Chapter Two
Across town, Stefan stood by the fireplace and watched the flames. He had a party going on downstairs. Yet, he didn't seem to be in the mood to make his appearance and pretend to be his carefully crafted persona. There were few invited to that party that knew the real Stefan. For the real Stefan was not the pretty and frivolous vampire who wanted nothing more than to surround himself with pretty young human girls. The real Stefan was something much more complex and dangerous. He ran a crime organization that encompassed a tri-state area. But, right now, the real Stefan was feeling something that he didn't like to feel. Reluctantly, he had finally admitted to himself that he was lonely. Of course, he could go downstairs and find the company of several pretty girls to feed on and have sex with. But, that wasn't the kind of companionship he was craving. He wanted someone to share things with. Someone that he didn't have to pretend with. He wanted a partner and an equal. These longings had scared him. But, there was no denying what he felt. A frown crossed his pretty face as he continued to stare into the flames and tried to ignore these feelings.
His melancholy reflection was interrupted by one of his lieutenants. He had some news for him. Stefan, of course, had a spy among Eric's lieutenants. He paid him very well to keep him informed on what Eric was up to.
"It seems Eric is looking for a girl that used to be the pet of Cole," said his lieutenant.
"I thought he had already caught her," said Stefan, not looking up.
"Evidently, she got away," said his lieutenant.
Now, that was curious, thought Stefan. Not many escaped from Eric's dungeon, at least alive. But, it was a girl, maybe Eric released her from her bindings in order to play with her.
"I think that there is something unusual about this girl," said his lieutenant.
"How so?" asked Stefan.
"My source says that Cole fed on her to the point of killing her repeatedly and then would feed her his blood," said his lieutenant. "You do know what that might have done?"
"Of course, I do," said Stefan. "Find a tracker to hunt her."
"I already took the liberty to doing that, Sir," said his lieutenant.
Stefan gazed at him and smiled. But, he was not so pleased. He did not like his actions being second guessed, nor did he like being so predictable. If his lieutenant wasn't so loyal, he might be facing a permanent early retirement. But, Stefan had no qualms about his loyalty so he let it slide, this time.
Stefan turned back and faced the fire. He wondered if Eric's assassin had managed to create a half-vampire. Many of the benefits of a vampire without the limitations. In many ways a superior being. How useful she would be depended on what exactly her abilities were and how many limitations she had. And that depended on how often and close Cole brought her to the point of death and fed her his blood. The more times it was done and the closer to the point of death the person was taken, the closer to a true vampire the person became. But, a vampire without the limitations of daylight would be worth their weight in gold. A powerful force, if she could be controlled, he thought.
Dylan gave a sigh of relief. Soon it would be daylight and, at least, the sheriff's vampire hunters would have to stop looking for her. She just had to get her money out of the bank and then she could leave town. Damn these awful creatures, she thought. It wasn't enough that she had been changed into something else, now because of that she was being hounded by them. She wondered if she needed their help. But, being chained in the sheriff's basement had done nothing to make her want to form a bond with him. She was still a possession to him, just like she had been to Cole.
