Love is Darkness Read online

Chapter 1

  San Loaran, California

  5 years ago

  “Why?” Valerie's heart was hammering in her chest, a dull ringing in her ears. If I puke, I hope it’s on his shoes. She inhaled deeply, trying to keep the nausea at bay.

  She looked around the living room, at the boring furniture, the slider that led to the backyard, then to the front door, which she’d no doubt be leaving through in a few minutes. Unless she was crafty. Who was she kidding? The odds of her being crafty enough to get out of this were just about as good as a hamster seeing a shiny new wheel and choosing not to run.

  I might die and I can barely drive.

  Her father, Nate, looked at her disappointedly. “Valerie, I've been lenient with you. I had hoped that given a little distance, a little time to mature, you would get over your fear, but that hasn't happened. Don't you want to survive?”

  This is a trick question. Val felt her palms get damp as she tried to think of the right thing to say— something that would make him leave her alone. If she said she could defend herself he'd want her to prove it. But, if she said she couldn't defend herself, then he’d take her out there to learn. This is so messed up.

  Jack stood beside her father, examining the floor and trying not to draw attention to himself. He was 19, her father's apprentice, and the star of every fantasy she had. And it was always a fantasy, because in real life he didn’t want her. And he certainly wasn’t going to stand up for her like a fantasy man should.

  Jack probably knew she'd attack him if he tried to leave her here with dad while he snuck off, so he stood there, but he wouldn’t help. Jack was too good. He owed her father, was grateful that he'd given Jack a purpose in life.

  Her father gave an impatient sigh and she tried to remember the question. Oh yeah, don't you want to survive? She felt the tension building, her father becoming frustrated by her silence.

  She gave them an overly bright smile, hoping it would make her dad think she wasn't about to pee her pants. “I have a quiz tomorrow in science and I'm not ready. Doesn't school come first?”

  Her father was a tall, thin man. His hair had been light brown but was now mostly gray. His eyes were brown and sad. In old pictures, his eyes were different.

  Valerie thought grief from her mother's death had changed them, sucked the vitality right out of them. Even though her mom’s death had been over a decade ago, he still hadn't recovered.

  He never would.

  Those sad brown eyes stared at her like he was deciding whether or not to confront her on her probable lie. She did have a science quiz tomorrow, but she wasn't worried about it, knew she'd get an A. But did he know that?

  “I'm sure we will be home in time for you to study.” Nate raised an eyebrow at her.

  Could an eyebrow express 'gotcha'? Apparently.

  “Perhaps next time you can study appropriately, during the allotted time, and then you won't find yourself with a time conflict. Life is about juggling obligations, Valerie. You need to study smarter, not harder.” Great. What did that even mean? If I could study smarter, wouldn't I be doing it already?

  “You're right! That's why I make sure to do my homework before cheerleading, and stay at school to do it. That's why I get to school early on Wednesday so that I can go to swim team.” Her voice was rising and she felt some air quotes coming on, “If I have warning I can put it in my schedule, and study “appropriately”. Surprisingly, random vampire stake-outs don't fit into my schedule easily.” Crossing her arms under her chest defiantly, she waited for the verdict.

  He gave a small frown and turned to Jack who was being ‘one’ with the wall. Yeah, you’re still here, you jerk.

  “What about you Jack? You seem to make it all fit and you're in college. That's a lot harder than high school, Valerie. How do you plan on being successful if you can't schedule your days?”

  “My back up plan is to drop out and get pregnant,” she said.

  Jack's shoulders straightened a little, pulling at the corners of his long sleeved black t-shirt. His lips thinned in disapproval, perhaps a hint of a smile, but she doubted it.

  “Yes, because the one thing that will give you more time to get school work done is to have a child out of wedlock.” He shook his head, “Just go get in the car.”

  Nate turned away from her and she heard him mutter something about pitchers, or catchers, something sports related, and Jack gave a stilted laugh.

