“And how’s that?” I asked, suddenly afraid of what he might say—and of how close he was getting.
“My father went crazy and had to be institutionalized. She thinks I’ll end up like that.” So that was why he didn’t like to talk about his dad.
“And you don’t?” I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest.
“No, I don’t,” he answered confidently. “My dad didn’t want this, but I do. I like being a Healer. He didn’t.” I could feel energy and heat emanating from him.
“You like it?”
“Yeah. I like being able to help people.” His eyes lowered a bit, and some of the happiness left his face. “But I can’t help you.”
When he said that, many of my questions about him were answered. Why he had such a short temper. Why he couldn’t stand the fact I was a vampire. Why he could barely say the word vampire. It was because he so desperately wanted to help me—to heal me—and he couldn’t. It was like he couldn’t do for me the one thing he could do for everyone else. My heart broke for him.
“So this is what you’ve been hiding from me all this time?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you feel like you couldn’t tell me?”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, believe me. I couldn’t, literally.” I watched his chest rise and fall, the rhythm of his breath soothing and inviting. I suddenly had to ignore the desire to reach out and touch the exposed skin just below the hollow of his neck.
“Why not?” I squeaked out, flustered.
“Because we’re not allowed to reveal what we truly are.” His voice was deep and gravelly. “Unless we have to, of course.”
Guilt flooded me. “Yeah, sorry,” I murmured, embarrassed by what had just happened, what I had almost done to him.
“It’s okay, really. It was my fault. I should have warned you that might happen.”
“Why didn’t you?” I felt my heart thumping in my throat, but I was unclear if it was because of the smell of his blood still dripping onto the floor, or if it was because he was only inches away from me and I was getting lightheaded.
“Would you have still fed on me if I had?”
“Point taken.” I forced myself to move away from him, crossing the room and pretending to make the bed. “So are you gonna be in trouble or something? You know, for revealing who you are?”
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t think it’s ever happened before.” I fumbled with the sheets on the bed, and Chance—being the chivalrous guy he is—quickly stepped in and helped me finish. “But it doesn’t matter if I am. It was worth it.” We stood on opposite sides of the now-made bed, staring at each other. I could almost feel the imaginary line connecting us, keeping us always in each other’s orbit.
“Wow.” My suddenly overwhelming emotions were beating against my head, my chest, desperate to be released. “So, um, what exactly is a Healer?”
“Well.” He broke our gaze and sat down on the bed. Without realizing what I was doing, I sat down across from him. “To make a really long story short, Healers were created to protect humans from vampires.”
“So people know vampires exist?” Chance nodded. I felt like I had just stepped into an entirely new world, a world where I was clueless about its customs and beliefs. I guess, in a way, I had. “How long?”
“Always,” Chance said. “I don’t know much about the history, but Healers have been protecting humans for centuries. That’s our entire purpose. We do whatever it takes to make sure people don’t become victims to vampires.”
“Is this why you’ve been putting up with the horrible way Aldric treats you, because you’re trying to protect me from him?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to do that for me.”
“Of course I do, Ava. I was created for that very reason. That’s why I have this gift.” I knew Chance was getting frustrated, so I quickly changed gears.
“So who created Healers?”
“I don’t really know. My dad didn’t fill me in on everything. I kind of just know the basics. I know I’m supposed to stop vampires.” A tiny flash of sadness rolled over his face. “Sometimes I do, other times I don’t.” I knew instantly the true meaning hiding behind his words.
“Chance,” I said, moving quickly to sit next to him. “Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself for what happened to me.”
“How can I not, Ava? I’m supposed to protect people. You. But I didn’t. I didn’t do the one thing I was born to do.” I could feel the sadness he was harboring, deep and painful beneath his skin.
“Listen,” I said. “You’re human, right?”
“Completely.”
“Then you should know that humans aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. They get over it. That simple.”
“They?” He looked deeply at me then, his eyes full of that dark sadness.
“What?”
“You said ‘they.’ Like you’re not one. Like you’re not human.” I hadn’t realized I said it. But now that he called me on it, I knew that somewhere inside me, I must have believed it to be true.
“I don’t feel very human right now,” I answered honestly. Chance stared at me, his eyes full of compassion and understanding. Maybe he really understood how I was feeling. Maybe he had felt different all his life, too, like he was a freak stuck in a world of normal. Knowing his secret changed how I saw him. Somehow, he became even more human to me. He took my hand into his, lifting it slowly to his chest.
“You feel that?” he asked, keeping my hand pressed against his hot skin. The strong, hypnotic thrum of his heart pulsed into my hand, and I felt that sweet dizziness all over again.
“Yes,” I said. “But I can feel your heart beating even without touching you.” But I didn’t pull my hand away. I wanted to touch him. It felt right. He kept my hand pressed against his chest for a moment before pulling it away, moving it to my own chest and holding it there.
“Now, do you feel that?” And I did. It was faint, and not nearly as enticing as his, but it was there. My heartbeat. Proof that I was still alive.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t let me ever hear you say that you’re not human.” He took his hand from mine. “And as long as that heart beats in your chest, you’re just as human as I am.”
