Chapter 3

Nick sat there on the couch thinking how his mother could ever let a human live in their house. She was demanding and annoying, but looked sad at the same time as if she did not want to be here. He stood up and said. "Hay, Mom, I am going to go out and get a snack."That was what they had decided to call it while Lara was living here.

"Okay, not to late,"Nina said, she had already gone out and got her "snack" for the day.

"Yeah, Mom, I might stop by the club too."Nick said, and walked out the front door. It was not long before he found a girl walking by herself on the street. He came up behind her and did not give her the time to scream, just took her in to an ally and bit her neck. It had been years since he had killed a human, so he only took enough to sustain himself. This girl was still awake and that only made it easer to erase her memory of him and send her home and to bed. After, he had gotten done with that he walked over to the club, he did not have to show prof that he was a vampire everyone knew him.

* * *

Lara heard Nina and Nick talking about a snack and Nick going out for something there seemed to be a hidden thing going between them. She was curious and wanted to know what that was all about so she did the only thing act like she was getting ready for bed, turn on some music load so no one would hear her.

She walked down the hall and over to the stairs and went down them as quietly as she could. she tiptoed over to the front door and turned the locks she thought, Yeah, there is diffidently something off. Why would she lock the door behind him? Lara asked herself, Well he could have a key. she stopped the mental babble and slowly opened the door. Outside it was cool but warm at this time compared to Salem where Lara was born and raised.

She started down the road and then seen Nick walking up behind a girl on the street. He dragged her over to the ally Lara could not watch him do anything to the girl; she closed her eyes like a little kid watching a horror flick that her parents told her not to watch. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and seen the girl walking down the street as if nothing had happened at all. Nick walked out a few minutes later wiping at his mouth. He disappeared in to a building she did not want to go in there she could hear music playing inside. she sat accost the street on a bench in the shadows, and waited for him to come out.

* * *

Sitting as far away from the door as he could get was his cousin James. He walked over to James and sat down accost from him."Hay, James, how are you?"

"Good and you? How is the new house mate?"James asked, teasing.

"Good and she is good too."Nick said, not wanting to go there.

"So, what is she?"James asked, snooping around.

He thought for a minute then "Witch."That came out of nowhere but was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

James shrugged, looking up over Nick's head and said,"Hi, Ash, you look depressed." At that commit Nick had to look up and sure enough Ash did not look so good."Sit down. We have not talked, you know, since you kidnapped Poppie."

"I am sorry."Ash said, catching James and Nick off guard. Ash never said he was sorry ever."I am sorry I did that."

"Ash, what is the matter with you?"Nick asked, he did not know Ash as good as James but when they were little that had played together. He knew that Ash never said anything nice.

"James, you cursed me."James started to laugh his head off.

"Oh my God, you found your soulmate?"James could not stop laughing.

"Yes, are you happy?"Ash said, looking like he could punch James at that moment.

"Well, what's her name?"James asked, finally getting himself under control. Ash's face fell and he looked even more torn up.

"Mary-Lynnette."Ash said, as he finally sat down in the chair next to Nick and snatched Jame's untouched drink."So, where is Poppie?"

"Poppie is up at the Thierry's place."He said, in a casual tone.

"What? Isn't that where I took her and you flipped out on me."Ash said, making it a statement and not a question.

"Yes, because you were trying to get her killed."James said, and Nick stood up and said his goodbyes and left to go home.

On the way home it was quite not a sound Nick was walking and then out of no were he heard the sound of a fight. He walked quietly up to the corner and staying hidden in the shadows he saw two figures fighting. He walked around the corner and seen the two figures. They were both men and one looked drunk or something, and he lunged at the other one who dodged the blow. The drunk guy pulled out a knife and started to walk over to the other guy. At the last moment Nick ran out and tried to pull the knife out of the drunk guys hands and the drunk guy turned, and plunged the knife into Nick shoulder blade, and both men ran out of the ally. Nick fell to his knees and tried to stand up but fell face first into the ground, and passed out.

"Nick, oh god, Nick, wake up,"Lara said, she had followed him in to the ally, but hid behind a trash can."Nick, I need to get you to the hospital, come on."