  She went to the car and sat in the backseat, waiting for them to come out. Morbidly, she began imagining all the terrible things that might happen to her tonight. She imagined her father dying, a vampire drinking Jack's blood, then discarding him and coming for her. She slapped her hands on her thighs, trying to distract herself.

  Impending death requires chocolate.

  Val reached into her back pack and found a pack of M and M's. By the time the guys got to the car she'd eaten all the red, orange and brown ones separating them out into little piles that rolled around the seats and occasionally vanished. She looked at her watch. Well, that took care of five minutes.

  Her father opened the back door and threw a huge, orange duffel bag of weapons down next to her, the wood making a hollow thunking sound as the stakes bounced against each other.

  The station wagon backed out of the driveway and Valerie looked longingly at her room as they drove away. She turned back to the front and saw Jack watching her in the rear-view mirror, his slate-gray eyes intense. She stuck her tongue out at him and slouched back into her seat, hoping he wouldn't see her blush.

  Jack was so impossible lately. He was high on power now that her father had started taking him places. It seemed like he was always watching her in a disappointed way, looking for faults and quick to 'helpfully' criticize. Jack said it was 'helpful' because it was in her best interest.

  They were both so worried about her staying alive and yet tonight they were taking her to fight a vampire. How could they not see the logical flaw? If she was the Einstein of this group then they were in deep crap.

  Jack had studied martial arts since coming to America with them at the age of thirteen. Now he was nineteen and he’d been going with her father to hunt for three years. He wanted to be here, whereas she was being dragged to her doom. What would she do if a vampire tried to attack her again? Val almost moaned in fear. Where was Child Protective Services when she needed them?

  She chastised herself, rubbed her hands together and thought about her 'game face'. Was that the same as a poker face? Val needed to be irritated and sarcastic, that was her fall back persona when her father was trying to get her killed. “Wax on, wax off,” she mumbled.

  They drove down the Garden Highway, a two lane stretch of road that was sparsely populated and next to the river. It started in San Loaran but went for miles. It was dark, the city lights far away. If she were a vampire she'd live downtown. How the hell did this guy get food when he was so far away from everything?

  “So, what's the deal with this clown?” Val asked.

  Her father kept looking at his map of the area, ignoring her. He'd already been out here during the day, so she didn't know why he was looking at the map anyway. They pulled off the road and onto a dirt track, bumping along for a mile or two before turning down another path, this one graveled. The car stopped in front of an old cemetery that was in the middle of nowhere. Her stomach flip flopped.

  “A cemetery?” she said plaintively, “Why is he living in a cemetery? Couldn't we have come for him during the day?”

  Nate turned around and gave her an irritated look. “No, we couldn't come for him during the day. We tracked him here yesterday but he disappeared. I'm not sure where he's staying. He could be underground, in a family crypt, I just couldn't tell. And before you ask, we can't wait because he's already killed someone. I won't risk him doing it again just to make our lives a little easier. If we catch him when he's just starting to rise, he'll be confused and it should be relatively easy.”

  She didn't like the way h
e said we. “Yes, you will. I'm sure the both of you will have a very easy time staking him.”

  Her father’s voice was quiet. “You listen to me, Valerie. I think you have been sheltered quite long enough. Being lenient with you hasn't sweetened your personality either. Tonight, you are going to help. I'm not asking you to fight. You can stay near the car, but if we need weapons you will be expected to bring them, do you understand?” He had a mean stare and wasn’t shy about using it.

  Valerie's mouth flopped open and closed like a fish. She looked to Jack, but he was staring at the road and staying out of it. Wuss. She felt the anger rising up like a fist inside of her, choking her.

  Nate undid his seatbelt and got out of the car, started walking towards the side where the weapons were. Jack undid his seat belt slowly and she knew he was about to say something supportive.

  “Don't bother. If you knew how much I wanted to hit something right now, you’d keep your mouth shut.”

