situation. If he didn't go after her, she'd probably leave him at school, so he ran outside. Once he caught up with her in the parking lot, she said, "That's why I was in the cemetery the night we met. Lucky you. If I hadn't been there, that werewolf would have shredded you."

If she hadn't been there, Jack wouldn't have been attacked, but he kept his opinion to himself. There was something else he wanted to talk about. There were secrets in her eyes.

What was she keeping from him?

♥

They drove in silence for almost ten minutes. Jack knew Silver wanted to tell him everything that was on her mind, spill her secrets. He gazed out the passenger side window at the passing scenery, giving her time to accumulate her thoughts.

Maybe he should go first, tell her he knew about the secret she'd been keeping. Of course he only knew fragments and if he admitted that much, she'd want to know how he knew. That was _his_ secret.

"It wasn't some random coincidence that brought you here," she finally said. Her eyes stayed focused on the road. "You were meant to be here at this time. You were meant to find me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Destiny."

Jack rolled his eyes. How many times had he heard that meaningless word tumble from Lily's lips? He was with Cowboy on this one. Without thinking about it first he repeated one of Cowboy's favorite sayings. "There's no such animal. We create our own futures."

"We do," Silver agreed, "for the most part. But sometimes destiny has a hand in it. You aren't going to like what I'm about to tell you. I hope you'll listen with an open mind." She paused for a second before blurting it out. "Lovely wrote about you in her diary. She talked about a boy who would change from vampire to mortal. It has to be you. What are the odds that someone else will reverse from a vampire to human?"

A few questions floated through Jack's mind, but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted her to finish. She needed to answer the most important question of all: What exactly did this 'destiny' entail? What was he supposed to do?

Silver spared him a quick glance.

He waited with a patient exterior even though he was on the verge of exploding—and not because of the sunlight.

"We have to kill the head werewolf, the first werewolf."

"Oh, is that all?"

"I'm serious, Jack." Her eyes darted to him, probably checking to see if his hand was on the door handle yet. She added, "If we kill the head werewolf, all other werewolves will revert to their human selves again. We'll be saving the world."

"I don't want to save the world. I just want to finish high school with a decent grade point average. Anyway, what's with the 'we' stuff? You're Silver. Aren't you the one who needs to kill the werewolves? Why drag me into it?"

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I can't do it myself because I'm not old enough, and my powers aren't fully developed yet."

"So? I can't suck souls out."

"In the diary Lovely explains she added a fail-safe in case something should happen to me before I can do my job. There's a stone with magical powers, and it's been passed down through my family line along with the diary and the necklace. You are the only one who can use the stone."

"Lucky me." He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable, and tried hard to control the snarl threatening to erupt from his throat. If she heard it, she would know he hadn't completely turned human, that she was wrong about him being her hero. He remained a monster in disguise. His fists clenched on his lap.

"All you have to do is touch the werewolf with the stone. Lovely has already done the rest."

That didn't sound hard. He could probably manage to do it between classes and homework, if the rock actually worked. Then he could have his life back. "Fine. Give me the magic rock and point me in the right direction."

There was a long pause from her side of the car.

"I can't," she finally said, tagging a frustrated sigh onto the end. "I don't have the stone, and I haven't figured out who the head werewolf is yet."

Jack relaxed against the seat with a smile. He hoped he got points for agreeing to help. It wasn't his fault she hadn't done the legwork. He was off the hook. Good for him.

"I can find out who it is though," she said. "Lovely wrote about him, about the three of us, in her diary. According to her the three of us will gravitate towards each other without even realizing it. We can't help it. It's our destiny."

There was that word again. "You think the head werewolf lives around here?"

She nodded.

"We can go out a few times," he said, "kill all the werewolves we stumble across. Maybe we'll get him by accident."

"You don't understand." She hesitated before delivering more bad news. "The stone only works once. We have to be sure the guy you use it on is actually the head werewolf before you touch him with it. Otherwise it's worthless, and we've lost the advantage."

"Why can't you just have patience, grow up, develop your power and kill him yourself?"

He hated feeling like a petty jerk, but he'd just gotten his life back. He was mortal, at least for the moment, and he wanted to enjoy it. No telling how much time he had left. He wanted to do the things he'd missed while being a vampire. Was a little _me_ _time_ too much to ask for?

"There's going to be a war," she said. "Someday—I assume it's soon since you're here—the head werewolf is going to raise an army. He's going to start infecting people left and right. He may have already started. Once he has his army, he's going to war with the vampires. He'll wipe them out. Then he'll either turn the entire human race into werewolves or kill them."

"I don't think so." Jack patted his jacket pockets, feeling the urge for a cigarette before remembering he'd quit. "If there was a war, the vampires would win. Werewolves are notoriously stupid."

"Not all of them. Not this one. The older they are, the smarter they are. He's supposed to be brilliant, a real strategist according to Lovely."

"You don't have the magic rock," he reminded her. "We can't do anything without it. So even if you manage to figure out who the head werewolf is, we can't hurt him. What is the point of this conversation?"

"My mom keeps it in her sock drawer. She doesn't know that I know. We can take it whenever we want."

"Why does everyone want me dead?" He stared at her profile, searching for a hint because he didn't think she was going to tell him outright. "On my first night here you were talking in your sleep. You warned me to be careful because everyone wants me dead. What is that supposed to mean? Who is everyone, and why would they want me dead now when I can't hurt anyone?"

She wasn't going to tell him, but she was thinking about it. Jack decided to test his new power. He concentrated on what he wanted to know and laid a hand on top of hers.

An electric current shot through him...

♥♥

Silver waited in the hallway for Jack to finish talking to his teacher.

Trina approached with six or seven books in her arms, not counting notebooks. In all the years Silver had known her, she'd only seen Trina use her locker twice. Silver suspected Trina didn't remember where her locker was located anymore. With a look of annoyance the girl stopped and leaned backward as she juggled textbooks, notebooks, and her purse. She struggled in vain to open her purse with one hand.

Silver stepped forward, ready to help, but it was too late. A book slid off the stack and fell to the floor. Rolling her eyes, Trina purposely let the rest go. The books hit the floor with a loud boom, and a few slid in opposite directions. She opened her purse and retrieved a tube of lip gloss. Smiling, she applied the pink tint to her lips while speaking.

"Your boyfriend is mega-intense," Trina announced. She compressed her lips together to equally distribute the gloss. "I cannot believe he attacked Tucker. Even without vampire powers he's super-cool. You are one lucky girl."

Silver wanted to deny the 'boyfriend' label, but she decided not to waste her breath. Trina only heard what Trina wanted to hear. Silver asked, "Can you get a ride home with someone else? I'm waiting for Jack."

"I'll wait with you. I don't mind being late."

"I kind of need to talk to him alone."

Trina's eyes widened. "You're going to tell him, aren't you?"

"Part of it."

"Which part?"

"Well, I think I'll tell him he has to kill the head werewolf. Maybe I'll mention the war. I don't think I'll tell him more than that right now because I don't want him to run for the Canadian border."

"Aren't you going to tell him he's in danger? I would think he'd want to know something like that, unless he's a complete moron."

Silver shook her head. "I can't. He's so happy being human. His eyes light up every time he talks about something normal like going to school or mowing the grass. I don't want to be the one to sink his dreams."

"Uh, don't you think he'll notice when he starts getting bursts of strength or running faster than lightning?" Trina stooped down to retrieve her books. "Anyway, how can he protect himself when he doesn't know he's in danger?"

"I'll protect him." Silver bent over to help Trina. She stacked a couple books onto the pile in Trina's hands and added, "I can tell if a werewolf or a vampire is nearby. I'll make sure nothing kills him."

Trina made a face. "Sounds like a full-time job to me."

"He has a destiny to fulfill. He can't die before then. I think he's safe."

"Didn't you tell me Lovely has been wrong before?"

♥♥♥

"Hey! I asked you a question! What's wrong with you?"

Silver's loud voice broke through the memory and transported him back to the present so fast he almost got whiplash. One second he was inside of Silver's head, talking to her best friend, and the next he was in the car again. Motion sickness made him feel nauseated. Silver tried to keep her eyes on the road, but continuously tore her gaze from it to look at him.

"Well?" she demanded.

Maybe if he confronted her with what he knew, she would accidentally spill some important information. He was sure she wouldn't hand him the truth without a fight. She seemed to have a problem with total honesty. Was it because she didn't trust him?

"I have my powers back."

"What?" Her eyes flew to his face. She lost control of the car. They weaved into oncoming traffic. He reached for the steering wheel, but she corrected the car before he could do anything to help. "What did you say?"

"I'm mortal again, so why do I have superhuman powers?"

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Seven

## MORE BAD NEWS FOR JACK

Silver didn't answer him for nine miles.

He counted.

Jack stared at her profile. Her jaw tightened, and she swallowed several times while her hands gripped the steering wheel hard. She was doing her best to ignore him. It wasn't going to work. After ten years of living with Cowboy, putting up with his insane ideas, Jack had developed a bountiful amount of patience.

He cleared his throat.

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

"What sort of powers are you talking about?" Her tone emerged light and casual, but her stiff facial muscles gave her away. She wanted the information more than she wanted her next breath.

He wasn't sure how much to tell her. "I growled at my cat without meaning to."

"I don't think growling is considered a power. Regular people growl all the time."

"It sounded inhuman." He leaned closer, intentionally making her nervous. "If you don't give me the whole story now, I'm going to ask your father."

She choked. "What? What does my father have to do with anything?"

"He has Lovely's diary. Maybe I should read it for myself."

"He won't give it to you."

"We'll see. I can be very persuasive."

She jerked the steering wheel to the left in a sharp turn that threw Jack against the passenger side door. They weren't headed in the direction of his farmhouse anymore. She was up to something. He returned to his original sitting position and watched the passing scenery. He wasn't going to get anything out of her. No sense in asking her more questions.

They turned onto her street and stopped in front of her house. It was a cute two-story home with white siding and black shutters. The garage door was open, revealing a monster-sized truck. Silver's father was somewhere inside that house.

Silver killed the engine. "Time to meet the parents."

"Are you sure?"

"You want the truth? They're part of it. Besides, my mom can explain the legend better than I can. She's read the diary a thousand times."

Jack stared up at the house, tried to imagine what was waiting for him inside. After years spent avoiding the company of hunters, it seemed crazy to waltz in and introduce himself to two of them. They could stake him before Silver laid out his position.

"Relax," she said with a cheeky grin. "I'll protect you."

She exited the vehicle first and met him on the passenger side. Smiling, she held her hand out to him. He took it, lacing his fingers between hers. It was the first time they'd held hands. They fit perfectly, two parts of the same puzzle. Her hand was warm and silky, yet strong. She pulled him behind her. They walked the cement path to her porch steps.

This was the happiest he'd ever felt—even if he was about to get killed.

♥

Silver's parents reminded Jack of a wrestling tag team. From the moment he crossed the threshold they took turns ripping him apart. Andrew Reign had a hard mouth and cold eyes, and Vanessa looked like an older version of Silver, but she was every bit as intimidating as her husband. If he had to pick one of them to be locked in a tiny room with, he wasn't sure which one would be the safest choice.

After entering their home Jack was promptly led to the formal dining room where the four of them gathered around the large table. Cowboy had taught him to get to know his enemies by looking at their environment. The way a person lived revealed more details about them than their words, so he took a moment to look around.

The house was clean but not immaculate, not like Silver's room. It was cozy with a lived-in feel, the kind of place his mother would have enjoyed. Decorated in country fashion with bare wood furniture, homemade items, and simplistic drawings of cows on various things like the cookie jar, it contradicted the rigid people Silver's parents portrayed themselves to be.

Andrew sat at the head of the table, with his wife at the other end. He waved Jack to a chair in the middle. Silver hung in the background, an interested observer. Jack noted how close she stayed to his chair. She'd meant it when she'd said she would protect him from her parents.

As soon as he sat down the inquisition began.

"Why are you hanging out with our daughter?" Andrew demanded to know.

"Did you try to attack her before the werewolf got you?" Vanessa asked. "Is that how you met?"

Andrew didn't give him a chance to answer before he shot another question at him. "What are you going to do about your vampire friends? You can't possibly expect us to believe they're going to take your defection lying down?"

Sweat formed in the pits under his arms, making him more uncomfortable. It felt like the temperature had gone up eighty degrees. He opened his mouth to respond to a question, but he didn't get a chance before another round started. Questions flew over his head like rapid gunfire. A few barely registered before another dozen zipped by. It soon became clear that these hunters didn't want answers. They were trying to prove he was dangerous, convince Silver he needed to die.

"And what makes you think you can go back to school as if nothing has happened?" Vanessa gave her husband a knowing look before tagging on another question. "How many innocent people have you killed?"

"Why should we allow you to live?" Andrew eyed the shotgun in the corner. "Human or not, you were killed ten years ago. You shouldn't be alive now. It isn't natural."

"Stop it!" Silver shouted. Her father glared at her. Her mother didn't even glance in her direction. That didn't keep Silver from demanding their complete attention. She rested hands on the back of Jack's chair and said, "You aren't even giving him a chance to speak."

Andrew waved her protest away as if it was an annoying fly. "This isn't just some boy you've brought home for dinner. He was a vampire. Do you have any idea what that means? He's lived a dark existence you can't even imagine. His survival instincts have been pruned and cultivated. He's killed—"

"No, he hasn't." Silver shook her finger in the air, making her point. "He hasn't killed a solitary person."

"Is that what he told you?" Her mother flicked a look of pure loathing at him before turning to her daughter. "All the vampires I have met over the years have been liars and con-artists and murderers."

Without thinking Jack said, "The hunters I've met have been greedy and dishonest and would kill their own mothers if the price was right."

Andrew slammed a fist against the table, making everyone jump. He pinned Jack with a hard stare. If he didn't love his daughter so much, Jack had no doubt the man would kill him on the spot. Instead, he gave Jack a warning. "You will watch your mouth while you are in my house."

Andrew and Vanessa exchanged a look. As if they had spoken by telepathy they rose from the table at the same time and dragged their daughter into the kitchen to have a private 'chat' with her. Since they were shouting, Jack heard every word.

"I can't believe you brought a vampire into our home!" her father yelled. "We have put up with a lot from you, little girl, because you have such a heavy burden to carry, but this tears it!"

Jack didn't like the way her father was talking to her. Furious, he forced himself into the living room. The further he got from that man the better. Silver wouldn't appreciate it if he attacked her father, no matter how angry she was at the moment.

The loud voices still reached his ears.

"He isn't a vampire anymore," Silver insisted.

"You don't know what he is!"

Vanessa jumped in with, "Even if he is the one Lovely wrote about, he could still be dangerous. She wrote about the boy developing strange new powers, but she didn't go into detail. We have no idea what he's capable of."

"Your mother's right." Andrew lowered his voice. "You are put into constant danger because of who you are. That doesn't mean we have to invite trouble into our home. Stay away from him."

Jack browsed through their collection of old books and looked over the Indian art hanging on the walls. His stomach plummeted at her father's final statement. The thought of not seeing Silver again plunged his soul into darkness. He couldn't stand it. He wasn't going to give her up without a fight.

Apparently, he and Silver agreed on that.

"Make me," Silver said defiantly. "If you try to keep us apart, I will never speak to either of you again. I mean it. In less than a year I turn eighteen. If you try to mess things up with Jack, I promise you I will leave this house, and you won't see me again. I can survive on my own. You know I can."

Jack smiled, and his heart swelled with pride at hearing her defend him. In his heart he said, " _That's my girl."_

There was dead silence in the Reign family home after Silver's bold threat. It grew to epic proportions. Jack began to wonder if the parents had dragged her out the back door.

The three of them emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later. They found him in the living room, pretending to be enthralled with their art collection. Silver made a quick path to him. She turned, standing between him and her parents, hands on hips.

Andrew glowered at them both while Vanessa's face took on a defeated, pinched look.

"He is the one Lovely wrote about," Silver said. "He has to be. All evidence points to it. Now, we need to help him get ready to do his job... unless you want the world to fall into werewolf hands. Is that what you want?"

Andrew grumbled beneath his breath, something about the world could go to hell for all he cared.

She pleaded with her mom. "You know I'm right about this. You raised me to pay careful attention to everything Lovely wrote. You practically had me memorize the entire diary. We can't ignore part of it just because you don't like it."

"She's right," Vanessa said with a sigh. "We did raise her to believe everything Lovely wrote."

"So what's the verdict?" Silver asked.

Andrew's hard eyes moved to Jack's face. "Fine. You win. We won't kill him today. But if he steps a foot out of line, if he does anything we think is harmful, I will blast a hole clean through him."

Jack tried to swallow without making a loud gulping sound. Andrew Reign was a truly terrifying man. In fact, Jack figured he'd rather face an army of werewolves than Silver's angry father. This man wouldn't hesitate to kill Jack. Maybe he was one of the people Silver had warned him about in her sleep.

Silver smiled. "If you're done threatening Jack now, can you tell him about the legend? Or you could let him see the diary for himself."

Andrew gaped at his daughter as if she'd lost her mind. He shook his head adamantly. "There is no way this boy will ever get his hands on that book. No one sees the diary outside of this family."

Her mother agreed. "There's a lot of information in there he doesn't need to know. If you're wrong about him, he could use it against us later."

Silver gave Jack an I-told-you-so look. She led him to the couch and sat next to him. Her mother sat across from them in a cushy beige chair while Andrew paced back and forth, keeping the tension on high.

Vanessa began the story.

"Lovely had several visions and recorded them in the diary. Now, I must caution you about these visions, Jack. Lovely warned us that the future is never written in stone. Sometimes she had more than one vision about the same event, two possible outcomes. We try to take everything she wrote with a grain of salt."

Jack leaned forward, eager to hear what the faerie had written about him. If it was bad news, he could change it. Vanessa had made that clear.

"Lovely wrote about a young vampire. According to her the boy would be attacked by a werewolf and made mortal once again."

"You see!" Silver leaped out of her seat, unable to contain her excitement. "How many times do you think that can happen? It's him."

Andrew glared at her.

Vanessa wasn't finished. "Now for the bad news. In one of her visions Lovely saw this boy develop the powers of both vampire and werewolf, yet he remains mortal so he can be killed. Fighting the head werewolf while vulnerable is suicide. I wonder if you truly care enough for my daughter to risk your life."

Jack remained silent because he'd wondered the same thing.

"That's why I didn't want you in school," Silver said. "Not all werewolves and vampires have heard about Lovely or about your part in the end battle, but there are some out there that know the whole story and would risk anything to kill you. If they find out who you are before you get your powers, you're dead."

"Did Lovely see me take on the head werewolf?" he asked. "How does it end?"

Vanessa checked with Silver before she answered. When Silver nodded, her mother continued. "There are a couple of possibilities listed in the diary. She saw you fighting her werewolf, but she couldn't tell who won. It's not for sure you'll even make it to the start of the war. One diary entry detailed your death long before the head werewolf begins to grow his army."

"When?" If he could see it coming, he could stop it. "How?"

"It's unclear as to who kills you or how they do it. As for when, it would have to be before the war. You're most vulnerable right now. If I was going to kill you, I'd do it in the next few weeks."

"What about my powers? What kind of powers am I getting? You mentioned werewolf powers. What is that supposed to mean? Am I going to start howling at the moon?"

Was he going to get fleas? He smirked despite the dire situation.

Silver took over the story. She settled next to him again. Her hand rested on his knee. The tender gesture brought a murderous scowl to her father's face and a disapproving frown to her mother's. Silver didn't notice. Her deep blue eyes were fixated on _his_ face and his alone.

"The diary isn't specific when it comes to your powers. I don't think Lovely saw that much. All we know is that you'll retain some powers of a vampire, and you'll develop some powers of the werewolf, so you won't go into the fight defenseless."

"But I'll still be mortal?"

"Exactly."

Great. He was going to be a bigger freak than he'd been before. So much for getting a second chance at being a normal person. He watched his dreams hit an invisible fan. The blades sliced those dreams to shreds.

"Are you going to tell him about the legend, how the first werewolf and vampire got created?" Silver asked.

Vanessa shook her head once. "He doesn't need to know that. I told him the part that concerns him."

Silver crossed the room to hug her parents, first her mom and then her dad. She told them she had to take Jack home before Billy started to worry about him. Her dad's expression softened when he held her. They told her to be careful and to be home in time for dinner.

The scene brought an emotional lump to Jack's throat. He missed his parents, especially his mom. He tried to imagine how his mom would react to his situation if she was alive. She probably would have told him to follow his gut. She definitely would have liked Silver.

♥♥

Billy wasn't worried. He wasn't even home when Jack arrived. Silver offered to stay and keep him company, but he thought her parents would show up with pitchforks and flaming torches, so he politely pushed her out the door. It was nice to have the house to himself for a change. He walked from room to room, enjoying the silence.

Jack dropped onto the sofa, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He grabbed the remote control and flipped through the channels, searching for something decent to watch. His stomach rumbled. Billy hadn't gone to the grocery store in a few days; they were living on crumbs. There wasn't any point in searching the kitchen for something to eat. It was too bad they lived so far out of town. He could have ordered a pizza.

The front door flew open, hitting the interior wall. Jack leaped into the air, spinning around and landing on his feet like a cat, all senses on high alert. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. Without looking down he grabbed for the nearest possible weapon, the knife Billy had used to spread mustard on crackers that morning. His fingers tapped around the table a few times before touching cool metal. Grasping it firmly, he walked to the door on cautious feet.

He strained his ears to pick up the slightest sound. Nothing. The silence filled his head, louder than a sixty-chair orchestra. He crossed the threshold, stood on the porch, and searched the darkness for movement. If the Reigns were right about him getting his powers back, now would be a good time. Instinct warned him that he wasn't alone.

It was dark outside except for the light of the moon, but it wasn't a full moon. Not yet. At least he didn't have to worry about werewolves. The barn door banged against the red building's exterior, opening and closing at random. Jack nearly jumped out of his skin. He crossed his arms against the growing Arctic breeze and wished he'd put Billy's spare jacket on before venturing outside. Vampires didn't get cold. For some reason, he kept forgetting that he wasn't a vampire anymore.

He tucked the knife between his arm and ribs in case he was right about being watched. An inner voice screamed at him to hurry back inside. Mortal now, he couldn't recklessly walk around at night anymore. He wanted to adhere to human rules, but it was difficult. Physically he was human, but on the inside he remained a vampire. He thought as a vampire. He reacted as a vampire.

Something big whipped past him and smacked him in the face. Jack stumbled backward. The knife flew from his hand. He scanned the yard again for movement but found nothing. It came from a different direction this time. A painful slap stung his cheek, cutting him just below his eye. A third hit knocked him to the ground.

He rolled over on hands and knees and tried to catch his breath. Being human wasn't as easy as he remembered. The front door seemed a mile away now. If he ran fast, maybe he'd make it. Before he put his plan into action, feet landed directly in front of him. There were three pairs. He didn't have to look up to know who the feet belonged to. His old friends had returned.

A hand dangled in front of his face. He took it without hesitation. Cowboy jerked him to a standing position. They stood toe to toe. Cowboy's eyes were solid black, seething with anger, and Jack searched his mind for a way to diffuse the situation.

"We brought you home to die," Cowboy said. His head tilted to the left like a dog trying to figure out a strange sound. "Imagine our surprise to find you still alive. Why aren't you dead, Jackpot?"

Cowboy wanted to know if Jack had tricked him. Reasonable question. Unfortunately, Cowboy was not going to like the answer.

"The werewolf venom changed me," Jack explained. He forced a smile, working hard to keep the fear from showing. Their paranoia might cause them to do something regrettable. He took a deep breath before announcing, "I'm human again."

Summer gasped.

Lily shook her head and stared at him with eyes clouded by betrayal. "Why did you do it? I thought you liked being with us."

"I did."

"No way!" Summer shrieked. "You cannot be human, not after everything we went through together. I saved your life!"

Cowboy agreed. "We took you into our group, made you one of us. This is how you repay us? How did you do it? How did you become human again?"

"I didn't change on purpose, guys."

Summer shrugged. Her voice lowered to its normal husky state. "It doesn't matter how he did it. We can change him back. I'll bite him, and we'll go home."

"No." Jack tried to find the right words. He was walking a dangerously thin line with them. They had been his friends, and he would have trusted them with his life in the past, but things had changed. They had become his enemies overnight. "It happened for a reason. I can't explain right now. You need to trust me. There's a reason I'm human again. I have a destiny none of us knew about."

"Destiny." Cowboy practically spit the word from his mouth. "Since when do you believe in that garbage?"

Cowboy drew closer, his black eyes filled with menace. His upper lip curled, revealing fangs. He could jump on Jack, tear his throat out, and there wasn't anything Jack could do to stop him.

He stood his ground on shaky legs, determined to stand up to Cowboy.

"I'm going to give you some time to rethink your position," Cowboy said. "If you aren't with us, then you're against us. If you're against us, we'll kill you."

"No!" Lily moved fast. In a flash she blocked him from Cowboy. "You aren't going to kill him! He's my friend. He's _our_ friend. Try to remember that. We're family."

"Not anymore," Cowboy said. "Not if he chooses to stay mortal."

"I'm with Cowboy on this," Summer said. "We aren't friends with humans. You can't stand with him on this one, Lily. It's over. He's walked away from us."

"No." Lily spun around. Her eyes glistened with tears. "Please, Jackpot, you have to come with us. We're family. I love you."

Words caught in Jack's throat, choking him. There was nothing he could say to spare her pain. The other two were right this time. They couldn't be friends, not now, not ever. Vampires and humans were born enemies.

Cowboy shook a finger at Jack. "You are powerless now, buddy. We can do whatever we want. We can kill your stupid brother and hang his head on a stick in the front yard. Nothing you can do. Make the right choice or it will be your funeral."

Cowboy was gone in a flash, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

Summer took a step closer and sniffed the air. "You even smell mortal. Why would you want to join them? Is there someone keeping you from us? Is it your brother?"

He couldn't read her mind, but he knew her well enough to know what she was thinking. She would kill Billy without giving it a second thought if she thought Jack had chosen him over her. He definitely wasn't going to mention Silver.

"You know I was never truly happy as a vampire. I missed almost everything about being human. I didn't revert on purpose, but I'm glad it happened."

"Big mistake."

Summer took off as fast as Cowboy had.

"What's it like to be human again?" Lily asked after the others were out of earshot.

She was the only one out of the three who might understand.

He smiled. "It's incredible, better than I remember. Food tastes better than I remember, and it's good not to have to worry about sunlight anymore. My emotions are a little out of whack at the moment. I'm having trouble controlling my temper, but it's still better than the alternative."

"It won't be the same without you."

"I'll miss you too."

She took a few steps away from him. "I won't be able to stop them if they decide to kill you."

"I know."

"But I won't help them do it."

She moved so fast she was gone before he got the next two words out.

"I know."

Cowboy had been right about one thing. He was powerless to stop them. They could kill everyone he knew, and he wouldn't be able to do anything. It occurred to him the best thing he could do for Silver was to cut all ties to her. He didn't want to do it, but maybe he should.

He stared at the dark horizon. A slow smile spread across his face. His former friends didn't know his powers were returning. If they tried to attack his brother, he was going to have a surprise for them... hopefully.

♥♥♥

## Chapter Eight

##  A KISS, A DREAM, AND INVISIBLE CLAWS

Jack went to Silver's house; he went without a plan. Either he was going to tell her they couldn't see each other anymore, or he was going to warn her about the threats Cowboy had made. He wasn't sure which, and wouldn't know until he saw her face.

He sat on the quaint porch swing instead of knocking on the door like a regular human being. The swing creaked beneath his weight. A cold breeze blew his bangs to the left. He stared at the door, knowing he wouldn't have to knock. Somehow she would know he was there. She would sense his presence the way he'd sensed she was behind him after the werewolf attack on the night they met.

The door opened, and he held his breath, waiting for a petite girl with silky hair and sparkling eyes to appear.

Vanessa Reign stepped outside. She slid her arms into the sleeves of a dark blue sweater and pulled it tight around her willowy frame. The belt hung loose, untied. She set her jaw, trying to still her chattering teeth. The woman didn't appear surprised to see him, almost as if she'd been expecting him.

"May I join you?" She sat next to him without waiting for an answer. Her eyes went to the star-filled sky. "Beautiful night. Peaceful. I'd like to keep it that way." Her gaze drifted to him. "You're lucky my husband went into town."

Luck had nothing to do with it. Jack had waited in his brother's car across the street until he saw Andrew leave. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was tangle with Silver's father.

"What brings you here?" she asked. "I hope you won't get in the habit of dropping by unannounced. It's late, and Silver is asleep."

Was she? Her mom didn't know about Silver's habit of sneaking out to hunt on her own. He considered telling her. That would really piss Silver off. He wouldn't have to make a decision about her then. She'd do it for him.

"My old vampire clan returned tonight."

Vanessa stiffened beside him.

He added, "They're threatening my brother. If they find out about Silver, they'll want to use her to hurt me. I'm here to give you a heads-up."

"Thank you." Her eyes narrowed on him. "You're debating on whether you should continue to spend time with her? My husband would say you need to hit the floor running."

"What do you say?"

"It isn't my call."

"I could warn her about the danger, tell her she needs to avoid me for her own good."

Vanessa scoffed. "Those are fighting words to my daughter. She's stubborn like her daddy. If you tell her you're breaking up with her for her own good, she'll stick to you like glue. She won't let you walk unless you hurt her."

He'd rather die than do that.

Vanessa insisted. "If you mean it, if you truly want to put distance between the two of you, then be cruel. You'll have to say some pretty nasty things to persuade her to forget about your budding relationship. I don't want to see my daughter hurt, but I don't want to see her dead either. The choice is yours. To be honest with you, I've never seen her like this before. She's head over heels in love with you."

He tried to swallow and failed.

Seeing the expression on his face, Vanessa said, "Oh, she may not realize she loves you. Maybe it isn't even you she loves, but the idea of you. Silver knew you were coming for years. She read about you in the diary, don't forget. It's possible she fell in love with Lovely's romantic description of you."

"Is there something more in the diary about me? Something else I don't know?" He wished she would let him read it, but he knew better than to ask. She wouldn't go against her husband.

"There's more."

"How much more?"

"Lovely expressed the feeling the two of you, you and Silver were destined to be together. She made it out to be a modern-day fairy tale. Problem is we both know there's no such thing as happily ever after, especially not with werewolves and vampires running around. Most likely you'll be killed before the war begins. You have no idea how many vamps and werewolves want Lovely's legendary hero to die." She eyed him suspiciously. "Have you experienced any returning powers yet? Can you move fast? Have you noticed your superhuman strength returning?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Which wasn't exactly true, but he didn't think she would be impressed that he could growl. Of course she might be interested in his ability to see inside Silver's head. He sure wasn't going to tell her about that. She might not like the fact he could see someone's memories. Plus, she would tell Silver, and he knew Silver wouldn't like it. It was a huge invasion of privacy.

He wondered if his new power would work on someone other than Silver.

Jack considered touching Vanessa to try it out. Tempting, but risky. She was a seasoned hunter. By the time he returned to reality, he would probably find he didn't have any fingers left. She might even take the whole arm.

Silver stepped outside in the cutest pink pajamas. She almost looked like a little girl waiting to be tucked in, sweet and innocent. Her eyes were wide, confused.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him. Her gaze swung to her mother. "Why are you two talking? You can't stand each other."

Vanessa gave him a poignant look to remind him that he had to be cruel and break Silver's heart to save her life. She stifled a yawn. "I'm beat. I'll leave you alone to talk, but don't stay out here too long. It's late. Besides your father will be coming home soon. You don't want him to catch Jack here."

With that grim announcement floating in the air, she went inside and closed the door. Once her mother was gone, Silver grew a huge smile. She sat next to him on the porch swing and gave him a hug. Her body was soft, and she smelled incredible.

"I'm glad you're here," she said, head resting on his chest. "It's good to see you and my mom talking. I told you they would warm up to you eventually. So?" She sat up and her eyes went to the door. "What did my mom say to you?"

Vanessa's words replayed in his head. He needed to say nasty things to Silver, hurt her. Fortunately he'd come prepared. Just in case he decided to break up with her, he'd written a note. Even before Vanessa's advice on being cruel, he'd done it. Maybe it was true what they said: Great minds think alike.

"I can't get over how cute you look in those pajamas," he said.

She blushed. "Thanks. They're new."

"Even though I'd lost a lot of blood that first night, I was right about you. You are beautiful." He caressed the apple of her cheek. He leaned closer, and his voice lowered. "You smell good too."

Her gaze dropped to his mouth.

He pulled her closer.

She tilted her head and awkwardly bumped noses with him. A short-lived giggle burst through her parted lips. He cupped her face between his hands to keep her still. His eyes closed. Their mouths briefly touched.

They both moved at once, mouths meeting in tempting exploration. His fingers dove into her hair. Her hands grabbed at his shoulders, pulling at him. They kissed like two lovers reunited after years of forced separation. Because he had more experience than her, he let her control the situation. Attuned to the smallest of sounds coming from her and the feel of her hands, he waited for her to decide when it had gone far enough.

Silver didn't know it was a goodbye kiss.

He had made the decision to keep her safe at the expense of his own heart. He distracted her with a melt-you-on-the-spot kiss while removing the letter from his back pocket. Carefully, he slipped it into her robe's side pocket. She didn't put a stop to their make-out session, so he did.

Jack tore his mouth from hers and put as much distance between them as he could without leaving the zip code. He stood on the other side of the porch while she straightened her pajama top. One of the buttons had slid free. Jack tried not to look. He couldn't afford to lose the tenuous grip he had on his self-control.

"You'd better get inside before your mom comes out to see what's taking so long."

"And you'd better go before my father comes home. He may have respected your parents, but he has five loaded guns in the house."

Jack smiled despite himself. Silver seemed to be able to read his mind with ease. He was going to miss her almost as much as he missed his vampire friends. "Goodnight then."

