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  With the entry to my building a mere fifty feet ahead, I thought I was home free—until I heard a loud crash in the alley next to the building.

  “Damn cats,” I muttered, before pausing.

  Instead of the telltale yowling of battling alley cats, I heard the murmur of voices. My stomach did a terrified lurching thing, like when an elevator drops down to the next floor too fast. There was no way I was going to make it past the alley undetected. I moved closer to the building, pressing my back against the bricks, and stepped closer to the alley. The murmuring voices became audible when I was only about a foot away from the entrance.

  “Trust me, you’ll love it,” I heard a raspy male voice say.

  “I told you to get lost already,” a familiar female voice replied.

  “C’mon, sweetness, just one little nibble, “ the male voice spoke again, dropping an octave.

  “I told you to beat…” The female voice paused midsentence, then suddenly giggled. “Just a nibble?”

  My eyes widened when I recognized Xany’s distinct giggle, and I held my breath, listening again.

  “That’s a girl…just a little nibble. It won’t hurt a bit.” The male voice seemed to hiss.

  With a sickening awareness, I realized what was about to happen. I’ve heard a hiss like that before, and it did not belong to a cat. Turning to look down the alley, I saw Xany with her back against the wall and a dark figure in front of her. He had his hand on her head, tilting it to the side while Xany was frozen in place with her hand braced on his torso.

  “No!” I shouted, surprising both myself and the vampire.

  Xany remained still until he turned and looked at me, baring his fangs and emitting a guttural hiss. Xany awoke from the thrall, her body tensing, and she looked to the creature in front of her. When the vampire sensed Xany’s lucidity, he turned back to her and bore his fangs, grabbing her hair and tossing his head back ready to strike.

  Before I could think about what I was doing, my legs carried my body forward. I closed my eyes and ran right at the vampire, throwing my entire body weight against him. The impact knocked him away from Xany and into a stack of aluminum garbage cans. The tremendous sound of the crashing garbage cans caused several neighborhood dogs to bark, and nearby cats began yowling as the vampire thrashed about to regain his footing. I got up as fast as I could and ran back toward Xany.

  “Go, go! Run!” I shouted and shoved at her.

  Xany glared at the vampire whose leg had gone right through the aluminum, which he was trying to pry free. I shoved her again, and this time she ran with me out of the alley. When we were back under the glare of the streetlights, I could hear the pounding footsteps of the vamp running toward us, and then suddenly it was silent again. I had a hold of Xany’s arm, nearly dragging her until she stopped running and looked back.

  “He’s gone,” she said, scanning the area while panting.

  “He’s hiding. We need to get inside, hurry.” I pulled at her again, and she jogged with me, constantly looking over her shoulder.

  “We can take him!” she shouted and thrust her chest out as if she were ready for a street brawl. I stopped dragging her for a moment to stare at her.

  “What?” she asked with an innocent shrug.

  “So now you’re Buffy? You really think you and I could take on a leech? Get real. Now let’s go.” I grabbed her again and pulled her inside the apartment building, knowing full well that a glass door would not protect us should the vampire come back for more.

  “Hell yeah!” she added, huffing at me as the door locked behind us.

  “That thing nearly had you for dinner. Didn’t your brother ever tell not to look into the eyes of a leech? You were thralled.” I frowned.

  “So! I… We could still take him.” She nodded matter-of-factly.

  I shook my head. “And here I thought you were the one who was supposed to keep me safe,” I said and cocked an eyebrow at her, in a poor mimicking of Vanessa’s favorite gesture. Xany giggled.

  “I said we’d keep each other safe!”

  “You’re so strange.”

  Xany beamed with pride. “And damn proud of it. Who taught you to tackle vampires anyway?”

  “My mom always told me, ‘close your eyes and move fast.’”

  “Did she say ‘close your eyes and move fast, directly into the line of fire’?”

  “Well no, I guess I added that part.” I couldn’t help but smile. “The leech is probably pissed off now though. We should tell Caden or Mal in case it comes back looking for you.”

