"Absolutely. We were looking for paw prints and I lost you, so I went to get the car and drive it down here when I saw you and drove through the trees. I lost control of the car and hit you by accident."

  "Did you now?" she asked suspiciously. She stood up and wiped snow off her black pants.

  I acted surprised. "It was an accident, Mom. Don't you believe me?"

  She gave me another look, then smiled. "Of course, I do. Of course." She reached over and touched my cheek, running her sharp nail across it. "You would never lie to me, right? Not again."

  I shook my head. "Of course not."

  Her eyes looked into mine, examining me. It felt very uncomfortable. Could she somehow tell that I was lying to her? She was my mother, she could tell, couldn't she?

  "So, you didn't see…anyone else here?" she asked.

  I sighed and pulled away, trying to use another strategy to get her off my back. The one of the angry teenager.

  "For cryin' out loud. No, Mom, it must have been something you dreamt while you were out. Now, let's go. I’m freezing. I want to go home."

  "And you didn't see…me…"

  "I told you, Mom. I didn't see you at all. How else would I have hit you with the car? It all went very fast and I didn't see you standing there. Otherwise, I would have steered around you. Now, let's go."

  I walked toward the car, feeling how her eyes followed my every move carefully. My palms were sweating even though it was freezing out. I wondered if she bought it; I prayed that she did.

  "Enough field trip for now," she said and caught up to me. "You have a blackberry and kale smoothie with your name on it back at the house."

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Melanie ran till she reached town, then slowed down. She found that she was hardly panting, even after running for so long. She was growing stronger and was getting better endurance. It was slightly intoxicating.

  As she reached town, she found her way toward her old neighborhood, and she walked past the many old small houses. She nodded at a few of the neighbors, who stared at her like they had seen a ghost before she finally reached her own house.

  She stood for a few minutes outside and stared at the entrance. In the window next to it, she could see her mother inside the living room. She seemed to be looking for something, lifting up the pillows on the couch.

  Probably searching for change, as usual.

  The thought made Melanie chuckle. Miserable as their lives used to be, she had missed it. She had missed her.

  Melanie took in a deep breath, then walked up to the door. She wondered if she should simply walk inside but figured that might frighten her mother since she hadn't been home in weeks.

  She knocked, then waited. It didn't take long before the door opened. Her mother stood in the doorway, an amazed look on her face as she laid eyes on Melanie.

  "M-Mel?"

  Melanie nodded. "I'm home, Mom." Tears were shaping in her eyes as her mother said:

  "What are you doing here?"

  Melanie shook her head. What an odd thing to say. "I'm home. I’ve come home."

  The look on her mother's face made her heart drop. Wasn't she pleased to see her?

  "Come in before anyone sees you," she said and glanced out at the neighbors before she stepped aside so Melanie could walk in. "Have you grown? I believe you have and what…big muscles you’ve gotten?"

  "It's so I can better beat up anyone who messes with me," Melanie said, chuckling.

  Her mother studied her face and wiped her hair away from her cheek, then touched it gently.

  "Have your ears grown too?" she asked.

  Melanie chuckled again. "I’m not doing the whole Little Red Riding Hood thing with you."

  "I'm sorry," her mother said with a sigh.

  She turned away and sat heavily on the couch, making the empty bottles on the coffee table rattle. "I just don't feel like…I can hardly recognize you. I feel like I hardly know who you are anymore."

  Melanie sat next to her. She sensed her mother pulling away like she didn't want to sit too close to her.

  "But, Mom. It's me. It's Melanie."

  Her mother shook her head. "You're not her. Something has changed."

  "But…but…Mom, it's still me, look into my eyes."

  She did but only briefly. "I need some coffee. I'll make some for both of us." Her mother shook her head and walked into the kitchen.

  Melanie felt tears in her eyes as she heard her mother fumbling with the coffeemaker in the kitchen. Why did she say she couldn't recognize her? She was still her daughter. She was still her child. Nothing about that had changed.