  Jack put up his hands, like he was surrendering to the police, and then got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. She heard him say something to Nate but didn't know what it was.

  Val threw her door open and stuck a leg out but she'd been too aggressive and the door rebounded back on her, slamming into her shinbone. She managed to hold back a yelp of pain, but felt stupid and even angrier.

  Her father took the weapons from the backseat and set them on the hood of the car. Jack was right behind him and she was relieved they hadn't noticed her clutziness. A helpful lecture about how anger 'hurts us more than anyone else' would have sent her screaming off into the woods, vampires be damned.

  She limped to the front of the car, thinking she should 'shake it off', and about how the pain was 'getting better'. It was, honestly! Any moment now she wouldn't notice it and tomorrow how she'd laugh.

  Her leg began to throb.

  The sun was almost down and vampy would be stumbling out of his crypt pretty soon. Jack and her father were ready: a knife strapped to one forearm, a stake on the other, spare gun in a shoulder holster and some holy water sitting on the hood.

  Her leg tickled and she looked down at her calf, blood staining the leg of her pants. Shit, she'd cut herself on the stupid door! Her father was striding off towards the crypt but Jack was looking at her leg and he looked worried. He took a step closer to her, and she could smell his woodsy cologne. Jack was taller than her father, but lean, his teenage metabolism devouring the fat from his body.

  His dark, coffee colored hair was a bit tousled from running his hands through it, a five o' clock shadow visible on his jaw.

  “You should get in the car. You can't be out here with a bleeding leg, it will draw them to you like...well, like vampires to blood.” His tone was worried, urgent as he tracked the darkening skyline.

  She wasn't sure what to do. Her dad had told her to stay out and help but man she wanted to be in the car with the doors locked. Val heard the sound of grating stone— harsh and loud. Jack swore, then ran towards Nate.

  “Get into the car!” he shouted over his shoulder.

  She stood indecisive for a moment and then decided Jack was right. Lord knew there would be other vampires she could help with. She watched for a moment longer, Nate and Jack with their guns drawn, ready to shoot the monster that came out.

  As she reached for the door, a pale, hairy hand appeared in front of her, holding the door closed.

  Her eyes jerked up, taking in the vampire who looked at her like she was a deed fried Twinkie at the state fair. He was close to her height, his eyes a glowing honey-brown.

  He shoved her, knocking the wind out of her so she couldn’t scream, her chin hitting the hard metal roof of the car before his cold hand clamped around her mouth, dirty nails digging into her cheeks.

  She felt the drag of gravity as he lept, forcing them upwards and away. It was different than flying, as though he'd bounded into the air, using all the power his body contained to propel them into the sky.

  The ground shrank as he took them thirty feet into the air. As soon as they landed, he'd kill her, she thought frantically. Jack and her father were in the crypt and she knew they hadn't seen the vampire take her.

  Val’s whole body shook with fear, and the way the vampire's arms clamped tighter around her, his body pressed flush to hers as though he knew she was terrified, and liked it, made her skin crawl. He was like a python, squeezing a little tighter with each frantic exhalation. She reached for the stake in her pocket, her wrist turned at a painful angle so she could reach it.

  Don't make it too easy.

  The wood was warm in her hand from her tight grip. Adjusting the stake, she turned her wrist so that it was angled towards his body. His feet hit the ground and as he bent his legs to absorb the shock, the stake sunk into his stomach. She heard a startled grunt and he pushed her away, the stake sticking out of his stomach. She fell forward hard, her knees jarring painfully upon impact, even though he'd borne most of their weight.

  Scrambling frantically, she tried to get to her feet and run but he recovered, grabbing her ankle and pulling her back to him.

  Her fingers clawed into the ground, trying to stop her backwards slide. Her nails caught and broke; small pine needles and bits of leaves forcing their way deep into each nail bed.

  I’m going to die in the damned woods. I knew it! Although it would have been nice to be wrong this time.