On reluctant feet, she went to the door and opened it. She touched him with a lingering glance. Her expression turned hopeful. "You want a ride to school tomorrow?"

He was dying to say yes. "Billy's letting me use his car."

"Oh." Her eyes lost some of their sparkle. "I'll see you at school then."

As soon as the door shut behind her Jack ran around the side of the house and climbed the huge tree outside her bedroom window. He waited in a tangle of branches for her to find the note. He purposely sat in the darkest part of the tree. Without vampire vision she wouldn't be able to see him. She entered the room with a huge smile on her face. He hadn't seen this particular smile before. The secret smile of someone who'd glimpsed heaven. It ripped a hole in his gut.

Her hands went into the pockets of her robe, and her expression changed. She withdrew the note and carefully unfolded the piece of paper. Her smile withered and died as she read his carefully planned words.

_I really like you, but more than anything else in the world I want to be normal. I can't be normal if I'm hanging out with 'the' werewolf hunter. I don't want anything to_ _do with your so-called destiny. I need to hang out with normal kids and live my life without interference. Please don't talk to me at school. Don't make this harder than it already is._

Jack

She couldn't have looked more stunned if he'd punched her in the face after kissing her. She crumbled the piece of paper in one hand and threw it across the room before dropping on the bed and burying her face in the pillow. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

Without thinking about it Jack stepped off the branch. He fell to the ground, landing gracefully on both feet. Stunned, Jack realized some of his powers had returned after all. His gaze went to Silver's window. He hated seeing her sad. Hopefully she would find someone else to take care of her.

Imagining her in another guy's arms nearly killed him. He reminded himself she would be better off, but knowing that didn't help ease his pain or hers.

She deserved someone who could do more than pretend to be normal.

♥

He dreamed about her that night.

They met in the forest, thick with lush foliage and high trees. The tops of the trees bowed together, touching to form a great canopy that blocked direct sunlight. The place seemed familiar to him. Silver waited for him in the middle of a clearing. He could feel her grief. It pulled him like a magnet.

Jack weaved through a clump of trees, his eyes focused on her the whole time. He placed a hand on a tree trunk and felt the rough bark beneath his palm. The air exploded with sound. About fifty birds abandoned their hiding places around him, disturbed by something he hadn't noticed. Something had scared them. Their wings beat against the wind. They temporarily captured his attention.

The dream seemed more real than any waking moment he'd experienced. By the time he looked for Silver again, she was standing in front of him, still dressed in pink pajamas.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. "Why did you write those mean things?"

"I had to."

"Why?"

He couldn't look at her anymore. The power of those beautiful blue eyes was too hard to resist. It would be safer to gaze at his shoes; she wouldn't let him. She stood close and placed her face within an inch of his. Their wary gazes met.

"You hurt me," she said.

"I didn't mean to."

"What did you mean to do then?"

He sighed. "It's better if I don't tell you."

"Better for me, or better for you?"

A strange new feeling entered him, a burning sensation in his veins. It grew stronger with each passing second until he didn't think his body could contain it. If he didn't know better, he would think sunlight had entered him and was killing him from the inside out.

With a loud cry he fell to his knees.

"Jack!" Silver joined him on the ground. "What is it?"

He shook his head. A million invisible bells rang in his ears. Silver placed a hand on his forehead. She shouted, "You're burning up!"

Another jolt of pain hit him hard.

No. Pain wasn't the right word. It was pure agony, like a hundred knives cutting into him from every direction. He fell on his back and writhed on the ground, shaking and twisting in the dirt like someone exposed to a large amount of electricity. His eyes went to her pajama top. He looked for the glow of the silver dagger beneath the material, but he didn't see anything.

She wasn't the one hurting him this time.

More pain radiated through his body. He gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. A burst of steam blinded him for a moment, and Silver gasped. She immediately put distance between them. She was afraid of him. He wanted to reassure her that he wouldn't hurt her, but he'd been robbed of speech.

The pain subsided. He climbed to his feet and held a hand out. Silver shook her head, taking another step away from him. Why was she moving further away? Why didn't she trust him?

Uncontrollable anger surged to the surface.

She screamed.

He lunged, swiping at her with invisible metallic claws. They cut through her arm. Blood seeped through the pink material. She tried to get away, but he chased her. She circled a tree; he was faster. He caught her and a vicious growl erupted from his throat. He wanted to kill her.

Silver locked eyes with him, and a weird sensation gripped him. It was an uncomfortable feeling, not exactly painful, but bad. He wanted to finish her off. Why couldn't he move? Every muscle in his body froze. He couldn't even move his lips to ask her what was happening, not that he needed to. A horrible revelation sparked to life in the back of his mind. He knew exactly what was happening to him.

Silver was sucking his soul out.

♥♥

Jack woke covered in sweat, pulse racing, throat closed so he couldn't scream. It took him a moment to remember how to breathe. He sat up in bed and looked around the lamp-lit room. Scattered remnants of white material caught his eye. He'd ripped his sheet to shreds. He didn't have to wonder what sort of werewolf power he was going to get anymore. The invisible claws had become part of his anatomy.

Silver talked in her sleep, and he turned into a werewolf in his. They made quite a pair. He grabbed his cell before remembering the note he'd written. He couldn't call and tell her about his dream. He couldn't ask her what she thought about him tearing his sheets apart. The last voice in the world she wanted to hear belonged to him.

Blanca hissed from the corner. No wonder she didn't like him anymore. She probably smelled the part of him that was changing into a werewolf. Vampires kept cats for one reason: to warn them when werewolves were nearby. Poor thing was probably more confused than him.

"It's okay, Blanca." He leaned off the bed and rubbed his fingers together to attract her attention. "Come here. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Jack?" Billy tried to twist the doorknob, but it didn't budge. He banged on the door. "Jack, why is this locked? Are you okay? Let me in."

Jack got out of bed and headed for the door. His hand touched the knob before he remembered the sheet. If Billy saw the mess, they were going to have a problem. Billy wouldn't wait for an explanation. His kid brother would run a stake through him or shoot him before he could utter a single syllable in his own defense.

"Jack, what is going on in there?"

"I'm trying to sleep," he mumbled. "What do you want?"

"I heard you yelling and thought you were being killed. Let me in."

"Just a second." Jack raced to the bed, gathering the tattered fragments with both arms. He wadded them into a loose ball and shoved them into the closet. Billy kept knocking, demanding immediate entrance. A white corner peeked out from under the closet door. Jack opened it again and kicked at the sheets until he got them completely inside.

He hurried to his bedroom door and opened it with a tired sigh. "I had a nightmare. Okay? I'm sorry I woke you, but everything is fine in here."

"Woke me? I thought you were getting killed in here. A normal person might hear screams and think someone is having a nightmare, but in this family a scream usually means that person is getting his or her throat torn out."

Jack couldn't argue with the logic of it.

Billy put a hand on his shoulder. "You sure you're okay, kid? Your face is pale and sweaty."

Jack shoved the damp bangs off his forehead. He desperately wanted to confide in his brother. If Billy wasn't a hunter, maybe he would be able to trust him with the truth.

"When did you get home?" Jack asked. He leaned back against the door, arms folded. "Did you catch anything tonight?"

Catch or kill? Whatever.

"I've been home a few hours, and I really don't want to talk about hunting with you. I'm afraid you might have a conflict of interest if I decide to hunt something you used to hang out with."

Did that mean Billy knew his friends were still in town?

"How are things going at school?" Billy asked.

Jack quickly went through a list of things that had happened since he'd joined the Jefferson High student body. There wasn't anything he wanted to share with his brother. He couldn't tell Billy about losing his temper and getting into a fight on his first day. He couldn't tell his brother about getting detention or about the new werewolf boy, but he had to say something.

"Do you know a teacher named Jersey Clifford?"

"Never heard of him. Why?"

"He says I look familiar."

Billy frowned. "Maybe he was reading newspapers back when you died and he has a good memory. What did you say to him? I hope you didn't make him more suspicious."

"I didn't say anything."

"What about Silver? Have you been hanging out with her?"

He didn't want to talk about Silver. A flash of her in the forest, terrified and running from him sprang to mind. Had he dreamed of her before? Is that why she had seemed familiar when they first met?

He wished he could call and ask her.

"I'm not talking to her anymore," he admitted.

"Why not?"

Jack groaned. "Mind your own business. I won't ask you about hunting if you don't question me on my personal life."

"Hey, let's not forget I'm letting you live with me even though you were a vampire. I opened my home to you, so watch your mouth."

"This is my home as much as it is yours, Billy. In fact, being the oldest son, it should belong to me."

"I called in a big favor to get those papers for you so you could go to school. If you want to continue to live here, I suggest you drop the attitude."

Jack shoved Billy, and his brother flew backward, smacking into the wall.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a kid!" Jack yelled.

Billy took a swing at him, but Jack ducked. The fist flew over his head. The breeze disturbed his hair. Billy grabbed him around the waist and dropped him to the floor. They rolled around in a tangle of arms and legs, both of them trying to hit the other. They tumbled into Jack's desk and knocked over a stack of books.

Jack got Billy beneath him. A loud snarl erupted from his throat. It sounded like a wild animal, a cross between a mountain lion and a bear.

Billy froze, his eyes widening in fear.

Jack jumped to his feet and ran. He kept going until he was outside. Although he tried to use vampire speed, he still didn't have that power. He stopped in the front yard and took a deep breath of fresh, cold air. The chill cooled his anger.

He looked up at his bedroom window and saw Billy watching him. At least his brother hadn't gone after a wooden stake or a gun... yet.

♥♥♥

## Chapter Nine

##  TWO WEREWOLVES ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN ONE

The thrill of being back in school had worn off. Jack emptied the coffee pot into his mug. He'd brewed it last night after his fight with Billy. Exhausted, he rubbed his eyes while sitting alone at the kitchen table. Maybe he should skip school today and try to work things out with his brother. Billy was locked in his room. That's why Jack hadn't slept. He was afraid to let down his guard in case Billy decided to grab a stake or a rifle.

After a long, silent debate he decided to go to school. Facing Silver on two hours of sleep was better than staying at home, possibly blacking out, and getting killed by his brother. With a tired sigh Jack rose from the table. He dragged himself up the stairs and knocked on his brother's locked door. "I'm taking your car. I need to go to school."

No response.

Jack spoke louder. "Is it okay if I take your car?"

He pressed his ear to the door, listening for movement. Minutes passed. He waited, impatiently tapping his foot. Was Billy asleep? The thought of his brother getting rest when he couldn't sparked his anger. He kicked the door. "Billy!"

"I don't care what you do." Billy's muffled words floated through the solid wood.

The sound of Billy's voice startled Jack. His brother was standing on the other side of the door, face pressed against the wood just like him. Once again Jack asked if Billy would come out to talk. Billy refused. His brother told him to go to school, a harsh command. Under other circumstances Jack might have argued with Billy, told his brother he didn't have the right to order him around, but there wasn't anything more to say. So he left.

He drove on automatic. Nothing registered. His eyes drifted closed a few times, but he jerked awake before losing control of the car. Part of him fantasized about driving into a tree and killing himself. A vision of what his funeral might be like danced through his mind. He wondered if Billy would care. Would his brother mourn him? Would he feel bad for pushing Jack out the door, or would he dance on Jack's grave?

Jack made it to school alive. He slid his brother's four-door between a truck and a compact. Groups of students stood around talking and laughing, not a clue about the upcoming war. He envied them for their ignorance. A few of them had cigarettes dangling from their fingers. The smell of tobacco reminded him of his friends, but he refused to dwell on those memories. At about three in the morning he'd had an epiphany. From now on he was living in the present. Leave the past in the past.

He didn't recognize any faces in the parking lot, and he didn't feel like making new friends. Some of the students stared at him. As the new kid, he was still a phenomenon. He should have worn sunglasses. At least they wouldn't be able to see the dark circles beneath his eyes.

When he got inside the building, he went straight to his locker. Too bad he couldn't remember the combination. His tired brain refused to function. Jack spun the lock around a few times before trying a series of numbers that felt right to him. _Wrong_. He tried again, different digits. Nothing worked. He had to have his books. If he couldn't figure it out on his own, he would have to go to the office, and starting his day in a possible conversation with Principal Hardwick didn't sound like a good idea to him.

He groaned and rested his forehead against the locker with a loud thump.

"Problem?" Meghan appeared at his side, smug smile. "Allow me."

She rotated the lock a couple times before dialing it to a series of numbers. She pulled on the metal door and it opened. Relieved, Jack grabbed the books he needed, Math and Biology. He also removed a notebook and a pencil.

"Thanks," he said. His eyes narrowed. "Wait a second. How do you know my combination?"

"It was with your list of classes, and I was blessed with a photographic memory."

"Well, thank you again. I appreciate the help."

She smiled sweetly and moved closer to him. Too close. "Have you heard about the bonfire party yet?" she asked. He shook his head, and she added, "It's going to be Friday night in the field on the edge of town. You know the one next to the cemetery? Everyone will be there. How about you?"

Next to the cemetery he'd been buried in? Oh yeah, he knew the place intimately.

"I think I'm busy this Friday."

"Really?" She pouted. It reminded him of Summer when she didn't get her way. "Can't you change your plans? I was looking forward to getting to know you better."

Before he could politely but firmly put her in her place, Silver came into view. He had been dreading this moment. No doubt she was going to tear him to pieces for putting that note in her pocket yesterday. He hoped she wouldn't cry or make a scene. If she started with the tears, he would have to give in and tell her the truth, regardless of the consequences.

Silver walked past him without a glance in his direction. She went straight to her locker and retrieved her books. _Amazing_. She wasn't going to confront him. Part of him wished she would. He wanted an excuse to make up with her.

Meghan asked him out again. "Would you please go to the party with me? Pretty please with pink sugar on it?"

He answered her in a loud voice, hoping Silver would hear him and get jealous. Maybe she would confront him then. They'd work it out. His powers could return at any second, and he would be able to protect her from his old gang. He never should have given her that stupid note.

"Yes, I will go to the party with you, Meghan." He watched Silver over the other girl's shoulder. "Thank you for asking me."

Silver shot a dirty look his way. She grabbed a passing boy, one of the big guys who had been sitting across from her in Study Hall on his first day. She shared a dazzling smile with the oversized boy, and Jack experienced a rush of anger.

"Are you listening to me?" Megan's smile faltered. "Did you hear a word I just said?"

He blinked at her. He could either stand around, flirting with a girl he had zero interest in, or he could put an end to this silly game and talk to Silver. It was an easy choice to make. Misery was a mild word for how he felt about losing Silver. Still, talking to her could put her in danger. He reminded himself he was staying away from her for her own good. His former friends might decide to kill her if they caught him with her, and he didn't know when his powers would actually return. He went back and forth on the subject until he got dizzy.

His new claws could help protect her. If Cowboy and Summer caught sight of those babies, they'd leave him alone. They'd be worried that a scratch from him could kill them. They'd clear out of town so fast that he'd forget what they looked like by sunrise.

The large boy put a hand on Silver's waist, and Jack lost the tenuous grip on his temper.

The bell rang. Megan flipped her hair and smacked him in the face with it as she stormed off. He barely noticed. His eyes were on Silver and her groping friend. The hallway emptied fast. Silver and the guy started for one of the nearby rooms, but Jack blocked their way.

"What do you want?" Silver asked with a deep scowl.

"I just wanted to meet your friend."

"Why?"

He ignored her. His eyes narrowed on the boy's ruddy face as he said, "I'm Jack. And you are?"

The boy with the huge shoulders and enormous teeth smiled. He offered his free hand to Jack. "John." His smile faded a bit. "Hey, aren't you the guy who almost broke Tucker's finger?"

"That's me."

"Tucker is a friend of mine." The smile vanished completely. "What is your problem, dude? Huh? Why did you jump him like that? Are you crazy or just stupid?"

Jack gestured to John's other hand and said, "He touched Silver."

"Really?" The kid's smile returned, but it had a mean twist to it. His fingers tightened on her waist, and he jerked her closer. "Well, what do you know about that? It looks like I'm touching her. Are you going to try to hit me? I'm a lot bigger than my buddy Tucker. Think you can take me on, squirt?"

A slow grin spread across Jack's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Silver intervened. She knocked John's hand off her waist and stepped between them. "Excuse me. I am not a chew toy for you two morons to fight over. Besides, I'm not supposed to be talking to you. Remember? Isn't that what you wrote in that stupid note?"

She stared up at him, not blinking, her face an angry mask. He turned away for a second, long enough to see Jersey Clifford standing in the doorway of his classroom. The teacher's probing eyes narrowed on Jack. They seemed to be asking a silent question: Are you going to let that kid push you around?

The idea that the teacher thought Jack was weak added gasoline to the growing fire in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why it mattered to him what Jersey thought, but it did.

John chuckled. "You are such a loser."

_Bam!_ Jack's hands moved faster than his brain. He pushed Silver out of the way with one while the other plowed into John's smug face. He regretted doing it almost immediately. How many times had his mother told him violence didn't solve anything? It was wrong... but it felt so good.

John was right about being bigger than Tucker, but that only meant he fell harder. The guy wasn't smart enough to stay on the floor. He was on his feet before Silver could get a single word out. No doubt she was going to tell Jack he was a jerk. He didn't give her the chance.

John took a wide swing at Jack's face.

Jack ducked. He punched John in the stomach, twice. He shoved the boy backward until they hit the wall. John tried to get Jack's head in a wrestling hold, but Jack was too fast for him. They struggled to subdue each other and banged into the lockers several times while Silver yelled for them to stop.

Deep in the dark recesses of his mind Jack wondered why he didn't hear Jersey Clifford's voice. Weren't teachers supposed to break up fights?

"What in the world is going on out here?" Principal Hardwick shouted, "Break it up, you two, or I'll expel you both for the rest of the year!"

Jersey leaped in as if he'd just arrived. He pulled John to the side, and his arms wrapped around the kid in a tight hug. He had John's arms trapped at his sides.

Hardwick glared at Jack. "This is your second day and your second fight. I have had it with you. You are not going to get an opportunity to make it a third."

"Sir," Jersey said. "It wasn't Jack's fault. He was minding his own business when John attacked him. I heard John say something about this being payback for Tucker."

The three students gaped at the English teacher, mouths wide open. He wasn't supposed to lie. Wasn't there a code he had to follow? John started to babble, desperately trying to tell Hardwick what had really happened. Hardwick wasn't going to take the word of a student over a member of the faculty. He gave John a week of detentions.

Jack expected Silver to back up John's version, but she kept her mouth shut. This would have been the perfect opportunity for her to get rid of him. Maybe she didn't think Hardwick would believe her. Her eyes remained on Jersey's face the whole time. She didn't understand why he was covering for Jack either.

"Shouldn't you two be in class now?" Jersey held the door open for Jack. "Show's over," he told his students. "Everyone get back to work."

Jack's eyes went to Silver's face. There were things, important things he wanted to say. He owed her an apology to start with. Maybe several. He wanted to tell her about his vampire friends, about the threats. He wanted to tell her about the fight with his brother and confess his new power to her.

He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a glare.

"Don't talk to me."

She walked away, simple as that.

And he let her go.

♥

Every English class with Jersey was more fascinating than the last. Jersey had a way of commanding attention without simply asking for it. He had the entire room enthralled from word one. Jack thoroughly enjoyed the lecture. It took his mind off Silver for a while.

When class was over, Jersey asked him to stay for a few minutes and talk. Now he was going to hear it, the reason Jersey had lied for him. He was beyond curious. Jack stayed in his seat until the last student left. Then he slowly stood and picked up his books, ready for an explanation.

Jersey took time to wipe the chalkboard clean. He didn't speak until he was finished. Once the board was looking brand new, Jersey turned with a deep scowl on his face. "Why did you attack that boy? He may have given you minimal provocation, but not enough to resort to physical violence. I was astounded by your lack of self-control."

Jack's shoulders sagged as he admitted, "I've had a short fuse lately. I'm not sure why. I used to be an easy, laid-back kind of guy, and now I lose my temper for no reason."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that Silver is always somehow involved."

"She didn't do anything!"

"I'm not saying she did." Jersey held his hands up in mock surrender. "No need to get upset. We're all friends here."

Jack took a deep breath to calm down. What was wrong with him? He was the one who had broken up with her. If she wanted to talk to every boy in school, it was none of his business. He certainly shouldn't be getting mad over it.

He sat on the edge of a desk in the front row. His gaze fell on a pile of books on Jersey's desk, and his stomach plummeted to his feet. They were Jefferson Memorial yearbooks. Jack forgot how to swallow as he checked the dates on them. Jersey had a copy of every yearbook made in the past fifteen years, including the three from Jack's time in school.

"Ah, I see you noticed my little project." Jersey lifted one book and opened it. "Before starting to work here, I went through every single yearbook this school has produced." He flipped the pages. "Here we are. I told you I would figure out why you look so familiar to me."

Jersey set the yearbook in front of Jack and pointed to Jack's sophomore picture. "There you are. Jack Creed." Jersey snapped his fingers. "I also have a fairly good computer in my home, and I dug up everything I could find on you. Now, I think I've been around the proverbial block a few times, and a person is hard-pressed to surprise me. But you managed."

Jack had heard enough. He and Billy had a lie already prepared for such an occasion. Jack was Billy's cousin from Boston, and he'd never met Billy's older brother. There was a strong family resemblance. That's all. Jack was going to try to convince Jersey these were the facts.

Jersey didn't give him a chance to lie.

"You died. But that isn't the part that surprised me, believe it or not. It was seeing you surrounded by vampires." Jersey nodded, a smug smile firmly in place. "Yes, Jack, I have secrets of my own. I can touch a person and get a blast of memory off them. When I touched your shoulder in detention, I saw you surrounded by vampires. It was brief, I confess, but it was clear as glass. There were four of you, and you were smiling."

Jersey held a hand up. He paced as if he was giving another lecture and didn't want to be interrupted. "Of course I knew you weren't a vampire, because you were in school during the day and hadn't turned to a pile of ashes. You are obviously human, which makes me wonder why you would be in the company of vampires. Then I found this picture. I have a thousand more questions now."

Jack was barely listening. His mind twisted around the fact that Jersey caught brief glimpses into a person's life when touching them. How did the two of them have the same power?

Without asking for permission, Jack grabbed Jersey by the hand. He was used to getting a jolt of electricity from contact before the scenes began, but this time it nearly knocked him off the desk. It was more powerful than being struck by lightning.

♥♥

The scene from Jersey played out differently than scenes from Silver's point of view. Jack wasn't inside the man; he was an invisible spectator, a third-party in the room. He stood in the corner and watched the memory unfold.

Jersey sat at a huge ancient desk that must have weighed a ton. His chair had a high back and was made from expensive leather. It swiveled on steel balls when he turned his attention from a pile of papers to an open book. There was a stone fireplace to his left. Flames blazed inside the hearth, crackling and popping as the logs burned.

Beyond the fire there was a miniscule amount of light in the room. Jersey had a small gold lamp on his desk. That was it.

The door opened, and a tall woman with platinum blond hair, the kind of color a person got from a cheap dye job, glided into the room. She wore a bright neon pink mini-skirt and a low-cut top. The way she dressed made Jack think of Silver's best friend Trina. This woman could have been the girl's mother.

"She walks in beauty like the night," Jersey quoted. He leaned back in his chair and waited for the woman. "Of cloudless climes and starry skies. And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes."

"Better be careful." She wagged a playful finger at him. "Someday I might take you seriously."

She handed him a folder, and he tossed it to the side without a glance.

"There's something on your mind," he said, clasping his hands on the desk and leaning forward, giving her his full attention.

"I have bad news."

Jersey stood slowly. Dressed in his usual solid black, he had a blood-red tie on for a splash of color. His cold eyes narrowed on the woman. "Tell me."

She fidgeted with pencils on his desk, avoiding his probing stare. "It's Kenneth."

"What about him?"

"He did something he shouldn't have."

"What now? How much trouble has he made for me?" When she didn't immediately answer, he raised his voice. "Answer me! What has he done?"

She spoke fast while backing away. "He wanted to impress you so he went after the werewolf slayer on his own, and she killed him. He's dead."

With a roar, Jersey changed in an instant. The face of a giant wolf, black fur standing on end and huge eyes that glowed red superimposed itself over Jersey's human face. The outline of Jersey was still visible behind it like the ghost of a wolf or a demon. His growl of outrage shook the room. Books tumbled off shelves. Crystals on the chandelier above them clinked together. A painting in the background fell.

He howled like a wounded animal. The sound was like nothing Jack had ever heard. Thunderous, it sent a chill up his spine. He silently gave thanks that he was only in a memory.

Pagan covered her ears, a terrified expression on her face. "Please, stop."

In the blink of an eye Jersey was his old self again. He retook his seat and mumbled, "That stupid fool. If I had wanted the girl dead, I could have done it myself a thousand times over. Did he think I feared her? Did he think me too weak to destroy her myself? Do you think I'm afraid of a little girl?"

Pagan shook her head. "No. I know you aren't afraid of anything or anyone."

"Exactly. There's no reason for us to panic over this girl, no reason to rush to terminate. Her powers are minimal at best. If and when I decide to kill her, I can do it alone."

♥♥♥

Jack let go of Jersey's hand and leaped off the desk, almost knocking it over in his haste to put distance between them. Jersey Clifford was a werewolf and not just any werewolf. Jack hadn't seen anyone turn part wolf while remaining part human before. It was a new (scary) trick.

"What's wrong?" Jersey asked, a smug twist to his mouth. "What did you see?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing."

"It's a little early in our relationship for lies, Jack. Tell me what you saw. You tell me your secrets, and I'll tell you mine." With a smirk, Jersey quoted, "All my faults perchance thou knowest. All my madness none can know."

Lord Byron again.

Was the teacher trying to tell him something? Like maybe he was an insane werewolf who enjoyed playing with his prey before devouring them?

Jack ran for the door, leaving his books behind. He didn't care what anyone thought. He raced down the hallway, past the filled classrooms. Desperation drove him. His survival instinct kicked in. He was supposed to be in Study Hall, but he wasn't going to make it today.

A few feet ahead a janitor was mopping the floor. Jack barely glanced at the scraggly man with the long, unwashed hair hanging over his face. When Jack got close to the guy, he slowed down so he wouldn't slip on the wet floor. Stopping for a moment, he looked over his shoulder, made sure Jersey wasn't chasing him.

The hallway remained clear.

Water hit his feet as the janitor slopped the mop over them. He glanced down at his wet shoes. The janitor did it again. Water soaked through to his socks. The guy was doing it on purpose. Anger began to build inside of Jack's gut as he turned to confront the man.

Jack recognized the face almost immediately. If he lived to be a hundred, he would never forget it. It was forever burned into his memory. The janitor was the werewolf who had killed his parents. An invisible sucker punch to the gut stole Jack's breath.

The janitor laughed, flashing uneven yellow teeth.

Jack stared into the eyes of the thing that had killed him.

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Ten

## JERSEY MAKES A CONFESSION

Jack drove home as fast as he could without drawing the wrong kind of attention. The last thing he needed was a speeding ticket. Once he finally reached the house, he leaped out of the car and raced inside. Terror had been his nagging companion on the ride home. He couldn't get the janitor's ugly laughing face out of his head.

Billy was busy fixing a sandwich when Jack rushed into the kitchen. With drooping eyes and a slack mouth, Billy didn't look like he'd gotten much sleep either. He dropped the dull knife he'd been using to spread peanut butter and grabbed a sharper one from the drawer. "Come any closer and I'll slice your heart out."

Adrenaline pumped dangerously fast in Jack's veins, messing with his sense of self-preservation. Part of him wanted to jump over the breakfast bar and wrestle the knife from his brother's hand. He didn't appreciate being threatened, especially not after what he'd just seen. The diplomatic voice inside his head told him to take it easy. He forced himself to stand still, even though every muscle he owned nearly went into spasms over the inactivity.

"I saw him!" Jack tried to keep his voice steady, but it cracked with emotion. Tears of frustration and grief filled his eyes. "He's working at the school. We have to kill him."

Billy's eyebrows went up. "Who do we have to kill?"

"I don't know what he's calling himself."

"You want to kill someone and you don't even know his name? Right. Did he cheat off your paper or cut in line at lunch?"

Jack's head felt like it might explode. It was holding too much information, too many terrible thoughts. He took another deep breath and tried to steady his shaking hands. "Okay. I know you don't trust me right now, but you need to listen. I saw him, the werewolf who killed Mom and Dad. He's at the school."

Billy froze, sandwich halfway to his mouth. His eyes glazed over. With an angry grunt, he tossed his unfinished meal into the trash. His finger jabbed the air in warning. "You had better not be messing with me."

"I'm not."

"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to find him." Billy headed into the living room with determined steps. Jack followed close behind. Billy opened the secret room and started removing weapons two at a time before piling them on the sofa. "I searched and searched for that animal. Now you're telling me he's working at the school?"

Jack nodded.

Billy checked each gun in turn. He made sure the safety was on before loading them with as much ammunition as they would accept. It was quite a selection of hardware. There were small guns and big guns, knives, and even a mechanical bow. He handled each one with care, the way their father had taught them. When Jack reached for one, Billy slapped his hand.

"I don't think I trust you enough to give you a weapon yet."

Jack wasn't going to argue about it. His brother believed him. They were on the same side for once. No sense in pushing it until they had another fight. It would be especially stupid to argue with Billy while a ton of weapons were within reach.

"How much do you know about werewolves?" Jack asked.

"Not as much as the Reigns, but enough to get by."

"I think we need to do more than get by here. The werewolf who killed Mom and Dad is extremely powerful. He may even be the lead werewolf. If so, then only Silver can kill him. Unless..."

Billy stopped what he was doing and looked up, curious. "Unless what?"

"Silver says there's a magic rock with the power to kill any werewolf on the planet. According to her, I'm the one who needs to use the rock. In fact, I'm the only one who can use it. The magic rock was made for me."

Billy appeared doubtful. "Maybe you should call her since this is her area of expertise."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"We had a fight. Remember?" The words sounded lame even to him. They were talking about getting revenge on the monster who'd taken their parents away, and he was sulking over a spat with his girlfriend. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Even if I wanted to call her, she isn't speaking to me."

Billy shook his head. "Unbelievable. I have waited for this opportunity for years, and we're going to watch it go down the drain because you did something stupid and ticked off a girl."

"What makes you think it was something I did?"

"Wild guess."

The tightrope Jack had on his temper loosened a notch.

"I think I'll call them anyway," Billy said. "I'll talk to Andrew or Vanessa. They'll give it to me straight. Then we can decide what to do about your werewolf."

"It isn't _my_ werewolf," Jack growled. He took his temper and went outside. Better to give Billy some privacy while he talked to the Reigns. He didn't tell Billy about Jersey Clifford. Jersey hadn't tried to kill anyone to his knowledge. He didn't want Billy to get sidetracked thinking about the other werewolf in town. His brother's homicidal tendencies needed to be focused in the right direction for a change.

♥

The next day Jack managed to get through the morning without running into the werewolf janitor, Jersey, or Silver. By lunchtime he was feeling pretty good. His morning classes were over. Now if he could just get through the rest of the day without losing his temper and hitting the wrong person.

The lunchroom was packed by the time he reached it. His eyes automatically sought Silver. She wasn't hard to spot. Sitting at a center table with a large group of friends, she laughed at something one of the boys was saying. Watching her, he realized she wasn't pretending not to notice him anymore. Somehow she'd moved on before he had.

Meghan and her friends waved, clearly wanting him to sit with them, but Jack walked in the opposite direction. If he had to listen to that girl go on and on about her perfect life, he'd lose it again and punch somebody. Not her, because he didn't hit girls, but he'd hit someone, probably someone who didn't deserve it.

Jack chose a far off table near the exit. There were only a few students sitting there, and none of them seemed particularly interested in talking to the new kid. He bought a tray of food even though he wasn't hungry. Since losing Silver, he'd lost his appetite as well. He set the tray down before sliding onto the bench. He kept his gaze lowered, not wanting to invite conversation.

But some people couldn't take a hint.

"May I join you?"

Jack swallowed the frustrated sigh building in his throat. He looked up, expecting to see a student, but it was a teacher. Jersey stood over him, a tray of food in hand. Without waiting for a response, the werewolf sat across from him. Smiling, Jersey asked, "You aren't afraid of me, are you, Jack?"

Was he? Now that he was human, his emotions were a chaotic mess. He had trouble labeling them. Shrugging, he gave the teacher the answer he probably wanted. "No. I'm not afraid of you."

"Good." Jersey stabbed a fork into his salad. "Will you tell me what you saw when you touched me then? I'd like a chance to explain if I can. And please don't try to tell me it was nothing. We both know that isn't true."

Jersey stuffed some lettuce, cucumber, and a piece of onion into his mouth.

"I didn't know werewolves were vegetarians," Jack said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Jersey continued to chew without missing a beat. His pale blue eyes twinkled with amusement. Jack had wanted to catch him off guard. It hadn't worked. Jersey spoke low enough to keep the nearby students from overhearing. "I can't speak for the species as a whole, but I enjoy a well-rounded diet. What about you? You haven't told me how you managed to rise from the dead."

"I was a vampire until recently."

Jersey choked. He grabbed his bottled water and drank half of it with big gulps. His large Adam's apple bobbed with each swallow. Now that Jack knew the truth about his teacher, he could smell a strange scent coming off him. Part of it was the familiar stench of werewolf, but there was something else as well, an odor Jack couldn't remember encountering before. His acute vampire sense of smell had returned, probably on a temporary basis. Too bad he hadn't had it earlier.

Jack stole a quick glance at Silver over the teacher's shoulder. She leaned against Trina, still laughing. One of the boys dangled a plastic cup over their heads, threatening to dump the contents on them. They squealed, a girlish sound. The voices carried to him, taunting him.

"Why don't you go over there and talk to her, Jack? You obviously want to." Jack shook his head, so Jersey asked, "What happened? Did she cut you loose? Or is it the other way around?"

