“Honey you’re alive! I thought he killed you!”
I tried to open my eyes wider.
“Am I still in Brazil? Where is Kai?”
A finger slid down my neck and I turned around. Kai was behind me and you could see the blood on the bed.
“You’re still in Brazil and we fixed your stomach. You fainted and fell asleep. Logan came at around three in the morning looking like a fairy.”
I looked at Logan who nodded.
“It’s just an emotion phase. It’ll pass.” She sounded like she didn’t like it.
“Can we be alone for a sec?”
The room cleared out after Kai spoke. He turned me around.
“I’m sorry Claire.”
“I know.”
“Look I didn’t need you here. I was going to run from California. Then Taboo was in Brazil. Then he moved to Korea so I dragged you here to see if I could trick you and kill you. I was hungry and I couldn’t think. I knew you were the only person who would fall for it. I didn’t expect Cynthia’s power to be a tracker. She found me and you and told Logan.”
“What was I like when I was little?”
“What?”
“What was I like? You said you knew me.”
“Well you were adorable. Your eyes were blue but turned to a lovely hazel when you were six. I lived next door to your family. You always came over to play with Sophie and Logan. Logan was a year younger than you and Sophie was three years older than you. Your hair was a bright blonde and was cut short in a diagonal along your chin. Well when you were twelve Logan started telling you stuff about us. We had to leave but me and Will stayed a while longer. I told him to erase every memory you had of us. Make it like we never existed. Like we should. He told me you were special and that one day I would have to kill you. I was always there. I always watched you. You grew older and I stopped keeping track. Next thing I know I’m sitting by you in high school. Then you know my families secret all over again. The world’s confusing don’t forget that.”
“What about Paige?”
“She thought I loved you and wanted you killed. Even when you were a child she thought I loved you more than her. I always told her no but she never seemed to believe me. She still asks me and wonders why I haven’t killed you yet.”
“So you don’t love me?”
“Not like a girlfriend or anything.”
“So as what?”
“I don’t really know you remember. I just needed you.”
“I remember.”
“If I loved you I would of told you a long time ago. Before everything happened. If I loved you I wouldn’t of told you what I was.”
“So you don’t love me?”
“I won’t answer that.”
“Why don’t you love me?”
“You’re like a child. And your way too fragile. You’re broken easily. Too easily.”
“So because I’m like a child to you, you don’t love me?”
“I guess it’s something like that.”
“Ok.”
I felt little tears coming down my cheeks.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not!” My voice cracked though.
“You only like me because I’m a vampire. That’s the only thing you know about me.”
“I know more about you even if you didn’t tell me!”
“Name them.”
“Your parents died when you were seventeen because you were going to explore and they got attacked by Indians. You lived with a woman and her three kids. When you were twenty one she thought you knew too much and changed you. You have sixteen children who are all demons and none of them are vampires. You were trained to fight and kill. You married and changed Paige. You adopted Logan.
Every girl likes you. You think I act like a child. You’re an alcoholic. Your favorite drink is red wine. You love to smoke but you only smoke the kind with the camel on it. I’m pretty sure you and your family is big on gambling. Everyone in your family has a gift. And you have to fight a man named Taboo who’s in Korea. You can attack at both the neck and stomach. You have bitten me twice. I think you can force the venom out of your mouth because I haven’t changed yet. Last thing I know about you is that when you’re nice to me you see a wedding and a child.”
“You know more than I thought.” He flashed a smile and his eyes flickered to an orange color.
“You should of known I would of picked up something every now and again.”
“I should of.”
I laughed and he did too. He rolled back on his back and lifted me into the air. I started laughing harder and the door opened. Paige looked in the door and shook her head sadly. Kai put me down and looked at Paige. She walked over to the bed. She had on a long black dress with black lace.
“Molly is here. She found your sisters and mother. They’re coming up so I advise you get a shirt on and hide the little girl. Clean up some of the blood too.” She walked out the room with one glance at me and a warning to Kai. He looked over at me.
“Get your suitcase and put on a dress.”
“What are you going to wear?”
“Just get dressed.”
I slipped out of my bloody clothes and into a pearl silk dress. I came out and Kai had just put on a T-shirt. I sat down on the bed next to him. The door cracked open and four women walked into the room. Kai looked down and greeted them.