  Right?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  They drank coffee in silence. It wasn't very good coffee, but Melanie's mother had never been very good at making anything—let alone coffee. Melanie could tell that her mother was craving a drink, desperately. She kept staring at the empty bottles in front of her and Melanie saw a longing in her eyes that she knew a little too well.

  "So, how is Max?" she asked, not knowing whether they were together or not.

  "He left," she said.

  "Oh."

  Silence again.

  "Don't you want to know where I was?" Melanie asked.

  Not that she actually wanted to tell her mother since she didn't want to rat out her new friends and she couldn't really tell her mother the entire story. She would definitely not believe her and would think she had gone mad. But she wanted her mother to ask, at least. She wanted her to show some interest, show her that she had been worried about her daughter like a normal mother would be.

  Their eyes met. Her mother's looked beyond tired. "I’m not sure I want to know."

  "Why not?" Melanie asked, puzzled.

  Her mother licked her lips. The coffee had turned them black and dry. "I figured you had gotten into bad company. And then they started to talk about…they said you killed someone, Melanie."

  Melanie stared at the small woman next to her. "Who? Who said that?"

  "The police. They were here. Said you killed a pastor at some church in town. A pastor, Melanie. Have you no shame?"

  "But…but…"

  "Tell me it wasn't you, Mel. Tell me they were wrong," she said, her eyes pleading.

  Melanie exhaled.

  "But you can't, can you?" her mother said with a deep sigh. "I should have known, growing up here…that something like this might happen. You got in with the wrong crowd, didn't you? You got yourself into trouble and now you're here because you think I can help you out."

  Melanie shook her head. "No. No, I came because…because…"

  "Because you had nowhere else to go. I don't have any money if that’s why you're here."

  "No...that's not why. Because I missed you. I wanted to come home."

  Her mother shook her head. She caressed her daughter's cheek. "You used to be such a cute girl. I was so proud of you."

  "I’m still the same, Mom. I’m still her," Melanie said, eyes filling up. "I’m still the same."

  Her mother looked at her face, examining her, then shook her head. "No. This is not my daughter. This is not her."

  "But…"

  Her mother handed her a business card. Melanie looked at it. Ben Smith, it said. Police officer. Melanie looked up.

  "I'm sorry," her mother said and shook her head as the sound of a motorcycle approaching drowned out everything else. It stopped right outside their house and Melanie heard the boots as they approached the door. It was opened and in came a tall brusque man, holding a gun between his hands, pointing it at her. The shot still echoed in the street long after Melanie had sunk to the floor.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Back at the house, I was desperately craving a cup of hot chocolate to warm me back up or even just coffee, but my mom had other plans. I stared at the gelatinous kale pudding in front of me, sticking to the sides of the glass it was in. It was so thick I had to eat it with a spoon. Every bite was worse than the previous and I felt like getting sick, but my mom was watching me carefully, a smile on her face as she waited for me to gulp the whole thing down.

  "Good, huh?" she asked.

  I didn't dare to tell her the truth. Instead, I nodded, suppressing my desire to gag. I wondered if, because she was a vampire, she had completely different taste buds than me and that this might actually be delicious in her world. Or maybe she was just out to kill me…one smoothie at a time.

  I leaned toward the latter.

  Out of the kitchen window, I watched as Jayden came home from school, riding his bike into the driveway and parking it in the garage. He glanced at my house before closing the garage door. I felt like he looked straight at me for just a second and smiled.

  My mom saw it and closed the drapes. "I told you. That boy is not good enough for you."

  "Why?" I asked.

  My mom turned around, spinning on her heel. "Why? Why? I'll tell you why. Because he isn't in our league, that's why. That family of his isn't even close to being in our league. You and I, we're a special breed, far superior to them." She tilted her head. "You'll see. Once you get older, you'll understand."

