Chapter One
"... Thats Alice, the new girl before you came. We call her the ice princess."
"Why? She looks nice. Hasn't anyone tried to be friends with her?"
"We all have tried to be friends with her. Hey even the snot nosed preps got turned down. Which I don't blame her for doing in all, but she turned a cold shoulder to everyone that approached. I tried to be her friend, but like everyone else I got nothin' except a few words." Tina, the bubbly blond, said.
If they knew I could hear them they probably would be at my feet begging my apologies. I can't believe that people are always rude and interested in me when ever I go to a new school. I thought as I took my untouched lunch tray up to the garbage.
"She never eats anything either. Maybe thats why shes so skinny. Man, I wish I had her bod." Tina droned on and on about how she wanted my body. It was disgusting.
I dumped my food and made my way to the back door of the lunch room.
"Hey, baby!" Chris said and step in front of me. "How have you been princess? You know I love your name. How bout a little smooch? Hmmmm?" He stepped closer.
"Chris. Leave. Me. Alone." I said through clenched teeth and shot daggers at him through my eyes. Chris had been pestering me since my first day of school.
" Why, Honey why in heavens name would I want to do that?" Chris mimicked my English accent. " Your so gorgeous and smart that I just want to take you home put you in the oven and melt that ice around your heart away."
I knew the first two things about me were true, but the ice around the heart... well, maybe, it didn't beat. I pushed my way around him. Maybe I pushed a little to hard.
He rammed into a lunch table and fell back into no other then the new girls tray. I looked at the new girl and paused before walking again. Something was wrong. I'd have to ask Jamie. " Sorry." Then I walked as fast as I could out of the lunch room and into its parking lot. A few heads turned my way on the way out.
As soon as a got to my car, a sexy Porsche 911 Turbo, a present from Jamie, I took out my tiny, silver cell phone and speed dialed Jamie.
"Whats up Alice. Every thing okay at school?" Jamie yelled above the noise in the back round.
"I don't know yet. Jamie where are you?" I yelled back so he could hear me.
The noise started fading as he talked, "I'm at a concert, in a mosh pit, with girls that are taking their shirts off so this had better be important."
"Ew. You are a nasty pervert. Well, theres a new girl in school and I grasp her aura." I said with a hint of uncertainty.
"Oh. Well, that doesn't happen every day now does it?"
"No and I would appreciate it if you did some tests?" The last part came out as a childish voice, begging him.
"You'll have to bring her to the house, and Alice, not unconscious. She has to come willingly. Befriend her Alice. Bring her over for a sleepover."
"Jamie! How could you request such a thing? Remember what happened last time I had a friend!" I screeched bewildered. Remembering how she was brutally killed.
"Alice calm down. That was before. Your older and can protect what you love. Like you protected that mutt of yours from a bear that would have killed it."
"Bears are easy and Charlie is not a mutt. The Van Burners have always tried to kill every thing that I have touched. Including you if you should recall."
Wincing he replied in a clipped tone, "Are you going to let them rule your life? Make you have only one friend? Me? I a pathetic excuse of a friend."
"Your right about that. Your not my friend your my big brother, theatrically speaking, and I do not have friends because I wish it that way. "
"Well if you want me to do tests make friends with her and bring her over. Okay. Their starting a new song. Bye." Jamie yelled as the noise grew louder each second.
"WAIT! Come on Jamie! Give me another option!" I yelled but it was to late, he had hung up. And probably turned his phone off too. "Damn."
The shrill bell for 7th period rang. Great, gym. Well, lets hope I don't kill anyone today. I thought sarcastically.
Chapter Two
Oh man! Do I ever get a break? I thought as the new girl, I hadn't figured out the girls name yet, walked into the locker room with Tina.
"I wonder if I can be friends with her." New Girl whispered to Tina.
"Who? Alice? She'll probably just say hi and bye. I mean shes never rude but she doesn't put in any more than she has to in a conversation." It seemed to me that Tina liked to put in a lot of details in one sentence.
"I'll walk up to her when I'm done changing." New Girl said firmly.
As I was pulling my gym shirt on and tyeing it in the back New Girl bounced, literally, up to me.
"Hi. My names Harley. Your Alice right?" Harley said a little nervously. I looked her over. She was kinda short with really pretty green eyes and mounds of thick black hair. She seemed pretty pale too.
"You are right. I am Alice. You are new here?" I gave her a little ghost of a smile.
Her smile widened. "Yep. Thats me. Do you mind if I hang out with you during gym?" She asked sounding hopeful.
I looked into her eyes trying to sense here aura so I could grasp it, but there was none. "Alright, but you'll have to keep up."
Relief shone in her eyes. " I'll go tell Tina that. Thanks." Then she skipped over to Tina and told her every thing we had said and done even though Tina had been watching the whole thing. Her eyes got to be about the size of a pool ball before she looked up and saw me looking at them. Then she did something so unexpected it took me a second to react. She waved and smiled. Then I waved back and gave a tiny smile. Wow this smiling feels pretty weird when you hadn't done it in a while.
Later up on the track, Harley and I were running, well she was running I was jogging.
"So how do you like Whitewater, Montana and its only high school?" I asked.
"I'll get used to it." She panted. "Me and my dad live up at Whitewater River a little ways into the woods."
"Oh. I live by there to though my house is five miles into the woods." I swallowed dreading to say the words that would most likely end this girls life.
"Would you like to come over today?"
***
"Wow. Nice car." Harley said as she sat down in the deep leather chair of the passenger side.
"Yep. This is one of my babies." I said getting behind the wheel and starting the car. The purring of the engine always had a calming effect on me. It didn't help one bit this time.