  “They left to go talk to his sept-y friend in Utah,” Xany said as we started walking up the stairs to our apartments.

  “I’ll call Vanessa then. She’ll enjoy a decent hunt, I’m sure.” I unlocked my apartment door.

  “Your great protector cat,” Xany said with a smirk.

  “Yeah…she does that sometimes. Not fond of cats?”

  “She’s my first.” I walked into my apartment, and Xany followed as usual.

  “Well, Vanessa’s quirkier than most,” I said.

  Xany changed the subject. “I’m hungry. Want to order a pizza?”

  “Um… all right, I guess.”

  “And then we can have a sleepover!” she shouted as she grabbed the phone from the table and began to dial the pizza place.

  I took a deep breath. Save someone’s neck by accident and get a sleepover in return. I hoped Xany didn’t talk as much in her sleep as she did while awake.

  Chapter Nine

  “So Brutus scared you the other night, huh?” Xany asked, trying to stifle a giggle by taking an extra large bite of pizza.

  “You said pizza and a sleepover, that’s it. No questions,” I replied. I didn’t want to talk about my encounter in the woods with the alleged werewolf called Brutus. It was bad enough he had the gall to scare me, but what if I were a human? His behavior was irresponsible and whoever his alpha was should be notified.

  Regardless of the events that had happened over the last few days, I was still not into talking like I was a part of the pack paradigm again. I worked too hard to live harmoniously in the human world without preternatural influences to just abandon all of my efforts and return.

  “That’s not fair.” Xany turned to me with her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “Talking is a part of sleepovers.”

  “Sleeping is a part of sleepovers. That’s why it’s called a sleepover and not a talkover,” I grumbled.

  “You’re always rude to me when I try to talk to you and get to know you…meanie.” Xany pouted harder, shoving her hands on her hips.

  “And what does that tell you?” I cocked a brow in response.

  “That you’re hiding something.”

  “You already know what I’m hiding. You figured it out ages ago.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Yeah, but why are you hiding it? That’s what you haven’t told me yet… So tell me.” She giggled and attempted to bat her lashes at me like I’d seen her do to Mal and Caden.

  “That’s none of your business,” I said with a frown.

  “So?”

  I shook my head at her. “Enough. Let’s just move on okay?”

  “Does the redheaded cat know?” she pressed.

  “Yes.” I sighed.

  “Good. I’ll ask her then.”

  “Xany! What is wrong with you? What part of ‘it’s not your business’ don’t you understand?” I shouted. In anger, I tossed the slice of pizza that I wasn’t eating back into the box and stood up.

  Xany seemed to settle after my reaction. “Fine, sheesh… I was just trying to help.”

  “I don’t need your help, or anyone’s help for that matter,” I said in frustration and stalked off to the kitchen to grab a beer from the refrigerator.

  “No one but the cat’s, huh,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “No.”

  “Drinking is bad for you,” she jousted.

  “So is being nosy.” I popped the can open rig
ht in front of her and took a swig.

  “You can’t die from being nosy.” She turned her nose in the air like an arrogant kindergartener.

  “Yes, you can. Especially if someone gets tired of it and kills you,” I retorted with a smirk.

  “Cool.” Xany giggled, brushing off my fake threat.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her a little. “You’re a bit off, aren’t you?”

  “Mhmm. Just like you.” She arched an eyebrow at me.

  “Noted,” I said in my usual doctor voice, which made Xany smile.

  “One day you’ll tell me.” Xany sounded smug as she voiced her belief.

  “If you say so.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Want to watch a movie?” she asked, changing the topic.

  “Do you talk as much during movies as you do during sleepovers?” I couldn’t help but smirk.

  “Of course not!”

  “Fine, then let’s watch a movie,” I said as she hopped up and began looking through my DVD collection.

  “It’s after the movie you have to worry about,” she added, shuffling through a few disks.

  “Fabulous.” I sighed.