Dylan had been spending a lot of time indoors lately. She had been laying low and trying to avoid detection. So, she decided to see exactly how much she had changed. She waited for the sun to rise with a mixture of fear and hope. When the sun peaked over the horizon, Dylan stood out in the open and let the sun's rays fall down upon her. She held her breath as she waited to see what, if anything, the sun's effect on her would be. She looked at her arms for any signs of burning. Her skin felt warm as the light fell on her, but other than that she seemed to still be able to tolerate it. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would probably need to wear sunscreen from now on, since she would probably be more susceptible to sunburn. But, hey, she thought, weren't we already supposed to be doing that? Dylan lifted her eyes and stared into sun and now she felt pain. It hurt her eyes to look into the bright daylight. She would need to wear sunglasses from now on. She felt a pang of disappointment that another sign of Cole's cruelty had manifested. But, as least that accursed creature had not changed her so much that she had to live forever in the shadows. When she had begun to change, she had pleaded with Cole to stop. But, he did not. He was a evil vampire and, maybe, she was some kind of experiment to him. If anything, once she started to manifest changes, he did it more often. She was sure that eventually, he would tire of toying with her and drain her for good. And then, turn her and make her his slave, forever. He enjoyed the power that he had over too much to ever let her go. She could not seem to refuse a direct command. He forced his will upon her and delighted in watching her obey. This went beyond decency, for he commanded her to willingly engage in sex with him. He took great delight in giving her pleasure because he knew how much she hated him. He would only smirk at her when her body betrayed her. What a lucky break it had been for her that he had met the true death. The only tears she had cried at his passing had been tears of joy. Because she thought that he might have mentioned her to other vampires, Dylan moved without giving a forwarding address. She had cautiously waited and hoped that her involvement with vampires would be over. But, that Sheriff had decided to seek her out. Even if she had not been changed, that creature would have still kept her. The fact that he had addressed her as pet had not escaped her notice. Cole had told her about Sheriff Northman and she was well aware of how lucky she was to escaped from him. Her hand touched his bite marks at her neck. She had thought for a moment that he was not going to bite her in the dungeon. She had thought that her plea to him had registered somewhere within him. For the briefest of moments, she swore that she had seen a flicker of compassion in his eyes. Maybe she had wanted so desperately to see it that she had imagined it. But, if it had been there, it was quickly eclipsed by his blood lust. She would be a fool to believe that a vampire would treat her with any type of real feelings or compassion. Her experiences with Cole had taught her that. And now, Sheriff Northman's behavior had only shown her that they were all like. She would go home and quickly pack just the necessities and wait for her bank to open. And then, she would move as far out of Sheriff Northman's territory as she could.
She had been heading west and decided to stop for a break and some food. She saw a sign on the highway and pulled into Merlott's. It was nestled in the woods and she parked her car out of sight of anyone just doing a drive by in the parking lot.
Sam's eyes turned and he saw a pretty girl come into Merlott's. She took off her sunglasses as she stood in the doorway. She was not a local, since Sam did not recognize her. She must be just driving by and saw the sign and stopped for lunch. As she walked closer, he caught a smell coming from her. It confused him and he sniffed the air for a moment. What he was seeing did not jive with what he was smelling. Curious, he decided to attend to her himself.
He walked to her and said, "Are you here for lunch?"
"Yes," she said, turning her eyes to his.
Blue intelligent eyes gazed into his and she gave him a faint smile. He returned the smile and escorted her to a booth. He handed her a menu as she sat down. As she bent her head to look at the menu, Sam was able to see a fresh set of fang marks on her neck. Given the smell he detected from her, that was not a total surprise. She looked up at him and seemed to study him. Perhaps, she could sense the difference about him. He got the feeling that she did not understand what her senses might be telling her about him. That was also curious, he thought.
"Are you just passing through?" he asked pleasantly.
"Yes, I...I'm just going on a trip," she said.
She appeared nervous and Sam wondered if she was in trouble and running away from someone.
"What can I get you?" he asked. "The jalapeno burger is the special today."
"Maybe just a regular burger," she said with a smile.
"You got it," said Sam and he turned away with her order.
When her order came, Sam watched her eat with interest. Well, everything about her was not making sense, he thought. For he could detect the scent of vampire on her. Yet, he also could smell the scent of human. Maybe he just smelled vampire because she had obviously been in close proximity to a vampire. She bore the marks of a vampire who had fed on her. She couldn't be a vampire since she was out in the daytime and eating.
"You know her?" asked Sookie.
Sam had not seen Sookie come up and he took his eyes off the girl.
"No," said Sam, embarrassed.
"You look like you want to know her," said Sookie.
Perhaps, she was teasing him. But, Sookie presented an opportunity to check something else out about the girl.
"Sookie, can you listen in on her thoughts?" asked Sam.
"No, why would I do that?" asked Sookie.
"Because, I just have a feeling that she is in trouble," said Sam.
Reluctantly, Sookie turned her eyes to the girl and listened. But, she only heard silence. Now, that was odd, thought Sookie. Then, as she continued, she heard a word. She started to hear more words, but they were only random words and she could not hear the entire stream of thought that they came from. So, it did not make any sense.