“But for how long?” Saying out loud the question I had been dreading to say pained me. How long was I going to stay human? How long until the vampire building inside me took over for good? How long until I would no longer feel what I was feeling when I was near him?
“Forever,” he whispered. “I promise you that, Ava.” Then he smiled at me, that perfectly charming smile that somehow always made me feel better. He kept his eyes locked on mine, and before I even realized it, he was leaning in to me. I knew what was coming, what was about to happen between us, and even though I hadn’t given it much thought—or any thought, really—before this moment, I wanted it desperately. I slowly closed my eyes, my head spinning and my heart racing with anticipation and excited nerves, as the warmth of Chance’s lips pressed into mine.
The moment was magical. Extreme heat flooded my body, setting my senses on fire. I wanted to melt into the moment—the kiss—and never leave. I could feel Chance’s hands cupping my face, and even though the scent of his blood was flooding my nose, I was too focused on our perfect kiss to even notice it. I never wanted the moment—our moment—to end.
“Wow,” he whispered after our lips finally parted. I immediately missed the feeling of his lips crushed against mine, the warmth and safety of having him so close. As soon as he pulled away, I could feel the bloodlust stirring strong and fast inside me. I wouldn’t allow myself to bite him again, no matter if he wanted it or not. I shot across the room and away from him with lightning speed. “Was that not okay?” he asked, confusion filling his face.
“No, no. It was perfect. Better than perfect.” And it was. My body felt alive for the first time since I climbed from my coffin. I felt like I was whole again. I
t was wonderful. I kept looking from his eyes to his wrist, which was still dripping his enticing blood onto the floor. Chance finally picked up on what was bothering me.
“Oh. Sorry.” He quickly rolled down his sleeve to cover his wound—the wound I inflicted—and walked toward the bedroom door. “Let’s get home so I can clean this up.”
“Did it hurt?” I asked, so scared that he would say yes. If I had hurt him, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
“At first it did, yeah.” I winced as he gently touched the wound through the now bloody sleeve. “But then it felt better than anything I’ve ever felt before. Well, up until that kiss.” It felt the same to him as it had to me—the bite and the kiss—which totally surprised me. I thought it would have been excruciatingly painful for him.
“You liked it?”
He smiled. “A vampire’s bite can be very pleasant to a human, if they let it be. If they resists, it’s agonizing.” I could see a sweet sincerity in his eyes. “And I didn’t resist.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“I told you, I’ve been around a lot of vampires. You pick up on things.”
“Have you been bitten before?” Though I didn’t want to hear his answer, I needed to know.
“No,” he said, relief filling my heart. “I’ve never wanted the connection before.”
“Connection?”
“When a vampire bites a human, the two are connected forever. The vampire will always know where that person is, how they’re feeling.”
“So now I’ll be able to know where you are when you’re not around?” The thought both excited and unnerved me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what he was up to, how he was feeling, all the time. I had enough things running through my mind.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “You’re half human, so it might not work the same way. We’ll just have to see.” He smiled at me again—something he did a lot, and something I would never tire of. “Now, let’s go home. We have a date to get ready for.”
“A date?” The word alone made me smile; what it meant filled my heart like nothing else.
“Yes, Avaline Blue. You and I have a date.” I wanted to smack him for using that name, but I didn’t. I did roll my eyes, though, as he took my hand in his and we walked from the room together. Truly, for the first time, together.
As we drove home, I sat in quiet amazement at the fact that Chance was so calm. He seemed unaffected by the fact that I had bitten him and drank his blood—which was crazy to me, since I was totally freaked out by it. I kept sneaking glances at him as I sped down the foggy highway, Chance finally letting me drive. (I figured after what he’d been through, he wasn’t really up to it, and he surprisingly agreed.) He kept his eyes glued to the road, but there was no anger, no animosity toward me, on his face. He looked peaceful. Maybe the fact that he was a Healer helped him deal with stressful situations. Maybe he wasn’t affected by emotions as severely as non-supernatural humans. I didn’t know, but I was grateful for whatever was keeping him calm.
As I pulled Chance’s truck into the drive, I was actually feeling excited about our date tomorrow night, being able to do something totally and normally human. I only prayed that I could make it through the dance without even thinking about being a vampire.
2
3. TAKEN
The next morning came quicker than I expected. I slept much better than I thought I would have given all that had happened to me, and I woke up excited and scared to death all at once. I was nervous that I would embarrass myself—which I shouldn’t have been, seeing as how embarrassment was practically an accessory to me. And I was scared that once Chance and I were on our first official date, he would realize I was really boring or stupid or something, and would never want to see me again. But I knew, somehow, that would never happen. He would never leave me, no matter what ridiculous thing I said or did. He cared too much for me, or at least I hoped he did.