  “Yes, I know I am. Thank you. Let’s watch this one,” she said and popped in Nosferatu. How very suiting…

  During the movie, Xany was mostly quiet. She only spoke to point out her favorite parts or elaborate on what it would be like if vampires really looked like Nosferatu. I reminded her that some of them do. While the movie played, I couldn’t help thinking about how suddenly everything seemed to be out in the open. Not just with Xany and the wolves, but with myself. A few days ago I’d never admit that vampires existed or that I was friends with a weretiger. And now look where I was at. At least I had a beer to dull my thinking.

  When the movie ended, Xany yawned and stretched. “I’m beat.”

  “You can take the bed. I’m fine with the sofa.” I stood and began to collect the dishes and trash from the coffee table.

  “That’s silly. We can both take the bed,” she said with finality.

  I sighed on my way to the kitchen, depositing the dishes and trash in their respective places, not having the energy to argue.

  Xany stripped down to a camisole and boyshorts, while I changed into a pair of sweats. I glanced at her as she pulled back the covers and climbed into my queen-sized bed. As I got in, I positioned pillows between us. Xany giggled at my fort building and lay on her side facing me. I shrugged at her as I tried to cover the fact that I was afraid of having one of my usual dreams with a near stranger in my bed.

  “Good night,” I said to Xany and rolled onto my side, with my back to her.

  “G’night. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” She grinned and snuggled into the covers.

  I remained awake for quite a while. I heard Xany’s soft breathing beside me and watched the shadows circle in the room. I thought about the events of the night and shuddered, remembering the vampire’s fangs as they nearly bit into Xany’s neck.

  How did I go so long without having any encounters with these creatures and then suddenly, all in the same week, three werewolves and a vampire make appearances? I sighed. Not to mention the weretiger I had been friends with for the past twelve years. It’s not that I ignored the fact that Vanessa was a werecat. I recognized it; I just…chose not to acknowledge it. I guess that is ignoring it. I was so used to blocking things out that I supposed when I began to take notice, not by my own choice, it all hit me in the face at once. Great.

  My thoughts continued along this route until I slowly drifted to sleep. I dreamed of the skinless little girl with blue eyes and of the woman who gave birth to a child covered in hair with long sharp nails. Hypertrichosis— excessive hair growth throughout the body— was the diagnosis. What a lie. I was a liar because I was in denial. What had happened to those kids? It was my fault. I could have prevented it. I could have…

  Ravaged necks, dog attacks, spontaneous electrocution. My fault! My fault…

  Tell the truth, Shawnee.

  I tossed and turned in bed, tormented by the thoughts until my dream suddenly changed.

  I hear a voice say, “This is our secret. If you tell your mother, I will kill her, and then I will kill you.” The light in my room turns off, and I can’t see my dolls on the shelf. I feel hands on my chest that press me into the bed. The blankets pull back. A hot voice against my cheek says, “I’ll kill you.”

  I can’t breathe. I push at the darkness above me, but it does little to help. I feel cold. Then hurt. So much hurt. I cry for e-tsi.

  The hand on my chest raises, then hits my face. “She’s dead.”

  I cry harder. I want to die with her.

  I woke up clutching my chest and gasping for breath. I heard Xany’s voice but couldn’t make out what she was saying. The weight of the bed changed as she left it, and my eyes burned as light filled the room. The panic in my chest tightened at the invasion of my senses.

  “Shawnee,” she said and reached for me. I pushed at her and screamed. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go so I just kept screaming. Xany tried desperately to soothe me. She stroked my hair and rubbed my arms. It didn’t work. I cried and pushed at her again when she tried to get closer to me. My body trembled uncontrollably as I thrashed at the sheets. Then suddenly she was there with arms around me, squeezing me tight.

  I fought against Xany’s embrace, I fought hard but she didn’t let up. I heard her voice telling me that I was safe and that no one can hurt me. I clawed at her arms, leaving scratches that rose in vivid, red welts on contact. Xany’s hands were suddenly on top of mine, and our fingers laced. She held me there with her warm body engulfing me until I was able to calm down. When my head cleared, I realized where I was and that she was holding me. Nauseated and dizzy, I tried to wiggle away. She didn’t let me. Instead, she squeezed me tighter.