  Then everything got worse. Another vampire appeared, landing in front of her. His movements were too quick, his landing too graceful to be anything but vampire. Her eyes swam with tears, making him a blurry image of black clothing and golden hair.

  It was fully dark, and the only light came from the moon, giving his paleness an odd cast. She saw long hair, golden and straight, that fell halfway down his back, but his face was shadowed. He was a giant, towering over her and the vampire who knelt behind her. The golden vampire crouched to his knees before her, forearms resting loosely on his thighs.

  His face was close to hers, the desire to scream choked in her chest by his proximity. His cold hardness slapped at her, feeling like an almost physical barrier between them. He was hard and terrifying. The most terrifying vampire she had ever seen because he was beautiful. He was death and she wanted to touch him. Then he spoke to her and it was like all the blood in her body wanted to well to the surface and spill out towards him.

  “Be still Valerie. You will be well.”

  She heard a huff behind her and the vampire who was gripping her leg, suddenly let go. He swatted her on the butt before moving away a little. “Don't you go anywhere,” her captor said, like she was a disobedient animal. He had a rough accent. Irish, maybe?

  Then he ignored her, turning to the golden one who was still next to her.

  “Well, that's a bit rich. She'll only be well in my stomach. What brings you out on a nice night like tonight, my Lord?”

  “You do,” the golden vampire said, his voice gravelly and dark.

  “I don't share well, but it would be an honor to make an exception for you, my Lord. In fact, we can celebrate! What's it been now, ten years? Five? Who knows, am I right or am I not wrong?” He laughed, as if keeping track of time was a crazy concept.

  Val needed to move but couldn't. Frozen like a rabbit, she trembled and tried to think about what she should do. She wasn’t five anymore. She wouldn’t lay here and let them kill her when they got around to it. She wouldn’t be her mother. Then run you damned fool! Run!

  “This one is forbidden. You will release her.”

  The man chuckled, “She's a bit young for you and scrawny to boot. I'm surprised. Not your usual style, Lucas.”

  Her arms jerked under her, ready to push herself up and run away. Then Lucas put his hand on her jaw, searing her like dry ice, forcing her to look into his blue eyes. And she didn’t want to run away anymore.

  Lucas.

  King of them all. It would be worse— much worse, to die by his hand. Because I wouldn’t fight him. His
strength and emptiness, the lack of pity and kindness made promises deep inside of her. Those cerulean eyes still held her tight, and she heard herself sob, hoping it was someone else.

  He compelled her with his voice. “Stay there Valerie Dearborn. Stay there and be calm.”

  Val blinked and tried to move, but couldn't, his words locking her limbs into place. She felt an artificial calmness come over her, her back shifting so that she could settle against the tree more comfortably and wait.

  Trees surrounded them from all sides, casting long inky shadows that would, at another time, have been scary. But there was no point in being scared of what might be lurking in the shadows when the biggest bad, of all big bads, was gazing at her intently.

  The calmness he told her to feel weighed on her oppressively, snaked into her thoughts, like sleep trying to claim her. She knew that if she relaxed at all it would overcome her, and she wouldn't fight but give in to it utterly. Tears coursed down her cheeks as the vampires both watched her impassively, waiting for her to succumb to Lucas' commands.

  The shorter vampire crossed his arms, head tilting to the side lightly, “That's interesting, isn’t it? Quite resistant to your compulsion. Think you're losing your touch?”

  Lucas seemed to ignored him, his eyes fixed on Valerie. She could see him looking at her face: her mouth, hair, chin, forehead, back to her lips and settling on her eyes.

  Val looked away. She took a deep breath and watched her hand, tried to make a fist, wanting her own body to obey her will. She tried to stay afraid and belong to herself despite his compulsion.

  But it’s so hard.

  His golden hair was shining, even in the dark, and Valerie watched it with deep fascination. She lifted a hand and hit the ground hard, the pain breaking up his insidious words. His power receded and she thought she was almost free of him, but then her gaze met his, and his power coursed over her again, like a big wave knocking over a toddler wading in the shallows.