"Why do you care?"

Jersey shrugged. "Humans fascinate me, you especially." He chuckled. "Although if I'm to believe your claim, you aren't an actual human being."

"I was a vampire, and now I'm not. I'm as human as anyone else in this room, excluding you, of course."

Jack pushed the food around on his tray. He hadn't been paying attention when picking the items. There was pudding, chips, a muffin, and chocolate milk. None of it struck him as edible. He sure didn't want to put it all in his stomach together. He'd be sick before his next class even started.

Damn Billy for making him return to school. Things were going to have to change between the two of them. Billy was barely speaking to him, yet he managed to find enough words to tell Jack that quitting school wasn't an option. Billy reasoned someone had to keep an eye on the werewolf janitor until they figured out how to kill it. The Reigns hadn't been home yesterday to take Billy's call, so the two brothers had to wing it for now.

Jack watched Silver on the other side of the cafeteria. He could pull her aside to tell her about the werewolf janitor, could ask her what he should do about it. That would give him a good excuse to start a conversation. He was sure she'd want to know about the janitor. Werewolves were her job, after all.

Jersey repeated his earlier question. "What did you see when you touched me, Jack? I really need to know."

"I saw you talking to some blonde lady in a tight pink skirt."

A huge smile widened Jersey's mouth. "You must have seen Pagan. She works for me. A beautiful lady, yes, but her intelligence is lacking in several areas. I've tried for years to get her to expand her mind, read some books from my private collection. However, she would rather spend her free time painting her fingernails." He set his fork down and gave Jack his full attention. "Tell me more. What else did you see?"

"She had bad news for you. A death in the family?"

The smile faltered. "Oh. You saw the day I found out about Kenneth. I told you I had recently lost a friend."

Jack kept his mouth shut.

"You saw me transform." Jersey pushed the salad aside and laced his fingers on the tabletop. "You know my secret, and I know yours. Seems we're at a stalemate. Suppose we reach a mutual understanding here before something regrettable happens."

"I'm not planning on telling anyone, if that's what you're worried about. I have something bigger than you on my mind."

Jersey didn't ask for details. He seemed happy with the information he'd gleaned from his new student. Nodding, he returned to his salad. After taking a few more bites he said, "I'd like to ask you another question if I may."

"Go ahead." Jack steeled himself.

"What do you really think of my class?"

For the next ten minutes they talked about literature, Jersey's favorite subject. Jack told him about Lily and how she'd shared her love of the written word with him. For a short time Jack forgot his problems. Another reason he liked Jersey. The man seemed to have that affect on people.

During their conversation, Jack kept his eyes on the teacher, but he was ultra-aware of every movement Silver made, no matter how slight. His keen sixth sense told him when she got up to dump her garbage, and his eyes followed her to the metal trashcan.

Jersey sighed. "If you miss her, go to her. Whatever came between you two can be worked out."

Jack dragged his eyes from Silver long enough to check Jersey's expression. The man's eyes clouded over with a deep sadness. Scratch that. It was a terrible grief, the kind that came from losing someone close. Reflected in those pale blue eyes was a taste of what Jack had felt when he'd seen his parents killed.

"You're young still," Jersey said. "You may not understand what I am about to tell you, but please try. Some of us get one chance at love. We have a soul-mate, a single person in this universe we are meant to be with. Once that person's gone...well, the world can be a bleak place."

"Aren't you and the blonde together?"

"Pagan?" Jersey laughed, loud and throaty. Curious students turned to look at the teacher and student having lunch together, a strange sight to be sure. "She and I...that would be impossible, Jack."

"Why?"

Jersey leaned over the table and lowered his voice again. "Werewolves mate for life, and I had my one chance with love thousands of years ago."

Jack found the high number hard to fathom. It would be awful to be alone for that long. He watched Silver as she headed for the door with her friends in tow. Her eyes drifted his way. He sat up straighter and held his breath, silently praying she would look directly at him. His reasons for giving her up were still valid, but he wanted her.

To Jack the world kept moving at regular speed while Silver moved in slow motion. Time seemed to stop for the two of them as her eyes briefly touched his. Although she was smiling for the benefit of her friends, he saw the pain in those eyes, pain he had caused. His stomach plummeted to his feet.

"It's not too late," Jersey urged. "It isn't too late until the object of your affection is dead. Don't make the same mistake I made. Don't take love for granted. It may not always be there."

Jack began to rise from his seat, acting on impulse. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, but he had to say something. The feeling he would never see her again if she walked out the door ripped a hole in his gut.

A flash of anger touched her face when she saw him rising. There was a layer of contempt and a shadow of loathing. She didn't want to talk to him. She wasn't going to listen to a word he had to say. It was over. He had already lost her.

Jack sank back down. Feeling like a total idiot, like everyone in the cafeteria had seen Silver reject him, he decided to question Jersey for a change and turn the tables.

"Tell me about the woman you were in love with."

Jersey put his total attention on his food. He finished his salad and moved to a gooey piece of chocolate cake. He took his time removing the plastic wrap. Instead of using his fork, he broke off a small part of cake and popped it into his mouth.

Jack considered repeating the question, but there was no need.

"She died," Jersey said.

"How did it happen?"

Jersey sucked the frosting from his fingers. "The bell is about to ring. You don't want to be late for your next class."

His next class was English, and they both knew it. Jack looked around the lunchroom. They were practically the only ones left, and Jersey wasn't finished eating.

Jack shrugged. "I think I'm okay. I have a feeling the teacher is going to be a few minutes late today."

"I suppose that's true."

"I told you my biggest secret. Tell me yours."

The amused glint returned to Jersey's eyes. "Admitting I'm a werewolf isn't enough for you? It would be for most people."

"I was a vampire. Werewolves aren't a big deal in my book. Although, I never thought I'd be having lunch with one."

Jersey nodded. "Likewise. Vampires aren't on the top of my list either."

"I'm not a vampire anymore, but you are still a werewolf."

"Which brings us to a puzzling question. How did you manage to become mortal again? I didn't think that was possible."

Jack shook his head, refusing to be led from the scent he was following. "Maybe someday I'll share the story with you. First, I want to hear about the love of your life and how you lost her."

With a defeated look, Jersey hung his head. "Okay. You win. She was my wife, and we were very much in love. I had believed I would grow old with her. On our wedding day I never imagined I would find myself not growing old with her, not growing old period. I'll be like this forever."

Jack pressed. "How did she die?"

"I killed her."

♥♥

## Chapter Eleven

## JACK'S FIRST HUNT

For the first time in his mortal life, Jack skipped school. After his enlightening conversation with Jersey, he decided to skip English class. Jersey wouldn't report him. A werewolf in disguise wouldn't want the principal asking questions. Besides, after his admission that he killed his wife, he couldn't possibly expect Jack to act normal around him.

Jack sat in the car for a long time before sliding the key into the ignition. He didn't know where to go. Going home would put him into a difficult conversation with his brother. Billy had already made his position clear. Funny, Jack felt more alone now that he was human than he had as a vampire.

Life as a vampire had been a lot easier than life as a mortal. It hadn't been that long since his return to normal. Hard to believe he had thought being human would solve all his problems. Now he was racking them up. He had a teacher who was secretly a werewolf, a cold-blooded killer for a school janitor, and Silver wasn't speaking to him. Oh yes, and his brother wanted to kill him every time he turned around.

He drove with his brain on automatic, no idea where he was headed. When he found himself in front of Silver's house, he wasn't surprised. He made sure Andrew Reign was gone before he parked the car out front. Vanessa had been understanding and kind on his last visit. He was hoping to find a sympathetic ear.

In seconds he was knocking on the front door. During the time it took for Vanessa to answer, he reconsidered what he was doing. Talking to Silver's mother might not be the best idea. He turned to go. Before he could completely reverse direction, Vanessa was there with a smile and a plate of cookies.

"You caught me on my baking day," she said. "Get in here. It's freezing."

She led him to the dining room. They sat at the table with the plate of cookies between them. She offered him a glass of milk, but he declined. He wasn't hungry either. Guilt over hurting Silver and fear of being surrounded by werewolves at school had stolen his appetite. He chewed on a cookie to be polite; he could barely taste it.

"Why aren't you in school today?" Vanessa asked.

"I found him, the one who killed my parents."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"

"His ugly face is burned into my memory forever, and I think he wanted me to know it was him. He's working as the school janitor. He actually smiled at me, kind of daring me to do something. I remember looking up at that same face while I was dying in my front yard ten years ago."

Vanessa shivered. "He's at the same school as my daughter? He could be the lead werewolf. He's at the school because of Silver. Does she know?"

"I wanted to tell her, but she's not exactly taking my calls right now."

"You did what needed to be done. Don't start second-guessing yourself. It will make you crazy."

"Already there."

"You protected my daughter, put her safety before your own selfish desires, and I won't forget that." Vanessa picked up a second cookie. She pinned him with a hard stare. "How did you do it? How did you break my little girl's heart?"

It was the last thing he wanted to talk about. "I stuck with the truth, mainly, told her I wanted to be normal and I couldn't be normal with her around."

"Ouch. Guess that would do it."

Curious about his parents, Jack changed the subject to what he considered a safer one. "You knew my mom and dad, didn't you? Billy mentioned something about all of you working together. He also told me that you trained him."

"It was either train him or let him get his fool head ripped off. Anyway, I worked with your mom and dad a few times. Your mom loved to talk about you and Billy. She was proud."

He noticed Vanessa didn't say his father was proud of him. Hardcore masculine to the extreme, his father's idea of an emotional scene was patting his sons on the back. _Way to go, buddy_. He couldn't remember his father ever saying he loved him. He had been a man of few words.

"How does it work?" he asked. "I don't understand how my parents made a living. How does Billy survive without a regular job?"

"We have a couple wealthy benefactors. They have a website that tracks werewolf and vampire activity. When people die under mysterious circumstances in Nebraska or in a nearby state, we get an email and go to work."

"How do you get paid?"

A smile tilted her lips. "The money is wired to a secret account outside of the country. As a matter of fact, I would be surprised if your parents didn't still have an account with a hefty sum in it. Billy is probably using it to keep afloat. He doesn't take as many jobs as we do. His main focus has been the werewolf responsible for your parents. I imagine he's tickled pink to know where the beast is now."

Jack shrugged. He didn't want to explain his troubles with Billy. If he brought up their fight, he would have to tell her he had growled. She could follow that clue to the next, and eventually she would figure out he was regaining his powers. Although he liked her, he didn't completely trust her. At this point he didn't trust anyone—except for Silver.

He asked, "Is there some way for us to find out if the janitor is the lead werewolf? Is there a way to test him?"

She stared off into space for a moment, thinking. Her eyes finally returned to his. "The lead werewolf is supposed to be extremely clever. We could set a trap, see if he's smart enough to figure it out."

_Great_. He wanted to convince Silver to give him the magic rock to use against the janitor, but she wouldn't let him have it unless he could prove his theory. Without the rock, he wasn't sure he could kill the werewolf. It had taken out two seasoned hunters (his parents) without a problem. He would need his old vampire powers to kill it, and even then it was iffy.

He thanked Vanessa for her hospitality. She offered to send him off with a few cookies, but he turned her down. Within seconds he was walking to his brother's car. He glanced at his watch. School was about to get out. Silver would be on her way home soon, and he didn't want her to catch him at her home.

"Where the hell have you been?" Billy greeted him at the door with a sour expression. "School got out hours ago."

It was dark outside. Jack had gone to the mall and lost track of time while wandering around. He hadn't bought anything. For some reason, he felt like being surrounded by total strangers. He had needed time alone to think about everything going on in his life.

Billy stood there, arms folded, waiting for an explanation. His dark eyes were narrowed, creasing his forehead with a deep frown. He said, "I was worried about you, idiot. Next time you want to screw around and be late, pick up a phone."

Since when was Billy concerned for his welfare?

"Vanessa called me," Billy said. "She filled me in on the legend, told me why you have unnatural powers. Question is, why didn't you tell me? I thought you were turning into a vampire again. I already sharpened my stakes."

Jack blinked at him, speechless.

Billy disappeared into the living room for a second and returned with a shotgun. "You remember how to handle one of these?"

Their father had taught them how to shoot when they were in grade school. Jack nodded. "Why do I need a gun?"

"After Vanessa told me about the legend, she asked me to train you. You need to be prepared. She seems to think every crackpot werewolf and vampire in the area will be hunting for you soon."

_Vanessa Reign snaps her fingers and Billy jumps_. _Interesting_. Billy's entire attitude and demeanor had changed after one conversation with the woman. Jack made a mental note of it, just in case he needed her to use that special power for him at some point.

Billy pressed the shotgun into Jack's hands. Jack tested the weight of it. It had been a long time since he'd held a weapon. For a while fangs had been enough. He checked the safety and made sure it was on before pointing it at the far wall. Looking down the barrel, he imagined the werewolf-janitor on the other end.

Problem: since when could you kill a werewolf with a shotgun?

"What am I supposed to hunt with this?" he asked, annoyed.

"It's loaded with silver bullets that have been blessed. A blessed silver bullet can slow a werewolf down long enough to grab a sword." Billy hesitated before adding, "Seeing you used to be a vampire, I didn't think you'd want to hunt them, at least not yet."

Not ever. Jack planned to remain loyal to them, especially his former friends. Barring they didn't do something stupid like attack his brother. Then all bets were off.

"Remember when you bagged a deer?" Billy asked.

Jack nodded. It was one of the few times his father had looked at him with pride in his eyes. He'd put his arm around Jack's shoulders, dangerously close to a hug, and said, "Way to go, son. Someday you'll be a great hunter."

Jack shook the memory loose and said, "Well, let's go."

"Hold on. There are some things I need to tell you first. You may have been a vampire, but you don't know werewolves like I do. I've been hunting them for nearly a decade, so pay attention to what I tell you. Learn from my mistakes."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I bet you dreamed about this moment. When we were kids and I was constantly telling you what you should and should not do, you were fantasizing about being the boss. Now here you are. I'm seventeen, and you're the adult."

"Don't be stupid, Jack."

"It's a fact." He leaned the shotgun against the wall so he wouldn't be tempted to use it. "Admit it. There's a little kid inside of you right now jumping up and down for joy. You get to live the dream of every younger sibling. You get to take control and boss me around, and there isn't anything I can do about it because legally, you are older. In the eyes of the law, you are in control here."

Billy stared at him, lips compressed.

Jack waited.

An exaggerated smile formed on Billy's face, and he nodded like a madman. "Yeah, that's right. I'm thrilled to have a brother who was a vampire up until five minutes ago." He dropped the phony smile and the sarcasm. "You think this is easy for me? I looked up to you. I thought you were the best brother ever."

Jack remembered complaining about Billy to his mother. She would smile and tell him it was his job to take care of his baby brother, to show him the ropes and be a good role model.

Billy continued his rant. "And I loved you. Then one night my whole world was ripped away. My mom, my dad, and my brother were murdered practically in front of my eyes. I heard the screams. You have no idea how long I hid in the basement, waiting for you to return, or for the bad guy to find me too.

"I sat in the dark alone for at least an hour. Then I heard the sheriff arrive, and I ran outside. He tried to stop me, tried to keep me from seeing the three of you lying on the ground, covered in blood, ripped to shreds. But I pushed my way around him. I can't wipe that image out of my mind no matter how hard I try. I drank too much, and I slaughtered as many werewolves as I could. Nothing helped.

"Then one night I come across a werewolf with information to share. I attacked him. Before he died he told me how you were one of them. He told me my brother isn't in the cemetery anymore, because he's a monster." Billy laughed without humor. "You have no idea how it felt to unbury your coffin only to find it empty. It killed me to know you were a vampire. I had nightmares. I slept with a stake under my mattress in case you returned for me. I lived with the knowledge that someday I would probably have to put you down."

Billy looked away and took deep breaths, trying hard to get control of his emotions.

Jack shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and furiously blinked his eyes to keep tears from forming. He'd had no idea how bad things had gotten for his kid brother. He certainly hadn't made them any easier by giving him a hard time over every little thing.

"I'm sorry," Jack said, hoping it was enough.

Billy shrugged.

Jack tried to lighten the mood. "Okay, great and mighty hunter, share your wisdom with me. How do I take a werewolf out and live to talk about it?"

A reluctant grin stretched Billy's mouth. They walked into the living room as he told Jack everything he wanted to know about the hairy beasts and then some. The tension between them slowly dissolved.

"Werewolves are total idiots," Billy said. "Sometimes we follow their tracks, but mostly we set traps and let them come to us. They like to attack people who seem vulnerable and weak."

Jack had a flashback of Silver in the cemetery, playing the part of a defenseless girl.

Billy added, "It's good to work in pairs. One person is the bait, and the other is the hunter."

Jack didn't have to ask which one he was going to be. As if reading his mind, Billy nodded. "They want you. You probably smell like a vampire to them. When one of them comes at you, I'll shoot it. Then you can finish it off if you want. After you get your feet wet, I'll trade places with you. How does that sound?"

_Dangerous_. Jack asked, "How have you done this for so long without getting infected?"

A single scratch would do it.

Billy replied, "I have a secret stash of Silver's blood."

"What?"

"When her parents trained me, they let me in on their secret. Silver can be killed by a werewolf, but she can't be infected. Something about her blood makes her resistant. So she gets some drawn out once in a while, and they store it in a cooler. Whenever a hunter in the nearby area gets infected, they put a couple drops of blood into the wound. It has to be done almost immediately though or it won't work."

_Creepy_. Jack didn't like the idea of Silver sharing her blood with others. As a former vampire, he believed blood was sacred. He pushed the thought of Silver out of his head. They weren't friends anymore, so he needed to stop obsessing over the girl. She could share her blood with the whole world if she felt like it. None of his business.

"What's wrong?" Billy asked. "You look a little green."

"It's nothing. Finish telling me about the werewolves so we can go bag some."

Anger aroused, he couldn't wait to get started.

♥

Hours later, Jack was on the verge of losing his mind. It was below freezing outside, and he'd been walking back and forth in a field on the edge of town for what seemed like forever. On top of that, he was bored out of his skull. He didn't even have his brother to talk to because Billy was sitting in his car with a shotgun on his lap. His brother was watching him through binoculars, waiting for a werewolf to attack.

Jack couldn't believe Billy did this for a living. It was worse than fishing. If a werewolf didn't attack him soon, Jack was going to fall asleep standing up. He cupped his hands around his mouth and blew hot air into them. His fingers had gone numb several minutes ago.

His mind drifted to Silver. He wished she was here backing him up instead of his brother. They would make a great team. For a moment he allowed his mind to wander, and he pictured Silver working with him to dispatch werewolves.

The crack of a shotgun startled him out of his daydream. The bullet whizzed by his face, barely missing him. He started to yell at Billy. Then he noticed Billy running at him, screaming at the top of his lungs for Jack to watch out.

Jack spun around to see a werewolf coming at him. It was the kid from school. Since he was a new werewolf, he couldn't transform into an animal yet, but his eyes glowed in the moonlight. Billy fired again, and this bullet struck the kid in the chest. He stumbled backwards, a hand over the gunshot wound.

Billy yelled, "Get out of the way!"

Jack stood his ground. The kid didn't deserve to die. It wasn't his fault he had been infected by a werewolf. On the other hand, they couldn't just let him go. If he hadn't already killed someone, he would. It was only a matter of time.

The werewolf kid recovered quickly. He charged again, swung wide with his invisible claws, almost clipping Jack on the shoulder.

Jack weaved to the left.

The new werewolf swung his arm backwards. It struck Jack and knocked him down.

Billy entered the fight.

The werewolf kid turned, grabbed the rifle, and tossed it to the ground before Billy could pull the trigger again. The kid lunged at Billy, but Jack was faster than him. Jack reached out and latched onto the werewolf's feet. He managed to trip the kid.

The werewolf kid went down hard, and Jack climbed up his body, holding him to the ground. The kid was stronger than he looked. Jack could barely keep a grip on him as the werewolf twisted, pulled, and kicked like a rabid animal.

"Get off him," Billy said. "I need to finish him."

"No."

He wasn't going to let Billy kill a kid. There had to be another way. Perhaps they could lock the young werewolf up somewhere until they could find and kill the leader. The kid would be free then, human, like Jack. He deserved a second chance too.

"Are you crazy?" Billy had the sword ready. "Get off him so I can take care of business."

Jack opened his mouth to tell his brother to forget it, but the words didn't make it to his lips. The werewolf kid got a surge of energy. He knocked Jack to the side and was off the ground before either hunter had time to react. Billy was the target. The werewolf kid attacked him, and the sword fell to the ground, useless. The werewolf kid prepared to strike Billy with his claws.

Jack reacted on instinct. He swiped at the boy. It was automatic. Metallic claws caught the moonlight and shimmered for a moment before slicing into the werewolf's arm.

The werewolf kid's body began to quake with terrible ferocity. He fell down and had a seizure while Jack stood by, unable to do anything.

As abruptly as it started, the shaking stopped. The kid went limp. His eyes stared up at the night sky, unseeing. They glazed over with a milky white substance.

Billy bent over and pressed a couple fingers against the kid's throat. "He's dead. How did you do that?"

"I don't know," Jack lied.

He stood over the boy's body and stared at him. No longer aware of the frigid air, all he could think about was how he'd taken the kid's life. A decade spent as a vampire, and he hadn't killed a single person. Now he was human for less than a month, and he'd killed a young boy.

Jack didn't know how he'd live with that on his conscience.

♥♥

## Chapter Twelve

## NEW MONSTERS CHECK IN

It was Friday night, and it looked like the whole school had shown up for the party that Meghan had told him about. One notable person was missing: Silver. There was a mountain of burning wood in the center of the field, a bonfire on the verge of being out of control. Some of the kids had parked their cars in a wide circle, spread out and facing the bonfire. Several radios were tuned to the same station. Music blared from all directions, and a few of the morons had left their headlights on.

Jack picked his way through the crowd, searching for a familiar face. He couldn't stop thinking about the werewolf boy he'd killed last night. This party was supposed to 'take his mind off' the tragic event. He hadn't meant to do it, but his intentions didn't matter now. The boy was dead. That kid wouldn't be getting a second chance, not like Jack.

Tucker Binn ran around the bonfire in a circle, swinging his sweatshirt over his head. He tossed it into the fire. His friends laughed and cheered him on. His happy, drunken gaze fell on Jack, and his smile died a quick death. Tucker tried to put on a brave face as he scurried away.

Jack looked down, checking his own shoes out. He desperately wanted to leave. He didn't belong in the company of normal people. If he spent too much time around them, he was afraid they would figure it out, his secret.

Jack glanced up and saw an old friend.

Summer strolled towards him, hands in pockets and an easy smile on her lips. The fire made her hair shimmer like spun gold. When she reached him, she placed a palm on his chest. Summer liked to touch people as she spoke with them. It didn't mean anything—usually.

Jack knew he should walk the other way, but the comfortable feeling her presence brought was impossible to ignore. All week long he had been drowning in the unfamiliar. It was nice to relax, if even for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I can still smell you a mile away." Summer leaned in, closed her eyes, and breathed deep. She exaggerated a sigh. "Miss me?"

"Sometimes."

"There's a simple cure for that. Come home with me."

He shook his head. "I can't. I'm not like you anymore. I've changed."

"I have the remedy for that." She playfully bit the air; then she performed a throaty laugh. "You and I were meant for each other. We'll die in each other's arms. Promise."

"I thought the whole point of being a vampire was not dying."

A few people danced into them, bumping Summer so hard that she fell against Jack. His hands automatically caught her and memories spilled forth, memories of how good it had been between them. She smiled up at him, triumph in her eyes. The manipulative girl knew she was on the verge of winning him over.

"Sorry," one of the guys muttered as he stumbled away, obviously drunk. A fourth person handed Jack a drink before giving one to Summer as well. Jack grabbed the paper cup with both hands, using it as an excuse to let go of Summer.

She sniffed the drink after the guy walked away. "Hmm. There's alcohol in this punch. Probably vodka."

"Block me so I don't have to be obvious about it."

Summer turned her back, shielding him while he dumped the contents of his cup and hers onto the ground. Vampires couldn't drink alcohol. Booze made them deathly ill. Although he was human for the moment, Jack wasn't prepared to take the risk. According to the Reign family, he was going to regain vampire powers. Perhaps he would also have some of the curses that went with it.

"It's too crowded here," Summer said. She spun back around and pressed her body against his. "We can go to your house. Or you can come home with me. Either way. I'm easy."

It was tempting; being human was harder than he remembered. Maybe he would be better off as a vampire. It wasn't the ideal situation, but he had friends at least. If he went with her, he wouldn't have to worry about returning to school on Monday morning. The Silver situation would be instantly resolved. His destiny would be of his own choosing again.

He sighed. "I can't."

"Why not? Are you seeing someone else?"

Summer inhaled, deeper this time.

Jack stiffened, waiting for the verdict.

"You are," she said. "Why didn't I notice it before? It's a very light scent...faded. You haven't been with her in a couple days, but there is another girl. Who is she?"

There was no use denying it. Summer had the scent and could track Silver if she wanted to, satisfy her curiosity and perhaps even hurt Silver. Better to admit it and try to reason with his former girlfriend. There was nothing worse than an ex with superpowers and a grudge.

"There _was_ a girl, but that's over." He steeled himself to lie. Summer could be fooled by wide eyes and an innocent smile. He knew how to play her. "She was a little nobody, just someone to pass the time with."

Summer smiled, satisfied. "I'm glad you realize there's no one for you but me. Now you need to make up your mind to return to the fold. We love you, and we want you back. Nothing in the mortal world can compare with what we have to offer you."

She held her hand out, and he stared down at it. A desperate part of him wanted to grab onto it and run across the field with her. They could disappear into the night. His brother would get over it, and Silver would be better off without him.

Jack's hand rose of its own volition. He slid his fingers across hers, silky to the touch. A sizzle of electricity passed through him. This time it wasn't there to signify a coming flash of memory. It was pure physical attraction. He was going to do it, toss caution aside and run wild just like the good old days.

"Introduce me to your little friend." Jersey's abrupt voice cut through the intimate moment.

Jack jumped and snatched his hand away from the vampire girl, flushed with guilt for considering a return to his bloody roots. It especially bothered him that Jersey had been the one to catch him. For some reason, the thought of Jersey seeing him in a weak moment crushed his spirit.

Maybe it was because Jersey reminded him of his father.

Summer snarled, flashing her sharp fangs in a brief lapse of judgment.

"Don't make a scene," Jack hissed into her ear. He looked around just to be sure no one had heard her. The kids continued to laugh, dance, and make general fools of themselves. The noise pollution they were causing drowned the subtle sounds out.

"Do you know what he is?" Summer asked.

Jack nodded, but he didn't elaborate on when or how he'd found out. Details didn't matter to Summer. She was already prepared to hit the proverbial roof over it.

Jersey asked, "Isn't this one of your little vampire friends?"

She gasped. "I can't believe Cowboy was right about you. You have truly lost your mind. Wait till I tell him you're hanging with werewolves now. He's going to freak out."

Before Jack could say he'd rather she didn't tell anyone, especially not Cowboy, she was gone. The students felt the wind but didn't see anything as she cut through the crowd at the speed of light. Even if one of them noticed something odd, they would blame the booze.

Jersey wore a smug smile along with an expensive black suit, tailored to fit, and a deep blue linen square tucked into the breast pocket. The man looked more out of place than Jack felt.

"You're a bit overdressed." Jack said. "Are you following me?"

"I am keeping an eye on you, yes."

"Why?"

Jersey shrugged. "For some reason you bring out my protective instincts. The feeling we are somehow connected won't dissipate. Maybe I am drawn to you because you somehow remind me of Kenneth, and I lost him. He was like a son to me. Now I have an empty void where he should be." Jersey allowed his gaze to drift over the party. "Are you enjoying your first venture into the Jefferson Memorial social pool?"

"What's not to like? I'm surrounded by people I have nothing in common with. There's booze I can't drink, loud music so I can't think, and you ran off the one person who understands where I'm coming from."

"My apologies." Jersey's eyes skimmed over the drunk and disorderly teenagers for a second time. "They seem to be having fun. If you don't want to stand out, perhaps you should attempt to act as if you are also having fun."

"Now you sound like my brother. Too bad I'm not that good of an actor."

"Then maybe you should leave before you give yourself away."

Best idea he'd heard all night. Without another word, he walked away from Jersey and headed for his brother's car. He wondered if any of the idiots with their headlights on understood the concept of dead batteries. Warning them would be a dumber idea though. They were too drunk to drive anyway. At least this way they would have to get a ride with someone else. Hopefully the drivers would be sober.

He turned his head, looking back at Jersey as he continued to walk. The teacher was staring at him, another odd expression on his face. Jack made a mental note to ask about it later. No doubt there would be an opportunity. Jersey sought him out more often than his brother did.

Jack bumped into someone. "Sorry," he said before he saw their face.

Trina glared at him. "Well, if it isn't the jerk who dumped my best friend. What is your problem? How could you rip out Silver's heart like that?"

Words froze in his throat. He wasn't sure whether to tell Trina that Silver was in danger with him around or ask her to mind her own business. His hand accidentally brushed hers. A small electric shot warned him a vision was barreling down the tracks at him, three hundred miles an hour.

♥

Trina crossed the school parking lot but stopped when she caught sight of Silver sitting in her car. Trina jogged over and hopped into the passenger seat. She wasn't expecting to see red and swollen eyes or tears running down Silver's face. For a second Trina thought something horrible must have happened to Silver's parents.

"He dumped me," Silver said in a shaky voice.

The news was beyond intense.

No need to ask who 'he' was. Jack Creed was all Silver ever talked about. Even before meeting him, she'd been literally dreaming about him. He was her secret knight in shining armor. Some knight. The jerk had turned out to be a frog dressed like a prince.

Trina said, "You don't need him if he's going to treat you like dirt."

"But I don't know what I did wrong." She sobbed and her shoulders shook convulsively. "I thought everything was going g-good. He k-kissed me." Her voice rose as she repeated, "He kissed me! I thought he was falling for me. Then I went upstairs and found the note in my pocket. Can you believe it? He must have stuck the note in there while he was kissing me."

"What did the note say?"

Silver repeated it word for word. Then she asked, "Why would he do that to me? I thought we were going to be together forever. I thought Lovely was right about him, right about us being meant for each other. Why would he dump me without talking to me first?"

Trina didn't know what to say. She stroked her friend's back and kept her mouth shut. Silver didn't need to hear words of wisdom. Trina wanted to tell her best friend to get even with him, hurt him the way he'd hurt her. It's what Trina would do. Make him cry.

Silver said, "He talked to my mother. Can you believe that? She told me he's confused right now, and I shouldn't push him."

"Confused about what?"

"I don't know."

Trina dug around in her purse until she found a small package of tissues. Always be prepared, that was her motto, her and the Boy Scouts. People made fun of her for carrying such a huge purse, but she was rarely without items she needed. "Here you go." She pushed the tissues at Silver. "Wipe off your face. You can't let the jerk see you like this. Best way to play it is super cool. If you see him, act like you don't."

"I'm not sure I can do that. I want to know why he did this to me."

"Believe it or not, I think your mom's right about not pushing him. Seriously. He expects you to jump on him the second you run into him. He's probably got a phony baloney story ready for you, too. Drive him crazy, and don't do what he's expecting. Walk right by him, head held high."

Silver finished cleaning her face off. She reapplied her makeup, covering every trace of tears. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I guess I'm ready."

"Remember, don't even look in his direction. Okay? And if you see a boy you can use to make him crazy with jealousy, do it."

Silver shook her head. "I can't. I'm not like you. I'll screw it up."

"No, you won't. Use your anger to keep you strong. That's what I do. You'll have him eating his heart out by lunchtime."

"I'll try."

♥♥

"What is your problem, idiot?" Trina yelled at him, snapping him out of the trance. "What, are you high? Silver is so lucky to be rid of you."

Trina stormed off with her friends in tow, and Jack stared after them. He wondered what Silver was doing at this precise moment. She'd been heartbroken after reading his note. It made him feel even worse seeing her crying like she'd lost everything. She'd put on a brave face for the world, but she'd been torn apart inside.

He wanted to race straight to her home and beg her to forgive him. He wanted to tell her everything she'd missed. He wanted to kiss her breathless.

Jack dug the keys out of his pocket and headed for the car, not sure yet what he was going to do. He would either wind up at home or at Silver's house. If he went to the latter, he would have to decide then if he was going to talk to her or not. Feeling impulsive, he wasn't even going to rehearse what he might say to her.

The words would come as soon as they were alone.

An inhuman shriek emanated from somewhere above his head, louder than the music throbbing around him. It sounded like a mixture of a woman's high-pitched scream, a monkey's terrified screech, and fingernails on a chalkboard. Jack automatically ducked. He squatted and covered his head before looking up.

The visual was worse than the audio.

There were things flying in the air, three things. He was most concerned with the one closest to him, so he kept his eyes on it. In the shape of a woman, it seemed to be made out of blue smoke that pulsated with a purple current. The smoke formed an outline of a gown that covered legs and feet, if the thing had any. It had long hair, black pits where eyes should be, and sharp teeth.

A couple of the kids finally noticed the things. They screamed and pointed up, alerting everyone else. Chaos ensued. The kids scurried in every possible direction like cockroaches when the kitchen light is turned on in the middle of night. They totally panicked.

Some of the kids made it to their cars. They locked themselves inside, screaming as the things dived down at them. A few of the teens honked their horns. Maybe they were hoping the noise would scare the things away. It didn't.

Jersey appeared at Jack's side. "We have to get out of here!"

"What are they?"

"Wraiths! They're as deadly as they are hideous. Let's go while we still can."

"What about them?" Jack gestured to the running, screaming kids. One of them fell and a wraith snatched him into the air. "We have to do something! We have to save them."

Jersey shook his head. "What can you do without supernatural powers or even a manmade weapon?"