  Eventually, I relaxed, and my breathing slowed as the pressure of her arms around me calmed me down. My steady crying turned into sobs that wracked my very core. A cold sensation enveloped me that caused my muscles to go lax. My body was weak and cold. Xany lifted my chin so I could meet her gaze. She had tears of confusion in her eyes. Xany’s eyes reminded me of Mal’s.

  Then everything went dark.

  Chapter Ten

  “She will be okay,” Vanessa’s voice said. A soft purring accompanied her words.

  “Are you sure?” Xany asked, her voice softer than usual.

  “It’s happened before,” Vanessa responded.

  I woke up to the conversation. When I rolled over in bed, I saw Xany seated by my legs and Vanessa by my side with her hand on my stomach. Without addressing them, I scooted closer to Vanessa and put my head in her lap. She purred louder and ran her fingers through my hair.

  “You scared your friend,” she whispered, leaning down and brushing her lips against my cheek.

  Xany looked to me tentatively, biting her lip before speaking. “Are you okay, NeeNee?” she asked, leaning forward and rubbing my arm affectionately. “You passed out.”

  I nodded and curled up tighter. My stomach churned with nauseated embarrassment. Though I noticed what she called me, I decided to ignore the new nickname I had just been assigned. Vanessa perked an eyebrow at Xany.

  “No more hiding,” Vanessa said after a moment of quiet, and she lifted me to sit upright.

  I was used to her doing this to me. Werecats, like most werecreatures, have exacerbated strength. Vanessa, despite her tall and slender frame, could carry me with as much ease as a bodybuilder. She sat me up, leaning against her to facing Xany. Xany seemed to enjoy watching Vanessa tossed around like a rag doll.

  “It’s funny when you move her so easily,” she said. Her words broke some of the tension.

  Vanessa snickered and purred against my neck. I leaned into her and shivered a bit, enjoying the gentle sensation that ran down my spine.

  “Shawnee, remember how I said I wasn’t going to let you get away with not talking? Well, this is part of it. It’s y
our responsibility to explain to Xany about your nightmares,” she said with a firm tone.

  I wasn’t happy about it. It was moments like this where I usually turned to Vanessa to help bail me out. I frowned at her words, uncertain of how to even start. In effort to escape her decision, and possibly persuade her to change her mind, I allowed my lip to tremble in a pout.

  Xany giggled as she scooted closer. “Pouting only works for me!” she said.

  “I umm…” I hesitated when I heard my voice, raspy from screaming. I cleared it and continued. Damn you, Vanessa, for making me do this. “I…have dreams sometimes, about bad things that have happened. I should have told you before you slept over. Sorry you got scared.”

  “I called Vanessa from your phone after you passed out. I thought you died,” she said with a huff. “Dying is not allowed!” She smiled before reaching out and touching my face.

  I flinched at first but didn’t pull away because Vanessa was sitting too close for me to back up.

  “Vanessa popped through the window pane. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen,” she added with a bright smile.

  Vanessa snickered and slipped her hand under my shirt to rub my bare stomach. I slouched back against her. Xany’s eyes narrowed as she watched the gesture, but Vanessa didn’t notice.

  “Vanessa can bend,” I explained. “I’m guessing Mal and Caden can’t.”

  “Umm… Mal can’t. I don’t know about Caden. He probably can.” She shrugged, seeming distracted for a moment before she suddenly perked up. “Speaking of which, Caden called this morning and said that they were heading back today to tell us what their new plans would be.”

  “I’m going to have a quick shower,” I said, purposely avoiding discussing the return of Mal and Caden.

  I wriggled away from Vanessa and got up off the bed. Vanessa lay on her back after I moved and squirmed around a few times which made Xany giggle. Vanessa purred loudly, lifting her chin at Xany and giving her ponytail a swat. I smiled at the playful, attention-seeking cat and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.