“Samantha. It’s nice to meet you again.”
Samantha looked down also. “It’s nice to know my son is alive.”
“Nice to know the mother that abandoned me in the middle of the night cared enough to come back.”
The other girls looked at each other. They all resembled Kai with straight black hair but cut at different links. One of them stepped forward Kai.
“I’m Margie. You must be the brother I never knew”
“Kai.” All he said was his name. I shot him a look but he ignored me and looked back at the other girls. Another stepped forward.
“I’m Sabrina. It’s nice to know that my brother is gifted.”
The next girl walked forward.
“I’m Bonnie.” I figured she was shy, after all she was meeting a man she doesn’t know claiming to be her long lost brother.
A little girl about six came running in the room and jumped on Kai’s lap. She hugged him burying her face in his chest and looked up.
“I’m Tabitha. But call me Tabby please. You must be my brother!”
I started smiling but stopped as I saw her pale white skin and how her voice sweetly flowed making me forget everything except what she said. I turned to Kai.
“I thought you couldn’t have vampire children. And somewhere I thought I heard it was illegal.”
“Selling drugs is illegal but people still do it. Just a bite and you have a child. Destructive and good for fighting.”
Nodding I glanced up seeing everyone staring at me. Tabitha broke the odd silence between us. Thank god for the vampire kindergartener.
“Mommy is taking us to a bar somewhere whatever that is. She said she wants to know about you and some girl she heard bout. Can you carry me there brother?”
Kai glanced at me I nodded. It was his sister after all. He looked at me again almost pleading me to let him carry me and not his baby sister.
“Kai carry your sister. I can walk you know.”
“It’s so much faster though.”
“Yah fast enough to make me sick now carry Tabby.”
Tabby turned to me and held out her arms for me to carry her.
“If you know what’s best for you you won’t carry her. Especially with your stomach like that.”
Bonnie looked at me then Tabitha then Kai. She paused for a moment then laughed.
“What is she pregnant or something? You seem really tense and weird it’s scaring me.”
Kai frowned. “She’s not pregnant I attacked her now let’s go.”
The room was silent as he picked up Tabitha in one hand and grabbed my arm in the other. Samantha scurried behind us and too the side of Kai with Tabby on it. Guess I’m not liked.
“When do I meet my grandchildren and daughter in law? What about your adopted parents and siblings?”
“You’ll meet them soon enough. Let me warn you though that my kids are demons.”
He sounded completely calm but everyone stopped. I pulled my hand from his but just to find it back in his cold, rough, hands.
“I want to see them now! Where are they and how many?”
Samantha sounded oddly stressed. Kai dropped Tabby and held her hand while he let go of mine. He waved for me to follow as he walked them outside. I saw everyone gathered around and a bunch of teenage girls I didn’t know. They all formed a line and waved. Kai walked us all down the line telling us all their names.
“Chloe, Lyra, Daphne, Anissa, Gigi, Lexi, Blair,” He laughed at Blair’s name and looked at me smiling and his eyes flaring orange. “Misty, Rosemary, Angel, Zelda, Sophie, Trixie, Roxie, Logan, and Alexis.”
The line turned back into a group and everyone went off to join them except for Tabitha. She stared straight at me.
“Are you my auntie too? Are you married to bubby?”
Kai laughed but I stared her straight in the eyes and bent down to whisper in her ears.
“I hope so Tabby, but right now the chances are slim. Very, very slim. But it’ll happen one day. One day soon.”
She clapped her hands while Kai gave me a disapproving look.
“Please don’t Claire. We all know it will never happen. Never happen understand. I already told you I don’t love you what else do I need to say to make it register that I don’t love you.”
“Nothing I get it. Are you happy now? I’ll never bother you again.”
I ran off to Logan wiping my eyes to make sure known of the traitor tears were streaming down. She met me half way and I fell into her arms.
“Don’t think too hard if you think it hurts that bad. Don’t talk about it. Don’t let it get you down. It’s only one part of the story. Just let it go. He wants to love you but he can‘t. It‘s ok don‘t cry. I’ll keep you at your best. I don’t need your mess bringing me down too. He loves you. Forget about it don’t let it get you down. Now is not the time. And you’re not alone so don’t cry about it. No one can bring you down. I can feel your pain and I know it hurts. He can’t love easily things have happened to him.”
