Chapter One

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON. THE EVERGREEN STATE.

I shouldn't have been surprised when the sun didn't greet me as I crossed the Washington state border. Ever since I left Phoenix yesterday morning, its intensity diminished with each mile traveled. The dreary sky loomed above me, matching my gloomy mood.

It wasn't that I didn't want to move here, to start a new school for my senior year and live with my dad, Charlie, whom I hadn't seen since I was 11 years old. Quite the opposite, actually. But it would take an adjustment period.

The temperature steadily dropped throughout the duration of my journey. It was currently 72 degrees. The rational part of me knew it was by no means cold, but it was over 100 degrees back home.

I had to remind myself this was home now.

Five hours later, I pulled into Charlie's driveway. I killed the engine, climbed out of my white Dodge Stratus, and stretched my stiff muscles. It'd been a long drive. Despite my mom's insistence to accompany me here, I decided to make the trip alone. Charlie wasn't pleased about it either, but he let it go. When I'd talked to him a few months ago, I got the distinct impression he, under no circumstances, wanted to see my mom. If Charlie had it his way, I'd have flown in. From the looks of the ancient, decrepit "spare truck" parked on the side of the garage, driving my own vehicle had been a wise choice.

The two-bedroom house was the same one he'd purchased with my mom back when they were still married. I remembered what it looked like from my visits when I was younger, but I couldn't remember a time when it was ever my home.

"Bella!"

"Hey, Dad."

Charlie stepped out of the house as I struggled to get my suitcase out of the trunk. It was bursting at the seams with books and winter clothes—which would now be my summer clothes. He picked up the bag like it weighed nothing, probably a side effect of years spent in the police force.

"Good lord, Bella. What on earth is in this thing?"

"Oh, the usual. Drugs, alcohol, dead bodies…"

The look on Charlie's face said he clearly wasn't amused.

"I'm glad you made it in one piece."

I followed him into the house. It was strange, not having seen him in seven years. He looked exactly the same as I remembered. My mom always told me I was the female version of him, and I could see it now. I inherited his fair skin, brown eyes, and dark hair. There wasn't a streak of gray to be seen even though he was pushing 50. Unless he was sporting some Just for Men, he had some kick ass aging genes. I hoped he passed them along to me.

"The room's all ready for you," he said as we climbed the stairs to the second floor. "I… cleaned."

I looked around the small room, the same one I slept in when I used to visit for two weeks at a time during summer. It looked pretty much how I remembered it—worn wooden floor, light blue walls, lace curtains that had turned from white to yellow over the years. The twin bed and nightstand were the same, as was the rocking chair in the corner. The only new addition was a desk by the window—a perfect spot for my laptop.

"Thanks. It looks… clean."

"Well…" Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "You probably want to unwind after that drive. Will you be okay on your own for a few hours? I'm not working tonight, and I told my buddy Billy I'd stop by for a couple of beers."

"Did you remember to install the cabinet locks so I don't get into the chemicals under the sink?" When he didn't seem to get the joke, I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm pretty tired, actually."

"You can come with me if you'd like," he offered.

I had no interest in hanging out with a bunch of old men and being Charlie's sober cab. I was kind of glad he was leaving. It wasn't that I didn't want to spend time with him, but we were practically strangers. Maybe things would be less awkward once we got to know each other better. If not, it was going to be a long summer.

"I'm good," I assured him. "Can I get money for pizza or something?"

His thick mustache twitched as he pulled out his wallet and parted with a twenty. I wondered if he already regretted his decision to let me move in or if it would take a few months.

There were still a few small items I needed to collect from my car, so I followed Charlie back down the stairs and out the front door. I was halfway to my car when a loud bark echoed through the neighborhood. I turned around in time to see a giant brown dog emerging from the woods and approaching at full speed.

"Wolf!" Charlie yelled from beside me.

A scream built in my chest as the canine barreled toward us, but before I could let it rip, Charlie sank to one knee and held out his arms. The dog skidded to a halt in front of him, wagging his entire back end with the enthusiasm of an overexcited puppy.

"Good boy, Wolfy! Good boy!" He praised him over and over again in the annoying tone reserved for dog owners.

I released a shaky breath. I had never been fond of dogs, especially large ones. "Dad? When did you get a dog?"

Charlie stopped petting the mutt and stood. He cleared his throat and brushed the fur from his hands. "Wolf's not mine." His gaze was pensive as he scanned the neighborhood. "Not sure who owns him. I called animal control once. He was back within the week. Someone takes good care of him. He's not underfed, that's for sure."

"How do you know his name's Wolf?"

"I don't. But he looks like a wolf, and he always seems to answer to it. Don't you boy?"

Wolf barked once in response.

"Well, I'm going to go, Bella. If you need anything—"

"Yeah, yeah. Call your cell. I got it."

