“Caroline, it’s so good to see you again.”
She stayed quiet. It was really awkward to be addressed as someone else. Then he wrapped her in his arms and forced the air out of her. He had a very firm grip. As he released her and pulled back he said, “You don’t remember me, do you?”
“Sorry, no. I wish I did,” she shrugged.
“Allow me to formally re-introduce myself then,” he smiled. “I’m Alaric Aldrich.” Giving her a playful wink, as he bowed his head to her.
Not wanting to be rude, Katrina nodded her head and said, “Nice to meet you.”
Alaric stood back up and kept his warm smile. Katrina stood there feeling a little awkward. He seemed so comfortable and yet, it was the opposite for her. Finally after what seemed like way too long, Cole asked, “Father, where’s—Jake?” He stuttered over Jake’s name.
“Who?” Alaric gave him a confused look.
“Elias,” Cole quickly corrected himself.
“Oh. He’s upstairs with your cousin.”
Katrina felt her anxiety grow. She wanted to run upstairs and check on her brother, but she also found herself intrigued by Alaric. She was startled when Cole slightly tugged on her arm. Her eyes met his and he nodded for her to follow him.
“Perhaps, we can catch up later?” Alaric asked, giving her a big smile. Katrina gave him a quick nod and smile before following Cole up the stairs.
When they reached the top, they passed what appeared to be a decent sized bathroom. Nearing the wooden door to Andrew’s room, she could hear her brother's voice. Then like a hammer, Jake’s feelings hit her. It was a jumbled mess and she couldn’t get a fix on any specific emotion. If it kept up, she was going to end up with a nasty migraine. Cole opened the door and she followed in behind him.
“Hello, Caroline.” Andrew was sitting on the bed next to Jake. An odd grin on his face. Jake was leaning back next to him, playing with the navy comforter.
She slowly edged her way in further and glanced around his room. It wasn’t what she expected. She thought it would be something dark and cold, but it was every bit the opposite. It reminded her more of an arcade than a bedroom. In the middle was the simple wooden bed that was big enough for two, but that was the only normal thing about the room.
Numerous video gaming systems were sprawled out on the floor. Hovering on the wall above the dresser was a huge flat screen television. It took up the entire top half of the wall. This was the closest thing she’d seen that made either of them seem at all like a couple of teenagers.
“Kat!” Jake jumped off the bed and ran over to her.
Katrina wrapped her arms around him and then quickly pulled back, examining him. “You hurt?”
“No. I’m fine,” Jake said. Still not convinced, Katrina just looked at him. He must have picked up on her feelings because he felt the need to assure her. “Not a scratch. See?” He spun around for her.
Katrina let out a sigh of relief. Seeing for herself was better than just being told. “What happened?”
“You might want to sit down for this.” Jake motioned towards the bed.
Feeling Cole grasp her hand, she followed him over. A strange energy was forming in the room. The three of them gave her a look that spoke volumes and she knew she wasn't going to like what Jake said next.
“We were doing some last minute things in the salon, when Andrew heard something.” His eyes met Andrew’s and Katrina felt the tingles of warmth through her own body as Jake blushed. “He grabbed me and we ran out of there. The next thing I knew the whole building exploded.”
“You never saw anyone?”
“Not exactly,” Jake sighed.
“What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”
“I couldn’t see anything, but there were these eyes in the dark. They were creepy and—” Jake looked at her and Katrina grew impatient.
“And what?”
“And yellow.”
“Yellow!” Her heart jumped in her throat as she realized what he was saying. “No. It can’t be.” Katrina shook her head and went into heavy denial. It was the only thing that could help her cope at the moment. “Maybe you made a mistake?”
“It’s no mistake,” Andrew’s stern voice interrupted their conversation. Katrina looked up and caught him staring at her. There was a hint of annoyance hidden underneath his words and that got her temper flaring.
“Caroline, I know you’re still in shock from earlier, but the werewolves are here. And that puts you both in grave danger,” Cole explained. It was obvious he was trying to smooth over Andrew’s clipped tone and that only aggravated her more.
“Maybe we need to get them out of town? Who knows how many of them are here?” Andrew added.
They were both making plans as if she wasn’t there and that was the last straw. Her temper hit breaking point. “You know I’m sitting right here!” she snapped. “And I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Caroline—” Cole started to say when she cut him off.
“Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Katrina!” Tears streamed down her face and she jumped off the bed. She jerked the door open, ran down the stairs, and out the front door, never looking back. Home was the only place she wanted to be right now. She made a few more feet, when her foot got caught and she tripped. The next thing she knew, Cole was helping her up.
“I’m fine.” She shrugged him off, embarrassed that he had to catch her yet again. Crossing her arms, she stood there not looking at him; she was too pissed to do anything else.
“I know this isn’t easy for you.” Cole’s voice sounded so calm, her guilt started to set in. He was being so patient and she was flying off the deep end like a crazy person.
“Look, I’m sorry.” She stared at him, trying to get a handle on herself. “I know you think I’m your precious Caroline, but I’m not. I’m me and like it or not I don’t like being told what to do.”