Kai walked to us and Logan deeply growled.
“We are having a girly talk. Girly talks are for girls. You are not a girl so get out of are girly talk. You are ruining are girly sister moment!”
“Logan leave. Me and Claire need to talk.”
She left without an argue and he waved for me to come towards him. A rock came out of the ground and formed a bench. He waved and I sat down with him. Before he could say anything I wrapped my arms around his neck and without thinking kissed him. He quickly grabbed my neck and pressed on my throat with his thumb. I released my grip around him and faced my head to the ground.
“Claire.” He growled
“I’m sorry it was just a…reaction.”
“I’m smarter than that Claire.”
“I’m sorry it was just…. I don’t know.”
He lifted my face up and held it in his hands. His eyes were the pained green.
“Claire I’m not mad at you. Actually kind of relived. I’ve been waiting for you to finally do it. Now I don’t need you any more. I know the location and everything.”
“That’s why you’re relived!”
I wiped my stinging eyes. Stupid traitor tears. Before he could speak Logan was behind him with a lighter. She looked at me and pointed it to me.
“Why did you kiss him?” She turned to Kai and put the lighter to his throat. “Daddy, I’m starved. I haven’t eaten since forever and you two’s creepy chemistry is making it worse. Especially all of Claire’s constant crying! That’s all she ever does is cry! I told her not to try to fall in love with you and to try that on someone else! You’re too difficult and you boss people around too much! You hate your new little sister and the rest of your problems. You lied about your age and your divorce with Paige. Yep I know your dirty little secret and it’s sick Kai!”
“Logan get some of your sisters to take you to go eat. Get the hawk the tiger and the wolverine to go with you.”
“Angel, Misty, and Zelda?”
“Yes now go!”
She skipped off and talked to the girls. I turned back to him.
“You’re still married?”
“Yes but like it matters. We hate each other anyway.”
“Is that the reason why Paige hates me! You are the reason she hates me! Because you lied to me about being married!”
“Get over it.”
“No! Take me home now!”
He sighed and held out his arms to pick me up.
“Don’t touch me!”
He grabbed me anyways and slung me onto his hip. He walked all the way to my house and dropped me off at the door. I opened it and Debbie was in the doorway.
“Where have you been? You’ve missed two days of school and you haven’t been home at all last week! I thought you died in a car wreck or school fire or something!”
“Sorry Debbie.”
I forced the tears back and ran up to my small little room. I expected the long white hallway but only saw my little room. I opened the door and, to my surprise, saw Kai lying on the bed. He shut the door and opened up his arms.
“I thought you might want to know that I ran all the way to your house from Brazil. I had to swim some. The least you could do is not be mad at me.”
“The least you could do is leave me alone.”
“Didn’t think it would come to this.”
He picked me up and jumped out the window. He landed without a noise and ran through the woods. We stopped at the front door to the house that now seemed like mine. He opened the door and I started screaming and kicking him. Everyone ran down the stairs at once like I hoped but they were all in dresses and tuxedos. Dakota walked in front of us. I squirmed out of Kai’s grip and fell to the floor. I grabbed Dakota’s ankles and she bent down.
“Did you kidnap this poor girl.”
“I need her.”
I plucked me from Dakota’s ankles and I desperately held on. I heard some giggles from the stairs and I let go. He carried me up the steps and I started screaming again.
“Let go of me!” I cried. “Let go of me now! I want to go back home let go of me! I want to go to sleep! I don’t want to stay the night with some liar! I did that once already! So let go of me!”
He pulled me into his room and locked the door behind him.
“If your so tired you can sleep here but I need to know where Taboo is.”
“I don’t know I’m sorry!”
“Here then,” He handed me a dress. “We’ll have to try again later.”
“Can you leave?” I held up the dress.
“Why?”
I waved the dress in his face. “Human girl has to get dressed now leave.”
I pushed him out the door and got dressed. Right after I pulled it on Kai was back in the room.
“I’ll be back.”