"I can't hear all her thoughts, just a word here and there," said Sookie. "All I heard was dungeon, daylight and a name, Cole."
No matter, how you can use the word dungeon, Sam could not think that it implied anything good. He felt his suspicions about the girl were confirmed. Sam took her bill to her and she opened her wallet.
"Oh, it's on the house," said Sam.
"That's kind of you, but aren't you running a business here. Won't the boss be angry?" she said.
"I am the boss," said Sam with a small smile.
The girl grew nervous again.
"Look, I know that it's none of my business, but are you in some kind of trouble?" asked Sam. "I might be able to help you."
"No, I'm not in any trouble," said the girl.
She looked into his eyes and said, "And just hypothetically, if I was in trouble, you don't want to have anything to do with me. You would be in danger."
She got up and said, "Thank you for your kindness. You could forget that you ever saw me if anyone comes here and asks about me."
Sam nodded and said, "You were never here."
She gave him a final smile and said, "Goodbye, then, Mr. Merlott."
Sam watched her as she paused at the doorway and put on her sunglasses. She then walked out into the bright sunlight. He wondered again what she was, he had never smelled anything like her before. Was she running away from a vampire? He gave a silent wish for her safety and then turned back to the bar.
Dylan stopped for the evening at a small town along the highway. The hunters would be out at night anyway, best to stay out of sight, she thought. She pulled into a roadside motel and went into the office. The manager was a small, balding man of about sixty, she thought. He stared at her for a moment too long, and then seemed to realize that. He gave her a pleasant and very fake smile. Dylan realized with unhappiness that he had been staring at the marks on her neck.
"Do you need a room, Miss?" he asked.
"Yes, perhaps one off the road," said Dylan. "The noise keeps me awake."
"Of course," said the manager. "Credit card?"
"No, I'm paying with cash," she said.
"Works for me," said the manager with another smile.
He handed her all the paperwork which Dylan filled out with false information. He passed her the key.
"Um, is there anywhere close by to get something to eat?" she asked.
"Sure, there is a little bar just across the road," said the manager. "It's a bar, but they have a cook and some decent food."
She gave a smile and left the office. The manager watched her go. Then, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Why are you calling this number?" said the voice.
"I want to speak with William," said the manager.
"Is that so?" said the voice.
The manager grew angry, but he wasn't foolish enough to show this anger to the person he was speaking to. He found himself embarrassed to be afraid of someone who was so young. But, William's little brother was someone that you did not underestimate. He looked just like a spoiled pretty boy. But, he had heard things and sat in on enough meetings to know that William's brother was arrogant with good cause. He was keenly intelligent and William rarely made a decision without his brother's opinion. No, the manager thought between clenched teeth, he would be wise to remember the power that William's brother wielded.
"I need to speak with Will," said the manager.
"Well, even if Will was here, he would be too busy to talk to you. Are you trying to go behind my back?" said the voice.
"No, of course not," said the manager. That little bastard always knew everything that was going on and he intended to keep it that way.
"Then, get to the point. I haven't got all night," said the voice.
"I have an interesting piece of information, Kyle," said the manager. "A young lady just checked into the motel. She has vampire fang marks and the scent of vampire on her."
"Are you saying that she's a vampire?" asked Kyle.
"I'm not exactly sure what she is," said the manager.
Kyle was silent on the line.
Sensing his interest, the manager said, "I sent her to the Whispering Pines for dinner."
There was a pause and then Kyle said, "I will personally check her out. If you are right about her, I may have underestimated you."
Kyle hung up without saying anything else. But, that was as close to he ever would come to a compliment, as least from him. He felt a moment's pang of remorse about setting Kyle on the girl. Kyle could be ruthless. The girl had not seemed like a bad sort. But, the smell coming off her had been unmistakable. Poor kid, he thought, of all the places to stop for the night, she had picked a werewolf enclave.
Dylan opened the door to the Whispering Pines and stepped inside. The bouncer gave her the once-over and then a twice-over. He made a few audible sniffs which Dylan thought was odd and rude. Was he implying that she smelled? He raised an eyebrow as he continued to study her.
