"I've talked to her, Snow." Dorian's voice betrayed the sarcasm oozing over his words.His heart pounded - steady, but was it faster than usual? I wasn't sure. Taking a deep breath, I caught a whiff of his aftershave. He smelled good. Clean. Appealing.His blood sang me a sultry song. My mouth watered. I'll be fine, I told myself, covering my nose and mouth with my hand."You alright, Snow?" He glanced at me. His eyes full of concern."Sure. I rest my hand over my nose and mouth all the time," I mumbled, irritated.Illumination dilated his eyes. He knew what I needed, what I wanted. The way the muscles in his thighs and shoulders tensed told me as much.My face heated and I looked away, out the window at the houses and trees zipping by. "Snow, I told you if you ever needed blood, I'd gladly let you take from me." The car slowed, and he pulled over to the side of the road. He shut off the engine and scooted beside me. "Go ahead," he said, his voice soft. Shocked, I watched him,

After school, I went over to Dorian's locker to wait. Out of everyone, he was the one I felt most comfortable with, even with thoughts of sinking my teeth in his neck. He allowed me to be myself. He accepted me, liked me. And he wanted me to drink from him. My knees trembled."Snow. Can we talk?"My body tightened. The hall blurred. The angry craving for Cindy's blood once again boiled through my veins. I had to get out of there. "Go away, Cindy. I-I can't be around you right now." I took off down the hall, through the front commons area and out into the crisp fall air. I knew she followed. I'd zoned in on her heartbeat, the aroma of her blood. My canines pressed against my lips. I searched the parking lot for Dorian's car. The Mustang still sat in the same spot he'd parked in that morning. Relieved, I rushed over, hoping Dorian would come soon. When I arrived at the passenger door, I stopped. Trapped. Cindy stood a few feet away, her face screwed up with sadness. My hea

When Kenmei arrived, he took one look at me and directed me into Professor Pops' office. "You've changed, Shiryo-san," he said as soon as the door closed behind him.I gulped down my fear. "Have I?""No sense playing coy, revenant." His voice sounded harsh, his eyes hard with anger. "If you intend to survive another month, you've got to trust Adam Henry, the brothers, and me. We are on your side." He sat in the chair next to mine and took my trembling hands. His eyes softened. "I can help, Shiryo-san. Talk to me."I nodded, pushing back tears as heat spread from his hands into my skin. With my new abilities, I listened for his heartbeat. He didn't have one, though I sensed his innate goodness."Start at the beginning," he ordered quietly. I did. I told him everything. The more I talked, the more relieved I became. I hadn't realized how much of a burden I carried, keeping all that happened - and there was a lot - a secret. As I spoke, Kenmei nodded occasionally but kept quiet. He d

Cindy closed the door as Gatsby jumped up on my bed. "Man, your stepmother can be kind of a bitch.""I know, right?" I sat on my bed and pulled my pillow into my arms. A part of me always believed Viv liked Cindy more than me, and I thought Cindy liked Viv. Her relationship with her mom and dad was good, but they were older, and Cindy was their youngest, so her parents didn't do much by way of relating.A naughty gleam lit Cindy's face. "I could cast a spell, cover her face in boils. What do you think?" She sat down next to me, pushing a strand of hair away from my wet cheek.I laughed. "Might be fun," I said noncommittally, not really feeling it.She picked up her backpack before sitting beside me, crossing her legs. Unzipping the front pocket, she removed a book. As soon as I saw it, the air in the room changed. It hummed as though alive. The book possessed some serious energy. "I'm not kidding. I totally will." My attention remained on the book. Bound by a leather cord, most

The next few days were pretty routine. I went to the school, did my homework, fed my cat, watched reality TV, and pretended I wasn't craving blood so severely my stomach always hurt. I also did a pretty good job ignoring the brothers and Cindy's phone calls and texts. But on Monday morning of the following week, I woke thinking I was going to die. Blood! Blood! Blood! The word pounded through my body over and over like a frenzied crowd at a fight club. I went downstairs, desperate for food, and saw a package sitting on the counter with a damn note. Remember, twice a day. That was all it said.By the smell, I knew it contained my bloodlust tea. Peeling back the wrapping, I quickly made myself a double dose and drank it with relief. The hunger was still there, but now it was bearable. I knew it'd come from Professor Pops. I thought about thanking him but couldn't bring myself to dial his number. Just speaking with him would pull me back into that life, and I didn't want it anymo