Jack had no idea, but he knew he had to try. He couldn't walk away unscathed as his fellow classmates were picked off one by one. "What's their weakness? What can you tell me about them? What can hurt them?"

"Nothing. They don't have any weaknesses. Once they get whatever it is they've come for, they'll leave, but not until then."

Trina ran towards Jack, screaming her head off. She tripped over something and went down hard. Her fingers clawed at the grass-covered ground as she tried to keep moving. A wraith dived at her, determined to take her away. She was Silver's best friend. Even though Jack didn't like her, he had to save her for Silver's sake.

He jerked his arm out of Jersey's tight grip and ran. It was a race between him and the wraith to see which would get to the screaming girl first. A burst of vampire speed energized his run. He zipped over to her.

The wraith reached for Trina. Jack leaped into the air. He landed on the girl, covering her body with his own. He felt claws snatch at the back of his shirt. The wraith lifted him a few feet. The material ripped, and he fell.

Jack was careful not to land on Trina a second time. He used his hands to stop himself from crushing her. His fingers hit the cold grass. A shockwave quivered through his entire body, bringing a burst of pain with it.

Trina yelled, "Help me!"

Jack struggled to stand. He grabbed Trina by the arm and pulled her quickly to her feet. Together, they ran across the field to his car. Instead of helping them, Jersey left.

They made it to the car. Jack's cold, numb fingers pulled on the door handle, slipped at first, but then managed to grasp the cool metal. Trina looked over his shoulder while he pulled on the door. She screamed. He glanced back, saw two of the winged creatures coming straight at them. He shoved Trina inside the car and jumped in after her.

A wraith's ghostly face appeared immediately at the closed window. Jack worried because it seemed to be made out of smoke. Could it move through solid objects?

Trina screamed again. Her knees were tucked under her chin. She covered her face with both hands.

Jack stared at the wraith, waiting for it to do something. It showed its teeth, gnashing them at him. The second wraith was on the other side of the car. The two of them looked at each other through the windows. Were they communicating telepathically?

As if in silent agreement, they flew straight up.

"It's okay," Jack said. "I think we're safe. They're gone."

Trina peeked between her fingers. "That was mega-intense."

"Tell me about it."

"Thank you for saving me," she said with a bit of grudging respect. "Considering you aren't a vampire anymore, that was extremely brave. I wonder what happened to the kids they took?"

"I don't think we want to know."

"Can you give me a ride home?"

He sighed. "First I have to find my keys. I dropped them on the ground when those things attacked."

Jack went for the door handle, but Trina stopped him. She latched onto him like a baby octopus. "You can't go out there! They could be waiting where we can't see them."

There wasn't anything he could do about it if they were. He had to get the keys. He and Trina certainly couldn't walk, and he wasn't going to sit in the car all night listening to her yap. "Don't worry. I may not have all my powers, but I've got a few surprises for anything that attacks me."

She released him, and he climbed out of the car. Fortunately he knew exactly where he'd dropped the keys. He kept his eyes on the night sky, wide and unblinking as he felt around the ground for his keys like a blind man. Some of the kids were crying while their friends tried to comfort them. He didn't dare look at them. Jack's fingers touched his brother's smooth key ring.

To everyone out there he yelled, "Get to your cars and go home while you still can!"

A few of them immediately went to their cars while others remained frozen. By the time Jack got behind the steering wheel of his brother's car, the field was nearly empty. He inserted the key and started the engine. "Next time someone around here throws a party, let's stay home."

Trina buckled her seatbelt. He threw the car into reverse. His eyes caught movement on the other side of the bonfire. Jersey Clifford stood in the flaming light, watching Jack drive away with the girl he'd saved. The man hadn't left after all. For some reason, the teacher didn't appear pleased with Jack.

"Do you need directions to my house?" Trina asked.

"No," Jack said. "I'm taking you to Silver. She probably knows something about wraiths. There are some questions I need to ask her."

Trina smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure that's why we're going to see her. You are so intense." Her eyes went to the roof of the car, and she shook her head while giggling. "If you want her back, you'd better be prepared to get on your knees and beg."

♥♥♥

## Chapter Thirteen

## SUMMER FINDS OUT ABOUT SILVER

Jack and Trina waited in Silver's bedroom after arriving only to find the house empty. The Reigns were probably out hunting. It was too bad they hadn't been at the party. Maybe they would have known what to do about the wraiths. Trina put her hand in the hamster's cage. The tiny furry creature dashed around, avoiding Trina's groping fingers, but she didn't stop until she caught it.

Jack stood in the corner. Uncomfortable being in Silver's room without her, he waited with crossed arms. Everywhere he looked he saw a different memory. There was the bed where he'd slept next to Silver, and the window through which he'd seen his first sunlight in ten years. The book she'd dropped because she was nervous at having him in her bedroom was still on the corner of the desk where she'd put it that night.

The front door slammed shut below. He felt it through the bottom of his feet. Footsteps raced up the stairs. In seconds the bedroom door opened, and Silver's eyes went straight to him. Her lips compressed into a hard line. Shaking her head, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. "I ought to call my dad up here to kill you. What do you want?"

Trina closed the hamster cage and stepped forward, giving Silver her first glimpse of the girl. Although Trina had been smiling while playing with the hamster, the waterworks turned on as soon as she saw Silver's face. She ran across the room and threw herself into Silver's arms, bawling uncontrollably.

"Are you okay?" Silver patted Trina on the back. "What's wrong? Did Jack do something to you?"

Silver glared at him.

"He saved my life tonight." Trina lifted a tear-stained face. "We were at the party, you know, the one you didn't want to go to, and these things attacked us. They were like real scary looking ghosts with claws and teeth. I almost died tonight. One of them tried to get me, and Jack threw himself on top of me. It almost got him instead."

Silver gently pushed her friend aside to look at Jack. Her expression turned from accusing to concerned. "Are you okay?"

He shuffled from one foot to the other, unable to meet her gaze head on. "I'm fine. It wasn't that big a deal."

"Not a big deal?" Trina grabbed Silver's shoulders and shook her. "We were almost killed by those things. After he threw himself on me to keep it from getting me, we had to run to the car. Two of them chased us. It was crazy intense, and he says it wasn't a big deal."

Jack said, "They were wraiths."

"Did you know about wraiths?" Trina asked her. "Cause you never told me about them. You warned me about vampires and werewolves. You didn't say anything about wraiths."

Silver sat on the edge of her bed. "That's because wraiths are very rare. I've never even seen a wraith and neither have my parents. Lovely mentioned them in her book, half a page, but I never thought anyone I knew would cross paths with one."

Jack forgot about being uncomfortable. He sat next to her. In business mode now, he said, "I think maybe you should tell me about them in case I see them again. Can they be killed?"

"Yes, but it isn't easy." Her gaze met his for half a second before dropping to her hands. She twisted her fingers and played with the colorful bangles on her wrists. "Wraiths can only be created by the lead werewolf. Now we know. He's definitely here in town. He's probably already building his army."

"How can a wraith be killed?"

"They have to be killed when they aren't in their bodies." She got up and walked to the window. "Wraiths are women infected by the head werewolf. Instead of turning into wolves, they become ghost-like. What you need to know about them is that they are trapped in their bodies during the day. They're immortal like werewolves, but their bodies decay. They're in horrible pain during the day, but at night their spirits leave their bodies. That's what you saw."

Trina shivered. "That's sick."

Silver nodded. "I feel sorry for them. Being a werewolf or a vampire would be a hundred times better than being a wraith. To kill one of them you have to drive a blade through their heart while their spirit is inside."

"What if you stab them during the night while their spirit is gone?" Jack asked.

"Nothing happens. They can't be killed during the night. You have to catch them when they're together, body and spirit. It's the only way."

"Can they be stopped somehow when they're attacking? I didn't know what to do when they were flying away with those kids."

"Wraiths can't be stopped. They're ghosts. If you try to hit them, your hand will go through them. It's not fair, I know, but they can touch us. We just can't touch them."

Jack slowly took in the information. He felt better knowing there was nothing he could have done at the party to save those kids. At least he wouldn't have that on his conscience. His eyes returned to Silver. She looked good, incredible even. The girl standing near the window didn't resemble the one he'd seen crying in her car. Maybe she was over him.

Silver added, "Wraiths are like slaves to the head werewolf. Whoever he is, he sent the wraiths to the party."

"Why would anyone do that?" Trina asked.

"I have no idea."

Jack asked, "What happened to the kids they took? What do they do with them?"

"I don't know that either. Lovely didn't get into it. She wrote very little about wraiths, just how to kill them basically. Without knowing who the head werewolf is, there's no way we can find the wraiths, let alone kill them. They'll be living under his roof where he can keep human eyes off them. They would be extremely hard to explain."

Silver went to her friend and placed an arm around her shoulders. They shared a brief hug. She added, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks to Jack." Trina smiled at him. "I'm going to go home now. Maybe I can get your father to give me a ride."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to. Please don't mention Jack to him."

Trina told her it wasn't a problem and headed out the door with one more smile for Jack. After she was gone, the tension solidified. The air seemed to have been sucked from the room at the closing of the door.

Silver's eyes turned glacial. "I told you everything I know about wraiths. Maybe you should leave now."

"I don't want to leave yet."

"Too bad." She went to the door, yanked it open. "If you don't get out right now, I'll yell for my dad. You want to deal with him? He'll blow your stupid head off, and I won't try to stop him." She closed the door and crossed to the window, opening it. "No, wait. You should go out the window instead. No reason for my dad to go to prison because of you."

She motioned to the window, an angry gesture. She kept her eyes averted when he closed the distance between them. Instead of going out the window, he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her in his direction. She swallowed and blinked her eyes a few times. She still didn't look at him.

Jack placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face. Their eyes finally met. There was a great deal of hurt and anger inside of those bright blue orbs. "I'm sorry," he said. "For everything. I shouldn't have written that stupid note. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. Trina was right. I am a total jerk."

Surprise registered on her face. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I've missed you like crazy, and I want us to be friends again."

"You think it's that simple?" She knocked his hands away. "You hurt me."

"I know."

"No, I don't think you do, or you wouldn't think throwing yourself on the mercy of the court is going to fix everything. I thought I knew you. I thought you were kind and good, but you ripped my heart out and stomped on it for no reason. I'm not ready to forgive you yet. Maybe I never will be."

He took a deep breath and tried again. "I did it to protect you." A doubtful glint entered her eyes. He quickly added, "It's true. My friends came to see me. They threatened to hurt Billy. I figured they would be after you next."

The tip of Silver's tongue slipped over her bottom lip, wetting it. "I'm a hunter, and I don't need to be protected. I swear, you're worse than my parents. I thought you would understand more than anyone. I can take care of myself."

"You're mortal. No matter how good you are, you can make a mistake. You can be killed. If you died because of me, I wouldn't be able to...I couldn't take it."

Her eyes softened. "I feel the same way about you."

He touched her cheek. "I have missed you so much, you have no idea."

"Me too." Her gaze drifted to the door. "I told my mom and dad I was going to bed. Will you stay and talk to me for a while?"

He nodded. There were so many things he needed to tell her. He wanted her to know everything that had happened to him since they'd split up. It felt like a lifetime since they'd spoken. In a short time she had become very important to him, a best friend. Yet she was more than that. Much, much more.

♥

They rested comfortably next to each other on her bed, talking softly and laughing for over an hour. At some point she had lifted her hand for him to take. He laced his fingers with hers. They held hands as they talked about anything and everything. She wanted him to know how much pain he'd caused her; he wanted her to know how much he'd missed her.

"I have tons to tell you," he finally said. "It killed me not being able to pick up the phone. Every time something major happened, I wanted to start dialing."

Lying next to her in the dark, holding her hand felt incredible. He couldn't get over it. He was with Silver again, and everything was right with the world.

"I want to hear everything," she said.

"I'm not sure where to start."

"Try the first thing that pops into your head."

"Okay." The first thing he thought about was Jersey, but he didn't want to start with the fact their teacher was a werewolf. He didn't think she would take the news well. So he went with the second thing that popped into his head. "I found the werewolf that killed my parents."

Her hand stiffened in his. "Where is he? Who is he? Do I know him?"

"I expect so since it's the janitor at the school."

He told her the whole sordid story about how he was walking down the hallway and the janitor sloshed water onto his shoes. He ended with how shocked he was to see the familiar eyes hiding behind the scraggly hair.

"Don't try to take care of him on your own," she said. "He could be the leader. If he is, he's too strong for anyone to kill right now. I'll have to grow up, train some more, get better at sucking souls out before I can do him."

Jack nodded before realizing she couldn't see him. "I understand."

"Unless we use the stone, of course. But we'd have to be double-sure about him first."

"What about this dream stuff? I dreamed about you the other night. I turned into a werewolf and attacked you. It seemed so real and familiar."

"That's because we have shared dreams." She giggled before turning serious. "I had the dream about you changing into a werewolf too. I was there with you. It was real."

"How is that possible?"

"We're connected, Jack. I've been trying to tell you that. I've been dreaming about you for years, and you've been dreaming about me too, even if you don't remember."

He turned his head to look at her. That made sense. Sometimes when he glanced at her he saw a vision of them in the woods. "Now you tell me something new about you. How did your week go?"

"Well," she said. "I know you broke up with me to save my life and keep your nutty vampire friends away from me, but it didn't work. I was approached by the one you call Summer—Ow! You're holding my hand too tight."

"Sorry." He let go. "Did she try to hurt you?"

"She threatened to if I don't stay away from you."

"Never mind. Don't tell me. Show me."

"What?"

Jack sat up, facing her in the dark. "I've developed a new power. I can touch someone and see the memory they're thinking about. Let me see what happened with Summer. I need to know."

Without waiting for her to give him permission, he took her hand again. Instead of lacing their fingers, he held her hand between both of his. This time he concentrated on seeing the scene she'd had with Summer. Electricity coursed through him and he was transported until he was once again inside of Silver's head, looking at the world through her eyes.

♥♥

Silver and her parents were hunting at the old Miller place. No one had lived there for years, so it was a good place for the occasional vampire or werewolf to take up residence. Silver and her parents split up to search the area. Each of them had a whistle just in case they found something—or something found them.

She walked behind the barn, a stake in one hand and the whistle in the other. Her father was inside the barn, and her mother was searching the yard. Silver heard soft footsteps. She spun around, hoping it was one of her parents.

The blonde girl from the cemetery, one of Jack's friends, approached without a sign of caution. The girl didn't seem concerned about the wooden stake in Silver's hand. Her hard crystal eyes pinned Silver like a bug on a corkscrew board. She sniffed the air with obvious disdain. "It's you. You're the one Jack was hanging with. Is it true that it's over?"

No introductions. No polite conversation. The girl went straight for the information she wanted. A reckless part of Silver wanted to lie and say they were still an item, but the intelligent part of her brain wouldn't let her do it.

"He dumped me," Silver admitted.

A satisfied smile stretched the other girl's lips. "Good. Lucky you."

"I'm not the one who needs to be lucky right now." Silver lifted the stake. "I'm a hunter, and you're a vampire. What do you think I'm going to do about that?"

Summer laughed. "You couldn't take me on my worst day. I know tricks you haven't dreamed of. You stay away from Jack and I'll let you live."

Summer turned to go.

Silver took a step after her. "Maybe I don't want to stay away from him."

The vampire girl slowly revolved, the smile stretched thin. "You haven't a chance with him. Jack and I are soul-mates."

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't think it. I know it." She tapped the place where her heart would have been if she'd had one. "I know it in here. The first time I saw him, I knew he was destined to be mine."

_No_. His destiny was entwined with Silver's. Silver thought about cluing the girl in, telling her about Lovely and the diary and what it had to say about Jack. Silver and Jack were major players in the upcoming war. This girl wasn't even a footnote. She was nothing, just another vampire to be staked.

"He isn't a vampire anymore," Silver said. "He isn't anything like you."

"He will be after I change him back. I almost did it tonight." A smug gleam entered her eyes. "That's right. We were at a party together, and I asked him to rejoin us. He was about to go with me when some ignorant fool werewolf interrupted us. But that's okay. I saw how much Jack wants to be one of us again. He'll be coming to me, asking me to bite him soon enough." The vampire girl laughed and added, "When you are old and shriveled, Jack and I will still be beautiful, and we'll be together. We'll be together forever."

"I don't believe you." Silver said the words with great confidence even though her heart was breaking. "Jack hated being a vampire. He'll never go back to it willingly."

"That's where you're wrong." Summer took on a menacing expression. "You weren't with us. Jack was happy. He loved car surfing, rock climbing, scuba diving, and jumping out of high buildings. He was wild and crazy and reckless. That's the Jack I know. The Jack you'll never get to see."

Summer leaned forward, baring her teeth.

Silver clutched the stake tighter and set the point against Summer's chest.

"Stay away from him or die," Summer said.

Before Silver could drive the stake forward, Summer was gone. Faster than the wind, she ran in the direction of Keppler's farm. Silver remained where she was, frozen in anger and grief. She replayed every word the vampire had said to her. She had been at the party with Jack. Was it true he had almost left with her? Did he want to become a vampire again?

♥♥♥

"I was tempted," Jack admitted as he returned to the present. "When Summer asked me to rejoin them, I was very tempted."

"How can you even think about returning to your old life? You were unhappy."

"Maybe I wasn't." He lay back down with a frustrated sigh and stared at the ceiling. "Maybe I'm just the kind of person who is never satisfied with where they are. Maybe I can't be happy."

"I don't believe that."

Silver lay her head against his chest. Her arm went around his waist, and Jack forgot to breathe. He was happy at this moment, happy being close to Silver. In this intimate position with her ear pressed to his heart, it was easy to forget his problems. He didn't know what to do with his arm. He carefully placed it around her, his hand stroking her hair.

"Can you keep your family away from the Miller place for a couple weeks?"

"Why?"

"My old clan is using it for a temporary hideout. We always stay there when we travel through here."

"Why are you still trying to protect them after the way they've been acting? They threatened me and your brother."

"They were my family for ten years. I'm sure they won't really try to hurt anyone I care about. And if they do, I'll kill them myself."

Heavy sigh. "I'll do what I can, but my parents don't always consult me before they go hunting."

"Speaking of hunting, my brother took me with him the other night. Your mom told him to train me."

"How did it go?"

Jack told her the whole awful story. He reminded her of the kid at school, the one they'd seen get infected. He explained he had wanted to save the kid but wound up killing him by accident. She gasped when he told her about the claws.

"It's happening," she said. "You're getting powers of both vampire and werewolf."

"I guess so."

"How do you feel about that?"

Funny, it hadn't occurred to him to feel anything about it. He was used to accepting things as they came his way, good and bad. He thought about it a moment before answering. "Well, considering I live in a place overrun with vampires and werewolves, not to mention hunters, I think having powers might be a good thing."

"What else happened when we weren't speaking?"

He told her about his interesting conversation with her mother and was surprised to find out she already knew about it. He told her about Billy sharpening his stakes when he thought Jack was reverting back to being a vampire. She laughed, even though he didn't see anything funny about his brother wanting to kill him.

Jack was silent for a long time, knowing there was one more thing left to tell her about, one more secret to share. He didn't want to do it, but it had to be done.

"The English teacher is a werewolf."

Silver bolted upright in bed. "Are you talking about Jersey Clifford? Are you sure?"

"I saw it with my own eyes." Jack explained how he'd touched the man and got a flashback from his life. "You killed one of his buddies the night we met. He didn't take the news well. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to want to kill you. He told his employee you don't scare him."

"I don't believe this." She got out of bed and began to pace the floor. He could see in the dark, but she couldn't. She continuously bumped into things. He offered to turn on the light, but she shook her head and said, "Let me think. Usually my necklace burns when I'm close to a werewolf. It doesn't do that around Jersey."

"What about the janitor?" He reminded her, "You didn't suspect him either."

"I've only seen him from a distance. He doesn't allow me to get that close."

"I wonder why."

Silver returned to the bed, stood next to it, and looked down at Jack. "I think Jersey is the head werewolf."

"He's not." Jack knew he should have kept the information to himself. "The janitor is the leader. I know he is."

"You want him to be the big heavy because he killed your parents. That doesn't make it true."

Jack jumped out of bed on the other side. They faced each other over the mattress, both fighting for what they believed. "It's him!" Jack said in a loud voice.

Her hands went to her hips. "Then how did Jersey manage to fool me and my necklace this whole time? I've been within spitting distance of him."

"Maybe the dumb thing won't burn around the janitor either. Maybe it's broken. Why do you want it to be Jersey so badly?"

"I think the question is, why are you insisting it isn't him? What is Jersey Clifford to you?"

Jack didn't get the chance to answer because the bedroom door swung open and hit the interior wall with a loud bang. Andrew Reign stood in the doorway with his shotgun, loaded and aimed at Jack's chest.

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Fourteen

## WHEN FRIENDS BECOME ENEMIES

"No!" Silver screamed and rushed forward. She tried to grab the shotgun from her father's hands, but he held it tight. Yelling for her mom, she placed herself between Jack and her father. "Don't you even think about it! I swear I'll never speak to you again."

Andrew shouted at Jack, "You'd better jump out that window and run for your life, boy. I'm going to blow your stupid head off!"

Vanessa appeared behind her husband. "What in the world is going on in here?"

"I caught your daughter in bed with this piece of trash!"

"You did not." Silver grabbed her mom's arm. "Listen to me, nothing happened. Jack and I were just talking. There was a wraith attack tonight at that party I didn't want to go to, and he saved Trina's life. I was telling him about wraiths and how to kill them."

Hearing it was about business calmed Andrew enough to get him to lower the shotgun. "You can't kill a wraith."

"Unless you get them when they're inside their bodies," Vanessa said. "Tell us what happened, Jack. Was anyone hurt?"

Jack knew what Vanessa was doing, trying to forge a sense of unity between him and her husband. Smart thinking. If they all had a common enemy, perhaps Andrew would forget about killing him.

"The kids from Jefferson Memorial were throwing a party in the field next to the cemetery and they appeared out of nowhere. There wasn't anything I could do. I'd never even heard of wraiths before."

Vanessa laid a hand on her husband's arm and drew his attention to her. "We should go to the field, see if we can find a clue where the wraiths are hiding. They'll need to be dealt with."

Jack forgotten, Andrew set his rifle aside before facing his wife. "Honey, we don't know enough about wraiths to try to find them. I think it would be a big mistake to go after them right now."

"What choice do we have? If they're attacking children, we have to stop them."

"Do you know what they do with the people they take?" Jack asked.

Everyone went silent.

"No one does," Andrew finally said. He looked directly at Jack, no animosity in his gaze this time. "Considering what they are, I'm sure it isn't pretty. Their victims are never heard from again."

"Let's all go downstairs," Vanessa said. "I'll brew some coffee, and we can strategize. We'll need a plan before we go after them."

♥

A few minutes later they were sitting at the dining room table. Jack learned Silver drank coffee—three teaspoons of sugar and a dollop of cream. Andrew and Vanessa told a few stories about their hunting misadventures, went over the variety of traps they'd used to catch their prey, and shared ideas of how to find the wraiths.

Vanessa's idea: find the lead werewolf. Once they had him, they could find the wraiths and kill them. That would put a stop to any future aerial kidnappings. It was the best plan they could come up with.

Silver said, "I think I already know who it is."

"No, you don't," Jack said.

Vanessa and Andrew exchanged a look before Silver's mom asked, "What is going on with you two?"

"Yeah," Andrew joined in. "This isn't the big love-fest I expected."

"I think the lead werewolf is a teacher at the high school," Silver said. "And Jack thinks it's the janitor."

Vanessa stared at them, mouth open.

Andrew leaned forward in his seat. "Explain. I want to hear your evidence against each one."

Silver looked to Jack, but he motioned for her to go first. She could talk until she was blue in the face. He knew he was right, and he would prove it. He held the warm coffee cup between his hands but didn't drink it. The dark liquid was bitter. He'd added some sugar, but it hadn't helped.

While Silver delivered her case against the teacher, Jack tried more sugar and a bit of cream. He sipped it, trying hard not to make a face. He had the feeling a ton of sugar and a gallon of cream wouldn't convince him to drink the sludge.

"Allow me to present my case," Silver said. "I have irrefutable proof that Jersey Clifford is the lead werewolf." To demonstrate her point, she pulled the silver dagger charm from her blouse. "My necklace doesn't burn when I'm around him."

That was it? That was her whole argument for killing Jersey? Silver didn't know it, but she'd already lost the argument. Finished, she sat down across from Jack before motioning for him to speak.

"The janitor killed my mother and father," Jack said in a cold, dead voice he didn't recognize as his own. "I remember how easily he did it. He took out two strong hunters, no problem, and he's avoiding Silver at school. Why would he avoid her if he wasn't the lead werewolf?"

Andrew nodded slowly. "I hate to agree with this kid, but he has a valid point."

"No!" Silver exploded out of her seat. "He wants the janitor to be guilty because he hates him. My gut is telling me it's Jersey Clifford."

"I have an idea," Vanessa said. "Get close to the janitor on Monday and see if your necklace burns. If it does, then our man is the teacher. If it doesn't, then it could be either one of them."

They all agreed to the experiment, although Andrew didn't like his daughter getting close to a psychotic werewolf. Jack told them he would be close at hand just in case. He stood, told the parents goodnight, and asked Silver to walk him to his brother's car.

Once they were outside, Silver got shy and quiet. They stood on the porch for a short time while he tried to memorize how her face looked in the moonlight. Her eyes were on everything but him. Her attitude reminded him of that first night. He took her hand and pulled her off the porch with him. They strolled down the sidewalk, taking slow steps to make the trip last for as long as possible.

"Are we a couple now?" she asked. "I mean, I just want to know how to act when I see you in school on Monday. We don't have to be a couple if you don't want to be. That's fine. Whatever. We don't have to label it. I mean, we can just hang out if you want."

She was cute when she babbled. He stopped walking, touched her face, and smiled. With gentle fingers he traced her jawline and smoothed over her lips. Her eyes finally met his. He said, "I think we're a couple."

A huge smile transformed her face. "Okay. Cool."

"And I think we should meet in the school parking lot tomorrow. We'll walk in together like a real couple."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I'll put my arm around you like this." He demonstrated by placing his arm around her shoulders. "Then we'll go inside. I'll walk you to all your classes and carry your books, and we'll eat lunch together every day."

They continued on the slow walk to his brother's car. Far too soon they reached their destination. He sighed and leaned against the side of the car. She joined him. They stood next to each other in silence for what seemed like an hour. He didn't want to leave, but he had to. It was getting late, and Billy would worry.

"I'm glad we're a couple," she said.

He was too. Unbelievably glad. He turned to her and cupped her face before he kissed her. It was a gentle kiss, like wings of a butterfly. His eyes didn't close but merely took a long blink. As his lids were lowering he caught sight of something unusual down the street. Several seconds passed before the image registered in his brain.

Summer?

Summer was watching them.

Jack's head snapped up. It was too late. She was gone. He sniffed the air in the hopes his vampire sense of smell had returned. He couldn't smell her, and he couldn't see her. She'd probably gone home to the abandoned house they were staying in. Knowing Summer, she would have a fit. She'd throw a few things in a wild tantrum. Then she'd get dangerous. She'd want to kill Silver.

Silver asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He didn't want to freak her out. "Better get inside. It's cold out here."

Her eyes narrowed on him, but she nodded. She hurried inside while he jumped in the car and started the engine. He made sure Silver was safely behind locked doors before he left. He also took another quick look around for Summer to be sure she was gone.

♥♥

Jack drove straight to the abandoned house.

Even in the dark the place looked hideous. The house had once been painted blue, but the parts that hadn't peeled off were now a dull gray. Most of the windows were broken. The torn remains of a dirty white curtain hung out one of the ground floor windows, gently blowing in the breeze.

Jack climbed the broken steps. The screen door had been almost completely ripped off since his last visit. It dangled from a solitary screw at the top. The main door was shut, but the locks were busted. Jack pushed it open, entering without knocking. His friends were vampires, so they probably already knew he was there.

He walked over the litter-covered floor into the living room. His friends had taken the dust covers off the furniture. One of them had set a small radio on the fireplace mantle. The volume was turned down low. Someone had recently been in the room, but it was empty now. Were they hiding from him?

"Summer!" he shouted. "I want to talk to you."

Someone flew past him, striking him on the cheek. His anger burned. It had to be Summer. She wasn't going to face him. She'd rather play games. He wished he had more of his power back so he could take her on and survive.

Again she whipped by him, hitting him in the back this time. She returned at lightning speed. This time she hit him with something, a hard object to the knees. He went down on the floor and gritted his teeth together to keep from crying out in pain. Before he could recover, she struck him in the head with the weapon.

Color exploded behind his eyes. He thought he actually saw stars like a cartoon character. Pain sliced through him from one ear to the other. A wave of dizziness forced him to shut his eyes. A trickle of blood made a line down the side of his face. He had no chance winning a fight with her now. He waited for the final blow, the one that would kill him.

Lily appeared in front of him, blocking him from Summer's wrath. The hem of her long floral dress brushed his face as she shouted into the air. "Stop it! I won't let you hurt him. He's my friend."

"Traitor!" Summer yelled from somewhere deep in the bowels of the old house. "If you care about him, make him leave."

Lily spun around, grabbed Jack under the arms, and helped him to his feet. She brushed the dirt off his knees. "Are you okay?" When he nodded, she grinned. "Still enjoying being human?"

"It has its moments."

Jack went to the uncovered sofa and sat on it. He needed time to catch his breath. Lily crossed over to sit next to him. She placed a hand on his thigh and smiled. It was sort of an awkward moment. They used to have a tight brother/sister relationship. Now they didn't seem to fit anymore. He covered her hand with his as if nothing had changed between them. It was good to have at least one friend with powers.

"Thanks," he said. "Where's Cowboy?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. I was out running in the field. It feels good to have the moonlight on my face and the wind in my hair." Her smile faded. "What's it like to feel the sun? I think out of everything, I miss the sun the most. Describe it for me."

"It's a big ball of fire in the sky."

His lame description removed every trace of happiness from Lily's face.

Jack's gaze traveled to the rickety staircase. He wanted to go up and have a talk with Summer, maybe threaten her life if she didn't leave Silver alone, but Lily deserved better from him. The least he could do was share the sun with her.

"Sorry," he said. "The first day I woke to the feeling of sunlight on my hand. The warmth is incredible, like a million hugs from your favorite person. Then I leaned out the window. The sky didn't look real, more like a watercolor painting than reality. There were colors like yellow, orange, pink, and maybe a splash of purple. They blended in perfect harmony."

Lily's eyes sparkled. "I wish I could see it. How did it feel the first time the warmth of the sun touched your skin?"

"Scary beyond all belief." She giggled while he explained the circumstances. "I had no idea I wasn't a vampire anymore. When I woke up and the sunlight was on my hand, I totally freaked. I thought I was going to burst into flames, but once I learned the truth, I went to the window and let it touch me full force. It felt incredible. There are no words to describe it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You did a good job." She went to the fireplace and picked up the radio before playing with the dials. "You're lucky to have this second chance. I know Cowboy and Summer don't agree, but that's what I think. I would give anything to feel the sunlight again. It's what I miss most. Not my family or my old life. I barely remember them.

"They were already old when I was born, early forties I think. I had a younger brother, but he's probably dead now. I didn't like him anyway. I remember him sticking his tongue out all the time, and he put a lizard in my lunchbox once. We didn't get along."

"Most siblings don't," he said. "Billy and I used to fight over everything. He followed me around, getting in the way constantly. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't breathe. My mom used to tell me I should be glad to have a little brother who looked up to me, but I didn't think so. Now he's older and loves bossing me around. It's hard."

Lily frowned. "That doesn't sound good. You should tell him some of the things you did with us. Your older than him both mentally and emotionally if not physically. You have lived longer than him. You have seen things most mortals never do. He should show you respect."

Jack couldn't agree more. "We're working things out. It will be okay as long as he doesn't revert to form."

His eyes went back to the stairs.

"Why did you come?" Lily asked. "Why do you need to see Summer, and why is she mad at you?"

"She threatened this girl that I know, and she was watching us tonight. I'm here to make sure Summer doesn't hurt anyone I care about."

Lily sang, "Jack is in lo-ove."

"I am not."

"I saw it in the cards, moron. You're in love with the girl in the fuzzy pink sweater, the one I warned you to stay away from. Am I right?"

"I wouldn't pay too much attention to those cards if I were you. They were wrong before. Obviously I didn't die."

"Death comes in many forms. Your vampire-self died, and you were reborn as a mortal, so the cards were right. I'm happy you didn't listen to me though. I'm glad you have the girl in the fuzzy sweater."

They talked some more about the good old days and shared a few laughs. He missed Lily the most. He and Lily had always had a special bond. It was good to be with someone who would love him no matter what. Lily hugged him.

"Maybe I should be jealous of you, Lily." Summer spoke from the doorway. "Not the little human girl."

Jack released Lily and stood face to face with his former girlfriend. Summer wore a disinterested expression, but he wasn't fooled. She had come down for answers. She wanted him to tell her what she saw meant nothing, wanted him to reassure her.

"Leave Silver alone or else," he said.

"Is that really her name or does she use a nickname like us?"

"She is Silver, the werewolf hunter. She's a legend, has her own book and everything."

Summer's lips twisted in disgust. "Is that what turns you on now?"

"She has a family of hunters. She has me. She has my brother and his hunting friends. Do you really want to take us all on?"

Summer turned and slowly walked to the bottom of the staircase. "Fine. I'll stay away from her. I'm not the one you should be worried about anyway."

"Meaning?"

A malicious smile curved her lips. "Cowboy has taken matters into his own hands. He's probably killing the little tramp as we speak."

