Sterling Silver: (Sterling Hunter 1)

by Melody Personette

  She feigned left and struck right. Sebastian saw it coming and ducked out of the way. Tabitha jerked out a foot, but he leaped over it, not falling for that either. She whipped around, her blond hair slashing the air around her face as she sliced through the air, waiting for it to catch more of Sebastian's skin.

  It didn't this time. Sebastian was too quick. One minute he was dodging her and the next minute he was behind her, his favorite movie. He must have eaten before he came because Tabitha wasn't fast enough to whip around and get him in the stomach before he grabbed her shoulder, jerked her around and shoved her. She shrieked and fell onto her back, the stake clattering from her hand as he hissed, his fangs baring and dove for her neck.

  Tabitha laughed when he brushed his lips against her neck instead and jumped up. Derrick was shouting in the distance, running over. As if Sebastian would ever hurt her. She could see the laughter in Sebastian's eyes as he stepped back to keep from Derrick's wrath.

  “Tabitha, are you ok? Did he hurt you?” he asked, kneeling down beside her.

  Tabitha laughed and shook her head, grabbing his shoulder and pulling herself up. “Derrick I'm fine. We do this all the time.”

  He scowled at being laughed at and got to his feet, holding a hand out to her. Tabitha took it and got to her feet. “Well I would appreciate it if he didn't pretend to bite you. It's not a laughing matter,” he snapped, directing it at Sebastian.

  Sebastian just shrugged, triumph sparkling in his eyes and nodded, bowing his head. He had a wicked, devilish glint in his eyes that made Tabitha feel a little uneasy. “Of course. I would never hurt your sister.”

  Derrick gripped his stake and gave Tabitha a gentle push aside, turning his full attention to Sebastian who folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Fine. Then you can try and get me. I'm older and stronger than Tabitha.”

  Sebastian grinned an impish grin, not moving from his nonchalant stance. “Fine then. Go ahead. Try.”

  Tabitha smirked and stepped back, dropping her stakes and folding her arms to watch the show. This was going to be good. Derrick scowled and stalked forward. He never could turn down a challenge. She watched as he lunged forward, slashing the stake through the air.

  Sebastian vamped a few steps away, and Derrick fell face first onto the ground. Tabitha clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. Derrick talked tough, but could he really stand up to Sebastian? Tabitha had beaten him. Or almost beaten him. She doubted Derrick could get a foot in front of him.

  Sebastian grinned and vamped to the side of Derrick, all of it happening in a matter of seconds. One minute Sebastian was in front of Derrick, and the next he was to the left of him. Derrick was fast too but not fast enough. He slashed out, whipping around on his heels but Sebastian hissed and grabbed his shoulders, shoving him away.

  Derrick yelped with pain as his stake went clattering out of his hand, he stumbled back just barely gaining his balance. Sebastian flashed Tabitha a grin. She rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her face as he stalked toward her big brother.

  “I see Tabitha was the only one to inherit Jonathon’s hunter skills,” Sebastian taunted.

  Derrick scowled, fisting his hands and getting into a fighting position. No way he could reach the stake before Sebastian could.

  Sebastian's expression shifted into a pure delight as he raised his fists and planting his feet. “I haven't been in a good fist fight in too long. My brother and I used to wrestle all the time, but I have a feeling I'm out of practice.”

  Derrick's lips formed a cruel smile as they circled each other, Tabitha just on the outside, watching and waiting for one of them to strike. “I taught a self-defense and wrestling class in my spare time. How about we make this more interesting?”

  Sebastian narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, never taking his gaze off Derrick. “How so?”

  “No fangs or claws or any sort of vampire advantage. Let's see what kind of a man you are... or could have been,” Derrick sniped.

  Tabitha raised her eyebrows. Baiting a vampire? Not so smart. She remembered just over two weeks–it felt like an eternity ago–when she and her mom had had dinner together with Sebastian and the Gonzalez's. Sebastian's temper had flared, and he had attacked her to prove a point, to put her in her place. Now she saw that same temper flash in his eyes at the mention of the man he could have been.