I made it through the school day in a zombie-like trance. My mind was so focused on the night to come that I had zero clue what any of my teachers had gone over in class. I was also going over what had happened at Kayla’s, with Chance’s whole electric-light-healing thing. Needless to say, my mind was way too occupied to retain any school work, so I was so happy when the final bell of the day rang and we were free to leave. I told Kayla that I definitely wasn’t training today, not that I needed the extra time to get dressed or put on makeup or anything —I didn’t really wear the stuff. I just wanted to get away from everyone. My nerves were too on edge to be crowded around my classmates or to spend one-on-one time learning how to kill vampires.
“You okay?” Chance asked after we got on the road. He was driving, another thing I was thankful for, since I felt like I would upchuck at any moment.
“Just nervous,” I lied. I was nervous, but I was also scared and excited and really nauseous.
“Don’t be,” he said with a smile. “It’s gonna be fun.” I hoped he was right, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous about what I was going to be walking into. I couldn’t open my mouth to speak, fearful I would be violently ill all over the cab of his truck. So I simply smiled back and rode the rest of the way home in uneasy silence.
Seven o’clock rolled around with lightning speed. I had barely slipped into the really beautiful iridescent black tea-length dress that Ms. Caldon helped pick out—and that actually looked good on me, surprisingly—before it was time for us to leave for the dance. It was being held in the school gym, which Kayla said they always did a pretty decent job of decorating to look more like a ballroom or dance hall, and I was actually giddy as Chance drove us there. Of course, what the place might look like was the last thing on my mind; I was way too nervous to even think about decorations. It was taking all I had in me to keep from passing out, a cloud of emotions swirling around in my head. I just wanted to hurry up and get there so I could splash some water on my face and calm down. Chance apparently sensed my anxiety.
“Relax,” he said, his voice calm and soothing—and sexy, of course. “I want you to have fun tonight. You look absolutely amazing, and this is your first high school dance. Try and enjoy it.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking deep breaths to will my stomach to stop spinning. “You, too.” And he did. He was wearing black dress slacks and a really cool-looking shirt, also black, but with a deep red hue that shone when he moved. He looked outstanding. And he wore it well.
He cut his eyes at me and smiled. “We’re gonna outshine everybody there. I guarantee it.” I couldn’t help but smile, too, at his optimistic and totally ridiculous outlook. I would just be happy if I didn’t fall on my face in front of everyone.
“So can you somehow tell when I’m nervous?” I asked, moving the conversation away from tonight’s impending event. “Like a Healer thing or something?”
He smiled. “Um, no,” he said with a tiny laugh. “You’re practically shaking.” He looked at me again with those hypnotizing eyes. I could have stayed in that moment forever, just sitting there staring at him. It was suddenly amazing to me how I never realized what he truly meant to me before now. Looking back, I had felt something for him from the moment I saw him, but I just wouldn’t allow myself to go there. I couldn’t. My life had been turned upside down—and it still was—so I couldn’t afford to feel anything for anyone. I couldn’t risk getting hurt—or hurting him. Now, something had changed in me. Something made me feel like I deserved to be happy, to have a normal, ordinary life. It was Chance. He showed me that even though I have a dark side within me, I didn’t have to give in to it. How could I ever repay him for that? I wanted to keep staring at him the entire drive to school, but I didn’t want to creep him out too much. So I smiled back and lowered my eyes. I noticed my left leg shaking and laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“You were right,” I answered, getting a firm grip on my quivering thigh. “I am shaking.” He laughed, too.
“Just try to relax and have fun,
okay?”
“I’ll try,” I said, not really sure if that was even possible. I hoped to have fun, but with the butterflies performing acrobatics in my stomach and the spells of dizziness, the odds were not in my favor.
We made it to school campus about ten minutes after the dance was scheduled to start, so parking was a nightmare. Chance had to actually pull beneath a small grove of oak trees at the very front of the school, which left quite a distance for me to navigate in heels. Yay.
“You ready?” he asked as he helped me out of the truck. I spun in the seat, swinging my legs out into the frigid night air. I had protested up and down that I didn’t want to wear pantyhose, but once the northern wind lifted my dress, I was saying a thousand thank-yous that I listened to Chance’s mom. Full feeling hadn’t yet returned to my skin—may never fully return—but I could feel cold well enough.
“As I’ll ever be,” I answered with a half-smile. Chance smiled back as he took my hand into his, the heat from his body somewhat relaxing me, and helped me from the truck.. “Is that a Healer thing, all the heat you produce?” I wasn’t complaining, just curious. Chance laughed.
“A lot of questions tonight, huh?” I heard the tiniest bit of aggravation behind his words.
“Sorry.”
“No, no, it’s okay. And to answer your question, yes, it is. Does it bother you?”
“No way.” I smiled at him full-on this time, so happy to be holding his hand again. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
“Good,” he said, squeezing my hand tighter. “Because I’m not letting you go.” He pulled me closer to him, his warmth engulfing me and making me feel safe, and we walked into the gym like a real, normal couple.
Kayla had been right about the decorations, they were amazing. The entire inside of the gymnasium was covered in white, black and red. Balloons, streamers, candles, draped fabric; anything that could be used to decorate a room was there. My nerves immediately eased when I saw how beautiful the place looked, filled with dancing couples and great music. I gave Chance’s hand a squeeze.
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