♥♥♥

Jack drove like a maniac, praying the whole way he wouldn't be too late. He made it to Silver's house in record time and immediately spotted his former friend. Cowboy stood on the other side of the street, propped up against a telephone pole, waiting on Jack. A bottle of booze dangled from one hand. Tossing it into the air and catching it several times, he didn't seem to be in a hurry to talk to Jack.

Was he drinking?

Vampires were allergic to alcohol, so that couldn't be it. Jack didn't take the time to turn the engine off. He jumped out and sprinted over to Cowboy. His eyes went straight to the bottle, checked it out. It was filled with whiskey. Jack's eyes narrowed on Cowboy's face. Cowboy wasn't the type to hurt himself to spite someone else. There had to be a plan involving the alcohol. Maybe he was going to force it down Jack's throat to make _him_ sick.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," Cowboy said.

"You're pissed at me. I get that. Take it out on me, not Silver and her family."

Cowboy gaped at him. "You really have a thing for these people, don't you? Hah! I thought Summer was just being Summer when she told me you had hooked up with this girl. And she's a hunter? What is wrong with you? We were buddies, but you have spit in my face for the last time."

Jack steeled himself for a fight. Summer could play with him, knock him down a few times, but Cowboy could tear him in two without breaking a sweat, and they both knew it.

Only Cowboy didn't attack him.

Instead, Cowboy turned away from Jack and opened the bottle. Before Jack could gauge his intentions, Cowboy cocked his arm. He threw the bottle across the street. There was a rag stuffed into the top, and it was burning with an orange flame. The bottle crashed through the Reigns' living room window.

With a sudden burst of speed Jack didn't think he was capable of any longer, he flew across the street and into the house. He was inside before the bottle hit the floor. He could have caught it, could have stopped the fire from spreading, but shock kept him from thinking straight. Standing frozen in the entryway, he watched in horror as the large area rug ignited.

♥♥♥♥

## Chapter Fifteen

## FIRE!

Jack watched in horror as the drapes caught fire. The scorching heat sucked the air from his lungs, making it almost impossible to breathe. Sweat broke out on his entire body. He considered trying to put the fire out, but it was spreading so fast he felt it would be a waste of time. Silver's home would burn to the ground in a matter of minutes, and the entire family was upstairs asleep.

Flames nibbled at the furniture.

Jack hurried up the stairs.

Andrew jerked his bedroom door open as Jack reached the second floor. "What in the hell is going on? Why are you in my house?"

"The house is on fire!" Jack would save blame for later. "You need to get out quick."

Vanessa yelled, "Silver!"

"I'll get her," Jack offered. "Take the back stairs."

Andrew said, "I have to get the diary. Go, Vanessa! Call the fire department. I'll meet you outside."

"I'm not going anywhere without you."

Jack left them in mid-argument and rushed to Silver's room. He burst through the door, found her slipping into a baby-blue robe. A startled cry burst past her lips, and her wide eyes landed on his face.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Fire. Grab whatever you can, and let's get out of here."

Her stunned gaze drifted around the room, slowly moving from one item to the next. She froze. The only part of her that moved was her throat as she swallowed several times. She wasn't trying to save anything—so Jack did. He went to her closet and grabbed several pieces of her clothing, yanking each item off the hangers. He hurried to the window and tossed them out.

The sight of her stuff flying out the window spurred her into action. She grabbed her hamster cage first. Her eyes continued to pick out things in the room, things she didn't want to lose. It was like she was silently saying goodbye to her life. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Jack threw more clothes out the window. With a burst of speed he flew around the room, dumping her drawers outside in less than a half-a-second, clearing off her dresser and desk, and gathering various items from various places.

Silver's voice returned. "You have your powers."

He yanked a sheet from her bed. Tying one end around her waist, he pushed her to the window. "I'll lower you down."

Her jaw dropped. "Can't we just use the door?"

"No time. Do you trust me?"

Her head slowly moved up and down. He reassured her with a smile before pushing her out the window. She was light as a kitten to him. He lowered her easily. In seconds her feet touched the ground, and she waved up at him. He returned to her room, clearing out her belongings in a flash. The thought of Silver losing a single possession was not acceptable.

Jack used his vampire speed to get to the back door, and Silver met him near the street. She grabbed onto his arms with both hands. Worry drew her brows together. "Where are my parents?"

Good question. Jack had warned them about the fire before going to her bedroom. They should have been outside already. Then he remembered her father talking about saving the diary and her mother refusing to leave him. Jack sighed. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Silver tried to stop him, but he was gone before a single syllable left her lips. In a flash he was on the second floor. He found Andrew on his knees in the study, trying desperately to open a hidden safe in the floor. Vanessa lay in a heap near the door. Her face was red. She struggled to breathe. A round of unceasing coughing began. Her body went into uncontrollable spasms.

"Take her," Andrew shouted. "I'll be right behind you."

Jack lifted the woman and tossed her over his left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, they were outside. Vanessa's surprised gasp reached his ears. He set her on her feet next to her daughter. She started to cough again.

"Mom, are you okay?" Silver wound her arms around Vanessa's waist.

Vanessa coughed into her hand several times while nodding.

"Where's daddy?" Silver asked.

Jack's eyes went to the back door. The man had told him that he would be right behind them, but there was no sign of Andrew Reign anywhere. The fire had reached parts of the roof. It wouldn't hold for much longer. Jack raced into the burning house a third and final time. Andrew had collapsed on the stairs. Jack grabbed the man's arm and pulled him to his feet. He wasn't going to try to carry Silver's father. He had a feeling Andrew would rather burn to death than be tossed over Jack's shoulder like a sack of dry cement.

It was hard for Jack to walk; he gritted his teeth against the urge to run. It took a lot longer to get outside this time. However, once they did the women met them practically at the door. Vanessa took her husband. He leaned on her as they made their way to the street. Jack and Silver followed.

A fire engine and ambulance arrived when they were halfway across the lawn. Paramedics gave the parents a dose of oxygen. Both of them refused to go to the hospital. They were worried about Silver, but she told them Jack had gotten her out safely before she'd inhaled any smoke.

Andrew looked upon him with a sense of overwhelming gratitude. He walked over to Jack and put an arm around his shoulders. Carefully, he steered Jack away from the others. "You saved our lives tonight." His voice sounded raw, strangled by smoke. "I was wrong about you." He shook Jack's hand. "But I will still kill you if you touch my daughter in any way I deem inappropriate. Understood?"

Jack nodded. He restrained the smile itching to stretch his lips. Silver's father had practically given them his blessing. He hadn't totally put the mental shotgun away yet, but he'd set it aside. Good enough for now.

Andrew held a book in front of Jack's face, showing it to him with a look of pride. It was small and bound in dark brown leather with a name engraved in gold on the front. "This is Lovely's diary. I wouldn't have it if it wasn't for you." He pushed it at Jack. "Take it. Read it. You deserve to have the answers you want."

Jack wiped his hands on his jeans before accepting the book. There was something sacred about it. The leather felt rough beneath his fingers. He held it tight and stared down at it with awe, his newfound treasure. Within these pages was the story of the girl he loved.

And he did love her, although he wasn't ready to admit it just yet. He had to be sure of her feelings first and at least close to sure they were meant to be together. No need to rush things.

Jack couldn't wait to read every single word in the diary. He wanted to read everything Lovely had to say about Silver, along with everything she'd written about him. The fire raged behind them, lighting up Andrew's dirty face. Silver and Vanessa huddled together in the background, tears in their eyes as they watched their home burn.

Jack's joy turned to sadness. He wished there was something he could do for them. Maybe he should have tried to put the fire out instead of running up the stairs to warn the occupants. It was possible he could have saved Silver's home.

Jack looked for Cowboy, but his former friend was long gone.

♥

"You invited people to move in with us without asking me?" Billy stood in the doorway of Jack's bedroom, arms folded.

Jack was on the bed, legs crossed at the ankles. He rested the open diary on his chest and looked up at his annoyed brother. "I didn't think you'd mind. You like the Reigns. Besides, didn't they let you live with them for a few years?"

"That isn't the point. You still should have asked me." Billy walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He picked up the diary but didn't handle it with the same care that Jack had. Instead of awe, Billy's expression held faint disdain. "So this is it. Vanessa told me about the fire, and Andrew mentioned he gave you the diary. Blew my mind. Anything interesting?"

"Loads." Jack's hands itched to grab the diary. He couldn't stand the sight of Billy holding it. Giving into the illogical urge to snatch it away from his brother, he took the book back. Once he had it safely between his hands, he relaxed. "I haven't gotten very far. Lovely just wrote about how she came to this world and how she fell in love with two guys at once. There hasn't been any talk of Silver yet."

"Well, keep reading. You'll find something."

"I wish she would talk about the lead werewolf, maybe give me his name."

"Life is never that easy. Anyway, Vanessa told me about the English teacher. Why didn't you tell me about him? According to Silver, you are fighting tooth and nail to clear the guy. He's a werewolf. You were a vampire. Don't you have to hate him? Isn't there an unwritten law or something?"

Jack's eyes went to the book. The pages were calling to him, and he desperately wanted answers. He wanted to soak the words into his brain, every single one until he found satisfaction.

Billy waited for an explanation.

Jack refused to give it to him.

With an exaggerated sigh, Billy left. He didn't say anything else. His amused expression said it all. He was going to leave so Jack could return to the precious diary. Sometimes his little brother wasn't as dumb as he looked.

♥♥

Later that night Jack woke to a strange sensation. He could feel his vampire friends, minus one, waiting outside for him. They were linked again, forever bound by the vampire in him. Jack automatically reached for the diary. He had placed it beside him before falling asleep. Now he picked it up and moved it to the nightstand drawer where it would be safe, at least for the moment.

Going to the window, he stared into the darkness. It only took him a second to spot them; Cowboy and Summer were standing by the fence. Two sets of piercing eyes watched him in return. Without saying a word they summoned him, and he couldn't refuse. He hoped for their sakes that they hadn't come to start trouble because he had a house full of hunters.

He decided not to involve the others just yet. Despite their recent behavior, he didn't want to see Cowboy or Summer hurt. For ten years they'd been family to him. That strong bond was hard to break; although, Cowboy had come close when he'd set the house on fire.

Jack glanced at the clock while struggling into his coat. He could smell the oncoming sun. His friends were cutting it close. If they gave him any trouble, the hunters only had to keep them outside long enough for the sun to finish them off.

He went down the stairs on quiet feet and eased the front door open. After crossing the threshold, he ran across the yard to meet his friends. Hopefully the others would sleep while he got rid of them.

Cowboy approached first, jabbing the air with his finger. "She's dead! Thanks to you, Lily is dead. It's your fault. You killed her."

The bottom dropped out of Jack's world. His insides turned to ice. Cowboy had to be lying. He was just about twisted enough to make up a horrible lie to hurt Jack because he knew how much Jack loved Lily.

Jack shook his head. "I don't believe you."

Summer drew closer, her eyes flooding with tears. "He's telling the truth!"

"How did it happen?"

"Werewolf," Cowboy said with a harsh laugh. "She got it into her head it would be great to be human again. She left us a note saying she wanted to feel the sun on her face. She got that crap from you, didn't she? Before we could stop her, she went out and got herself attacked by a werewolf. It tore her to shreds!"

Bile rose in his throat, and tears filled his eyes.

Summer sobbed before yelling, "We were too late to stop it! Her dying words were all about you." Hysterical laughter followed the statement. "She still thought it was going to work, never gave up hope. She talked about joining you at school, all this meaningless junk about being study buddies and having lunch together. She was such an idiot."

Lily was _dead?_

In his mind he could picture Lily on her mission to find a werewolf. She must have suffered horrible pain. The two times he'd been attacked by a werewolf had hurt like hell. Poor Lily. They were right. Her death was on his head.

Cowboy hit him in the jaw.

Jack didn't see it coming. He fell to the ground, a hand on his aching face. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, testing to make sure his jaw wasn't broken. Other than being sore, it seemed okay.

The front door burst open. Andrew and Billy raced outside with rifles in hand. They pointed them at Cowboy and Summer, fingers on the triggers, eager to start shooting.

Jack jumped to his feet, intentionally blocking his old friends. "Don't shoot. It won't do you any good. They're vampires, you know, and they were just leaving."

Andrew said, "We were just going to blast them to get their attention. We have stakes too."

"I saw that one attack you," Billy said with a little growl tagged onto the end.

"They came to deliver some bad news." Jack's shoulders slumped. "Let them go."

Before the last syllable left his mouth, they were gone. Cowboy and Summer vanished into thin air. Sometimes he forgot how fast they appeared to human eyes.

He went back to the house without another word, the horror of what had happened resting uncomfortably on his shoulders. Billy asked if he was okay. He didn't stop to answer Billy or to talk to Silver when she asked the same thing seconds later. There was a huge hole in his heart. The only thing he could think about was losing Lily. Even though he'd known they wouldn't be able to hang out like they used to, he had believed they would find a way to stay in touch.

And she had died because of him. He should have noticed the way her eyes had lit up when he was describing the sun. He should have listened to the wistful way she'd talked about missing sunlight. If he'd been paying attention, she'd still be alive.

Jack went straight to his bedroom and fell back on the bed, coat still on. He stared at the ceiling. Hot tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. It was useless crying over her; she was gone. Tears wouldn't bring her back, and Lily wouldn't want him acting like a baby over her. She'd want him to laugh over the crazy stunts she'd pulled.

Since he was wide awake, he figured he might as well read the diary. He jerked the drawer open and pulled the book out. The book opened to a blank page. Letters began to form as if written by an invisible hand.

Jack stared at it, stunned. He wondered if the Reigns knew the book could do this. He read the new page three times, unsure of the meaning. _I see Silver and the boy, and I see them with a shared power. When they touch possessions, they will have visions of their own. This power will be the proof of what I see. This is just the beginning. No one will ever be able to do what they can do together._

He lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes. Did Silver know about the 'shared' power? If so, why hadn't she told him?

Maybe she had doubts about him.

Maybe there was a chance he wasn't the boy Lovely had envisioned.

That would mean there was another boy. Jack's eyes popped open, and he scowled. No way was he going to let another guy sweep in and steal Silver away from him. He hadn't been happy to have his future already planned out for him, but now he'd rather have a clear destiny than to lose her.

He'd lost Lily.

That was enough.

He wouldn't give up Silver, not ever.

♥♥♥

## Chapter Sixteen

## THE HOMICIDAL JANITOR

The next morning Jack rode to school with Silver since they were living in the same house. She drove so he wouldn't have to borrow Billy's car. Even though his brother always gave him the keys without making a fuss, Jack hated asking. When they arrived at school, they found flowers lined up against the school building in memory of the three missing teens. The police were calling them runaways because no one believed a word the witnesses said about flying zombie creatures.

Jack walked Silver to each of her classes, and he insisted on carrying her books. All day her cheeks hosted a wild pink blush. The other kids stared at them as they walked down the hallways, a few of them pointing while others whispered. By lunchtime, everyone in the school knew they were a couple. The news spread faster than Jack could run.

"This is so intense." Trina blocked them as they tried to enter the cafeteria. "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

Silver shared an amused glance with Jack before bursting Trina's bubble. "We are not engaged."

"Oh. I guess the other things I heard aren't true either then."

"What did you hear?" Jack asked.

"That you're going to Prom together." Trina listed the rumors on her fingers. "You have a cabin where you meet every other weekend, and you're having a baby." Upon seeing Silver's shocked expression, Trina added, "I squashed that rumor real fast."

"Thank you." Silver glanced around the crowded room.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Trina said. "I'm sitting with Lauren and Braden today. They're like an old married couple now, so I'm sure they won't mind having the company."

Jack bought Silver lunch, even though she had her own money. Once again he insisted, reveling in the new feeling of being her official boyfriend. They sat at the vacant end of the table nearest the doors. She took a bite of the greasy pizza and opened her carton of milk. It took a few minutes for her to notice he wasn't eating. He sat with elbows on the table, watching the other students interact.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm people watching. Human behavior still fascinates me."

"Oh wow. He was right."

"Huh?" Jack dragged his gaze away from the other students to look at her. "Who was right about what?"

"Your upper lip curls when you say the word human as if you aren't one of us. You really need to work on that."

His hand went to his mouth. "Sorry. Bad habit."

"Do all vampires sneer when they talk about people?"

"It sort of comes with the territory. We also can't say the word werewolf without practically choking on it."

"I've noticed." Her eyes took a trip around the room. "What do you find so intriguing about them?"

"I was trying to figure out who they are by observing the way they interact with each other. There are certain small groups that migrate away from the others. I may not be a vampire anymore, but I can still smell fear. I still have no idea who half these kids are, but I could point out the alpha dogs real fast."

"You need to stop saying the 'v' word. We need a word to replace it with when it comes up in conversation in case someone is listening."

He removed the plastic wrap from his sandwich and took a bite. He chewed twice before he made a disgusted face. It tasted like sawdust. "Yuck." He dropped the sandwich and wiped off his tongue with a napkin. "What word do you want me to use?"

"Let's try using the word _kid_."

"Okay, we'll try that." He smiled wryly. "Part of me kind of misses being a kid, and I miss the kids I used to hang out with."

Her smile faltered. "It works. Good."

She turned her full attention to the horrible food, and Jack realized he'd said something wrong. He replayed the words in his head. Was she upset because he confessed he still missed his friends? Lily was dead. Of course he missed her. He probably always would.

"You got quiet all of a sudden," he said.

"Just thinking."

Silver pointed out a variety of people around the room to Jack. She told him what piece of the puzzle each person represented, as if she wanted to help him figure out where he fit in.

"The two guys flicking paper footballs over there are Tyler and Steven. They are the biggest class clowns the school has. Each has been trying to outdo the other for years." She sipped some milk through a straw before adding, "Last year they were both put in the same class. The school won't make that mistake again. Their pranks almost literally drove the teacher nuts. I thought they were going to have to commit the poor woman over the summer."

Jack laughed.

Silver continued. "The cute couple heading for the door...that's Lauren and Braden, the ones Trina mentioned. They have been the 'it' couple for almost three years. If you want to find one of them, look for the other one. They are always together. They like to pretend they're married.

"And that girl over there with the black hair and the green halter top is Mary Brass. She and I have been friends since third grade. She's good in a fight, but don't tell her anything you don't want everyone else in the school to know."

Jack gestured to a small group giggling in the corner. She explained they were the drama club kids. "The petite, dark-haired girl is Claire. She has wanted to be a famous movie star since Kindergarten. You can't talk with her for more than five seconds without hearing about it in depth. She spends a lot of time in the bathrooms crying about one thing or another. Whoever put together the words 'drama' and 'queen' was talking about her."

Silver tossed her half-eaten pizza aside.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked.

Silver forced a smile. "Everything's great."

"I don't believe you."

"I was thinking about the janitor. When and how should I go up to him?"

Jack had already set a plan into motion. He caught the eye of a fellow student across the room and gave him a quick nod. It was time for the kid and his friend to do the job Jack had paid them to do.

The kid grabbed a handful of green gelatin and threw it. The second kid dumped the entire contents of his milk carton on the student sitting next to him. It started a chain reaction. Food began to fly from every direction. Jack took Silver's hand and pulled on her. They slipped under the table together.

She gaped at him, half-smiling. "I have two questions for you. How and why?"

"When the janitor comes to clean up the mess, we'll both be here to see him. Just let me know when you're satisfied the dagger isn't going to burn."

"It _will_ burn," she corrected him.

He didn't have a single doubt he was right. The werewolf janitor had killed his parents. He was the lead werewolf. Once Jack proved the fact to Silver, they could work on killing the monster.

Principal Hardwick barreled into the lunchroom with three teachers in tow. They rounded up the students throwing the most food items and sent everyone else back to class early. The two freshmen Jack had paid to start the fight had vanished out the back door a few minutes ago.

Jack and Silver remained hidden beneath the table.

A couple minutes passed before Jack heard the tell-tale sound of metal dragging across linoleum. The janitor brought his metal bucket and mop into the room. His stringy hair obstructed their view of his face as usual. He lifted the mop out of the soapy bucket and slapped it against the floor. Moving it back and forth in a chaotic rhythm, he began to whistle off-key.

"Let's do it," Jack said.

The janitor had his back to them; they approached with caution. Jack held Silver's hand tight in his own. They took a few slow steps in the creature's direction, but both of them were ready to run at a moment's notice. They were almost close enough to touch him. The janitor continued to whistle while swishing the mop back and forth.

Jack looked at her and mouthed, "Well?"

She shook her head. The dagger wasn't burning. Satisfied, Jack turned to go, triumphant smile on his face, but Silver wasn't ready to admit defeat. She yanked her hand out of his and tapped the janitor on the shoulder. Jack shook his head vehemently and mouthed more words.

Are you crazy?

The janitor turned, shoulders hunched. It took him a long time to finish the turn as if he was eighty, and his reflexes were shot. He squinted at her beneath the long hair and grunted. "Huh?"

"Have you seen a math book? I think I left mine in here."

He shook his head. Before returning to his work, his eyes skimmed over Jack's face. They remained on him for one second longer than necessary. The janitor remembered Jack. There was a smug twist to his lips. He began to whistle and mop again.

Jack grabbed Silver's hand and dragged her from the room. Once they were in the empty hallway, away from prying eyes, he shook his fists in the air. "Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish? If he'd wanted to, he could have killed us both at the same time with one hand tied behind his back."

"He isn't going to want to draw attention to himself."

"Why not? You think his great job as a janitor will stop him?"

She rolled her eyes. "I thought maybe if he looked at me the necklace might start burning."

"And did it?" Jack couldn't keep the smile from his face because he already knew the answer. The janitor was guilty as sin. He was the leader, and they needed to kill him fast. No one could stop him from taking the guy out now.

She reluctantly shook her head.

Jack asked, "If we can't get the magic rock, how do we kill him?"

"Well, I can't suck his soul out if he's the leader. We'll have to do it the hard way."

Meaning they needed an arsenal of weapons, enough hunters to fill the cafeteria wall to wall, and a lot of luck. Silver started to walk down the hallway to her next class. Jack followed. Before she reached the door he said, "We should call your parents and get Billy involved too."

"We don't need to involve them yet. I have a plan."

The words sent a shiver up his spine. He hoped she wasn't going to do anything crazy. He wanted to see the janitor dead more than anything in the world, but he didn't want Silver to die in the process. He watched her step into the classroom, heard her apologize to the teacher. Jack turned and hurried to English class.

♥

After school Silver was supposed to meet Jack at his locker, but she didn't show. He gave her ten minutes before going to search for her. It was possible she'd been given detention for being tardy. Or she could have lost track of time while catching up with a friend. Maybe she was in the bathroom touching up her make-up.

A horrible thought sprang to mind, unbidden. Jack remembered the way the werewolf-janitor had looked at Silver. If he was the first werewolf created, he wasn't as dumb as the others. He could be pretending to be an idiot. In that case it would be reasonable to assume he knew exactly who Silver was and if that was true—he would want to kill her.

Jack sprinted down the hallway to the library. The doors had been locked. He peeked through the windows. No sign of her. He tried the gymnasium next with the same results. He had to think like a werewolf. If he wanted to kill a student without getting caught, where would he take her?

His eyes went down to the floor; they were in the basement. Jack knew it for a certainty as if he could see through the linoleum. He raced to the door and through it, taking the stairs three at a time. There wasn't time to prepare and only a second to whisper a prayer. Acid boiled in his stomach, and a wave of nausea hit him hard.

He heard Silver scream before he caught his first glimpse of her. The janitor had her by the neck and was holding her high over his head. Her feet kicked the air. She scratched at the creature's hands, desperate to get free, but nothing seemed to bother it. The animal choked her while laughing like a maniac.

For a moment Jack was in the past with his parents. His worst nightmare was happening again to someone else he loved. The last time had ended with three deaths. Jack grabbed a nearby steel rod and prepared to attack the werewolf from behind, knowing he would rather die a second time than to live without Silver.

"Let her go!" he shouted.

He hit the thing across the spine as hard as he could, but it barely flinched. The janitor revolved, moving faster than he had in the cafeteria. He kept Silver dangling high in the air. His free hand swiped at Jack. The invisible claws moved so fast Jack almost didn't see them.

Using his vampire-speed he darted to the side.

The werewolf-janitor wobbled, thrown off balance by his missed swing.

Jack took advantage. Concentrating hard, he tried to use his own invisible claws, but nothing happened when he swung his hand at the janitor. He couldn't control the new power.

The werewolf's free hand grasped Jack around the neck. He lifted Jack off the ground. He and Silver kicked in a wild rhythm born of desperation. The fingers crushed Jack's windpipe. He couldn't breathe. He tried to look at Silver, but he couldn't move his head. They were going to die together.

The werewolf howled in pain. It dropped them and went to its knees. Jack looked up to see Jersey standing over them, pipe in his hands. He hit the janitor with it again, and the beast went down hard

"Run!" Jersey yelled.

Jack took Silver by the hand and pulled her behind him. They ran up the stairs as fast as they could. When they made it to the hallway, they stopped running. Silver coughed. Her hand went to her throat as she gasped for air. She stumbled. Her shoulder hit the lockers with a loud bang, and her eyes filled with tears. She threw herself into Jack's arms, hugging him with a fierce possessiveness that wiped the slate clean. No matter what bad things she did or said from that moment on, all would be forgiven.

He buried his face in her throat and breathed deep.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He pulled away and cupped her face between his hands. "You almost died. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in my childhood trauma. I should have taken care of that monster myself."

She shook her head hard. "He would have killed you." Her fingers sank into his hair, and she rubbed his scalp. Still gasping for air, she said, "We need to depend on each other. No one can kill either of us if we stick together. Deal"

"Deal." He leaned his head forward, briefly touching his forehead to hers.

The door opened, and Jersey emerged unscathed. He seemed surprised to see them waiting. The two of them stepped apart, all eyes on the teacher, and Jack asked, "Did you kill it?"

A werewolf could kill another werewolf with a tiny scratch. It wouldn't have taken any effort at all for Jersey to permanently dispatch the janitor. Jack had seen it, and he'd done it.

"No, I did not kill him," Jersey said in a quiet voice.

Silver's mouth fell open. "Why not?"

"I assume you told her about me," Jersey said to Jack. He turned to Silver. "Why would I kill one of my own? There are so very few left of us in the world thanks to hunters such as yourself."

"Few? I can't turn around without tripping over a hairy beast."

"It is true our population is growing, slowly, but humans still outnumber us about a hundred-thousand to one."

Jack doubted that. He wrapped an arm around Silver, preparing to take her away from the school before something else could happen, but she pushed him back, not ready to go just yet.

"Were you the first?" she asked Jersey. "You seem awfully intelligent, far smarter than the idiot in the basement. It's you, isn't it? That's why you won't kill him, because you're already growing an army."

Jack sighed. He couldn't believe she was still convinced of Jersey's guilt after he'd saved their lives from the werewolf-janitor. What did a guy have to do to prove his innocence?

Jersey's lips compressed, and his eyes temporarily lost the chronic amusement they usually reveled in. "You are an angry little girl, aren't you? I was like you once. You need to invite peace into your heart and learn to forgive like I have."

"Forgive what?" Her hands went to her hips.

Jack remembered Silver had killed Jersey's close friend Kenneth. Before Jersey could lose his cool, Jack grabbed her around the waist and dragged her backwards, away from Jersey until he could spin her around and take her by the hand. He forcefully pulled her from the school.

As the glass doors swung shut behind them, Jack glanced over his shoulder to see a smug smile on Jersey's face.

The expression shocked Jack, making him wonder if Silver was right.

Was Jersey Clifford the lead werewolf?

♥♥

## Chapter Seventeen

## A TRIP TO JERSEY'S HOUSE

"Are you sure this is it?" Silver asked in a dull, lifeless voice.

Jack parked the car in front of Jersey's house after getting the address off the secretary's rolodex at school. He bent down in his seat so he could see past Silver and stared out the passenger side window at the little house. It was almost as bad as the old Miller place with an overgrown lawn, peeling paint, and broken shutters. Several acres surrounded the tiny home, unused land covered in wildflowers and weeds.

Disappointed, Jack shrugged. He had pictured Jersey living in a huge house, expensively decorated and piled high with books. This place did not fit the man's personality, and it didn't make any sense. Hadn't Jersey lived in Bliss for over three years? That seemed long enough to put a life in order.

It was a short walk to the front door. Since they didn't have a key, they looked around for a spare one. Jack didn't think Jersey was the type of person to keep a key under the doormat, but he tried it anyway. No key. They also didn't find one above the door or in the nearby potted plant, dead from neglect.

Silver folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the house. "Now what?"

"Maybe I still have the power to..." He reached a hand out and waved it over the doorknob. His reward: the sweet sound of a soft click. The door swung inward, and he smiled at Silver.

Her jaw dropped. "How did you do that?"

"Trade secret."

They stepped over the threshold and stopped in stunned silence. The interior of Jersey's house was worse than the exterior, if that was possible. The furniture was sparse; there was a rickety three-legged sofa, a cracked glass kitchen table, and an empty file cabinet on its side. No pictures or paintings on the dull, gray walls. There was a clock on a corner table, and a stack of newspapers by the back door. That was basically it.

"This isn't right," Jack said under his breath.

There wasn't a single book in sight. Jack took a quick tour of the entire house. It took less than a minute. The bedroom wasn't any better than the living room. The bed didn't look slept in, and the nightstand didn't have a solitary possession on it, not even a lamp. Jack opened the single drawer. Nothing. It was like nobody lived in the house.

"Look what I found," Silver said.

She held up a dark blue handkerchief, and Jack recognized it on sight. Jersey had been wearing it the night of the wraith attack. Jack reached out, fingered the edge. He experienced the urge to grab both the handkerchief and Silver's hand. He didn't know why. Urges didn't come with logic or reason. He simply obeyed the impulse.

Jack's fingers slid over hers, and he grasped them tight. A familiar current of electricity traveled through his body. He braced himself for a trip into Jersey's memory. Silver's soft gasp followed him to the other side.

Jersey sat behind his huge desk in his comfortable chair, flipping through a hardbound book. He looked like he'd just come from a funeral in a black suit with a blood red tie. His blonde assistant was perched on the edge of the desk. She posed like a model, pursing her painted pink lips together while he searched the pages for something.

" _What's happening?" Silver asked._

Jack looked sideways, surprised to see her with him. Then he realized he was still holding her hand. Lovely's scribbled note came to mind. This was their shared power. "We're in one of Jersey's memories."

" _What do we do?"_

" _Watch and listen."_

Pagan said, "I don't understand your weird fascination with that boy. He's friends with hunters. That makes him dangerous."

Jersey quoted, "He's sweetest friend or hardest foe, best angel or worst devil. I either hate or love him so. I can't be merely civil."

"Why can't you speak English?"

"Elizabeth Barrett Browning," he said with a smug smile. "She was brilliant."

"Whatever." Pagan blew a pink bubble.

"In answer to your question, I am drawn to him for some inexplicable reason I can't quite fathom as of yet. Until I figure it out, and I will figure it out, I am most certainly not going to terminate him."

Pagan rolled her eyes. "Then kill that werewolf hunter at least."

"You _are_ a bloodthirsty witch, aren't you?"

"That's why you keep me around."

Silver asked, "Can we get close enough to look at the papers on his desk?"

" _I don't know," Jack said. "We can try."_

Jack pulled her behind him as he approached the teacher's desk. They couldn't touch anything, couldn't pick up the papers to examine them or move them around, so they bent over the desk to get a closer look.

There wasn't anything interesting, just a bunch of seemingly random numbers.

Pagan asked, "Since your plan didn't work out at the party, what are you going to try next?"

"I'm not sure." Jersey rubbed his chin. "When I ordered the wraiths to attack, I was hoping to save Jack's life and gain his trust."

Silver and Jack shared a stunned look. Jack gritted his teeth and stared down at Jersey. He wished they weren't in a memory. His body shook with rage, and the scene flickered like a television station with bad reception. He'd like to wipe the smug smile off the liar's face.

Jersey added, "I underestimated him. Since he doesn't have powers anymore I was convinced he would run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Instead, he ran into the chaos to save some silly girl."

"You should have had the wraiths kill him."

Jersey slammed his hands against his desk, his anger aroused. His eyes flashed red for half a second and a wolf's face appeared over his own. Then it was gone. His expression returned to a cool and neutral rock-like state. "He is not to be killed. Understand? And as I've told you before, the girl is nothing. She can't hurt me."

Pagan made a huffing sound. "Right. Not yet. She'll get stronger and better as she grows up."

"If she attacks me, I'll kill her. Simple enough."

♥

Jack and Silver were sucked from the memory and thrown back into the present without warning. The front door was opening; Jersey had returned home. Jack grabbed Silver by both arms and shoved her into the nearby closet. He closed the door in her surprised face. Better to keep her safe now than to be sorry later. He could explain why he was in Jersey's house, he hoped, but there was no way to come up with a believable reason for Silver being there.

Jersey entered with a briefcase in hand. He didn't even blink an eye at the sight of Jack in his living room. Smiling, he said, "I was wondering when you would get around to visiting me."

"We need to talk."

Jersey waved him to the kitchen table before peering into his refrigerator. "I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you in the way of food or beverages. The milk has passed the expiration date. I have stale bread, a can of tuna, and tap water." He opened a cabinet. "Ah, I also have some instant coffee."

Jack made a face as he recalled the last time he'd tried coffee. "I really need to talk to you. It's important."

"Sounds serious." Jersey sat across from him. "Tell me, what is on your mind this fine day."

"You."

"Me?"

"Remember when you told me you'd killed your wife? I need you to elaborate. Please. Also, I'd like to know how you became a werewolf in the first place... and when."

"Look at this," Jersey said. He picked up a can of peanuts. "I forgot I bought these yesterday. Can I tempt you?" He tilted the can in Jack's direction. After Jack shook his head, Jersey poured peanuts into his own hand. He ate them slowly, one at a time, an amused glint in his eyes.

Feeling impatient, Jack said, "If you aren't going to tell me anything, I'll just leave."

"I suppose it won't hurt to share the information with you."