  He sneered, baring his fangs but relented. “Very well. I'll still beat you. I went to war Derrick. What do you do? Dress up in business clothes and sit behind a desk all day?”

  Derrick's body tensed, and Tabitha took a step back. This wasn't going to end well. Derrick attacked first. He rushed forward, fist out. Sebastian ducked his punch at a normal, if a bit fast, human speed. Derrick didn't give him time to recover. He let out another punch, this time connecting with Sebastian's jaw. Sebastian staggered back a step and shook his head, working his jaw. No doubt it would have been broken if he didn't have abnormally dense skin or inhumane healing properties. He couldn't turn either of those off, which gave him a significant advantage against Derrick.

  Derrick knew it too and Tabitha watched as he braced himself. Sebastian struck out, a right hook to Derrick's jaw but Derrick dodged it and ducked down, throwing his fist out into Sebastian's stomach. The vampire sucked in a sharp breath but didn't go gasping to the ground. Derrick launched another attack, getting in a round of punches to his stomach and face before Sebastian collected himself and struck out, his fist almost–almost–a blur.

  His fist went into Derrick's gut and her brother went tumbling back, gasping for air and clutching his stomach. Tabitha stepped forward, but Sebastian held up a hand. In one punch Sebastian had crippled her brother. And that was when he was holding back, pretending to be human. He was capable of so much more when using his full strength.

  Derrick tried to pull his fists up to protect his face, but Sebastian was too fast. He struck Derrick in the stomach again and Tabitha's brother fell back for a second time. With one more blow to his stomach he collapsed, his breath ragged as he tried to get air into his lungs. Sebastian swooped down and planted an arm over his lungs, causing him to gasp.

  Tabitha's trust in Sebastian wavered a fraction as she took a step forward, ready to stop him if need be. But even with his eyes flashing a ruby red his face was devoid of emotion. A simple way to show her brother who was boss, who was strongest, and that Derrick shouldn't go after him because he was too big of a mark.

  “Sebastian,” Tabitha murmured, taking another step forward as her brother's face began to go blue and his struggling less animated.

  He ignored her even when Tabitha placed a hand on his shoulder, digging her nails into his skin. “Sebastian, that's enough. He's good. He gets it.”

  Her grip tightened. She was about to scream to try and shock him out of whatever murderous trance he had put himself into, when in a second, he let go of Derrick and got off him, getting to his feet.

  Tabitha stumbled back but didn't waste any time. “Derrick, are you OK?”

  He gasped and turned over, coughing and hacking at the ground as Sebastian stood over him, arms folded, a triumphant smile on his face. Tabitha didn't smile back. She pressed a hand against her brother's back to let him know she was there as he hacked and clutched his lungs and groaned whenever he moved.

  “You... you broke something,” Derrick gasped, turning his head to glare at Sebastian. Tabitha looked up at him, questioning. Did he break something on purpose or on accident?

  He gave her a subtle shake of his head before his eyes shifted to her brother's accusing gaze. “No, I didn't. It's just going to hurt for a few days. You'll make a full recovery, don't worry,” his voice was more mocking than concerned.

  Derrick scowled at the ground and with a groan pushed himself up. Tabitha grabbed his shoulders and helped him up to face Sebastian. She prepared herself for Derrick to try something stupid like attack Sebastian again but instead he held out his hand, a scowl still on his face and a glare stil
l in his eyes. But now that anger and resentment was mixed with something else. A grudging respect.

  Sebastian tipped his head in acknowledge and gave Derrick's hand a firm handshake. What... just happened? Did Sebastian just win another Sterling over to his side by choking him?

  Sebastian chuckled and was suddenly beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I challenged your father to a fight when we first met as well, pinned him to the ground and choked him seconds before he passed out. Your mother screamed and hit me, but I didn't care. He got up, shook my hand and limped away. We've been friends ever since,” he explained, kissing her temple.

  Tabitha blushed and grinned at her brother who gave her a small grin back and limped forward, clutching his stomach where his ribs were. “Nice to know...” he muttered.

  They all smiled at each other and a silence fell between them, stretching on for a few minutes until Derrick cleared his throat and held his hand out toward Tabitha. “Do you think you could give us a minute to talk?”