  “Calm and Still Valerie.” His gaze hit her and she was under the waves, the fight over.

  Val stopped struggling, the desire to flee, even survive, swallowed by him. I’ll wait for him. Wait just a minute, until she recovered from the scare she'd had. That was a reasonable thing to do, wasn't it? She could leave later, after...something.

  The vampires turned away from her, resuming their conversation. “The reason for her protection is none of your concern,” Lucas said. The words were cold and flat.

  Why are my hands shaking?

  I’m scared.

  Why?

  The vampire looked shocked and surprised at Lucas’ words, his features reminding her of a pale pug. “My lord, please, let's be reasonable. I came here to check on my new child, Oliver. He's having some trouble blending in, gone all homicidal. Very disappointing to be sure. This girl, Valerie you say, is with some Hunters. I have to defend myself.” He spread his arms out in a ‘isn’t it obvious’ sort of gesture.

  Then he looked even more confused. “The girl even staked me! Look at that!” He lifted his shirt, a gray t-shirt that said, “The Pogues” on it and which now sported a bloody tear. His skin was parted nastily, the blood viscous and black. Not human.

  “Did she?” Lucas said, almost sounding proud.

  Valerie looked at the vampire’s torn flesh, shaking harder. I did that. The calmness was fracturing, tendrils of fear seeping through her mind like ivy. Once the fear consumed her, she’d run.

  Lucas turned to look at her, a small frown on his face, as though both disappointed and surprised by her.

  “She drew my blood, tried to kill me. Not sure why you have your panties in a twist to be frank.” He paused and looked at the golden vampire again. “Err...my lord.”

  “She is forbidden. The punishment is death.” Lucas said, his gaze still fixed on Valerie.

  The Irish vampire's eyes were wide in surprise and outrage, “She's not worth all that! What do you care about a Hunter’s daughter? Tell me what to do to make it right and I'll be on my way. Even take Oliver with me.” He tried to make his voice sound reasonable, but fear pitched it higher and the words ran together.

  “Oliver will be dead soon.”

  The man frowned and spoke angrily, “You will let the Hunters take my child? Be damned to you then!” He swung forward in a smooth arc, his fist flying towards Lucas' jaw, but Lucas moved, grabbing the hand in mid-air, inches from his face, holding back the vampire with ease. A terrible smile on his lips.

  “You seek to attack me?” There was a hint of incredulity to Lucas’ words. “Perhaps Marion is correct and I should make more displays of my power.” Lucas squeezed the man’s hand hard and blood began to drip from his closed fist.

  The vampire cried out in pain, kicking hard, wanting to break free of Lucas’ grasp. Lucas blocked the kick, squeezing harder and the vampire dropped to his knees in pain. Lucas let go and the man swayed for a moment, gripping his crushed hand protectively. Lucas punched him. But harder than it sounds. His fist making such solid contact that the vampire’s face was instantly altered, bones shattered, half of his skull slightly depressed.

  Valerie scuttled away from the tree, Lucas’ compulsion suddenly falling away like unlocked chains. She stumbled to her feet but he was there in front of her, hand on her chin, wanting her to look at him, trying to take her will away.

  She could feel his power directed at her— marching over her skin, waiting for her to open her eyes so she’d be his. Val kicked blindly, making contact with some unknown part of him, hearing a slight oomph in response. And then she was free. He wasn’t touching her. She opened her eyes, running forward—and he was in front of her.

  This time the wave of power hurt, like a wave of acid taking her under instead of sea water. Her body halted, mid-motion and she waited. The pain vanished, like he’d whipped it away from her, but still she couldn’t run away.

  Val breathed in and out, then a little faster, making her lungs do what she wanted instead of what he wanted. He wanted her calm, she worked to be wild.