“Some things never change,” Cole muttered.
“What’s that suppose to mean? You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.” Katrina turned ready to leave, when his hand on her back stopped her.
“Please, don’t go.”
“Why should I stay?” she asked, turning to face him.
“I know it’s not easy. Everything takes time. How about I make you a deal?” Cole gently put an arm on her shoulder as he spoke.
“What kind of deal?”
“If you give me time to prove it to you,” one of his hands rested against her cheek, “Then I will try to refrain from making any hasty decisions for you?” He lifted the corners of his mouth and gave her a warm smile. Relieved he was finally starting to respect her boundary, she nodded her head in agreement. “Can I offer you a ride home?” Still smiling, he bowed towards her and never broke eye contact. His attempt to lighten the mood worked and broke some of the tension.
“I’d like that.”
“Wait for us!” Jake cut in. Unaware he was even there, Katrina turned in surprise. Both he and Andrew were smiling back at her.
“How long have you been standing there?” Katrina asked, her face turning red.
“Oh, not long, Kah-tree-nah,” Andrew winked.
Katrina blushed and got in the car with everyone else. It was an awkward ride. No one said anything, but the tension was still there. She was just happy when they made it home.
After they got out of the car, Andrew and Jake went up ahead and Cole hung back next to her. His body language was all over the place. He seemed like he was trying to muster up the courage for something.
“Is something wrong?” she finally asked.
“Car—Katrina—” he corrected himself. “I know how hard tonight has been for you and I’ll understand if you refuse, but could I please come inside?” When she gave him a funny look he continued, “It's not what you think. I just need to make sure it’s safe.”
“Yeah,” she nodded. He took her hand and they followed after Jake and Andrew into the house.
Once inside,
Cole motioned for her and Jake to stay still. Andrew went upstairs and Cole headed towards the living room disappearing out of view. Katrina held her breath in anticipation. It was eerily silent, as she and Jake waited. Fear of what they would find weighed heavily on her mind.
She didn’t have to wait long. In a matter of seconds, both Cole and Andrew were heading towards them. “Nothing appears out of place,” Cole said.
“In that case, Andrew, want to come upstairs?” Jake reached out his hand.
“I suppose I can tuck you in,” Andrew lifted his mouth in a wicked grin.
Watching them leave, Katrina could feel butterflies in her stomach. Nerves were getting the best of her tonight and she wasn’t sure if they were coming from her or Jake. Katrina supposed she should follow Jake’s lead and invite Cole up to her room, but she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea.
“Are you thirsty?” Really? Did I just ask that? Moron! “Sorry. That sounded so lame.”
“No. Don’t worry about it,” Cole laughed. “Actually, a glass of water sounds good.”
“Okay.” Still feeling embarrassed, Katrina led him into the kitchen. She poured the glass and turned around in time to see him sit at the small table. Walking over, she handed him the glass and took the seat next to him.
He took a small sip and Katrina found herself staring. She couldn’t help it. Watching him caused so many questions to arise. Cole must have picked up on it because he gave her a wink. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to melt.”
Katrina let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry. It’s just—”
“What?”
“I thought you couldn’t— you know.” Her eyes motioned towards the glass of water.
He grinned, as the realization hit him. “We can drink and eat human food. It doesn’t exactly taste good, but it won’t kill us.”
“Oh,” was all she could say without sounding like a complete moron. They sat there in silence and Katrina debated on asking him more questions, but didn’t know how to start. Just when she had mustered up enough courage Cole spoke.
Cole set the glass down, leaned in closer, and became very serious.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.” She moved into him and didn’t realize they were so close, until she felt the smoothness of his shirt against her arm.
“Do you remember anything I showed you at all?” His eyes stared so deep into hers, she felt him looking at her soul.
“Not really,” she uttered back, her feelings for him starting to take control. “It’s mostly jumbled pieces. They’re more like dreams than memories.”
Cole cupped her face in his hands and put his nose against hers. He was so close she could feel the hotness of her breath bounce off his skin, as her pulse quickened. “I wish you could remember.”
“I’ll try,” she whispered back.
Cole shut his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. As their lips touched, the feelings Katrina had felt earlier returned and this time they were much stronger. She closed her eyes and felt the flicker of warmth return. Her body was wanting to do things with him she never thought of doing with anyone. Before she realized it, she was kissing him back just as passionately as he had kissed her. The feelings mirrored the ones she had at the cemetery earlier.
Before things could go too far, she felt Cole gently pull away and look at her. This left her feeling breathless and confused. Why did he pull away? Am I that bad of a kisser?
His hand gently caressed her face as they stared into each others eyes. Then his face grew serious again. “I need you to remember.”
“Why is it so important to you?” Katrina stared into Cole’s eyes and found a deep sense of longing in them.
He opened his mouth to answer when they heard, “Ahem.” Startled, they both jumped and looked into the doorway to find Andrew and Jake smirking at them.