  Sebastian nodded, pecked her on the cheek and left without another word. Derrick waited until they could no longer see him–which didn't mean he wasn't listening–until he faced her and gave her a crooked smile. “So... you were right. Everything you said was the cold hard truth. I shouldn't have left my little sister to deal with all of this crap by herself. I'm sorry for being so selfish and shoving this all on you.”

  Tabitha smiled. Seemed Sebastian's fighting to get out all the tensions worked. She wrapped him in a hug, careful not to hurt his bruised places and smiled on his shoulder. He hugged her back with a few groans and kissed her cheek. “That's... all I really needed to hear. Will you stay and help us?” she asked against his shoulder.

  He nodded, and that had to be the best feeling in the world. Her heart lifted, and she felt like crying with relief. Her big brother was going to stay and help her. He wasn't going to leave her and make her deal with Alistair by herself. “Of course, I will. I'm not going to leave you again. Not in the middle of danger.”

  Tabitha's smile widened, and she pulled away from him, squeezing his arm. “Thank you Derr.”

  He nodded, his smile shifting into a sheepish one as he wrapped an arm around her waist and she put an arm around his, helping him get home without hurting any more of himself. “Though I may need a few vampire-killing pointers... just a few.”

  Tabitha laughed and nudged him. “Just a few,” she murmured back.

  They met Sebastian at the edge of the woods who grinned at the two of them, and they headed inside to face their mother and a barrage of questions about what happened to Derrick.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The weekend passed by far too quickly for Sebastian's liking. He couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed himself so thoroughly. Not since he had been friends with both his sister and Alistair.

  Tabitha's family was wonderful. They laughed together, ate dinner together. Sebastian trained Derrick and Tabitha every day. Tabitha beat him most times, her instincts improving along with her speed and agility whereas Derrick only won... well a few times. Which was an improvement from Thursday evening when they first fought.

  Saturday night they had a small bonfire party. Chelsea came over along with the Gonzalez's and the Carters. They ate hot dogs over the bonfire. Sebastian couldn't take his eyes off Tabitha as she stuffed her face with gooey s'mores. She would stick her marshmallows straight into the flames until they caught fire, completely burning them. He laughed every time she pulled them out, shrieked with delight and blowing the marshmallows out with little puffs of air.

  Sandra, Brenda and Maria all sat around the fire talking and gossiping while Tom Carter, Derrick and Jonas tossed a football around in the yard, despite the sunlight waning.

  Sebastian watched as Tabitha squished a huge piece of a Hershey bar in between two graham crackers with her marshmallow. She laughed with Chelsea as chocolate dripped down her lower lip and Sebastian had the sudden itch to reach over and wipe it away with his thumb...

  He licked his lips and quickly looked away before he dove over the fire and kissed all the chocolate from Tabitha's face. Tabitha wanted space... time with Chelsea and that was what he would give her. Besides he didn't think she would approve of him kissing her in front of her big brother and mom.

  Tabitha was laughing about something Chelsea had said as Chelsea shoved a plain marshmallow in her mouth, both girls' eyes dancing. It was the best thing Sebastian had seen in a long time. Someone clapped him on the shoulder and Sebastian looked up, pulled from his Tabitha induced trance.

  Derrick nodded toward the house. “Mind helping me get more supplies?”

  He did but he got up anyways. Scoring points with Derrick was always a good thing. Derrick grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the house. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder as the door shut behind them and saw Tabitha leading Chelsea out onto the grass of their backyard as fireflies danced around them.

  Derrick said something, but he didn't listen, tuning into Chelsea and Tabitha's conversation instead. “I missed you Tabitha. I feel like we haven't talked, like really talked, since Sebastian showed up. Is something going on?” Chelsea asked.

  Sebastian raised his eyebrows, hunched over the kitchen counter, folding his hands on the marble top and listened for Tabitha's response. “I know. I'm sorry Chels. It's just been really busy, but I think... maybe...” she paused, “you have to promise not to tell anyone I said this, Ok Chels? Like really promise.”

  “I really promise. Just tell me.”