"Are you sure you want to come in here?" he asked.
"Is there a reason why I wouldn't?" asked Dylan, a little nervously.
The bouncer smiled, showing his teeth, and said, "You aren't our regular type, but we are a friendly bunch. Come in."
He motioned her inside and Dylan walked past him. She was still wearing her casual jeans, but had changed into a thin turtle neck to hide the bite marks on her throat. She looked over the place as she walked to the bar counter. It seemed like a local type bar. The music was rock, but the atmosphere was country. She noticed that she drew a few stares, but attributed that to her not being a local. She took a stool at the bar counter. The bartender frowned and looked her over for a long moment and, then, slowly walked to her. She thought, what was with this place? Did they just not like tourists?
"We don't have Tru Blood here," he said when he finally reached her.
"Now, why would I want that?" she replied. "A coke will be fine."
The bartender stared a moment longer and then prepared her coke. Dylan frowned and looked down. Did she really look like a vampire, now? Once again, she cursed Cole. Maybe, she should just leave.
The bartender put the coke in front of her. It had a cherry on top and when Dylan looked up at him, he gave her a little smile.
"On the house, for my rudeness," he said. "Is there anything else you want?"
"The motel manager said that you also had food here?" asked Dylan.
"Yes, the club sandwich is very good," he said.
"Then, I would like that," Dylan replied.
"One sandwich coming up for the pretty lady," he said and moved off to give her order to the cook.
As Dylan fished out the cherry from her coke, the bartender looked across the room at Kyle.
The girl was interesting, thought Kyle. She could not be a vampire since she was drinking a coke and had ordered food. She was pretty, very pretty, he thought. He could overlook that vampire smell for something like her. When her food came, he saw her politely thank the bartender and then dig in with hunger. Definitely, not a vampire. He wondered what exactly she was, he had an idea. But, he needed to get closer to her and provoke her to find out for sure. He caught the bartender's attention and nodded.
As Dylan was munching on a chip, the bartender put a drink in front of her. Dylan stared at it because it was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was in a tall glass and it seemed to be in layers of different colors. She guessed that the layers were different types of juices or liquors. It had a pink paper umbrella sticking out of the top and a skewer shaped like a sword that had chopped pieces of oranges, kiwis and pineapples on it.
She looked to the bartender and said, "I didn't order that."
"The gentleman did," said the bartender and he looked across the room. Dylan followed his gaze and saw a young and very cute man who got up and was making his way to her. He was tall and lean and was wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket. He had sandy brown hair with blonde highlights and very pretty green eyes. He took a seat next to her and the bartender put a beer in front of him and walked away.
Kyle took a deep breath through his nose and smelled her. Up close, her smell was different than a vampires. It was similar, but not the same. He could also detect the strong scent of human on her. She was a very intriguing creature, like nothing he had ever come across.
Shyly, Dylan looked at him and said, "Thanks, but I'm not much of a drinker."
"Surely, for me, you can make an exception," he said with a smile. "I ordered the most exotic drink I could think of. It keeps Ray on his toes."
He looked over to the bartender and grinned. The bartender gave him a dirty look.
"I guess, if you put it that way," said Dylan.
Dylan touched the drink, but did not drink it. She seemed to not want to meet his gaze and shyly dropped her eyes.
"I'm Kyle," he said.
"Dylan," she replied.
"Are you just passing through, Dylan?" he asked.
"Yes," said Dylan.
"So, where are you headed?" asked Kyle.
"I'm going west," said Dylan.
She now appeared uncomfortable and fidgeted.
"Are you traveling on business or to see family?" he asked.
She turned to him and said, "Thanks for the drink, but I have to get up early tomorrow morning and be on my way. I should be going."
Kyle smiled at her and said, "You aren't going anywhere until you honestly answer some more questions."
Dylan stood and looked at him and said, "Are you threatening me?"
"No, of course not," said Kyle. "I merely want to talk with you some more."
"I don't know how things work here, but where I come from, you do not keep women against their will," said Dylan.
"Is that really true?" asked Kyle, curious now. "Then, you must willingly associate with vampires. If you are a vampire's pet, why are you running away?"
