Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(73)

He didn't ask. Instead he said, "I get that a lot."

They came to the clearing and stepped out on the trail. His gaze met hers. "I have to go. I'm leading another hike." He turned to leave.

"Lucas?" she cal ed after him, and he swung around. She pul ed off his shirt and handed it to him. He took it. She pul ed her damp shirt away from her bra. It wasn't completely dry, but no longer as transparent. She saw his gaze lower to her chest briefly, then he met her eyes.

Do you remember me? "Thanks for ... showing me the dinosaur tracks."

He nodded. "You're welcome." He hesitated, and then said, "I'm sorry, Kylie."

She knew he was apologizing for the kiss. First, he tel s her to forget it ever happened and now he apologizes for it. Her chest clutched. Then he took off again and Kylie stood there with one thought running through her head. She wasn't sorry. She wasn't thrilled Trey had stumbled upon them. But neither was she sorry.

* * *

Kylie had just put on some dry clothes when she heard someone come into the cabin. Stepping out of her room, she spotted Del a standing by the open fridge drinking ... something.

Blood. Kylie forced herself to accept it. Her friend was a vampire and vampires drank blood, had to have it to live. It was time for Kylie to face things. "Hey."

"I'm not talking to you." Del a screwed the top on the bottle and placed it in the vegetable bin as if to hide it.

"I don't blame you. I haven't been a very good friend."

Del a turned around. "Is this your way of saying you're not going to leave?"

Kylie tried to think how to answer that. "I don't know yet. I told Holiday I'd give it two weeks. So I guess I shouldn't say one way or another until then."

Then, before she lost her nerve, Kylie moved in and stretched out her arm, rubbing a finger over her vein in the crease of her elbow. "Do you have the stuff to do it?"

Del a's brow wrinkled. "To do what?"

"To draw blood. Derek said that you guys were trained."

"I didn't..." Her eyes widened. "I never asked..."

"I know, but you didn't ask because you knew I'd say no. Right?"

"That's part of it." Del a continued to study her.

"And the other part?" Kylie asked.

"Because you just stopped being afraid of me. I didn't want you to look at me like a monster."

"You're not a monster," Kylie said. "You're just a vampire."

"And you don't see that as a monster?" Del a asked.

"Not when I realize it's you."

Del a hesitated. "My parents would think I was a monster. Lee would think I'm a monster."

"Screw what they would think," Kylie said. "You're not a monster." She held out her arm. "You need blood to live."

"I can survive just drinking animal blood for the summer," Del a said.

"Why should you when I've got extra?"

"You'd real y do it?" There was a catch in Del a's voice.

"Wel , I heard that once you agree to it, you can't take it back," she teased.

"I wouldn't hold you to it."

"I was joking. I want to do it."

"Do what?" Miranda asked, stepping into the cabin.

Kylie looked back. "I'm giving her some blood."

Miranda's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

Kylie nodded. "She offered to fight Fredericka for me. I owe her that much."

Miranda made a face. "Oh, hel , if you're gonna do it, then I've got to do it."

"No, you don't," Del a said.

"Yes I do. Because we're a team. Al of us."

Del a's eyes grew moist. "I don't al ow witches on my team."

"Tough titty, vamp," Miranda said. "Because you got one." Miranda held out her arm. "Let's do it. But it better not hurt. I hate needles."

"I can't do it until we get it cleared with Holiday or Sky."

"Then let's go get it cleared," Miranda and Kylie said at the same time.

Right then, a toad, aka Miranda's piano teacher, plopped down at her feet. "Not again," she seethed, and eyed the toad. "Won't you ever learn?"

Miranda pointed her finger at the amphibian. "Keep this up and I swear, I'm reporting your butt to the police."

"Maybe you should," Kylie said.

Miranda looked at Kylie. "Yeah, but he never ... Al his offenses could be explained by accidents-trying to show me the right keys on the piano, that kind of thing. The only way I know he was real y doing it was because of the spel ."

"I'm tel ing you," Del a said, "we should cook his horny ass. Or give him to the werewolves. I heard they love toads."

The toad jumped across the room and then faded into thin air. Kylie got curious. "When he pops in here, is he disappearing from wherever he is?"

"Yup," Miranda said. "But except for the first time, it's happened when he's alone. Or at least that's what I think when I peek into where he ends up when he goes back. I think he gave up teaching piano lessons."

"Wel , at least that's good," Kylie said.