  Another pause and Sebastian grinned. Oh, this was going to be good. A hand touched his shoulder, but he waved Derrick off, listening intently. “I think... there is something going on between Sebastian and I,” Tabitha confessed.

  She probably thought Sebastian couldn't hear her. She was sorely mistaken. Sebastian's lips twitched into a pleased smile and he tapped his fingers against the counter.

  “But... I thought you swore off guys after your messy breakup with Devon last year?”

  Tabitha paused and then said, “I know but I don't even think of Devon anymore and that was like forever ago. I don't care about him, and I don't care that he broke my heart because Chelsea... I think... I might be in love with Sebastian.”

  Silence passed between them and Sebastian raised his eyebrows, glancing at Derrick who gave him a questioning look as he got out the plastic cups and jug of lemonade.

  “I know this sounds weird. We just met, but we've spent a lot of time together and Chelsea, he knows me. Like he just gets me, and we've been through a lot together in the past few weeks and I just think that... I love him. A real love.”

  “The kind of love from fairytales?” Chelsea whispered.

  It was all Sebastian could do to stop himself from laughing. Though Tabitha did chuckle, a bright, happiness in her voice as she answered gave him hope. “Actually Chelsea, this is going to sound cheesy but yeah. It's weird and too fast and maybe I'm dead wrong but I think I do love him. Fairytale kind of love. Is that wrong? Am I completely messed up for falling in love with someone in two weeks? Please tell me I don't sound stupid.”

  “What does Sebastian think?” Chelsea answered Tabitha's question with a question. That must drive her crazy.

  “Well... he’s hinted that he might feel the same way,” Tabitha said, her voice trailing off.

  Sebastian was eager to know what else she head to say on the topic, but Derrick interrupted his eavesdropping. Derrick grabbed his shoulder and spun him around with some effort, jarring Sebastian from Tabitha's conversation. “Are you spying on my sister?”

  Sebastian smirked and shrugged, leaning back against the counter. “Not in the least. That would be incredibly rude,” Sebastian said, glancing at him.

  Derrick shot him a scowl but turned back to his lemonade. “Yeah right. You’re a bad liar Sebastian. What’s she saying?”

  “She's talking about her feelings with Chelsea. Her feelings about me.”

  He poured the yellow dri
nk in the plastic cups, his back tense. “What... what did she say? Is she serious about you?”

  Sebastian dipped his head, a triumphant smile on his face. “I believe so.”

  “And... and you? You're a vampire, so you must know your relationship won't ever be perfect. Tabitha deserves a normal human life.”

  Sebastian's smile melted, and he clutched the counter behind him. He knew that. He just... didn't like thinking about it. “I'm serious about your sister as well. I'm in love with her. I think I've been in love with her since the moment she tried to kill me at school.”

  Derrick snorted and turned around two cups of lemonade in either hand. “Because that's not messed up at all.”

  Sebastian grinned and shrugged. He was a vampire. Everything he did was messed up. He moved past Derrick and grabbed the other cups of lemonade. Derrick stopped in front of him, his face serious. “If you really are serious and you really do love her then I suggest you not hurt her. If you do anything to harm her emotionally or physically, I will hunt you down and kill you myself, do you understand?”

  Sebastian dipped his head and grinned mockingly at him, quirking an eyebrow. “Is that your twisted way of giving me your blessing?”

  Derrick snorted and rolled his eyes, pushing open the door with his side. “Is that your twisted way of asking for my blessing?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  He shrugged as they made their way to the small plastic table right outside the back door. “Then yeah, I guess it is. Just... don't hurt her.”

  “I would never. Mostly for fear that she would hunt me down and stake me in the heart.” He grinned at the thought, and Derrick just shook his head setting the cups down.

  “Good. Now stop eavesdropping. Take this over to Tabitha and Chelsea,” he ordered, handing him the pitcher of lemonade before walking off to where Carlos and Will were talking. Sebastian turned his back on him and before heading over to the fire, he tuned into Tabitha's conversation. To his chagrin they were off the topic of him and were talking about Chelsea's latest crush. He grimaced and grabbed a cup of lemonade for himself.