He ran down the stairs and I felt a sting in my arm and then my neck. I ran down the steps and there was a tiny crowd around the kitchen. This couldn’t be good. I pushed myself to the front of the little crowd. They were all hidden behind a wall and some of them left. I happily took their spots. I peeked into the kitchen and saw Paige and Kai talking to each other.
“I thought you loved me Kai.” Her voice was oddly sad.
“ I do.”
“Then why are you running around all day with some dingy blonde girl you barely know!”
“You know the reason, Paige, don’t act like you don’t.”
“I’m not acting. All you ever think about is Claire. All you ever talk about is Claire. I’m sick of your stupid little human girlfriend!”
“She’s not my girlfriend and you know that. You know I don’t love her and you know I’m just using her. She’s too stupid to figure it out.”
That part upset me. I perfectly knew he was using me.
“What about the night of that party? When she stayed the night? What happened to one hour, Kai? It’s almost like the only thing you care about is Claire.”
“Not everything is about you, Paige.”
She grabbed his arm and flipped him into the sink. I looked at Logan thinking that if I felt it she must have too. She slowly nodded at me letting me know she did. He bit her arm and she let out a scream. A purple liquid dripped from his teeth and her arm. Venom. Logan looked at me glad she couldn’t feel that. They went on like that for a while. Kai grabbed her though and put her on the counter. He held her up by her neck and she was clawing at his hands to let go of her. He quickly leaned in and bit her stomach. Paige let out a piecing scream and fell down onto the floor crying and holding her stomach. Her color faded from the sickly pale to a normal human pale. Her eyes went from the vampire black to a human hazel. Kai grabbed a knife and bent down to her. He uncurled her and held up her face to where her neck was. He slit near the bottom of her neck and she started letting out choking noises. I looked at Logan. She looked like a fairy with giant blue wings that glimmered.
“What are you doing?!” I had to whisper it.
“I’m going to try saving my mother’s life.”
Her wings floated down and she lifted into the air I could see how much effort she put into not screaming. She fell back to the ground and the wings faded away. She got up though and swayed a little to the side. Paige was still screaming on the floor but she was in Cynthia’s lap. Cynthia pushed her off and went for Kai. She grabbed him pushing him to the floor. I could see the violet liquid coming from her mouth. I looked at Logan wondering how much pain this would be. She bent over his neck but Hunter came busting through the door and they all looked up. Cynthia ran back to the dying Paige on the floor and started growling and hissing and more liquid formed inside her mouth dripping from her teeth. Hunter walked to Kai and stretched out his hand.
“I wouldn’t think of you as the type of guy to kill his wife.”
“She has two minutes until she’s back to normal she won’t die. You know I don’t need you to the rescue.” Kai’s face showed how aggravated he really was.
“You were about to die, I think so. I came to get my cousin. You know Claire.”
Kai grabbed Hunter by the neck but dropped him.
“Claire Lamone come here NOW!” The anger was flawless in his voice.
I ran out of my little hiding spot and Logan came too. He looked surprised at how close we had been but it quickly faded.
“Is Hunter your cousin?”
“I don‘t know. Is he?”
“Come here.”
He pulled me in front of him. He checked my pulse and rubbed his hand up and down my arm. He blew into my face.
“Tell me everything that you can smell in that.”
“Um…beer, wine, cigarettes, blood, mint, honey, leather. That’s all I can smell.”
“Good, now come here.”
He led me to a wall and bent down until our faces almost touched.
“Listen now,” He spoke softly and I started getting dizzy. “I don’t love you. I can’t. If I could then maybe. Do you still love me? Do you? Tell me please that you don’t love me.”
I staggered and swayed and gripped the counter for support.
“I…I…don’t love you? I don’t love you anymore.”
“Good.”
He talked normal and my little trance was broken.
“Wait I do love you.”
“OK.”
He walked me back over to Hunter.
“Do you know what he is?”
“A guy, a human?”
“Please show her I don’t care if she has nightmares for weeks.”
Hunter nodded and a spark of light glittered around him. In the spot that he was in was a large honey golden wolf with beautiful sad brown eyes that stared at me. It was the size of a horse and looked like you could ride him.

Werewolf.