by E. J. King
On this particular occasion, it was the end of October. I remember it distinctly because I spent days planning my Halloween costume. I was going to dress up as an astronaut. Mom even helped me put a costume together and she promised that they would be back in time to take us trick-or-treating. She lied.
As was always the case, the hunt took longer than expected. Halloween day came and went with no appearance by the Hart parents. Lincoln knew how disappointed I was. He told me he had to run out to get us some dinner and he would be back in one hour.
Forty minutes later, he returned and ordered me to put on my costume. Confused, I did as he said. When I came back into the living room, he handed me an orange pumpkin bucket and ordered me to step outside and ring the doorbell. Again, I did as he directed.
He opened the door and waited expectantly. Eventually, I caught on.
“Trick or treat!”
He tossed a candy bar into the bucket and closed the door. I rang the doorbell a few dozen times before he ran out of candy. By the end, we were laughing uncontrollably. We spent the rest of the night watching scary movies and eating candy until our stomachs hurt.
When Mom and Dad returned the next morning, they found us asleep on the couch. I was still wearing my costume, and we were surrounded by empty candy wrappers.
In the sixteen years we had together growing up, Lincoln never let me down. Not even once. I couldn’t let him down now. If he was alive, I was going to find him.
CHAPTER ONE
October was a beautiful month in Jackson. The leaves were changing, the days were warm and the nights cool, and everyone was in good spirits.
After the murders of two girls on campus, the school was ready to go back to normal. Kids wanted to toss footballs and roast marshmallows over campfires. They didn’t want to carry pepper spray and check over their shoulder every few seconds. So it wasn’t surprising how quickly they let down their guard, despite the fact that technically the murderer hadn’t been found.
A lucky few of us knew that it hadn’t been a murderer at all. It had been a group of Souls, sometimes better known as vampires, that had taken the girls to be their own personal blood buffet. My friends and I had stopped them, but not before two girls died.
Along the way, my best friend, Hope, had learned about my secret life. Surprisingly, she hadn’t run away screaming. Now she was living in my guest room, and our weird life was starting to feel almost normal. With Halloween coming up, I was sure that was about to change.
“Why do the legit monsters like Halloween so much?” Hope asked as we walked home from class.
“It’s not that they like it more. It’s just that it’s easier for them to come out and play when people are expecting to see monsters walking around.”
In the Hunter world, Halloween night was an eventful time. In addition to the Souls, other supernatural creatures came out in force. I was going to be a busy girl.
“Monsters and skanks alike can enjoy one night together!” Hope looped her arm through mine and laughed. “The question is, which one are you going to be?”
“Neither,” I answered definitively.
Hope bumped me with her hip. “Forget about being lame, friend. I’m not going to allow it. We have to go to the big Monster Bash tonight.”
“I’ll be working, Hope.” I would need to wear a specific outfit in order to hunt Souls. It required comfortable shoes and a place to store my weapons.
“I’ve got you covered, girl.”
It turned out that Hope didn’t have me covered at all. The outfit she had selected kept me quite uncovered, actually.
“I’m not leaving the house in this.” I frowned into her full length mirror, feeling exposed and ridiculous. “You’ll have to go to the party without me.”
Hope was busy texting on her phone. “If you won’t listen to me, you’ll have to listen to the guys.”
“What guys?” I suddenly felt very nervous.
“Ethan and Rafe, of course. They’re coming to the party with us.”
At this, I started reaching for my normal, respectable clothes. Hope grabbed them first and threw them into the hall.
“You look hot, Kaylie. Accept it- you are sexy woman. Rarr.” She made a motion like a cat. “The guys will be drooling.”
“I don’t want the guys to be drooling. I want them to be patrolling the town for monsters.” I hugged my arms over my chest and pouted. “What is your costume for the night?”
She held up a coconut bra and grass skirt. “Hula girl.”
“You might as well show up at the party naked.”
“If only I could.” She winked at me. “Now, take an honest look in that mirror. You’ve gotta admit that you look good.”
Somehow, Hope had managed to find a sexy vampire hunter costume. It was absurd. I was wearing a black corset that made my breasts look unnaturally voluptuous. Not only that, but it only went down to my belly button. A skimpy pair of black leather shorts rested on my hips and only just barely covered my ass cheeks. A pair of three-inch leather boots completed the look, with just enough room for me to tuck an actual weapon inside of them.
“I look like a hooker.”
“Yeah, but you look like an expensive hooker.” She grabbed the scraps of material that constituted her outfit. “I’m going to put this on. Don’t even think about changing.”
I was bending down to pick up my clothes when the front door opened.
“I’m here to ravage pretty ladies and drink their blood,” Rafe announced loudly.
I stood, hands on hip, and glared at him. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked, momentarily forgetting that I was dressed like a whore.
“Holy shit,” was all he said.
“Stop staring at me.” I hugged my arms around me self-consciously. “What’s your costume? Arrogant asshole?”
“Vampire.” He smiled, revealing fangs that only Ethan and I knew weren’t fake. It was the first time I had ever seen his fangs.