He heard a sharp intake of breath and, now, she stared angrily at him.
"How dare you, you little prick. I'm no vampire's pet," she said.
Her eyes blazed with fury and, for a moment, Kyle wondered if she was going to attack him. But, then, a pained look quickly replaced the anger in her eyes. He saw tears swimming in her eyes. She blinked them quickly back and steadied herself. She was too strong to want to appear weak in front of them, he thought.
"You don't know anything about me," she said, sadly. "Now, I'm leaving and I suggest that you don't try to stop me."
She turned and moved towards the the door. Kyle nodded at two men who moved to block her path. She hesitated and another man grabbed her arm. She threw him into the wall and again faced the two men by the door. But, they shifted into wolves before her eyes. An audible gasp escaped from her. As Kyle watched, Dylan stared at them in confusion. It was obvious to him, that she had never seen werewolves before. Perhaps, he thought, she had not even known of their existence. The wolves growled and raised their hackles. With her eyes still on the wolves, Dylan began to retreat from them. She was frightened of them and, suddenly, a set of fangs appeared. When the wolves saw that, they snarled and advanced on her. You could tell a lot about a person by what they did when faced with insurmountable odds, thought Kyle. They either caved in like a coward or they fought back even though they knew that there was not any chance of victory. Even though the girl was obviously afraid, she bravely stopped retreating and held her ground. To Kyle's astonishment, she bared her fangs at the wolves and then flashed a gaze to encompass the entire bar, no doubt sensing that everyone present was her enemy. She turned her back to the wall and prepared to defend herself. Kyle had rarely seen such courage, especially from vampires whom he despised. He quickly moved between the wolves and Dylan.
"Stop," said Kyle to the werewolves.
The wolves stopped and Dylan stared at Kyle. He was in charge, she thought.
Kyle paused a moment and then slowly approached Dylan. He held his hands out in view of her to signal that he didn't mean her any harm. She looked so magnificent standing there with her fangs out and her eyes flashing, thought Kyle. He was surprised that he so attracted to something that looked like a vampire. Maybe, it was her courageous heart that had captured him, but vampire fangs or not, he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. She had earned his respect and admiration.
When he reached her, he held out his hand and slowly touched her throat. He could feel the drumming of her pulse beneath his fingers and the warmth of her skin.
"I am not a vampire, nor am I their creature," she said.
"You could have fooled us," said Kyle with a smile.
He reluctantly let go of her and looked back at the two werewolves and said, "It's okay."
They shifted back into human form and began putting their clothes back on. Dylan averted her eyes and Kyle watched her with a smile.
"I apologize for threatening you," said Kyle. "I don't mean you any harm. Please, have a seat. I only want to talk with you."
He walked back towards the place he had been sitting and stopped and waited patiently for her. She wanted to leave but she didn't want to have to fight her way out. She wasn't under any direct threat, now. And she didn't want anyone to get hurt, including herself. Kyle watched her a moment and continued back to his stool. He patted the stool next to him with an almost flirtatious little smile. She retracted her fangs and cautiously returned to her seat and sat down. Everyone else in the bar pretended to ignore them and the music started up again. She, now, took a gulp of the drink.
"You don't need to put away those pretty fangs on my account," Kyle said.
"I don't think everyone else here thinks that way," said Dylan.
"But, it's only me that you should be concerned about," said Kyle.
He was in charge and he knew it. He was bold for someone so young, she thought.
"What are they?" she asked.
"Werewolves," said Kyle.
"Are you a werewolf too?" she asked.
"Yes," said Kyle.
"But, how...I did not know..." she mumbled.
"If vampires exist, is it such a surprise that other things do also?" said Kyle.
Dylan was silent.
"Now, you know what we are," said Kyle. "I would like to know what you are."
Dylan did not meet his eyes and said softly, "I am a monster."
Kyle studied her. She was not happy about what she was.
"You don't look like a monster to me," said Kyle. "But, you smell like vampire and you have fangs. Are you related to them?"
"I guess so," said Dylan. "A vampire did this to me, against my will."