“It’s getting late. We should go.” Cole abruptly stood up and walked towards the other two boys.
“Right.” Katrina had the feeling Andrew had timed his intrusion at that precise moment on purpose. He was really getting on her nerves. His hand reached out to Cole and he handed him something and they moved by the front door.
Katrina took a second to steady her hormones before she got up and followed them towards the door. Andrew gave Jake a soft peck on the lips before he turned and went into the car.
Cole lingered in the doorway staring at her. “Until tomorrow then?” He leaned in and gave her another quick kiss. Then he did something so fast she almost missed it. If it weren’t for the coolness around her neck, she would have.
“What are you doing?” She looked down and found the amber amulet hanging around her neck.
“Keep it on you, always.”
“But, why?”
“It’s for protection.”
“If they get in here, how would this stop them?” She motioned down at her neck.
“They can’t come in unless you invite them. And if you’re wearing this,” he motioned to the amulet, “They won’t be able to touch you. Promise me you won’t take it off.” She nodded and he gave her one more quick kiss before he turned and went to the car.
Both Katrina and Jake stood in the doorway and watched them drive off. Neither of them said a word. They didn’t need to. Katrina could sense exactly what he felt and she knew he could do the same with her. When the car’s lights disappeared out of view, they both went upstairs. Jake went to go in his room, but stopped. “Hey, Kat?”
“Yeah?”
“I know you’re tired, but mom won’t be home till morning and I was wondering if maybe we could—” he let his voice falter. It didn’t take any special powers to figure out what he was hinting at.
“Go get your pillow and you better not hog the bed this time.” His face lit up, as he ran into his room and grabbed his stuff.
Katrina changed into her pajamas and got the bed ready. She and Jake hadn’t had a camp out-in each other’s room for quite a while and despite the reasons for it now, she was glad.
“Ready?” Jake asked, standing there in his matching plaid pajamas.
“Yeah.” Katrina bit down on her the inside of her cheek and tried to hide a laugh. He looked like he was ten years old again. All he needed was his favorite teddy bear to make the image complete.
“What?”
“Nothing. You look so—youthful.”
“Ha ha. And you look homeless,” he teased. Katrina looked down and he was right. She was wearing her favorite grey sweats that were showing how much she liked them. Despite the holes, she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of them. At least her black camisole was newer.
“A stylish one.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
“Style is an acquired skill you’re still working on,” he winked. “Can you get the light?”
“Yeah. I got it.” As soon as the lights were off, Katrina waited a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. The last thing she wanted was to walk into furniture. She slowly crept towards the bed, when her foot landed on something hard. It threw her off balance and she fell forward. Lucky for her the bed broke her fall. “Jake! Why can’t you ever put my stuff away?”
“Oops. My bad.”
“I swear. I’m going to break something one of these days,” Katrina said, making her way into her bed.
She had just enough time to lay back and close her eyes when she heard, “Hey, Kat?”
“What?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“About what?”
“Cole.”
“What about him?”
“You like him, right?” His excitement was enough to keep both of them awake. There was also a double meaning behind his comment.
“I think so. I mean it’s a little complicated.”
“What’s so complicated? Either you like him or you don’t.” Typical Jake. With him it was either you do or you don’t. There was no in between.
Ugh. Why does Jake always pick when I’m tired to talk about stuff? She opened her
eyes and turned towards him. “I wish I could be like you and accept things easily, but I can’t. I need some time to figure it all out.”
“That makes sense.” She let his words finish their conversation and she turned over to try to go to sleep a second time. But, that only lasted a few seconds. “What if there was a way you could be with him forever?” he quickly added. “Would you do it?”
Katrina rolled back over as she realized what Jake was getting at. “You can’t be serious?”
“Why not?”
“Because Jake! That’s a major change. And you would probably have to leave everyone, leave us behind.”
“You’re already planning on leaving us,” he said matter-of-factly. Ouch! She should have seen that one coming. “So, what’s the difference?”
“The difference is I’ll be alive.” Katrina could tell by his silence, he was upset. She didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, but wanting to be a vampire was crazy talk. “Look,” she began as she faced him, “All I’m saying is just promise me you’ll really think it through before you go and do something that serious.”
“You have my word.”
“Good. Can we go to sleep now? I’m exhausted.”
“Absolutely. Thank you.”
“What are big sisters for?”
That got a laugh and she was glad. Katrina turned back to her side and tried, yet again to go to sleep. It took a few tries of repositioning herself until she was finally comfortable. She barely started to doze off when she heard, “Night, Kat.”
“Night, Jake.” And with that she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
Chapter 6
A couple weeks had passed since Jake slept in her room and Katrina’s nights of restless sleep were wearing her thin. At first her dreams were normal and boring, which was fine by her. She was enjoying the change of pace in her overworked-mind, but it didn’t take too long for the scenery to change.
She started off in the same cottage like she had been every night. Then everything went black and she was dragged someplace else. Standing there, she felt the bitter chill in the air. It was stabbing into her skin like needles. She went to rub her arms together when the material on her dress stopped her.
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