I frowned. “No fair.”
Rafe had recovered from his shock and came down the hall, stopping a few inches from me. “You look good, Red.”
His gold eyes grew brighter as they scanned my body, resting just a little too long on my chest. When they came back to my face, I saw something in them that scared me- desire.
“Don’t get used to this. I’m probably not even going to the party.”
He shrugged. “I can think of other interesting ways for us to spend our evening. They will require you to wear that outfit though.”
“Don’t be pervy,” I said, moving to smack his arm.
He caught my hand, still staring into my eyes. With his other hand, he brushed my long hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck. His fingers grazed over the skin, along the curve of my collarbone and over my clavicle. My heart raced beneath his touch. His face moved closer, fangs retracted now as his lips began to graze mine.
“Wait until you see these coconuts!” Hope called out from the bathroom.
Rafe jerked away and I took several deep breaths until my heart stopped racing. I knew that it was wrong to want Rafe the way I did. Nothing good would come from the two of us moving beyond friendship. He had told me that himself. But when he was close to me, touching me, I didn’t care.
Hope’s interruption was perfectly timed.
“What do you think?” She came out rocking her hips, sending the grass skirt swishing around her thighs.
“Suitably skanky.” Despite my lack of clothes, I felt incredibly warm. “I need a drink.”
Rafe started toward the kitchen. “Good idea.”
When Ethan arrived, his reaction to my outfit was easier to take. He started laughing, and once he started I had to join him.
“Can you imagine trying to run after a Soul in those shoes?” He shook his head in wonder. “If you don’t break your ankle, I’ll give you twenty bucks.”
“That’s nothing compared to the wedgie these leathe
r shorts are going to give me if I try to kick something.” I focused on drinking my beer and laughing with Ethan in order to avoid looking at Rafe.
I had just now cooled off and I wasn’t looking to get hot and bothered again.
“What exactly is your costume?” I nodded at Ethan, curious about his suit. “James Bond?”
“No. I just look really good in a suit.” He finished off his beer with a big gulp. “Shall we get this party started?”
“We shall.” The sooner we got to the party, the sooner I could leave. My feet were already starting to hurt. “I can’t wait until this night is over and I can get these close off.”
Everyone froze, waiting for one of Rafe’s sleazy comments. When we all looked at him, he paused, beer bottle halfway to his lips.
“What?”
“You’re really not going to comment? She set you up perfectly.” Ethan studied his brother with concern.
Rafe shrugged. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You were looking right at her,” Hope said.
“I was thinking about something else.” He stood. “I thought we were leaving?”
One of the fraternities on campus, the Delta something or others, were hosting a haunted house that led to a supposedly epic bash. Not one that usually enjoyed haunted houses, I wasn’t exactly excited about it.
“You’re being oddly quiet,” Ethan said as we walked. “You’re not scared, are you?”
“Of drunk fraternity guys jumping out at me in the dark? Yeah, I’m a little apprehensive.” In actuality, I was being quiet because I was still thinking about Rafe.
“If they touch you, I’ll punch them in the face,” Rafe said without even a hint that he was joking.
Hope walked next to me and yanked my arm to pull me back. When the boys were a couple of yards in front of us, she asked, “What happened between you and Rafe?”
“Nothing. Why?” I answered a little too defensively.
“You’re both being really weird. You haven’t looked at him all night, and he’s been staring at you like a blind man that just regained sight.” She smiled teasingly. “Did you two hook up?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Hope.”
“You were looking awfully guilty in the hall earlier. Did I interrupt something?” She raised an eyebrow.
I wanted to deny it, but I could feel my cheek growing hot. Hope noticed, too.
“I knew it!”
“It wasn’t a big deal, Hope. Rafe was just reacting like a typical guy when he saw this outfit. Everything will go back to normal once I put on real clothes.” I started walking faster, hoping that if we caught up with the guys she might stop her line of questioning.
“He wants you.” She poked me in the ribs. “It’s so obvious. Now, you need to stop being so bitchy to him.”
I glared at her. “I’m not bitchy to him.”
“Uh, yes you are. Like, all the time. I actually think he likes it, but nothing is ever going to happen with the two of you if you keep pushing him away.” She stopped talking abruptly. “We’re here. Be nice.”
Ethan and Rafe were waiting for us at the door to the haunted house. I finally let myself look at Rafe and saw that Hope was right- he was staring at me unabashedly.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said, feeling anxious.
Ethan and Hope led the way inside which meant I had to walk next to Rafe. He seemed as uncomfortable with that fact as me because he kept at least two feet between us as we walked.
“Can you walk faster?” I snapped. “I’d like to get through this thing as soon as possible.”
“What’s wrong, Red? Scared?” Rafe’s familiar smirk was back. I found it more comforting than the silent, non-smiling look I had been receiving all night.
“Only of how bad this is going to be.”
But it turned out that the Delta brothers had actually put a lot of effort into their haunted house. All of the rooms and hallways were suitably decorated, and plenty of frat guys were milling around, jumping out at people while covered in copious amounts of fake blood.
