Full Moon (31 page)

A chill shot down my spine. “I can’t imagine
him hurting anybody. You should see him with the animals at the
zoo, especially the injured ones and the babies.”

“Does any vampire really want to be the way
they are? They’re bloodthirsty and can’t help themselves. We need
to go to the sheriff.”

“We can’t.”

“Why? Because you’re trying to protect Sir
Sucks-a-Lot?”

“Because they won’t believe us.”

“Still, we gotta try.”

“They’ll laugh at us. All it will do is make
us look silly and alert any vampire living here that we know they
exist. If we go to the cops, we might be putting ourselves on a hit
list—just like Fred was.”

She bit her lip. “Hmm. I didn’t think of
that. You’re right. We can’t let anybody know about this,
especially when we don’t know who is a vampire and who isn’t.”

“And we don’t know who the werewolves are
either.”

“How did we end up in a town like this?” she
asked.

“They’re trying to blend in,” I said, “and
they’re doing a really good job. The thing is, if there are
vampires and werewolves here, there should be many more deaths
occurring. They must be controlling the way they eat so they don’t
bring suspicion to themselves.”

“
So they’re not dangerous because they’re
in
Blood
aholics
Anonymous.”

“Obviously, one fell off the wagon,” I said
as I glanced down to see who had left a text on my phone.

“
Who is it?” Julie asked.

“It’s Jesse. He’s at my house waiting for
me.”

“Your parents are gonna be gone all day. You
can’t face him by yourself. It isn’t safe. Let me come with
you.”

“No. I need to talk to him privately.”

“Then do it at McDonald’s or something, in a
public spot.” When I didn’t answer, she continued, “What if Jesse
is the killer?”

“It wasn’t him,” I said.

“You don’t know that,” she retorted.

I reached for my purse. “If he wanted to
kill me, he would have done it already. He’s had plenty of
opportunities.”

“Don’t confront him like this, Taylor. You
were clueless to his lifestyle before, but now you know his dirty
little vampy secret. If he’s aware of that, he might take you out
with one big, giant bite right there at the house.”

“It’s a risk I have to take.”

“Fine, but at least take some precautions.”
She turned and left the room.

“If you’re getting your father’s gun, I
don’t want it!” I yelled.

She returned instead with a Bible and a
wooden crucifix. “Here. Vampire repellents.”

“Seriously?”

“Honey, this is just the beginning. I’m far
from done. The Internet has hundreds of tips.” She ran to the
kitchen and came back with cloves of garlic.

“Seriously?” I repeated.

“I don’t have any holy water, but I can get
some at church this Sunday.”

I tried to hand all the stuff back to her,
but she insisted I take it.

“You know, we shoulda figured this out
already. Jesse is too hot to be human. Guys like him shouldn’t
exist on this planet, let alone in the middle of the woods in Big
Bear Lake. Who knew that vampires could come in fifty shades of
sexy?”

“
Right,” I said.

“Just don’t be seduced by his hypnotizing
eyes. Jesse may be handsome and sexy, but remember that he’s always
out for blood. You shouldn’t invite him in when you go home. Your
house can be your sanctuary, so just stand in the doorway so he
can’t hurt you. Promise?”

“I promise. I guess it’s better to be safe
than sorry.”

“Or slurped dry.”

In spite of her warnings, I didn’t think
Jesse would hurt me. Then again, I wasn’t sure who he really was or
how everything would turn out. All I knew was that I needed to talk
to him.

“Taylor, you haven’t even asked what kind of
hardware you need to take down that bloodsucker,” Julie said.

“I have everything you gave me.”

“Yeah, but those are just for protection. To
destroy him, you’ll need a wooden stake to pierce his heart.”

“What!? I’m not killing anybody. Besides, if
I did, his blue-eyed coven would come after me.”

“Right. I didn’t think about that. But if he
comes after you, you’ll have no choice but to stake the
night-stalker.”

“He walks in daylight, Jules.”

“Oh yeah. But you can’t just let him suck
every single red blood cell out of your body,” she retorted. “I bet
he gets off on it too, the pervert.”

“That’s it. I’m leaving.”

“That’s it. I’m coming.”