  She made her hands open wide, got her toes to curl. She turned, faced the two vampires, unable to leave but terrified of what was going on behind her. When her death came she wanted to see it. Figured the only way she’d get near a man that hot was if he was going to kill her.

  Her vision cleared, and she saw that things had changed. While Lucas had been distracted, Mr. Irish had stabbed Lucas. The stake was embedded near his stomach.

  Lucas pulled out the stake like removing lint from a sweater—casually, dismissively, as though it made not the slightest impact that he’d been stabbed. Then he tossed it aside andit landed at her feet.

  She wanted to reach for it, but her body wouldn't move. What did it mean that he threw that to her?

  His control broke again, and Valerie grabbed the stake, gripping it tightly in her right hand. When she looked up, the fight was finished. Mr. Irish was pinned to a tree, Lucas’ arms keeping the other still, as he struggled pathetically, only his head thrashing from side to side.

  “Goddamn you, Lucas!” her attacker shouted angrily.

  “No more talking,” Lucas said. Power laced his words and her ears rang from the vibration. The Irish man’s eyes widened but he didn’t speak, body tense with rage.

  “Come to me, Valerie. Come and kill your attacker.” His voice was deep and caressing, rubbing over her skin like velvet, burrowing inside of her, the feeling intimate and alien at the same time.

  She stopped herself from looking up, not wanting to meet his eyes again. She felt the need to go towards Lucas and do what he bid, but her heart thundered in protest. He’s dangerous. A killer. Going to him is stupid.

  She walked forward.

  Wait.

  Valerie stopped and imagined her feet rooted into the ground like a tree trunk, refusing to move.

  “Look to me,” Lucas commanded her gently.

  Val made a frustrated sound of betrayal as her body acted without her consent, meeting his flat stare.
His blue eyes were pale, shining brightly, almost oddly in the dark. She knew it when their eyes locked, felt it in a real and visceral way. One that was too intimate and personal.

  “I release you to yourself.”

  Valerie's whole body trembled and she felt fear spreading through her, all traces of calmness and restraint gone, like heavy wet clothing removed from her body.

  “Kill him, Valerie. He attacked you.”

  Huh. That’s a twist. She shook her head and dropped the stake, hands nerveless in fear. “No. I don't want to.”

  “Worse will come for you. You must learn to protect yourself. I cannot be here at all times. Do it now and with my protection. No harm shall come to you by my hand.”

  Her heart leaped. “Why?”

  “Your fear is crippling.”

  No shit.

  “Do you want me to compel you? Take your fear from you?” The words were gentle, without judgment for her cowardice but her eyes welled with tears.

  “There is no shame in not wanting to be as strong as others expect you to be.” His tone matched the dark night around them.

  She couldn't speak, panic overwhelming her again. Val took a step backwards and heard Jack's voice calling for her in the distance.

  “Valerie, look to me,” he said quietly, urging her to trust him. The words were stilted and she realized he had an accent. Nothing easily identifiable, more like he'd spoken dozens of languages over the centuries, acquiring a small accent from each of them. It was lyrical, beautiful even.

  And totally irrelevant.

  “Why?” The question was insufficient for what she wanted to know. Why would he protect her? Why choose her over a vampire he knew? Why did he care whether she killed a vampire or not? Why did he care whether she lived or died?

  “Violence has touched you. Taken from you and you need to know your own strength in return.”

  She felt a lump in her throat and it made it hard to talk. “What's it to you?” Val dreaded the answer, had no idea what it might be, but was afraid nonetheless.

  Lucas ignored her, the quiet of the night registering during the pause.

  “Shall I help you?” he said like she was a spooked horse.

  She stared hard at the ground. “Compel me, you mean?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you...release me again?” Why was she even thinking of trusting him? Because he hasn’t killed me yet. She wanted to freeze time so she could think it through, but she only had this moment, and if she didn't keep up, he'd make her fate for her.

  The vampire was still struggling, but it was as futile as a moth struggling when a child has it by the wings.