"Is he the one that you are running away from?" asked Kyle.
"No, he is dead," said Dylan. "I thought that I would be finally free when he met the true death. But, his sheriff knew of my existence and now hunts me."
She would be very valuable to vampires, thought Kyle. No wonder, they are looking for her. She was much too valuable to let get away.
"You can't outrun vampires. And this sheriff will hunt you across state lines," said Kyle. "You will be safer with us. We can hide you and protect you."
"I can't go with you," said Dylan. "I don't even know you."
"Sure, you can," said Kyle. "It's not like I'm asking you to sleep with me or something."
He got up and smiled at her and said, "Come on, trust me."
"Why would you help me?" asked Dylan.
"Because I hate vampires, almost as much as you do," he replied.
He held out his hand to her and waited. Dylan stared at it and, then, looked up into his eyes. He saw her eyes were shiny with tears again. He gently reached out and took her hand. He gripped it tightly.
"You don't have to be alone," he said.
A tear escaped and he softly brushed it away with his other hand. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Come with me, don't be afraid."
Dylan said, "You don't realize what you are getting into."
Kyle smiled and said, "Yes, I do."
He turned away from her and addressed the bar, "The lady was never here. She is under our protection and my care. Does everyone understand?"
A chorus of yeses rang out and Kyle said to the man who had tried to grab Dylan, "Take the lady's car and follow us. Tell the motel manager to get rid of all the evidence that she was ever there."
Dylan gave him her keys and the man headed out on his appointed task and Kyle, still holding her hand, walked her out of the bar. He escorted her to a SUV and opened the door for her. He got in and pulled to the highway and waited for the girl's car to appear. When it did, Kyle drove away. After a short drive, he pulled off on a side road. Dylan cast a glance at him as they drove. Even illuminated by just the dashboard lights, he was still very attractive. She guessed that they were of a similar age since he probably looked younger due to those boyish good looks. He certainly didn't act young. He was used to having his orders carried out. He must have sensed her study and looked over and smiled. Dylan looked down embarrassed at being caught looking. Kyle's smile only widened into a grin, although she didn't see that.
"Can I ask you how the vampire changed you?" asked Kyle.
"He would drain me to the point of almost death and then revive me with his blood," said Dylan. "He did that many times."
He had been a cruel bastard, thought Kyle. But, then, vampires weren't known for being warm and cuddly.
"I have to know this because it will effect our ability to hide you. But, are you bound to another vampire by blood?" asked Kyle.
"No," said Dylan.
"How did you get away from this sheriff?" asked Kyle. "And is he the one who bit you?"
"He chained me in his dungeon and bit me. He was too smart to let me out of the chains. I had to flirt with his child to get away," said Dylan.
Kyle looked her over. She was resourceful and he guessed that even some vampires were susceptible to a pretty face. Although, this sheriff was not.
Around a curve in the road, a large two story house appeared. The lights were still blazing inside. Kyle pulled the SUV up next to the garage and opened the door for Dylan. He, then, opened the barn door and the man drove her car inside. Kyle took her bag from the man and said goodbye to him. He turned and escorted her inside the house.
Another attractive man and an woman who looked to be in her early fifties waited for them inside. The man had darker hair than Kyle but the same green eyes. The woman was still beautiful, and was one of those women who never seemed to loose their looks with age. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, except for the eye color, Kyle looked remarkably like her. They stared curiously at Kyle and Dylan.
"Hi, Mom and Will," said Kyle.
He held Dylan's hand and said, "This is Dylan and she will be staying with us."
"Hello," they both said as they looked her up and down.
"It's nice to meet you," said Dylan.
"I'll just show her to her room," said Kyle.
He gave Dylan a smile and led her upstairs.
The woman watched Kyle and Dylan go up the stairs. She smiled and said, "My little boy is in love."
"What?" said Will as he turned to his mother.
"A mother always knows when her son meets the right girl," said his mother.
She turned and headed back to the kitchen.
Kyle led her to a bedroom across the hall from his. He put her bag on the bed. It was a spare bedroom, but still was large and comfortable. What looked to be a handmade quilt graced the bed.