"Okay." Finally they were headed in the right direction. Jack rested his elbows on the table. "Why don't you start with telling me her name? Who was your wife?"

Jersey's expression softened as he stared off into space, looking into the past. "You are so young, Jack. Names are not relevant to the story. Names change with the seasons." He quoted Shakespeare. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Jack sighed. "Forget her name then. Tell me about becoming a werewolf. When and how?"

"It happened in the morning of my youth." Jersey's eyes danced with amusement again as Jack became more and more irritated and impatient. "I was young and in love, and I foolishly gave my heart to someone who didn't deserve it."

"And?"

"Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you?"

He thought about Cowboy throwing a lit bottle of alcohol into Silver's home. "Sure. Happens to everyone."

"No. Not like this." Jersey leaned across the table, his cold eyes staring straight into Jack's. "I had a friend who was like a brother to me. We grew up in the same house, raised by a nice old lady after our parents were killed. When we were kids, we shared everything. Then we grew up and fell in love with the same woman."

Jersey's expression darkened. "I was not willing to share her with him."

"Of course not."

"Fickle girl couldn't make up her mind. She wanted us both. One day we'd had enough, and we confronted her together. It was the last thing we ever did together. We told her to make a choice."

"Did she?"

"If you count turning me into a werewolf and him into a vampire, I would say the answer is yes."

Jack froze as if he'd looked straight into Medusa's eyes, and his blood turned to ice. In the diary, Lovely had talked about not being able to choose between two young men. She'd loved them both but hadn't gone into detail on what she'd done to solve her dilemma. Now Jack knew. She'd cursed both men.... but why?

Jersey answered the unspoken question. "The girl I loved had a curse on her as well. She didn't sleep, couldn't age, and she had been banished to our world forever. That's why she did it. Brilliant, if you think about it. She fixed it so that I would be her companion during the day, and he would be with her at night. Neither of us had any clue about the other until—"

"Until what?" Jack literally sat on the edge of his seat, eager to hear the rest.

"That is a story for another day."

"Are you the first werewolf?"

Jersey's laughed without humor. "I'm not like the others, Jack. They can't control themselves. Haven't you noticed? When I get angry, I am still in control. When I kill, I do it for a reason and not out of blind fury."

"Answer the question... please."

"I am the first, but I am not a simple werewolf. I am something beyond your comprehension, something beyond your simple understanding."

Jack's eyes drifted to the closet inside the living room. He wondered if Silver could hear them. Did she know she was right? Was she doing a little victory dance in the closet?

"I take it you know about Lovely," Jersey said. "Have the Reigns told you about the diary yet?"

Jack nodded, but he held back the fact that he had the diary and was currently reading it.

Jersey said, "She had a vision about me growing an army and taking over the world. It terrified her. Still, she stayed with me. The girl thought she could change me from what I am to what she wanted me to be. Imagine that."

"You don't have to do it. Her visions aren't always true. Sometimes she had more than one on the same subject. She had visions about me too, but we don't have to follow her blueprint of the future. I believe we make our own destiny."

"As I said before, you are extremely young, Jack. Destiny is solid. It will happen the way it is meant to happen. If you try to change destiny, you will only cause it to take place. There is no escape for either of us."

"I don't believe that."

Jersey put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Someday we will meet on the battlefield. I want you to know I will not take any pleasure from killing you, but kill you I will."

"Comforting. Thank you." Jack wondered if werewolves understood sarcasm. "You're already building an army, aren't you?"

Jersey didn't answer. He dropped his hand and stepped back, giving Jack breathing room. "I think you should go now. Oh, and don't forget to release your girlfriend from the closet. I imagine she's probably tired of being in there." At Jack's surprised look, Jersey tapped the side of his nose. "I have powerful abilities. Don't underestimate me again or it might be the death of you."

Jack left the kitchen, went into the living room, and opened the closet door. He could tell by Silver's worried expression she had heard every single word. When she opened her mouth to speak, he shook his head hard. Better to wait until they were alone.

Jersey followed them to the front door, opening it for them like a good host. "Thank you for visiting my modest dwelling. Feel free to return whenever you want. Consider my home to be your home."

Silver turned on the porch and spoke to Jersey before Jack could stop her. Her tone was crisp. She bit off each word. "Forget the army and forget destiny. You have one shot to live here. If you know what our destiny is, then you know it's true. If I don't kill you, Jack will."

Jersey disagreed. "I suppose it depends on how you read between the lines. I believe that part of the future was unclear to Lovely. She wanted you to destroy me, but Jack's existence proves she had no idea what would happen. She gave him to you as a backup plan in case you die trying, which you will."

Before Silver could say anything else, Jack pushed her toward the car. He hung back for a second to try one more time to reason with a man he thought of as a friend. "Please don't do this. Don't force us to take you out."

"That's what I like to hear, Jack." Jersey smiled. "Confidence. Even if it is unfounded."

♥♥

## Chapter Eighteen

## DECIDING WHO TO KILL

Jack finished reading the diary in six days.

He stretched out on the sofa, a throw pillow beneath his head and feet resting on the opposite arm. The diary's secrets whipped around in his head. He'd hoped to find some useful information on Jersey, but there hadn't been any. On the other hand, he'd enjoyed reading about Silver and how the two of them were meant for each other.

He closed his eyes on a breathy sigh, feeling kind of lonely. Silver and her parents were hunting on the other side of the county, and Billy was patrolling their land in case his vampire friends returned. No sooner had the thought of loneliness entered his head than the front door opened.

Footsteps followed. Billy tossed his coat onto the arm of the sofa before sinking into the chair near Jack's head. "Man, I'm exhausted. Sometimes I forget how much land we own."

Jack smiled at the word 'we.' His brother hadn't used it before. He'd seen Jack as an outsider, an unwelcome intruder. Perhaps there was hope for them yet. They were headed in the right direction at least.

"I didn't catch wind of anything out there," Billy said. "I think we're safe for tonight."

Jack sat up and faced his brother. He looked at Billy, unable to help remembering the kid who had followed him everywhere. It was sad how much had changed in his absence. They'd been close back then. Now they had an ocean of resentment between them, and Jack had no idea what to do to make things better.

Billy kicked his shoes off. He crossed his ankles and wiggled his toes in the dark socks. For a moment he actually twiddled his thumbs. One thing hadn't changed; Billy still had a low threshold when it came to boredom.

The dark circles beneath his eyes and lines around his mouth attested to the hard times Billy had endured. He rarely smiled. Billy picked the television guide off the coffee table and began to leaf through it. He settled back in his chair, looking tired but comfortable.

"We should talk," Jack said.

Billy's eyes snapped up, and surprise registered in them. "What? Why?"

"I'd like us to be brothers again."

"What are we if we aren't brothers?"

"We're strangers sharing a house." Jack reached over and yanked the guide from Billy's hand. He tossed it back to the table. "Seriously, we need to talk before we cross some line that we can't get back over."

Billy had heard enough. With a sigh he stood and walked out of the room. He went into the kitchen to prepare a snack. Jack followed. Billy pretended not to notice as he opened the stocked refrigerator and practically climbed inside. In seconds he came out with an armful of food.

"It was nice of Vanessa to go shopping for us," Jack said.

"Yeah." Billy dropped a hunk of cheese, bottle of mayo, and some leftover bacon onto the breakfast bar. He slapped some of each between two slices of wheat bread. "I wonder if she got us some chips."

Jack placed his palms against the bar and leaned over it. "The first day I showed up you were happy to see me. Remember that? Of course you thought I was still a vampire then and tried to kill me five seconds later, but when you found out I wasn't a vampire, you hugged me. Remember?"

"Is there a reason we're strolling down memory lane right now?"

"You _are_ happy I'm home, aren't you?"

Billy rolled his eyes. He took his sandwich back to the living room and plunked down on the sofa this time before grabbing the remote. A couple presses of his thumb and they were watching golf.

Jack stormed over to the television and manually flipped it off. Before Billy could complain, Jack turned on him. Using a loud voice to try to get through to his brother, Jack asked, "What happened? How did you go from thrilled to see me to can't stand to be in the same room with me?"

"What did you expect?" Billy tossed his half-eaten sandwich to the coffee table. "In one night I lost my mom, my dad, and the brother I worshipped. While you were all being torn to bits, I was hiding like a coward."

Taken aback by the furious burst of emotion, Jack's voice dropped a few decibels. "I told you to stay there."

"Mom told you to stay hidden too, but you ran out to help them."

"And look how that turned out. You were the smart one."

Billy jumped to his feet and began to pace the length of the room in front of the sofa. "I sat alone in the dark, slowly losing my mind as I waited for one of you to return. I didn't come out until the sheriff got here. After that, my life pretty much became what it is now. I hunted. I slept. I ate. Then I hunted some more. My life was bleak, and it was going to be that way forever as far as I could tell.

"The day I opened your coffin and found it empty, I cried like a baby. I kept imagining all these horrible things happening to you. Maybe I was wrong, but I saw you as a monster. In my twisted thinking, I knew someday I was going to have to kill you." Billy threw his hands up. "Then 'someday' arrived out of the blue. I was going to put you out of your misery, even if it killed me to do it. But _ta-da_ you aren't a vampire anymore. Seems like a good thing on the surface, doesn't it?

"The brother I'd lost returns. You look exactly the same as the day you died, but you're different inside. You don't talk or act like the brother I knew. Suddenly I find myself living under the same roof with a stranger, a stranger with my brother's face, and on top of that, I find out my brother is going to have powers and is destined to either kill the top werewolf, and save the world, or die trying. You try coping with that. Why should I get close to you again when you're just going to die on me?"

Billy dropped back to the sofa and grabbed his sandwich. He tore a huge chunk off and chewed harder than necessary. He picked up the remote again, prepared to turn the television on, but Jack took it from his greasy fingers.

"It's been hard for me, too," Jack said. "You may not want to hear this, but living with you hasn't exactly been a picnic. You don't look anything like my brother. You certainly don't act like him. Somehow you went from thinking I was the best thing in the world to hating my guts."

"I don't hate you," Billy mumbled.

"You could have fooled me. Half the time you're bossing me around, and the other half you're planning how you're going to kill me."

Billy stopped chewing long enough to look sheepish. "I wouldn't kill you unless I knew for sure you'd reverted to a vampire... and maybe not even then. I mean, you told me it wasn't so bad being a vampire. I think I'd take your word for it, as long as you didn't kill anyone in front of me."

Sounded like progress to Jack.

"I'm sorry for bossing you around," Billy added. "I kind of feel like I've become an instant father here."

"But you aren't my father. You're my baby brother. Try to remember that and we'll get along just fine."

"I'll try." Billy finished his meal. He sucked his fingers with annoying smacking sounds. "Do you think you could manage to show some respect for the man I've become? I'm not the baby brother anymore. I wish you'd stop calling me that."

Jack nodded. "Sounds fair."

Billy reached a hand out, and Jack shook it.

"We're okay now?" Jack asked.

"Depends." Billy smirked at him. "You want to get me a beer while you're up?"

♥

A few hours later, Jack headed to bed. He left the bathroom while rubbing his tired eyes. Still wearing the thick cream-colored sweatshirt and jeans because the heater wasn't working properly, he headed for bed. It was too bad Billy wasn't as skilled with a wrench as he was with a rifle. Since their dad died, he'd let the place fall apart. Billy definitely was not a handy man to have around the house.

Jack went down the hallway and stopped just inside his bedroom doorway. There was something large, round, and black on his pillow. For a second he thought it might be a strange bug of some kind. He removed a shoe and approached with caution. It was too shiny to be a bug. Frowning, he dropped the shoe and picked the object up. It was a rock, but it didn't look like any rock he'd ever seen. Too smooth. Now who had put a rock on his pillow?

In answer to his silent question, Silver said, "Magic stone." She stood in the doorway, a can of purple soda in her hand. Once Jack glanced her way, she entered and closed the door. "I told my mom who the lead werewolf is and asked her to give me the stone so you can use it to destroy him."

"She gave it to you? Just like that?" Jack couldn't keep the surprise from his voice. He'd thought the rock was a last resort, only to be used if Silver got herself killed.

"No. She turned me down flat, so I took it from her room. She keeps it in her sock drawer. Remember? Fortunately, it was one of the things she grabbed when she realized there was a fire, and she tossed it out the bedroom window to save it. Guess she didn't see any reason to change the place where she hides it, cause I found it in the top drawer."

"We can't go behind your parents' backs and use it when they obviously don't want us to."

Silver glared at him. "I want to have a normal life. I thought you understood that."

"I do."

"Then help me. Once you kill Jersey, all other werewolves will return to normal. The world will be free of them, and I can go to college like a normal person. I can become a lawyer and save people from a different angle."

Jack went down on the bed and studied the rock from every direction. "It doesn't look like a magic rock to me."

"What does a magic rock look like?" Silver laughed before plunking down next to him. "Have you ever seen one before? Of course not. Because there's only one, and that's it."

The light remained on as they stared at the ceiling, side by side. Jack hated that every conversation they had seemed to revolve around vampires or werewolves. He wanted to talk about the other aspects of life. He wanted to talk about a future with her.

Something was bothering him. "If you go off to college next year, what am I supposed to do?"

"You could come with me."

He chuckled at the idea. "I can't picture myself in college. I'm barely keeping my head above water in high school."

"I'll tutor you."

He turned to look at her and asked, "What if I don't want to go with you? What if I want to stay here with my brother and hunt vampires or ghosts? Then what?"

"I don't know." Her lower lip trembled. "I guess I could visit you when I come home to see my parents. I'm not going to give up my dreams, and I hope you aren't the kind of guy who would ask me to."

He wasn't. However, he also wasn't the kind of guy who waited around for the love of his life to return. "What if you meet someone in college?"

She sat up, and her eyebrows drew together. "I am not going to meet anyone else. You and I are destiny. That means you're stuck with me for life."

"Does it?" He swallowed, unsure of what to say and what not to say. "According to destiny, you and I have to fight in a war against the werewolves someday. If we fix it to where it never happens, we might not stay together. We'll be changing the future."

Silver returned to her previous position lying next to him. "Are you saying you won't do it? Are you refusing to use the stone?"

"No." He brought the rock up to his face and stared at its smooth surface. "I want to use it. I just don't want to use it against Jersey."

Her entire body tensed beside him. The silence in the room grew to epic proportions before she leaped off the bed, anger oozing from her every pore. "I cannot believe you just said that! If you aren't going to use it on Jersey, then who? Oh, don't tell me! You want to go after the werewolf janitor. You want revenge."

_What was wrong with that_?

Jack felt awkward being yelled at while he was flat on his back, so he stood too. Once again they sparred from opposite sides of a mattress. He held the rock up and pointed it at her. "Lovely made this for me. You can't use it. Your parents can't use it. I think that means I get to decide what to do with it. Not you."

She shook her head slowly, mouth open. With a frustrated grunt she turned and slammed out of his room. He heard her stomping footsteps going down the stairs. Her mother asked her what was wrong. If he didn't intervene, she was going to tell them everything. He didn't care if they knew he had the rock. He just wanted them to have the benefit of his side of the story.

Jack raced downstairs to the living room where they were all gathered like mutinous workers. Their eyes simultaneously turned in his direction. Each pair held an accusing glint in them. How had she told them so fast?

Andrew held his hand out. "Give it to me."

Jack's fingers tightened around the rock. "Not yet. First I want a fair hearing. I think everyone in this room deserves a vote on what to do with the rock, if anything."

Vanessa placed a hand on her husband's arm and gently pushed it down. "Sounds fair to me. Who wants to begin?"

"I'm the one with the rock." Jack waved it in the air. "Lovely made it for me, so I'd like to go first, if you don't mind."

He didn't know what he would do without Vanessa there to referee. When Silver opened her mouth to argue, her mother motioned for her to keep quiet. Vanessa got everyone seated and ready to listen. She gestured for him to begin.

"Silver has probably already told you that she wants me to kill Jersey Clifford."

Andrew nodded. "The English teacher. Yes."

"We're reasonably sure he's the head werewolf, and Silver wants me to use the rock against him, but there's a more dangerous threat in the vicinity. The janitor is extremely powerful, and he's psychotic. He killed my parents. He killed me."

Andrew said, "But if Jersey Clifford is the leader, he's the one who has to die. It's what the stone was made for. Once he's gone, the others will revert to normal."

"That's right," Jack said. He looked pointedly at his brother, their gazes locked in understanding. "If I kill the teacher, the janitor becomes human. We can't kill him then. He gets away with murdering our parents."

Silver leaped to her feet. "Lovely didn't create the stone so you can get revenge on your pick of werewolves. It has to be used on _the_ werewolf."

"Honey, sit down," Vanessa said. "Allow Jack to finish. You'll get your turn."

Silver fell back in her seat, arms crossed. Her jaw was tight, and her hard stare was on Jack. He loved her, but he wasn't going to let her ruin his chance for justice.

He continued. "Jersey saved us from the janitor. If it wasn't for him, we'd be dead. I'm sorry. I can't kill him. I just can't do it."

Jack went to stand behind Billy's chair, hoping his brother would back him up on this. Vanessa waved to Silver, signaling that she could talk now.

She got up slowly this time and walked in a circle around the coffee table, deep in thought. Watching her was like watching a top-notch prosecutor getting ready to send a man to the chair. She spoke in a loud, clear voice. "I have several points to make."

Jack steeled himself for the attack.

"First of all, killing Jersey will save an unknown number of lives." She went to her father, her eyes silently begging for his help. "Lovely saw a long and bloody war. Even if I can kill Jersey myself, people will die in the meantime. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people. Maybe even millions."

Silver went to her mother next. "We can stop the war before it begins. No one will die. How can that be wrong? We can prevent others from becoming werewolves. Do you have any idea how many lives will be saved that way? Hunters kill a high number of werewolves every year. If we put a stop to it now, there won't be any more werewolves. How can you possibly say no to that?"

A few more points were made, each one more damning than the last. Jack felt his case for revenge slipping away. Then it was time for Silver to wrap it up.

She went to the center of the room and presented the rest of her case. "Now for a selfish moment. I want a normal life." Her eyes touched on Jack for brief time. They glistened with tears. "Everyone in this room knows I want to be a lawyer. I was born to be a lawyer, maybe even a judge someday. I can't do that if I'm hunting every night or involved in a war."

She looked to her parents again. "Mom...Dad...you hated the idea of me giving up my life for something decided thousands of years ago by some woman we never met. I didn't complain, did I? I did what was expected of me. I took on my destiny without whining. Now we have a way to stop me from losing another week of my life to this nonsense."

She finished with Jack. "I can't make you make the right decision. I can only give you the facts. Either you selfishly take out the monster responsible for hurting your family and condemn the world to war, or you can kill Jersey Clifford and save the lives of perhaps everyone on this planet. It's up to you. Are you going to do what's right for you, or what's right for the rest of the world?"

She took her seat, and a heavy silence fell on them. Jack felt like applauding. She'd been so convincing that he felt like voting against himself. Only he wasn't going to because he wanted to kill a monster. Speech aside, he didn't care if he was being selfish. The janitor deserved to die and Jersey didn't.

Andrew said, "I don't want the rock used, period. It needs to be saved in case we have to use it later."

"But we know who the head werewolf is," Vanessa said. "We may not get another chance like this. Jack should use it on the teacher."

"I vote he kill the janitor," Billy said.

"Of course you do." Silver shook her head and turned to her dad. "I don't think he should be allowed to vote. The rock was made by a relative of ours, not his."

Andrew frowned at her. "Your mother and I taught you better manners than that. Billy has been a gracious host, allowing us to stay in his home since the fire. You will speak to him and about him with respect."

Silver apologized to Billy before sitting back down.

Vanessa called for a vote. "All in favor of killing Jersey Clifford, raise your hands."

Vanessa and Silver lifted their hands high.

"Okay," Vanessa said. "All those in favor of killing the janitor raise your hands."

Billy and Jack shot their hands into the air.

Vanessa clapped once in frustration. "Great. It's a tie."

"Daddy didn't vote," Silver said.

Andrew shook his head. "And I'm not going to, because I don't want the stone to be used." He sighed and scratched his head. "Anyway, I think Jack is right about one thing. He is the one who has to use it. If something goes wrong, he gets himself killed. The choice is up to him."

Jack could see how hard it was for Andrew Reign to say those words, but thankfully he had. The decision belonged to Jack. Silver sat with her arms folded and a cute pout on her lips. Vanessa and Andrew left the room together. Billy remained in his chair, his jaw tight. He wanted the monster dead as much as Jack did. At least Jack had one ally in the house.

Silver stood and took a last parting shot at him. "I meant what I said. I hope you think about it some more and make the right decision. You already have too much blood on your hands."

He blinked at her. "What does that mean?"

"You told me yourself how guilty you feel about killing the werewolf boy and about Lily's death. Think about it."

Jack did.

He had a rough night ahead of him. Either he could kill someone who deserved to die, avenge his family. Or he could kill a man who had been nothing but kind to him, a man he looked to as a father figure. Yes Jersey had sent the wraiths, but maybe there was a good reason behind it. He felt sorry for the man. It wasn't his fault he'd been cursed.

Should he kill one of them?

Should he throw the magic rock away?

What was he going to do?

♥♥

## Chapter Nineteen

##  THE SECRET BENEATH JERSEY'S HOUSE

After their big argument over who to use the rock on, Jack felt he owed Silver special consideration. So on the following morning when she insisted they kill Jersey's wraiths, he reluctantly agreed. Of course one reason he agreed was because they didn't know where the wraiths were being kept. It was Silver's idea to start at Jersey's house. She was hoping they'd find a clue that they'd missed on their previous visit.

They skipped school and drove to Jersey's house, if it was his house. Jack had sincere doubts. There was no way the head werewolf, the strongest and smartest of all fur-covered creatures, lived in this dump. Lovely wrote about him, about how clever and resourceful he could be. It would be very smart to have a phony house.

Silver started in the living room while Jack searched the kitchen. He slowly moved around, not working too hard because he knew he wouldn't find anything. Swinging a squeaky cabinet door open and shut a few times, Jack mumbled, "Even his cupboards bare."

For half an hour they picked through the house, leaving nothing untouched. Jack even lifted the mattress in the bedroom. He removed the back from the toilet while Silver crawled under the bed. Neither of them found anything useful. It was a huge waste of time.

"Maybe his real house is in another town," Jack suggested.

"He would want to keep the wraiths nearby."

"We could touch something and see if we can get another flash of memory. Maybe we could figure out where his real house is at."

They returned to the living room as a last resort. Jack walked over to the tipped-over file cabinet. He slid his fingers beneath it and tried to lift it, hoping there were important papers inside. It seemed to be nailed to the floor. Jack held his breath, gritted his teeth, and pulled harder. The metal creaked. It gave way slowly, moving an inch. It seemed to be stuck on something. With a grunt he used every ounce of strength he had to lift the thing.

A piece of the hardwood floor behind him popped open.

Silver gasped. "He has a hidden dungeon." She crawled to the edge and peered into the hole. Raising her head, she smiled at Jack. "You are not going to believe this. Come on."

She swung her legs over the edge and found stairs. Light shone from the room below, so they didn't need a flashlight or candle. She walked down quickly, leaving Jack to follow when he was ready.

He was ready. In a flash, using his vampire-speed, he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her, hand out to help her. She slid her fingers over his. "Showoff," she said with a teasing smile.

Jack looked around, stunned. "It's like we're in another house."

It was more like a mansion. They started off in a wide hallway decorated with red carpet, paneled walls, and a few paintings. There were lights that resembled torches on the wall. This was no dungeon; it was Jersey's real home. Jack took the lead. He walked to the first door and pushed it open. Silver's body pressed against his back as she tried to see past him.

It was a fancy dining room complete with a ridiculously long table and about a hundred chairs. Three chandeliers hung low over the table. Crystal goblets and expensive china had been set in front of each chair, even though Jack would bet his life that Jersey didn't entertain guests in his home.

Maybe the places had been set for the wraiths.

Jack went to the next door and the next. At the end of the hallway they found another hallway. The place was a maze of endless corridors riddled with doors, and they all looked exactly alike. Jack and Silver opened every single one in an endless spree until...

_Bingo_. It was the den from their leap into Jersey's memory. Jack walked inside, a little uncomfortable about being there in the flesh. He went to the desk and sat in the chair. It was surreal, kind of like being on a set of a popular television show after watching it for years. His eyes drifted to the tall angel statues in the corners. He hadn't seen them in his visions, but everything else was the same.

Jack's eyes went to the books lined up on the shelves. Jersey had probably read every single one. He'd had plenty of time.

"We need to find the wraiths," Silver said from the doorway.

Jack touched a small angel figure on Jersey's desk. A tiny electric shock warned him a flashback was headed his way. This one only lasted a few seconds. It was quick but informative.

Jersey stood in a hallway on the next lower level. He summoned the wraiths. With a shriek they left their bodies and their assigned bedrooms. They flew down the hall, streaking past Jersey in two thick lines of blue light. The tunnel they entered stretched for miles. The wraiths took the tunnel to a dry well. They flew up and out into the night sky, free at last.

It was only a flash of memory this time, and he contemplated the power. Sometimes it happened when he touched a person, and sometimes it didn't. In a Silver memory he was in her head, but in a Jersey memory he watched from the sidelines. It was confusing. He wished he had an instruction booklet to guide him on the use of the power.

"What's wrong?" Silver asked.

"Follow me."

Jack led her to a narrow set of stairs at the end of the hallway. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found another corridor. It was an exact replica of all the others, only Jack knew this one was different. His flesh tingled in awareness. The wraiths were nearby.

Silver opened the nearest door. "It's a bedroom. I think we're on the right track now. You get the doors on that side, and I'll do this side."

They worked the hallway as a team until they found the first of the wraiths. Jersey had put the ghostly women in rooms across from each other. Jack and Silver shared a look, both in their respective doorways. She glanced into her room once before joining him on the opposite side of the hallway.

Jack took Silver's hand. He wasn't sure if he was doing it to reassure her or himself. They carefully approached the bed. The thing writhing around on the mattress did not resemble the electric wraith he'd seen at the party. It was hideous with paper thin, yellowed skin, and painful boils on the exposed flesh that oozed a milky substance. The eyes had sunken back into the skull.

It moaned, an inhuman sound.

"It's horrible," Silver said.

"Yes it is."

"Jersey did this, you know. The man you think is so awesome and don't want to kill even if it means saving the world, he did this to these women. She might have been somebody's mother or daughter or sister. Only a monster would do this to a human being. Jersey Clifford is a monster."

It was hard for Jack to reconcile the Jersey he knew with the one who had created the wraiths. Stubbornly he pointed out, "Jersey saved us from the janitor."

"Then he had a reason, a selfish reason. I guarantee you he didn't save us out of the goodness of his heart. He wanted to save your life to get closer to you. He even said so. We both heard him."

Jack dumped the bag on the edge of the bed. He retrieved two daggers from it and handed one to Silver. He remembered how Silver had told him to kill them: a silver blade through the heart. "You get this one," he said. "I'll go across the hallway."

Silver moved closer to the pitiful creature. She held the dagger in both hands, but she didn't raise it. Her wide eyes flickered over to him. "Can I talk to you for a second? Over here?" She pulled him to the far off corner and shook her head. "I can't do it. No way. I can't. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about? You're a hunter. You were trained to do this kind of stuff."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I suck souls out. It's easy and humane. I've never stabbed anything before, and I just can't do it."

Jack set his dagger aside and cupped her face between his hands. His fingers buried themselves in her hair, and he stroked her scalp with a soothing motion. "This was your idea."

"I know." Her eyes calmed down a bit, and they silently pleaded for his understanding. "I'm sorry. I can't do it."

"Look at her." He put an arm around Silver and gently led her back to the bed. "She's in pain. Believe me, she wants you to do this. Look into her eyes. She's begging us to release her."

Silver got closer to the wraith. She rested a hand on the thing's arm and looked into its eyes. Her lower lip quivered. "You're right. I'll do it."

She was trying hard to be brave, and it made Jack feel horrible for pushing her. He shook his head slowly and said, "You don't have to. If you really don't want to, I can do it."

"We don't know how many of them there are, and we don't know how long it will take to get out of here. If Jersey can somehow feel their loss, he could race home to get us." She forced a smile. "It's okay. I'm fine now. Go. Do your wraith and then move onto the next."

Jack crossed to his dagger, grabbed it, and went to the room across the hall. Without giving himself time to think about it, he went straight to the wraith and lifted the dagger high above its chest. He didn't want to meet its eyes just in case this one didn't want to die. Holding his breath, he plunged the dagger through its heart.

Blood pooled around the blade. There wasn't that much, a lot less than he'd expected. A blue light shot out of the body. He jumped backwards, fearing the wraith had escaped and would kill him. The light went through the ceiling and disappeared.

For a moment Jack stood over the decaying body, stunned by what he'd seen. He heard Silver go into the next room. The sound spurred him to hurry to his second wraith. He had no idea how many wraiths Jersey actually had. Killing them all could take a while.

As it turned out there were at least a dozen. Jack lost count. By the time they were done, they looked and felt like they'd been living in a war-zone. Jack took the bloody dagger from Silver's limp fingers and returned it to the duffel bag.

"Now we just need to find our way out of here," he said.

Silver tried to smile. It didn't reach her eyes. Jack wanted to kick himself for making her kill the wraiths. He should have done it himself even if it took an entire day. He slid an arm around her and pulled her close. They searched for the exit while he held her tight.

♥

It took nearly an hour for them to find the main hallway with the stairs leading out. Jack had started to think they wouldn't be able to escape before Jersey returned home. He swept an arm toward the stairs. "Ladies first."

"You two aren't going anywhere."

Jack and Silver stiffened. They slowly revolved. It was Jersey's assistant Pagan, and she had the biggest sword that Jack had ever seen. Legs spread wide in a fighting stance, she wielded the sword like an expert. This obviously wasn't the first time she'd used it.

Jack spoke out the side of his mouth to Silver. "Get up the stairs as fast as you can. I'll take care of her. Run. Now!"

Pagan came at him. She lunged to the right with her sword before swinging to the left with all her might. Jack ducked. He shoved her, hands flat against her back. She flew in the opposite direction. It gave Jack time to grab a weapon. Going to his knees, he jerked the zipper on the duffel bag open and pulled out a bloody dagger.

Pagan returned. She tried a different tactic this time. She stabbed at him with the end of the sword. He easily deflected it with the short blade in his hand. Metal clanged against metal as they fought. She tried to drive him backwards, trapping him in the corner, but he wouldn't allow it.

Jack pressed forward.

Pagan lifted her sword higher. She brought it down hard, trying to split his head open. Jack dove sideways. His head hit the wall instead, rattling his teeth. He went down hard. For a moment he couldn't think straight, and he almost blacked out.

It would take a few seconds to recover. He suspected Pagan wouldn't give him the time. Any second he expected to feel the sword cutting through his flesh. He hoped Silver got away. At least she would be safe... but Silver hadn't left.

She was there in a flash, stepping between him and the sword, the second dagger in her hand. She jumped into the fight without hesitation. Her feet moved like a professional fencer. No doubt she'd been professionally trained. It was too bad she was half the size of her opponent.

Jack cringed every time Pagan's sword got close to its target. He reminded himself that Silver was a trained fighter, but that didn't make him feel any better. He tried to catch his breath so he could get up and help Silver. He liked the odds of two against one better than Silver working alone.

There was a horrible screech from above, the sound of a wraith returning. It distracted Silver. Her eyes went to the ceiling for a second. Had they missed one?

Pagan drove the sword through Silver's body with a hard, smooth motion. The long blade exited her back, covered in blood. Red drops dripped on the floor near Jack's leg. He watched in disbelief as Silver's body slid off the sword and crumpled on the ground. It couldn't be real. His mind screamed in vain; it wasn't real. Silver couldn't die. She couldn't leave him. He wouldn't let her.

Pagan held the bloodstained sword in her hands and flashed a vicious grin at Jack. She moved in his direction, ready to kill him too, and he was going to let her. As much as he wanted to see her lifeless body laid out next to Silver, he didn't want to face the world without the most important person in his life.

The sword flew out of Pagan's hands. It hovered in the air, held by an invisible person. Blue smoke appeared, shaped like a woman, only it wasn't a wraith, at least not anymore. This woman had a beautiful face, flowing hair, and an angelic smile.

Pagan cried out in protest, recognizing the wraith. She had probably helped Jersey hold it captive downstairs. Her legs moved to run, but she didn't get far. The wraith flattened her against the wall like a useless bug. It took the sword, twirling it in the air. The sword moved fast, drilling a hole through Pagan's gut.

Jack crawled over to Silver. He smoothed the hair back from her face and leaned forward until his damp cheek touched hers. She took his hand and held it as tight as she could. He felt the life draining from her body. There wasn't anything he could do. He was helpless.

"You're going to be okay," he said, lying to give her comfort. "It's not that bad of a wound. I've seen worse."

She tried to speak and couldn't. Blood filled her mouth, coloring her teeth. She was drowning in it. Her hand tightened painfully on his. She gasped for air. Her eyes began to glaze over.

Jack shook his head, and his vision blurred with tears. There was nothing he could do except hold her hand. He closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle.

Her hand began to burn in his.

Jack opened his eyes to find Silver's body bathed in light. The wraith (angel?) stood over her, hands stretched out. He watched in fascination as Silver's eyes focused again. A smile tilted her lips.

He moved her sweater aside and searched for the wound. The skin was smooth and blemish free. She had been healed. He pulled her to her feet and examined her closer. He wanted to thank the wraith, but he couldn't tear his eyes off Silver. She looked more beautiful to him than a thousand sunrises.

Silver turned to the wraith, awe in her voice. "You saved me."

A musical voice replied, "You saved me."

It was the wraith, the first one Silver had killed, the one she hadn't wanted to put down. Jack's arm went around Silver's waist as they watched the lady of smoke drift up through the ceiling. It was over. His nightmare had turned into a beautiful dream.