"What are your parents names? Do you have any siblings?"
"My parents are dead and my older brother Jamie will most likely hit on you but if he does I'll wallop him upside the head for you."
"Oh. Sorry. Your brother will really hit on me? Wow. Aren't you going a little fast?"
"Yes, he's a real wretch. Yes, I am going to fast," I looked at her face which was paler then usual, "Would you like me to slow down?"
"And watch the road? Yes please."
I eased up on the gas.
"Would you like to stop at your house and tell your father your going to be coming over to my house for a bit?"
"Yeah, thanks."
I pulled into her driveway and sat idling as she ran up to the house. I could hear her tell her dad that she had a new friend and that she was going to go over to her house. Then, he started yelling.
"We just got here! Can't you just keep to yourself for this one year or are you going to put everyone you talk to at risk! AGAIN!" I heard him roar.
"Why am I not allowed to have friends daddy? Why would they be at risk?" She had started crying.
"Your a stupid excuse for a daughter!" It was now obvious that he was drunk. "I want to meet this Alice see if shes up to stuff."
"Daddy! No! Stop! I'll leave with her okay, you stay in your study."
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. He stomped down the stairs. "No, I want to see her.
I could hear her fly down the stairs after him.
He burst through the front door. Oh shit. He was the leader of the Tallent Clan. The shape shifters were either slaves or enemies for vampires. Which were the highest ranking clan. They called us "The Cold Hearts"
Chapter Three
Oh so thats why I couldn't grasp Harley's aura. She was a shape shifter. They had to many auras to get a firm grasp on. Well that solves my problem.
Yet adds another one on.
"What is she doing here?!" Harley's father screeched. Then he whirled and raised his hand to smack her. Harley flinched and closed her eyes, but nothing happened.
When she opened her eyes she saw that I was holding his hand up and we were glaring at each other.
I dropped his hand and stepped away. "I see the tradition of the slaves goes on." I murmured and took another step back.
"Wait, you know my dad? How? What?" She asked looking back and forth from me and her father. He was visibly shaking now ready to shift.
"Go inside Harley. Now. No arguments." Her father hissed through clenched teeth.
"But-"
"No Harley. Do as he says please." I said worried that if he did shift that she would be hurt or worse see what I am and then we both would have to move. But I loved this place. I would not leave.
As she trudged up the stairs her father said, " Where is Jamie? Hmmmm? Is he home? He killed Harley's brother you know."
Harley stopped but he didn't seem to notice.
"Jamie was protecting me. He almost killed me."
"You were in our territory, you needed to be put in your place!"
I stepped behind him with unnatural speed that only vampires posse. "And yet you failed. I was a new born, Jamie had just turned me. I was almost dead. My father had beat me to the edge of death and dumped me in those woods. Jamie saved me." I whispered still aware that Harley could hear. "But, that was 108 years ago. It doesn't matter anymore right?"
He spun around and shifted into a king cobra. He made his move. I stood still. His mouth wrapped around my leg and tried to bite into my leg. I stared down at him, " That was a bad choice. Our venom is more powerful than the king cobras so even if you could bite through my skin you would be dead.
I stopped, closed my eyes and searched for this snakes aura. It only had one this time. I grasped it with my mind and pulled it away. I opened my eyes and the snake was suspended in midair with an invisible force- my mind grasping his aura and keeping him there- and hissing.
"I could kill you right now-"
"NO!" Harley screamed and came running at me.
I ignored her. "-but I won't. Don't even try to shift, it won't work. Now I'm going to let you go and your going to go inside and sober up. If Harley still wishes to come with me than she shall. If I ever know that you have raised a hand to her again I will be back. You can count on that." I turned around to find Harley. She was standing behind me staring at me and her father.
"May I go with her daddy?" She whispered looking at the king cobra in fear.
I set her father down and warned him again, "If you think of hurting her-" I left the threat unfinished.
I let go of his aura and stepped back with Harley behind me.
He shifted into what was his body 108 years ago and glared at me. " If you dare to hunt humans here-"
I laughed, "Is that why your so worried? I do not hunt humans. Have you noticed my eyes?" I lifted a finger and pointed.
He looked at my eyes and took a step back, startled, "How is that possible? Every one of your kind has had blood red eyes. Your's are silver! How can this be?"
"I don't drink human blood. Just animals. It doesn't taste as good but its better than killing someone." I said with a shrug. "I have to go now. Harley?" I started walking to my car. I hear her racing to catch up with me.
"What just happened, I'm confused!" Harley whimpered.
"Well, your clan and my clan have been enemies since before either of us were born. Which was over 126 years ago. You see, shape shifters are the slaves of vampires. Vampires are like the rulers of the clans. Sort of like the royal family."
"So I'm a shape shifter? Cool!" Harley squealed.
"Not cool! You have a hard life. Your not normal!" I said glaring out the window.
"How old are you?" Harley look at me and stared.
"Don't stare its not polite. I'm eighteen."
"How long have you been eighteen?" She said looking at the floor.
"108 years. Do you need lessons on manners! Sit up straight with your head up! No wait never mind! I can't stand this. Okay when you meet my brother Jamie you have to recall all your manners. Just because he doesn't look old doesn't mean he isn't." I said looking at her instead of the road. I knew I was going to fast again. This time she didn't ask to slow down.
"Your really that old? Do you age? Can I change my eye color? I have so many questions!" Harley rushed out of breath.
"I will tell you all once we get to my house okay." We had reached the driveway. I glanced at her and saw that she was staring at my brothers house. The house was magnificent though. It was five stories tall, laid out in stone, and, I have to take the glory, I had designed the whole thing.