I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to be able
to change her mind again. “All right. I guess in this case, I can
use a third wheel.”

“Let’s find some more stuff. If we get the
lighter fluid from the basement, we can fry the undead bloodsucker,
burning him into a million ashes.”

“I suppose that might work,” I said
hesitantly, not wanting to picture it.

I followed Julie to the basement door, and
after she stepped in to head down the stairs, I quickly locked it
behind her.

She pounded hard with her fists. “Taylor!
Let me out.”

“I can’t believe you want to fry my crush!”
I said.

“Let me out! You can’t just leave me trapped
down here!”

“Your mom will be home in less than an hour.
You’ll be okay. I need to do this myself.”

* * *

Halfway home, I pulled off the side of the
road. I couldn’t stop gasping for air, and I felt like I was having
a panic attack. Since I’d never had one before, I wasn’t sure. I
ran a hand through my hair and tried to think clearly, trying to
come to terms with the fact that Jesse could be a
vampire
. Do
I just have some sick imagination? Am I a mental case?
If he was, in fact, a vampire,
I would despise what he was, and I would never be okay with him
killing people.
But is it my right to judge him? Maybe he just feeds on
rodents or shops at a blood bank. Maybe I’m just completely crazy.
Or…maybe my heart is just as lonely as his.

I wanted to scream, so as I sat there in my
car, that was exactly what I did.

Chapter 20

My chest heaved, and I sucked in giant gulps
of air as I pulled into the driveway. “Keep calm,” I told
myself.

As I walked up the sidewalk, he smiled.

My heart stopped. “Breathe,” I told
myself.

“Hey, you,” he said.

“Hi, Jesse.”

He wrapped his arms around me and lowered
his mouth on mine. His warm lips were so enticing, so addictive.
His gentle touch was like none I’d ever experienced.

But my feelings about him were all mixed up.
I was aware of what he might be, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t
stop, couldn’t let go. I wanted to keep moving forward with him. I
wanted him more than my next gulp of air. I felt myself sinking
away from reality. Any normal girl would have run, but I couldn’t.
His lips felt so soft and warm, and I loved the way he tangled his
fingers in my long, black curls. The thought of letting him go tore
at my heart, and I simply couldn’t. I simply wouldn’t.

Still, I needed answers.

He looked into my eyes, and I was awestruck,
my lips still tingling. “I was thinking,” he said. “Why don’t I get
us a boat so we can go out on the lake, just the two of us?”

“Sounds nice, a chance to escape all the
drama for a little while.”

He threaded his fingers through my long
locks, his flirtatious grin fixed on his face. “I’d love to have
you all to myself.”

“You know how much I love being with you,” I
whispered.

His smile eased into a big grin, and he
gently caressed my face and softly kissed me. “How about this
weekend?”

I drew in a short breath, but the words
remained frozen in my throat. I walk over to the railing and stared
into the woods.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

He regarded me intently, his hair swaying
in the soft breeze wafting in from the silent woods.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” I finally
answered.

He came from behind and hugged me. “Like
what?”

I spun around, then pushed the black hair
from his face, raking my fingers through it. “I’m so thirsty. How
about a soda?”

“Sure. I’ll take a Sprite or Pepsi.”

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
“Jesse, we need to have a long talk. Let’s have a bite to eat and
chat.” When I glanced over my shoulder, he was still standing at
the doorway.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he
asked.

“No need for that. I mean, after that
fantastic kiss on the lips, do we really have to be that
formal?”

“I don’t want your parents getting mad that
I came in without permission,” he said.

I slowly walked to the doorway and stared
into those eyes that still took my breath away; there was nothing
dead about them. “Are you able to come in and get it yourself?” I
asked.

“I’m not really that thirsty anyway,” he
said. “I’d rather hang out here on the porch.”

Our eyes locked. He was so handsome with
those strong, chiseled features, eyes as blue as the sky, and lips
sculpted perfectly for kissing. I stared at his sensuous mouth, and
he looked so cute with that pouty bottom lip of his.

“Are you coming back outside?” he asked.

“Are you coming inside?” I retorted.

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long
moment, and it would have taken a knife to cut the tension between
us. The challenge had been issued, and we both refused to give
in.