"Take me home I will fine."Nick mumbled, with his eyes still closed trying not to think about the point that he could smell her blood."I need. . ."Then he remembered that she was not a nightworlder.

"Okay, come on,"Lara said, pulling him up holding his hand behind her head to steady him. After a moment she felt a shocking feeling going through her hand and up her arm. She took a shocked breath and looked at him
then said. "I am taking you to the hospital."

"No, you are not,"He growled at her, pulling out of her grasp and nearly fell again but she helped him again. He did not seem to be feeling the shock of where their skin touched. "I-I. . .My Mom will help me." He was really trying not to get a whiff of her."Please, go I don't want to hurt you. Or at least step back."as he said the words he realized that is was true he did not want to hurt her.

"What are you talking about? You will not hurt me you are bleeding." Lara said, looking confused, but before she could back up he bit her on the neck and she fell in to him. He was nearly knocked back on his butt with her thoughts, but he slid down the wall and cradled her in his arms.

What is the world are you? Let go of me,She nearly yelled in his head.

How are you talking in my head? You are not supposed to do that, He thought to her, And I am sorry. I told you to step back I could not help it.

Just get out of my head you. . .you. What are you? She asked in his head. And like that there was walls going up all over in his head.

Nothing, He thought, and pulled out of her head. In the real world he stood up and pulled her up with him. His shoulder was just fine now.

"I am light headed,"She said right before she fell.

"Come on. Do you think that you can walk?"She nodded. He helped her up and they walked in to Grandma Harman's shop through the door that was up for humans."Blaze, Thea, are you here?"

Blaze walked around the counter from the back."Umm, Hi, Nick, Thea does not live here anymore."

"What. . . Never mind. Do you have some food?" Nick asked

"Yeah, hang on I have a salad in the back."She left, Nick turned to Lara.

"You did not see anything tonight, Right?"He asked her, she shook her head no he was trying to use mind control on her, but it was not working."I need to go talk to Blaze can you stay here?"

She nodded lying her head in her arms,"My head is killing me."

Nick stood up and walked into the back,"Hay, Blaise?"He said looking around.

"Yeah, Nick, you sound troubled, what is the matter?"Blaise said, coming back with a salad.

"Umm, well I walked in to a fight in an ally and she came and found me passed out or something; after I was stabbed in the shoulder."He said looking down and went on."She got me up and I kind of. . .drank from her."

"uh-huh." Blaise said, trying to hold back laughter.

"Well, I just tried to swipe the memory from her mind and it did not work." He said, trying to hide the embarrassment."Do you have anything that could, you know, get rid of the memory?"

"That is the only thing that I could thing of. Sorry Thea and I gave the good memory potion to some boys at the newest school we were at."

"Okay, well I will make something up."He said, flowing her back into the room where Lara was now asleep."I guess plane flights aren't the thing for you." Nick said shaking her lightly by the shoulder.

She woke up easily and said right off the bat."You have some explaining to do."

"Well, I found you in an ally knocked out."Nick said

"You are a terrible liar."She said and then took a bite and looked at Blaise and said."Thanks for the salad. By the way my name is Lara Park."

Blaise looked at her for a moment then said."Blaise Harman." She said, smiling sweetly.

"That sounds. . . familiar."Lara said, than she added,"Well, the Harman."She shrugged it off. She finished her salad and they talked and after that Lara and Nick walked home. On the way home they did not talk much, but when they walked through the door there was yelling.

"Where have you been, Lara? Your Mother called and I went to you're room and you were gone and she yelled at me."

"Umm, Mom, I took her out to show her around," Nick said, lying for her she looked down so Nina did not see the blush on her cheeks.

"Ginny wanted to tell you they are leaving tomorrow,"Nina said looking at Lara sternly, Lara nodded.

"Mom I need to talk to you."Nick said, looking at Lara. He said to her,"You should go and call your Mom."Lara left not looking back at him."Mom, I walked on to a fight and was stabbed in the shoulder; she came."

"Okay,"Nina mumbled."Is you're shoulder okay did you get. . . food?"

"Yeah, but. . .It was her. I drank from her she passed out, but she knows that something is up."Nick said.

"Did you clear the memory?" She asked his in a calm voice.

He nodded,lying to his Mother for the first time since he was fave, and walked up to Lara's room to talk to her.