Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(24)

Why?

A blast of cold air shot past as if something had flown by. But nothing was there. Then Del a made a low guttural growl. Kylie looked up. The girl's eyes were glowing, and a lime green color beamed from her face, making her look anything but human. Fear took up residence in Kylie's chest, crowding out her heart and lungs.

The whisk of wind passed again. Kylie looked back over her shoulder, and when she looked back around, she saw him. He stood far too close-

taking up half of her personal space. Blinking, she took in his jet-black hair and Asian eyes. Eyes similar to Del a's, but his eyes glowed gold not green.

His surreal stare focused on Del a. "Hey, Cuz."

He cut his cold, gold gaze back to Kylie and leaned in. His nostrils flared. "I see you brought us a snack."

Chapter Thirteen

Before Kylie could think to react, Del a jumped in front of her. "What are you doing?" Del a demanded. "You can't ... you can't be here."

"Don't worry, Cuz," he said. "They can't hear or smel me this far away. I know their limitations."

"Forget their limitations. You aren't supposed to be here," Del a snarled.

"So I can't come see my favorite cousin?"

"Not here." She waved her hand. "Now leave before you get my ass in al kinds of trouble."

"You're not going to introduce me to this yummy-smel ing individual." In a flash, he moved to stand in front of Kylie again. This time even closer. She could see an ugly scar running alongside his chin. The smel of his breath wafted up her nose. It smel ed like the grocery store when you got too close to the meat department. Raw meat.

One word echoed in her panicked brain. Run!

Fear kept her from obeying.

Del a growled and less than a second later, her vampire roomie had sandwiched herself between Kylie and the scar-faced cousin. "Leave her alone, Chan. You're scaring her."

He took a step back. "I'm just joking. I had my dinner." He ran his hand down his shirt-a light colored shirt that Kylie noted had stains down the front. Stains that could very wel be ...

Fear froze her lungs as the coppery scent of blood fil ed her nose. A noise escaped her lips. She took a step backward and almost tripped on her own feet.

Del a shot her a quick glance, then refocused on Chan. "Go home. I'l see you when camp's over."

"So you're going to join us when you get out of this joint?" he asked.

"I don't know what I'm doing when this is over. That's why I'm here, to figure that out."

"Your parents wil never accept you. You can't live in that world anymore," Chan said.

"You don't know that," Del a said, pain sounding in her tone.

"I do know. I tried it. Save yourself and them the heartache and just come and live with us. We're your new family."

"I told you I'l make my decision when I leave here."

"This place is going to feed you a pack of lies. They want to change us ... al of us. It's a ploy by the government."

"They aren't feeding me anything. They made it clear, it's my choice. Now go away before you get me thrown out of here."

"Trouble is my middle name, Cuz."

"Chan." Del a made that low snarling sound again.

"You are no fun," he said, and then took off, moving so fast he left only a cold wake of fear behind. Kylie found a tree to lean against. Del a stood there, head tilted as if listening and staring off in the direction Chan had disappeared, no doubt making sure he'd left.

Slowly, she turned to Kylie. Her eyes had faded back to her own shade of black. The moon found its way from the clouds, al owing Kylie to read the emotions in Del a's face.

"I'm sorry," Del a said, and her expression matched her words.

Kylie couldn't answer; she hadn't even gotten her breathing under control. Back stil against the tree, she wrapped her arms around herself to fight off the chil that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"He wouldn't have hurt you," Del a said.

"He cal ed me a snack," Kylie insisted, managing to eke the words out from her shaking lungs.

"He enjoys scaring people. He wouldn't have done anything."

Kylie arched a brow in disbelief. "Is he ... does he belong to one of those gangs that harm humans?"

"No, he just likes to act out sometimes."

"Is that why you kept getting between us?"

"I did that because I could smel how afraid you were."

While Kylie couldn't total y buy into Del a's words, she sensed Del a believed it. Or at least she wanted to believe it. The normal noises of the woods returned. A few insects chirped in the distance. Del a stood there almost fidgeting. "Can I ask you a big favor?"

"What?" Kylie asked.

"Don't mention this to anyone? Other supernaturals aren't supposed to visit." The pleading in Del a's voice seemed to cost her.

"What if he comes back?" Kylie could almost smel the scent of raw meat that had lingered on his breath.

"He won't. I'l make sure of it." Pausing, Del a studied Kylie's face. "Please. If they find out, I could be sent home and I real y need to be here right now."

Kylie remembered how Del a had protected her and for reasons Kylie didn't quite understand, she trusted the vampire to protect her again. But did she trust her enough to put her life in her hands? Probably not, but her gut instinct made the decision for her.