“Something’s changed between us,” Jesse
said. “I can sense it.”

I shook my head.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I put two and two together.”

“And what did you figure out?”

“I want to know what you’re hiding from me,
Jesse,” I finally blurted out. “What’s going on?”

Jesse stared at me in silence as he
contemplated what my words implied.

I inched closer to the doorway. “Take off
your shirt,” I demanded.

His beautiful eyes shone as he gazed
straight into my eyes. “I had no idea you were so bold, so
kinky.”

My lips pressed into grim lines. “I need to
know if I’m crazy, which is a very serious possibility. Take off
your shirt right now please.”

He gazed deeply into my eyes. “No.”

“No?”

He smiled. “No.”

I cleared my throat. “Why not?”

“Why not?” he repeated. “Because I suddenly
feel very shy. You’re treating me like a piece of meat.”

“Maybe the real reason you don’t want to
remove your shirt is because you don’t have a scar from the bullet
wound. I’m sure it healed very fast, and that’s why you didn’t want
to go to the hospital,” I said.

He nodded, seemingly impressed with my
insights. “Why?”

“
Because I think you’re
special
.” If I was right, he would know what I
was talking about. I didn’t want to risk our friendship by flat out
calling him a vampire, just in case it wasn’t true.

His voice cut into my thoughts. “Special?
I’m glad you think so. I feel the same about you.”

Boldly, I held up the crucifix. “Cut the
games, Jesse. I know what you’re hiding. You’re immortal.”

He laughed. “Listen to yourself, Taylor! Do
you think a cross can actually stop me?”

“Maybe not, but apparently, you can’t come
in without being invited.”

He shook his head.

I continued, “If necessary, I can also kick
a leg off one of my mom’s wooden chairs.”

“To stake me?”

“Only as a last resort, if I need to defend
myself,” I retorted.

“I’m a little curious about how you came to
this interesting conclusion.”

The massive lump of dread thudded down into
the pit of my stomach like a lead balloon. “I put the pieces
together, and they all fit quite nicely. Why don’t you stop trying
to hide from me when I know the truth? You can trust me to keep
your secret. My bond is my word.”

“Those were my words.”

“And I mean them.”

He gazed deeply into my eyes, then slid his
shirt over his head.

My gaze darted from his powerful shoulders
to his rippling abs and perfect chest, sculpted with hard muscles.
His hair fell in disheveled waves across his forehead, but I didn’t
see any scars on his perfect skin.

“I knew it!” I said, gasping. “It’s
gone!”

“Looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about,”
he said.

I tried to ignore the dry sensation inside
my mouth. “How long did it take you to heal?”

“About twelve hours. It was a deep wound,”
he said.

My eyes widened. “What are you?”

“You’ve clearly already decided that. You’re
holding a Bible and a crucifix and threatening to stake me.”

“Don’t forget the garlic. My pockets are
loaded with it.”

His gaze narrowed. “I love a girl who’s
always prepared for battle.”

“Are you going to answer me or not? What are
you?”

“I think you already know the answer to
that, Taylor.”

I fidgeted and tried to look away. “I
don’t.” I gazed up as he loomed over me. Shivering, I was thankful
for that invisible barrier that kept me safe.

His blue eyes began to glow, like nothing
I’d ever seen before. I watched his teeth turn from normal to
pointed fangs, right before my very eyes. My heart lurched, and I
suddenly began to gasp for air.

“Yes, Taylor. I am a vampire,” he said.

A cold chill shot down my spine as I stared
into those glowing eyes and took in those sharp fangs. I opened my
mouth to speak, but no words would come out. Max snarled, then
barked fiercely. I glanced up at the blue sky, then down at the
lush green grass, then the open patch of woods. They were all real,
and so was the creature standing before me.

“Taylor…” he said.

My hand trembled as I rubbed my face, my
brain still trying to circle around his shocking admission. I
couldn’t believe my suspicions had been so spot on. I just stared
at him, my feet frozen in place. Right there before me was a real,
live, modern-day vampire, a supernatural, mythological, undead
creature of the night—and, in his case, day. He was a dead person
who existed by drinking the blood of the living.