“Hm. A vampire with glasses.” I laughed at the absurdity of it.
“He just wears them so that other vampires will think he’s smart.” Rafe forgot that we had been maintaining personal boundaries. He had leaned close to talk in my ear over the creepy background music. I turned at the same time, and his lips ended up brushing over my cheek.
I pretended that it didn’t make my skin tingle. “I think we’re supposed to go down that hallway.”
Rafe let me lead the way, but I could feel him right at my back. What we found at the end of the hall made my stomach churn and my knees buckle. Rafe caught me before I hit the ground.
“Kaylie.” He wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me on my feet. “Close your eyes. Don’t look.”
But I couldn’t look away. The staged scene in the room was right out of my nightmares. Four bodies spread across the floor. Innards and flesh splashed around the room. Blood pooling on the ground. It was like someone had used photos of my family’s murder scene to stage the room.
“Look at me, Kaylie,” Rafe said urgently.
I finally turned away from the horror, focusing instead on Rafe. “Get me out of here.”
He pulled me closer so that my face was buried in his chest and then hurried me out of the room. I didn’t stop shaking until I felt cool air around us.
“We’re outside, Kaylie. You can open your eyes.”
But I wasn’t ready to let go of him yet. I felt safe in his arms and the minute I stepped out of them, that safety would vanish.
Rafe seemed to understand that I couldn’t let go. He stood still, with no attempt to move away, and held me gently until I was ready.
“Sorry,” I mumbled when I finally let go. “I didn’t mean to have a meltdown on you like that.”
‘It happens.” He winked. “Let’s get you a drink.”
Now that my head wasn’t buried in his chest, I could see where the party had led us. We were in the backyard of the fraternity house, surrounded by people in elaborate costumes. Rafe kept his arm around me as we made our way through the crowd.
“People are staring at us,” I said, glancing around nervously.
Rafe chuckled. “It’s just the guys, and they’re staring at you, not us.”
I looked around again and realized that he was mostly right. Somehow I had managed to forget that I’d left the house in Hope’s outfit. I found myself moving even closer to Rafe.
“That isn’t going to work all night,” he said when he realized what I was trying to do. “What happens when I have to pee?”
“You’ll have to hold it.”
Rafe laughed again and stepped up to the bar at the back of the yard. “A beer for me. Something strong for the lady.”
The bartender nodded, then noticed my outfit. His smile widened and I silently cursed Hope yet again. Rafe dropped his arm from around me and I felt even more exposed.
“Are you ready to have fun?” he asked, enjoying how uncomfortable I looked.
“Maybe after a few of these,” I said, taking a long drink of something that tasted like lemon vodka. “This is disgusting, by the way.”
“Good. That means it’s strong.” He stared hard at something over my shoulder and I turned reflexively.
It wasn’t a Soul though. Just a drunk guy dressed like a soldier. He was leering at me openly and making suggestive motions for the benefit of his friend.
“Is there a problem?” I snapped.
“My only problem is that we aren’t getting it on right now.” He reached out like he was going to grope me and I prepared to kick him in the groin.
Rafe saved soldier boy a world of hurt when he threw an arm around me from behind, planting a wet kiss on my cheek. His hand rested on my left breast, which I was certain wasn’t an accident.
“Can I help you?” he asked, nearly growling the words as he stared down both of them.
“No, no. We w
ere just leaving.”
They practically tripped over each other as they hurried away.
“Freshmen,” Rafe said with a sigh.
“Hand,” I hissed.
Rafe responded by giving my breast a firm squeeze. Then he kissed me on the cheek again and said, “My job here is done. I see some slutty nurses I need to have check my vitals.”
I was stunned by the turn of events. One minute Rafe was pretending to be my boyfriend and was openly groping me, the next he was vanishing into the crowd to flirt with other girls.
“Slutty outfit, drink in hand, and standing alone by the bar,” Ethan said, separating himself from the crowd. “Congratulations- you’re on your way to getting roofied.”
“I wasn’t alone until Rafe abandoned me.”
“Who do you think is going to be the one that roofies you?” he said with a laugh.
I looked over Ethan’s shoulder, but he was alone. “Did you ditch Hope, too?”
“Actually, she ditched me. Something about a ‘cute guy’ in a soldier costume.” Ethan grimaced. “Guess I don’t look as good in this suit as I thought I did.”
“The suit looks good,” I said. Then again, Ethan had the ability to pull off just about any look with his perfect hair and dazzling smile. “Hope just has bad taste in men.”
“I appreciate your attempt to cheer me up.” He pointed to my empty cup. “Drink?”
I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
The second drink was even stronger than the first. Halfway through, I regretted it. Two sips after that, I was too drunk to care.
“You finished that awfully fast,” Ethan said when he saw that my cup was empty.
“You are awfully tall. And big. Not fat big, Strong big.” I squinted at him so that I could see him clearer.
Ethan was fighting a laugh. “You are drunk.”
“I’m not as think as you drunk I am.” I paused. “Did that make sense?”
“Okay. I think it’s time to go home.” He took the empty cup from me and tossed it into a nearby trashcan.