I didn't bother telling Paul where I was going, or what I was going to do, I just took off running. While I ran, I kicked off my sneakers, quickening my speed and abandoning them somewhere in the grass as I high jacked it for the triplet's house. Paul followed behind me, making my fast speed look somewhat effortless, though he fell behind for a second to kick his own shoes off.
"Stop," He was calling me, "Stop, where are you going?" But I couldn't stop now. Not with a million questions racing through my mind. If I didn't see the triplets right now I would die, I just knew it. I needed to know, for sure. But that little girl's face flashed behind my eyes again. Her pale skin, those red, red eyes. A whimper escapes me, but I'm not sure if it's from fear or the cold.
"Damien!" I'm screaming so loud my throat catches fire as I near the house. Paul stops short when we get close, and I hesitate for a second. He looks at me, his eyes wild.
"Do you smell that?" He asks, than his head whips toward the house, to the upstairs window, where the girl is. He looks back to me, his brows furrowed like he doesn't quite understand.
Before I can ask what he means, Tyler comes flying off the porch, Matt and Damien jumping off the porch behind him. For a minute, I don't think he notices me, then his eyes flick down and his angry face wavers into uncertainty. He was like an angry mother defending his young. Or, I think, a father defending his daughter.
"What-?" I begin to ask, but Tyler cuts me off before I can even begin.
"Get her out of here." He's yelling at Damien, who is still staring down Paul. When Tyler realizes that his brother's aren't moving, he turns his attention back to Paul. "Tell your friends they can't have her. Tell Nathan." Tyler says, so low I almost can't hear him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Paul says, but I can tell that he has a theory. He knew more about the legends then I did. No way he didn't suspect Sam Uley and his friends of being exactly what the legends said they should be- especially after he saw those wolves burst through the trees. They were fast, but he saw them. And they chased after that man, that pale, red eyed man, just like the girl upstairs. Paul wasn't stupid. "I'm not one of them." He says, but it sounds weird coming from his mouth.
"Paul, get out of here." I say, low and frightened, and Damien's worried eyes flick to mine. "Get out." I yell, and shove at his chest. And he does leave, and then I'm alone, huffing and staring at Tyler, who is looking at me with nothing but hatred.
"Can I come in?" I say low to Matt, moving closer to him, and fidgeting with the hem of my hoodie. IT was starting to rain, one of those harsh storms that start fast and hard, with little warning. He bites his lip, and opens his mouth, but Tyler looks around at the trees and meets my eyes.
"Get inside." He yells over the pounding of the rain, and Damien rushes to me, putting an arm around me and hurrying me into the house. Once inside, I pull my hoodie to me. I was nearly soaked, and my feet were covered in mud, that I attempted to wipe on the mat at the door. Tyler closes the door behind us, and the rain turns to a faded noise behind us. He stares at me for a minute, and then looks to his brothers.
"Why don't you go sit in the kitchen?" Damien says, and gives a pointed look. "I'll get you some dry clothes." I oblige, and sit on the edge of the chair. I can hear them whispering in the hall and strain to hear their words.
"They won't hurt us with her here…" Tyler was saying, and I watched Damien's face get red.
"You can't keep her here…..sitting duck….just a girl….."And I couldn't make out anything further. I jump when Matt comes in with a pair of sweat pants and a soft tee shirt. I think about going upstairs, but the thought frightens me too much. That girl was up there. That THING was up there.
"I'll leave so you can change." Matt says, and when he's gone I change faster than I ever have, making sure no one took a peak.
"Who is she?" I say strongly, when they all come in the kitchen and Tyler pours himself a scotch. He gulps it down and pours himself another before sitting across from me at the table and pinching the bridge of his noise, as if I irritated him beyond belief. "Who. Is. She?" I say louder, and his piercing eyes meet mine.
"She's my daughter." He says, but it's softer than I thought it would have been. "That girl," he pauses, and stares at me for a minute, as if he was letting it sink in, "is my daughter." His voice cracks and Damien drags the chair next to me out to sit down, making me jump.
"But she's..." I start to say, not wanting to finish the sentence. But I don't have to, because Tyler nods anyway.
"Yeah." He says drily. "Yeah, she is." For a minute I think he might cry, but then his eyes get cold and hard again, and gulps the rest of his scotch before pouring another. Matt pours one for himself and huffs.
"How?" I ask. It's simple, but it's such a loaded question I expect him not to answer.
"My high school sweetheart had the kid, I didn't even know about it, but once she was born she gave her to me. Said she wanted nothing to do with a baby." He shook his head like he couldn't imagine anyone giving her up. "And then that thing," He slams his glass down fiercely and his words pierce the air. "She's just a kid, you know? And it was, was, was, drinking her. Changing her." He looks at me, like he was pleading with me for his life. "What was I supposed to do? She's my daughter. She doesn't kill anyone. I swear it, she doesn't kill anyone, she doesn't I swear." He tells me through gritted teeth. I notice how tired and red his eyes are, how low and intense his voice is.
He stares at me until I begin to fidget, and glance at Damien, waiting for him to laugh and tell me it's all a joke, and make fun of me for being so gullible. But he doesn't. No one does. Thunder cracks outside the window and I jump.
After a moment, I find my voice. "I want to meet her." I say strongly, but it's soft. Tyler stares at me a minute.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Damien begins to say, but Tyler cuts him off.
"No," He holds a hand up to his brother, moving closer to me. "If anyone can convince them she's harmless it's her. She's an imprint."
His words seem to throw me back against a brick wall. Imprint? Me? No, I barely even knew any of the…wolves? Gang? That was impossible. He sees the disbelief in my face and turns to me.
"That boy you were with tonight. If he really isn't one of them, then he hasn't turned yet, but he will. And he'll imprint on you. I just know it. I've studied them for years, now, and I just know it." Tyler assures me, and I can't argue with him. What did I know of imprints and wolves and vampires.
"Last chance to tell me it's a joke." I say to Damien, who grins at me, as we stand and Tyler begins leading the way out of the kitchen, up the stairs, to the girl's room.