Prologue

DAVID

Summer 1987

Santa Carla, California

His eyes snapped open. The first thing he felt was the seething pain in his body. He looked down and saw the antlers sticking out of his chest. Cursing under his breath, he wrapped his hands tightly around them, preparing to break them and free himself.

Then he heard the old man's voice:

One thing about Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires

They thought they knew.

They thought they'd killed him.

A perfectly evil smile began to curl upon his lips.

Pushing against the wall with his feet, he slowly slid forward. His torso tight with pain, but he never made a sound. Dropping silently to the floor, he heard them yelling at the old man.

You knew?

DAD! You should have said something.

Grandpa, I can't believe you let us move here!

Beneath the sleeve of his trench coat a scar glowed on his forearm. Its warmth spread through him, dulling the pain.

That scar was the reason he was still here. Why his body hadn't been destroyed like his brothers. Why he alone was protected him from death.

Why HE was truly invincible.

Star sensed it too, in a way that she could not explain. While the others argued she tip toed cautiously, toward the living room, goose bumps rising along both arms. When she saw he was gone, she wasn't surprised. It was as though a part of her knew he would survive.

She stood there in a daze staring at the blood stained antlers.

"You ok?" he asked softly as his arms wrapped around her.

"Oh Michael," she turned to face him, blocking his view. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Reaching up she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as she could.

"Sorry for what, Star?" he asked tensely.

"I knew he was hiding something," she whispered while caressing the back of his neck. "I thought it was Max, but…," she nuzzled the bridge of her nose against the warm skin of his neck.

"Star!" he pushed her away angrily. She let her arms fall limply against her sides, watching as the panic rose in his expression. Michael went past her, bumping her roughly as he examined the space where David's body had been.

"Where is he? Where is HE?!" Michael's voice rose with each word.

"I don't know," she answered, eyes dropping to the floor.

"What do you mean you don't know! He's DEAD!"

"No, he's not." Her tears began to fall. "I'm so sorry."

"He's not dead." Michael tore at his curly locks. "How can he not be dead? I killed him! I killed HIM!"

"Michael? Star? What's going on?" Lucy asked as she came into the room. Sam, Alan and Edgar were right behind her.

"This is all my fault," Star sobbed.

"You're damn right this is all your fault!" Michael shouted at her.

"Michael!" Lucy raised her voice at her son.

"I wish I NEVER met you!" he shouted at Star.

"MICHAEL!" Lucy repeated as she moved to get between them.

"Me too," Star agreed before running out of the house.

"What the hell, Mike?" Sam said as he watched her go.

"SAM!" Lucy turned to her younger son.

"Come on mom, I just killed a vampire. I think it's OK for me to say 'hell'."

"Not in this house," Lucy glared at her son. Her nerves were nearly shot. A divorce. A long-distance move. Money problems. And now vampires. It was nothing short of a miracle that she wasn't downing a bottle of liquor right now.

"Go after her, Mike." Sam gave his brother a not-so-gentle push toward the door. Or, what was left of the door, as it was barely hanging by a single hinge.

"No," Michael spoke firmly. "We have bigger problems than her."

It was then that the newcomers realized that David was no longer impaled by the antlers.

"Where's the bloodsucker?" Edgar asked, as he moved closer to inspect the area.

"I don't see ashes." Alan said as he swiped his fingertips across the floorboards.

"That because he's NOT DEAD!" Michael yelled at them.

"Oh shit," Edgar and Alan mumbled in unison.

"Mike….," Sam felt his heart thudding in his chest. "What do you mean he's not dead?"

"I didn't kill him," Michael began to tremble. "I thought I did, but…"

"You can't stay here," Edgar spoke gruffly.

"It's not safe," Alan added.

"Then why are we still standing here!" Sam called for Nanook as he sprinted to the door.

Nanook bounded into the room followed by Grandpa with Laddie bringing up the rear.

"Where's Star?" the small boy asked as he came into the room, mouth covered with black crumbs.

They all turned around to look at Laddie, double fisting a pair of Oreos.

"It's OK sweetheart," Lucy placed her arm around his shoulder. "You can stay with us tonight."

Thanks for checking out this story - Gemma