  Decide. Run or stay. Her heart pounded ten times louder than the words. But he was a vampire, he'd hear it anyway. “Make me then.”

  Val looked back to him almost aggressively, deciding to own her decision. She threw herself into his eyes like jumping off a cliff. His will surrounded her until she was floating in the warm sea of his blue eyes, watching actions that belonged to someone else.

  It was someone else who gripped the stake tighter. Someone else who walked forward, eye level with the monster who had just been about to kill her. And behind him was Lucas his large presence overshadowing everything else. She smoothed the rumpled Pogues t-shirt, wanting to hit his heart on the first try.

  She struck hard and fast but the stake didn't go in far enough. Val tried again, using two hands and pressing forward, all of her weight pushing forward. It was like cutting a grisly steak with a plastic knife.

  “Harder,” Lucas said.

  Val heard a grunt— her own— and pushed, her arms burning with exertion, until the stake slid forward and the vampire paused in mid-struggle.

  His skin turned ashen then disintegrated, bones falling around the stake and clunking to the ground before her, dust settling on her tennis shoes. Her momentum carried her forward, the stake still raised, about to pierce Lucas. Deftly, he turned and caught her, his strong hands gripping her arms, keeping her and the stake away from him.

  “I think one vampire is sufficient for tonight,” he said dryly.

  Val stepped backwards and looked up into his eyes. She thought of a gas fire, the blue that surrounded the flames, the same color and heat of his eyes.

  “I release you,” he said softly, looking down at her.

  Valerie came back to herself, the blue ocean throwing her out, cold night air biting through her clothing, her shin painful and still bleeding. She looked down at the wound, then back up but Lucas was gone.

  She heard Jack calling her. Dropping the stake, she ran; calling for Jack and her father, tripping over tree roots and slipping on damp leaves as she followed Jack's voice back to the car.

  Her father looked her over, disappointment, maybe even irritation, etched on his face. “See Jack, I told you she was fine. You think that's a funny game, Valerie? Run off into the woods and scare us witless? If you couldn't help, or I guess wouldn't help, then you should have stayed in the car. You were stupid and reckless, Valerie.” Her father strode to the driver's side of the car and got in, leaving Val in the cold night air.

  She supposed she should tell him what had happened. But she didn’t want to.

  Did she fear Lucas? Hell, yeah! She wasn’t a total idiot. But would he hurt her?

  No.

  Her mind and body knew it, the answer resonating through her like the vibrations of a bell. Part of her wondered how she could know, wondered at the risk she was willing to take, and then that worry resolved too. Irrationally, she knew. He wouldn’t hurt her.

  They drove home in silence and Valerie went to bed thinking about Lucas and her decision to stay quiet. He'd known her name, protected her, and tried to help her get over her fear. Even though she hadn't been in control of her actions, she felt a little better, like she'd kind of done it, and could maybe protect herself in the future.

  He was like Lucifer, the angel so beautiful that all others paled in comparison. Men didn't look like him, features so bold and striking, so harsh and perfect that he was frightening. When she thought about boys, she thought about Jack. She spent most of her time imagining kissing Jack, she'd even dreamed about it.

  Lucas was not a boy.

  Lucas wasn’t the stuff of girlish fantasies. He was too predatory to fantasize about. It was like a kitten admiring a lion. Val pushed the uncomfortable thoughts away, and was glad she’d decided to say nothing about Lucas. She didn’t want to think about him, have Nate and Jack talk about him. They couldn’t do anything anyway. Lucas had crushed that other vampire with a punch. She knew who Lucas was. All the Hunters did. He was their leader. King. And he could kill her and her family with one careless swipe of his arm.

  And if she told them about Lucas they’d have questions. Questions she didn’t have the answers too and that she didn’t want said aloud. She was alive tonight because of him.

  Why did he come for me?

  Why did he save me?

  What does he want?

  And worst of all…when will he come back for me?