He grabbed Silver by the shoulders. "Why don't you ever listen to me? I told you to go. You almost got yourself killed trying to save me. Don't ever do that again."

She nodded, speechless. He pulled her into his arms, held her tight. He didn't want to ever let her go, which could be a problem once they got home to her father.

Glancing at her watch, she said, "You still have time to get to school in time for English."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Maybe Jersey won't suspect we let the wraiths go if you're in his class today. Just do it, okay? And act normal."

Act normal? Moments ago she'd been dying in his arms. Now she wanted to go to school and play normal student. He wasn't sure he could do it. He wasn't that good of an actor.

On the other hand he did want to have a talk with Jersey Clifford. He hoped the man had some good answers, because Jack was deciding on whether to kill him or not. Almost losing Silver had tipped the scales in her favor. Jersey better have a great argument for sparing his life.

♥♥

## Chapter Twenty

## BITE ME

For the first time since Jack had joined the Jefferson Memorial student body, English class dragged by at snail speed. He sat in the back row, twirling his pencil and tapping his foot beneath the desk. He wanted to explode out of his seat and demand some answers. His eyes drifted over the other students. Until they were gone, he couldn't say a thing to Jersey Clifford about the wraiths.

Jersey was in rare form today. He led a fascinating discussion on their next assigned book, but Jack only heard half of it. Jersey was wearing the same outfit he'd worn on Jack's first day: black trousers and turtleneck with red sneakers. His eyes rested on Jack a few times during class. It was obvious he noticed Jack's distracted state. Maybe that was why he didn't call on Jack to answer any questions. Good thing, since Jack couldn't string a coherent thought together to save his life.

The bell rang, and the students scattered. Jersey dealt with the couple who wanted to speak with him after class. He rushed them on their way while Jack remained in his seat. Jersey closed the door and slowly revolved to face Jack, his expression wary.

"Something on your mind?" Jersey perched on the corner of his desk.

Jack took a deep breath and forged ahead, knowing Silver was going to freak out when he told her later what he'd said to the werewolf-slash-teacher. "You have wraiths. Why?"

An untrained eye wouldn't have noticed the change in Jersey's expression. His face froze, but Jack saw him swallow. He saw how Jersey tried hard to maintain a blank stare. There was a sliver of fear deep in his eyes. Then Jersey's mouth slightly lifted at the ends. "You've been to my house again?"

"I found your real home this time. A house beneath a house. Clever. That junky place you claim to live in was a disappointment. I was almost glad to see you have a mansion underneath it."

"It suits me, don't you think? Originally I'd wanted to build a castle, but I decided gray stone walls would be too ostentatious."

Jack got up, leaving his notebook and pencil on the desk. Instead of the detailed notes he usually took in class, the top of the page was covered in doodles. He moved closer to Jersey, even though his well-honed survival instinct told him to keep several desks between them.

"Let's talk about the wraiths," Jack said. "They used to be women. Now they writhe around in pain all day, and they're slaves at night. How do you justify what you did to them? Can you?"

Jersey had the audacity to laugh. If that wasn't bad enough, he spoke to Jack like he was talking to a five-year-old. "I am a werewolf, son. What did you expect to find in my home? Tea and cookies?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "Oh, Jack, you have to understand my position here. I have an important destiny to fulfill."

"You actually want to build an army and start a war. Don't you?"

"Look around you. The Earth is a mess. Humans are worse than animals. They run around grabbing greedily at everything they can get their hands on and crawling over each other to get ahead. They kill and maim without reason or thought, all the while believing they are at the top of the food-chain. It's time for someone to show them the light."

There was a touch of insanity in Jersey's eyes, and Jack wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. Jack said, "Humans aren't perfect. Some of them might be greedy and psychotic, but others are compassionate and loving and gentle and—"

Jersey made a rude noise, interrupting Jack's list.

Jack added, "I won't let you start a war."

"Of course not. It's your destiny to try to stop me, but you will fail." Jersey went to the chalkboard and began to erase it. "You cannot stop me because I am not of this world."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Haven't you guessed? I'm not your typical werewolf." Jersey turned and posed, reminding Jack of some ancient Greek statue. "I was originally an angel."

Jack blinked. "I read Lovely's diary. She created you, cursed you so she wouldn't have to choose between you and the other guy. You admitted that yourself."

"I was never from this world, Jack. It took me a while to figure it out. Lovely cursed me, changed me, but I am an angel sent to Earth to destroy the human race."

He really was insane. Certifiable didn't cover it. Jack felt a strong headache coming on, starting at the back of his brain and working its way forward. He decided to try to reason with Jersey. If that didn't work, he would try humoring him. "Why would you want to wipe out humans? And what makes you think you're an angel?"

"Of course I'm an angel. I realized it after I killed my wife. I threw myself off a cliff, smashed my body on the rocks below, but I didn't die. I realized then that I was immortal." Jersey dropped the eraser and jumped up on the desk with a great leap. He stood, arms out, like a surfer riding a gnarly wave. "Humans are evil. They are frail and useless. I am perfect, strong, and good."

Jersey pinned Jack with a hard stare. "That is why they must die. All of them."

"You aren't an angel. You're a werewolf."

"It is your lot in life to disbelieve." Jersey climbed off the desk, a sober expression on his face. "That's okay. I cannot prove I'm an angel because my wings were taken. Once I complete my mission, destroy the humans and take the world, I will soar above the clouds again. Have patience, and I might allow you to live long enough to see it."

"I was a vampire," Jack said. "If there are vampires, there are werewolves. How do you reconcile your angel story with that? Am I an angel? Do you think the crazy janitor is an angel?"

"Don't be childish about this, Jack. I am the only angel on this planet. Vampires and werewolves are simply monsters. They have been cursed because of their many sins. It's another sign of the end." He smiled at Jack's shocked expression. "I guess I shouldn't have told you the truth. I thought you would understand, but it is too much for you to handle. Forget I said anything."

_Right_. Jack slowly backed away from the teacher. Poor Jersey had gone crazy after killing his wife and discovering he was a monster. He had tried to commit suicide but found he was immortal. The only way he could live with the curse was to come up with this incredible angel story to give himself a purpose.

There was no longer any question as to what Jack would do with the rock. He desperately wanted to kill the werewolf janitor. He wanted to kill the monster for his mom and dad, in their memory, but he didn't have a choice. If Jersey was allowed to live, he was going to wreak havoc on the world. The war would be beyond tragic, beyond frightening. No one could reason with his insanity.

Cowboy always said the only good werewolf is a dead werewolf, but he hadn't told Jack about the worst sort of werewolf. The worst werewolf was a crazy werewolf.

Jersey Clifford had to die.

♥

Jack went to bed early that night.

He skipped dinner, preferring to be alone. On the ride home from school Silver had announced she was going to tell her parents about killing the wraiths. They weren't going to like it. She didn't have their permission to kill anything without them standing right there. At least she had the good sense to leave out the part about being run through with a sword. She was just giving them the bare facts. It would be enough to piss them off and start a long argument.

Jack wanted no part of it. After the day he'd had, he wanted to crawl into bed and pull the covers over his head. He wanted to block the world out entirely. As usual, what he wanted and what he got were two different things.

When the knock came, he was lying on top of the covers, fully dressed, and playing with the magic rock. He should have turned his light off. Too late now. He glared at the door. "Come in."

Silver entered. She shut the door behind her and climbed onto the bed next to him. Once again they reclined shoulder to shoulder, her arm tucked under her head. He closed his hand around the rock and lowered it to the mattress. For a long time they stared at the ceiling in silence.

"How did English go?" she asked.

"It was okay."

"I can't stop thinking about him going home to find his assistant dead, not to mention the wraiths." She was quiet for a few seconds. "Did we do the right thing? I mean, what if he goes nuts because of what we did and takes it out on someone else? For all we know he's on a killing spree right now, or he could step up his plan to change the whole town into werewolves."

"What did your mom and dad think about it?"

Silver drummed her fingers against her sweater-covered belly. "They were not pleased. I think their reaction had more to do with me being their little girl and putting my life in danger than it had to do with possible consequences."

"You didn't tell them about Pagan and the sword, did you?"

"I told you I wouldn't."

Yes, she did. But sometimes her mouth ran away with her. And on that note, he remembered his words to Jersey.

"Jersey won't go nuts on other people," Jack said. "He'll know it was us. If he wants revenge, he'll come for us."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I admitted I saw the wraiths."

"You did what?" Silver bolted upright. "Are you crazy? Why didn't you just confess right there and tell him Pagan was dead? Unbelievable." Her eyes went north. "He's probably outside the house right now, preparing to tear us limb from limb."

Jack's hand reached out and stroked Blanca's fur. The cat was half-asleep. A contented purr started to buzz deep inside her warm body. Jersey wasn't outside. Blanca wouldn't be so relaxed if a werewolf was nearby.

"Do you have a death wish?" Silver asked. "Seriously. You have to be out of your mind to admit anything to him. What am I saying? I'm talking to someone who thought it might be a good idea to become close friends with the head werewolf."

Those days were over. Jack decided to tell her the rest, give her some peace of mind before she went stark raving mad. "I'm going to use the rock on him."

She blinked a few times before a huge smile transformed her face. "Really? You're going to kill Jersey Clifford?" He nodded and she hugged him. Her head rested on his chest, and her fingers gripped his side. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her silky hair. She said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best. I love you."

Her body went rigid, and his hand froze in mid-stroke. A palpable silence surrounded them. Neither of them knew what to say next. The three little words hung in the air, echoing in their thoughts. Her admission of love was out there, and it couldn't be denied or ignored.

Should he say something? Was her admission for real, or had she accidentally blurted the words out because she was grateful for his help? Jack knew he loved her, but he didn't want to admit it if she didn't truly love him.

Silver slowly disengaged. She sat up, a stunned look on her pretty face. Her eyes traveled around the room, probably looking for something to clean or reorganize. She leaped up and headed for the door on quick feet. Although he hadn't wanted any company, hadn't want to talk to anyone, he couldn't let her leave like this.

Jack jumped up, ran across the mattress, and beat her to the door without even using vampire-speed. He blocked her way effectively and said the first words that popped into his head. "Don't go."

"Please don't make an embarrassing situation worse." She still didn't look him in the eyes.

"Why are you embarrassed?" He took a deep breath and asked, "Did you mean what you said? Do you love me?"

Her gaze reluctantly slid up to meet his. "I...uh...yes, okay. I love you. Deal with it."

"I love you, too."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say that. I wasn't trying to corner you into saying words you don't mean. Just stop it."

His hands went to her shoulders, grasping them firmly, and part of him wanted to shake her until she stopped being stubborn. "I wouldn't lie to you, not about something this important. I fell in love with you a long time ago."

"Really?" Her eyes brightened. "When?" She blushed. "I mean, when did you know you were in love with me? And why didn't you say something before?"

Good questions. He tried to come up with good answers. He wasn't sure there was a particular moment that caused him to fall for her. "I think it happened a little at a time. Part of me fell for you when you killed the werewolf in the cemetery. Another part loved you when you threatened to suck my soul out that first night. I love the way you go all shy on me sometimes and when you stand up for what you believe, even when it's me you're fighting against. There are a lot of things I love about you."

She seemed satisfied. Her smile widened, and she moved closer until there was only a breath of air between their bodies. She looked at his mouth. "Maybe you should kiss me now to kind of seal the deal."

She didn't need to ask twice. He leaned forward, touched his lips to hers. It was still new, still thrilling. Her arms wound tightly around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands settled on her hips. Her lips blossomed beneath his, and she invited his tongue inside the warm recesses of her mouth.

Now this was definitely new.

His knees went weak as the kiss deepened.

Whether by accident or design, they stumbled in the direction of the bed until they bumped into it. They went down, side by side, still touching and kissing. Her hands molded the muscles in his arms while his fingers dove into her hair. Things were getting out of control fast.

Jack stopped kissing her and gently pushed her away. At the hurt look on her face, he said, "Your dad would kill me for sure if he walked in and found us rolling around on the bed together. Besides, we haven't known each other for that long. I care about you too much to take advantage of you."

"I feel like I've known you forever."

"I feel the same way. Still, we need to take it slow. Most of our relationship has been about hunting monsters. We've hardly had time to have a normal conversation. After I kill Jersey, we can go on a date like a real couple."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds great. What are we going to do on our date?"

"I don't know. I haven't given it much thought."

_Liar_. He had planned every second down to the last detail. As soon as he got his hands on some money, he was going to take her out for an expensive meal. They would go to a movie, something sweet and romantic to set the tone for the rest of the evening. Then he was going to walk her out to the middle of the field, spread a blanket, and count the stars as they talked about their hopes and dreams for the future.

"We can decide later," she said. The hopeful smile disappeared, and a frown marred her beautiful features. "Don't let him hurt you. I don't want you to die trying to give me my freedom."

He waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Don't worry. I think I can handle touching a man with a rock."

"Don't underestimate him. He's going to be wary of you after seeing what we did to the wraiths. He may not let you get close to him again." She shivered. Her arms went around her own body, and she began to shake her head vehemently. "No, never mind. I don't want you to do it. We'll think of another way to stop him."

"There isn't another way."

"I'll train harder so I can suck his soul out. Until then we can live and let live."

He knew it was her fear talking, fear for him. She didn't want to lose him, and he didn't blame her. After seeing her almost die, he knew he wouldn't be able to go on without her. As sappy as it sounded, if anything happened to her, he would die.

Jack stroked her cheek. "Relax. I won't take any stupid chances. If I don't get the perfect opportunity, I won't do it. Okay?"

"Okay." She hugged him again. Her head fit just below his chin. "Tomorrow, take the stone to school with you. When you're in his class, look for a way to touch him without him seeing it. If you can't, then forget it. Deal?"

"Sounds like a plan." He turned and pushed her toward the door. "I need some sleep. Tomorrow could prove to be a long day."

Silver smiled as she left his bedroom.

Jack went to bed. This time he turned the light off and pulled the sweatshirt over his head before tossing it to the floor. He rested on top of the covers instead of climbing under them. The chilled air felt good against his too-hot skin. He blamed Silver for his rise in temperature.

A smile raised his lips. Silver loved him. The knowledge made him want to scale the highest building in the nearest city and shout the words for all to hear. He was the luckiest guy in the world. Funny, a short time ago he wouldn't have thought so, but that had been before he'd met the tiny werewolf killer.

Hard to believe a pint-sized girl with huge blue eyes could make his life worth living again.

The door opened and light hit the bed. It closed before he could see her sneak back inside. The girl just couldn't seem to stay away from him. Neither of them said a word as she settled beside him on the bed. He decided to let her stay for a few minutes. Then he'd throw her out before her father caught them.

He closed his eyes, smiled, and waited for her to speak.

She turned to him and placed a hand on his bare chest. His heart quickened. She leaned against him. Her mouth touched the side of his throat, sending a shiver through him. His breath caught in his throat. He needed to get her to leave before he lost control. He didn't want to do anything that might hurt her.

She opened her mouth on his skin.

He frowned. A wet kiss didn't seem like the Silver he knew. She might have pressed herself against him earlier, but it had been done in innocent abandon.

He sniffed the air. The scent was all wrong. Silver wasn't in bed with him; it was Summer.

Teeth pierced his skin without warning. Summer bit him, infecting him for the second time, and it was too late to stop her. He was going to be a vampire again by morning. Nothing he could do about it.

He felt the blood slowly drain from his body, leaving him with a dizzy, euphoric sensation. He closed his eyes, floating on a familiar high. His thoughts turned to Silver. He would have to leave the house tonight and never see her again. He couldn't risk hurting her.

Summer's body jerked. She cried out and fell backwards off the bed. Jack lifted on his elbows in time to see Summer explode into ashes. Silver stood beside the bed, a stake in her hand. She had killed the girl too late, and she knew it. She turned on the lamp and stared at the bloody bite mark on his neck.

"What do I do?" she asked, panicking. Her gaze flew around the room. She grabbed his shirt off the floor, wadded it up, and held it against his throat. She repeated, "What do I do?"

"It's over," he said, feeling hopeless. "You can't do anything."

"No! I am not going to lose you now."

He placed a hand on top of hers. "I'm sorry. I thought she was you when she first came in."

"Stop talking like you're going to die. You aren't. I won't let you."

Silver raced from the room. She returned in mere seconds with a knife. Before he could demand to know what she was going to do with it, she sliced her thumb and held it over his wound, dripping blood into the open cuts.

"It works for werewolf bites," she said. "Maybe it kills vampire venom."

Jack's mind began to drift away from her. He could barely hear her anymore. Regardless of her strong will, his body was dying. Soon he would be a vampire. This time it would be permanent.

A question gnawed at the back of his mind.

Vampires couldn't enter a home without being invited, so how had Summer gotten inside?

♥♥

## Chapter Twenty-One

## SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT

It was a long night.

Silver stayed with him, soothing him with a wet cloth when the cramps hit. Sometime in the middle of the night she got up and closed the curtains to block the sun's rays. He watched with a heavy heart as she performed the task. Blinking his eyes against the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, he purposely turned his head. The saddest part wasn't that he wouldn't see another sunrise; it was the loss of Silver and Billy, his family. He couldn't possibly stay with them now.

He held onto Silver all night long. Neither of them slept. They didn't talk either. As if by an unspoken mutual agreement, they kept their dark thoughts to themselves.

When morning finally came, he asked, "Is Billy waiting outside with a stake in hand?"

"I haven't told him about Summer yet."

"You didn't tell anyone?"

"Only my mother, in case I need help."

The good news: he wasn't in pain anymore. He felt great in fact, better than he had in weeks. The bad news: life as he knew it was over. He thought about returning to Cowboy, the only surviving member of his group, but he couldn't even fathom living as a vampire again, not after this wonderful second chance at life.

He made up his mind what to do about it. Summer had taken the choice from him, forced him to become a vampire again, but no one could make him live as one. He touched his throat as if it hurt and used a raw voice to make a request, "Could you get me some water, please?"

For some reason Silver seemed reluctant. She got up, walked to the door and opened it, but she hesitated in the doorway. She suspected he was up to something. If he wasn't quick about it, she'd call for reinforcements. They might pile on top of him, hold him down or tie him to the bed so he couldn't find peace.

Jack threw off the covers and raced to the window. Before Silver could stop him, he yanked the curtains open wide, closed his eyes tight, and mentally prepared himself to burst into flames. It might hurt for a few seconds. At least it would be over fast.

Nothing happened.

Jack opened one eye a slit. He saw the sun and felt its warmth on the bare skin of his chest. He placed a hand on his stomach, testing the theory. Giant butterflies fluttered their huge wings as his stomach growled, hungry for food and not for blood.

"You aren't a vampire." Silver's voice mirrored his shock. She repeated the phrase with a huge smile on her face. "You aren't a vampire!"

"They don't call me Jackpot for nothing," he joked.

They met in the center of the room. He picked her off her feet, twirled her around, and laughed with her. Her blood must have kept him from turning back into a vampire. She'd saved his life. What would he do without her?

He set her down and smoothed the hair back from her face. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, unsure.

"It means we can be together forever," he said. "It means we've shared blood, the most intimate of things, and now we're linked together for an eternity. It means I can kill Jersey before he starts a war. It means you can have your life and live it the way you want."

"Remember your promise about Jersey. If you can't do it without risk, I don't want you to do it at all. I can survive as a hunter, but I can't live without you."

If anyone else had said those words to him, he would have cringed or laughed at how corny they were. Coming from Silver's mouth they sounded like the most beautiful words in the world. And he totally agreed with her.

"I remember," he said.

"I've been thinking about college." She twisted her fingers. "I don't need to go. I don't have to be a lawyer. It was just a silly dream."

"It's not silly, and I want you to have your dream."

"People can't always have everything they want."

"You can," he insisted. "Don't turn your back on your dreams because of me. I didn't mean what I said before. I'll go with you, wherever you go. I can find a job and get a place off campus to live."

Her eyes lit up at the thought. "Yeah. We can get a cute little place, and I'll cook for you when you get home at night."

"You don't have to do that either."

"I want to do it."

She stepped into his arms and hugged him.

There was a knock on the door. Her mother stuck her head in and asked if they were okay. Silver quickly explained everything that had happened since Summer bit him. After she was finished, Vanessa said, "You both need to get ready for school or you're going to be late."

They looked at each other, both thinking about Jersey.

"You don't have to do it," Silver said. "Not today. We can wait."

"Better if I do it now. Get it over with."

"Okay. I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast."

Jack waited until she was gone. He picked the rock up where it had fallen on the floor and rotated it in his palm. There was no way he was going to let Silver down. Even if he got himself killed, he was going to finish Jersey today.

♥

## Chapter Twenty-Two

## BETRAYAL...DECEIT...MURDER

Three days passed and Jersey didn't show his face at school. Odd, but the total silence on Jersey's end worried Jack more than a full-on frontal attack. The principal was irate because Jersey hadn't called to give an explanation. Hardwick had called the police, told them it wasn't like Jersey Clifford to be absent, so they went looking for him. It didn't take long for them to report back that Jersey must have picked up and left town. This theory was based on the appearance of his empty house. Of course they hadn't checked his underground mansion.

It was Friday. Jack and Silver couldn't bear the thought of heading into the weekend without knowing what Jersey was up to. They met in his empty classroom at lunchtime. They would use their shared power to get answers.

Jack opened the drawer of Jersey's desk, looking for a personal item while Silver stood guard at the door. Smiling, he lifted a comb up for her to see. "I think this will do the trick."

Silver rushed over to him and put her hand on the comb, her pinky finger touching his. The familiar current of electricity sizzled through Jack's body. The two of them were instantly transported through time and space. Dizzy, he closed his eyes for a moment.

♥

This time they weren't in Jersey's study; they were in a wide hallway, a few feet from Pagan's dangling body. Silver swallowed hard. Jack squeezed her hand. He gestured to the stairs, wanting to draw her attention to Jersey as he descended. The teacher had an open book in his hand. He read it aloud to himself. His voice echoed throughout the maze of connected, dimly lit corridors.

He stopped at the foot of the stairs, and his eyes immediately went to Pagan's dead body. The book fell from his fingers. "No." He ran to her, fell on his knees in front of her, arms thrown up and spread wide. "No! No! No!"

This time he changed into a half-man, half-wolf creation. Black fur stood on end. His face totally transformed into something the most creative and expensive horror movie had failed to conjure, a true monster. He looked like an evil species of hedgehog with glowing red eyes. He howled loudly, creating his own private earthquake. The entire underground structure shook with terrible force. Dust fell from the ceiling. Crystals on the many chandeliers clinked together with eerie harmony.

Jersey buried his face in his hands and returned to human form. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. He had genuinely cared about the woman. Jack almost felt sorry for him.

After a few minutes the man pulled himself together. He stood and grabbed the hilt of the sword. With a vicious yank he pulled it from her body. Pagan fell to the floor while Jersey stared down at the bloodstained blade. "I will avenge you! Whoever did this will pay. First I will torture them until they beg for death. Then I will kill them as slowly as possible."

Jersey went to the center of the hallway and screamed, "Attack! Arise, my beauties, and attack!"

" _What is he doing?" Silver asked._

" _He's summoning the wraiths."_

Of course the wraiths didn't respond. Jersey blinked his eyes a few times, listening for the shrieks, but the halls remained quiet as a tomb. He dropped the sword and raced downstairs. Jack and Silver followed, wanting to keep him in their sight just in case he started to plan his revenge out loud. Hand in hand, they jogged after him.

He ran in one bedroom after another. Jack and Silver stayed in the hallway, already knowing what he would see upon each visit. Once he exited the final bedroom he screamed in fury. His hands closed into fists.

His rage brought out the beast within again. He turned into a solid black werewolf. This time he began to rip at the walls, tearing huge holes in the plaster. Next, he went upstairs to his study and trashed the place.

Jersey ripped up papers on the desk. He threw the chair across the room, tossed the massive desk on its side, and punched a hole in the stone fireplace. Each act of destruction seemed to fuel his fury. He grabbed his prized possessions, first edition books of classic stories and pulled pages out by hairy fistfuls. He tossed the pages into the lit fireplace, burning them.

Finally he knocked an angel statue over, and it shattered into a million pieces.

This time it took more than fifteen minutes for him to calm himself. When he reverted to human form, he sank down in the pile of debris and cried. Now Jack felt truly sorry for the man. He couldn't help it. Jersey hadn't asked to be made into a werewolf. Jack wished he could speak to Jersey now, but he reminded himself it was only a memory. Communication was impossible.

Jersey returned to the hallway and sat next to Pagan's body. He didn't touch her. Instead, he quoted poetry. "When we two parted in silence and tears, half broken hearted to sever for years, pale grew thy cheek and cold, colder thy kiss. Truly that hour foretold sorrow to this."

He smiled down at her. "That was Lord Byron. Of course if you were able to speak, you would nag at me to talk like a regular human being. You never understood I am not even close to being human. Once upon a time I called heaven my home. I was an angel."

" _Is he using angel as symbolic?" Silver blinked. "Or does he actually believe he's an angel with the wings and halo and the whole ten yards?"_

Jack grimaced. "He says he lost his wings when he came to Earth."

" _You knew he was this delusional and you didn't tell me?"_

" _I only just found out. Anyway, I agreed to kill him. What more do you want?" Jack sarcastically said, "Okay, so he's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs."_

Jersey lifted Pagan into his arms and started up the stairs. Everywhere he went, Jack and Silver appeared in the background, watching him in silence. Jersey took Pagan outside. He dumped the body on the ground before going to the tool shed for a shovel. A few minutes later he struck the hard earth with the blade, whistling as he dug a big hole.

Jack shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable watching Jersey grieve for the only true friend he'd had. Silver watched Jack instead of Jersey. Jack could tell what she was thinking. She was afraid Jack had changed his mind about killing Jersey, but she couldn't be more wrong. Seeing the way Jersey was suffering made Jack want to put him out of his misery more than ever.

Jersey scooped the body up and dumped it into the hole. He leaned on the shovel. His eyes went up to the stars for a moment. "Dear Pagan, I know you never understood a word I uttered, and you hated poetry with a fierce passion, but allow me one more. I want to send you off with flowery prose the way you deserve."

He folded his hands in front of himself and bowed his head as if in prayer. "I tell you hopeless grief is passionless, that only men incredulous of despair, half-taught in anguish through the midnight air beat upward to God's throne in loud access of shrieking and reproach."

Jersey raised his head and smiled. "That was Browning again. Elizabeth, not Robert. I never cared for him."

He threw a shovelful of dirt on her face. "Goodbye, my sweet. Rest well knowing I will feed your bloodthirsty nature soon. Perhaps I will even bury your murderer beside you."

♥♥

Jack and Silver found themselves back in the classroom. They let go of the comb at the same time, and it fell back into the drawer. She glanced at the clock. Jack's gaze followed. It was almost time for their next class. No doubt Jersey would have another substitute in his place. He was out there somewhere plotting his revenge.

"That was useless," she said. "We still don't know what he's planning."

"We can't wait for him to attack. We need bait. I'll draw him out and then use the rock."

"You can't." Silver folded her arms over her chest. "Jersey will be waiting for an attack. You saw him. He's freaking crazy. You won't get anywhere near him now, and I don't want you to try."

"I don't think we have a choice anymore. He's going to try to kill us. It's only a matter of time. We need to be prepared."

_Speak of the devil and he appears_. The door opened and Jersey Clifford stepped inside, a box in his hands. He wore the familiar amused expression they had come to know and dread. It grew when he saw their shocked faces. He approached his desk and they retreated, walking backwards hand in hand. He set the empty box down and scanned the desk as if he expected to find something important missing.

For a split-second Jack thought he was still in a memory. Then Jersey spoke to them.

"Good to see you, Jack. You as well, Ms. Reign. Would you like to join us today, stay over to hear my lecture on Shakespeare? It's going to be fascinating."

Jack swallowed before answering. "I thought we were moving onto Beowulf?"

"Changed my mind. I want to talk about betrayal, deceit, and murder."

The growing lump in Jack's throat refused to be dislodged by simply swallowing. He was finding it difficult to breathe normally too. Silver's hand slid up his arm to grasp him above the elbow. She pulled him towards the door while addressing the werewolf teacher.

"Jack was telling me he isn't feeling very well," she said. "I was about to walk him to the nurse."

"Really?" Jersey stared at Jack. A flash of contempt touched his eyes. "I was hoping to hear your opinions on certain stories. Pity you won't be in class today. I wanted to talk to you after class as well. It's rather important."

Jack reached into his pocket and fingered the rock. He wondered if he moved vampire fast, could he touch Jersey with the rock? Could he end this whole mess now?

As if reading his mind and hating the idea, Silver yanked on him harder. "You were saying you felt like you might throw up. We'd better hurry and get you to the nurse."

"I think I'm feeling better."

Her eyes pleaded with him not to be stupid. She pulled on him again. "The nurse is a better judge on whether you should be in class or not. Let's go see her. Now."

"You'd better go, Jack." Jersey's lips twisted into an amused grimace. "The bell is about to ring. You and I will have a chance to talk privately later. I promise you that."

Silver yanked him out the door. Once outside the room, she whispered in his ear. "You are not going to try to use that thing! No way in hell. Did you see his eyes? Let's get out of here before he kills us both on the spot."

Jack listened to her, more for her sake than for his. He would kill Jersey later when they were alone. No sense in putting Silver's life in danger. They took each other by the hand and ran down the hallway as fast as they could, darting around curious students. They burst through the glass doors, went to the car, and drove home at top speed.

♥♥♥

## Chapter Twenty-Three

## GOING OFF TO WAR

Silver's parents were on his side for once. They told her if he wanted to use the stone to kill Jersey, he should be allowed to do it without her interference. She sat in a corner with arms crossed and lips compressed for over two hours. He was beginning to think she wasn't going to speak to him again. He went to bed alone that night, no visitors other than the cat.

Morning came too quickly. He got dressed but skipped breakfast. Today was the day. It was Saturday. He was going to Jersey's home to finish him off. Silver wanted to accompany him, but her parents put their collective foot down, and Jack agreed with them. She'd put her life in danger enough this week.

When Jack reached the bottom of the stairs, he found everyone waiting for him. They lined up to say goodbye as if he was going off to war. He guessed it was close enough to the truth. There was a very real possibility that he wouldn't return. He didn't want to think about that.

Vanessa hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "You be careful. I consider you one of my children already."

Andrew took his hand and pumped it twice. "I'm not crazy about this plan, but you have my respect for trying it."

Silver's parents went outside, giving the rest of them privacy to say their goodbyes. Billy went next. He embraced his brother warmly. Since rehashing the past they were getting along better than ever. He whispered in Jack's ear, "Are you sure you don't want backup on this?"

"I'm sure."

Billy took a step back and said, "Okay. I don't need to wish you luck because you have good instincts. You'll do fine." Billy grinned. "Of course you'll be putting hunters everywhere out of work."

"There'll still be vampires," Silver said.

"Yeah." Billy rolled his eyes. "Until you two figure out how to wipe them off the face of the planet."

He clapped Jack on the back before vacating the room. That left Silver. She and Jack stood in the foyer, toe to toe. A million things went through Jack's mind, things he wanted to say to her in case he didn't make it home alive, but he couldn't bring himself to utter a solitary word. It would be like giving up. Besides, she would insist on tagging along if he showed even a miniscule amount of doubt about this mission.

"Awkward," she said with a wry smile.

He agreed with a quick nod.

Her arms snaked around his waist, and he hugged her. They held each other for a long time, each reluctant to let go just in case it was the last time. Her cheek rested on his chest. She sniffed. He almost asked her if she was crying, but he didn't want to know. Tears might convince him to forget the mission. If he decided not to go, Jersey would eventually come after them. He might even kill Silver.

"I wish I could help," she said. "I should have worked harder to train. Maybe I would be able to suck his soul out by now."

"You might get your chance someday."

She pulled away and looked up at him. Her lips trembled and her eyes glistened, damp with tears. "Don't say that. If you can't get close to him, if you think he suspects anything, then run. Okay? I mean it. Run back here as fast as you can, and we'll stand against him together."

Jack nodded. "Werewolves are strong, but vampires are faster. Good thing I have a little of both. My powers might not be up to his standards yet, but I think I can take him even if it comes down to a big fight."

A half-sob escaped her mouth. Her face hit his chest again, and she grabbed onto his shoulders with both hands. "Please come back in one piece."

"Promise." He kissed the top of her head. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

She glared at him but kept her mouth shut.

Jack left. He turned around once to look at Silver. They waved to each other as he headed to his brother's car. He got in fast, worried she might come running after him and insist on joining the party. When he drove away, he looked in the rearview mirror. He saw her shut the door. She was safe, at least for now.

It didn't occur to him to wonder why she'd given up so easily.

Jack took the two-lane highway between their home and town. He would have to drive fifteen minutes before he reached a little offshoot that would eventually lead to Jersey's home. He slid his hand into the pocket of his coat. The rock was heavy and smooth, a comforting weight in his pocket.

He pressed harder on the accelerator. He couldn't wait to confront Jersey. One way or another it would be nice to have the whole thing over with. He would try hard not to die. Silver needed him. He couldn't protect her if he was dead.

He finally made it to the road, turned, and drove down it at a cautious speed. The tires kicked up a storm of dust. If Jersey was home, he'd see Jack coming from a mile away. Jack tried to figure out a way to convince Jersey to relax long enough to touch him with the rock. Maybe he could trip and fall on his teacher with the rock hidden in his hand.

Billy had left his favorite sunglasses on the passenger seat. Jack grabbed them without thinking. He wanted to hide his eyes from the head werewolf. He slid them onto his face. A spark of electricity shot through his fingers. "Oh no."

He tried to put his foot on the brake, but it was too late.

♥

Billy stood in the living room, waiting for Silver to close the front door. She hurried inside as Jack drove away, and he asked her, "Are you sure about this?"

"I thought you wanted to get the werewolf responsible for killing your parents?"