He turned to her and said, "I'm just across the hall, if you need anything at all."
"I'm not sure that this is such a good idea," said Dylan. "Your family will be in danger."
"We can take care of ourselves," said Kyle.
He stepped closer to her and caressed her arm lightly.
"And I can take care of you," he said. He gave her a small smile and stepped away from her and left the room.
Will and their mother were waiting for Kyle downstairs in the kitchen. Their mother was busy making some hot chocolate on the stove.
"Can you explain just exactly what that is?" asked Will.
"She's a half-vampire," said Kyle, nonchalantly taking a seat at the breakfast bar.
"Vampire?" said Will. "What?"
"Are you sure?" said their mother, her eyes staring at Kyle intently.
"She has all the signs," said Kyle. "And her story of how it happened makes sense."
Kyle added, "She hates them as much as we do. I wouldn't have brought her here otherwise. It was done against her will and she is running away."
"Poor thing," clucked their mother. She carried the cup of hot chocolate to a breakfast tray and put some whipped cream on top. She added a couple of scones to a small plate and some butter.
She picked up the tray and said to Kyle, "You made the right decision, honey. The girl will stay with us."
Carrying the tray, their mother left the room, heading to their new houseguest.
"Mother approves," said Will. He added with a smile, "But, you are her favorite and you have had her wrapped around your finger from the moment you were born."
Kyle only grinned and grabbed one of his mother's scones. Will watched him. It would be nice to see a girl wrap his very charming but devious brother around her finger, even if she was part vampire.
Dylan sat on the bed and wondered how strange this turn of events was. Who would have ever thought that she would run away from vampires only to find herself in werewolf hands. Until this evening, she had not even known that werewolves existed. How many other strange things exist? A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes?" said Dylan.
The door opened and Kyle's mother entered her room carrying a tray. She could smell the hot chocolate and scones and immediately her mouth watered. At least, that vampire had not killed her love of food.
"I brought you a little nighttime snack," she said, setting the tray down on the bed.
"Thanks, that was very thoughtful of you," said Dylan. "What would you like me to call you? I don't even know your last name."
"Our last name is Sanders," she said. "But, you can call me Doreen, for now."
Doreen smiled and turned away to leave.
"Wait," said Dylan. "I don't know what Kyle told you. But, you need to be aware that my presence here could endanger your family. You seem like good people and I don't want to cause any harm to you. I should leave."
"Nonsense," said Doreen. "We don't turn our backs on someone in need."
Doreen knew that the girl would depart if she gave her the word. She was a good kid. Awful vampires always seemed to prey on the sweet ones, she thought.
"I don't know how to repay your kindness," said Dylan.
"Well, you can start by digging in," said Doreen. "If you need anything else, Kyle is just across the hall."
She smiled at Dylan and said, "He likes you." And with that, she turned and left.
Dylan sipped the hot chocolate and bit into a scone. It was blueberry and melted in her mouth. Damn, she thought with a smile, she could get used to this. Who would have thought that werewolf mothers knew how to bake such delicious scones? She changed into a pajama bottoms and a snug tank top for sleep. She opened her door and looked down the hallway. All the doors were closed. Which one was the bathroom? She didn't want to just start opening all of them. She stepped to Kyle's door and tentatively knocked.
"It's open," he said.
She opened the door and saw him reading in bed. The covers were down to his waist and his chest was bare. For a moment, the thought of whether he was wearing anything else under those blankets crossed her mind. Focus, she thought.
"Is there something that you want?" he asked, pleasantly.
Was he teasing her, she wondered, with that choice of words?
"Um, which door is the bathroom?" asked Dylan.
"Last door on the left," said Kyle. "There is a little linen closet right next to it if you need towels or anything else."
"Thanks, and...and goodnight," said Dylan, who did her best not to stare anymore.
"Goodnight, Dylan," he said with a little smile.
She closed the door and stood there a moment. His body was just as pleasing to the eye as his pretty face. And he had not looked like such a boy without his clothes. She made her way to the bathroom and tried to think of something else.
Inside his room, Kyle picked up his book and resumed reading. But, he couldn't stop the tiny smirk that passed over his lips.