  "You didn't used to think so," I said and took another spoonful of the smoothie, then grimaced as it slid down my throat, sticking to the inside of my mouth.

  My mom didn't say anything. She stared at me, her eyes blazing. She was observing my every move.

  "Savages," she said, mumbling under her breath. "That family, they're all savages."

  Her phone rang, and she grabbed it from the counter. "Yes?"

  Mom went quiet.

  She looked at me, then held a hand over the phone. "I need to take this in the other room."

  I nodded with a shrug as my mom disappeared into her office, closing the door behind her. Naturally, I followed her and listened by the door.

  "So, you have her?" I heard her ask. "Very good. Very good. Yes, take her there. We'll deal with her then. Excellent work, Ben."

  Ben? As in Jayden's dad, Ben?

  "Yes, we need to take care of it right away. Tonight," she continued. "Midnight."

  Then, she hung up. I heard her heels walk across the floor, then hurried back into the kitchen where my sticky smoothie was still waiting for me. I poured it into the sink when I felt my mom creep up behind me.

  "What are you doing?"

  I turned and looked into her face. "I was just…I couldn't eat anymore. You always told me not to eat more than I can."

  She stared at me, examining me, then snorted. "Very well then. Now, I have a few calls to make. School is out for today."

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jayden ran a hand through his thick hair. He looked at himself in the mirror, where he had been practicing what to say for about half an hour, constantly glancing toward Robyn's house. He hadn't seen her or heard from her all day—not that he expected to, but still—he sure hoped she was all right after what happened last night.

  Jayden had been surprised at seeing just how many vampires actually lived in their area and wondered if they had come in from out of town since he hadn't really recognized many of them. He also wondered why his own parents hadn't been there, or Logan. If they were also vampires? Maybe they just didn't want to hang out with other vampires? After all, they hated the Joneses and vice versa, so maybe they weren't even invited?

  Jayden exhaled deeply, looking at his reflection. He hated what he was about to do now, but he knew it had to be done. He hadn't been true to himself for a very long time and now was the time to make up for that.

  Jayden walked out the front door of his house and across the cul-de-sac. The doorbell to Jazmine's house chimed louder than he liked it to; it was like it was announcing the unpleasantness of the moment.

  A second later, Jazmine opened the door, looking awkward. "Jayden? Uh…what are you doing here?"

  "I…I was just…I wanted to see you. Can I come in?" Jayden asked.

  She looked behind her, then smiled and let him in. "Of course."

  He walked inside and took off his jacket, then corrected his hair. "Let's go in the kitchen, shall we?" she asked, sounding a little out of breath.

  "Sure."

  In the kitchen, she poured him some coffee from the pot and handed it to him. She smiled at him, but it seemed a little strained.

  "Listen…I…" Jayden began once he had tasted the coffee. "I hate to do this to you, but I don't think I’ve been honest with you…or myself."

  Jazmine's smile froze. She scoffed. "Well…I can't say that comes as a surprise to me. I mean, I’ve seen how you look at her and how you keep gazing toward her house…well…" she sighed. "It's okay, Jayden. I get it. I can't compete with Robyn. There’s no way. I just feel sorry for you two since you can never be together. It's okay, Jayden. You've got to follow your heart. We all do."

  Jayden stared at Jazmine, hardly blinking. Had he broken up with her or did she just break up with him?

  "Well, I hope we can still be…"

  "Friends? Yes, of course. No problem."

  Jayden smiled. "Wow," he said, baffled. "You're really something. Do you know that?"

  Jazmine chuckled. "I have heard that once or twice in my life."

  Jayden finished his coffee and put the cup down, then shot Jazmine another smile.

  "All right, then. I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow?"

  She nodded. "Yes. See you tomorrow."

  Jayden walked out the door of Jazmine's house, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, thinking This has to be the easiest breakup in the history of breakups.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Jazmine exhaled with great relief as she closed the door and watched him walk away. Finally, Jayden was gone. She chuckled, then rushed up the stairs and into her room.

