**
I felt her before I saw her. She stood across the dark street on the edge of the park, watching me.
The unexplainable connection our family shared surprised me only because I’d never felt it before. We were always together, always under Colin’s roof. We’d never been apart in order for me to feel the draw between us.
It was base, primal, familial. Maybe a little disturbing.
But it wasn’t Colin, it wasn’t Viola or Henry or even Declan. It was Annabelle. Anyone else and I’d already be gone, sprinting toward the horizon, disappearing with a plan to hide. But it was her.
Across the dark street, I focused on her as she stepped away from the shadows. Slender and petite, with long, shining blonde hair pulled up into a soft nest on top of her head, as usual. The big, pale blue eyes of my family. The low and slow heartbeat that was much slower than mine.
She must have been younger than me when she was turned. Back then, whenever that would have been, everyone was turned young because so many people didn’t live past their teenage years. I would have been considered middle aged back when she was still human. Annabelle told me that once. I’d asked if there were any vampires who were turned late in life, when they were old and wrinkled. There weren’t.
Her grace was disarming even to me. She glided with ease but took her time, something I seemed to have trouble with.
She would pass for human, I thought, far easier than I ever could, except for her clothes. Or lack thereof.
White, soft fabric draped over her front and danced freely in her wake. If anyone stood behind her, they’d be getting quite a show.
She didn’t speak when she reached me, didn’t hug me, didn’t show acceptance or disapproval. She stared, and I stared back. It was good to see her, and I felt the small smile on my lips.
I wondered if it was as strange for her to see as it was for me to feel.
“How did you find me so quickly?” I asked, neither of us blinking.
“Your blood is all over this town,” Annabelle said in a whisper.
Staring into her pale blue eyes that looked almost like mine, I strangely wished they were really the same. I had no idea why, but I thought it would be comforting, in a way, if there weren’t the slight difference around my iris.
I blamed Declan.
I realized, though, that the others coming to find me didn’t fill me with the sense of dread I thought it would. They really were my family. My dysfunctional, creature of the night family I couldn’t stand to be around. But family nonetheless.
That didn’t mean I wanted to bring their wrath upon these humans, however.
“How far behind are they?”
“Maybe a day. Colin doesn’t yet know where you are and will choose to travel only by the veil of night. The old way.”
I squinted to prevent an involuntary eye roll and said dryly, “Big surprise.”
“Hush,” Annabelle whispered. She was always on my case for not showing Colin my respect. As if he had any right to get it.
“Lena, wait up,” his voice broke through the calm in the building behind me. It was incredible how I felt his reaction to seeing Annabelle almost the moment he felt it. For a second, I thought he was stunned by her beauty. After all, she was a goddess in a white, satin sheet and nothing else. But that wasn’t it.
As I turned, he held out his hand, beckoning me to get away from the monster he saw in his eyes.
“What does she look like to you?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t the right time but not being able to stop my curiosity.
Looking at Will’s wild eyes, then back at Annabelle’s, I realized there was something out of place in her expression as well.
“Lena,” his voice trembled, “can you take a few steps back?”
I repeated, “What does she look like to you?”
He had goose bumps on his arms and trembled. Straining his face to force himself to speak, he looked at me in a way that resembled pleading. But he answered.
“Like a hungry…monster.” He looked away from her face and kept his eyes focused on the ground.
“I’m not here for food,” Annabelle said softly, but her words did not put him at ease. The sound of her voice made him shudder.
“What does she look like to you?” Annabelle asked, the strange expression on her face again.
Will’s mouth hung open, but again he managed to force some words out. He looked up from the ground, stared into my face, and inhaled a long, deliberate breath.
“Beautiful.”
Annabelle’s trademark, stoic expression broke with that one word. Grabbing my wrist, she yanked me towards her and put her other hand so hard onto my face, at first I thought she’d slapped me. But she held my face in her hands as a jumble of words flowed from her mouth.
“What have you been doing with this human? How did you get out of the Castle? What happened when you left? Colin is furious. He could have us all killed. He will probably have us all killed. What were you thinking? How did you survive this long without us to take care of you? What have you been eating? How can this human stand being near you?”
“Annabelle,” I began, but she shook my head with her hand.
The vibrations of Will’s thumping heart I must have gotten used to at some point snuck up on me. I didn’t realize where he was until he touched me.
“That’s enough,” he yelled as he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me towards him.
Though his strength didn’t stand a chance against Annabelle’s, Will’s closeness, and willingness to defend me despite how scared he obviously was seemed to make an impression on her.
As Annabelle let go, I allowed myself to fall back into Will’s arms, rewarding him the satisfaction of truly saving me. He deserved it. Even if I didn’t really need saving.
It felt good to be so close to someone, to feel our bodies pressed together, his warmth surrounding me. I had no memory of the feeling of closeness. It was nice.
“She will not hurt me,” I said when he let me go. “And she will not hurt you either. She won’t hurt anyone.”
Could I be so sure? No. But the blood in his veins started to pump a little slower, which was good because I could only imagine how appetizing it sounded to Annabelle.
Oh, right, I didn’t have to imagine. I dismissed the thought of butterscotch as quickly as I could. My fangs hardly even extended. Good job, me.
“Annabelle, this is Will. Will? Annabelle.”
He whispered in my ear, not as a question, “and she’s like you?”
“Lena!” she yelled. It set off two car alarms down the street.
Will cowered at my side, a bit behind me, which was funny since he’d kind of rescued me. On some level, even if he wanted to take care of me, he knew he was powerless against my kind. He knew I wasn’t dangerous, and would protect him.
I could see why Annabelle thought there was something weird going on, considering how Will looked at her, and how he looked at me.
“Would you like to take a walk, Annabelle?” I said calmly. If she knew the circumstances, then she would not be so upset. I was sure of it.
Annabelle looked at me like I was losing my mind. It was a look I was familiar with. But she nodded once anyway and turned away.
“Would it be okay if I came back here when we’re done?” I asked Will, who looked as though he wasn’t sure what was going on. I wondered if he had even heard what I’d asked Annabelle through his fear. “We can continue our discussion.”
He nodded, and wrapped his warm fingers around my right wrist briefly as he said, “be careful.”
I felt the sides of my lips move up and I hoped he knew what that meant. Why did I have so much trouble telling him thank you?
Then he was gone, and Annabelle began to walk before I was by her side.
Harsh Light of Day Page 18