"I do. I just don't understand why you all of a sudden want in on it. Why don't you wait here for the conquering hero?"

With a sad look, she explained, "Jack is going to kill someone he's come to...I hate to say it... love... and he's doing it for me. You know how badly he wanted to use the stone on the janitor. Once he kills Jersey, the janitor will be human. Untouchable. If we kill him then, we'll go to prison for murder. So you and I are going to do the deed now, before he turns human, and save Jack a lot of grief. We owe it to him."

Billy wasn't sure about this idea. Silver had sent the guy a message to meet her in the field near the cemetery. Even if the janitor showed, that didn't mean they could take him in a fair fight. Silver had admitted herself to losing the first fight with the guy. What made her think she could take him on now?

"I have the weapons in your car," Billy said, shuffling from one foot to the other as second thoughts turned to third thoughts.

"Let's go then."

"Maybe we should invite your parents along."

She made a face. "I don't need their help. Trust me. I probably won't even need you. Let's go."

♥♥

## Chapter Twenty-Four

## BATTLE BEFORE THE WAR

Jack sucked in a painful breath and returned to his own body with a disoriented shiver. The car was off the road, parked at an awkward angle in a ditch. At least he hadn't hit a tree. The engine continued to rumble. He tossed the sunglasses aside, still trying to get his bearings. He couldn't believe his idiot brother was helping Silver attack the psychotic janitor without him. They were both going to die.

No wonder she had given in so easily on being left behind. She'd had her own plan. She was going to get herself killed while trying to do something nice for him. The werewolf-janitor had almost killed her once before. She couldn't have developed her power enough to win in such a short time. It hadn't been that long since the attack.

Jersey would have to wait.

Jack had a difficult time getting the car back on the dirt road. It got stuck a couple times. Swearing beneath his breath, he hit the accelerator hard and twisted the steering wheel. He would get out and push if he had to. The tires finally caught a strong piece of soil and he shot off like a well-aimed bullet.

Within five minutes he was on the highway. He tried to calculate how far they could be ahead of him. After he left the house, they'd probably followed before the dust could settle. He also had to factor in the time spent in Billy's memory. And it had taken a while to get on the road again. All things considered, he didn't see how they could be that far ahead of him. Hopefully he would catch them before they met with the janitor.

Jack slapped a hand against the steering wheel. What was she thinking? And what about Billy? Had he lost his mind? Jack didn't know which of them he wanted to strangle first.

When he reached the field, he caught sight of Silver through the dirty windshield. She and the janitor were locked in a silent battle. They stood frozen, eyes connected as she tried to suck his soul out. Billy was on the sidelines, rifle in hand. Jack didn't even bother to turn off the car's engine. He jumped out and ran to Billy.

His eyes were on Silver the whole time. Her body was shaking like a tiny leaf in the midst of a hurricane. She was losing the battle. The werewolf-janitor was trying something none of them suspected he could be capable of; he was trying to suck her soul out—and by the terrified look in her eyes, Jack suspected it was working.

"She's losing," Jack said, talking to himself more than to his brother.

"She's fine," Billy said, but his voice didn't have a trace of confidence.

"No, she isn't!"

Jack charged the battling couple. He tackled Silver, breaking the eye contact between the two. She grunted as she hit the ground. Jack kept her body covered, fearing instant retribution. Nothing happened. He looked up to see Billy fighting the thing.

Now his brother was in danger.

Silver looked up, eyes widened in fear. There was a bleeding cut on her cheek, but she didn't seem to notice. "You have to help Billy!" she shouted.

The stone had fallen from his pocket. It was on the ground near Silver's arm. She grabbed it and tossed it in the air. Jack caught it.

"Use it," Silver yelled.

"But..."

"It's going to kill Billy! Hurry!" She shook her head, tears in her eyes. She sobbed, "This is my fault. Don't let him die because of me."

Billy was flat on his back with the lunatic janitor on top of him. The werewolf wasn't trying to scratch him because that could lead to him being infected. It didn't want to create another werewolf. Its hands were around Billy's throat. The werewolf wanted him dead.

Jack ran to the struggling pair. He intended to slap the stone against the werewolf's head before it could guess his intentions, but the ugly janitor was smarter than he looked. He swung an arm, hit Jack on the wrist, and sent the stone flying. Jack's eyes lost it in the bright sunlight.

The werewolf returned to choking Billy. It didn't seem concerned with Jack or Silver at the moment. Jack's eyes went to the grass where the stone had landed. If he used vampire-speed, he might be able to find it in time. He looked to Silver. She was on her feet, her expression set. She was going to attack the janitor again. This time she might not be so lucky.

Jack kicked the beast in the shoulder, knocking it off his brother.

The werewolf jumped to his feet. The thing's glowing eyes pinned Jack. It growled.

Jack snarled back.

The werewolf janitor lunged at the same time as Jack. They clashed in the air, landed hard on the ground. A vicious fight ensued. The janitor ripped at Jack with invisible claws. It missed every time. Jack's fangs pushed through the gums. His powers returned in a rush.

Surprised, the werewolf lost his concentration.

Jack swung his hand. Metallic claws reflected the sunlight. The claws caught the werewolf on his arm just below the shoulder and ripped through his shirt, cutting him deep.

The werewolf-janitor stumbled away. It gazed down at the wound in wonder. It touched the torn shirt. A strange sound emanated from its throat. It began to tremble from head to toe. The thing went to its knees in front of Jack.

Billy appeared at Jack's side, sword in hand. "You killed my family. Now you can go to hell."

He swung the long blade, cleanly removing the werewolf's head. It rolled several yards, stopping before the body fell forward and hit the ground. Finally the murderer was dead. In seconds it turned to a pile of ashes.

Silver came up behind Jack. He lifted his arm, inviting her to step closer. His arm went around her. He held her tight.

"It's over." Billy smiled.

"I didn't have to use the rock," Jack said, pleased with himself. "We can still use it on Jersey."

Silver shook her head. "No, please. Not yet. I think I've had enough hunting for a while. Too much excitement is bad for the heart."

Jack squeezed her. "If Jersey comes after us, we won't have a choice. Anyway, what were the two of you thinking?" He glared at his brother. "You almost got her killed, idiot."

Silver said, "You gave up your revenge for me. You were going to kill the head werewolf and give me my life back. I wanted to do something for you. I thought if I could kill him before you got to Jersey, we would both have what we want most."

"No. It was my fault," Billy said. "You can't take the blame. I wanted revenge just as much as Jack."

"But it was my idea," she said.

"Enough." Jack held his hands up. "It doesn't matter who did what. It's done now. I'm just glad everyone is okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

His eyes went to Silver first, then to his brother. They both nodded. Billy rubbed his sore throat. The pile of ashes began to blow away as a gentle breeze passed over the field. Jack watched it with delight. His parents had died at the hands of the psychotic werewolf, and now it was dead. Revenge really was sweet.

Silver walked over the grass, her gaze lowered. She found the stone almost immediately. With a smile, she picked it up and showed it to Jack. "Got it."

She gave it to him, and he slid it into his pocket. He didn't even want to think about using it on Jersey. That was going to be a tough situation. He certainly wasn't looking forward to returning to school. What if Jersey continued to teach English class? Could they be in the same room with each other after everything and not try to kill each other?

"We did it," Billy said. His smile widened, and he put an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Thanks for saving my butt back there."

"No problem, bro."

"I guess you're going to turn out to be a good hunter after all."

"Yeah, we'll see." Jack put one arm around Billy and the other around Silver. He brought them close. They were his family now, and he no longer missed his vampire clan. "Let's go home and celebrate."

They laughed as they walked to the car.

♥

## Chapter Twenty-Five

## A BRAND NEW DAY

Three weeks passed without a sign of Jersey anywhere. Jack was both anxious and relieved by his former teacher's disappearance. He'd received a special surprise in the mail from the man, a deed to his property. Jersey had given him his fake house and the beautiful mansion beneath.

Jack sat at Jersey's desk in his study, and Silver perched on the edge. It was almost like they were replaying a scene from Jersey's past with Pagan. It was somehow comforting to Jack. He leaned back in Jersey's chair, allowing his gaze to drift around the room. It didn't look like Jersey had taken anything with him.

"What are you going to do with this place?" Silver asked.

Jack sighed. He'd given it a great deal of thought since finding out he owned it. With a shrug he said, "I have no idea. Maybe we should use it as a sort of headquarters for hunters."

"Great. The werewolves and vampires won't be able to find out what we're up to if we have a secret hideout. I love it."

"It's way better than the secret room my parents had."

"What's that?" Silver walked to the fireplace. She pulled out an envelope from behind a book, one edge sticking out. "It has your name on it."

Silver handed it to him. Jersey's fluid handwriting traveled across the middle of the envelope. Jack's breath caught in his throat. He opened the envelope with trembling fingers and pulled a folded piece of paper out, hoping it wasn't bad news. He was disappointed to find nothing written on it. Why would Jersey give him a plain piece of paper?

Jack lifted it for Silver's inspection. "Maybe he was in a hurry."

"I have an idea." Silver came around the desk. She smiled at him before placing her hand on top of his. The familiar electric current shot through him, announcing the beginning of a new journey.

♥

Jack glanced around with a frown. They hadn't gone anywhere. They were still in the study. For a moment he thought it hadn't worked, but then his eyes traveled the room. Jersey Clifford stood on the opposite side of the desk, a smug smile on his face. Silver gasped, spotting him at the same time. Jack squeezed her hand, reassuring her without words.

"Welcome," Jersey said. "I wanted a chance to say goodbye to you, Jack, but I didn't want to tempt the fates. One of us might have felt compelled to kill the other before the appointed time."

Jersey moved to the center of the room. He spread his hands and slowly turned. "Well, what do you think of your new home? I hope you enjoy it. The thought of it sitting empty, no one to appreciate it, sank my heart. Of course, by now you have realized I am gone for good." He scowled. "I will hold building my army off for as long as I can because I do not wish to destroy you, but someday...someday I will have no choice. We will battle to the death. Yours, I'm afraid."

Jersey went to the shelf and pulled a hardcover book from the stack. "In my fit of anger I trashed several of my favorites, but this one I saved. I would like for you to read it. Someday I hope to discuss it with you in depth. I'd like to hear your take on it. My fondest wish is for us to have a conversation like the ones I so enjoyed having with you before."

Jack looked to the shelf. He saw the book Jersey wanted him to read. The vision of Jersey and the book filled the empty place in his heart. He'd had a void since Jersey and Cowboy had blown town. With neither of them around, life seemed to lose some of its spice.

Jersey lifted his hand in a slight wave. "I feel kind of stupid talking to myself, but I know you'll see this. I am sorry beyond belief our time was cut short. We've lost countless opportunities to share our views. Goodbye for now, my friend, my enemy. I will greatly miss you. Perhaps even more than I miss Pagan in some ways. Allow me to leave you with one last quote.

"Sudden and swift and light as that the ties gave, and he learned of finalities besides the grave."

And then he was gone.

♥♥

"What was that?" Silver looked up at Jack as they returned to the present. "What did it mean?"

"It was a poem by Robert Frost, Jersey's way of saying good-bye."

"O-kay. That was kind of creepy."

Jack crossed the room to the book shelf and picked up the volume Jersey had wanted him to read. It was one of his favorites, one of Lily's favorites. Jack opened it. Jersey had written a little note on the inside. _We all have a destiny, known or unknown. Our choice is to run from it or embrace it. Choose well._

"You really liked him, didn't you?" Silver's expression was one of total disbelief. "After everything he did, you _still_ like him."

How could he explain it to her when he didn't understand it himself? "He reminded me of my father. Not in a bad way. My father kept his emotions in check. He gave new meaning to calm, cool, and collected. Then there was the way I felt when talking to Jersey. He had all this wisdom to share. Having him around was almost like having my father back."

Silver walked over to him and slid into his arms. The side of her face pressed against his chest. She mumbled against his shirt. "I'm sorry you had to lose him. My parents are searching for Jersey via computer and contacts, but they probably won't be able to find him for years. Maybe by the time they do, I'll be able to suck his soul out, and you won't have to kill him."

It was a horrible thing to wish for, but Jack found himself doing just that. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to face Jersey on a battlefield. No matter what awful things Jersey did, Jack feared he would always love the man. At least the parts that reminded him of the father he'd lost.

Would it be better for Jersey to have his soul sucked out or to be touched by the rock?

"What do you think happens to the souls you suck out? Are they lost forever?"

"No. Didn't you read that part in the diary?"

"I guess I missed it."

"Lovely says they travel on, heaven or hell, wherever they were meant to be."

That didn't sound so bad. "I'll be back in a second."

Jack sprinted out to the car and retrieved the diary. Since it was still in his possession, he wanted to read the part about sucking souls again. Silver had read it enough to know what page the information could be found on. He leaned in through the open window, took the diary out of the glove compartment. As he pulled it through the window, it slipped from his fingers.

The diary opened on the ground to a brand new page. Jack hunched over it and read it again and again. He swallowed hard. Disbelief hardened his heart. No way. Someone was messing with him. He grabbed the diary, slapped it shut, but it was too late. The words were burned inside his brain.

Beware of Silver, Jack. Betrayal will lead to your death.

It had to be a trick. Somehow Jersey had planted the page, forged Lovely's handwriting. Jack didn't believe for a second Silver would betray him. She most certainly would not lead him to his death. The sucking-out-souls passage forgotten, he tossed the diary back through the open window.

With slow feet and a sinking spirit he returned to the secret mansion beneath the house. He didn't say a word to Silver about the new prophecy. When she asked why he'd left, he told her he'd wanted to check the house again because he had an idea.

"How would you like to live here?" he asked. "Your parents need to build a new home anyway. Why not build it over the mansion?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Great idea. My parents will love it. Thank you."

She hugged him again, and his arms went around her. His hands tightened on her back, molding the soft curves. His eyes closed, and he savored the moment.

"What do we do while we wait for my parents to find Jersey?" She let him go, took a step back.

"We live a normal life."

The words left his lips without emotion or meaning, because at this point he knew there was no such thing as a normal life for him.

Deep in his heart, he was still a vampire.

♥♥♥

<<<<<>>>>>

If you want to follow Jack and Silver's story, download Werewolves Rule.

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Other Books by Kasi Blake:

**Crushed** (Witch-Game novel)

**Witch Hunt** (Witch-Game novel)

**Bait** (Order of the Spirit Realm)

**Hunter** (Order of the Spirit Realm)

**Warrior** (Order of the Spirit Realm)

**Legend** (Order of the Spirit Realm)

**4-Ever Hunted** (spin-off Vampires Rule)

**4-Ever Cursed** (spin-off Vampires Rule) Coming Soon

**Cursed by a Grimm** (Grimm Twist Un-fairy Tale) Coming Soon

Excerpt from Bait

### -1-

### MONSTERS IN THE CLOSET

At some point during the night a stranger crawled into Bay-Lee's bed while she snored softly, unaware. The mattress springs squeaked in complaint beneath the additional weight as he reclined on his side and stared down at her face. It bothered him that she continued to sleep. After all the stories he'd heard about this girl, exploited rumors verging on myth, he'd expected more from her. Shouldn't she be able to sense danger?

This was Van Helsing's daughter? She looked insignificant, vulnerable beneath the bright orange sheet. He could snap her neck so easily—and maybe he should. The world would continue on, undisturbed, but the dark cloud hanging over his head would finally dissipate.

A fraction of moonlight filtered through partially open curtains, not enough to see clearly, but it didn't matter because he'd seen pictures of this girl on Van Helsing's desk. Her features were burned into his retinas. Every time he went into the office he tried not to look at the photographs, purposely pointing his gaze elsewhere.

There was something about her, something unsettling which inevitably pulled him back to stare at her reproduced image. She looked like an average girl at first glance. A pretty face framed by long dark hair parted in the middle and layered stared back at him. Of Brazilian descent, her eyes were the darkest of browns, nearly black. They hid a mountain of secrets. She had attitude to spare and the camera caught it, recording it for future historians—if the rumors were correct, they would want to study her.

She possessed a 'bite me' expression that must drive vampires crazy.

Fortunately, he was not a vampire.

Her mouth bothered him the most. Full lips haunted his dreams with a secretive smile curving the ends and a bottom lip that begged to be nibbled on. Sometimes, when he wasn't carefully controlling his thoughts, he wondered what she would taste like. In his dreams when he wasn't fully in control of his mind he kissed her without ceasing. Now he wondered what would happen if he kissed her in real life. Would it stir something deep in his soul? Would the prophecy come true?

Something hard lodged in his throat and he swallowed. It was a near miss so he swallowed again. Kissing her shouldn't even be a blip on the radar. This girl was the reason he didn't have a home or a family. It was her fault he'd grown up on the outside looking in, her fault people whispered behind his back, and her fault he was destined to die young.

Bay-Lee stirred in her sleep. Mumbling, she pushed against his chest with two fingers. "Go 'way."

Cute like a box of kittens, for a second he forgot to hate her. His heart momentarily softened, but only for a moment. The unfamiliar sensation was enough to wipe the half-smile from his face. Delivering a mental kick to his brain, he reminded himself this girl was the last person in the world he could let his guard down around. She was worse than trouble. If he wasn't careful, this seemingly harmless meeting would lead to his total destruction.

Ready to wake her, he leaned in close and whispered her (fake) name. Like him, she was forced to live under an alias. _Michelle._

The knowledge she was no longer alone in bed should have scared the crap out of Bay-Lee and normally it would have, but she was still floating on the fragments of a blissful dream. The soft whisper of a lover's hands surfaced with her consciousness. She'd been dreaming about being in love, the kind that inspired people to die for each other, the Romeo and Juliet sort of love. Beyond that nothing seemed real to her.

An odd smell pierced the veil of sleep, and she wrinkled her nose. _Jack Daniels_?

The next thing to grab her attention was the feel of a hard body crowding her on the narrow mattress.

Warm breath lightly blew a trail down her face from forehead to mouth like the soft wings of a butterfly brushing against her skin. Fingers slid up one arm to curve around her shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered, and she smiled up at the gorgeous stranger. Fantasy wove a complicated tapestry with reality, and she decided she was still dreaming.

The dark-haired boy's gaze settled on her lips. She could practically read his mind. He wanted to kiss her until neither of them could breathe. Still living on the leftover residue of an imagined love, she was going to allow it. A tingling sense of anticipation had her nearly breathless already.

She closed her eyes again, mentally preparing for the kiss.

She waited.

The bed creaked as he leaned in to give her what she desired most. His hot breath teased her lips, and the smell of whiskey intoxicated her. She clenched her hands into tight fists, grabbing and holding bunched up bedding, silently willing him to hurry before she came to her senses. Outside of this moment nothing existed, not school, not her boyfriend, not the troubling circumstances that forced her to constantly move from state to state, nothing.

When her lips remained cool and untouched, she opened her eyes to find the boy staring down at her with pure contempt. A menacing light emanated from his eyes. He parted his lips on a soft growl, reminding her of a werewolf, and her blood turned to ice.

"You ruined my life," he whispered in a semi-harsh tone, accusing.

Wide awake now, facts hit her like an avalanche. A stranger was in her bed, her gun was in the dresser, and he was big enough to overpower her. Feeling vulnerable made her sick to her stomach. It also filled her with unquenchable anger. How dare this stupid boy invade her bedroom, her _bed_ , and threaten her!

Speaking in a firm tone without the slightest quiver, she asked, "How did you get in here?" He rolled off the mattress, no hurry, while she pulled the sheet higher to hide the bunny pajamas. They were ridiculous, sky blue with fluffy scampering white rabbits. Knowing her hair was a mess, she automatically reached up to smooth it down. At the last second she stayed her hand. Why should she care if he thought she was pretty? "Did Connor let you in?"

Her uncle wasn't known for having the greatest judgment in the world.

The intruder grinned and took two steps back until beams of moonlight exposed the left side of his body. Tall and muscular, the guy was built better than any of the boys at school. If she had to guess, she would say he was between eighteen and twenty-two. Utterly masculine, he also had a lot of features girls would be envious of, long lashes, thick hair, and beautiful eyes. They were the most amazing shade of green, like a place deep in the forest after a violent thunderstorm.

He grinned as if hearing her thoughts. "I thought it was every teen girl's secret fantasy to have me in her bedroom. Was I wrong?"

It was then she recognized him, Tyler Beck, lead singer for the notorious band called Bad-Rock. There was a celebrity in her bedroom. _Gulp_! For a moment she forgot to breathe. How was it even possible? Why would a rock star come to her home in the middle of the night? She had to be dreaming.

He picked the CD collection off the edge of the white wicker dresser and carelessly leafed through them, lips twisted in disgust. A few of the CDs wound up on the floor.

She blinked. "Am I... dreaming?"

"No." The grin changed to a smirk. "I break into the homes of random girls all the time... just to talk. Being a rock star doesn't keep me busy enough." He raised an eyebrow and held up the next CD in the shortening stack. "Seriously? I wouldn't listen to this if someone had a gun to my head." He flicked it to the floor. "Your taste in music sucks."

Although the CDs in his hands were a mixture of Country and Jazz, she loved Classic Rock like her dad. The discs didn't belong to her. Nothing in the ridiculous girlie neon orange and pink room did with the exception of a few sentimental items she dragged from place to place, but she wasn't going to explain her way of life to this intruder. If she wanted to bare her soul, she'd see a psychiatrist. Knowing it was a dream didn't make her feel any better about him going through what he thought were her personal belongings.

"Why did you kill those people?" she asked out of curiosity. An image of dead bodies on a night club floor surfaced in her mind. It took effort not to shudder. "What did they ever do to you?"

He laughed, throaty and deep, sexy. The sound dried the inside of her mouth and she clenched her teeth, feeling betrayed by her own body. What was wrong with her? She hadn't felt this way about a guy before. Why now? Why this murderer?

"What did they do to me?" he repeated her question. "Nothing." Then he pointed a finger at her. "You, on the other hand, ruined my life."

"Stop saying that. I don't even know you. Before you killed those people I wasn't aware we were on the same planet."

"Ouch." He placed a hand over his heart as if she'd wounded him. "So you aren't one of my many adoring fans, huh?"

He put what was left of her CD collection on the dresser and reached for the tiny television, flipping it on without seeking permission. An old sit-com with a noisy family brought the square screen to life.

"No, I am not a fan. I don't follow you on Twitter or turn the volume up when one of your dumb songs comes on the radio. I never think about you. Why are you in my head now?"

"You tell me. It's your—"

"Dream. I know. You don't have to keep saying it. I get it already."

"Until this dream ends, what do you want to do?" His hungry gaze locked on her face, and he bit his lower lip as if he was once again thinking about kissing her.

Close to panicking now, she froze. The kisses she shared with Gavin were brief and passionless and always for the benefit of those watching. What would it feel like to kiss someone she actually wanted? Her skin burned from just looking at the guy. The chemistry between them had the potential to blow the roof off the house. If he touched her, she'd probably spontaneously combust.

Tyler Beck, the hottest rock singer on the planet, the boy every girl fantasized about stared at her with desire in his eyes. He planted a knee on the bed near her foot. His hand landed next to her upper thigh. The other knee and hand joined them on the mattress. Slowly he crawled up her body, careful not to touch her until he was once again hovering over her mouth. In a husky whisper he repeated, "What do you want to do? Talk? Fight? Make out?"

The challenging tone sent a chill through her, a bad sort of chill. Doubts surfaced. What if this wasn't a dream? Maybe a monster had crossed over from the Spirit Realm in a Tyler Beck disguise to kill her. She needed to do something quick. If she died, it would be her own fault for being so stupid.

Her hand slid under the pink pillow behind her head to grab the ancient dagger she slept on. Gripping it hard, she prepared to attack. Something in her eyes tipped him off. Before she could bury the blade deep in his chest, he leaped off the bed without warning, flying backwards. He stumbled and hit the wall near the dresser. A picture of a girl sitting in a garden rocked sideways before falling off the nail.

"Another time then," he mumbled before disappearing.

Bay-Lee blinked at the empty space where his body had been. A shaky laugh escaped her open mouth. She _was_ dreaming. There wasn't a monster out there that could vanish into thin air. Relaxed now, she collapsed on the mattress, breathing through her mouth. Something was seriously wrong with her, having a hot dream about a psycho rock star.

Maybe she _should_ seek therapy.

"Rock star Tyler Beck is dead at the age of twenty," the news anchor said, unable to keep a drop of excitement from her voice. "A nationwide manhunt for Bad-Rock's front-man ended in tragedy earlier this evening when Beck lost control of his vehicle during a high speed police chase. Band members could not be reached for comment. Their publicist has issued the following statement."

Bay-Lee frowned in her sleep. Horrible images infiltrated her mind, twisted metal and a body burned beyond recognition. The frown deepened. She had fallen asleep with the television on again. It was the only logical reason for the intrusion of a loud female voice. Her hand slapped around the mattress, blindly searching for the remote in the fervent hope she wouldn't have to open her eyes.

The news anchor read the statement.

"Tyler's family and close friends request privacy and understanding in this difficult time as they grieve for a talented life cut too short. Although Tyler was accused of a horrendous crime earlier this week, we are confident his name will be cleared. In the meantime, we ask that..."

Giving in to the inevitable, Bay-Lee parted her eyelids in a painful squint. Light from the television nearly blinded her. Her head snapped around so she was facing the darkened side of her room. The remote was on the nightstand next to the alarm clock. Grabbing it, she switched the set off.

Cool darkness settled over her bedroom, bringing instant relief. She closed her eyes again and breathed easier. Silence gave her a much needed break. Her uncle must have gone to bed.

The news anchor's words took a second trip through her mind.

They had been talking about Tyler Beck on the late night news. That's why she'd been dreaming about him. Mystery solved. There wasn't anything wrong with her that couldn't be fixed by turning off the TV before going to bed.

For an entire week his face had haunted her. A person couldn't turn on a television or pick up a magazine without seeing his image. Following a **Sold Out** concert last Friday night he had gone to a party thrown in his honor, and he'd massacred sixteen of his biggest fans. What sort of person murdered their own fans?

According to police there was enough evidence to convict. There was a video on the Internet that had gone viral—five million hits in one day. It was shot by a teen outside the club and clearly showed Tyler exiting the party before police surrounded him.

The rock star had been running from the law ever since.

She sighed, a hundred percent awake now. Frustrated, she kicked at the sheet and struggled to get comfortable after repeatedly punching her pillow. _Stupid Tyler Beck_. She was sick of hearing his name, and now the jerk was apparently going to ruin a good night's sleep with his sudden demise. _Ridiculous_. Before this week she hadn't even noticed he was alive, and now she couldn't stop thinking about him.

In fact, Bay-Lee went back to sleep with Tyler Beck's face firmly planted in her mind. He starred in her dreams, a bad boy with movie star looks and a terrible reputation.

The temperature in her bedroom plummeted thirty degrees. She shivered and flipped onto her stomach. Dark hair caught beneath one shoulder, pulling painfully at her scalp, and she winced. The sheet proved a poor barrier between her skin and the Arctic air. What was going on? Had the heater stopped working?

Knowledge returned, and experience helped her tired brain connect the dots. The cold was due to a supernatural occurrence. It had been a warm evening when she'd gone to bed. What could change the temperature so drastically? She bolted upright, the answer coming to her with the speed of a freight train, chilling her further.

At the same time she reached behind her, sliding her fingers beneath the pillow and grasping the hilt of the ancient dagger, a rumbling sound emanated from the closet. The raised design pinched the tender flesh of her palm, but she barely felt it. Her fingers tightened. Simply having it in her hand had the power to calm her.

The urge to call for her uncle parted her lips and she gathered a breath.

White light seeped through the cracks around her closet door, outlining the tall rectangular plank, proving it was too late to yell for Connor. The monster from the Spirit Realm would hear her.

Bay-Lee swallowed as she tried to remember every lesson Van had taught her about self-defense over the years. She purposely slowed her breathing. It would be better if she had the advantage. With that in mind she went down on the mattress and closed her eyes. Let the thing think it had caught her asleep and defenseless. She held the dagger against her chest beneath the orange sheet and waited patiently for it to make the first move. Nothing was going to kill her, not in her own bedroom, not tonight.

The light died, her closet door opened, and a shadowy figure swept into her bedroom. A floorboard creaked beneath the unexpected weight. Her entire body stiffened underneath the orange sheet, knowing the thing was there to kill her. For years monsters from the Spirit Realm had searched the world for her. It was inevitable one would eventually find her.

With eyes closed she couldn't see the monster coming towards her, so she strained her ears to pick up on the slightest noise. Instead of footsteps, a disturbing dragging sound rested on the air. Her fingers gripped the dagger tight. The monster swished closer. It was almost to the head of the bed now. She held her breath, waiting. A plan of attack played like a silent movie in the back of her mind, letting her know exactly what she should do.

The monster bent over her. Its breath stank of smoking ash and decaying flesh. She watched it from beneath lowered lashes. Bony fingers reached for her.

_Now_! She rolled in the opposite direction, leaped off the bed, and pointed the dagger at the intruder. Draped in a black cloak with tattered edges and a hood pulled down to conceal its face, the thing was obviously a reaper. Although she'd read about reapers in one of Van's books, she'd never seen one in person. No one saw them, not until they came to collect.

Reapers could see better in the dark than a cat, so she felt extra vulnerable in the silly bunny pajamas. There was a fuzzy robe hanging on the inside of her closet door. If she could have a single wish granted, she would want to be in that robe, but there was no point in asking the reaper to allow it. The thing wouldn't give her time to put it on. They weren't known for their patience.

She swallowed hard before forcing words from her mouth. "Are you here to reap me? Am I dying?"

It spoke to her in a voice that sounded like gravel in a blender, a mere whisper in an otherwise silent night. "I have not come to harm you."

"Then why?" Everything she knew about reapers flitted through her mind, nothing useful. They collected souls and crossed them safely over the dark plains of the Spirit Realm. It was their only job, priority one. If the thing wasn't in her room to collect her, then... "What do you want?"

The monster's eyes burned bright, yellow at first and then red, staring at her in the smothering darkness. It spoke slowly, enunciating every word with excruciating detail, and it hissed on the letter S, reminding her of a snake. "I can s-see into your s-soul. Do not fear. Your s-secrets are s-safe with me."

_What the hell_? Her own voice quivered. "You have thirty seconds to tell me why you're here before I cut your tongue out."

"We both know that isn't possible." To prove its point it remained silent for an uncomfortable length of time. When it deigned to speak again, she was ready to scream for backup. "Your s-soul is a mess of contradictions. S-sometimes you s-stand in front of the mirror and s-stare into your own eyes as you s-search for your true s-self."

The dagger in her hand trembled. Quickly she took control of her body and stopped the involuntary movement, using every ounce of determination she possessed. How could this thing possibly know what she did or how she felt? Had it been spying on her?

"For the last time, tell me why you're here. Then get out of my house or I will find a way to tear your face off."

Did reapers have faces?

"S-soon you will know who you are, who you truly are. All of your questions will be answered. You will find your other half, your destiny." It paused before adding, "They are keeping s-secrets from you?"

"Who?"

"Your uncle and your father. They want to keep you from your destiny, child. Open your eyes. S-seek the truth."

"If they're keeping secrets from me and you know what they are, tell me."

"I am bound by rules, child. I can only give you a hint."

She waited, saying nothing.

"Follow your heart," it said. "Love what you love. Be who you want to be."

"Seriously? I could find that in a fortune cookie." Clenching her teeth, she said, "Get out."

The thing remained statue still. Then it said, "There is more."

Her frustration grew. If it was possible to kill a reaper, the thing would be dead on her floor, bathing in its own blood.

Did reapers have blood? Giving in, she asked, "What?"

"Why must I tell you everything? You must s-sense it. S-something is coming. S-something bad."

"Something worse than you?"

It chuckled. "Beware. It kills—"

"Newsflash. Everything from your side kills. That's what hunters are for, to stop them."

"I wasn't finished." The reaper sounded irritated, losing patience. "It kills you on your birthday."

"That's depressing." She wondered if monsters understood sarcasm. "Why bother to warn me? I know the Order wants me dead."

"S-soon, yes. But not yet."

"Are you serious?" They'd been on her trail for years. Why would they suddenly send her a warning?

It didn't bother to answer her question. Moving scary fast, the monster disappeared into the closet before she could swallow and a light flashed around the edges of the door, signaling its departure. Darkness once again stole over her bedroom. It was gone.

Her flesh itched to chase the monster down and torture answers out of it. Problem was she couldn't remember if reapers felt pain. Following it would be stupid. Getting caught on the other side without an arsenal would be doubly stupid. She started in the direction of her bed, but her gaze swung back to the closet door and she hesitated. She didn't want another visitor. The next one might kill her instead of handing her a useless warning.

Bay-Lee got on the other side of the dresser. Gritting her teeth, she pushed, scooting it across the bare floor until it blocked the closed closet door. Let something try to enter her room now. On her way back to bed her gaze found the garden picture on the floor, and her breath caught in her throat. If she'd been dreaming before, why was the picture on the floor?

She'd had two visitors tonight.

What was going on over there in the Spirit Realm? Had someone opened a doorway between there and her bedroom and put a sign out front saying: **This way to Van Helsing's daughter?**

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. The encounter with the two monsters had her body burning extra hot. Too bad she hadn't been able to fight with at least one of them. A good fight might have helped calm her. Now she was too wound up to sleep so she decided to listen to music for a while.

It took hours for her body to relax enough to fall asleep.

## About the author: Kasi Blake was born in sunny California, and that is where she fell in love with books at the age of twelve when an English teacher assigned the class to read The Outsiders. The journey from reading to writing seemed inevitable. In the past, Kasi wrote romances for Harlequin, but her first love has and will always be YA. She was thrilled when YA Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance became a staple in the literary diet of the average teen (and some adults too). Kasi lives in the Midwest on a farm with cows, ducks, a dog, and two cats, and that is where she writes her action-packed books.

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