  As she laid eyes on him sitting on her bed, his blazing eyes staring at her, she was filled with deep desire mixed with great fear. A combination that felt so thrilling she could hardly contain it.

  "Who was that?" Adrian asked, looking at her from behind his long black bangs.

  Jazmine shook her head. "It doesn’t matter."

  She had met him on the way back from school. He had approached her in the parking lot when she had grabbed her bike from the bike rack and asked if she wanted a ride home. He could put the bike in the back, he said. At first, Jazmine had said no, but then he had grabbed her hand again and looked at her nails that had turned a shining green. He had then looked up at her eyes and studied them with a smirk.

  "I think green means you're happy," he had whispered. Then he pulled her arm with a, "Come."

  He had parked the car in her driveway and, just as she was about to get out, he had pulled her back in her seat, then leaned over and kissed her. Jazmine had gasped in fear, at first thinking he was going to drink her blood, but then she let him kiss her with his icy lips. His very touch made her shiver like nothing she had never experienced before, especially not with Jayden, whose kisses were nice but felt bland to her. This was completely different. This was like an explosion of colors, of emotions, and she was overpowered in a way she could never even explain or describe if someone asked her to.

  Now, she was the one to approach him and place her lips against his, pressing him back on the bed, shuddering as her skin touched his. He grabbed her by the shoulders and rolled her onto her back, then sat on top of her, looking at her with those fiery eyes of his, his nostrils flaring. He then touched her cheek and ran a finger down it until he reached her lip. He touched her lip, then held his finger up into the light.

  "You're bleeding," he said.

  Jazmine felt her lip. "I must have bitten myself," she said. "It happens sometimes."

  Adrian stared at the blood on his finger, and Jazmine felt her heart race. Would the sight and smell of blood make the beast come out in him? Would he drink from her? Could he control it?

  Jazmine thought she saw one of his fangs as it emerged, then suddenly felt overpowered by fear.

  Adrian kept staring at the blood on his finger like he was fighting himself. He then turned to look at her, his eyes glowing, when he leaned over and put his lips on her neck. Jazmine gasped in fear, but as she realized he was only kissing her, she breathed in relief. Jazmine closed her eyes and enjoyed his cold kisses, a stream of desire rushing through her.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Jayden hurried back to his house and into the kitchen. As he made himself a sandwich, he suddenly heard whispering voices coming from the living room. He walked closer and stood by the door, hiding as he listened to his parents’ discussion.

  "She'll kill her, Ben," his mom said.

  "Claire…you're overreacting, I’m sure…"

  "No, Ben. I’m telling you she will kill her. She will argue that she poses a danger to all of us, especially since we now have that…that guy in the neighborhood. She'll say that; you know she will. And then you'll agree with her, you all will, and I'll be the only one saying it’s wrong…that you can't just…get rid of someone just like that."

  "But she is a danger to all of us," he said. "She killed that pastor."

  "I wasn't there, but my guess is he tried to kill her first, don't you think?" Claire asked.

  "There is no way for us to know that. She's out of control. She has no idea what she is or how to manage it."

  "How about we teach her?"

  Jayden heard his dad sigh. "It's too dangerous, Claire. We risk being found out. Besides, we don't know her at all. What if she attacks one of us, one of our kids, Jayden?"

  Now, it was Jayden's mom's turn to sigh. "I just can't…I just can't stand the thought…"

  "Me either," he said. "Me either. But you know we have to be careful. For so many years, we’ve managed to stay hidden, but if we’re found, then…"

  "I know. I know. It'll all be over."

  Jayden heard steps and removed himself from the door. He went back into the kitchen and finished his sandwich as his brother Logan entered. He looked bigger than the last time Jayden had seen him. He grinned and grabbed a gallon of milk, then drank directly from it.