He looked like he was going to say something else. Perhaps a fatherly pep talk? Don't get into trouble and all that business. Instead he nodded and headed to his police car. Wolf watched him get in and then turned his giant head toward me. I retrieved my purse and laptop from the car and returned to the house, closing the door behind me before Wolf got any crazy ideas to barge inside.

Charlie already had the comfort of knowing I was a good kid. My mom assured him of that when they agreed he would take me. For the most part I stayed out of trouble. I'd only gotten detention a few times. I might not be a stranger to alcohol, but I didn't partake in it frequently. With my dad being a cop, I had a feeling my days of illegal activities were over.

It didn't take me long to unpack. I hung all my clothes, completely took over the small bathroom with various haircare and makeup products, and ordered a pizza. By the time I finished eating, I was dead on my feet. Charlie still hadn't returned home. I changed into my pajamas, grabbed a book, and crawled into bed.

"I'll never understand how teenagers can sleep for twelve hours and still be crabby."

The accusation caused me to bristle even though Charlie was partially right. I was crabby, but he had no way of knowing. I hadn't even said anything yet. My mood had more to do with lack of sleep than an overabundance of it. The unfamiliar sounds of the house kept me up all night, and the bed was much smaller than I was used to. More than once I woke up because one of my limbs had fallen over the edge. Then the irrational fear of the monster under the bed had kept me awake for another ten minutes.

Besides, how would he know how long I slept? It wasn't like he was here when I went to bed.

Instead of saying what my sleep-muddled mind was thinking, I grunted and rummaged through the kitchen for breakfast. There were unopened gallons of milk and orange juice in the fridge, a full carton of eggs, ketchup and mustard, lunch meat, and beer. I eyed Charlie over the refrigerator door. He might be single, but he was still a man. This was not the inventory of food I expected to find. Where were the hot dogs? The steaks? The month-old Tupperware containing a moldy mystery? It seemed the few things he did have were brand new.

Charlie held up the newspaper as if he were reading it, but I caught him watching me out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know what kids eat these days." He shrugged. "There's cereal in the cupboard."

"What do you eat?" I asked.

"I usually go out for a bite. It's easier. My schedule is hectic, working overnights and all. When I buy food it always goes bad."

Fair enough. I opted to skip breakfast for today. I'd make Charlie take me grocery shopping this afternoon. I poured a glass of orange juice and sat down next to him at the kitchen table. The newspaper was spread across the surface in various piles. I assumed there was some sort of rhyme or reason to the madness, but I didn't care enough to ask.

"How was beer at Billy's?"

Charlie pursed his lips. "Unfulfilling. How was… whatever it was you did all night?"

I shrugged. "Fine."

An awkward silence set in. I was about to retreat to my room when a headline in the national section of the paper caught my eye.

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT VAMPIRES

I slid the paper in front of me and began reading the article. When I was finished, I looked up to see my dad's watchful eyes. He looked away.

"What?" I asked.

"So… vampires."

Apparently our first real conversation was going to revolve around current events.

"Crazy, huh? Who'd have thought?"

"Never thought I'd see anything like it in my time."

"I saw one."

Charlie froze, his eyes becoming large as they met mine once again. He sat so still. If I didn't know better, I'd think he stopped breathing. I would expect a similar reaction if I told him there was a vampire sitting at the kitchen table.

"Did you now?"

"Mhmm." He didn't ask for additional details, but I gave them anyway. "In Phoenix, a couple weeks ago. It was the coolest thing ever. I was at the mall, and this guy in front of me looked completely normal—just like everyone else. Then he walked outside, and I swear to God his skin sparkled!"

Charlie raised his eyebrows in a dubious manner. "Sparkled?"

"Yeah! I know it sounds like the most ridiculous thing ever, but it was so cool!"

"Sparkled."

"Yeah."

"Bella, try to stay out of trouble while you're here. I don't want you hanging around any vampires."

"Do you know any?" I must have sounded a little too excited, because Charlie narrowed his eyes, giving me a look of warning. "To stay away from, I mean."

Charlie turned his attention to the next section of the paper. "No," he said. "None that I'm aware of."

I shouldn't have been disappointed, but part of me really wanted him to say, "Why, yes! There's a vampire just down the road. Lovely fellow. You'd really like him."

I didn't like to think of myself as one of those crazy people obsessed with vampires. I'd never read Dracula. The few vampire movies I'd seen were never my choice to watch. Vampire lore didn't draw me in like it did to so many others. Yet ever since their existence was discovered, more than anything I wanted to meet one.

Vampires—real vampires—fascinated me.

I couldn't deny my jealousy of the newspaper reporter, Vanessa Wolfe, who actually got to interview them. I had a mile long list of things I'd ask if I had the chance.

There were multiple websites that tracked vampire sightings. The northern states and Canada had a significantly higher population than the southern states. I wasn't sure why, but I hoped it meant my chances of having a vampire BFF greatly improved here.

Only time would tell.